SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Nerwsradio) — Lawmakers throughout New Jersey are putting pressure on Gov. Phil Murphy to immediately reopen and fully staff state offices because the people they represent are not getting the service they deserve.
Lawmakers say their constituents have been falling through the cracks of the state system since many state offices closed during the coronavirus pandemic. Republican Assemblyman Antwan McClellan, representing parts of Atlantic, Cumberland and Cape May counties, says his office has heard from thousands of people who have legitimate complaints about the Motor Vehicle Commission and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development not handling the most routine of requests.
“People are coming to our office crying and upset. They’ve never filed for unemployment before, but now they’re waiting months on end to get unemployment. This is something they rightfully worked for and earned,” McClellan said.
He says little things like typos can be extremely difficult to resolve remotely, and not addressing them quickly leads to much larger issues.
“People are calling, not being able to get a hold of anybody. They’re told to go online. When they go online, if their date of birth is wrong or they’re missing their middle initial, it kicks them out and then they have to wait another eight to 12 weeks,” he said.
McClellan says problems like those can be solved in minutes if people are able to visit an office and speak to someone face to face. Minor clerical errors like the exclusion of a middle initial can be extremely difficult to resolve over the phone, if you can even get a representative on the phone.
That’s why McClellan says it’s time for workers to stop working from home and to return to state offices.
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“You are getting your full salary. You’re sitting at home, and you’re supposed to be helping people. You should not be talking down to people. You should not be showing any type of lack of interest or concern for these individuals that are having problems.”
Murphy has said his plan is to reopen the offices March 28. McClellan asks why.
“Did you just pull a number from a hat and say, ‘We’re going to open up on this date?’ There’s no real rhyme or reason why he’s picking these dates.”
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Last week, the N.J. Senate unanimously passed a resolution to open the offices right away. But the resolution cannot force the governor to take action. Murphy may ignore it if he chooses.
KYW Newsradio contacted leaders of the union representing some state workers to get reaction. So far they have not responded.