Watch New Jersey Democrats Lose as They Elect Big Donors for Governor | letters

In this season of giving, New Jersey Democratic Party “Poobahs” are trying to gift-wrap next year’s Republican gubernatorial campaign.

To the concern of many, Gov. Phil Murphy, a term-limited Democratic incumbent, has just announced a spending freeze and a pay freeze for some state workers as New Jersey faces a structural budget deficit that some say is at $3.8 billion. Dollar is expected to rise from $2.1 billion by next June.

Spending cuts and revenue shortfalls are now likely to be the main issues in the 2025 governor’s race. So what are so many in New Jersey’s out-of-touch Democratic leadership doing? They support the nomination of one or other of the two current members of Congress, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-11, and Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5, as their gubernatorial candidate. Six declared Democrats are now seeking the nod.

Gottheimer and Sherrill are Washington, D.C., insiders who have never had to vote on balancing a debt-burdened federal budget. I think Republicans would like to run against one of these cash-strapped candidates.

The last thing people in New Jersey need is buying advice from Washington. While the Republican race for governor will be about fiscal responsibility, a D.C. insider on the Democratic side will be talking about “cause” issues, topped off with over-the-top spending proposals that taxpayers can’t afford.

Will Democratic primary voters defy the kingmakers and elect a fiscally responsible candidate? If not, New Jersey will turn a nice shade of red.

Michael J. Makara, Mays Landing

Disappointed with Booker’s guns-for-Israel vote

I was disappointed to see that on November 20, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., voted against several resolutions banning the upcoming $20 billion sale of offensive weapons to Israel. (None of the failed resolutions received more than 19 “yes” votes.)

Booker has at least 7,800 Palestinian voters, many of whom had family members killed in Gaza during Israel’s war with Hamas. Not only does Booker have a personal responsibility to ensure that his constituents’ family members are safe and protected, he also has a responsibility to show that this indiscriminate killing must be stopped at all costs.

According to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, 67 children are killed in Gaza every day. One child per day would be unacceptable, but 67 is unimaginable. If 67 children were killed every day in New Jersey, it would be an atrocity that our lawmakers would immediately mobilize against.

I call on Senator Booker and his office to take a leadership role in the fight for a permanent ceasefire and to advocate for a ban on arms sales to Israel until it meets the requirements of the UN laws of war.

Many people in New Jersey are fed up with the senseless violence against Palestinians in Gaza and want these Palestinians to live in peace.

Taylor Damashi, Blackwood

Note: The author serves as an Advocacy Corps organizer for Friends Committee on National Legislation.

The cuckoo clock strikes “Trenton”

If the national Democratic Party leadership wants to understand why voters are rejecting their candidates, they need look no further than New Jersey.

Some House Democrats are focused on solving a “problem” that many of their constituents believe doesn’t exist: regulating when and how people can use their outdoor bird feeders to reduce interactions between people and bears.

If this is the theme the party’s 2025 gubernatorial candidates will use in their mailers, I predict more hand-wringing and a lot of finger-pointing at the birdbrains in Trenton.

Carol Rhodes, Barnsboro

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