October 30, 2017

Bridgegate symbolizes the Christie-Guadagno admin’s failure to move NJ forward

By Phil Murphy, Candidate for NJ Governor

The Bridgegate scandal: The busiest bridge in the world was shut down. Children were stranded on school buses. People were stuck in traffic for hours, late for work and missed job interviews. First responders were needlessly delayed.

It was the worst of the Christie-Guadagno administration. Petty political ambition was put ahead of the public good.

Bridgegate symbolizes Chris Christie and Kim Guadagno’s overarching failure to move our state forward. The sad fact is their biggest triumph was a traffic jam.

Worst of all, their failures shortchanged our future.

After eight years, incomes are down, costs are up and our economy is crawling. New Jersey lags where we should lead. Families and seniors are paying a heavy price for the arrogance and incompetence of the Christie-Guadagno administration.

We are better than this.

I‘m running for governor to change the failed course we have followed and to stop the divisive dialogue we have endured over the past eight years. Together we’ll build a stronger, fairer economy that works for every New Jersey family.

I’ve learned how to grow and create jobs, and I don’t owe the insiders anything. I have a vision for New Jersey’s future as a global leader in the innovation and infrastructure economies to create good jobs, backed by strong public schools, world-class colleges and universities, and underpinned by thoroughly modern infrastructure. Here’s how I plan to build our economy and make New Jersey fair and strong again:

Fully fund our public schools to create more opportunity and provide real property tax relief
Re-invest in our four-year colleges to make them affordable and accessible while working toward free community college to prepare our workforce for a rapidly changing economy
Ask the wealthiest New Jerseyans and big corporations to pay their fair share, thus protecting the middle class
Invest in infrastructure to create new jobs at good wages
Raise the minimum wage, mandate earned sick leave, expand the Earned Income Tax Credit, establish a Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and finally ensure equal pay for equal work
Fully fund women’s health programs and Planned Parenthood
Accept the reality of climate change and the threats to our environment through targeted investments in alternative wind and solar energy and
Pass every common-sense gun safety law vetoed by the Christie-Guadagno administration.

It’s time for a change.

After eight failed years, Chris Christie and Kim Guadagno left New Jersey stuck.

I’m serious about moving New Jersey forward.