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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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Lonegan Calls Murphy, Democrats “Cowards” on Guns

"Steve" Lonegan

September 19,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Hackensack NJ,  5th District Republican candidate Steve Lonegan called Democrat gubernatorial nominee Phil Murphy a “coward” on gun-control and labeled his party “cowards” for following Murphy.  Lonegan’s words were in response to Murphy’s statements as reported in the New York Times and the Observer yesterday.

According to Observer reporter Christian Hetrick (August 24, 2017), Murphy said that he wants to a create a regional body made up of New Jersey and neighboring states to oversee a “coordinated effort to increase gun control.”  The Observer writes:  “Murphy likened the idea to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cap-and-trade program for several northeastern states that New Jersey withdrew from under Gov. Chris Christie.”

“Apparently the Bill of Rights and the Constitution of the United States of America are not enough for Mr. Murphy,” Lonegan said, “Now he wants to create a new level of government in between the federal government and the states.”  Lonegan added:  “We do not need another level of government with a host of new bureaucrats to find ways to circumvent the Bill of Rights.  Americans are paying too much for government already. We should be consolidating government, making it smaller, not growing it.”

In the Observer story, Murphy said that if elected governor, he would sign a number of bills into law to make it more difficult to obtain a firearm for self-protection in New Jersey.  Lonegan noted that New Jersey is already one of the worst states in America for allowing people to defend their homes and families.

Lonegan said:  “How many more Carol Bownes must there be before Phil Murphy and the Democrats in the Legislature provide the people of New Jersey with the same protection they enjoy?”  Carol Bowne is the New Jersey woman murdered while waiting for a hand-gun permit for self-defense.  As Gannett reported (June 4, 2015):

” When Carol Bowne felt the threat of domestic violence, the petite hairdresser took steps to protect herself.  (She) got a restraining order against a former boyfriend, installed security cameras and an alarm system to her home and began the months-long process of obtaining a handgun, friends said.  But it wasn’t enough.  Bowne, 39, was stabbed to death in the driveway of her Patton Avenue home on Wednesday night.”

“Under New Jersey law, you cannot sue government for failing to protect you.  The police do a great job, but they can’t be everywhere.  If government doesn’t budget for enough police protection and they fail to arrive on time, you end up dead and people like Phil Murphy put on their sad face and tell you ‘thems the breaks’,”  Lonegan added.

Lonegan continued:  “What they won’t do is remind you that each and every citizen has primary responsibility over his or her personal safety.  Government won’t do that for you, so government shouldn’t take away your ability to preserve your life and well-being.”

“These phonies claim to dislike guns when in fact, they love guns and would not work in a building that wasn’t protected by men with guns.”

Lonegan reminded voters:  “In his last job, Phil Murphy was protected by United States Marines.  He and his fellow Democrats in the Legislature wouldn’t think of dismissing their armed-protection, but they are willing to sacrifice the lives of average citizens on the altar of some feel-good ideology.”

“The life of a single mom, employed as a manager in a fast-food restaurant, who doesn’t live in a wealthy community with plenty of police protection — her life is worth as much as Phil Murphy’s and those of his Democrat allies.  Unlike them, she must launder her own clothes, clean her own house, cook her own food, and rely on her own resources for self-protection.  They pay people for all those things.  Just because she is working class, that doesn’t mean that she shouldn’t have access to the same protection they pay people to provide for them.”

“Murphy is a coward and his party are cowards for making sure that their lives are safe, while trying to deny that right to everyone who isn’t rich enough to afford it.”

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Tolls on interstates? Higher MVC fees? A new plan wants drivers to pay, pay, pay

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Posted on September 13, 2017 at 10:30 AM

By Larry Higgs

lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com,

NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

A non-profit think tank wants New Jersey drivers to dig deeper into their pockets to help the state Department of Transportation and NJ Transit catch up on needed projects.

The organization, Fund for New Jersey, calling for putting tolls on interstate highways, leasing state toll roads to private operators and raising motor vehicle fees in a report called “Crossroads NJ” set to be released Wednesday.

The report ties a transportation system that’s in good repair to the state’s economic well being, but said the state doesn’t have enough funding to keep up with a backlog of needs, even with the 23 cent per-gallon state gas tax increase that took effect in November.

The report suggests some revenue raisers that proved to be unpopular suggestions in the past, including charging tolls to use interstate highways and privatizing the states toll roads. Leasing the toll roads to private operators to raise funds for transportation projects was proposed by Gov. Jon Corzine in 2007 and dropped when met with strong opposition.

The report also suggested raising motor vehicle license and registration fees to improve the state Motor Vehicle Commission. The MVC has been on a decades long effort to replace an aging main frame computer system, which has been blamed for long lines and wait times at agencies when it breaks down. In MVC’s fiscal year 2017 budget, it collected $489 million in revenue and sent $139 million to the state budget.

https://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2017/09/tolls_on_interstates_higher_mvc_fees_a_new_plan_wants_drivers_to_pay_pay_pay.html

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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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Will Phil Murphy be a union yes-man?

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By Star-Ledger Editorial Board

eletters@starledger.com

New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the nation, a crushing burden to middle-class families and indisputably the top concern of voters.

It’s a problem that can’t be solved until we contain the salaries and benefits of public workers. That is not a liberal view, or a conservative view. It is about the math. And it’s up to the next governor to face it.

The first test is coming soon, when a law setting a 2 percent cap on salary increases for police and firefighters in arbitration settlements is set to expire in December. The Republican candidate, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, wants to renew the cap. But the front-runner, Democrat Phil Murphy, is keeping his options open.

https://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/08/will_phil_murphy_be_a_union_yes-man_editorial.html

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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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Phil Murphy Funding the Over Development Push in New Jersey

phill murphy over developement
July 29,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, no surprise here that state Democrats are funding over building in Bergen County and looking to destroy the quality of life ,turning the county into another borough of Manhattan .

“Anyone who follows me knows I have been fighting to bring rational discussion to the over development crisis impacting most of our communities. As a result I have been labeled a racist, xenophobe and a whole host of awful and untrue things by a non profit organization Fair Share Housing Development. Imagine my surprise today when I saw that their top donor list includes gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy! And we wonder why our communities are receiving no help from their representatives in Trenton.” , Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi .

In Ridgewood this blog has long warned of over development , even warning residents to not vote for  a Hudson County Mayor .
Unfortunately the warnings went unheeded and after the “3 amigos ” reign of terror in the Village is now faced with 4 major high density housing developments  that will deplete the Village of Resources , pressure water,sewer, fire ,police and education as well as lower property values  and increase tax rates.

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Get ready for New Jersey’s own version of ‘Murphy’s Law’

Phill Murphy -Sara Medina del Castillo

By Dennis Malloy July 24, 2017 7:55 AM

It’s almost a forgone conclusion that Phil Murphy will be elected New Jersey’s next governor come this November. So prepare yourself for our version of “Murphy’s Law”.

“Any tax than can go up, will….and at the worst possible moment”.

Our current governor has a dismal approval rating of just below 15 percent. It’s the lowest in the country and maybe of all time. It’s very easy now to deride Governor Christie for any number of missteps and insults to us citizens over the last few years.

No matter who becomes governor, accountants worried about NJ economy

But as I’ve said many times, once “Chubby” pulls his fat little thumb out of the dyke, the torrent of taxes and fees coming our way to pay for what the Democrats want, will drown us all.

Read More: Get ready for New Jersey’s own version of ‘Murphy’s Law’ | https://nj1015.com/get-ready-for-new-jerseys-own-version-of-murphys-law/?trackback=tsmclip

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What Phil Murphy has Planned for you !

Phill Murphy -Sara Medina del Castillo

Leave New Jersey to find a better life

Published 12:04 a.m. ET July 14, 2017 | Updated 12:04 a.m. ET July 14, 2017

Please keep a copy of this before you vote in November and if you vote for Phil Murphy, keep this as an I-told-you-so.

If you think New Jersey is in bad shape now, here’s what Phil Murphy has planned for you. He wants to raise the sale tax to 8 percent. The estate tax was going to end in January, but Murphy wants to keep it in effect and will bring it back.

Democrats in Trenton are already drawing up the following laws so they are ready to be signed into law if Murphy wins in November. Illegal immigrants will be able to get driver’s licenses, which will make it hard for the boards of election to check if they are legal citizens when it comes time to vote. Marijuana will be legalized. Those are just two laws that will pass because Democrats have control in Trenton.

https://www.dailyrecord.com/story/opinion/letters/2017/07/14/murphy-taxes-new-jersey-governor/103673090/

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New Jersey on fast-track to legalizing recreational pot in 2018

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Gubernatorial candidates Phil Murphy and Kim Guadagno each favor changing states marijuana laws

POT POLITICS NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR ELECTION
BY KEVIN C. SHELLY
PhillyVoice Staff

Don’t spark up yet, New Jersey. But maybe next year.

The state’s marijuana law appears destined to change in 2018 after Gov. Chris Christie leaves office on Jan. 16.

The Republican nominee for governor, current Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, supports decriminalizing pot, but not full legalization. On the other hand, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Phil Murphy has made recreational marijuana legalization part of his campaign platform.

The powerful New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee held a committee meeting Monday on legalization featuring a parade of more than 20 supporters and just three witnesses who spoke against the proposed change.

https://www.phillyvoice.com/change-likely-new-jersey-marijuana-laws-2018/

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Phil Murphy aka Corzine 2.0 Exposed For Exploiting Election Law Loopholes

Tax and Spend Democrat Phil Murphy for Governor
October 23,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, This week, presumptive Democrat Gubernatorial nominee and Corzine retread was exposed by WikiLeaks for exploiting loopholes in election law to further his political ambitions.

Democrats are poised to nominate another Wall-Street insider with expert knowledge on exploiting election laws to further his candidacy. The most recent revelations in the saga on Corzine 2.0 (aka- Phil Murphy) came after WikiLeaks furnished e-mail correspondence between Murphy and DC insider and Clinton advisor John Podesta, who has been at the heart of the latest WikiLeaks scandals.

Murphy has already spent a boat-load of money on television and print advertising claiming to be an outsider, but the latest leaked e-mails paint a much different picture of a politician that knows how to use his own money to get his way.

Murphy established a tax-exempt non-profit organization, allowed to take unlimited money without disclosing its donors, in a clear attempt to bolster his Gubernatorial ambitions. Under the law, this organization was supposed to be a “social welfare organization”, allowed to engage in political activity, but not as its primary mission.

As reported by WNYC News, While Murphy said publicly that this was simply a public advocacy think-tank, privately in e-mails to John Podesta, disclosed that the group was formed to boost his name ID as he was “VERY serious but not yet committed” to run for Governor.

With a direct line to one of Clinton’s main advisors and after his shameless acceptance of endorsements of corrupt county bosses and Trenton’s largest special interest group, the NJEA, Murphy’s wasted no time making it clear to voters that he is just another political insider with Wall Street values pretending to be someone he’s not to get elected.

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Bergen PBA, Local Police Make 11th Hour Push For Bergen Dems

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After an event that drew the likes of Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, gubernatorial hopeful Phil Murphy and state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-36), members of the Bergen PBA descended on the streets of Bergen County to make a final plea to voters to get out there and vote for Democrats. Alyana Alfaro, PolitickerNJ Read more