Let’s avoid the gaslighting from the start, Save Jerseyans:
- A5687, the bipartisan “manufacturing” legislation that sailed through the legislature on Monday, is yet another in a long line of performative corporate welfare bills which will allow Trenton Leftists and their enablers to pick winners and losers. It doesn’t solve the core problem – making New Jersey competitive in the marketplace by increasing employer and employee affordability – but it will allow the Murphy Administration to give another $100 million (funded largely by reallocated funds from other failed tax credit programs) to the offshore wind industry.
- How? As pointed out by our friend Assemblyman Brian Bergen (R-26), this legislation initially restricts eligibility for taxpayer-funded goodies (specifically the $100 million) to “clean energy manufacturers.” Democrats tabled Bergen’s motion to strike offshore wind from the list of eligible technology sectors.
- So this isn’t really a manufacturing bill. If someone wanted to build a widget or microwave or combustion engine car in New Jersey? They’re not elibigle at launch for that $100 million. Any pretense of helping manufacturing elsewhere in the legislation is merely a cover for the bill’s true intent.
- Phil Murphy has unambiguously confirmed his intention to continue pursuing offshore wind despite major recent setbacks. Our state has already invested $1 billion in direct and indirect financial assistance for the offshore wind industry. The Murphy Administration will ultimately decide which “green” manufacturers benefit from our largesse. The naïveté required to assume this legislation wouldn’t enrich offshore wind is difficult to fathom.
- This boondoggle’s lead Democrat sponsor is Assemblyman Lou Greenwald, a South Jersey Machine Democrat and a long-time offshore wind backer.
- The likely goal of this program? Save the now defunct South Jersey “Wind Port” located in the South Jersey Machine’s own backyard.
- The bill was strongly opposed by the groups that helped defeat the Orsted and Atlantic Shores projects. “This is clearly an effort by offshore wind interests to grab even more taxpayer money in an attempt to restart the industrialization of our oceans,” said Robin Shaffer, the president and leader of Protect Our Coast – NJ, ahead of the vote. “Proponents point out that the tax credits could be used for nuclear energy projects, but does anyone seriously believe that the same people in Trenton who have fought nuclear power for years are suddenly going to support it with tax incentives?”
With all of that knowledge in hand… one would assume New Jersey Republicans overwhelmingly opposed this scam, right? Especially with offshore wind on the ropes thanks to activists here at home and the Trump Administration’s new facts-based approach in D.C.?
Wrong.
Only 8 of 28 GOP legislators voted “no” including Bergen and GOP Leader John DiMaio. Another 7 abstained or declined to vote altogether which, in this context, isn’t as good as outright opposition but is effectively a no vote (I try to be generous about this stuff, folks).
The remaining 13 votes FOR it including some members who represent Jersey Shore districts.
In the Senate? Not a single Republican voted against the bill which had GOP sponsorship.
There’s nothing ‘America First’ about any of this. President Trump himself has correctly blasted green energy tax credits as a “scam.” Did they not read the bill? Are they afraid of being labeled “anti-manufacturing”? Or is there something else going here? I suspect the answer depends upon which legislator we’re discussing, but the end result is the same: snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
Defeating offshore wind was, and is, an historic and inspiring David v. Goliath success story. New activists and voters were brought into the movement during the course of the battle against ocean industrialization. New Jersey Republicans had an opportunity to own it but are for whatever reason showing signs of an inclination to piss it away. Let’s hope this is a learning experience and not a sign of things to come in 2025 which won’t end as well as the defeat of Orsted.
