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Governor Phil Murphy Warns Firefighters, Police Officers and Teachers could be laid Off

Murhy

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood Nj, Governor Phil Murphy on Sunday warned on CNN that key employees , including health care workers, firefighters, police officers and teachers could be laid off if the state does not receive additional funding from the federal government. Of course no mention of any lay offs for bureaucrats in Trenton or any effort to stem the systemic gross mismanagement of New Jersey’s finances .

The dire prediction from Murphy reflects what many governors across the country fear as states grapple with budget shortfalls from the economic calamity brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. The Democrat and other governors have called for additional federal assistance while the White House is reluctant to provide additional funds to states. On Friday, Murphy announced the state is estimated to have a revenue loss of $10 billion.

State Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio said at the governors Friday press conference ,”Our economic analysts, like analysts around the country, have been working around the clock ever since to try and gauge the short and long-term impact of this crisis. Based on a wide variety of economic assumptions, we are now potentially in New Jersey facing a shortfall of nearly $10 billion through the end of fiscal year 2021 next June, $10 billion. That is a jaw-dropping figure. And while there are many moving parts, what is clear is that a decline of this magnitude would be worse than the Great Recession.”

Muoio went on,”When it comes to the sales tax, for example, which has obviously been impacted by business closures, we are forecasting a 33% decline in collections from May through July over the same period last year. For context, the worst sales tax month during the Great Recession in ’08-’09 saw a decline of 18.4%. What this means is that the sizable surplus and rainy day fund we worked so hard to build together will easily be depleted.  ” This could hardly be an unexpected consequence given nearly all the businesses in the state were closed down by the governors lock down.

I point this out not to be a doomsayer, but to underscore that some extremely difficult decisions will have to be made in the weeks and months ahead, decisions no one wants to make, but they will be unavoidable. Just like it will be for many New Jerseyans, our road ahead is going to require a combination of serious budget tightening, critically needed borrowing and federal assistance, much more robust federal assistance. The Governor has been out there since day one lobbying for the federal support we unequivocally need. He has been a tremendous ambassador for New Jersey and our needs. One would even think you might have done this for a living before at some point.

The budget report we will be releasing a little later today is designed to serve as a roadmap to help New Jersey begin to navigate what is essentially uncharted territory. It’s marked by hard choices. Some we’ve already made, and some we are proposing to make. As soon as this crisis began to unfold, we placed roughly $1 billion of appropriations into reserve. We issued a statewide hiring freeze, except for crucial COVID-related needs, and we put more than $500 million in other planned spending for this fiscal year on hold. We are also proposing to de-appropriate approximately $1.32 billion, which was not an easy choice, because it included many priorities shared by everyone. And additional balances will be retained in reserve until we see how the current fiscal year pans out.”

21 thoughts on “Governor Phil Murphy Warns Firefighters, Police Officers and Teachers could be laid Off

  1. Was why would they all be layoffs

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  2. We talked about essential workers those are essential workers all of them without them we’re in trouble we need the police to protect us we need to firefighters to help us and the kids need their teachers

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  3. He can start by laying off his security detail.

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  4. America vs democrats 2020!

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  5. Will believe when I see it.

  6. It’s actually the EMS paramedics, nurses, doctors and sanitation workers who are really risking their lives and are the essential employees.

    Overpaid police & fire, not so much.

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  7. They always threaten to lay off teachers firefighters and cops.
    LOL they never threaten to lay off bureaucrats.
    LOL they never threaten to lay off legislative staff.

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  8. Scare tactics

  9. The grammar and sentence structure is a dead giveaway as to whom is writing the comments…uneducated civil servants at their best.

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  10. Classic bureaucratic strategy. Pick services to shut down that have maximum impact and cause maximum distress to the public. Same strategy was used during government “shutdowns” when they closed parks to inflict as much pain as possible.

    When this clown proposes a meaningful plan for coping with the revenue shortfall, then maybe start to pay attention.

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  11. Start With upper management supervision first, they are overpaid. And under experienced.

  12. Firefighters police officers and teachers are paid by municipalities who tax property owners. I still have to pay my property taxes and Ridgewood will survive since unlike Paterson Camden and Newark (democrat shit holes), we dont get much if any state aid.

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  13. Ladies and Gentlemen we live in a gifted community. Readers of the blog can determine employment from sentence structure.

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  14. He should first answer, who is still being paid by the State and why?

  15. Thelma & Louise. Step on the gas & laugh while you’re driving off the fiscal cliff.
    Pray for a bailout from Washington before you get to the edge.

  16. I’m sure if the Village of Ridgewood is receiving any state aid that would be cut first. I’m not sure how much the village receives and state aid funding for anything I’m sure it’s very little. As in the Board of Education same thing I don’t have that number. But in back door meetings this gives them leverage At negotiations for police and fire contracts.

  17. This is what happens when the Government becomes too large and has wsy to many programs of assistance. The highest income taxes, property taxes, sales tax, gas tax, toll roads. The cost of living is out of control. People run out of this State as soon ad they can yet the State insists on being a Sanctuary State. Giving away billions to those who were oppressed in their own country and catering to their wishes. With a small and nimble Government this State could be in a much better place. Take a five mile high look and you’ll see all the waste. It’s not an easy task nor should it be. Just do it and so it now.

  18. Stop persecuting gym owners who open up might be the first step in reducing expenses.

  19. Let’s lay this dangling hemorrhoid with horse teeth off in 2021

  20. That’s a good one who’s that. That’s some funny shit

  21. Phils Trying hanging out with Super Mario of NY

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