New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy presides over the state with the highest taxes and worst business climate in all of America. Yes, even worse than Illinois. But instead of working to fix that, he says he wants to use the power of the Garden State purse to punish banks and retailers who refuse to submit to his additional failed gun control measures.

From the New York Times, who refer to this political stunt as a “novel gun control strategy:”

New Jersey intends to stop doing business with gun manufacturers and retailers that fail to adopt policies, like conducting background checks, to stop guns from falling into the wrong hands, becoming the first state to take such stringent action against the firearms industry. The state will also apply pressure on major financial institutions, seeking information from banks that do business with New Jersey about their relationships and policies involving gun makers and sellers. The state, which says it pays more than $1 billion in bank fees every year, could use the disclosure requirements to decide whether to continue doing business with financial firms. New Jersey estimates that it spends more than $70 million per year on firearms, supplies and ammunition for the State Police and other law enforcement agencies.

First off, if the state of New Jersey is really spending $1 billion in bank fees annually, they need to do a better job of negotiating and managing the state’s banking relationships. Secondly, I’ll offer another way to save New Jersey beleaguered taxpayers an additional $70 million per year: the gun industry should stop selling the state firearms and ammunition.

That’s right. If they’re going to adopt these gangster-style tactics to pressure firms to stop doing business with law-abiding companies that make legal products, why not return the favor and stop selling guns, ammo and spare parts, or servicing firearms owned by state entities?

The New York Times continues:

Several major banks have already taken matters into their own hands, cutting off banking and credit card services to gun retailers and stopping the lending of money to manufacturers who do not abide by age limits and background checks.

Really? Retailers and manufacturers that don’t follow state and federal laws? Name one. We’ll wait.

In a nutshell, the assiduously anti-gun Governor Murphy is trying to leverage his almost-bankrupt state’s meager spending to coerce private, law-abiding companies to adopt policies similar to those the misguided state government has seen fit to implement. Because enforced corporate gun control is a small price to pay for making the entire state of New Jersey (allegedly) crime-free.

How’s that working out so far? From NBC New York:

Two shootings in less than one day has a neighborhood in the Jersey Shore shaken and comes amid new calls to crack down on gun violence. The incidents took place in Asbury Park, just hours apart, and some residents are saying that they aren’t surprised given the spike in gun violence in the area. The first of the shootings took place on Mattison and Atkins Avenue, where police confirm shots were fired late Sunday night – right next to a school, according to authorities.

The National Review had this quote from Murphy:

“Taxpayers are the top purchasers of firearms,” reads the order Murphy is expected to sign. “The State should not be purchasing firearms, ammunition or equipment from vendors that place civilians and law enforcement in harm’s way by virtue of not adopting responsible practices related to firearms.”

Governor Murphy thinks taxpayers are the top purchasers of guns? Uh huh.

Once upon a time, perhaps. Maybe among Murphy’s circle of friends. But not among mine. And probably not among yours either.