News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Shots fired in NJ GOP primary

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Shots fired in NJ GOP primary

Dec 23, 2020

Good Wednesday morning!

Shots fired in the 2020 Republican gubernatorial primary. Literally.

Candidate Doug Steinhardt yesterday issued a press release attacking his main rival, Jack Ciattarelli, over his shooting stance during a competition they both attended over the weekend.

Steinhardt was really going after Ciattarelli's stance on gun rights. "I know you were previously rejected by the NRA, and if you want their support, you're going to have to at least look like you've held a gun before. I know you have a history of turning your back on the legal gun community, so you'll have to fix your stance if you want to stand with me and the rest of New Jersey's legal gun owners against Phil Murphy's relentless attacks on the Second Amendment," he said.

Ciattarelli's campaign manger, Eric Arpert, said his candidate "supports the Second Amendment and, as Governor, will defend the constitutional right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms" and that the release was meant to distract from a report (below) detailing Steinhardt's years of trading campaign contributions and pocketing millions in taxpayer dollars with his Democrat law partners like Governor Jim Florio."

Shots aside, there's no question gun control is a salient issue in the Republican primary. There's also no question that most New Jerseyans, who don't vote in the Republican primary want stricter gun control legislation federally and don't want to ease New Jersey's strict concealed carry law.

And while the election is highly unlikely to turn on gun control, this, along with the Republicans' support for President Trump, gives Gov. Phil Murphy an opportunity to distract from issues like taxes, the economy and his handling from the pandemic by highlighting this later on.

PROGRAMMING NOTE — This will be the last issue of New Jersey Playbook for 2020. I'll be taking the holidays off from writing the newsletter (but not from reporting) and will return to your inbox on Jan. 4.

WHERE'S MURPHY? In Toms River to visit Ocean Health Initiative's Frontline Healthcare Worker Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic at 9 a.m., then in Trenton for a coronavirus press conference at 1 p.m. Media: "Ask Governor Murphy" on News 12 at 7 p.m.

CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: 4,686 newly-diagnosed cases for a total of 440,366. 104 more deaths for a total of 16,418 (and 1,908 probable deaths). 3,735 in the hospital, 740 in intensive care.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Friday for Nazareth activist Jesus Christ, LD11 Assembly COS Thomas Little. Saturday for Menendez staffer Wyatt Sklar, NJ.com's Avalon Zoppo, Haledon Councilwoman Tahsina Ahmed-Saif, Morris County Democratic Chair Chip Robinson, attorney Ian Linker, former Sussex Freeholder Richard Vohden. Sunday for NJDWSC's Tim Eustace, NJPP President Brandon McCoy, Assembly Majority's Mark Iaconelli

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Whether you're looking for all your classic favorites like Big Bite® Hot Dogs, pizza, taquitos, Big Gulp®, or maybe even just a quick cup of coffee, they have everything you need to get back on the go." — NJ 101.5 "personality" Judi Franco in a web post that's an ad for 7-11 but not marked as such.

UNINTENTIONALLY IRONIC TWEET OF THE DAY: "Can you do a PSA on how many people die a year from obesity? #Stopeating (donut emoji)" — Pastor @Philip_Rizzo in a since-deleted tweet directed at former Gov. Chris Christie. Rizzo was tapped by the Sussex County GOP last year to review its social media accounts to "ensure that they reflect the policies of the Republican Party and the traditional values that we stand for" after the party's chair's anti-Muslim and sexist posts drew attention.

WHAT TRENTON MADE

THE ORIGINAL ANTI-MASKERS — "Emails show NJ vets home managers planned to penalize staff for wearing masks as COVID spread," by The Record's Scott Fallon: "Managers at New Jersey's veterans homes where more than 190 residents have died from COVID-19 not only barred employees from wearing protective masks during the first weeks of the outbreak, they devised a series of penalties with the help of Gov. Phil Murphy's office against nurses who wore the homes' masks without permission. Emails obtained by The Record and NorthJersey.com show that at least one worker had to return home because management wouldn't let him wear a mask even though he had a doctor's note saying he suffered from asthma. Managers at the Paramus and Menlo Park homes were so opposed to mask-wearing at the start of the pandemic that they pushed back against letting outside vendors and ambulance crews wear them at the veterans homes as they transported residents, the emails show … Part of the no-mask policy came from Murphy's office, whose employee relations unit advised management in late March about setting up disciplinary procedures against nurses and aides who tried to use the homes' supply of masks without permission. The advice came just days before Murphy's health commissioner ordered all nursing home staff in facilities statewide to wear masks."

FLUBBER — State health department flubs RFA process for $94M in Covid testing grants, by POLITICO's Sam Sutton : The New Jersey Department of Health has quietly pulled up to $94 million in grants designed to bolster the state's Covid-19 testing capacity after discovering some of the winners obtained help from state officials on their applications. Rescinding award letters extended through the request for applications, or RFA, will delay tens of millions of dollars in funding to hospitals and health systems that had been encouraged to apply for the grants in July, when commercial testing laboratories were mired by backlogs. The grants, which Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli first announced during a July 24 press briefing, were designed to improve New Jersey's Covid-19 testing capacity by as much as 30,000 tests per day. Awards were to range from $5 million to $20 million to offset personnel and lab equipment, or to otherwise burnish a statewide testing regime that was delivering results on roughly 20,000 samples per day in early summer.

TRENTON OUTSIDER SURPRISINGLY WISE TO THE WAYS OF TRENTON — "Republican governor candidate Steinhardt bypassed campaign laws with 'Leadership PAC'," by The Record's Dustin Racioppi: "A leading Republican candidate for governor, well-connected lawyer and longtime power player in Warren County politics, Doug Steinhardt, and people close to him have bypassed state pay-to-play laws while winning more than $10 million in government contracts in the past decade. The small group of donors, which includes Steinhardt's replacement as chairman of the state Republican Party, contributed more than half of the $250,000 total raised by the independent group Leadership PAC for Better Government since it formed in 2011, according to an analysis of campaign finance records. At the same time, those records show Leadership PAC has regularly donated to, and supported, the Warren County Republican Committee under Steinhardt's control and local candidates with authority to award contracts."

THE CARDINALE RULE — Republicans author Trump-inspired bill on foreign voting machine companies, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: Two New Jersey Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation that would bar the state from approving voting machines made by foreign-owned companies, inspired by President Donald Trump's promotion of baseless conspiracy theories that he lost the election because votes were switched on machines. State Sen. Gerald Cardinale (R-Bergen) introduced the bill on Dec. 18, while Assemblymember Bob Auth (R-Bergen) introduced it in the lower house a few days later. "There's been a lot of controversy over the machines that were used in the last election, and while I don't know for sure one way or the other whether there's any validity to that, it seems that if we want to be safe, we should not be buying those same machines again or utilizing them," Cardinale said.

THEY'VE HAD THEIR PHIL — "Phil Murphy, eyeing re-election, inks tax credit deal — and disappoints reformers," by The Record's Charles Stile: "The Gov. Phil Murphy who struck an agreement to revamp — and expand — the state's politically tainted corporate tax incentive program is not the same Murphy who waged war on the program a year ago. Back then, those entrenched in the grassroots ranks of the New Jersey Democratic Party heralded Murphy as the new, progressive Moses who would lead their flock to the promised land of reform — a land where taxpayer dollars are doled out by merit, not simply to those with political clout. But by agreeing to a complicated, 219-page agreement that was approved Monday by both houses of the Legislature after less than a week of deliberation, Murphy instead led Democrats back to the old, familiar confines of the Trenton backroom. The activists who clutched Murphy's coattails are now seething and baffled at his capitulation to the Trenton-style Art of the Deal."

A STRONGER & FAIRER NJ — "The return of corporate tax incentives is a bad omen for blue states," by The New Republic's Alex Pareene: "This is bad enough just as a story of one state's economic decision-making. It could also be an omen of what state and local budget debates are going to look like over the next year. New Jersey under Governor Murphy at first looked to be charting a course away from regressive austerity, handouts to corporations, and low tax burdens for the well-off. This is several steps backward. In the continued absence of direct federal aid, or unprecedented action by the Federal Reserve, it is depressingly easy to imagine another nationwide pattern of disinvestment like we saw after the Great Recession, with states too terrified of alienating their 'tax base' to actually consider taxing it."

133.3 MASTROS — "NJ asks SCOTUS for ruling to take back $1.2B in taxes from NY," by The Record's Stacey Barchenger: "New Jersey, eyeing a prize of as much as $1.2 billion in income tax revenue, is urging the nation's highest court to take a case that could pre-empt New York from taxing Garden State residents working remotely. The U.S. Supreme Court could decide which state gets to tax workers that typically commute across state lines, but who are now working from home. New Hampshire previously asked the court to weigh in after Massachusetts decided it would tax New Hampshire residents who previously commuted for jobs in Massachusetts, but who were working from home because of the COVID pandemic. On Tuesday, lawyers in the New Jersey Attorney General's Office filed a brief urging the court to take the case of 'nationwide and pressing importance."

BREAKING: WIND — Paulsboro Marine Terminal to become $250M offshore wind manufacturing site, by POLITICO's Samantha Maldonado : The Paulsboro Marine Terminal will become the site of a steel manufacturing factory to support the nascent offshore wind industry in New Jersey and the region, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Tuesday. The $250-million facility, led by wind developer Ørsted and EEW American Offshore Structures, will manufacture 400-foot-tall monopiles, the foundation of offshore wind turbines. "This is the largest investment in offshore wind manufacturing in the United States to date, and when partnered with the New Jersey Wind Port taking shape a number of miles down the road and the 1500 jobs that are being created there, the impact of the offshore wind industry on our state will be huge," Murphy said during an event in Paulsboro.

—"The campaign to let NJ prisoners vote"

—"We need safeguards to ensure that Latinos and others can fully participate in the political process | Opinion"

—"Is the window for police reform closing in NJ? Here's why activists, experts say no"

—"Murphy: 'No problem' revealing full virus spending details"

—"She filed for unemployment benefits 276 days ago. She still hasn't received a penny"

—"Parkway toll collectors get new contract, is it the last one before cashless tolls take over?"

EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT TRANSITION PLAYBOOK, SUBSCRIBE TODAY: A new year is quickly approaching. Inauguration Day is right around the corner. President-elect Joe Biden's staffing decisions are sending clear-cut signals about his priorities. What do these signals foretell? Transition Playbook is the definitive guide to the new administration and one of the most consequential transfers of power in American history. Written for political insiders, this scoop-filled newsletter breaks big news daily and analyzes the appointments, people and emerging power centers of the new administration. Track the transition and the first 100 days of the incoming Biden administration. Subscribe today.

TRUMP ERA

AS IF SHE CAN'T AFFORD IT — "GoFundMe campaign started to allow Hillary Clinton to blow up Trump Plaza," by The Press of Atlantic City's Nicholas Huba: "First it was Stormy Daniels, now its Hillary Clinton. A GoFundMe campaign, which was started by a person in Santa Cruz, California, is seeking to raise money to allow the former First Lady and Secretary of State to push the button imploding Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, formerly owned by President Donald J. Trump. Clinton lost the contentious 2016 Presidential Election to Trump. The group is seeking to raise $750,000. As of Tuesday morning, no donations have been made to the campaign."

GOTT-A-DEAL-HEIMER — " Gottheimer's key role in stimulus deal," by The Star-Ledger's Tom Moran : "Gottheimer irritates some Democrats, who see him as a showboat and worry that the Problem Solvers Caucus could undercut the bargaining power of Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In another era, when party leaders could find common ground themselves, that criticism would make sense. But when the leaders are locked in a stalemate, not even talking, then we're lucky to have ice breakers like Gottheimer, as we have just seen. 'It's been nine months since we passed the Cares Act, and they've been unable to break the logjam,' Gottheimer says. 'And I never surprise the leadership. I've been talking to Pelosi multiple times a day for the last few weeks, talking to her about what's the best direction to take.'"

LOCAL

THEY'D BUY STAMPS BUT THEN HOW WOULD THEY PAY INZELBUCH? — "'I don't have those numbers': COVID cases in Lakewood schools remain a mystery," by The Asbury Park Press' Gustavo Martinez-Contreras: "Surrounding districts Brick, Toms River and Jackson have closed their doors for days and weeks at a time in the face of COVID. Elsewhere, Manchester, Freehold and Howell, among others, halted in-person learning ... Typically, districts with closures announce the actions in letters to parents, sometimes citing the circumstances and number of cases. Lakewood schools, however, would seem all but immune to such action, even though the public school district serves a township where there have been 7,648 COVID cases and 224 deaths, the most in Ocean County. The sole Shore district to begin the school year with full in-person learning, Lakewood remains the only school district where the pandemic still has not canceled face-to-face learning this term. But that distinction doesn't necessarily mean Lakewood students, teachers and staff have been any healthier than those elsewhere. The reality is, according to parents and teachers alike, it is hardly clear what toll the virus has exacted here. Parents and representatives of the Lakewood Education Association, which represents 750 teachers and staff, increasingly complain of a dearth of information about the virus from district leaders."

NOT NEW JERSEY. THE MOON. — " Buzz Aldrin's N.J. home is on the market for $1M but local man wants it to be a museum," by NJ Advance Media's Rebecca Everett: "Renowned astronaut Buzz Aldrin grew up in a handsome stucco house in Upper Montclair, sleeping in a third-floor bedroom where he said he would slip out the window at night, to walk on the roof under the stars. … For one local man with a passion for preserving Buzz Aldrin's legacy, it's now or never. Ilmar Vanderer, 52, has been working since last year on a proposal to turn the home into the Buzz Aldrin House Museum, and now he's in a sprint to find investors to buy the home for that purpose before it is scooped up by another buyer."

—" Ocean County's new open space plan worries environmentalists"

TUNE IN TO NEW EPISODE OF GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS: Our Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, and these issues have exploded over the past year amid a global pandemic. This podcast helps to identify and understand the impediments to smart policymaking. Subscribe for Season Two, available now.

EVERYTHING ELSE

FROM A PLEASANT HIGH TO A PLEASANTVILLE HIGHJACKING — "Suit claims marijuana firm illegally highjacking Pleasantville alternative treatment center," by New Jersey Globe's Nikita Biryukov: "Two marijuana firms are embroiled in a legal fight over the ownership of a Pleasantville cultivation facility. MPX NJ, a group owned primarily by Elizabeth Stavola, last week sued iAnthus Capital Management and its New Jersey subsidiary, claiming the company illegally highjacked the operation of the Pleasantville Alternative Treatment Center, for which the two firms hold a shared lease. The suit claims iAnthus attempted to negotiate with local and state regulators on MPX NJ's behalf, relying on a master services agreement that has not been approved by the New Jersey Department of Health … Lowenstein Sandler attorneys Chris Porrino, a former New Jersey attorney general; Matt Platkin, former chief counsel to Gov. Phil Murphy, and Justin Corbalis are representing MPX NJ."

—FLASHBACK: "Democratic donor among 6 given go-ahead for new cannabis dispensaries"

THERE'S AN ACME SUPERMARKET ON LBI. COINCIDENCE? — " Predators winter among the empty mansions of LBI; residents want them gone," by The Asbury Park Press' Amanda Oglesby: "A reclusive predator is on the prowl in Long Beach Island. Coyote sightings are becoming more common on this barrier island, where the animals have been seen crossing empty, winter streets or slinking among the sand dunes now that summer tourists are gone. These gray, slender canines have made a home among the mansions of this island community, but year-round residents want them gone. Barnegat Light Mayor Kirk Larson said a woman complained to him after one lingered near her car. 'The coyote wouldn't move and she wouldn't get out of her car for an hour and a half,' the mayor said. He suspects the coyotes are living under empty summer homes and feeding off feral cats and juvenile raccoons."

—"So 2020: NJ college student makes chess set with toilet paper bishops and mask pawns"

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