By Matt Rooney
_
The California Dream – born of the Gold Rush 172 years ago – is just about dead and buried, Save Jerseyans. An article in the San Francisco Chronicle published Saturday confirms what anyone could’ve guessed: the mismanged, expensive, electricity-starved, illegal immigrant-overrun, pandemic-ravaged and wildfire-charred most famous of all U.S. states is now seeing more residents leave than arrive.
Once thought to be a rising star in his party, Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom has seen his approval rating dip so he’s blaming climate change for his beleaguered state’s apocalyptic woes.
–
In short? California is a hot mess (literally), and certainly nothing to which to aspire.
At least it’s not something a sane person would aspire to emulate.
Enter New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. You may’ve forgetten, but he infamously bragged about a 2017 chat with then-California Governor Jerry Brown back during Murphy’s own gubernatorial campaign; during that call, Murphy shared his dream of turning the Garden State into “the California of the East Coast.”
Murphy has made good on his promise since entering office in January 2018. New Jersey is now a sanctuary state with high unemployment, more tax wearing residents running for the exists, and an even more dire fiscal condition than in which he found it a short three years ago. He’s even following California’s misguided energy policies which have turned the Cali power grid into a third world parody.
Stubborn? Perhaps, since we have a clear example over on the Left Coast of how these policies lead only to ruin.
The million dollar question: is Murphy still California dreamin’ when he contemplates New Jersey’s future?
Is that something he plans to run on in 2021 assuming, of course, Joe Biden doesn’t win in November and give Murphy a cabinet position?
Here’s hoping Biden loses. For obvious reasons, but also because I can’t wait to hear how Murphy defends his California fixation this time around.
_
Save Jersey’s Founder and Blogger-in-Chief, MATT ROONEY is a nationally-noted and respected New Jersey political commentator. When he’s not on-line, radio or television advocating for conservative reform and challenging N.J. power-brokers, Matt is a practicing attorney at the law firm of DeMichele & DeMichele in Haddon Heights (Camden County).
–