Asbury Park Press

Each year, we ask all USA Today Network – New Jersey editors and Statehouse reporters to assign letters grades, from A to F, to the performance of the governor in several issue areas, along with a sentence or two supporting the grade. The grades for overall performance and for each issue are then averaged.

If Gov. Phil Murphy received the grades in high school that we gave him in his first year as New Jersey's chief executive, he never would have been admitted to Harvard. Below are his first marking period grades:

Overall grade: C

The governor had a difficult time transitioning from his successful career in the private sector to the public sector. His failure to work well with Democratic leaders in the Statehouse interfered with his ability to follow through on many of his campaign promises. That's not necessarily a bad thing, particularly when it comes to his pledge to legalize recreational marijuana, raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and create new and expensive government programs. He also was slow to react on many fronts, from NJ Transit ongoing problems, to snow removal during the state's first major snowfall, to the Wanaque virus tragedy, to the Katie Brennan rape allegation inquiry.

Environment and Energy B-

Murphy jump-started the offshore wind project stalled by Gov. Christie, returned New Jersey to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and sued polluters who have failed to clean up properties in urban areas. He also repealed Christie’s Highlands septic rule that would have allowed more development there. But his actions have often flown in the face of his "clean energy" goals. His support of the Exxon settlement and the nuclear subsidy for Public Service Enterprise Group are troubling, as is the administration’s unwillingness to denounce and reject the North Bergen power plant. He also has failed to oppose natural gas pipelines proposed for environmentally sensitive areas of the state, and his administration has not rolled back Christie's pro-development flood hazard, stormwater and CAFRA rules. Murphy also has not lived up to his commitments against fracking and fracking waste in the Delaware River Basin.



Economy and Job Creation: C

New Jersey's improved job growth is largely attributable to the national boom that began under President Obama and continues under President Trump. Murphy has put a big focus on the “innovation economy,’’ such as funding for high-tech startups, etc,. but that’s mostly in the embryonic stage. His push for a $15 minimum wage has been stalled because his timetable for getting there is too ambitious.

Taxes, State Budget: D

Murphy got rolled in the state budget negotiations with the Legislature, vowing a millionaire’s tax, but only getting a much smaller one for mega-millionaires. He was rebuffed on fully restoring the sales tax and there is little chance of that being enacted in the rest of his first term. He vehemently opposed one-shot gimmicks, but ads for a holiday ‘tax amnesty” were all over streaming services. He has been unwilling to consider pension alternatives going forward, such as 401(k)s for new government employees, etc., as well as other important recommendations made by a fiscal reform task force. The best thing he did in the budget was get more money for NJ Transit, which was woefully underfunded under Christie.

More:Murphy is breaking our backs: Bergmann

Transportation: C+

He has given attention and focus to NJ Transit but there has been little to show for it. A NJ Transit audit called for a top-to-bottom restructuring, but the book is still out on that. He has made the Gateway rail tunnel a priority, but has no coherent strategy other than to protest and depend on the New Jersey Democratic congressional delegation, while New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is making the case directly to Trump. Murphy bungled the November storm cleanup role. Communication at NJ Transit has been mediocre at best, especially in regard to how long the Atlantic City line was going to be out of service.

More:NJ Transit meltdown: Phil Murphy promises better communication, not much else

Transparency: C-

This is a big letdown, most manifest in the Brennan scandal, about which his answers have been difficult to swallow. He was slow to meet with the editorial boards of the USA Today Network — New Jersey. But administration officials have been more accessible than those under Christie.

Leadership: D

He has failed to command the bully pulpit and exercise the vast arsenal of power at his disposal. He has not figured out how to deal with the powerful south Jersey Democrats. His failure to establish a cooperative working relationship with Senate President Steve Sweeney isn’t entirely his fault, but he’s done little to find common ground. He sometimes comes across as another clueless Goldman Sachs alumnus. The administration seems to always be playing catch-up. With the exception of Gurbir Grewal as attorney general, Murphy's cabinet has not been stellar.

More:With 6 months down, Murphy still learning how to win friends and influence lawmakers

Education: B

He has beefed up state aid, which had dried up under Christie. He’s started the dismantling of the standardized PARCC tests. But he also diminished the role of those test results in teacher evaluations — a wet kiss to the NJEA. His goals for greater spending on pre-K and community college are admirable, but the appointments in the Department of Education have been troubling. Albert Alvarez was accused of raping Brennan and later named chief of staff of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Marcellus Jackson, a former Passaic County freeholder who served time in jail after being found guilty of accepting bribes, was appointed to a $70,000 position before negative publicity forced him to resign.

Gun Control: A-

Murphy hews to the state's tradition for strict gun laws. He established a gun control czar and signed six gun-control bills in June, including one requiring background checks for private gun sales, and reducing ammunition magazines to 10 rounds. He seems to be pressing forward with greater gun control, though there don't seem to be many new ideas coming from the governor.