In what mainstream news media called a “chaotic” end to New Jersey’s fiscal year on June 30, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a massive $54.3 billion spending bill into law before the July 1 deadline. In addition to budgetary standards like school aid, public pensions, and pledges of middle class tax relief from across both sides of the aisle, there were also a few hidden gems in this year’s state budget – Easter Eggs if you will – which might anger those who enjoy the Jersey Shore, regardless of party affiliation.
Paul Haertel from the Jersey Coast Anglers Association (JCAA) sent this email on July 3rd that was short, sweet and to the point, and well explains how this “chaotic” political theater in Trenton has led to recreational fishermen getting the short end of stick once again:
“On 6/30/23, the NJ Senate acted suddenly and unexpectedly to replace Tom Fote as our State’s Governor’s appointee on the Atlantic States Fisheries Commission. We thank Tom for his many dedicated years of service. Though Tom was ready to retire we had hoped that he would be replaced with a recreational representative. However, the new Commissioner is Jeff Kailen (sic), a commercial fishing advocate who works for Lund’s Fisheries in Cape May. He is also a commercial representative on the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council.”
As per Saving Seafood, a media and public relations group self-proclaimed as “The leading voice for commercial fishermen, their families, and their communities,” Gov. Murphy’s new personal attaché for fisheries was formerly a republican member of the Maine Legislature until arriving in New Jersey just a few years ago to head up government relations for Lund’s Fisheries in Cape May. “I’ve dedicated my entire professional life to commercial fishing and advocating for commercial fishing,” Kaelin says at Saving Seafood. Coincidentally – or maybe not – Kaelin was the last gubernatorial appointment to the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council back in 2020. Since then, commercial interests have had an unfair council majority, with Gov. Murphy ignoring the missing public “sportfish” and “at large” vacancies there for nearly 3 years. Clearly, the governor shows no sign of lifting his foot off the collective necks of New Jersey anglers.
I’m sure there are plenty of pretty Easter eggs in the state’s $54.3 billion budget to make folks squeal with glee; Hollywood movie studios for example, who according to New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) will receive roughly $200 million in tax credits to help the folks at Netflix in their efforts to buy 300 acres of land at Fort Monmouth. (I guess those streaming corporations are going to get their pound of flesh out of me one way or another!)
As someone who has been very critical of the rapid development of industrial offshore wind along the coast and its very grave potential impacts to recreational fisheries, I think the passage of S4019/A5651 (those are the coupled Senate/Assembly versions approved in both houses) may be the most frightening 11th hour corporate giveaway. Effectively sponsored in the Assembly by Louis Greenwald (D-Voorhees) and Senate by Robert Smith (D-Piscataway), the legislation specifically states the following:
“The bill would allow Ørsted to retain certain incremental federal tax benefits without passing the value of those benefits to ratepayers or adjusting the offshore wind renewable energy certificate (OREC) pricing schedule for Ocean Wind 1. This may cause utility rates to be higher than otherwise, thereby resulting in higher costs incurred by the State and local government entities.”
Again, short and sweet – tax breaks intended for American taxpayers through the Inflation Reduction Act to help families offset the future high price of industrial offshore wind, instead handed over to a Danish company “as a wasteful gift” in a partisan 21-14 vote by the New Jersey Senate, amidst the chaos of Trenton politics, and egged on by corporate lobbyists.
