file photo by Boyd Loving
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, Governor Murphy issued his 2021 State of the State address. The address included policies that would make our state worse off in the short and long term, and papered over the administration’s failures. New Jersey leads the nation in Covid death rate, and outmigration. We are consistently ranked last in tax climate, and close to last in fiscal stability and GDP.
GOP Gubnatorial Candidate Jack Ciattarelli responded quickly :
“Come on, Governor! This was no state of the state. This was a campaign speech. Stop insulting us! No, the pandemic isn’t easy, but your failed policies and gross incompetence have only made things worse. Our neighbors and family are moving out of state; because you told them if taxes are their issue, they should leave. Our main street small businesses are closing their doors; because you don’t seem to give a damn. Our seniors – thousands of them – were sent to nursing homes and tragically lost their lives; because you let them down. And, apparently, the quickest way to get a COVID vaccine is to commit a crime and go to jail. Enough of this, New Jersey! Governor Murphy has been in power for three years now. It’s time for us to ask ourselves, are we better off? Democrats have controlled the legislature for over two decades, are we better off? If you want a change, you’ve got to make a change. I’m determined to fix our broken state. Together, we can. All we need is the right leader. A leader that understands New Jersey. A leader committed to bold reforms. We need a chief executive, not an out-of-touch elitist. I am ready for the challenge.”
NJGOP Chairman Michael Lavery issued the following statement:
“As Governor Murphy gives his 2021 State Of The State address, we look back on a year of challenges that the Governor undeniably exacerbated. The governor failed in his response to the pandemic, ordering covid-positive patients back into our long term care facilities, not protecting our veterans homes, and ignoring medical advice in favor of PR spin. He also chose his far left ideology over the basics of his job – pushing a liberal wish list over running Motor Vehicles, raising taxes instead of effectively delivering unemployment aid, and repeatedly telling people to leave New Jersey if they don’t agree with him. Our state is taxing and spending more than ever, and Murphy’s massive debt scheme will leave our children footing the bill.”
“New Jersey’s 2020 was very much a Murphy Meltdown. After we win the November election, I know that the Republican Governor giving the 2022 State Of The State address will be talking about how to bring our state into a new era of growth and prosperity, how to lower taxes and regulations on our hard working citizens and businesses, and how to truly transform our great state from one that leads the nation in outmigration for three straight years, to one that attracts the best and brightest, keeps them, and is truly a land of opportunity for our nine million residents. New Jersey Republicans have the right prescription for what ails our state, and I’m confident the voters of our state will side with us this fall.”
The 2020 Murphy Meltdown:
- Ordered Covid-Positive patients into nursing homes, and now over 7,500 people in these homes are dead
- Whistleblowers in the administration said the Governor’s response was “an unmitigated failure” that led to “preventable deaths”, and that the administration was “making things up as they proceed…”
- Murphy left Taxpayers holding the million dollar bag on the Katie Brennan settlement, never answering questions about the sexual assault scandal in his campaign and administration
- Murphy’s #MeToo scandal worsened with more and more women revealing misconduct by the Murphy team
- The Murphy Administration is under Department Of Justice investigation for its handling of Long Term Care Facilities.
- The Governor and his team failed spectacularly to reopen the MVCs
- The Governor and his team couldn’t get unemployment relief to tens of thousands of needy New Jerseyans
- Murphy broke his own executive order and attended Black Lives Matters protests in large groups at the height of the pandemic.
- Democrats attacked Governor Murphy for his “Failure to implement vote by mail and to insure the integrity of our elections”
- Murphy encouraged the firing of senior staff at the Department of Health in the middle of the pandemic.
- Murphy withheld billions in CARES act money for months, as one third of our businesses have closed.
- In spite of the pandemic, Murphy’s liberal tax and spend ideology trumps all, as he proposed and signed a budget for FYI 21 that actually raises spending and taxes, just as our economy and taxpayers need relief.
- Borrowed $4.5 Billion, to be paid back by our children and grandchildren, to finance his liberal priorities.
- Murphy got caught coordinating with the leadership in the SDA patronage scandal
- As gun crime skyrockets around New Jersey, Murphy released 20% of our state’s prison population
- Murphy fired the head of the state veterans homes, then ducked questions about what, if any, work his administration did to help those vulnerable vets
- Murphy got our credit downgraded, by creating a long term structural deficit
- Murphy caused our state to be ranked last in the nation in business tax climate
- A Democrat mayor blamed Murphy for crime surge in Paterson
- Covid cases have exploded this fall, especially in our LTCFs
- Murphy prioritized vaccinating prisoners over veterans
The stage was set years ago with the dual office holders in the state.
When big city mayors also held office as state senators and assemblymen, they simply went to trenton and appropriated money to their shit-hole cities, ignoring the suburban voters who fund the state.
Despite the laws being changed, the decline has been so steep that it is irreversable.
NJ, run by socialist democrats will never recover.
The grossly overpaid/overpensioned public union employees milk the state and local governments for 25 years of ‘work’, then ‘thank’ the voters by bailing to NC or FL and collecting pensions and benefits in a tax-free state for 30+ years.
The wealthy residents bail out once they retire since they arent willing to have their pockets picked by nj.
will the last person who actually contributes $$ instead of receiving $$ turn out the lights.
Peoples republic of New Jerkey.
Murphy is so out of touch, treats NJ like a hedge fund. He makes money win or lose and the taxpayers foot the bill for his mistakes. We need budget control in this state, enough of wasting taxpayer money on Murphy’s failed socialistic and radical endeavors !!!