Snow and Failure — Where’s The Fleece? (Opinion)

Again, Governor Murphy's lackluster, fledgling administration showed that they are simply not up to the task of leading our state. A spring snowstorm, despite dumping as much as 6 inches in parts of the Garden State, should have been an easy task for road crews and the DOT to ensure a smooth morning commute. All the ingredients were in place. Warm weekend, above freezing temps across most of the state during the snowfall and a heads up forecast about the incoming snow event in plenty of time to get the crews ready.

Somewhere, somebody must've been asleep at the switch or too focused on the Easter celebration dinner, because caller after caller on Monday's show expressed frustration with slow traffic and roads that looked like they had not been treated. Private contractors called in to say that they got the word of the need to hit the roads late on Sunday. Why? IF the state got the forecast in the morning, why was there not an all-out mobilization in order to keep the roadways and ramps from becoming danger zones?

The DOT spoke to Bob Williams off the air, but lacked the courage to speak to me during the show and address commuters concerns directly. Something is wrong, if what the DOT said to Bob is accurate, that they were out "for 24 hours treating the major roads," then whatever they're doing isn't working. But I suspect they did not effectively do the job they claim to have done after what I saw today.

On Sunday night we encountered one truck brining a lane on 287 South, but that was the only truck I saw. This afternoon on my way to the Chasing News Studio, my jeep was pelted with salt from a truck spreading the road treatment. I went for my camera as I couldn't believe that they were salting a dry, post storm roadway. Maybe he didn't know that significant snowfall ended three hours earlier and the highway was clear AND dry? Why are we spreading salt on the roads AFTER the snow is clear?!?

While Governor Murphy and his Attorney General Gurbir Grewal spend their time "tilting at windmills", joining endless lawsuits against the Trump administration, many people couldn't get to work safely on Monday. It's disappointing, embarrassing and dangerous. The sheer arrogance and the utter incompetence of government lead by people more interested in headlines and political donation that actually moving New Jersey forward should have all of us concerned about the future.

This latest failure is a perfect example of why Murphy is simply wrong for New Jersey. Won't go so far as to say I miss the Fleece, but, at least the last Governor understood the role of government during a storm.

Bill Spadea is on the air weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m., talkin’ Jersey, taking your calls at 1-800-283-1015. Tweet him @NJ1015 or @BillSpadea. The opinions expressed here are solely those of Bill Spadea.

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