Republicans Savage Murphy’s ‘Extreme’ Speech
In the aftermath, Republicans trashed Governor Phil Murphy’s speech.
“Taxes are too high,” Assembly Republican Leader John DiMaio said. “Second quarter GDP was negative.”
He lamented what he described as an unfair business climate, thanks to Murphy’s tax policies.
“Let’s cut the corporate business tax,” DiMaio said.
Young people are leaving the state.
“We need to be letting people enjoy the fruits of their labor and keeping more money in their pocket,” he added.
State Senate Republican Leader Steve Oroho likewise threw a few political punches.
“We have a budget process that’s out of control,” he said.
The budget’s up nearly 50% since Murphy took office. Democrats have absolutely nothing to show for the windfall we’ve received, he complained. “Where did it go?”
Oroho criticized Murphy’s “absurdly expensive green energy plan,” and “Jobs-killing” pandemic policies.
Parents have been denied a voice in their children’s education.
“Those parents deserve to be heard,” the Republican leader said.
He noted the crime scourge in the state, too, including car thefts, exacerbated by the governor’s early release policy, in addition to a Supreme Court-slapped gun policy.
“It should be clear, we can do better,” Oroho said. “Republicans are saying it doesn’t have to stay that way.”
“Extreme.”
That was the word he used to describe Murphy’s approach.
That’s the message he wants to take into legislative contests this year, including those battleground districts where the GOP hopes to tie incumbent lawmakers to the sitting progressive, presidential office-dreaming Democratic governor.
True, Murphy and the Dems have destroyed NJ. However, Republicans talk and talk. The Republic party is essentially dead in NJ
The republican party is dead in NJ. Why? All the major cities want freebies and the democrats always find a way to give hand outs. Discouraging hard working New Jersayans. If the ppl.vote for anyone to lead our country and they are affiliated with NJ politics they should educate themselves on how this party destroyed the once great state of NJ
They don’t call Steve Oroho “Senator No” for no reason. And on Tuesday he lived up to the name.
No sooner had Governor Phil Murphy finished his annual State of the State address than a response from Oroho, the Senate Republican leader, appeared on NJ.com and other media.
Obviously, it was a prepared response that didn’t address any of Murphy’s comments except for the usual Republican talking points, buzzwords and fearmongering.
In his first sentence, Oroho says “the state of the state is not good”. By whose standards, Steve? Are things perfect? Of course not. There’s always room for improvement, otherwise we’d be living in utopia. But given all that New Jersey–and the country–has gone through in recent years, we could be worse.
Oroho claims New Jersey has the highest taxes in the nation. FALSE. The latest rankings shows us third, behind California and Hawaii.
According to Oroho, we also have the most debt. Again, FALSE. Various sources place the Garden State either third or fourth.
And he claims New Jersey has the “worst business climate”. After researching that claim, I find that’s a subjective evaluation. Various sources do place New Jersey near the bottom. One lists NJ as worst–New Jersey 101.5 radio. This is a right-wing-leaning radio station that features an idiot named Bill Spadea, who has gubernatorial ambitions in 2025, as its lead political commentator. Hardly an objective source.
But consider this fact: there’s another category New Jersey ranks last in–the amount we get back from the government as opposed to what we pay in taxes. And for THAT, readers, you can blame the Trump Administration and Moscow Mitch McConnell, under whose leadership (or lack of it) the formulae for distribution of federal monies was changed to favor his home state of Kentucky and other so-called “moocher” states from the South, most led by Republican governors. And, predictably, when the Democrats took the Senate back, their attempts to restore a distribution balance were stymied by a filibuster. You want to talk about what’s constitutional, Oroho? Show me where the word “filibuster” appears in that document. You see, there’s more to the Constitution than just the second amendment.
“Democrats tacking on billions in (budget spending) pork every year”. Seems like that spending goes toward things like infrastructure, needed repairs and improvements caused by years of GOP ignorance. Why else is the Gateway Tunnel going to cost more than twice what it would have if Chris Christie hadn’t vetoed the plan and diverted the savings to tax cuts for millionaires?
And he accused Democrats of squandering pandemic relief money, including the CARES and American Rescue Plan Acts? Really, Stevie? We’re you complaining when Sussex County received money for road improvements? Or expanding broadband cable to underserved areas? Or the pending replacement of the dilapidated tunnel on Route 206 in Andover, and the accompanying expansion of passenger rail service back into Sussex County?
And typically, Senator No blames President Biden for the rise in inflation, knowing full well that a president has little influence in that area, but not raising a peep when his hero, Cadet Bone Spurs, mismanaged a controllable medical issue into a worldwide pandemic due to his incompetence. And blames Murphy again for “job-killing pandemic restrictions”. No, Senator, what the governor did was heed the advice of medical professionals whose knowledge is far above your intelligence, not to mention your pay grade. And his actions helped save lives!
And with typical Republican fearmongering, he claims that the government is going to force homeowners to convert their gas heat and gas stove to electric versions. With typical GOP ignorance, he ignores two facts: one, that this plan hasn’t come close to reaching the legislative stage, and two, any bill passed will be for new constructions and likely be grandfathered for existing gas appliances. In other words, no one will be forced to immediately change from gas to electric. Of course, improving the environment isn’t high on the Republican agenda; after all, we’ll all be dead by the time the bill from Mother Nature comes due. And god forbid we should look to alternate sources of energy, such as wind, lest it cut into the profits of the Republican campaign contributors in the oil industry.
And Oroho, showing the bigotry that has become a Republican trademark–especially in Sussex County–attacks the state’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion curriculum in the schools, calling it “radical ideology” and “a time-wasting distraction”. Because teaching children to be accepting of all is so radical, right, Steve? Of course, being the highest elected Republican in a county that boasts such bigots as Bill Hayden and Joe Labarbera doesn’t bother you one bit–because I’ve never heard you denounce anything they’ve said, including their racist, homophobic, transphobic and misogynistic comments on social media and elsewhere. Tolerating bigotry, Senator, makes you a bigot as well.
And finally, and most odiously, Oroho endorses the idea that it’s ok for ordinary citizens to carry weapons into schools, churches, hospitals and other places where no one should be armed, just for the sake of the misguided interpretation of a constitutional amendment that became obsolete more than 50 years ago, and has resulted in thousands of needless deaths, only because Republicans only read “the right to bear arms” and ignore the part about “a well-regulated militia”. When someone in Sussex County dies from gun violence, Steve, I’ll blame YOU as well as the shooter. After all, you’re the one who led the applause when a Republican judge issued a temporary injunction against outlawing concealed carry.
So let’s review. Is New Jersey perfect? Definitely not; everywhere can use improvement. Has Governor Murphy done a good job? For the most part, I’d say so, considering he had to spend time undoing the debacle of the Christie administration. Have the Republicans done their part to help? Not really; most of the time they criticize proposals but offer nothing in the way of compromise. And all Steve Oroho does is preach how terrible he thinks Governor Murphy is.
Guess what, Senator? You lead the Sussex County Republican Party– the worst in the state. And you lead the Republicans in the Senate–a bunch of whiny, do-nothing Karens. Why should anyone take you seriously?
We are overtaxed, we do not have a good business climate, we are losing residents due to the way our State is run and out of control spending. What do we have to show as residents for all this spending? Senator Oraho is right. We may not be the worst in the nation according to Mr. Schankenberg but being in the top three.is a disgrace. Our educational system has been going down hill and parents must have a say in their children’s education , we sure pay enough in taxes for it. There needs to be a new plan on property taxes and distribution. It’s understandable that cities in NJ love the Democrats as they receive money while other municipalities pay and get little return. We need a two party system where real changes to improve our state can be made and stop the migration of residents looking to enjoy their lives instead of being taxed to death.
HEY SCHNACKENBERG, THE DEMOCRATS CONTROL TRENTON!!! Not the Republicans!!! All your whining like a Karen about the Republicans “doing nothing” is another exercise in left-wing, Communist perversion, projection, and “gaslighting”. Sorry to say, everything you talk about is what you Democrats have done to destroy New Jersey because you have no relevant arguments or points to make about your Socialist-Communist demagoguery, other than attack the other side.