June 3, 2019

(Hackensack, NJ) Bergen County Republicans are calling for transparency from Gov. Phil Murphy, demanding that he reveal the identity of the dark money donors behind political action committee pushing higher taxes in New Jersey. And, they are asking the Bergen Democrats to demand the same.

Bergen Freeholder candidates Corrado Belgiovine, Alyssa Dawson and Katie Cericola said the secrecy around the funding of a group known as New Direction New Jersey – which is using online ads to push Murphy’s high tax agenda – including the millionaire’s tax — is disturbing and detrimental to the state’s taxes and the economy.

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2019/05/31/phil-murphy-raising-money-dark-money-group-backing-nj-tax-increase/1300187001/

“Bergen County, sends just as much, if not more money to Trenton than any other county in the state, and adding to this tax burden will devastate our residents,” said Belgiovine of Woodcliff Lake. “The people behind the push for higher taxes and their agenda must be exposed. Why is there so much secrecy around the New Direction PAC?”

Dawson, a Westwood resident, said more than 80 percent of state residents already said they pay too much in taxes – and that adding a so-called millionaire’s tax will not alleviate taxes on the middle class. She said that because of the damage that higher taxes will do to Bergen County, the Democratic freeholders should join the Republicans in demanding transparency from Gov. Murphy.

“The freeholders’ first allegiance should be to the people of Bergen County; not to a progressive governor and his far-left backers who have an insatiable desire to take more money from taxpayers,” said Dawson. “Heck, even the Democratic Senate President has the sense to oppose Gov. Murphy’s tax increases.”

ARE BERGEN DEMS BENFITTING FROM MURPHY DONORS?

Dawson added that the Democratic freeholders may be reluctant to call for transparency from the governor because they are likely receiving campaign cash from some of the same groups that are supporting the New Directions organization.

“Perhaps the Democrats’ silence is because they are feeding from the same trough as Gov. Murphy,” speculated Dawson.

Cericola, an auditor who works for a Big 4 accounting firm, pointed out that New Jersey already has the third-highest personal income tax rate in the nation (10.75 percent) and one of the highest corporate tax rates – which Gov. Murphy raised from 9 percent to 11.5 percent.

“The last thing the New Jersey economy needs is another tax increase to give business owners less incentive to invest in job creation in our state,” said Cericola.

“You would think with Bergen County companies like Mercedes Benz and Sealed Air leaving the state, Bergen’s Democratic Freeholders would get the message that higher taxes equal fewer jobs,” said Cericola.