Steinhardt: Murphy Is Delusional
August 25, 2020Steinhardt: Murphy Is Delusional
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Today, Governor Murphy introduced his nine-month state budget.
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His proposal comes in at $32 billion in taxpayer dollars, which represents an increase from his annualized, pre-pandemic proposal.
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It also includes a slew of tax increases, including a new income tax, $4 billion in borrowing, and the largest contribution in the state’s history to the broken pension system at $4.9 billion.
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NJGOP Chairman Doug Steinhardt offered the following comments:
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ON BORROWING AND BUDGET BLOAT:
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“They say, ‘Before borrowing money from a friend decide which you need most.’ Well, Governor Murphy made his choice. In the middle of a pandemic, where every New Jersey household and small business has sacrificed, made tough choices, and scaled back its spending, Phil Murphy’s appetite to spend your money is growing. Thankfully, next November, New Jersey families get to make their decision, which they want most, Phil Murphy or their money.”
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ON PENSION PAYMENT:
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“Investing in a broken pension system isn’t a solution; it just perpetuates an existing problem. Police and fire have made strides since taking the reigns of and responsibility for their system; the NJEA and CWA should be made similarly responsible. If they want to continue to invest money in a failed and antiquated pension system, they should pay the price, not taxpayers. We need to abandon this failed system and institute immediate fiscally responsible reforms for future hires.”
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THE REST OF MURPHY’S ADDRESS
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It’s clear that New Jersey’s tax problems will continue as long as Democrats control Trenton, but that doesn’t have to be. The road to a safer, more affordable New Jersey isn’t paved with liberal handouts. Instead we need policies that reduce taxes, relax regulations, reward hard work and respect the Constitution. Once we see we can tackle the hard stuff, like making NJ economically attractive, education more accessible, and our cities and towns more affordable, we can unleash New Jersey’s full potential and build a state that is truly a beacon of prosperity, growth, and opportunity for all.
