Bramnick schools Murphy for bringing home ‘F’ on fiscal-policy report card

TRENTON, N.J. – Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick pointed to a Cato Institute report card released Monday that ranked Gov. Phil Murphy among the worst seven governors in the United States when it comes to fiscal management.

The report, entitled the Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors 2020, said that “raising income taxes threatens to increase the flow of skilled people and small businesses out of the state.”

“Raising taxes is a real threat to our economy,” said Bramnick (R-Union). “Multiple other reports have detailed how people and businesses are leaving high-tax states for low-tax states, and New Jersey leads the nation. If we are going to turn the economy around we need to be competitive and lower taxes for everyone.”

Cato gave Murphy an “F” – a failing grade also given to fellow Democratic governors on a list that includes New York’s Andrew Cuomo, Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer, Virginia’s Ralph Northam, Illinois’ J.B. Pritzker, Oregon’s Kate Brown and Washington’s Jay Inslee.

Four governors received an “A”: Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, Kim Reynolds of Iowa, Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, and Mark Gordon of Wyoming. All four governors are Republicans.