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Business Owners Concerned about Taxes and Affordability in New Jersey

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June 27,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood Blog

MOUNTAINSIDE NJ  The Hugin for Senate campaign continued a statewide tour of roundtable events to discuss the affordability crisis gripping New Jersey and the impact of the proposed state budgets in Red Bank this morning.

Speaking to local business owners, Hugin discussed taxes, burdensome regulations, and healthcare with the group. John Dwyer, who represents the Hazlet Business Owners Association that includes more than 150 local businesses, kicked off the discussion on the impact of tax hikes on employees and employers.

“More taxes aren’t the solution, they’re only going to make things worse,” said Dwyer. “My employees are hard working folks that know how to hustle, but elected officials needs to wake up and realize they are hurting employees and employers with their pie in the sky efforts.”

“What government doesn’t understand is that we have to look at everything. Healthcare, for example, for employers is out of sight. If we can figure out that issue, it would probably solve most of the problems we as business owners have,” said Rena Levine Levy, co-owner of WindMill Restaurants, a chain that started in 1963 in Long Branch.

“Making New Jersey more affordable means seeking ways to support small businesses and encourage job creation. The fight in Trenton—over which taxes to increase—isn’t addressing the problem: the state is becoming an increasingly unaffordable place to live and operate a business,” said U.S. Senate candidate Bob Hugin.

Hugin’s affordability tour will continue tomorrow in Toms River where he will be meeting with young professionals and later in the day in Bayville where he will be meeting with seniors.

Bob Hugin, a Marine Corps Veteran and business leader who has created thousands of New Jersey jobs, is running for U.S. Senate to challenge incumbent Senator Bob Menendez. For more information visit bobhugin.com.

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Reader says Just wait for your Tax bills to go up if Murphy is successful in Purchasing the governor office

Phil Murphy

Our taxes,are,less,than Glen Rock and Ramsey . And the original poster never checked westchester or summit for accuracy….they are a lot higher. It’s the whole state of nj . Even shitty towns have high taxes. Police unions, teachers unions, and inner cities that drain the state treasury to fund the abbot schools in all the shithole cities. That’s what you get for allowing democrats to run things in Trenton (who are owned by the unions). Just wait for your bills to go up if Murphy is successful in Purchasing the governor office

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OLD BRIDGE DEMOCRATIC CHAIRMAN MARK RAZZOLI  NOT IN FAVOR OF MAKING NEW JERSEY A SANCTUARY STATE

Democratic Chairman Mark Razzoli

October 26,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Old Bridge NJ, Democratic Chairman Mark Razzoli emphatically says no way.

“While I respect the views of many of the Democratic candidates running for office in New Jersey, our focus as a local party and my focus as a councilman will be to hold the line on property taxes, ensure good quality services for children and seniors, and protect the Old Bridge quality of life we have all come to enjoy – not address federal issues we have no power to legislate.

My 25 years in law enforcement gives me a unique understanding and perspective of the issues we face as a state and as a nation. However, I do disagree with the proposal to make New Jersey a sanctuary state and any implication to the contrary is categorically false. Thank you for all of your support!” – Mark Razzoli, Old Bridge Democratic Chairman

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Clinton in Paramus for Murphy ,Judicial Watch releases Conflict-of-Interest Rulings that led to $48 Million in Income for Clinton Entities

Bill Clinton

October 24,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Paramus NJ, Bill Clinton is coming to Paramus to campaign for Phil Murphy The Democratic front-runner in New Jersey’s governor’s race today . This coincides with the latest Judicial Watch announced of the release of more than 200 conflict-of-interest reviews by State Department ethics advisers of proposed Bill Clinton speaking and consulting engagements during Hillary Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state. The documents were obtained as result of a federal court order in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed against the State Department on May 28, 2013 (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:13-cv-00772)). The lawsuit is ongoing.

June 2011 documents show that the State Department approved a consulting arrangement with a company, Teneo Strategy, led by controversial Clinton Foundation adviser Doug Band. The Clintons ended the deal after only eight months, as criticism mounted over Teneo’s ties to the failed investment firm, MF Global.

Mr. Clinton’s office proposed 215 speeches around the globe. And 215 times, the State Department stated that it had “no objection.”

Mr. Clinton’s speeches included appearances in China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Central America, Europe, Turkey, Thailand, Taiwan, India and the Cayman Islands. Sponsors of the speeches included some of the world’s largest financial institutions—Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, American Express and others—as well as major players in technology, energy, health care and media. Other speech sponsors included a car dealership, casino groups, hotel operators, retailers, real estate brokers, a Panamanian air cargo company and a sushi restaurant.

“These documents are a bombshell and show how the Clintons turned the State Department into a racket to line their own pockets,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “How the Obama State Department waived hundreds of ethical conflicts that allowed the Clintons and their businesses to accept money from foreign entities and corporations seeking influence boggles the mind. That former President Clinton trotted the globe collecting huge speaking fees while his wife presided over U.S. foreign policy is an outrage. No wonder it took a court order to get these documents. One can’t imagine what foreign policy issues were mishandled as top State Department officials spent so much time facilitating the Clinton money machine.”

Under established protocols of the State Department, and supplemented by a December 2008 Memorandum of Understanding between the Clinton Foundation and Obama Presidential Transition Team, a designated ethics official from the State Department’s legal office was assigned to review any “potential or actual conflict of interest” for Mrs. Clinton while she served as secretary of state. Copies of all decisions were sent to a top adviser to Secretary Clinton, Cheryl Mills, who served as counselor and chief of staff at the Department of State.

The Washington Examiner published a report today on the documents by Judicial Watch Chief Investigative Reporter Micah Morrison and Examiner Senior Watchdog Reporter Luke Rosiak. Morrison and Rosiak note that Mr. Clinton “earned $48 million while his wife presided over U.S. foreign policy, raising questions about whether the Clintons fulfilled ethics agreements related to the Clinton Foundation during Mrs. Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State.”

According to the State Department documents:

Mr. Clinton spoke before a UBS Wealth Management audience in Chicago in April, 2012. The State Department document notes that attendees would be “approximately 300-400 ultra-high net worth clients, prospective clients, and UBS Financial Advisers.”

Mr. Clinton spoke to an event hosted by Wells Fargo in San Francisco in October, 2011. The State Department document notes that the event is “being held for Wells Fargo Private Bank and Wells Fargo Family Wealth Group clients, which are clients that have at least $5 million and $50 million in assets respectively.”

At a “mutually agreeable date” in April 2010, Mr. Clinton was due to speak at Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut. “This would be a private speech of up to 350 friends and patrons on Mohegan Sun,” the State Department document noted. “The event will not be open to the public. The event will not be publicly advertised.”

For a speech in Moscow in June 2010 sponsored by the investment bank Renaissance Capital, Mr. Clinton would address the theme of “Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States: Going Global.” The document notes that “Renaissance Capital is an investment bank focused on the emerging markets of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and sub-Saharan Africa.”

At the Ritz Carlton in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Mr. Clinton spoke at a March 2011 ticketed event targeting “the business community in Grand Cayman.”

The potential for conflicts of interest between Hillary Clinton’s role as Secretary of State and Bill Clinton’s international ventures grew increasingly controversial in late 2008 when the former president released a list of donors to his library and foundation in what he termed “a deal between” Obama “and Hillary.” According to an AP wire story, “Saudi Arabia gave $10 million to $25 million to the foundation. Other government donors include Norway, Kuwait, Qatar, Brunei, Oman …” CNN at the time warned that Clinton’s “complicated global business interests could present future conflicts of interest that result in unneeded headaches for the incoming commander-in-chief.”

The controversy deepened further when it was revealed that among those vetting Mrs. Clinton for the job of Secretary of State was Bill Clinton’s former deputy White House counsel Cheryl Mills, a longtime Clinton family confidant, who, the Washington Postwrote in 1999 “endeared herself to the Clintons with her never-back-down, share-nothing, don’t-give-an-inch approach …” After clearing Mrs. Clinton for the DOS job, Mills was named the incoming Secretary’s Chief of Staff. Ms. Mills was a featured speaker at Bill Clinton’s 2012 Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting.

In an April 28, 2008, ruling relating to Ms. Mills conduct as a White House official in responding to concerns about lost White House email records, Judge Royce C. Lamberth called Cheryl Mills’ participation in the matter “loathsome.” He further stated Mills was responsible for “the most critical error made in this entire fiasco… Mills’ actions were totally inadequate to address the problem.” Ms. Mills is currently on the Board of Directors of BlackRock, a leading investment firm. BlackRock is run by Larry Fink who reportedly wanted to be Treasury Secretary for Barack Obama and now, according to another report, is “angling for the job” in a Hillary Clinton administration.

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Democrat Phil Murphy likes New Jersey grapefruit’s and broccoli

Grapefruit martini

“NJ” Grapefruit martini

October 19,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, while everyone was watching the Yankee game , the two candidates for New Jersey Governor had their second debate . Most New Jersey voters seemed to be resigned to coming calamity and have zero faith in New Jersey politicians .

Republican Kim Guadagno has attempted to stay on her tax cutting message . During the debate she appeared calm, confident and comfortable and in an attempt to distance her self from Governor Chris Christie , she unequivocally pledged not to appoint him to the U.S. Senate in the event that Senator Bob Menendez resigns.

Voters seem luke warm to her tax cut pledge , most feeling Trenton lakes any credibility and Kim often comes off sounding like former governor and EPA chief “the air is ok, barrow from the pensions” Whitman .

On the other hand Democrat Phil Murphy known as Corzine 2.0 , has promised to make New Jersey a “sanctuary state” , he says he will raise your taxes in a massive tax increase of $1.3 billion . He treads water and will not commit  to extending the 2% arbitration cap for police and firefighter salaries and would not say weather the ethically challenged Democratic Senator Bob Menendez should resign if convicted of bribery. Murphy continues to push the Connecticut model, under the “tax the rich” mantra . The Connecticut model fell flat ,because the “rich” moved and so did General Electric and Aetna the states two largest tax payers and employers ,leaving Connecticut  on the verge of bankruptcy and collapse .

In probably the most telling question in the debate , Murphy clams to like New Jersey grapefruit’s and broccoli yes you heard me , while Kim likes Jersey tomatoes and cranberries, once again proving that you can buy a nomination , but it helps to live here and know something about the state your trying to govern .

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Pastors say they didn’t give permission to use their names on anti-Guadagno Democrat press release

Phill Murphy -Sara Medina del Castillo

October 15,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, New Jersey Governor’s race gets ugly  as a Democratic press release circulating in New Jersey with the names of more than a dozen Hispanic pastors denouncing Republican gubernatorial nominee Kim Guadagno’s ad linking Democratic gubernatorial nominee Phil Murphy to a violent crime committed by an undocumented immigrant.

The problem is that the pastors claim they did not endorse or give permission to use their names on anti-Guadagno release. At least two of the pastors included so far on the Spanish-language release including one who is the father of a Guadagno adviser says their names were added without their knowledge, let alone their permission.

The Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno said on Facebook ,”It is beyond the pale for Phil Murphy to go as far as to create a fake organization and forge the signatures of Hispanic clergy members to falsely attack Kim Guadagno,” said Guadagno Spokesman Ricky Diaz. “It should give all New Jerseyans pause that Phil Murphy would take advantage of men of the cloth to lie to the people of New Jersey. Phil Murphy should immediately take responsibility and apologize to these clergy members.”

The Murphy campaigns denies any involvement in the press release .

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CWA Union Shop Stewards got Paid to Go To Phil Murphy Event

CWA union phil murphy

September 21,2017
by David Henderson

Ridgewood NJ, form the your tax dollars at work! . State Workers who are CWA Shop Stewards got a paid day off at taxpayers expense to conduct “union business” on Monday. that “business” was a rally for Billionaire gubernatorial candidate Murphy. in addition to their regular state salary, the Murphy machine is paying them $15/hr to show up. Maybe they should be prosecuted as state employees taking a bribe!

Phill Murphy -Sara Medina del Castillo

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Opinion: Doing the Murphy Math — Taxing Millionaires Won’t Cut It

Phill Murphy -Sara Medina del Castillo

Carl Golden | September 20, 2017

Dragging the Christie anchor behind her, Guadagno can’t get any traction when it comes to warning voters what her rival’s programs could cost

Carl Golden

The year was 1938. Franklin D. Roosevelt occupied the White House, struggling to lift the nation from the depths of its most punishing Great Depression.

History has it that Harry Hopkins, head of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Roosevelt’s closest and most trusted advisor, recommended unprecedented massive government intervention as the solution.

“We shall tax and tax, spend and spend, elect and elect,” Hopkins is supposed to have said to the president, a blunt assessment for breaking the bleak economic circumstances of the time by extracting money from the wealthy, spending vast sums of it on public works job creation, and basking in subsequent electoral victories delivered by a grateful nation.

Hopkins later disputed reports of his rather cynical political calculation, but the legend lives on. (Note: Hopkins’ remark was first reported by the New York Times. His denials may be the first recorded allegation of “fake news” directed at the Times.)

https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/17/09/19/opinion-doing-the-murphy-math-taxing-millionaires-won-t-cut-it/

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Free college for all! (Except if you’re a NJ taxpayer)

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By Bill Spadea September 19, 2017 5:44 PM

If Democratic candidate for Governor gets his way in November, his first few months in office will likely be a big change for the Garden State. With a likely strong majority in both houses of the legislature his spending proposals and tax increases will likely sail through to his desk and become the new normal in New Jersey.  Although if you take a critical look back over the past two terms with Republican Chris Christie, he really did foam the runway for higher taxes, new spending and more borrowing. See: Gas Tax, Question #2 and State House Renovation.

But Murphy is different.  While Christie campaigned as a fiscally responsible tax cutter, Murphy is at least being honest about his plan to raise your taxes.  What’s worse is that he’ll have the power to do it, nearly unchecked with a rubber stamp legislature counting on his massive wealth and insider connections to help them stay in power for the foreseeable future.

His latest spending place is free community college for everyone. I spent the better part of the morning discussing that there are several big problems and challenges with his plan.

The first is the cost.  The expected winner of the November contest, Phil Murphy (although political predictions  sometimes get it slightly wrong…See Hillary 2016) has said that it should only cost the taxpayers $400 million. Hmm, we’ve heard a similar number before. Remember the $38 million dollar state house renovation that over night turned into $300 million? Then the borrowing costs drove the potential cost to between $500 and $700 million? The Governor has referred to such amounts as nothing more than “rounding errors,” as if to say we have plenty of money and this is only a drop in the bucket. Seems Murphy has taken the same tactic as the Governor to downplay the real problem of out-of-control, unchecked spending. Yes, $400 million is small when compared to the overall $35 billion in our state budget.  But what about the tens of millions in debt?  What about the $100 million plus in unfunded future liabilities? What about the fact that we’re planning to borrow billions more for light rail projects? What about the fact that the gas tax is already in place to secure future borrowing, and now the Democrats are talking about raising fees on toll roads and fees?

The second issue is the focus on college as a ‘one size fits all’ solution.  Why are we not discussing the very real opportunity of kids graduating college and getting into a trade? Electricians, plumbers, truckers, HVAC, hair stylists, food and entertainment and even jobs in the medical field are all critical elements of New Jersey’s economy. You can become a Licensed Practical Nurse without a college degree. All of these professions are respected and can afford a person a good living while keeping them out of the hole of higher education debt. The practical training in a specific field may be the best way for people to make it on their own and start their careers without a burden of debt on themselves, if Murphy gets his wish, on the rest of us.

Read More: Free college for all! (Except if you’re a NJ taxpayer) | https://nj1015.com/free-college-for-all-except-if-youre-a-nj-taxpayer/?trackback=tsmclip

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Kim Guadagno Hits Back Over Murphy Race Baiting

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September 3,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, while we have never been a strong supporter of Kim Guadagno , Phil Murphy (Corzine 2.0) is clearly a threat to many New Jerseyans livelihood . His big government tax and spend philosophy will chase any business out of New Jersey, leaving fewer people to carry the massive tax burden.  Murphy’s “Connecticut Scheme ” will have the same results as in Connecticut driving away the states largest employers and most productive individuals .

Worse yet in recent statements Murphy is appearing a bit desperate which seems odd for someone “up 29 points” in the polls.

Kim Guadagno  slapped back  at Murphy, “It’s a shame that Phil Murphy would stoop so low to hide his support for raising taxes by over $1.3 billion by getting involved in divisive and horrendous identity politics. Carlos and I have condemned racism and bigotry in all forms, and Phil Murphy knows it. His desperate race-baiting attacks to stir up fake outrage are beneath all of us as New Jerseyans, who value diversity, equality and love for each other.”

Murphy Race Baiting , “We are now seeing a disturbing trend emerge with Kim Guadagno and her campaign. Yesterday, she refused to criticize a sitting Assemblyman for posing with the Confederate flag, a symbol of bigotry and divisiveness. Today, we’ve learned that her choice for Lieutenant Governor, Woodcliff Lake Mayor Carlos Rendo, has been accused of systematic harassment and discrimination by the Chabad community in Woodcliff Lake. Yet, both times Lieutenant Governor Guadagno refused to criticize racist and anti-semitic speech despite the clear evidence.”

“Clear evidence.” really this guy is starting to sound like Al Sharpton quoting fake news , race baiting and obfuscating  his positions trying to hide the huge tax increases that will finally sink New Jersey economy once and for all  .

Kim Guadagno sums it up  ,”Murphy is taking the coward’s way out, ducking for cover behind the task force to avoid saying what he’s likely thinking, that he plans to reward those unions for their support by dumping the cap. New Jerseyans deserve to know where Murphy stands before November, and they have every reason to expect our would-be governor to have the courage explain his position.”

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Exclusive: Murphy Plans to Raise $1.3 Billion in Taxes

Phill Murphy -Sara Medina del Castillo

Tax hikes for millionaires, hedge fund managers, large corporations and pot smokers anchor Democrat’s plan.

Phil Murphy’s proposed tax increases would raise roughly $1.3 billion a year, his spokesman told Observer on Thursday, releasing for the first time a cost estimate of the Democratic gubernatorial nominee’s plans to pay for a multitude of campaign promises.

A separate $80 million to $100 million would be generated through savings from reining in out-of-network health care costs for public workers covered by state plans, the spokesman said, for a total annual gain of $1.4 billion in revenue.

https://observer.com/2017/08/exclusive-murphy-plans-to-raise-1-3-billion-in-taxes/?utm_campaign=new-jersey-politics&utm_content=2017-18-08-10376743&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=channel-new-jersey-politics-distribution

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Assemblywomen blasts Gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy and Democrat led ACA hysteria

Phill Murphy -Sara Medina del Castillo

file photo Phil Murphy

August 11,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi  blasts Gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy  and Democrat led ACA hysteria yesterday on Facebook ,

“I’ve taken some very targeted hits over the past month with claims that I am responsible for women dying and/or I hate women. These comments have been reprehensible and are flat out false as well as bizarre considering I am female and my own grandma died of ovarian cancer. For the record I support access for women to all health care, including family planning services. Several years before I ever ran for office a $7.5 million budgetary cut was made to “family planning services.” During this same period of time the ACA was enacted and several hundred thousand more people in New Jersey became eligible for health insurance coverage and Medicaid services. Certain medical providers, including Planned Parenthood saw significant increases in reimbursements during this time. Indeed Planned Parenthood has been funded to the tune of $1.5 BILLION per year and has felt financially secure enough to increase their executive salaries by 20 percent over the past two years (for an average executive salary of over $350-$400,000 per year) while giving out over $35 million in campaign contributions. But we shouldn’t let facts get in the way of hysteria.

Murphy’s Comments on Women Dying Are False, NJ Health Officials Say

By Christian Hetrick • 08/10/17 7:52pm

New Jersey health officials fired back at Phil Murphy on Thursday after the Democratic gubernatorial nominee said “women are dying” because of Gov. Chris Christie’s cuts to Planned Parenthood.

https://observer.com/2017/08/murphys-comments-on-women-dying-are-false-nj-health-officials-say/?utm_content=nj+politics&utm_campaign=social+flow&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social+

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Brutal Journal Story Paints Philip Murphy as Elitist Dandy

Phill Murphy -Sara Medina del Castillo

By Kevin B. Sanders • 12/20/14 8:57pm

Potential 2017 gubernatorial candidate Philip Murphy and his family pose for their yearly holiday card.

It’s dangerous to be in an Agustin Torres column before he’s had his morning coffee. The Jersey Journal‘s political editor absoulutely unloaded on presumed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Philip Murphy in Saturday’s Journal, accusing Murphy of an unrelenting string of synonyms for “out of touch rich guy.”

It’s clear that Murphy annoys the often-cranky Torres even more than the usual politician. He says of Murphy, who headed the Frankfurt office of Goldman Sachs from 1993-1997 and later served as national finance chair for the DNC, “His place of residency is on another planet” who aspires to Huey Long populism but cannot “relate to the masses” because he is not “one of them.”

Then there’s this brutal chunk:

https://observer.com/2014/12/brutal-journal-story-paints-philip-murphy-as-elitist-dandy/

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The Mother of All Stupid Idea’s : Trenton Run NJ state bank plan

bankrupt_monopoly

Governor candidate Murphy pitches his state bank plan to bankers. Opponents pounce.

By Brent Johnson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on April 19, 2017 at 8:30 AM, updated April 19, 2017 at 10:54 AM

TRENTON — Phil Murphy, the early Democratic front-runner for governor, defended his proposal to create a state bank to an audience peppered with skeptics Tuesday: members of New Jersey’s banking industry.

Meanwhile, speaking to the same group, a number of his fellow candidates from both parties — including Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, the Republican favorite — assailed the idea as being dangerous for the Garden State.

Murphy was one of five gubernatorial hopefuls who addressed a gathering of the New Jersey Bankers Association at the Trenton Masonic Temple. The candidates pitched their plans to stimulate the state’s economy in the wake of Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican whose final term ends in January.

The speech came as critics are worried that Murphy’s proposal for a state bank — a key plank in his economic platform — would hurt local banks in New Jersey and that political influence and corruption could seep into the process.

https://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/04/murphy_defends_state_bank_plan_to_bankers_and_oppo.html#incart_river_home

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Now, even some Democrats are comparing Murphy to Corzine

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Can you say Corzine 2.0 ?

By MATT FRIEDMAN

04/12/17 05:23 AM EDT

New Jersey politicians just can’t seem to leave Jon Corzine alone.

The former Democratic governor and U.S. senator, bounced out of office by Republican Gov. Chris Christie in 2009, has tried to keep a low profile in recent years, even as the GOP has portrayed him as the boogeyman. Christie used him to explain away the slow growth of the state’s economy and Republican lawmakers sought to tie their “Corzine Democrat” opponents to a governor viewed as hapless, uncharismatic and ineffective.

https://www.politico.com/states/new-jersey/story/2017/04/now-some-democrats-are-tying-their-opponent-to-corzine-111147