PATERSON – Phil Murphy has seen the scorecard. Four of the six lawyers representing various concerns of South Jersey political boss George Norcross have a history with Chris Christie. That’s probably no accident, given the fact tax credits given to Norcross-connected firms were a big part of state incentive programs during Christie’s governorship. Add the fact that Christie and Norcross were political allies and this seems like an easy target for a governor who named a task force to review the incentive program.

But Murphy is not going on the attack.

Asked about the connections Tuesday afternoon in Paterson, the governor said (clearly with tongue in cheek) that he wasn’t personally aware of the pertinent lineage of the attorneys and Christie.

Then he said, “I have no reaction.”

He reiterated that the recently-convened task force investigating the state’s tax incentive program for businesses has nothing to do with politics.

“I had no choice,” the governor said after the state comptroller raised questions about how tax credits have been awarded. Officially, businesses receive credits coinciding with the number of jobs they create or keep in New Jersey. But Murphy referred to a comptroller’s report that said 20 percent of the jobs on which credits were awarded have not been accounted for.

He said it’s the task force’s job to find out what happened and to track how every penny has been spent.
Officially, the governor visited Paterson to talk to Passaic County officials about the state budget.

On that score, Murphy said four key county elected officials gave their support to increasing income tax rates for those earning more than $1 million a year, a key part of the governor’s budget.

The officials were county freeholder John Bartlett, Passaic Mayor Hector Lora, Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh and Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter, D-35th District.

All support is good, one supposes, but the reality is that  only one in the group, Sumter, has a vote on the plan.