Bramnick Calls For Rallying The Reasonable In Reorganization Speech

TRENTON, N.J. – Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick’s speech yesterday urged bipartisanship and civility, calling for the rational and reasonable to come together in support of serious reforms to lower property taxes and make New Jersey more competitive.  The speech is below.

“I look forward to working with the majority in the state Assembly, and I intend to seek common ground. But we are the minority and we intend to speak clearly, loudly, and respectively regarding policies that affect this state. And there are many.

We are aware that one-party rule, whether in Washington or in New Jersey, can be extreme at times, and I submit that most people in the state of New Jersey are in the middle of the political spectrum, that most of you want us to be moderate and reasonable.

In that vein, I would hope that all 80 members of this body would continue to enact serious fiscal reforms that are desperately needed to reduce our property taxes and reforms that would make New Jersey more competitive. We have made some progress during the past eight years.

And we’ve done that on a bipartisan basis, but much more work needs to be done. These reforms will be painful, but they are necessary for the survival of the state.

Look at some of the creative legislative ideas by Assemblyman DiMaio, Assemblyman Webber and Assemblywoman DeCroce. The affordable housing plans of Assemblywoman Schepisi and tax reduction ideas by Asw. Handlin.

Now on a separate issue, I speak for myself, it is clear that Americans and New Jerseyans are frustrated with government. The process of government can be slow, cumbersome and, many times, less than adequate.

Yet this should not lead us to attack the very institutions that have sustained democracy for hundreds of years. The frustration has led to vicious personal attacks that are not worthy of our American democracy or our history as a nation.

Tweets that hurl insults at each other do not solve the complicated issues that face our state or our nation.

We are the New Jersey Republicans and we will stand up for the people of this state, but we will do so in a civil, respectful and serious manner.

And the so-called journalists on cable television and on the radio who despise both Republicans and Democrats, I’ve got a message for them: stop chasing ratings and start searching for the facts.

And you are one individual who is responding to a post on social media, and you do so with a vile, bitter and venomous and hateful attack, I suggest you get some psychological help to find out what happened when you were growing up.

We have reached an important moment in our history. The reasonable and rational people of this state and our country must stand together and condemn bad behavior. And whether that bad behavior comes from the left-wing media or directly from the White House, we need to stand together and speak out as one against that kind of behavior.

We, the rational majority, must be louder and stronger, and we must not allow others to air their personal baggage to bring down our institutions that have been so important to the growth of our democracy.

Let’s stick together and fight those issues that have affected people in New Jersey.

In New Jersey, we have some attitude, and we should use that attitude. That attitude that we have should fight against intolerance, injustice and bitterness.

Today is the day to start to act reasonable and civil to each other in our country.

Starting tomorrow, I intend to travel this state and rally the rational, reach out to the reasonable. And I know you are out there.

Whether you’re Republican, Democrat or independent, I know you are out there. And I will find you and ask you to join with me, the Republicans and Democrats, and work together, both majority and minority, as one people, one state, and one nation.”

Here is the video: https://youtu.be/OmuuTQeHuzI