The Organization  For  Economic Growth

A Disappointing First Step From Phil Murphy

From Joe Caruso, Chairman

and Alex Cucciniello, Executive Director

We wish Gov. Phil Murphy well as he takes the reins of leadership.  He has  many challenges before him – most notably the state’s relentless property tax burden, a limp economy and a poor business reputation — not to mention massive pension debt problems.

Yet despite these tangible issues staring him in the face Gov. Murphy chose to make an inauguration speech that avoided any mention of how he would tackle the problems he was elected to solve. Instead of a meat and potatoes speech, he gave us cookies and milk. The speech that should have shown leadership was nothing more than a patented stump speech that exemplifies the divisive identity politics of  left leaning politicians.

Highlighted in Murphy’s speech were funding for Planned Parenthood,  the LGBTQ community and the “Dreamers.” We can say with certainty that none of these issues are the reasons that people are fleeing New Jersey and why our state has the worst business climate in the nation.

Showing once again that his real interests lie outside of Trenton, Murphy dredged up the  Paris Climate Accord. It’s hard to imagine that millions of overtaxed New Jerseyans care very deeply about the Paris Accords.

Dutifully Murphy  portrayed himself to his leftist followers as a “resister” to Donald Trump  and Washington’s all-out assault on New Jersey. We assume he is referring to the federal tax overhaul that limits the deduction for state and local taxes to $10,000.  As we said previously, the wounds inflicted on New Jersey taxpayers are the result of the state and local government officials who can’t stop spending other people’s money. But rather than acknowledge that New Jersey has a spending problem, Murphy engages in the fiction that Washington and Trump are out to get us and he’s the super hero who is going to stand up to them. New Jersey cannot afford to invest in this kind of fantasy.

For a man who claims he wants to unite the state and  create a stronger and fairer New Jersey, Murphy sounded like just another divisive, jingoistic politician with no real plan to solve the problems that hard working families and business owners  want him to solve.

We are very disappointed in Murphy’s inaugural speech and what it portends for the future. If the tone of his administration is going to be sound bites and dog whistles to arouse the fringe elements of the Democratic Party – then New Jersey is in severe trouble

New Jersey needs a governor who will confront the very real economic and tax issues that are crushing families, killing jobs and destroying whatever future is left in the Garden State. The last thing New Jersey needs is another  governor whose eyes are focused on national politics. If Murphy wants to gain a national political reputation, let him clean up the mess that Trenton politicians have created and put New Jersey on the path to affordability and growth.  If he can do that, then maybe he can join the discussion for the White House.

The Organization For Economic Growth (OEG) is a bipartisan group that was formed to promote and support measures that will strengthen local and statewide economic growth/ NJOEG.com