I miss Chris Christie! There, I said it!

It’s true that I’ve had my fair share of disagreements with former Governor Chris Christie. I won’t rehash those disagreements here, but I will say this: Chris Christie was a better governor than Phil Murphy.

It’s Governor Murphy’s re-election year budget that has me missing Christie. Murphy had no problem raising taxes and/or fees in his first three budgets, but now, up for re-election, he has introduced a budget with no tax increases.

No tax increases sounds good…until you look at the numbers.

Looking at the numbers I think Regina Egea of Garden State Initiative explained it best. According to The Center Square:

Garden State Initiative (GSI) President Regina M. Egea echoed that sentiment, saying incorporating “billions in borrowing and federally funded one-time infusions of cash as the basis for a budget bodes poorly for all New Jerseyans in the very near future.”

“As has been reported elsewhere that the state is suddenly flush with cash, New Jersey residents should ask themselves: ‘When was the last time you remember taxes actually going down?’” Egea said in a statement. “Unless there’s more borrowing or further federal bailouts, get ready New Jersey, you just got stuck with the bill. Make no mistake, your taxes just went up.”

Basically, Murphy’s re-election year no tax increase budget is nothing but smoke and mirrors. Spending is going up again!

Phil Murphy has forced me to agree with Chris Christie!

Elections do have consequences!

And, thanks to all those people who sat on their butts and did not vote in 2017 because Kim Guadagno wasn’t conservative enough, we are all going to be screwed with a big tax increase next year because of this re-election year budget.

Remember that time state Senator Michael Testa said, “Governor Murphy’s giving the taxpayers a middle finger.”?

Testa was right, and soon we’re all going to know it!