The looming bankruptcy of New Jersey’s Transportation Trust Fund has long been the unaddressed 800-pound gorilla climbing up the side of NJ’s statehouse. The main funding source for state transportation projects could run out of money by 2011, but hasn’t been an issue in the gubernatorial race. Until now. With less than a month before Election Day, Transportation Kong has muscled its way into the campaign.

After months of laying in wait, the beast poked its head out of the political jungle during the first debate after Republican candidate Chris Christie criticized independent Chris Daggett’s plan to fund the TTF with a gas tax increase. The independent memorably replied, “It’s easy to criticize when you have no plan of your own. I would like the tooth fairy to come as well but the tooth fairy is not going to come.” The exchange got a few chuckles, and after multiple commentators declared that Daggett had won the debate, the praise for his platform’s specificity apparently forced the major parties to stop skirting the issue.

The next toehold came after the Lieutenant Governor candidates were asked directly whether they would support a gas tax increase during an October 8 debate. At that time, only the independent candidate, Frank Esposito, supported the gas tax as a means to pay for transportation projects –- in fact, the Democratic and Republican lieutenant governor candidates, Loretta Weinberg and Kim Guadagno, joked that their opposition to an increase in the gas tax was the one thing they had in common. But seven days later, Governor Corzine announced that he would consider raising the gas tax to replenish the fund.

While all three candidates now acknowledge the gorilla waiting for them on Trenton’s gold dome, they have varying opinions on the immediacy and importance of the problem. Independent candidate Chris Daggett was the first to acknowledge the Trust Fund’s importance, addressing the shortfall on his website from the outset. Democrat and incumbent Jon Corzine has followed suit. Republican candidate Chris Christie has been less forthcoming on his transportation platform, mainly stating that he is against increasing debt, but is also against raising revenue, stating that NJ needs to fund transportation on a pay-as-you-go basis. (MTR will be reporting on the candidates’ transportation platforms in some upcoming articles.)

The debates have given New Jerseyans a clearer understanding of each candidate’s vision for the future of the transportation network, and helped spur some more informed media analysis. The end result has been a more productive dialogue on the transportation and funding challenges the next governor will face. You can’t just throw a few bananas at an 800-pound gorilla and hope it goes away. No matter who ends up in the Statehouse, they will have to tackle Transportation Kong.