Murphy’s sales tax “holiday” begins today, and only a gazillionaire would think it helps us

I couldn’t guess when Phil Murphy last walked into a drug store, Walmart or other chain outlet to purchase school supplies, Save Jerseyans. His kids are a bit older, but when you’re worth as much as Phil Murphy (the man’s property tax bill is $200,000 a year), then you don’t do a lot of your own in-person shopping regardless of the reason. Remember when George H. W. Bush couldn’t say what the price of a gallon of milk was during a 1992 debate with Bill Clinton?

Worse still, Murphy didn’t work for a normal corporation or run a small business prior to coming to high office. He worked for Goldman Sachs and, later, served as an ambassador. Goldman and the U.S. government are about as far removed from reality as distance between Earth and Pluto.

The governor’s insane wealth and detachment from Main Street could explain why Murphy thought a school supplies “sales tax holiday” which began today (and runs through September 5th) was a good idea.

Higher-end shoppers and a narrow subset of consumers may benefit a smidge. If you’re purchasing a computer under $3,000 for your college student? Yes, not having to pay the extra 6.625% in sales tax is a minor but nevertheless welcome thing. You can take your massive savings and buy your family a moderately-priced dinner.

The vast majority of Garden State parents – particularly those who are struggling through the worst inflationary crisis in four decades – aren’t purchasing iMacs. They’re loading up on pencils, pens, marble composition notebooks, theme-wrapped book bags, and all-purpose glue sticks. The Murphy tax holiday will save them a few dollars at absolute most. That glue stick didn’t go from $3 to $1… you saved 5-cents. Any minuscule savings at the register will then be washed out by the fact that the average gallon of gasoline is still almost $1 more expensive today it was only one year ago. You won’t notice the difference.

Worse, still if you want a bag to carry all of your purchased supplies from the storefront to your car? You’ll need to PURCHASE a bag thanks to Murphy’s plastic and paper bag ban legislation. So thanks to gas, the bag ban and other inflationary factors, you’re going to pay MORE on supplies this year than you did in 2021 thanks to the policies of this governor and his party.

New Jersey parents need real and sustainable relief. They pay the highest property tax burden in the entire nation. Our business and income taxes are almost among the country’s worst. We pay for the privilege of our children being force-fed CRT and gender politics in the state’s schools, and the most Phil Murphy can offer us in return is fifty cents off of a book bag?

Only someone a limousine liberal would think any of this helps New Jersey.

Matt Rooney
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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.