| | | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Presented by Move Health Care Forward New Jersey | Good Monday morning! Rep. Jeff Van Drew made a buzzer beater on Friday when he signed his name to an amicus brief with 125 other House Republicans seeking to help overturn the presidential election (He was identified on the document as representing the 2nd District of South Carolina, demonstrating just how professional the effort was). The congressman joined the brief just in time to formally mark his place on the wrong side of history. A few hours later, the Supreme Court rejected the case. It wasn't close. New Jersey's only other House Republican, Chris Smith, didn't sign the brief. He's chosen the strategy most New Jersey Republicans have: Say as little as possible about President Donald Trump's flailing attempts to overturn the election based on spurious fraud allegations that his lawyers don't even try to argue in court. But Van Drew went all in. As Rider professor Micah Rasmussen noted, Van Drew justified his vote against impeaching Trump by saying it would "further divide the country." A year later, he signed a brief that tried to toss out millions of votes because the president and his allies don't like the result. Van Drew justified his party switch last year by saying Democrats have become a "mob." Everybody knew at the time that he left because his support in the party collapsed. This latest move just reinforces how hollow that excuse was. WHERE'S MURPHY? In cyberspace for a 9 a.m. Zoom call with PA Gov. Tom Wolf on COVID relief, followed by a coronavirus press conference in Trenton at 1 p.m. Media: CNBC at 8:15 a.m. CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: 4,170 newly-diagnosed cases for a total of 400,650. 24 more deaths for a total of 15,883 (and 1,868 probable deaths). 3,591 in the hospital, 691 in intensive care. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I keep comparing it somewhat to Jonestown … They've all drunk the Kool Aid. It just hasn't killed them yet." — Former Republican New Jersey Gov. Christie Whitman HAPPY BIRTHDAY — U.S. DOL's Sylvester Giustino, attorney Martin Asatrian. Missed Saturday: Gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli. Missed Sunday: U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross. | | | | A message from Move Health Care Forward New Jersey: Horizon heard your concerns. That's why S3218/A5119 addresses each and every one of them. There's no conversion and no stockholders. But there is the same charitable and benevolent status and the same state oversight from the Department of Banking and Insurance, the Attorney General and the State Legislature. S3218/A5119 means the same Horizon, only better! Learn More. | | |
|  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
FORTUNATELY, THERE ARE NO NJ POLITICIANS WHO WILL STIR UP UNFOUNDED FEARS ABOUT VACCINES — Murphy: Vaccinations for health care workers will start on Tuesday, by POLITICO's Katherine Landergan : New Jersey will start administering coronavirus vaccine shots to health care workers on Tuesday at University Hospital in Newark, Gov. Phil Murphy said on Sunday. "I'll be there Tuesday morning at University Hospital. ... We will begin vaccinating our heroic health care workers," Murphy said on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." "It's going to be a big day on Tuesday morning in Newark." .. Murphy has said New Jersey will receive about 76,000 doses in the first batch. He said on Sunday that "the majority" will go to health care workers but a "good slug" will also go to long-term care residents and staff. "Those [groups] are the two top priorities, and it'll take us a number of weeks, as you can imagine, to work through the entire populations in both of those groups," Murphy said.
STEINHARDT: I'M GONNA WIPE THE FLORIO WITH CIATTARELLI AND MURPHY — Steinhardt, partner at politically connected law firm, running for governor against 'Trenton swamp', by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: Doug Steinhardt, chair of the New Jersey Republican State Committee, formally announced his candidacy for governor on Friday, characterizing himself as an ardently pro-Trump Trenton outsider … "I built a law practice around the corner from my house. For 15 years I served as mayor of my hometown. Why? Because I love it here. That's the closest I've come to the Trenton swamp," said Steinhardt, who once was mayor of Lopatcong … Despite his claim to be a Trenton outsider, Steinhardt is a partner in a law firm whose first named partner, Jim Florio, is a former Democratic governor. The firm — Florio, Perrucci, Steinhardt, Cappelli, Tipton & Taylor — in 2019 received $4.4 million in contracts from dozens of governments and other public entities around New Jersey, while making more than $96,000 in political contributions to politicians from both parties, according to filings with the state Election Law Enforcement Commission. MANY MASTROS OFF — "Murphy said the coronavirus would wreck N.J.'s finances. Here's what actually happened so far," by NJ Advance Media's Samantha Marcus: "Starting in March and continuing over the turbulent weeks that followed, Gov. Phil Murphy predicted the coronavirus pandemic would plunge the state into fiscal and economic peril. New Jersey could lose $20 billion in revenue, maybe even $30 billion, the governor said. The state could run out of cash by fall. Two-hundred thousand public workers might be laid off. And, in the absence of a second federal stimulus package, funding for public schools may be slashed by $1 billion … But nine months into the crisis, some of the governor's alarming prophecies — forecasts that helped his administration win approval to borrow up to $9.9 billion — have proven wrong. Even viewed in the most generous light, Murphy's initial prediction for the state's revenue loss was four times higher than what's transpired to date. His administration's cash flow projection missed the mark by billions. The number of public workers known to be laid off so far is a fraction of what the governor warned. Murphy's threat that he could be forced to slash $1 billion in school aid? Mentioned once and seemingly never again … Some suggest Murphy threw out big numbers to get Washington's attention and ratchet up pressure for more federal aid. Republicans on the Senate Budget and Appropriation Committee accused the governor of exaggerating the pandemic's impact in order to borrow more money than necessary, helping bolster the state's short-term finances in time for his 2021 re-election campaign." BECAUSE HIS BUY-ONE-GET-ONE COUPON FOR CHILI'S DOESN'T EXPIRE UNTIL 12/31 — "Why hasn't Gov. Murphy followed neighboring states and closed indoor dining? One reason lies ahead in 2021," by NJ Advance Media's Payton Guion: "Despite rising COVID-19 cases and the actions by neighboring states, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has kept restricted indoor dining open, while acknowledging he may take action if the situation worsens. So why are restaurants in New Jersey still serving indoors, and why has Murphy broken with Govs. Andrew Cuomo and Tom Wolf? Political observers say Murphy is caught between a political rock and hard place, trying to balance public health with economic health, a tightrope act further complicated by the fact the governor is facing imminent political considerations his neighboring peers are not. Unlike Wolf and Cuomo, Murphy is fighting the coronavirus with his own reelection less than 11 months away. 'It's a very tough needle to thread,' said Ben Dworkin, a political scientist and the director of the Institute of Public Policy and Citizenship at Rowan University. 'If Pennsylvania and New York are doing something different, then there will be pressure on New Jersey to follow.'" —New Jersey sticking with indoor dining restrictions as neighboring states tighten theirs BACK THAT ANALYZIZ UP — "Are private gatherings really driving COVID-19? Why N.J. doesn't have the data to back that up," by NJ Advance Media's Rebecca Everett: "For months now, state officials have been repeating the same refrain: Gatherings in private homes are driving the second wave of COVID-19 in New Jersey. But what data are state health officials basing this on? The only data set the state has released about the sources of infections has been focused on outbreaks — defined as two or more cases that can be linked to a common exposure. It shows that sports were the top source of known outbreaks going back to March. In October, the most recent month for which data is publicly available, 33% of the 51 traced outbreaks were connected to sports. But gatherings and parties only account for 6% — that's three outbreaks. But the data, gleaned from contact tracing, does not include transmission in health care facilities, schools or nursing homes. Health care facilities are not required to release case numbers, but nursing homes and schools both eclipsed sports in terms of outbreaks, seeing 106 and 24 outbreaks respectively in October. Plus, the vast majority of cases in New Jersey have not been linked to known outbreaks, the state says. Despite that data, public health workers who spoke with NJ Advance Media said the state's theory about private gatherings being a big problem is probably correct." — Fears emerge over fate of Gateway following Cuomo-inspired report, by POLITICO's Danielle Muoio and Samantha Maldonado: It was almost two years into President Donald Trump's term when Gov. Andrew Cuomo descended beneath the Hudson River to tour the decrepit rail tunnels that connect New York and New Jersey. In a video he would later send to the White House, Cuomo made one plea: fund the Gateway project, a $13 billion proposal to build a new crossing under the river and repair the existing tunnels, which were severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy...Two years later, just as Gateway's prospects are buoyed by the election of "Amtrak" Joe Biden, Cuomo is the one accused of jeopardizing the endeavor after pushing a new report that calls into question a fundamental justification for the project: whether building a new tunnel is even necessary, or if a patch-up job for existing tunnels will suffice. #MERITOCRACY — "Academy Bus employee accused of helping cover up alleged fraud now works at NJ Transit," by The Record's Coleen Wilson : "Antonio Luna, a defendant in the alleged Academy Bus fraud case who is accused of helping cover up the company's faulty bus reports, has also worked at NJ Transit for the last year. The New York resident was an assistant manager at an Academy-affiliated company starting in 2017 and is accused of being one of several key players in the alleged scheme that involved hiding missed bus trips and misleading NJ Transit employees, according to court documents. He worked at Academy until August 2019 and continued as a part-time dispatcher as recently as November, court documents said. That same month, he was hired by NJ Transit to be a bus operator and has since been promoted to a garage supervisor at a salary of $76,875, according to information provided by NJ Transit through a public information request." —"'A major win for New Jersey commuters': Portal Bridge funding plan heads to Congress for review" NJ'S MOST EFFECTIVE INFLUENCER IS A BROWN PAPER BAG STUFFED WITH CASH — " Influencers are using their clout and getting paid to promote Covid best practices for New Jersey," by CNN's Lauren Dezenski and Allison Gordon : "Consider it a uniquely 2020 public service announcement. A woman in a pretty yet understated dress. The wind catches her perfectly curled blonde hair as she stands in front of a gleaming car and aspirational home. The perfectly styled, pastel-hued Instagram photo topped with the words: 'Paid partnership with Choose New Jersey.' This is not a typical advertisement from an Instagram influencer. But the minds behind #MaskUpNJ hope this pilot program between influencers and the state they live in can shape a new kind of public service announcement. And reach more people than ever. The state of New Jersey embarked on a new frontier of PSAs this fall, all to emphasize safe Covid practices." HE SPENT MORE ON HIS SENATE BID THAN THE PARTY HAS RAISED IN MANY YEARS COMBINED — "Bob Hugin mulling bid for GOP State chairman bid," by New Jersey Hlobe's David Wildstein: "Bob Hugin who spent $36 million of his own money on a bid for U.S. Senate two years ago, is considering a bid for New Jersey Republican State Chairman, the New Jersey Globe has learned. Hugin has not made any decisions about running in Tuesday's special election triggered by the resignation of Doug Steinhardt, who has resigned in order to seek the Republican nomination for governor in 2021." —"Julie & Mike on Bramnick's retreat and DeGise's defiance" —"Road rage: Study shows N.J. has worst performing highways in the country" —"Don't count on marijuana taxes as big cash source for N.J. budget, new study says" —"NJ State Bar backs elimination of some mandatory prison sentences" | | | | BIG SCOOPS IN TRANSITION PLAYBOOK: In the runup to Inauguration Day, 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 one of the most consequential transfers of power in American history. Written for political insiders, this scoop-filled newsletter is breaking big news and analyzing the appointments, people and emerging power centers of the new administration. Track the transition and the first 100 days of the incoming administration. Subscribe today. | | | | |
| | TRUMP ERA | |
KEEP HOWIE MANDEL EMPLOYED — Deal or no deal, millions of jobless Americans stand to lose aid lifeline, by POLITICO's Rebecca Rainey and Eleanor Mueller : U.S. lawmakers are struggling to hammer out another economic relief package before Congress adjourns next week. But for millions of Americans, the deadline may have already passed. Even if Congress reaches a deal, some 12 million unemployed people could see their benefits lapse after Christmas. Worker advocates say it could take weeks for the jobless aid programs to get back online as lags in programming for outdated state systems cause delays in relief checks. … [But] Angela Delli-Santi, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, said the state anticipates "no lapse" in providing benefits to people, although she also said it hinges on what the final language is on restarting the programs.
—Stile: "A pardon for Lakewood's Eliyahu Weinstein? Alan Dershowitz is talking to Trump" — "What's Van Drew to do in a Trumpless term 2?"
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| | LOCAL | |
WE NOW GO LIVE TO GOV. PHIL MURPHY, WHO... NEVERMIND, TURNS OUT HE'S NOT GOING TO SAY ANYTHING — "Police, protesters clash near Bergen County Jail as ICE detainees continue hunger strike," by The Record's Melanie Anzidei, David M. Zimmer and Hannan Adely: "Police and protesters collided outside the Bergen County Jail on a damp and foggy Saturday evening, capping a long day of protests in the county's largest city as demonstrators rallied for hours in support of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees on a hunger strike inside the jail. Police deployed pepper spray and made arrests shortly before 6 p.m. outside the jail after both sides clashed when protesters marched there from the city courthouse, where police were positioned with shields and other riot gear. The confrontation follows an initial clash between police and protesters outside the jail earlier in the day. Protesters began to disperse after 6 p.m., as foggy conditions and a haze of smoke hindered visibility outside the jail. Some activists remained at the scene just before 8 p.m. Protests have been held outside the jail daily since late November, but have become more contentious in recent days after city officials barricaded the sidewalks."
—Katz: "Anti-ICE protesters clash with police outside new jersey jail where immigrants are held" —"For 3rd Hudson freeholder meeting in a row, public comment revolves around ICE contract" HACKERS MADE JERSEY CITY THEIRS — "Jersey City utilities agency investigating ransomware attack that blocked access to 'vital' data," by The Jersey Journal's Peter D'Auria: "The Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority has hired a law firm to investigate a cyberattack that blocked access to 'vital' water and sewer service information and led to an 'emergency condition.' The ransomware attack, which occurred 'on or about' Sept. 30, caused the agency to "lose access to vital information and documentation related to the provision of water and sewerage services to the citizens of the City of Jersey City," according to a resolution approved in October … It's unclear who was responsible for the attack or if JCMUA officials paid a ransom … The cyberattack occurred less than two weeks after Jersey City Mayor Fulop wrote an op-ed for NorthJersey.com titled, 'Jersey City is a leader on municipal cybersecurity. Here's why'" AS MORRIS COUNTY GETS MORE CAPITAL 'D' DEMOCRATIC, LOCAL GOP GETS LESS LOWER-CASE 'D' DEMOCRATIC — "Morris GOP moving toward an organization line for '21 primary," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: "Morris County Republicans are moving toward an organization line for the first time, the New Jersey Globe has learned. Morris has the fourth-highest number of registered Republicans in the state, and the creation of a line creates a potential game-changing moment for the 2021 gubernatorial primary. The county committee is expected to meet on December 19 to debate the merits of a line, sources with direct knowledge told the NJ Globe. If there is enough of a consensus in support of the plan, which has been percolating for the last few months, the county Republican organization seems ready to hold a vote to amend the by-laws by early January." TURD BLOSSOM TOWERS — "'I felt defeated: South Jersey residents receive persistent eviction threats despite paying their rent," by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Ellie Rush ing: "While many apartment buildings post reminders about trash pickup and coronavirus safety precautions on the front lobby doors, the residents of Blossom Towers in Cherry Hill are often met with something much more consequential: eviction court filings. At the beginning of each month, residents of the two-tower complex with about 180 one- and two-bedroom apartments may find upward of 10 eviction court lawsuit filings taped to the building's double doors, the names of neighbors struggling to pay rent clearly visible. Representatives from the Camden County Courts are legally obligated to leave the complaints on a complex door if they cannot enter the premises, but typically landlords remove them and disperse them to residents. At Blossom Towers, where monthly rent ranges from about $1,000 to $1,650, the notifications may remain for days at a time, an act some residents and township officials called 'eviction shaming.' During the first week of October, residents reported seeing about five notices per day near the entrance." — "'We want choices!' Protesters in N.J. rally to re-open schools for in-person instruction" —"Brick school board election flipped by court-ordered recount" —"Atlantic City police say woman threatened to kill Mayor Marty Small" —"Perth Amboy runoff election is Tuesday. Here's what's at stake" | | | | HAPPENING TUESDAY - CONFRONTING INEQUALITY IN AMERICA TOWN HALL : The pandemic-induced recession has put over 40 million Americans at risk of foreclosure and eviction and caused a steady decline in Black homeownership. What solutions need to happen to make housing more inclusive and fair? Join POLITICO for its fourth town hall in the series "Confronting Inequality in America." Our latest town hall explores "The Housing Gap" and will convene policymakers, lawmakers, advocates and mortgage industry leaders to discuss various approaches for eliminating housing inequality as we begin to recover from the Covid-19 recession. REGISTER HERE. | | | | |
| | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
A DRUG THAT MAKES POTENTIAL GAMBLERS MORE INTROSPECTIVE? KEEP IT OUT BUT LET THAT ALCOHOL FLOW — "Don't bet on high times in Atlantic City casinos when marijuana is legal," by The Press of Atlantic City's David Danzis: "Visitors to Atlantic City's nine casinos should not expect a drastic shift in the way gambling parlors approach marijuana, according to industry experts and lawmakers. 'I don't think there's going to be any real major change,' said Dan Heneghan, an industry consultant and retired spokesperson for the state Casino Control Commission. 'The blind eye that (casinos) turn to that will just be opened.' … Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, said lawmakers did not give much consideration to how the gaming and the emerging cannabis industries would interact when crafting the legislation, mostly because the expectation is that marijuana will be treated, in most respects, similar to alcohol or tobacco in a casino. 'I think smoking cigarettes and smoking marijuana and ingesting alcohol are going to be the comparative scenarios (where the casinos designate) where you can and cannot do these items,' Scutari said, adding legal marijuana consumption, whether it be in a casino hotel room or defined smoking area, is not prohibited by his proposed bill."
WEED IS ABOUT TO BE LEGAL. THERE WILL BE DEMAND. PLEASE JUST HOLD ON — " The slow death of the 24-hour diner: How the pandemic may spell the end of a Jersey icon," by NJ Advance Media's Pate Genovese: "By Peter Genovese | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Nothing says "Jersey" like a diner, especially a 24-hour one, with its blazing neon sign a welcoming beacon in the night. Prior to mid-March, when the coronavirus forced lockdowns around the country, there were dozens of 24-hour diners in New Jersey, the Diner Capital of the World. Now there are just a scant few, including the Stateline Diner in Mahwah, the Coach House Diner in Hackensack and the Chit Chat Diner, also in Hackensack. The owners of the former 24-hour diners are not hopeful they'll go back to 24/7 when things return to 'normal.'" —"16 more North Jersey restaurants permanently close due to COVID-19" —"NJ weather: Snow this week? Probably, but it depends where you are" | | | | A message from Move Health Care Forward New Jersey: S3218/A5119 creates a process for Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey to apply to the state to become a not-for-profit mutual. This change means removing restrictions placed only on Horizon so that it can create more affordable, high-quality health care options with better health care outcomes.
Horizon heard your concerns on this change. That's why S3218/A5119 expressly prohibits the conversion of the company to a for-profit. S3218/A5119 does not allow for the creation of stockholders, keeps Horizon's charitable and benevolent status and amends current law rather than creating a new one. It also maintains a system of oversight from the Department of Banking and Insurance, the Attorney General and the State Legislature.
No conversion. No stockholders. The same charitable and benevolent status. Amending the law instead of creating a new one. The same state oversight.
S3218/A5119 means the same Horizon, only better! Learn More. | | |
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