It was one thing to give people a day and a half to digest a dense, nearly 220-page bill that would authorize up to $11.5 billion in corporate tax breaks before holding a committee hearing on it. But lawmakers took opaqueness to a new level Friday by inserting 140 pages of amendments at that committee hearing and expanding the size of the program by a couple billion dollars. Today, the Legislature is scheduled to vote on the bill. Gov. Phil Murphy and EDA CEO Tim Sullivan have tried to reassure people that this bill has safeguards against the abuses that plagued the last massive tax break program. And the Murphy administration last night rolled out supportive quotes from a bunch of people. But the rushed legislative process speaks much louder than reassurances or statements of support. There is no deadline New Jersey is up against to pass such a massive bill, but they're acting as if there is. Murphy in 2019 launched an investigation that uncovered massive special interest self-dealing and a culture of abuse that accompanied previous tax breaks. For years, the champions of these incentive programs have said the state doesn't spend any money because it's revenue it wouldn't otherwise have. But we now know New Jersey was left giving many companies tax breaks, which they most often sold to other companies, to move to places they already planned to move to, or to stay in places they never really planned to leave. That was revenue the state would have otherwise had as we're facing down a pandemic that's cut into tax revenue. A pandemic that led the governor to push $4.5 billion in borrowing. If this program is as good as they say it is, they could try letting people examine it. But apparently they're pretty confident Democrats in the Legislature are going to "get to yes" on it. WHERE'S MURPHY? In Trenton for a coronavirus press conference at 12:30 p.m. Media: MSNBC at 7:30 a.m., CBS at 8 a.m. CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: 5,184 newly-reported cases for a total of 432,592. 21 more deaths for a total of 16,286 (and 1,908 presumed deaths). 3,574 hospitalized, 707 in intensive care. QUOTE OF THE DAY : "Well, well, well. Look who's ... trying to come back and get into our good graces. F**k what you've got to say, motherf****r. Cause you was right with them talking about no masks and s**t. F****ing over 3,000 people are dying a f***ing day. It's too god damn late. Too f***ing late, motherf****r. You're not going to get in our good graces now. (Sings) Too much, too little, too late to ever try again.' I don't own the rights. 'Too much, too little, too late, for you it has to end. And it's over. It's OVEERRR!.'" — Comedian Leslie Jones watching former Gov. Chris Christie's mask PSA. TWEET OF THE DAY: @BetteMidler: "Guess what? #AtlanticCity is auctioning off the chance to push the button that blows up the #TrumpPlazaHotelAndCasino. Welp, there goes my daughter's inheritance. Sorry, honey, Mommy's got an itchy demo finger!"
|
NURSING HOMES — "N.J. missed deadline to start nursing home vaccinations on Monday. It will start a week later instead," by NJ Advance Media's Susan K. Livio: "New Jersey missed a federal deadline by one day to start giving out coronavirus vaccines in nursing homes next week and will instead start its program on Dec. 28, state officials said Friday. State Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said the delay was because of the 'volume of information that had to be inputted, nothing more than that. 'In order to start on the 21st, there was a deadline of the 7th for inputting all the registered skilled nursing facilities, long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities, of which we have over 650, we missed that date by a day,' Persichilli said during the state's latest COVID-19 briefing in Trenton. 'We asked to start on the 21st and they said no, you will start on the 28th.'"
—New Jersey getting fewer vaccine doses than originally expected TRANSPARENCY — "New Jersey, New York hide full details of virus spending," by The AP: "New York and New Jersey, early hot spots during the COVID-19 pandemic, have so far declined to release detailed breakdowns of their spending on personal protective gear and medical equipment during the first frenzied months of the virus outbreak. The administration of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, said the state spent $830 million through nearly 400 contracts on protective gear and durable medical equipment from March through November … New Jersey also failed to provide purchase orders for personal protective equipment, saying fulfilling the request would be 'substantially disruptive to agency operations.' … The state did provide a one-page document showing it spent $164 million for 153 million pieces of equipment, including masks, gloves, goggles, beds and even morgue trucks … The failure to provide full transparency on COVID-19 purchases leaves unanswered how much money the states spent on needed items that quickly skyrocketed in price and the extent that they turned to untested suppliers at a time when the federal government largely left such purchasing up to the states." —" NJ officials expect 100,000 fewer COVID vaccines will arrive in December" SO IT IS POSSIBLE TO MEET DEADLINES — New Jersey Transit meets deadline for installing positive train control, by POLITICO's Samantha Maldonado: New Jersey Transit has met its federally mandated deadline to implement positive train control, a software and communications system, with two weeks to spare. "NJ Transit and Parsons have completed all the requirements for the installation, the testing and the training of positive train control," Gov. Phil Murphy said Friday during an event in Kearny. "This is, in fact today, a matter of life and death. We now will have a level of safety and assurance that we have long aspired to." GILL BILL — " N.J. voters need early voting, vote by mail to have a stronger, fairer electoral system," by Nia Gill for The Star-Ledger: "Early voting already takes place in two-thirds of the nation. We must join those states and implement early voting in New Jersey. In-person voting is currently limited to polling places on Election Day, which is a workday for many people. My legislation, Senate Bill 99, would establish an early voting procedure to allow voters to cast their ballots at designated polling places starting 15 days before primary and general elections. It is long overdue that we bring our voting laws into the 21st century by building a secure, reliable and inclusionary system for all." THE ANTI-GARDEN STATE — "20 years for growing weed at home? That's nuts," by The Star-Ledger's Tom Moran: "Legislators in Trenton finally passed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana, a boon for personal freedom, a source of needed tax revenue, and a welcome cease-fire in the racist war on weed. But they forgot something. They left in place a harsh drug-war statute that treats growing as few as 10 marijuana plants as the criminal equivalent of setting up a meth lab in the basement. It can draw a prison term of 20 years, one-third of the sentence as mandatory, as first reported by Politico's Matt Friedman. This is plainly ridiculous. Most states that have legalized recreational marijuana allow users to grow their own limited supplies, but New Jersey's law does not … That has to stop. If there is any consolation, the leadership seems to know it. 'We're already talking about a clean-up bill,' says Senate President Steve Sweeney, D-Gloucester. 'Could this be something we'll have to change? Possibly, possibly.' Sen. Nick Scutari, D-Union, the chief sponsor of the marijuana reforms, says he may soon propose a bill to allow home grow for personal use, beginning with medical marijuana patients. 'There's definitely going to be additional legislation in the near future, and that might be part of it,' Scutari says. 'It was too much for this bill, but I think we'll get there.'" —Mulshine: "Instead of opposing marijuana legalization Republicans should have pushed for a free market in weed" ASKING FOR A FRIEND — "Weed will be legal soon in N.J. Can my job still drug test me?" by NJ Advance Media's Amanda Hoover: "The short answer: yes. But it's more complicated. Companies cannot fire employees unless they can prove they were high while at work. That's much harder to do than showing someone was drunk on the job. State lawmakers passed a bill (S21) that establishes rules and regulations for selling and consuming marijuana Thursday. With Gov. Phil Murphy's signature, it becomes law. The bill prohibits an employer from firing or refusing to hire a person who uses marijuana in their free time. But it does permit employers who have 'reasonable suspicion' a worker has gotten high during work, whether by noticing intoxicated behavior or in the aftermath of a workplace accident, to conduct a drug test and have a trained person evaluate them for signs of inebriation." CONTACT TRACING — "N.J.'s contact tracing operation is struggling, experts say. Here's how other states are doing it better," by NJ Advance Media's Kelly Heyboer: "State officials have reason to be frustrated, experts say. With 78% of people blowing off contact tracers, New Jersey's operation is struggling compared to other states. 'Unfortunately, that is substantially worse than most states,' said Steve Waters, the founder and chief executive officer of CONTRACE Public Health Corps, an organization that recruits contract tracers and serves as a consultant to tracing operations. 'For context, New York has around 35% not cooperating and Maryland is around 50%. North Dakota, largely seen as the example of what not to do, has around 80% not cooperating,' Waters said. Other large states, including New York and Massachusetts, have had better success after quickly scaling up their contact tracing efforts and public relations campaigns to let people know what to expect when a tracer calls." —"An obscene rush on corporate tax breaks" —Pizarro: " Thank you for your continuing vital service to our community, Senator Rice" —"Scutari apologizes to Rice, says he'll speak to Senate colleague privately" —" When it comes to COVID vaccine rollout, NJ has no clear answers for people with disabilities" —"Friendly Fire Saturday: Tips for Doug Steinhardt, GOP candidate for governor" |
IF HE DOESN'T DELIVER IN 30 MINUTES OR LESS THE CONSTITUENT SERVICES ARE FREE — "Tom Malinowski: After challenge from Kean, 'We've got to deliver'" by The Record's Charles Stile: "In Malinowski's early forecast, the environment might be more favorable for Democrats in 2022 if the nation pulls out of the pandemic and the nightmare of the Trump presidency. "You know, we're gonna be recovering from Trump, and recovering from a terrible economic downturn,'' he said.' There is also the possibility of a rematch with Kean in 2022. Kean is taking time to mull the possibility over the holidays and announce his decision early next year. 'Obviously, we've got to deliver,' Malinowski said. 'And my job isn't to predict what happens in 2022. It's to try to deliver with a new administration so that we can earn reelection.'"
MICHAEL COHEN CAN PUSH THE BUTTON WITH HER — "Stormy Daniels wants to blow up Trump's old casino. Here's how it could happen," by NJ Advance Media's Brianna Kudisch: " Someone will be pushing the button to blow up President Donald Trump's former Atlantic City casino next month. So it might as well be... Stormy Daniels? A GoFundMe campaign was launched this week to help Daniels — the porn star allegedly paid hush money to keep quiet about a tryst with Trump — push the button imploding Trump Plaza in Atlantic City … Before the campaign was restored, Daniels, who's real name is Stephanie Clifford, expressed interest in imploding the casino and questioned why the campaign had been removed. "'or everyone asking for the link to donate, this is what happened. Does anyone else have an idea?' Daniels tweeted. 'I really want to do it...and we all know I'm good at pressing buttons. LOL.'" —"Menendez lashes into GOP senator who attacked Murphy for COVID restrictions at houses of worship"
|
DO AC — "GoFundMe would give Stormy Daniels a shot at blowing up Trump Plaza," by The Press of Atlantic City's Dan Grote: "Bidding on the chance to push the button that blows up the former Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino is up to $50,000 as of Saturday night, and one campaign to raise money for a bid would give that opportunity to one of the enemies of the building's namesake. A St. Louis man has set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise as much as $1 million toward the chance to hand the button over to porn star Stormy Daniels, who said she was paid off by President Donald Trump's lawyer to stay quiet about an alleged affair she had with him in 2006. 'I live in STL but will nominate Stormy to complete the demolition if we win,' page creator Joe Bedell says. 'She has expressed interest! If she can't do it, I will nominate someone else appropriate or I will go myself, with acknowledgment to all of you!' Daniels has tweeted her support for the campaign."
—"Legal claim accuses Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh of political retaliation" JEFF VAN DREW'S FAVORITE POLITICAL OPERATIVE — " South Jersey super PAC filings reveal political connections," by The Press of Atlantic City's Clarie Lowe: "A super political action committee that supported two Pleasantville Board of Education candidates who won through an influx of mail-in ballots in 2019 received nearly a third of its funds from the school board's solicitor and paid out several members of the politically connected Callaway family, federal filings show. Reached by phone this week, political organizer Craig Callaway had no comment on the latest financial filing of Our South Jersey, and Pleasantville school board attorney James Carroll said he was unaware his donations would be used to affect the outcome of the election." CHERRY KILL — "New Call of Duty map 'The Pines' an homage to Cherry Hill Mall," by The Record's David M. Zimmer : "One of the world's most popular video game franchises, Call of Duty, has paid tribute to the unofficial mall capital of the world. In an update this week, Activision games released a digital homage to New Jersey's Cherry Hill Mall. The highly detailed playable map in its best-selling first-person-shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops — Cold War comes with coordinates that tie directly to the nearly 60-year-old mall in South Jersey." —" Bergen GOP alleges illegal voting in Rochelle Park committee election, wants results tossed" —"Two women strive to shelter Cumberland County homeless after law change" —" Trenton clerk Matthew Conlon MIA again, filed workers comp claim" —"Berkeley councilman to seek GOP nomination to succeed Ocean County Freeholder Gerry Little"
|
No comments:
Post a Comment