TRENTON, N.J. – In their response to Gov. Phil Murphy’s fiscal 2021 budget message to the Legislature Tuesday, Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick and Assemblyman Hal Wirths, the Republican budget officer, criticized the six new taxes and fees, $2.2 billion spending increase and lack of any relief for New Jersey’s overburdened taxpayer.
GOP leaders blast Murphy’s fiscal 2021 budget message
“This governor and the Democratic Legislature is about to raise taxes over a three-year period that includes a budget that is an 18 percent growth over three years. That’s 6 percent a year over three years. One of the taxes is a corporate responsibility tax. What about a taxpayer responsibility program?” asked Bramnick (R-Union). “There was no discussion at all about any reforms. There was not one iota of any evidence that he believes any reforms need to be made in government. With the exodus in this state, how do you not address the tax climate?”
“There’s no resident or citizen whose budget goes up 18 percent in a three year period. This is a state where everyone has to work just to survive and multiple family members have to work. Your labor force participation rate is high because everybody has to work in order to afford the high cost of living,” said Wirths (R-Sussex). “Before we do anything, we should be paying our debt. I look forward to working with the administration and my friends on the other side of the aisle to come up with a more fiscally conservative budget.”