纽约时报 新泽西州加大对百万富翁征税力度(3)（在线收听）

The issue of requiring higher earners to pay more was a central theme during the Democratic presidential primary,

要求高收入者缴纳更高税额的问题是民主党总统大选初选期间的一大核心主题，

and has also emerged as an issue in November's election.

也是11月大选的主要竞选话题之一。

Joseph R. Biden Jr., the Democratic nominee,

民主党提名人小约瑟夫·R·拜登

has proposed raising taxes on people earning more than $400,000

提议对收入超40万美元的纳税人增税，

to finance a slate of programs, including expanded day care.

以支持包括扩大日托服务在内的一系列项目。

Mr. Trump has cited the proposal to reinforce his claim that Mr. Biden is a "tool" of "radical socialists"

特朗普引用这项提案佐证自己的观点，即拜登是"激进社会主义者"的"工具"，

who risks taxing American business and households into bankruptcy.

利用他的那些人不惜征税征到美国企业和家庭破产。

Last month, Mr. Murphy proposed giving children born into families earning less than $131,000 a $1,000 nest egg—

上个月，墨菲提议，为出生在年收入低于13.1万美元的家庭的孩子提供1000美元的储备金，

a so-called baby bond — to use when they turn 18 as a small step toward narrowing the wealth gap in New Jersey.

即所谓的“婴儿债券”——供他们在年满18岁时使用，借此迈出缩小新泽西州贫富差距的一小步。

That proposal, which would cost about $80 million a year,

这项提议，年投入约8000万美元，

has failed to gain traction during negotiations over the state budget, which is due Oct. 1.

未能在将于10月1日到期的州预算谈判中获得支持。

In New Jersey, the millionaires tax was an initiative the Democrat-led legislature

在新泽西州，百万富翁税是民主党领导的立法机构

had symbolically approved for years before Mr. Murphy took office in 2018,

早在墨菲2018年上任的多年前就已象征性地批准的一项倡议，

knowing that it would never be signed into law by Chris Christie, then the Republican governor.

因为他们知道，该提案绝不会被当时的共和党州长克里斯·克里斯蒂签署为法律。

But Mr. Murphy, a self-avowed progressive who arrived in Trenton with few legislative allies,

但墨菲，这位自称进步派，来到特伦顿时在立法界几乎没有任何盟友的新泽西州长，

had(has) been unable to win support for a millionaires tax from fellow Democrats who control the Legislature —

一直未能赢得控制立法机构的民主党同僚对百万富翁税的支持，

the powerful Senate president, Stephen M. Sweeney, a political rival, or the Assembly leader, Craig (J.) Coughlin.

强大的新泽西参议院主席、墨菲的政治对手斯蒂芬·M·斯威尼，议会领袖克雷格·J·考夫林就是其中之一。

Until now.

直到现在。

Facing a fiscal crisis brought on by the urgent health needs of the pandemic and the monthslong shutdown of businesses,

鉴于大流行带来了诸多紧急医疗需求，致使企业一连关闭数月，导致新泽西州陷入了一场财政危机，

lawmakers agreed to raise the tax rate on earnings over $1 million to 10.75 percent, up from 8.97 percent.

该州议员已经同意将百万美元以上收入的税率从8.97%提高到10.75%。

Individuals earning more than $5 million were already taxed at the higher rate.

收入超500万美元的个人则已经被征收了更高的税率。

More than 1.5 million residents have filed for unemployment benefits

超150万居民提交了失业救济金申请，

since Mr. Murphy implemented a lockdown to help stop the spread of the virus,

自墨菲推出封锁政策，企图借此阻止病毒传播以来，

which has led to the deaths of more than 16,000 New Jersey residents.

该病毒已致使1.6万多名新泽西居民死亡。

The agreement is also a tacit acknowledgment of(by) Mr. Murphy's approval ratings,

这份协议也是对墨菲支持率的默许，

which were 67 percent in a June poll by Fairleigh Dickinson University based on a generally positive view of his handling of the pandemic.

费尔利·迪金森大学6月份的一项民意调查显示，基于对墨菲处理疫情的总体正面看法，他的支持率达到了67%。

Hetty Rosenstein, an ally of Mr. Murphy

海蒂·罗森斯坦，墨菲的一位盟友，

and the state director for the Communications Workers of America, a major public-sector union,

同时也是大型公共部门工会美国通讯工人协会的州主任，

applauded the new tax as a "progressive approach to raising revenue and funding services."

对新税予以了肯定，称其是"颇为进步的增加收入，资助服务的举措"。