TOMS RIVER, NJ – It was a horrible idea in April and now, New Jersey Assemblymen Gregory P. McGuckin of Toms River, John Catalano of Brick and James Holzapfel of Toms River have withdrawn a bill they proposed that would have increased fines for violating Murphy’s Law to $15,000. The trio, in staunch support of Governor Murphy’s executive orders, prevents residents from leaving their homes and gathering during the COVID-19 pandemic sought to increase the punishment to those violating Murphy’s orders. Today, after Shore News Network blasted the trio for three weeks over the bill, it was pulled from the legislative floor in Trenton.
It’s all Phil’s fault!
Ironically, the three Murphy’s Law enforcers blamed Governor Phil Murphy himself for their insane bill that has gone nowhere fast, which sought to do nothing but punish violators of the Governor’s executive orders.
“The purpose of the strict lockdown was always to defeat COVID-19 quickly and to allow for the reopening of New Jersey in the shortest period of time possible with the least harm to people’s health and our economy,” Gregory P. McGuckin, who also holds as many as 30 public jobs said. “We introduced our legislation at the start of the crisis due to a lack of leadership from Governor Murphy when it came to enforcement [of the executive orders].”
Tro Cited Murphy’s Crackdown Against Violators As Reason for Withdrawl
As Phil Murphy began to crack down harder on violators, they decided the bill was no longer necessary.
“As legislators, we cannot control how the law is enforced by the governor or the agencies he directs, but we can change the law to encourage people to act responsibly through the deterrent effect of higher penalties. Thankfully, enforcement was stepped up and the types of gatherings where COVID-19 could be spread were greatly limited,” McGuckin said.
Shifting gears from punishment to hopping on the Reopen NJ Bandwagon
Now that the political climate is safe, McGuckin, Holzapfel and Catalano are now shifting direction, hoping Governor Phil Murphy to allow struggling businesses to reopen in New Jersey.
“It’s been our number one priority to get the Jersey Shore fully reopened as quickly as possible. We are glad that life is starting to resume and businesses are starting to reopen, but we won’t be happy until everything is back to normal,” McGuckin said.
New McGuckin Bill Seeks to Cut More Funding from School Districts
A new bill pending passage in the New Jersey Assembly being proposed by New Jersey District 10 Assemblymen Gregory P. McGuckin and John Catalano is asking for the state to further penalize local school districts. Those districts are already under fire from the state with millions of dollars in already reduced state aid. The bill takes aim a paid absences upon retirement by teachers, union employees, administrators and other employees, but penalizes the districts and student population for those payments.
Trenton legislation is the least of McGuckin’s problems these days
Assemblyman Greg McGuckin has now come under fire from all fronts in Ocean County as he has enriched himself and built a nearly $3,000,000 annual pay to play public contract empire in Ocean County. McGuckin came under fire in Jackson Township and Toms River this past week for accepting over $500,000 in new public contracts from corrupted Toms River Mayor Maurice Hill. Residents questioned how McGuckin himself, whose firm also serves as the Lakewood Township Zoning Board attorney could possibly handle the workload of 30 public jobs. Toms River Councilman Daniel Rodrick has accused McGuckin of political corruption and extortion and said he has filed a complaint with the New Jersey Department of Consumer Affairs against McGuckin.
Earlier this year, McGuckin led a failed political coup against the Toms River Republican Club, seeking to take control of the club, but was unsuccessful. That coup came after McGuckin and Ocean County GOP Chairman Frank B. Holman endorsed an accomplish shoplifter and financial deadbeat, Kate Gibbs for Congress in New Jersey CD-3. McGuckin and Holman were defeated by the rank and file party members in an open floor vote at the GOP convention in March. In April, it was learned that Gibbs paid McGuckin, Catalano and Holzapfel thousands of dollars for their endorsement of the former Burlington County Freeholder. The payment was made from a union which Gibbs represents. That union also gave nearly $200,00 to Phil Murphy Democratic candidates statewide to defeat Republicans.