Matt Friedman's must-read briefing on the Garden State's important news of the day
Matt Friedman's must-read briefing on the Garden State's important news of the day
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By MATT FRIEDMAN
Presented by AARP New Jersey
Good Monday morning!
I had a few days of last week, so I didn’t open Twitter for a while. That was great, until I did open the app Saturday morning. And the first thing I saw immediately reminded me why I hadn’t used it.
Donald Trump had a couple guests over for dinner. One, Kanye West, has spent the last couple months spouting anti-Semitic conspiracy theories that have cost him his reputation and contracts. A lesser-known guest, Nick Fuentes, has been spreading hate for longer than West. Just straight up white-supremacist and anti-Semitic garbage. I won’t repeat it here, but you can Google him if you don’t want to take my word for it.
Even if Trump’s influence really is waning, the lack of on-the-record response from prominent Republicans has been notable. Chris Christie is one of the few well-known Republicans I’ve seen speak openly about it. And while it’s easy to fault Christie for turning against Trump only when it made sense for him to do so politically — after all, Christie endorsed Trump in 2016 despite the latter’s calls to ban an entire religion from entering the U.S. — the important thing here is that he’s pushing back against this influence on the party.
And so why are so many Republicans, some of whom expressed outrage as long as their names weren’t attached to their quotes, so reluctant to comment? Because this is what a sizable portion of the Republican base believes, or at least is willing to tolerate.
A lot of Republicans in New Jersey and elsewhere are privately hoping that Trump doesn’t get the nomination this time, but they’re not ready to put their political careers on the line until they know he’s politically done. And that’s probably what’s going to change their approach to him. Certainly not his entertaining a couple bigots, considering all the past scandals. This is just another degree higher in the willingness of mainstream politicians to tolerate ugly ideas and rhetoric that were previously radioactive in mainstream politics, and for good reason.
DAYS SINCE MURPHY REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HIS WIFE’S NON-PROFIT SHOULD DISCLOSE DONORS: 295
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WHERE’S MURPHY? — In East Orange for a development project’s 11 a.m. ribbon cutting ceremony
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Denial of payment for all new admissions began on [Tuesday] because the ongoing quality concerns have not been addressed.” — CMS spokesperson Bruce Alexander on Menlo Park Veterans Home
HAPPY BIRTHDAY – Jennifer Keyes-Maloney, Gary Williams,Nick Chiaravalloti, John Mitchell
A message from AARP New Jersey:
Caring for a parent, spouse or other older loved one can be financially and emotionally draining. Every day, family caregivers struggle to assist older loved ones often using money out of their own pockets. The average family caregiver spends about a quarter of their income on caregiving activities. That’s a huge burden. But NJ lawmakers can give family caregivers the relief they need by supporting the Caregiver’s Assistance Act (A1802/S2021). Tell lawmakers: support (A1802/S2021).
CMS SOS — “Feds halt new admissions at troubled NJ veterans home as safety, COVID problems remain,” by The Record’s Scott Fallon: “The federal agency that acts as the primary funding source for New Jersey’s troubled veterans homes began withholding payments this week at the Menlo Park facility after Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration failed to fix major problems with infection control, officials confirmed late Wednesday. The move effectively stopped the Edison nursing home from admitting new residents to the facility, which families across New Jersey depend on to take care of their ailing loved ones, many whom served in the Korean and Vietnam wars.”
WEDNESDAY EVENING NEWS DUMP — Murphy administration moves to mandate coverage for abortion on state-regulated health plans, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: The Murphy administration is moving toward mandating abortion coverage on state-regulated health plans, according to a notice and highly anticipated state study obtained by POLITICO. The Department of Banking and Insurance is proposing regulations that would mandate the coverage. Only seven states have such a requirement, according to DOBI. The proposal comes as the administration released a highly-anticipated study from DOBI — late on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday — which concluded such a regulation was necessary … The proposal from DOBI would not eliminate out-of-pocket costs for abortions, which Murphy and abortion rights groups have been seeking for the past two years.
‘EQUITY’ IN LEGAL WEED INDUSTRY RESERVED FOR SHAREHOLDERS — “All of N.J.’s adult legal weed stores are run by big corporations. That has to change, many say,” by NJ Advance Media’s Suzette Parmley: “While the big multi-state corporations that either owned or acquired facilities already selling medical marijuana in New Jersey easily expanded to selling adult weed at the same stores, it’s been anything but quick and easy for smaller operators …. Industry experts warn if more smaller cannabis cultivators and manufacturers don’t get licensed, it will be very difficult for New Jersey’s buddying industry to get to the next level and meet consumer demand.”
FOOD — “Food insecurity, exacerbated by COVID-19 pandemic, is focus for NJ Assembly speaker,” by The Record’s Katie Sobko: “Shortly after he was elected to the state Legislature, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin decided he wanted to do something beyond his legislative duties, more than his ‘fancy job title’ called for. So he stole a page from the playbook of running mate Sen. Joseph Vitale, who dedicates time to Habitat for Humanity, and decided to build on initiatives that serve his community. Coughlin said earlier this month that he always cared about food insecurity, and the ‘fact that people don’t get to eat’ is something that ‘just bothers the hell out of me.” But the galvanizing moment came from a standard grand opening event at the St. Vincent De Paul center in South Amboy, one of the towns in his Middlesex County district. The shelves were full in the new space, he said, but ‘it wasn’t about that.’”
—“NJ Transit report card: A chief ethics officer with two jobs and two masters”
—Hennelly: “Hero hazard pay languishes under the self-dealing gold dome”
—“Phil Murphy can still stop a reckless North Jersey pipeline expansion. Will he? | Opinion”
—“Appellate court backs up right of N.J. election officials to limit use of ballot slogans”
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MERRY CHRISTIEMAS — “Chris Christie is making his move for the White House. Job one is attacking Donald Trump,” by NJ Advance Media’s Matt Arco: “A year ago, Chris Christie wouldn’t even call former President Donald Trump out by name when he warned an audience at the Ronald Regan Library not to let “a few zealots” control the Republican Party. Now, there’s no holding back for the former New Jersey governor with eyes on the White House. ‘This guy is a loser,’ Christie told NJ Advance Media in a recent interview. ‘He can’t win. He’s won once and everything he’s done since then is lose.’ …
“For the former New Jersey governor, Trump’s election day failures could only boost his own long-shot chance to run for president again. Christie says he’s not close to making such an announcement. ‘I have six months to decide,’ Christie said when asked about it. He has said he’ll figure it out by the second quarter of 2023. A small group of the old team has come back into the fold. When Christie gave a speech at the Reagan Library in September 2021, three people who were part of his inner circle were with him, including Maria Comella, arguably one of his most trusted advisers who recently left a corporate gig to start her own consulting firm.”
IF ONLY LENNY BRUCE COULD RETORT — “Gavin McInnes threatens suit against Rutherford over canceled comedy show,” by The Record’s Nicholas Katzban: “Gavin McInnes, a comedian and podcaster whose appearance at the Williams Center in Rutherford two weeks ago was canceled shortly before it was scheduled to begin, has sent notice that he may file a federal lawsuit against the borough for violating his constitutional rights. In a copy of the letter obtained by The Record/NorthJersey.com, McInnes’ attorney, Jonathan Gross, advised the borough his client may pursue legal claims against Rutherford, its mayor, police chief and civil rights commission for using “government authority” to pressure the venue’s owner into calling off the event. ‘We are now going back to the days where the police were arresting Lenny Bruce for the content of his comedy,’ Gross said on Wednesday.”
2022 — “Yes, Tom Malinowski probably would have won on N.J.’s old congressional map,” by New Jersey Globe’s Joey Fox: “[I]s Malinowski correct in saying that he would have won if his district had stayed the same? Though there’s no way to know for certain, by comparing Malinowski’s town-level performances in 2020 and 2022 (using detailed data that was only recently made available), it’s possible to make a conjecture. And according to that conjecture, the answer is yes: Malinowski would have won re-election under New Jersey’s old district lines … 62 towns, or around two-thirds of the district’s population, were fully in both the old district and the new one, and it is possible to compare the results in those towns specifically. In 2020, while losing overall by 1.2 points, Kean won that set of towns by 5.3 points. This year, however, Kean won those same towns by a 2.9-point margin, more than two points worse than he did in 2020. Had the 7th district remained the same, that would have translated to a healthy 3.6-point Malinowski victory.”
—“King Penna, Hirsh Singh In Lawsuit After Borrowing $70,000 From Two Senior Citizens In 2020 U.S. Senate Race”
—Testa: “Republicans looking for winning formula should watch South Jersey”
A message from AARP New Jersey:
NICHOLAS FERRARA’S RUNNING MATES WON— Right-wing school board candidates saw limited success in New Jersey, by POLITICO’s Carly Sitrin: Right-wing school board candidates in New Jersey saw some success at the polls this year, but nowhere near the “red wave” some expected. According to a POLITICO analysis of statewide election results, some of which are still unofficial prior to certification on Nov. 26, some 117 school board candidates with right-wing stances on curriculum standards, Covid mitigation strategies and “parental rights” were voted into office this month. Those candidates had the most success in Hunterdon, Monmouth and Morris counties, which accounted for a combined 49 of the 117 wins. Nationwide, Republicans in local and national races campaigned heavily on rhetoric opposing LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum, so-called “critical race theory,” and learning loss in schools they attributed to “Democrat-driven” school lockdowns which occurred in nearly every state during the height of the pandemic
A ROYAL SCREW UP — “Mercer County prosecutor finds no tampering in voting machine malfunction,” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Amy S. Rosenberg: “The Mercer County prosecutor has found no evidence of vote tampering or criminal intent in the countywide failure of Dominion scanning machines, according to a release from the county superintendent of elections. Rather, prosecutor Angelo Onofri told the Mercer County Board of Commissioners, the failure was a result of ‘a miscommunication between Dominion Voting Systems and Royal Printing.’ … Onofri conducted a one-week investigation. He told the board he interviewed dozens of officials and reviewed “numerous documents” as part of their investigation. He also denied allegations of missing ballots in previously reported news coverage, according to the release. ‘The ballots in Robbinsville and Princeton were not missing,’ said Onofri. ‘The ballots were placed inside of the scanner’s bins and secured at the Mercer County Board of Elections.’”
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ANTI-HUMOR ADVOCATES DEMAND MAN BE CHARGED WITH MISUSE OF POLICE RESOURCES AND PUNISHED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW — “Roxbury police officer commended for helping resident, 92, fix Uber app and get his ride,” by The Daily Recor’d’s William Westhoven: “Employing skills they don’t teach at the training academy, a Roxbury police officer used his thumbs to help an elderly resident in need get where he needed to go. A police report reveals the officer responded to a request from a 92-year-old man who was ‘struggling to order an Uber.’ ‘I arrived on the scene and met with [name redacted] who needed assistance downloading the Uber app,’ Sgt. Sean Gaffey wrote in his report on Nov. 16. ‘I updated the Uber app and updated his financial information. I then waited with [name redacted] until the Uber [presumably arrived].’ ‘No further action was required, cleared,’ the report concluded.”
JERSEY CITY AND HOBOKEN ARE SO PEDESTRIAN — “Where ‘Vision Zero’ is working,” by Bloomberg’s Angie Schmidt: Hoboken, a small, densely populated city of 60,000 just outside NYC’s borders, has achieved dramatic improvements in pedestrian safety thanks to a potentially widely replicable formula that has relied a lot on inexpensive intersection designs, particularly a practice called ‘daylighting’that improves visibility. Hoboken hasn’t had a traffic death in four years. Nearby Jersey City has not had a single traffic fatality so far this year on non-state roads, and only five deaths on state roads. Advocacy group Safe Streets JC credits the city’s progress with aggressive action on road diets, bike lanes and smaller scale interventions like curb bump-outs. By comparison, similarly sized Cincinnati has had 30 deaths so far this year.
—“Trenton election numbers are in, but many questions remain”
—“Contractor working on 2 [Rahway] school projects hit with $40K in fines for not paying back wages, officials say”
—“Residents of [Mullica Hill] protest planned warehouse complex that would be 2/3 the size of American Dream mall”
—“Hackensack cop objected to city hiring civilian police director. Now he alleges harassment”
NEW JERSEY VOTERS IN 2020 CHOSE TO LEGALIZE BURNING TREES — “Fire plan would cut 2.4 million New Jersey Pinelands trees,” by The AP’s Wayne Parry: “Up to 2.4 million trees would be cut down as part of a project to prevent major wildfires in a federally protected New Jersey forest heralded as a unique environmental treasure. New Jersey environmental officials say the plan to kill trees in a section of Bass River State Forest is designed to better protect against catastrophic wildfires, adding it will mostly affect small, scrawny trees — not the towering giants for which the Pinelands National Refuge is known and loved. But the plan, adopted Oct. 14 by the New Jersey Pinelands Commission and set to begin in April, has split environmentalists. Some say it is a reasonable and necessary response to the dangers of wildfires, while others say it is an unconscionable waste of trees that would no longer be able to store carbon as climate change imperils the globe.”
—“Trail map for sanctioned motorbikes in N.J.’s Pinelands moves forward, despite enviro concerns”
—“‘Eager for hope:’ Jehovah’s Witnesses in NJ find more doors open after COVID hiatus ends”
A message from AARP New Jersey:
Caring for a parent, spouse or other older loved one can be financially and emotionally draining. Every day, family caregivers struggle to assist loved ones often using money out of their own pockets. The average family caregiver spends about a quarter of their income on caregiving activities. Many take on debt or tap into savings to make sure their loved ones get the care they need. That’s a huge burden. And their sacrifices save the state and taxpayers money by keeping their loved ones out of costly nursing home facilities. New Jersey family caregivers provide more than $13 billion a year in unpaid care. It’s past time to give them some financial relief. NJ lawmakers can take action by supporting the Caregiver’s Assistance Act (A1802/S2021). This bill would provide a modest tax credit for family caregivers who pay for expensive care out of their own pockets. Tell lawmakers: support (A1802/S2021).
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