Governor Murphy and national Republicans are going back-and-forth over “vaccine passports.” Murphy says he doesn’t think the idea is crazy. The RGA disagrees.
The group (which plays a major role in Republican gubernatorial campaigns) made a very important point on Monday after Murphy went on CNN to defend his openness to the concept and dismissing criticism direct at him as “politics.” The Democrat recently disclosed an “independent process” exploring the idea while simultaneously saying he’d follow the CDC’s lead.
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Woke Murphy backers might want to think twice before supporting this particular idea.
The RGA is correctly pointing out that the most recent vaccine data released by New Jersey suggests a potential race-based problem with vaccines passports. 59% of vaccines given to date have gone to white residents. Only 7% (a piece) of residents obtaining doses were Hispanic or Asian, and only 5% were black.
“Murphy’s vaccine passport dream could look a lot like pandemic redlining,” said the RGA in a statement.
That last word is the important one. “Redlining” – in case you aren’t familiar with the term – was the former racist practice of declining to insure mortgages in or around black neighborhoods.
Save Jersey has been on top of the lack of “fairness” (a favorite Murphy-ism) in vaccine rates since January.
Unless there’s a major change in the months to come, requiring a “vaccine passport” to fly, attend a concert, or gain access to certain events or buildings could disproportionately impact and EXCLUDE non-white New Jerseyans.
I can’t wait to see how the ACLU comes down on this one if Phil stays the course.
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