Our challenges are substantive enough that we don’t need to be
calling each other names on top of it.”
He continued to say that he wanted to make sure PERC is not
staffed with people who have an agenda and that he understands that executive action is different from legislative action
that is different from collective bargaining.
“Handing out reforms from on high is no way to govern,”
Murphy asserted. “There will be no time for that in my administration if we are fortunate to get there.”
At which point members rose to give Murphy the first of
what could be many ovations of approval. He then took questions, beginning with Schulze to which Murphy replied that he
learned working on Wall Street running investment bank Goldman Sachs that there is not “one bucket to take money from” to
fund something of such importance.
Having served his country as Ambassador to Germany for
President Obama probably endeared Murphy to PBA members.
So did his closing statement:
“Where I was brought up, we didn’t have much, but we had
heroes and they were police, fire and teachers,” he stated. “We
have to get back to that level of respect.”
So the end result of Murphy’s appearance seems to be the
PBA membership ready to go steady with him.
As Old Bridge Local 127 State Delegate Jim Ford shared:
“Hopefully, he will bring a ray of light to all of us.”
And Rahway Local 31 State Delegate Rob Zarzycki seemed
convinced that, unlike how the current governor duped public
safety employees, this will not be a fatal attraction.
“Like Pat said, he’s not going to be a yes man,” Zarzycki said.
“And unlike our current governor, he’s willing to sit down and
talk to us.” d
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