Murphy is already planning an epic tax increase. He’s just not calling it a “tax.”

I don’t know if you missed it, Save Jerseyans, but Phil Murphy and Diane Allen (the GOP gubernatorial nominee) are exchanging fire over whether the Murphy Administration’s $250 million payroll tax increase constitutes a tax increase. Only this governor in this state with a media establishment as generally lazy as ours could make this issue a “real” question. Of course it’s a tax increase! By definition.

The larger “is the tax a tax” debate stems from Murphy’s almost comically unbelievable pledge – made in debate #1 with Jack Ciattarelli – that he won’t raise taxes in a hypothetical second term.

I don’t know why Republicans aren’t making a bigger deal out of another confirmed tax increase in the pipeline that the Murphy Administration… get ready for this… for which the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) won’t even give us a price tag. To make matters worse, the believed total increase ($525 billion) makes the payroll tax bump look like loose change lost between Murphy’s mansion’s couch cushions by comparison.

I’m referring to the Murphy ‘Energy Master Plan,’ his grand scheme to make the Garden State carbon neutral by 2050.

Our friends and partners at Affordable Energy for New Jersey broke down the latest incredible developments on Wednesday:

So we’ve got an estimated $525 billion tax hike in the pipeline folks. His pledge was already broken WHEN HE MADE IT at the debate.

The state won’t confirm what it costs.

If Murphy wins in November? There’s nothing to stop it from putting these new regulations into motion.

Is it a tax? Better question: does it matter what Phil Murphy calls it?

The end result is the same.

Matt Rooney
About Matt Rooney 8403 Articles
MATT ROONEY is SaveJersey.com's founder and editor-in-chief, a practicing New Jersey attorney, and the host of 'The Matt Rooney Show' on 1210 WPHT every Sunday evening from 7-10PM EST.