Democratic legislators took note
You’re about to get knee
After a killer career in the private sector, Gov. Phil Murphy is about to get an education in the frustrations of governing.
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canada goose outlet canada But I’m not betting on it. Which brings us to my second thought: I have a sinking feeling that we’ve already seen the best of the Murphy Era. This could get ugly fast. canada goose outlet canada
canada goose outlet store Because all signs say the Legislature is going to murder his budget next month by refusing to raise the sales tax, leaving him a whopping $581 million short. Legislative leaders say that in public, and they emphasize canada goose outlet paypal it in private. canada goose outlet hong kong And Murphy has built no reservoir of good will to fall back on. canada goose outlet store
canada goose outlet They don’t like him. They don’t fear him. And they are convinced he’s mistaken about the state’s progressive soul at least when canada goose clothing uk it comes to raising taxes. canada goose outlet
canada goose outlet uk sale If Murphy can’t fix this in the next five weeks, they’re going to give him a timid budget designed to protect their careers in next year’s election, not to mention their pensions. Short of revenue, it will inevitably be full of the kind of cheap gimmicks that got us into the fiscal mess in the first place, and stripped of Murphy’s signature liberal initiatives, like canada goose outlet boston scholarships for community canada goose outlet store new york colleges and expansion of preschool programs. canada goose outlet uk canada goose jacket outlet toronto sale
canada goose outlet reviews “I canada goose outlet kokemuksia would prefer that we do not (raise the sales tax),” says Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D Middlesex. “I recognize that probably in each transaction it’s not a lot. But cumulatively, that’s a lot, and that affects people at all socioeconomic levels.” canada goose outlet reviews
canada goose outlet online uk Senate President Steve Sweeney, who clenches his jaw when you mention Murphy’s name, has been striking the same note. canada goose outlet mississauga You don’t have to be an expert at reading tea leaves to canada goose jacket uk know that Murphy is about to walk into a buzz saw. canada goose outlet online uk
canada goose outlet store uk And he doesn’t seem to realize it. I asked him about the constant complaint from legislative leaders, offered to me and to every canada goose outlet washington dc journalist in town that he canada goose uk fails to consult them, that he’s a remote figure who doesn’t get the importance of personal relationships in politics. canada goose outlet store uk
canada goose outlet in usa Not a scrap of truth to it, Murphy says. canada goose outlet in usa
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canada goose outlet online Murphy’s problems with the Legislature started before he was elected, when he made the most bone headed political move I’ve seen in years. The New Jersey Education Association, the state’s canada goose outlet us largest teachers’ union, canada goose outlet canada was trying to take out Sweeney by spending more than $5 million to support a Trump Republican against him. canada goose outlet online
canada goose outlet uk Most of the union money was spent on sleazy attacks against Sweeney, who begged Murphy to take a public stand against the union’s smear campaign. Murphy refused, and Sweeney seethed. canada goose outlet uk
I asked Murphy if he felt, on reflection, that it was a mistake. That wide smile disappeared in a flash.
“We spoke to them (the union) at length privately,” Murphy said. “We just agreed to disagree.”
canada goose canada goose outlet black friday sale outlet nyc Politics is full of pointless spats, but on this one, I get why Sweeney is furious. This wasn’t a dispute about a road project. The NJEA took a head shot at Sweeney, and Murphy didn’t make a peep. Democratic legislators took note, saying the governor goose outlet canada should have been in the fox hole with the party’s leader in the Senate. canada goose outlet nyc
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New Jersey, despite what you may have heard from our previous governor, does not impose the highest taxes in the country. If you combine all state and local taxes, we rank 5th in absolute dollars per capita, and 11th canada goose outlet online uk as a share of income. I asked Murphy if he worried about moving higher in the rankings.
canada goose jacket outlet “I’m modestly surprised canada goose outlet uk we weren’t higher already,” he said. “We were a good value for money state. It reminds me that’s why I came here. I’m still good. That’s what I want people to think.” canada goose jacket outlet
canada goose outlet new york city I asked if he could promise he won’t raise taxes again, assuming he gets the full $1.7 billion he’s seeking. He danced. “It’s the last move I’ll want to reach for. I view this as a major reset. I want to reset this in one boom!” canada goose outlet new york city
canada goose outlet jackets His budget boosts school funding by nearly canada goose outlet ontario $300 million, the biggest increase aside from pensions. He expects the Legislature to approve that sum, even if the distribution is changed somewhat which is what legislative leaders expect as well. Score that as a big win, after years of frozen funding under former Gov. Chris Christie. canada goose outlet jackets
canada goose outlet sale I asked him about what many see as the most promising place to cut spending, the Byrne Healey commission’s recommendation to scale back health benefits for public workers, saving $1 billion a year by moving them “platinum” plans under Obamacare’s scoring to “gold” plans. canada goose outlet las vegas canada goose outlet sale
goose outlet canada That doesn’t sound too tough to me, but Murphy said he will sign no such law, and that collective bargaining of health benefits is sacred. He hinted at big savings to come through cooperation. “There are smart moves we can make when everybody wins,” canada goose outlet store uk he says. “We’re going to canada goose outlet uk sale get to a better place sooner than we all think.” goose outlet canada
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