Jersey’s top Republican goes on rant about Murphy’s ‘Baby Bonds’ (Opinion)

I couldn't believe what I was hearing when Gov. Phil Murphy announced his "Baby Bonds" program in his budget address. That's where he would deposit $1,000 dollars for every child born in 2021 whose parents make less than $131,000 per family of four.

In my head I'm hearing parents singing, "I want my baby bonds baby bonds, baby bonds, I want my baby bonds, baby bonds baby bonds," like the Chili's song. Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick was at the budget address and came on my show Tuesday night to talk about it:

"All I could think about when he said it is 'everybody gets a trophy, whether you're tagged out or whether you hit a home run,'" Bramnick told me.

Bramnick compared the Governor's address to a George Carlin bit, saying:

"If you remember George Carlin, he used to tell a joke and then he'd take it a little too far and say, 'I think I went too far.'"

That's what happened to Murphy this time, Bramnick said:

"The governor just went a little too far and the faces of the Democrats, they were shocked too."

Bramnick thinks this could be the straw that broke the camel's back:

"If you remember when Gov. (Jim) Florio started to tax toilet paper, they get so full of themselves, they sit in a room with everyone the same philosophy and then they go a little bit too far and that's when the public pushes back and this is going to be the straw that broke the camel's back."

Then Bramnick, who in his spare time does comedy as "New Jersey's Funniest Lawyer" let his funny kick in:

"Who thinks like that? What if the family makes $130,000 dollars but the kid has a hundred trust funds and the grandparents gave him an estate and four homes?" Bramnick goes on to say, "You mean anybody gets it? if you're born regardless of need? Now if people need the money, and there's a safety net I get it. Anyway so I'm going out to get my trophy right now, because everybody in the Assembly gets a trophy too."

Asked about the rest of the governor's proposed budget, Bramnick texted me after the fact and said, "More spending this year than last year, $4 billion in borrowing and he's still raising taxes."

"I remember when your father used to say 'Do you think money grows on trees?'" Bramnick said. "No it's in Trenton and they just give it out."

Bramnick may think the governor went too far but he doesn't think he realizes it:

"He doesn't think he went too far. He's praising Cory Booker. Basically this is a ploy to Democrats to show how extreme he is, you know. It's 'Who can be more liberal?' 'Who can be more extreme?' so he wants to be ahead of the curve in terms of the extremists in the Democratic party."

Maybe Bramnick should run for governor?

"Let's put it this way. I'm not making any announcement now but I can tell you this, everyone wouldn't get a trophy if I was governor. You might have to earn your trophy. You might have to earn your trophy. That's common sense."

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Steve Trevelise. Any opinions expressed are Steve's own. Steve Trevelise is on New Jersey 101.5 Monday-Thursday from 7pm-11pm. Follow him on Twitter @realstevetrev.

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