Christie raps Democrats’ deal on raising N.J. gas tax to fund road, transportation projects

Gov. Chris Christie is criticizing New Jersey lawmakers’ new proposal to boost the state gas tax by 23 cents a gallon to fund transportation projects.

Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, both Democrats, announced a deal Friday that also would phase out the estate tax and make other tax cuts.

Christie said in a statement the new plan contains “vague generalities” and said he wouldn’t make a decision until he was given more specifics.

The Republican governor accused both men of “publicly pretending they’ve accomplished something” on the transportation stalemate before next week’s Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

Christie had proposed a funding plan Thursday that Sweeney on Friday called “not acceptable.”

The Sweeney-Prieto plan calls for phasing out the estate tax, increasing a tax credit for the working poor, raising the retirement and pension income tax exemption and offering a tax savings for veterans.

It would also give motorists who earn up to $100,000 an annual income tax deduction of up to $500.

It doesn’t include a reduction in the sales tax, an issue that torpedoed an earlier deal.