Gov. Phil Murphy visits Paramus while selling his budget amid skepticism over tax hikes

Gov. Phil Murphy capped a full day selling his first budget to the public with a town-hall-style meeting in Paramus on Wednesday night, arguing that about $1.6 billion in new taxes will help correct years of fiscal austerity while increasing the value of living in New Jersey.

Murphy offered an optimistic vision for the state under his $37.4 billion budget, which is $2.7 billion larger than the current spending plan signed last summer by Republican Gov. Chris Christie. But Murphy repeatedly faulted Christie's budget-keeping for being rooted in politics rather than policy and for advancing "myths" of governing, such as the idea that economic growth and progressive policies don't align.

"We found ourselves busting myths," he said, "and I think our budget speaks to that."

If Murphy's budget is adopted, his myth-busting capabilities will be put to the test. But it remains a big question whether he can convince fellow Democrats who control the Legislature to sign on to large tax increases.

Murphy began his public pitch Wednesday morning with an appearance at the NJ Transit board meeting, followed by a radio interview and listener call-in on WNYC's "Brian Lehrer Show." Murphy is also scheduled to appear on ABC News in Philadelphia on Thursday to discuss his budget.

Murphy is expect to hold regular town hall meetings during the budget season, a format that gives him the opportunity to make a direct and personal pitch that his new tax proposals are needed to help make big investments in education, mass transit and programs intended to grow the middle class.

Those taxes include increasing the sales tax to 7 percent, raising rates on millionaires and taking a cut from Uber rides and Airbnb bookings.

Murphy drove home a similar point in an interview with NorthJersey.com and The Record's political columnist Charles Stile on Wednesday.

While noting that "the wealthiest among us are going to pay a little bit more,'' Murphy asserted that there was "nothing radical" about his $37.4 billion plan and that it a reflected a return to the state's more centrist, mainstream budgeting traditions.

"It's getting back to what we do really well in this state,'' Murphy said in the interview.

Murphy's challenge is to convince lawmakers and taxpayers that the answer to eight years of fiscal austerity under Christie is to spend more in a bargain that, he argues, will be worth it in terms of quality of life and public services.

Murphy made his case during a half-hour appearance on WNYC, saying his job is to reverse the practice under Christie that was "all about gutting government spending" and "a narrative that said, no matter what, taxes have to go down, even if they were gimmicks." He said, as he has many times before, that New Jersey once was a state that was sought out for its infrastructure, education and values.

"It was a fair equation. And we have had eight years of that equation where the premium to live here has gone up, up and up, particular borne by the middle class," Murphy said. "This, I think, in a very responsible way resets the narrative in this state."

But already a narrative is forming around Murphy that he's a 21st-century Jim Florio, the former Democratic governor whose $2.8 billion in tax increases in 1991 kept him from winning a second term.

“I’ve seen this movie before. It was called Florio 1. Now we have Florio 2, the sequel," Assembly Republican leader Jon Bramnick said after Murphy's speech. "They must have forgotten what happened after Florio 1 was shown to the New Jersey taxpayers.”

Murphy rejected the comparison.

"I am not here worried about my next election. I got elected to do what's right in New Jersey," Murphy said.

Stile: Phil Murphy's call for tax hikes and legal weed get cool reception from Democratic allies

Related: Murphy wants $1.6 billion in new taxes to fund schools, transit

Budget: Higher minimum wage, higher Uber fees, higher taxes

Not all of Murphy's fellow Democrats agree with what's right for New Jersey, though. His budget got a tepid response from lawmakers, and he faces resistance from legislative leaders on his proposal to raise taxes on millionaires and legalize recreational marijuana. Some were also surprised by his call to restore the sales tax to 7 percent, which had been cut by Christie to 6.625 percent in a deal to raise the state's gasoline tax.

While cynical observers foresee months of Democratic infighting and the prospect of a government shutdown this summer, Murphy expressed optimism as his budget heads to the Legislature for scrutiny.

"I'm looking forward to the next couple of months, and I'm very confident we'll end up in a good place," Murphy said. "I think that we're going to prove to be the party of substance."

At the town hall in Paramus, Murphy faced a friendly crowd that applauded at the mention of his $3.2 billion payment into the public employee pension system and separate plans to strengthen New Jersey's gun laws.

Richard Snyder, a Democrat from Ramsey, even offered to give Murphy assistance making his case to Democrats in Trenton who are resistant to his budget plans. He told Murphy that the budget speech was "music to my ears."

"You spoke sense. And what concerns me is that many of the other people in the room with you yesterday have lost their perspective of good sense under the cloud of partisan politics," he said.

After the town hall, Snyder said he was specifically concerned with the position taken by Senate President Stephen Sweeney, who has backed off his past support of a millionaires tax and now thinks, in light of President Donald Trump's tax overhaul, it should be viewed as a "last resort."

"Sweeney hasn't pleased me a whole lot," Snyder said.