TRENTON, NJ – When the COVID-19 vaccines were introduced, there was some hesitancy, but New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy began advertising incentives for New Jerseyans to get jabbed. First, it was free beer. Then free Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
To make the pot sweeter, the governor even threw in free state park passes, free access for a full year for anyone who is vaccinated.
It seemed to work, but now, New Jersey, like many other states has hit a brick wall. The rate of new vaccinations plateaued in late June. From January through July 1st, 4.5 million New Jerseyans got vaccinated. Between July and October, only 700,000 additional residents took the vaccine.
It appears that anyone who wants to willingly take the vaccine has received it.
Now, Murphy, the governor of the state that leads the nation in deaths per 100,000 residents through the pandemic is facing another crisis. He can’t convince more people to get vaccinated through giveaways and incentives.
So, like the rest of his Democrat party, Murphy is now heading in the direction of penalizing the COVID-19 vaccine holdouts. State workers, teachers, and other public employees are being forced to take the vaccination or else, they stand to lose their jobs.
Murphy isn’t bringing his awkward smile, beer, and doughnuts to the conversation anymore. Now, he’s bringing the sledgehammer. Vaccinate, or else.
When Joe Biden announced that he would require businesses with over 100 employees to vaccinate, Murphy was quick to sign on to the policy here in New Jersey.
Despite all of the vaccination efforts in New Jersey, in August, COVID-19 deaths have doubled in New Jersey. In August of 2020, there were 175 COVID-19 deaths. This past August there were 326 deaths, despite the mass vaccination effort and 67% of New Jerseyans being fully vaccinated.
Vaccine hesitancy is at an all-time high. It began in 2020 with now President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris casting doubt on the “Trump vaccine”.
NBC News reported Harris declaring, “If Donald Trump Tells Us To Take It, I’m Not Taking It.”
Biden, according to NBC, said, “I trust scientists, but I don’t trust Donald Trump.”
Governor Murphy didn’t tow the Democrat party line when it came to vaccines. Instead, Murphy embraced the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed.
“Incredible progress has been made. Hats off to the folks in their battling through this in the current administration as well as the private sector players,” Murphy said. “The decades of investment in public health in our country are all the contributing factors – but you have to call it as it is – it’s pretty impressive the vaccine development.”
Murphy has stayed the course on the COVID-19 vaccine, but now he is entering dangerous territory by joining the reckless Biden administration’s forceful mandate of the vaccine.
When government mandates, people become skeptical, and now, skepticism of the vaccine is growing even more after Dr. Anthony Fauci last week redefined “fully vaccinated” to mean somebody who has had three shots in the near future.
That will further push the unvaccinated away from the table.
When government begins threatened jobs, moving goalposts, and changing the rules, people will instinctively fear it. We are a nation that does not like government intrusion. It is the very foundation that America was built upon.
The honeymoon period between Phil Murphy and the anti-vaccine movement is over. The governor has indicated that he will find any method possible to force those who are unvaccinated to get the vaccination. While the governor has been opposed to things like vaccine passports and vaccine segregation, keep in mind, he also has an election to win in just a month.
It is predicted that should he win the election in November, he will immediately move toward harsher measures against the unvaccinated that he could not impose before the election.
Instead, Murphy could continue using honey to attract the bees by offering real incentives such as property or income tax relief. He can establish a vaccine tax credit, allowing anyone in New Jersey who took the jab to receive a tax credit of up to $2,500 on their 2021 taxes.
It makes sense too. Being vaccinated reduces the overall burden on New Jersey’s healthcare systems and as Murphy says, “Economic health brings economic wealth.”
It will be interesting to see the real Phil Murphy in November if he defeats Jack Ciattarelli in the election.