Murphy’ s awe
NJ gubernatorial candidate charms members at State PBA meeting
n BY MITCHELL KRUGEL n PHOTOS BY JOHN HULSE
Monmouth County Sheriff’ s Office Local 314 State Delegate Mike Schulze stepped up to the microphone on the floor at the Oct. 22 PBA state meeting to ask a question. The speaker at the pulpit presently was PBA-endorsed candidate for governor Phil Murphy who turned up his candidatorial, gubernatorial and political hue when he responded to Schulze’ s question about plans to fund pension payments.
“ Mike, you and I see each other back in the hood,” mused Murphy, who lives in Middletown Township in Monmouth County.“ Now, I don’ t know if Monmouth County has ever been called the hood.”
And so Murphy powered up his courtship of the NJ State PBA as the union did to Murphy on Oct. 7 when announcing its historic endorsement some 12 months earlier than has been its practice in the past for the governor’ s race. Members were certainly attracted to Murphy’ s presence, experience, track record and eloquence in articulating positions on the key issues affecting law enforcement.
How could they not be, considering his expertise in matters like pension payments? But clearly there was no small talk on this day from a membership wanting a long-term relationship with Murphy but still feeling jilted about the lines the current governor handed them nine years ago before turning his back on law enforcement.
“ I liked what he said about reaching common ground and talking to all the individuals who would be involved in decisions, so that would certainly be more optimistic than I’ ve seen in this administration,” Hamilton Township Local 66 Vice-President Bob O’ Hare commented following the meeting.“ We didn’ t hear any answers about Chapter 78. We didn’ t hear anything about the 2-percent cap on salary and wages. He needs time in order to learn the subject matter and develop some good, structured
ideas. I want to hear his answers to those.”
Whether Murphy does come up with the answers will obviously go a long way toward determining if this will be a marriage made in Trenton. He didn’ t claim to have all the answers, thereby doing something that the sitting governor has made habit, according to the members: lie.
Prior to Murphy’ s meeting and greeting, President Colligan shared that he doesn’ t like to make an endorsement without putting it before the Board of Delegates first.
But after he and Executive Vice-President Marc Kovar discussed the opportunity to make the endorsment, they completed their due diligence. Colligan realized that getting out in front on the endorsement would be of great benefit to the union and the members.
That all took place on the morning of Oct. 5, and then Colligan and Kovar made the call to set up a conference call with the State Executive Board to recommend endorsing Murphy.
“ That was at 2 p. m. and by 2:30 p. m. the Board voted unanimously to endorse Murphy,” Colligan reported.“ Because of the way it progressed and our relationships, we wanted to be up front at the table on the public safety side.”
The speed dating culminated with the rally at the Union Town Hall on Oct. 7 to announce the endorsement in front of hundreds of members. In pledging his heart to PBA members on Oct. 22, Murphy offered very little braggadocio, noting instead his devotion to education as the son of a father who didn’ t finish high school, what he learned chairing the New Jersey Pension and Healthcare Task Force for Public Employees in 2005 and a mea culpa for being a Red Sox fan.
But it wasn’ t all small talk. Murphy’ s comments seemed to put his heart on his sleeve.
“ We’ re not going to agree on everything,” he confirmed.“ But we’ re going to be fair-minded, open-minded and willing to get around the same table to talk about the thorny issues. There will be no name-calling, no lack of respect, no lack of civility.
38 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ NOVEMBER 2016