WEBVTT - New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy Talks Congestion Pricing

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<v Speaker 1>We're pleased to be sitting down with New Jersey Governor

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<v Speaker 1>Phil Murphy here at our global headquarters in New York City.

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<v Speaker 1>Governor Murphy, I want to start with a topic that

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<v Speaker 1>hits close to home, which is congestion pricing in Manhattan.

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<v Speaker 2>Last week, the MPT.

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<v Speaker 1>Approved a revised plan to charge drivers nine dollars to

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<v Speaker 1>enter much of the city versus the original fifteen dollars.

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<v Speaker 1>You oppose both versions and are fighting it out in court.

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<v Speaker 1>Are you seeking an emergency ruling to hal implementation? Do

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<v Speaker 1>you think that you'll be able to stop this.

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<v Speaker 3>I can't speak for the judge who's adjudicated here, but

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<v Speaker 3>we're going to try. Like heck, it's not that listen.

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<v Speaker 3>I think we've got the strongest environmental record of any

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<v Speaker 3>state in America over the past seven years.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm proud of that.

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<v Speaker 3>We're not against lowering pollution, We're for that. But there's

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<v Speaker 3>a time as a place, there's a deal that works

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<v Speaker 3>for New Jersey commuters and ones that don't, and this

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<v Speaker 3>displaces the pollution to New Jersey.

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<v Speaker 2>It doesn't get rid of it.

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<v Speaker 3>It's an enormous burden financially on our commuters. And lastly,

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<v Speaker 3>none of the money comes back on our side of

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<v Speaker 3>the Hudson, where we've also got transit fiscal challenges.

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<v Speaker 2>So with all due.

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<v Speaker 3>Respect to the MTA, will we want them to solve

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<v Speaker 3>their problem within the four walls of the MTA, just

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<v Speaker 3>like we have withinj Transit in New Jersey. And perhaps

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<v Speaker 3>when the gateway tunnels are finished and you've got four

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<v Speaker 3>tunnels with rail tracks as opposed to two, or when

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<v Speaker 3>the Port Authority bus terminal is finished the new one,

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<v Speaker 3>which we've got both going at long last, there's a

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<v Speaker 3>time in a place perhaps, but not now.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, I'm going to follow up on a bunch of

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<v Speaker 1>those questions. But first of all, when it comes to

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<v Speaker 1>congestion pricing, you have said that you're open to a

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<v Speaker 1>form of it. What would that plan need to look

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<v Speaker 1>like for it to gain your support?

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<v Speaker 3>I don't have the parameters of it, but it would

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<v Speaker 3>need to be a reasonable price, discounts that make sense,

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<v Speaker 3>amount of money that comes back to Jersey, and a

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<v Speaker 3>timetable that allows our commuters to look at what their

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<v Speaker 3>options are. I think that's a reasonable By the way,

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<v Speaker 3>what we've asked the federal judge is not We're not

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<v Speaker 3>asking for the Moon. We're asking that he forced the

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<v Speaker 3>federal administration to do an environmental impact study and we'll

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<v Speaker 3>live with the results of that.

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<v Speaker 4>Have you had conversations, specifically with the Governor of New York,

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<v Speaker 4>Kathy Hochel as well as the Mayor of New York

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<v Speaker 4>about those issues, and if so, what was their response.

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<v Speaker 3>So we've got a great good news is we start

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<v Speaker 3>in a very good place with our relationship with both

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<v Speaker 3>Eric Adams and Kathy Hochel, and we do an enormous

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<v Speaker 3>amount with both the city and the state together. Yes,

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<v Speaker 3>we've spoken person to person, team the team. This has

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<v Speaker 3>been a multi year process, and our ask has always been,

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<v Speaker 3>let's do an environmental impact study and at the same time,

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<v Speaker 3>let's get at the table together, and while that's playing

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<v Speaker 3>itself out, let's talk about what the contours could be

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<v Speaker 3>of a deal that we could all live with.

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<v Speaker 4>That this congestion pricing plan is more than just about

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<v Speaker 4>the environment. It's obviously to leave a congestion as well.

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<v Speaker 4>The idea that there are just a lot of folks

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<v Speaker 4>coming into this city that you know, at least certain

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<v Speaker 4>people think maybe shouldn't or they should take public transit

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<v Speaker 4>into the city. If you don't have the congestion pricing.

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<v Speaker 4>What is the solution to alleviate the traffic conditions?

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<v Speaker 3>So let me say first and foremost, And the MTA

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<v Speaker 3>wrote this themselves, the number one objective here is to

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<v Speaker 3>solve their fiscal hole. They've said that themselves. Don't take

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<v Speaker 3>my word for it. While congestion and lowering pollution is

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<v Speaker 3>a noble objective and it's certainly one of their objectives,

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<v Speaker 3>it's one that the number one objective is to solve

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<v Speaker 3>their fiscal hole. We've got the same challenge at NJ Transit.

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<v Speaker 3>We've chosen to solve our problems within the four walls

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<v Speaker 3>of New Jersey. We put in a corporate transit fee.

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<v Speaker 3>While New Jersey Transit takes a few years to get

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<v Speaker 3>back on their fiscal feet, which it will take, all

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<v Speaker 3>the big transit systems, by the way, in the country

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<v Speaker 3>are going through a similar reality.

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<v Speaker 2>We've found a fee which we.

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<v Speaker 3>Don't do lightly, that will allow a bridge to a

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<v Speaker 3>better fiscal future for them. I don't know what the

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<v Speaker 3>alternative is for the MTA, but I strongly would like

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<v Speaker 3>to encourage them to pursue other avenues. As for New

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<v Speaker 3>York City, we root for New York City. It's success

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<v Speaker 3>in so many respects is our success. I don't know why,

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<v Speaker 3>for the life of us, when people are working from home,

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<v Speaker 3>we're still digging out from a pandemic, why New York

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<v Speaker 3>City would want fewer people in New York City than more.

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<v Speaker 2>But that's not that's not my domain.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's go back to New Jersey Transit, which you've mentioned

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<v Speaker 1>a couple of times. Commuters who rely on it very

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<v Speaker 1>frustrated by the breakdowns, especially this past summer. You've pledged

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<v Speaker 1>to fix the system even if it kills you, and

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<v Speaker 1>you've mentioned this business tax, perhaps to support JT. You've

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<v Speaker 1>also raised fares not so long ago. How much of

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<v Speaker 1>this is simply a funding problem versus something bigger.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, it ultimately will be a big funding problem if

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<v Speaker 3>we didn't if we did not find the solutions, and

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<v Speaker 3>we have found the solutions, which are multi year, we

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<v Speaker 3>did not raise fees fares. Rather, for six years longest

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<v Speaker 3>stretch of fares not being raised ever in New Jersey transit,

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<v Speaker 3>we just finally raised them this year. We put in

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<v Speaker 3>place this corporate transit fee.

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<v Speaker 2>People.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm not making an excuse for what we're calling the

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<v Speaker 3>summer of hell it was unacceptable to commuters, It was

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<v Speaker 3>unacceptable to me period. In fact, we put a free

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<v Speaker 3>week at the end of the summer just as a

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<v Speaker 3>tip of the cap to the fact it was.

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<v Speaker 2>A miserable summer. But if you look at the.

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<v Speaker 3>Mess we inherited when we first got in office almost

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<v Speaker 3>seven years ago, NJ Transit has made a lot of

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<v Speaker 3>progress on on time performance, safety, customer satisfaction. We don't

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<v Speaker 3>like anything on those less than one hundred percent, and

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<v Speaker 3>we will keep fighting until we get there.

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<v Speaker 1>Remain mentioned congestion. Obviously, that's a big goal.

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<v Speaker 2>First time I've heard about that, the.

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<v Speaker 1>Gateway Tunnel project to build those two new tunnels under

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<v Speaker 1>the Hudson River. Donald Trump halted federal funding during his

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<v Speaker 1>first term. He stalled it. Basically, how concerned are you

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<v Speaker 1>that these funds will be stalled once again or held

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<v Speaker 1>up or pulled during the second Trumpet minute?

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<v Speaker 2>So to all the.

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<v Speaker 3>Funds are obligated, and that's a word with heavy definition

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<v Speaker 3>around federal funding. So that's as close to cement as

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<v Speaker 3>you get. But having said that, we've.

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<v Speaker 1>Found obligated and dispersed are two different things.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, but obligated is a big step. Obviously, This is

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<v Speaker 3>an eight to ten year project, so you can't expect

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<v Speaker 3>that they'll all be dispersed at the moment. Having said that,

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<v Speaker 3>a big part of the project is the Portal North Bridge,

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<v Speaker 3>green lit by Donald Trump as president in June of

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<v Speaker 3>twenty twenty. I spoke to him last week that bridge

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<v Speaker 3>is going to be complete next year, on time and

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<v Speaker 3>under budget. I asked him if he'd come up and

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<v Speaker 3>cut the ribbon with me. I don't want to speak

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<v Speaker 3>for the president, but privately he said he'd very much

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<v Speaker 3>like to do that. I think he's somebody who understands

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<v Speaker 3>this region and understands how important infrastructure and moving people

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<v Speaker 3>and stuff around is. So I'm at this moment with

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<v Speaker 3>a high degree of confidence. It's a huge union job

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<v Speaker 3>building trades source of tens of thousand. I think the

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<v Speaker 3>President will be in the right place on this.

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<v Speaker 4>And you think you'll have a decent working relationship with

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<v Speaker 4>them for.

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<v Speaker 2>The next year that you're an office.

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<v Speaker 3>We're gonna we're gonna fight on stuff well as we did.

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<v Speaker 3>When I walk out of here in January of twenty sixth,

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<v Speaker 3>I will have been the longest serving Democratic governor. Alongside

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<v Speaker 3>Donald Trump as president. We've already done it. For three years,

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<v Speaker 3>we fought like heck on where our values were challenged,

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<v Speaker 3>our communities were assaulted or challenged, and will continue to

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<v Speaker 3>do so. But that does not mean we will not

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<v Speaker 3>aggressively look for common ground. I have a good relationship

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<v Speaker 3>with him personally, and we'll continue to do both.

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<v Speaker 4>When you first ran for governor seven or eight years ago,

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<v Speaker 4>you ran on a platform of bringing jobs and bringing

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<v Speaker 4>companies to New Jersey. What has that progress been? And

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<v Speaker 4>I am curious if you find yourself in competition with

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<v Speaker 4>your neighboring states, primarily New York and I guess so

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<v Speaker 4>a smaller extent Connecticut and attracting those companies and jobs.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 3>So our story is a good one, but it's an

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<v Speaker 3>incomplete We've made an enormous amount of progress on GDP growth,

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<v Speaker 3>on job creation growth. Our unemployment numbers have been coming

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<v Speaker 3>into a very good spot. We've got a lot of

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<v Speaker 3>magnets in place that attract both companies and families. Number

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<v Speaker 3>one public education system in America.

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<v Speaker 4>Do new companies want to set up shop?

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<v Speaker 2>You bet in New Jersey. You bet.

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<v Speaker 3>The one area where before we got here we had

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<v Speaker 3>really lost our way as a state was the startup community,

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<v Speaker 3>and that's now changing dramatically. We've got these strategic innovation

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<v Speaker 3>hubs in a number of different fields. Venture capital, we

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<v Speaker 3>were top three in the nation in the first half

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<v Speaker 3>of this year, behind only California and New York. That's

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<v Speaker 3>the one area in particular where we had a lot

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<v Speaker 3>of wood to chop, and we've made a lot of progress.

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<v Speaker 3>We're not there yet, We're not satisfied by any means,

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<v Speaker 3>but a lot of good progress.

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<v Speaker 1>So FARMA has a strong foothold in New Jersey, and

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<v Speaker 1>you're talking about startups as kind of the next big area.

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<v Speaker 2>Of growth for the state. You bet so.

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<v Speaker 3>Life science is one of the big innovation hubs is

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<v Speaker 3>in New Brunswick. It's being built as we speak, called

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<v Speaker 3>the Helix that will be a life science focused both

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<v Speaker 3>big companies, big hospital systems Rutgers and Princeton with their research,

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<v Speaker 3>as well as a big startup component.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, one last question here. New Jersey has long been

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<v Speaker 1>a true blue state, but Donald Trump won more votes

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<v Speaker 1>in twenty twenty four than he did in twenty twenty

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<v Speaker 1>and the state feels like it's shifting red. There are

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<v Speaker 1>questions about whether New Jersey's next battleground state. I wonder

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<v Speaker 1>if you could talk to that and also the single

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<v Speaker 1>most important lesson that you think the Democratic Party must

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<v Speaker 1>learn from the twenty four O.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I don't see it as a battleground state. I

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<v Speaker 3>just don't. That doesn't mean we're complacent about it for

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<v Speaker 3>one second.

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<v Speaker 2>And you're absolutely right.

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<v Speaker 3>President Trump's margin was about five points in New Jersey.

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<v Speaker 3>Joe Biden won New Jersey sixteen ish points. By the way,

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<v Speaker 3>if you look at New Jersey, Illinois, Maryland, New York.

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<v Speaker 4>ALIPHOI concern you was a Democrat.

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<v Speaker 3>So the big blue states all shifted like that.

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<v Speaker 2>It concerns me.

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<v Speaker 4>Why did it shift though?

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<v Speaker 3>Do you know a whole number of reasons? I think

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<v Speaker 3>twelve to fifteen individual reasons. It did not impact us

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<v Speaker 3>down ballot. I would be hyper concerned, and I'm not

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<v Speaker 3>saying complacent about this because I'm not. We have to

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<v Speaker 3>be sober, look in the mirror, analyze what happened.

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<v Speaker 2>But I'd be really.

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<v Speaker 3>Panicked if it had a down ballot impact. It did

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<v Speaker 3>not for the most part. I'll give you an example

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<v Speaker 3>one Passaic County, big Latino and Muslim populations. By the way,

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<v Speaker 3>he won that County Democrats had four county wide candidates,

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<v Speaker 3>including two newbies.

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<v Speaker 2>They all won handily.

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<v Speaker 3>So the lessons we have to figure out where the

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<v Speaker 3>lessons are, but we also have to figure out what

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<v Speaker 3>was at the top of the ticket in lessons that

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<v Speaker 3>were unique to the top of the ticket versus Democratic

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<v Speaker 3>Party down ballot lessons.

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<v Speaker 1>What's the lesson that's worked for Democrats in New Jersey

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<v Speaker 1>down ballot that didn't work at the top.

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<v Speaker 3>Be on the side of working families period. We're the

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<v Speaker 3>number one state in America to raise a family. That's

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<v Speaker 3>especially true for working families. Own that space, invest in

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<v Speaker 3>it the present, and that has worked for us.

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<v Speaker 4>Some would say the Democrats did that certainly at the

0:11:08.840 --> 0:11:11.760
<v Speaker 4>national level. I can't speak specifically to New Jersey. The

0:11:11.840 --> 0:11:14.319
<v Speaker 4>issue wasn't whether they did that. The issue was how

0:11:14.360 --> 0:11:16.679
<v Speaker 4>that was communicated to the voters. And I'm sure you

0:11:16.760 --> 0:11:18.800
<v Speaker 4>know there are a lot of voters, both Democrats and

0:11:18.840 --> 0:11:21.640
<v Speaker 4>Republicans alike, to look at the economy over the last

0:11:21.679 --> 0:11:24.160
<v Speaker 4>four years and did not feel that that investment was there,

0:11:24.160 --> 0:11:25.400
<v Speaker 4>at least from the Democratic Party.

0:11:25.440 --> 0:11:28.680
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I mean, the notion is that it got too abstract,

0:11:29.480 --> 0:11:33.080
<v Speaker 3>like nice, nice soundbites, but where is it for me?

0:11:33.400 --> 0:11:36.400
<v Speaker 3>Inflation is still in the system. People are Look, that's

0:11:36.440 --> 0:11:38.560
<v Speaker 3>the data point that I think matters the most. What

0:11:38.640 --> 0:11:42.880
<v Speaker 3>am I paying for X today versus four years ago?

0:11:43.120 --> 0:11:45.160
<v Speaker 4>That's still the number one thing you hear from your residence.

0:11:45.520 --> 0:11:48.520
<v Speaker 3>I think the economy is still top of the list.

0:11:48.559 --> 0:11:52.520
<v Speaker 3>It always has been, always will be. The fascinating reality

0:11:52.600 --> 0:11:56.320
<v Speaker 3>in New Jersey and nationally both is that President Trump

0:11:56.360 --> 0:11:59.040
<v Speaker 3>got some more votes in New Jersey than he got

0:11:59.040 --> 0:12:02.839
<v Speaker 3>in twenty twenty. A lot fewer people voted on our side.

0:12:02.880 --> 0:12:05.200
<v Speaker 3>That to me is the po both sat out the election.

0:12:05.280 --> 0:12:08.640
<v Speaker 3>People sat on their hands, both nationally and in New Jersey,

0:12:08.960 --> 0:12:11.600
<v Speaker 3>and that's something we have to get our arms around now.

0:12:11.640 --> 0:12:14.800
<v Speaker 3>Twenty twenty was an all vote by mail election record

0:12:14.880 --> 0:12:18.200
<v Speaker 3>turnout across the board, including in New Jersey. But that's

0:12:18.240 --> 0:12:20.520
<v Speaker 3>to me, the big sobering. Why did you stay home

0:12:20.920 --> 0:12:23.320
<v Speaker 3>with so much at stake? How come you sat this

0:12:23.360 --> 0:12:25.559
<v Speaker 3>one out? That, to me is the question we need

0:12:25.600 --> 0:12:26.680
<v Speaker 3>to get a crisp answer to.

0:12:26.960 --> 0:12:28.640
<v Speaker 1>So what is on your to do list as you

0:12:28.679 --> 0:12:31.200
<v Speaker 1>get ready or as a state gets ready for elections

0:12:31.240 --> 0:12:34.280
<v Speaker 1>next November to determine whether there's a democratic governor to

0:12:34.320 --> 0:12:38.360
<v Speaker 1>follow you up or perhaps the Democratic a Republican governor

0:12:38.400 --> 0:12:38.840
<v Speaker 1>takes her vice.

0:12:38.920 --> 0:12:41.079
<v Speaker 3>Yes, and so while we have not been a swing

0:12:41.120 --> 0:12:44.320
<v Speaker 3>state at the presidential level or at the Senate US

0:12:44.400 --> 0:12:48.000
<v Speaker 3>Senate level, we have been historically back and forth.

0:12:49.600 --> 0:12:51.800
<v Speaker 2>As governor. So we'll see how that plays out.

0:12:51.800 --> 0:12:54.600
<v Speaker 3>There's a crowded field on both sides of the aisle,

0:12:54.640 --> 0:12:57.320
<v Speaker 3>a lot of talent running for governor, so we'll see

0:12:57.320 --> 0:12:59.880
<v Speaker 3>how that works. I think in terms of us, more

0:13:00.080 --> 0:13:03.360
<v Speaker 3>of the same. So number one public education system in America,

0:13:03.559 --> 0:13:07.280
<v Speaker 3>keep investing in that, keep expanding pre K, make sure

0:13:07.320 --> 0:13:11.200
<v Speaker 3>you're you continue to be top healthcare of top five

0:13:11.280 --> 0:13:16.800
<v Speaker 3>healthcare state in America. A big clemency initiative. I want

0:13:16.800 --> 0:13:21.840
<v Speaker 3>to do parole reform, more broadly, criminal justice reform. We

0:13:21.880 --> 0:13:24.960
<v Speaker 3>got elected to grow the economy, but also to make

0:13:25.040 --> 0:13:28.160
<v Speaker 3>it a fairer economy. Address those inequities. We'll continue to

0:13:28.200 --> 0:13:28.480
<v Speaker 3>do a.

0:13:28.400 --> 0:13:30.240
<v Speaker 4>Lot of You only have about one year left in

0:13:30.320 --> 0:13:33.360
<v Speaker 4>office months, so I assume you're going to be involved

0:13:33.400 --> 0:13:35.400
<v Speaker 4>in politics. Posts your good natory.

0:13:35.559 --> 0:13:37.520
<v Speaker 2>I have no idea. I have no idea.

0:13:37.600 --> 0:13:38.160
<v Speaker 4>It sounds like it.

0:13:38.840 --> 0:13:39.760
<v Speaker 2>Launch public service.

0:13:39.920 --> 0:13:43.240
<v Speaker 3>Public service is something that I was an ambassador. It's

0:13:43.240 --> 0:13:46.440
<v Speaker 3>something that that's important to me in the job of

0:13:46.480 --> 0:13:49.000
<v Speaker 3>a lifetime has been Governor of New Jersey, so I

0:13:49.360 --> 0:13:51.280
<v Speaker 3>love doing what I can do to serve the public.

0:13:52.000 --> 0:13:53.280
<v Speaker 1>Film Orphie, thank you so much.