Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno In Lakewood

All right. So, I'm the lieutenant governor of the city. This is your senator. Next, you senators McCay, the small business advocate. You want her phone number. This is Michael Van Wagner, the head of the business acting assembly. You want his phone number, too. Right. I'm going to give you my cell phone number because I can't think of a clearer way of cutting through red tape than to give you access to the person who can pull these people to Trenton on a Friday afternoon in the summertime and get you the answers that you need. The game plan, of course, would be to make sure you give them the answers they need before they have to call me. That's the plan, but it doesn't always work. So, the first reason why you need that cell phone number is to call me if I'm in UF. Call me if Trenton hasn't given me one answer. Call me if you think that Trenton can do it a better way. Don't call me after 11:00 at night. I have two. Now, the first reason is I can't think of a better way to cut through red tape that if I give you my cell phone number. The second is you pay for that cell phone. So, you should have access to it. Now, I don't want you to call the governor of the state of New Jersey, but I'm the lieutenant governor of the state of New Jersey. You can call me. There's only 8 n million of you. You all call. pretty soon I'll I'll have a one-on-one conversation with all of you. But this alpha number, I know you're thinking I'm not going to give it to you, but I am. It's 609. I ask you to use it as a business. If you're having problems with the state of New Jersey, if you want to call and invite me to an event, then you have to listen to the whole voicemail if you don't get me and call my office. But if you have a problem with the state of New Jersey that I can solve, I will call you back and tell you that I can. Here's a concept. I will call you back and tell you if I can't and we need to think of another way to fix the problem. Now, you are going to test me. I suspect that if you test me and I give you my cell phone number and I don't answer that phone, then you will not vote for me next time around. I wouldn't vote for me the next time around because it is my job to get those answers and I can do that. Do that for a year and a half. That's what the governor asked me to do three years ago and that's what I intend to do. if you have a phone call. Simple as that. Um, I got a phone call one Friday afternoon and I know some of you in this room have heard it. I got a phone call on Friday afternoon last uh spring. A private entrepreneur, just one woman decided she wanted to do a jazz festival in New Friday afternoon about 4:00. She called me on the phone. She said, "Gee, I never thought I would have to use a cell phone number, but I'm desperate. I need to get a liquor license because I'm having this jazz festival in Trent. Fabulous. Great idea. I'm glad you're doing something for Trent. When is the jazz festival? She said, "Tomorrow." Now, you know, I wouldn't be telling this story if the ending wasn't good. I said, "Look, I can't tell you I'm going to give you an answer. I can't tell you you're going to be able to do your jazz festival." And under my breath, I'm thinking, "Shame on you for not calling me two days ago when it was really a problem." Obviously you knew it was going to be a problem, but I will try. Needless to say, I was able to get the head of the ABC on the phone, explain to him what the problem was. Promise him I was never going to do this again. Was completely inaccurate. And can you see where that piece of paper is? Because if it's sitting on somebody's desk and all you have to do is pull the piece of paper off, then why wouldn't we try to do everything we could so she could have her jazz festival in French? So, we were able to get her that license by 5:00 on a Friday afternoon in Trent. Not going to always be a good story. Not always going to have a happy ending, but she kept my cell phone number. She used it when she was desperate. If you all you do use it, try to call a couple days before it gets to the critical mass phase. It works. Um, and I promise you I will answer that phone. Thank you for coming tonight. Very Thank you.