Irvington NJ, Democratic Assemblyman Jamel Holley said Gov. Phil Murphy’s been asleep at the switch on the Newarks lead crisis.
Holley is a member of the New Jersey General Assembly representing the 20th Legislative District. He was appointed to the seat on January 21, 2015, by the elected members of the Union County Democratic Committee from the 20th district municipalities of Elizabeth, Hillside, Roselle, and Union Township making him the first African American to represent the district. He is serving out the unexpired term of former Assemblyman and now State Senator Joseph Cryan.
Ridgewood NJ, using US census data Business Insider ranked the 50 most miserable cities in the US. The state with the most miserable cities was California, with 10 in the top 50.
Trenton NJ, New Jersey Human Services Commissioner Carole Johnson today announced that New Jersey as of Tuesday resumed its role as the State Refugee Coordinator of the Refugee Resettlement Program.
The move restores the state’s oversight of this critical program that serves refugees and asylees resettling in New Jersey and provides assistance such as medical support, employment services and other social services to refugee families.
The announcement comes on the heels of Trump Administration plans to cut refugee admissions for the new federal fiscal year to 18,000 – an all-time low and down from the 111,000 ceiling just two years ago – and after it issued an executive order that would prohibit localities from resettling refugees without written consent from their state government.
Trenton NJ, Senator Declan O’Scanlon said the governor showed his true colors when he suggested to business leaders at Rowan College that New Jersey may not be their state if they are concerned about tax rates.
“It’s outrageous that Gov. Murphy is telling families and employers they can ‘take it or leave it’ if they have a problem with New Jersey’s high taxes,” said O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth). “He should be working with the Republican caucus to make New Jersey more affordable. He should be listening to everyone who is telling him they can’t pay more and the many analysts and independent ratings agencies sounding the alarm that New Jersey is headed for disaster if we don’t get our fiscal house in order. Suggesting our highest earning – and the top-taxpaying – residents might be better off leaving is exactly the wrong message.”
In a report for KYW Newsradio, Murphy was quoted: “If you’re a one issue voter and tax rate is your issue … if that’s the only basis upon which you’re going to make a decision, we’re probably not your state.”
“If you don’t like it, get out? That’s no way to treat the employers who are providing jobs and benefits for New Jersey families,” said O’Scanlon. “Murphy is so obsessed with spending money on his leftist priorities that he is daring employers to load up the trucks and leave. That’s a dangerous message that may cost people their jobs.”
Last year, twice as many people moved out of the state than moved in. Once again, New Jersey lost more people than any other state as the population slumped to pre-2013 levels. And it’s high-net-worth and high earners – who already have houses in Florida – that have the lowest barriers to moving and have the most to gain by doing so.
New Jersey is ranked No. 5 in Kipplinger’s list of “The 10 Least Tax-Friendly States in the U.S.” The publication said the state “brings the hammer down” on residents when they buy a home with property taxes that are the highest in the nation. “The state-wide average property tax on a $400,000 home in New Jersey comes to a whopping $10,120,” the report said.
NJBIA Statement on First Anniversary of Murphy Administration Economic Plan
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, NJBIA President & CEO Michele Siekerka, Esq., made the following statement on Tuesday regarding the one-year anniversary of the release of Gov. Phil Murphy’s economic plan.
“Through the first year of the plan, the administration has taken some much needed steps to put New Jersey on the path to regain its stature as the Innovation State. This is a vision shared by NJBIA, recognizing New Jersey’s location, workforce and infrastructure.
Trenton NJ, in February we posted that Senator Kristin Corrado (R-40) and Senator Steven Oroho (R-24) said the New Jersey Legislative Select Oversight Committee (LSOC) should fulfill its mission of investigating the numerous questionable hires that have been publicized across the administration of Governor Phil Murphy.
New Jersey has $234.7 billion in bills and only $25.9 billion in available assets to pay those bills
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, A new report on the financial condition of the 50 states ranks New Jersey no. 50 in the nation for its fiscal health. The report is based on the states’ 2018 comprehensive annual financial reports, the most recent data available.
Trenton NJ, Federal authorities in Philadelphia have launched an investigation in connection with New Jersey’s multibillion-dollar corporate tax-incentive program, according to three sources with knowledge of the probe,” according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
FBI agents have interviewed potential witnesses over the last month, sources said. Among their areas of interest has been the development boom in Camden, which has been fueled by $1.6 billion in tax breaks that the state’s Economic Development Authority awarded to companies there since 2013, according to one person briefed on the matter. Each of the sources spoke on condition of anonymity.
Ridgewood NJ, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Matthew T. Albence held a White House press briefing Thursday to explain how sanctuary policies threaten public safety and called on the public to hold their local lawmakers accountable. The briefing made clear that local jurisdictions across the U.S. that refuse to cooperate with ICE are complicit in the crimes committed by aliens who ICE could have otherwise been arrested and removed.
MUMBAI, INDIA – The State of New Jersey, Choose New Jersey, New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission and the Producers Guild of India today signed a memorandum of understanding to further enhance their mutual relationship and facilitate the shooting of Indian films in New Jersey. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed the MOU on behalf of New Jersey in order to bolster New Jersey’s film industry, which received a boost through the Governor’s Film Tax Credit Program. New Jersey offers one of the most attractive incentive programs in the country for television and filmmakers including a 2% diversity tax credit bonus.
Ridgewood NJ, New Jersey’s lawsuit climate ranks 43rd out of 50 in a new national survey released today by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR). This ranking is the lowest ever for the Garden State since the survey’s inception in 2002.
The 2019 Lawsuit Climate Survey: Ranking the States, conducted by renowned polling firm The Harris Poll on behalf of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, questioned senior business executives about the fairness and reasonableness of state court systems.
Ridgewood NJ, Monmouth University Poll came out with a 41% approval rating on Governor Phil Murphy. Public opinions are unhappy with issues like property tax, middle class, and dealing with Newark’s lead crisis. Just 10% approve of Murphy’s handling of the lead contamination issue in the state’s largest city while 28% disapprove. However, 41% have no opinion of how he has handled this problem and 21% have not heard anything about this issue.
Trenton NJ, Governor Phil Murphy signed the following bill into law that permits owner of 10 percent or more of member team of sports governing body to place or accept wagers on certain sports events in which other member teams participate.
This bill permits a direct or indirect legal or beneficial owner of 10 percent or more of a member team of a sports governing body to place or accept wagers on a sports event in which other member teams participate when the owner’s team is not participating. Currently, a legal or beneficial owner of 10 percent or more of a team may not place or accept wagers on any sports event in which any of the other member teams of the team’s sports governing body participate. This bill would permit placing and accepting wagers on those events when the owner’s team is not a participant in the event.
Trenton NJ, The vice-chair of the Legislative Select Oversight Committee to investigate the Murphy Administration’s hiring practices, Senator Kristin Corrado is calling for the panel to reconvene in light of questions surrounding the employment of a now-fired staff member of the governor.
“The committee left some glaring unfinished business,” Corrado said. “Summer is over. We need to get back to Trenton, sort out the mess and hold the administration accountable for what has become a long and growing list of hiring scandals.”
Trenton NJ, Today, Governor Murphy signed an Executive Order attacking the Second Amendment. NJGOP Chairman released the following statement in response:
“Like most sensible New Jerseyans, the NJGOP also supports common sense gun laws, but once again Governor Murphy shows his inability to take aim at gun crime and instead continues his practice of targeting legal gun owners.
“Today’s Executive Order is big on bravado and short on substance. It creates the same false sense of security that the rest of his political pandering creates.
“On behalf of the NJGOP, I call on Governor Murphy to do something meaningful to combat gun crime and stop criminalizing gun owners, manufacturers and retailers.”
