Posted on 06/30/2019 8:32:07 PM PDT by Coleus
As expected, Governor Phil Murphy signed a record-setting FY 2020 budget on Sunday, line-item vetoing $48.5 million in spending (impounding many millions more, too, with little offered in the way of firm details) and avoiding a state government shutdown but authorizing $38.7 billion overall. That’s up from the $37.4 billion New Jersey spent over the course of fiscal year 2019.
Murphy gave up (for now) on his fight for a millionaire’s tax increase. The Governor nevertheless doubled-down on his class warfare rhetoric, declaring that he remains “on the side of putting New Jersey’s families ahead of the wealthy, ahead of privileged insiders, and ahead of powerful special interests.” Still, many questioned whether there was anything to celebrate as the state further solidified its reputation as a worst-in-the-country fiscal basket case incapable of bringing spending under control.
“This budget still increases state spending by $4 billion over two years,” said Jon Bramnick (R-Union), the Republican Assembly Minority Leader. “How many people have received an almost 12 percent increase over the last two years? These spending increases are driving our residents to low tax states. Real reform is needed; and Republicans are ready to pass those reforms that would bring spending down.”
Far-left priorities continue to benefit from Trenton’s generosity with taxpayers’ money. The entire GOP Assembly caucus voted against the budget which includes $1 million more for illegal aliens legal aid (up to $3.1 million) and $3 million more Planned Parenthood, bringing the abortion giant’s total state subsidy to $10,453,000. A select group of Democrat urban school districts also continued to receive vast sums of state aid at the expense of suburban and rural districts.
“We all know that the Murphy administration does not have its priorities straight,” said Hal Wirths, a Republican member of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and former Christie Administration official. “Our towns are going to see property taxes increase as a result of this budget and the cuts to school aid while taxpayer dollars are being funneled to groups to help illegal immigrants who are already receiving preferential treatment. Time and time again, our taxpayers have been asked to pay more out of their own pockets to fund Governor Murphy’s liberal agenda.”
Here in cape May right now
Solidly conservative down here
New York City ruins everything
My house is for sale.
It’s liberal I N S A N I T Y on full display....they’re all bat-shite crazy and should have never been allowed anywhere near the levers of govt power.
The governor’s liberal agenda. I am not certain that liberal is the correct terminology. Liberal comes from the idea of liberty...Individual freedom. What New Jersey is doing sounds more like buying present and future votes from demographic special interest groups. Leftist agenda. The Government as the center of the Universe.
Now there’s one of the best parts of NJ.
If not for the politics, I’d love this state... the southern half, that is.
Sooo Predictable. Vote in a Democrat, get higher taxes and care given to illegals over citizens, Voting for Ds is madness.
Hudson County and Essex County do that as well.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.