By James J. Devine
Governor Phil Murphy, a multimillionaire from Goldman Sachs who promised progress and transparency, has instead inflicted grievous harm on New Jersey’s democratic principles and public trust. What stands out the most is that this is the kind of result for which New Jersey Democrats have voted consistently.
By eviscerating the Open Public Records Act (OPRA), Murphy has shrouded our government in darkness, blocking citizens’ access to essential information and undermining accountability. It says that people have no right to know what is going on in that government of the political establishment, by the power brokers, and for the generous folks who provide the campaign contributions.
This deliberate obfuscation is a stark betrayal of the transparency he once promised.
Under Murphy’s watch, the once-respected Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) has been reduced to a shadow of its former self, contribution limits were doubled, and booby traps were set for uninitiated newcomers who dare to challenge the political establishment. This calculated destruction of a nonpartisan body is a gift to corrupt political bosses and power brokers, who now operate with even greater impunity.
Murphy’s tenure is marked by appointments that defy moral and ethical standards, including individuals accused of rape and convicted of accepting bribes. Such actions not only degrade the integrity of our government but also insult the values of justice and fairness.
The Governor’s misuse of the criminal justice system to target his critics—your humble correspondent among them—reveals a disturbing abuse of power. This vindictive approach aims to silence dissent and stifle opposition, a tactic unworthy of a democratic leader.
Meanwhile, Murphy’s repeated pay hikes for the highest-paid government officials, juxtaposed with his sluggish implementation of minimum wage increases, highlight his blatant disregard for economic equity. The inflation that eroded the minimum wage gains under his administration is a direct consequence of his indifference to the struggles of everyday New Jerseyans.
Murphy’s campaign promises have proven to be poll-driven promises, easily discarded when politically convenient.
The assertion that he legalized marijuana is belied by the legislation he enacted, which imposes draconian 20-year prison sentences for marijuana possession. This appallingly harsh measure is a shocking contradiction that continues to promote unjust imprisonment.
Murphy’s expansion of corporate welfare from $8 billion to a staggering $17 billion is a gross misallocation of resources. This increase enriches those who already have an abundance, while everyday citizens are left to fend for themselves in an increasingly unequal state. The Governor’s actions unequivocally favor the wealthy elite, making life more unfair for the most vulnerable.
In essence, Phil Murphy has used his substantial wealth to buy power, and he has wielded that power to exacerbate inequality and injustice. His administration has enriched the affluent and deprived the needy, revealing a man driven by self-interest and devoid of genuine compassion.
Murphy pretended to go after South Jersey political boss George Norcoss, New Jersey’s most influential unelected power broker who has had a longstanding stranglehold on local politics, until the governor found out that the corporate kingpin also holds outsized influence over the state legislature. Confronted with a force that could emasculate the front office, Murphy cowered in retreat and surrendered to New Jersey’s cartoonishly corrupt political establishment—the same one from which he bought the 2017 Democratic nomination for governor.
New Jersey deserves leadership that honors its promises, upholds transparency, and fights for all its citizens—not just the privileged few.
Governor Murphy’s legacy is one of deep disappointment and profound betrayal but the pattern of voting for a clone of Jon Corzine in 2017, for Bob Menendez in 2018, for more of the same in 2019, for Cory Booker in 2020, for Murphy again in 2021, and other terrible icons of government corruption go on.
Bernie Sanders lit a fire under the disenfranchised working class that has been victimized by Reaganomics policies that shifted power and wealth to those who have much but that flame was smothered by apathy and inaction.
Lisa McCormick, Hector Oseguera, Zina Spezakis, Dr. Arati Kriebich, Larry Hamm, and many others were rejected in primary elections that tend to be the only consequential voting in a state where districts are gerrymandered to ensure a predictable outcome. Patriotic Republicans, if there are any, have not made many serious attempts to reclaim the GOP in primary elections, although New Jersey voters did rebuke a Trump-endorsed neofascist contender in the record nomination for US Senate.
Voters get the government that they deserve by stepping up and taking action when things are bad or by inviting corruption and incompetence by tolerating the intolerable. Politicians have certainly contributed to this but it is the voters who failed to change course when situations deteriorate.
It is your fault, and while Murphy’s new election rules and his blockade on the free flow of information might make fighting back more difficult, the ball is in your court. What are you going to do about it?
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