News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: NJEA bigwig plans in-person fundraiser

Monday, November 23, 2020

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: NJEA bigwig plans in-person fundraiser

Nov 23, 2020

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Good Monday morning!

As the state's largest public teacher's union criticizes its close political ally, Gov. Murphy, for downplaying the COVID risk of keeping schools open, one of its top officials plans to headline an in-person fundraiser at the height of the pandemic's second wave.

Sean Spiller, the NJEA's vice president and recently-elected mayor of Montclair, will headline a $1,000 per-head "Holiday Cocktail Reception" for a new 501(c)(4) called "Progress for Action." It's scheduled for Nanina's in the Park, where apparently by law every fundraiser in Essex County is required to be held, in an "an elegantly decorated and heated tent provided for social distancing."

The idea of holding any in-person event at this point in the pandemic doesn't really mesh well with the union's COVID messaging. Spiller told me the purpose of the event is to raise money for Toni's Kitchen, a food ministry in Montclair, acknowledging there's a "push and pull" between raising that money and holding in-person events. He said the tent will not be closed on all sides and will comport with all guidelines. "I think everybody will be watching closely to see how things move between now and that date," Spiller said.

But pandemic aside, what is this new non-profit that is "honoring" Spiller? According to state records, it was just formed in early October. And while Spiller's name isn't on its founding documents, his brother, Richard Spiller, is on the board of directors.

There have been rumors that Sean Spiller has his eyes on a higher office than mayor of Montclair — perhaps a run for governor in 2025. To have a 501(c)(4) group run in part by his brother demonstrates that those rumors should be taken seriously (501(c)(4) groups, by the way, are not required to disclose donors). This is Spiller's equivalent of New Direction New Jersey for Gov. Murphy. And Spiller did not exactly shut down that speculation when I asked him about it.

"My focus is really right now on Montclair and everything that's happening here ," Spiller said. But look, if anyone would ever try to look at beyond what they're doing, the best way to do that is to do what you're doing well: Make sure you're supporting your community."

CORONAVIRUS TRACKER — 3,998 newly-reported caes for a total of 306,007. Fifteen more deaths for a total of 14,949 (and 1,812 presumed deaths). 2,568 hospitalizations, 466 in intensive care.

WHERE'S MURPHY? In Trenton for a 1 p.m. coronavirus press conference. Media: "Good Morning America" at 7:08 a.m., "Ask Governor Murphy" on News 12 at 7 p.m.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "The conduct of the president's legal team has been a national embarrassment." — Former Gov. Chris Christie during ABC's This Week

QUOTE OF THE DAY #2: "I like your Trump phone case. Guess who Trump likes? He likes my dad." — Joshua Murphy to a woman cursing at Gov. Murphy as he and his family ate dinner outside a restaurant.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Former state Senate candidate Fernando Alonso, GOP activist Mike Ramaglia, former Rush Holt spox Matt Dennis. d Missed Saturday: POLITICO's Samantha Maldonado

PROGRAMMING NOTE: New Jersey Playbook will not publish on Thursday Nov. 26 and Friday Nov. 27. After the hiatus, I'll be back on the normal schedule on Monday, Nov. 30.

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WHAT TRENTON MADE

YOU'LL KNOW WEED IS FINALLY LEGAL WHEN SPEAKER CRAIG IS COUGHIN' — "Don't kill our buzz. Call a cease-fire in the weed wars," by The Star-Ledger's Tom Moran: "For the nearly 1 million people in New Jersey who are eager to visit a local marijuana shop and peruse the offerings, the bickering in the Legislature last week came as a buzz kill.But please, keep the faith. Democracy is messy, but this is moving in the right direction, and the smart money says a deal will be done before the January 1 deadline. The first pot shops could open within a year if all goes well. 'We're going to get a bill done,' says Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin. 'But it's a critically important bill, and we need to get it right.'"

— Assembly cancels Monday voting session with cannabis legalization still in flux, by POLITICO's Sam Sutton: The state Assembly has canceled a voting session scheduled for Monday amid ongoing negotiations over enabling legislation for a constitutional amendment legalizing the sale and use of recreational cannabis. Though both the Senate and Assembly appeared close to having worked out a deal with the Murphy administration on key elements of the complicated bill, NJ S21 (20R) / NJ A21 (20R), those efforts collapsed Thursday after two committees passed different versions of the legislation.

NABISCO (DING) — "Gov. Murphy to 'make the case' to keep Nabisco plant in Fair Lawn," by The Record's Anthony Zurita: "Gov. Phil Murphy said he has joined the effort to keep the famed Nabisco plant in Fair Lawn after he reached out to the North American head of parent company Mondelēz International. The plant, which is commonly known to locals as the Nabisco factory, has become a staple of the borough as an ever-present landmark on Route 208 and the source of the scent of fresh-baked cookies in the area. 'I'm going to make the case that there is no better place to do business than in New Jersey,' Murphy said. Murphy said he already spoke with company representatives and has future video conferences."

—"N.J.'s prison population keeps dropping. Why hasn't spending gone down?"

—New Jersey expects to receive first 130K doses of Covid vaccine by mid-December

—" Five employees test positive for COVID-19 at already devastated Paramus veterans home"

—"Lawmakers are still split on how to make weed legal in NJ. Here's why"

—" GOP lawmakers call for immediate $300M in COVID aid for NJ businesses"

—"Murphy sidesteps on redistricting commission's lack of Latina members"

— New Jersey schools end first marking period, but pandemic's impact hard to gauge

—"Should Gov. Murphy close gyms to fight COVID-19 second wave? 3 experts weigh in"

TRACK THE TRANSITION : President-elect Biden has named his chief of staff and several other key White House positions. What's next? Treasury secretary? Secretary of State? These and other crucial staffing decisions made in the coming days send clear-cut signals about President-elect Biden's administration agenda and priorities. Transition Playbook is the definitive guide to one of the most consequential transfers of power in American history. Written for political insiders, it tracks the appointments, people, and the emerging power centers of the new administration. Track the transition. Subscribe today.

TRUMP ERA

THE SECOND GENTLEMAN — "Second gentleman, first Jew, Jersey-raised: Doug Emhoff is making history," by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Amy S. Rosenberg: "Now, it's Emhoff, 56, who's showing the deftly supportive soft touch of a man in a second marriage of epic proportions. With Sen. Kamala Harris set to assume the vice presidency — the first woman, Black, and Asian American to do so — her husband, Doug, is about to take on his own place in history. Emhoff will become the nation's first second gentleman, and, not for nothing, the first Jewish spouse of a president or vice president. The son of Barb and Mike, a shoe designer, Emhoff was born in Brooklyn and raised in Matawan and Old Bridge, N.J. When he was still in high school, the Emhoffs decamped to the West Coast, where he later met then-Attorney General Kamala Harris, and the rest is Naval Observatory history"

NOTHING MORE PATRIOTIC THAN TRYING TO DISSOLVE THE COUNTRY BECAUSE YOU WANT TO SPREAD SLAVERY — "Anti-Murphy march features Confederate battle flag," by InsiderNJ's Fred Snowflack: "Steve Rogers got right to the point. Phil Murphy better watch out, because 'American patriots are rising.' Rogers delivered that fiery invocation outside town hall this Sunday morning in preparation for a mile-long march to neighboring Morristown … Organized by a group calling itself 'We the People,' the rally and march of about 100 were in opposition to any additional lockdowns … As the march began along Woodland Avenue, some in the procession waved Trump flags along with American flags and for some reason, the Confederate battle flag …
Mark Taylor, the mayor of Florham Park, was one of the few local elected officials at the march. Another was Morris County Surrogate Heather Darling, who served as spokesperson for the group."

These photos of the march taken by Democratic activist David Steketee show that there's no way the march organizers simply missed it. Gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli was at the march as well. His consultant, Chris Russell, told me Ciattarelli did not see the flag, "thinks flying it is offensive" and "feels strongly about that and always has."

WHEN ONLY THE REPUBLICANS NOT FACING ELECTIONS STATE THE OBVIOUS — "It's time for Trump to move on," by Kim Guadagno for The Star-Ledger: "Since the results of the national election have become clear, my Republican colleagues have been disturbingly silent on insisting that an orderly transition occur. Perhaps, they fear backlash from the president or his base, something I experienced in 2016 when I had the audacity to criticize candidate Trump after the publication of the Billy Bush Access Hollywood interview. That base is a formidable voting block. But I am sure of one thing, they put country before politics. Allowing President Trump to continue his campaign to undermine this election while denying President-elect Biden access to critical intelligence on the pandemic and national security, while Republicans sit on their hands, is not only cowardly and shameless but it poses a risk to the health and safety of our citizens. Biden's claim that more people may die if Trump continues to refuse to cooperate on the transition is not election year hyperbole — it is a fact as our people are now dying at the rate of 1,000 per day."

—"Jared Kushner confidant Ken Kurson in plea negotiations with prosecutors in cyberstalking case, filing says"

—Kelly: "So you thought the campaign and election were ugly? Just wait until January"

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LOCAL

THE RECOUNT MCKOY — "William McKoy seeks recount after 9-vote Paterson City Council election loss," by The Paterson Press' Joe Malinconico: "Losing candidate William McKoy is asking for a recount of the 9,016 ballots cast in Paterson's 3rd Ward City Council election in an effort to overcome the nine-vote margin that gave Alex Mendez the victory in the bitter contest McKoy filed his recount request at 3:57 p.m. Friday, barely an hour after the Passaic County Clerk's office released the official results in the election won by Mendez despite the criminal voting fraud charges pending against him … Meanwhile, Mendez is anxious to take the oath of office — something he was barred from doing last summer when his win over McKoy in the city's May election was nullified by a judge who cited widespread voting irregularities."

EXCREMENT IDEA! — "Bergen County begins testing wastewater to spot COVID-19 outbreaks," by The Record's Nicholas Katzban: "Bergen County announced Friday the rollout of a new program said to catch spikes in new COVID-19 cases up to 14 days before conventional testing. The program, which is already underway, tracks COVID-19 RNA in the county's wastewater, said Bergen County Executive James Tedesco. County Counsel Julien Neals lauded the new plan as 'objective evidence' of the virus' spread not predicated on residents' voluntary submission to COVID-19 testing … Tedesco boasted the program could be used to track cases in specific areas and that samples can be culled from all municipalities in Bergen County."

NEWARK — "Newark's 10-day coronavirus lockdown is an urgent advisory, not an order, city official says," by NJ Advance Media's Rebecca Panico: "The 10-day coronavirus lockdown that Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said would be put in place for Thanksgiving is actually an ask — a serious, and urgent one — rather than an order, a city spokeswoman clarified on Saturday. No executive order was signed by Baraka to mandate compliance and there will be no additional enforcement for the advisory, spokeswoman Sondra Roberts said. But as cases skyrocket, it's an ask that the city is hoping residents and business owners take seriously."

IT WOULDN'T BE A PREITY PICTURE — " 3 N.J. malls are going bankrupt, but towns that need their taxes hope they survive," by NJ Advance Media's Bill Duhart: "Despite filing for bankruptcy this month, the Philadelphia-based company that owns malls in New Jersey hasn't missed any of its tax payments to the three Garden State towns that rely on them and town officials are hopeful the real estate firm will come out on top. PREIT, which owns 22.5 million square feet of retail property over nine states filed for bankruptcy in November in an effort to reach an agreement with its creditors and stay in business. It cited decreases in operating income and lost rent due to COVID-19 closures in its third quarter statement as reasons for the downturn … PREIT owns the Cherry Hill, Cumberland and Moorestown malls … PREIT pays nearly $19.5 million in taxes annually in Cherry Hill, $3.5 million in Moorestown and just over $2 million in Vineland. It has pending state court tax appeals in Moorestown. Officials from all three towns said they are optimistic about the future of their malls despite PREIT's finances."

THEY'RE IN DEEP SHI — "Attorney General is investigating Edison Eight, mayor says," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: " New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal has launched a probe into an anonymous racist flyer in a 2017 Edison Board of Education campaign, Mayor Thomas Lankey said today. Lankey said he was informed of the inquiry after asking Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone to look into the controversy. The allegedly fake flyer was aimed at inciting the township's Asian American community and is also being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspector. 'I have since been advised that the NJ Attorney General is in fact investigating and accordingly the Middlesex County Prosecutor's office is deferring (as it must) to the Attorney General,' Lankey said in a statement. 'We urge the Attorney General to act decisively to help us finally put this matter behind us.'"

GROSS MISCONDUCT — "Former Bergen judge who faced ethic complaint sues state over alleged discrimination," by The Record's Katie Sobko: "In the suit, Deborah Gross-Quatrone alleged that she has faced retaliation for trying to retire on disability. That disability was allegedly caused by a hostile work environment in the Bergen County court system … Gross-Quatrone — who herself has been the subject of an ethics board complaint — named both the state of New Jersey and Judge Glenn Grant, the acting administrative director of New Jersey courts … Gross-Quatrone was appointed a judge in 2015. First assigned to Passaic County, she was moved to Bergen County after about four months. During that time, Gross-Quatrone alleges that she was 'abused and harassed' by Judge Bonnie Mizdol through 'improper and unprofessional conduct' that " included bullying, excessive cursing, harassing, and disparaging treatment' Those allegations have been the source of ongoing litigation since 2017. At that time, Gross-Quatrone faced an ethics board complaint for allegedly misusing judicial resources — including making an employee do her son's high schoolhomework — and other integrity violations."

WHAT IF INSTEAD OF RAISING MONEY FOR CAMCO DEMS KELLY RIPA JUST PAYS IT? — " Camden County agrees to $250,000 lawsuit settlement," by The Courier-Post's Jim Walsh: "Camden County has agreed to pay $250,000 to end a dispute over a $2 charge. A class-action lawsuit had demanded refunds for people and businesses who paid a 'convenience fee' imposed by the County Clerk's Office for more than 2½ years. The lawsuit argued the fee, which generated about $214,000 for the clerk's office, was illegal. The county's decision to settle the suit will only provide partial refunds to customers, however. About $83,000 of the payment will go to a Marlton law firm that brought the suit against Camden County. The firm — DeNittis Osefchen Prince, P.C. — has filed similar actions against eight other counties across New Jersey."

—"Trenton council refuses docket items signed by fired law director"

—"'Everybody knew': Years of sex abuse by Paramus Catholic coach were no secret, players say"

—"GOP wants recount in Rochelle Park committee race where Democrat won by four votes"

— "Majority of Sussex County schools to move to virtual learning amid surge in NJ COVID cases"

—"Ringwood residents call for more tests as EPA defends Superfund groundwater plans"

—"Even with 'Amtrak Joe,' a new approach is needed to make Gateway a reality | Opinion"

—"'A very serious spike:' Union City reports over 500 new COVID-19 cases in 7 days"

—"'Nanny state': Hunterdon freeholders decry another of Murphy's COVID executive orders"

—"Top Stack ally Mercado appointed Union City BOE secretary at last month's meeting"

DON'T MISS THE MILKEN INSTITUTE FUTURE OF HEALTH SUMMIT 2020: POLITICO will feature a special edition Future Pulse newsletter at the Milken Institute Future of Health Summit. The newsletter takes readers inside one of the most influential gatherings of global health industry leaders and innovators determined to confront and conquer the most significant health challenges. Covid-19 has exposed weaknesses across our health systems, particularly in the treatment of our most vulnerable communities, driving the focus of the 2020 conference on the converging crises of public health, economic insecurity, and social justice. Sign up today to receive exclusive coverage from December 7–9.

EVERYTHING ELSE

THAT BIG 10 MONEY IS COMING TO SAVE YOU ANY MINUTE, RIGHT? — "Are more layoffs coming at Rutgers? President says pandemic's financial impact keeps him up at night," by NJ Advance Media's Adam Clark: "Another 6,400 Rutgers employees have entered or will enter shared-work programs that include furloughs as a way to preserve jobs while reducing costs, the university said. And labor unions say hundreds of other contract workers, such as adjunct professors, were not offered positions this fall. "We don't want to lay anybody off," Holloway said. "We don't want to furlough anybody. But the numbers will not work if we don't proceed with some sort of cost savings for our payroll." Union leaders fought the layoffs before Holloway arrived, saying the university should be tapping hundreds of millions in reserves to avoid cutting jobs during a national crisis. An initial shared-work program pitched by a coalition of unions was rejected in the spring, said Todd Wolfson, president of the faculty union. Rutgers has the resources to loosen its purse strings when it wants to, he said. The question is whether avoiding layoffs is truly a priority, he said."

DOCTORS WITHIN STATE BORDERS — "How the hell did we let this happen again, New Jersey?" by NJ Advance Media's Steve Politi: "We demanded that our gyms reopen. We complained about restaurant restrictions. We figured we could have our Sweet 16 celebrations and our holiday parties. What was the harm in having a few neighbors for dinner? We're about to find out. And the forecast doesn't look good. 'We are back to where we were in late February and early March again,' said George DiFerdinando, the chairman of the Princeton Board of Health. 'Now is the time that hard decisions have to be made. To me, it's going to be a question of when the shutdowns happen, not if they happen.' … Now, it isn't just New York and New Jersey that are hit the hardest. Now, the doctors and health care heroes who flocked to the area to pitch in will be too busy taking care of the sick people in their own backyards. 'This time, all the states are sick at the same time,' he said."

—"Feds charge man in Englewood Cliffs armed robbery that involved friend of Kardashians"

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