We got final confirmation from The New York Times on Wednesday that Governor Murphy’s Covid-19 policies are ***political*** science, Save Jerseyans.
Sadly, he hasn’t dropped the act.
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Also on Wednesday, Governor Murphy asked the legislature to let him postpone his annual budget speech from February 22nd to March 8th “because of the coronavirus pandemic” (according to NJ.com).
What will be different about March 8th? Versus two weeks from now? A two week difference?
One legislator thinks he knows, and it’s economics (not pandemic science).
“We believe Governor Murphy should comply with the law and deliver his Budget Message to the Legislature on time and in person,” shot back state Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-13), the Senate Republican Budget Officer. “Both the Senate and General Assembly have been holding regular in-person sessions safely, so there’s no legitimate public health reason to delay a joint session, despite what the governor seems to be saying.”
“The proposed delay is really about buying time to try and hide $3 billion of overtaxation that everyone knows exists and should be given back to taxpayers,” continued O’Scanlon. “That’s why the Murphy administration is trying to keep his budget plans a secret for as long as possible.”
Former N.J. Treasury economist Charles Steinde believes Trenton’s revenues will rise by $3 billion beyond the Murphy Administration’s FY2022 budget forecast due, in part, to inflation and tax increases.
“Despite their attempts to limit transparency, we know the Murphy administration is sitting on billions of unspent federal relief dollars and billions more in taxes collected from New Jerseyans that wasn’t expected,” added O’Scanlon. “We shouldn’t give Governor Murphy more time to figure out how to spend, and likely waste, that money. The solution, as Senate Republicans have proposed, is clear. He should Give It Back to New Jersey taxpayers. We know that today.”
