News : POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: The end of the Trump era

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: The end of the Trump era

Jan 20, 2021

Presented by Pre-K Our Way

Good Wednesday morning!

Today, Joe Biden is sworn in as president. And it's my hope, even if I'm not very optimistic, that it represents a break from the steady stream of lies we've been served by the president and his allies for four years.

I'm not talking about normal politician truth-bending or question dodging. I mean the big lies: That the election was somehow rigged against Trump, which caused hundreds of his supporters to violently storm the U.S. Capitol. Subsequent lies sought to deflect responsibility from Trump by claiming — against fact, video evidence, arrest records and the participants' own social media accounts — that left-wing radicals from antifa were actually behind it.

Now let's bring this back to New Jersey.

40-year incumbent Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th Dist.) has never been known as a partisan bomb-thrower. But he promulgated the antifa myth while admitting it's "pure speculation," to a reporter hours after the riot and then, days later, to a reporter for The Lakewood Shopper. Then, after Smith faced criticism, including from his former opponent Stephanie Schmid, for voting against President Trump's impeachment and for the antifa claim, Smith quit Twitter, blaming "divisive and hate-filled tweets" that he said "have become far too frequent and impede the healing so needed today."

Smith is acting above the fray while refusing to acknowledge the obvious: That the people who stormed the Capitol were inspired by the president. Even Mitch McConnell made that clear. So I asked Smith's office whether he would correct his false statement about antifa.

"To be clear, Chris, while still in lockdown Wednesday night (Jan. 6), told the Patch, that he would`leave that to law enforcement to decipher their identities.' He repeated: 'I'll leave that to the police to ascertain,'" his spokesperson, Jeff Sagnip, said. "That same night he issued a statement strongly condemning the violence."

That didn't answer the question. I asked again, to no avail. It's not looking good for "healing" when even mainstream members of Congress repeat demonstrably false conspiracy theories.

WHERE'S MURPHY? In Washington for the inauguration. Media: CNN at 6:30 a.m., CNBC at 7 p.m.

CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: 3,761 newly-reported positive PCR tests for a total of 572,306. 54 more deaths for a total of 18,421 (and 2,091 presumed deaths). 3,506 hospitalized, 643 in the ICU.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Cape May County Democrats John Amenhauser

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I look forward to running with Joe Vicari. I love that plank — term limits. Joe's going to champion term limits." — GOP gubernatorial Jack Ciattarelli on 36-year incumbent Ocean County Commissioner Joe Vicari's decision to screen for the Ocean County GOP's gubernatorial endorsement.

A message from Pre-K Our Way:

NJ's pre-k is now in 150+ school districts, with more beginning in early 2021! Despite this remarkable four-year record of achievement, there are 110+ eligible school districts that still wait. Let's reach a total of 200+ districts with NJ's pre-k in 2021. Fund substantial pre-k expansion THIS YEAR! Visit prekourway.org for more info

WHAT TRENTON MADE

MAY BE NOT — Murphy: I can't guarantee New Jersey will reach 70-percent vaccination goal by May, by POLITICO's Sam Sutton : New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is beginning to temper expectations the state will have vaccinated 70 percent of its eligible adult population by May, citing the slow rollout of federally allocated doses of the coronavirus vaccine and the long queue of residents who've so far been unable to get inoculated. "I still believe we're in a dramatically different place on Memorial Day," Murphy said during his regular coronavirus briefing on Tuesday. "I can't guarantee we'll have gotten 4.7 million people with shots in their arms, but [we'll be] in a dramatically different and better place." New Jersey's vaccination effort is expected to be a major factor as Murphy makes his case for reelection this year. While the Democratic governor has enjoyed strong approval ratings for his handling of the pandemic, Republican leaders are taking aim at the languid pace of the vaccine distribution effort as a political liability.

— "Vaccinating the general public for COVID is hard enough. What about NJ's homeless?" by The Record's Ashley Balcerza k: "COVID-19 vaccine logistics are tough as it is, but inoculating transient people living in homeless shelters or on the street adds more layers of complication. State officials and shelter workers in New Jersey are grappling with tough questions: How do you make sure people get a second dose of the vaccine if they don't regularly return to one shelter? How do you build trust and persuade people to take a vaccine, especially if there are complicating factors, such as a fear of needles? Where would vaccines be administered if shelters don't have health care workers on site to help? What if people don't have access to a computer to make an appointment for a vaccine?"

—"'All we are missing are vaccine doses, NJ's Murphy says"

YOU GOT SERVERED — New Jersey lawmaker's proposal for financial transaction tax appears all but dead, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: An ambitious proposal to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for New Jersey through a small tax on every Wall Street financial trade processed on servers located in the state appears to be dead. Introduced in July, the proposed financial transaction tax — originally a quarter of a cent per transaction — quickly gained favor with Gov. Phil Murphy and Democratic leaders in the Legislature as a way to help the state dig out of a budget crisis brought on by the pandemic. But three months after the General Assembly held an informational hearing on the bill, NJ A4402 (20R), it has not moved. And with 10 months to go before Murphy and all 120 legislative seats are up for election, there are no plans to advance the measure. "At the end of the day, I don't know if the juice is worth the squeeze," Assemblymember John McKeon (D-Essex), the bill's initial sponsor and top proponent, said in an interview.

LAWMAKERS WILLING TO PAY ONE-NINTH OF DANA REDD'S ANNUAL SALARY TO CUT PROPERTY TAXES — "Could this study finally help NJ cut property taxes?" by NJ 101.5's Michael Symons : "State lawmakers want to hire Rutgers University researchers to study efficiency and scaling in the delivery of local government services — but first have to narrow their ambitions, which are bigger than their wallet. With an election-year eye on reducing property taxes, a proposal that has begun getting attention would have the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy study what [is] the most efficient scale for delivering services in more than a half-dozen areas. Those areas include municipal courts, construction code enforcement, fire code enforcement, municipal and county health services, property tax assessments, public works, emergency services such as police, fire and emergency medical response and maybe more. They'd have a year to get it done and be provided $30,000. 'While we appreciate the intention and opportunity, I can assuredly tell you that all the work being requested could not be accomplished for $30,000,' said Marc Pfeiffer, assistant director of the Bloustein Local Government Research Center."

DON'T BUY THAT ESTATE IN SOUTH CAROLINA JUST YET — " Grewal is now N.J.'s longest-serving attorney general in a quarter century. Here's how it's going," by NJ Advance Media's Blake Nelson: "Amid the crises, Grewal's office overhauled rules governing police use of force for the first time in a generation and jointly sued the federal government more in three years than New Jersey had in the previous four decades, all while continuing to investigate and prosecute a range of crimes. His tenure has brought criticism. The gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson Brands Inc. accused Grewal of 'following in the abusive footsteps' of 'repressive regimes' after Grewal's office demanded the company share internal documents. Federal immigration officers blasted state rules limiting when local cops can turn over undocumented immigrants, saying they threatened 'the safety and security of the very people the New Jersey Attorney General is charged with protecting.' President Donald Trump's transition team once said Grewal's office only sued them for media attention. But while there are disagreements over specific policies, many state leaders said Grewal still included them in the decision-making process, according to more than a dozen interviews with civil rights advocates, law enforcement officials, legal experts and current and former state employees."

MURPHY STILL ALIVE — " NJ Transit trains ranked the worst in the nation — again," by NJ Advance Media's Larry Higgs : "For a second straight year, NJ Transit trains broke down more than any other system's in the nation in 2019, according to Federal Transit Administration data. Buses ranked eighth worst in the nation in 2019 and seventh worst among similar sized agencies, such as NYC Transit. The statistics, released this week in the Federal Transit Administration National Transit's Database and based on numbers reported to the FTA annually by transit agencies, likely didn't come as a shock to commuters. Before the coronavirus pandemic crushed public transit ridership in 2020, commuters regularly complained about being stuck on a platform, waiting for the little engine that couldn't run. But NJ Transit officials say they are working to address issues that led to the poor rankings."

"'I hope not months': NJ Transit ready for COVID vaccine, but workers not yet eligible"

SOKOLICH IT TO ME — " With Fort Lee, Johnson may be over 50% mark in bid for Weinberg Senate seat," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: "Top Fort Lee Democratic leaders, including Mayor Mark Sokolich, have endorsed Gordon Johnson for the open 37th district State Senate seat. Johnson, a ten-term assemblyman, also picked up the endorsements of Fort Lee Democratic Municipal Chairman Mark Sokolich and councilmembers Ila Kasofsky and Harvey Sohmer. That adds as many as 38 votes for Johnson at the Bergen County Democratic Convention as he seeks to replace Loretta Weinberg in the Senate. Johnson faces Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri for the Senate seat."

—"Englewood Dem chair backs Vainieri Huttle for Senate seat"

—"NJ unveils phone line for COVID vaccine info, but it directs callers to a website for now"

— ELEC: Contractor donations to 'Big Six' dropped precipitously over last decade

TRACK FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION: Track the first 100 Days of the Biden administration. Written for political insiders, this scoop-filled newsletter breaks big news and analyzes the initiatives, people and emerging power centers of the new administration. Subscribe today.

TRUMP ERA

AT LEAST NJ 101.5 KNOWS WHERE TO LOOK FOR ITS NEW 'PERSONALITIES' — "A white supremacist group spreads messages of hate from NJ to the U.S. Capitol," by WNYC's Matt Katz: "The local group, known as the New Jersey European Heritage Association, was one of a handful of extremist organizations identified by the ADL as having a presence at the Capitol. The ADL says NJEHA members 'see themselves as defenders of white European people and white culture,' with hateful propaganda as their calling card. Since 2018 they have pasted fliers on telephone poles, street signs, and traffic signal switch boxes in dozens of tri-state area neighborhoods, from Central Jersey to Long Island, and then publicized the postings on Twitter and the far-right social media site Gab. The group put up more than 50 fliers in seven months in 2019, according to Advance/SILive.com. One of the group's stickers even turned up on a lamppost in Trenton on Sunday, where widely-publicized plans for MAGA rallies at state capitols failed to materialize … Discovery of the NJEHA's fliers often leads to stories in the local news, amplifying the attention. Police complaints about the hate propaganda are filed; officers sometimes vow investigations, though it's unclear if anyone affiliated with the group has ever been arrested for a hate crime or vandalism. In New Jersey, NJEHA is considered the source of the majority of white supremacist literature distributed in public."

BUT NOT FIRST CABINET MEETING — Murphy to attend Biden inauguration, by POLITICO's Sam Sutton: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy will travel to Washington, D.C., to attend the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Wednesday, the governor announced during his regular Covid-19 briefing on Tuesday. "Tomorrow begins a new day in our nation's history. I'm excited about the new opportunities of federal cooperation that exist on the critical challenges that we face. From a real focus on fighting and defeating the pandemic to investing meaningfully in our impacted families to building a stronger economic future," Murphy said.

CARPENITO PER DIEM —"Ex-U.S. Attorney for N.J. joins international law firm as partner," by NJ Advance Media's Joe Atmonavage: "Less than two weeks after resigning as the state's top federal prosecutor, Craig Carpenito has landed a role at King & Spalding, a law firm that works that has more than 1,200 attorneys across the world and works to 'advance complex business interests in more than 160 countries,' according to its website."

—"Inauguration Day 2021: Hundreds of N.J. citizen soldiers, state troopers guarding nation's capital"

—"Biden inauguration can't come soon enough for Hudson residents: 'Anything is better than what we have now'"

—"'Apprentice' winner: What N.J. can learn from Trump"

—"Why is this vaccine rollout such a nightmare? A Q&A with Rep. Andy Kim"

—" Longtime Superior Court judge in line for federal judgeship"

—"Former Trump advisor and Atlantic City native Don McGahn will not attend Trump sendoff, according to reports"

—" Teaneck flag twirlers, drumline to represent NJ in virtual Biden inauguration parade"

LOCAL

WENONAH RIDERS — "Is there still support for Glassboro-Camden rail? Study on long-stalled project expected soon," by The Courier-Post's Carly Q. Romalino and Carol Comegno : "John Dominy remembers Wenonah's packed schoolhouse hearings on the Glassboro-Camden Line six years ago … 'This was something that we have been dealing with for so long in Wenonah,' said Dominy, who was a Wenonah councilman then. Now, he's the borough's mayor. 'You almost feel like the boy that cries 'wolf.' At what point is it going to be a reality?' That long-awaited release of the environment study with recent public hearings on the project may have reignited serious discussion of the commuter line first proposed two decades ago to connect Glassboro with Camden's transportation hub. The proposal's resurfacing has residents in 10 South Jersey towns taking to social media to organize campaigns either in support of or against the line and its impacts on downtown development, noise, safety and eminent domain property acquisitions."

—"2004 loss against Menendez kick started Fulop's career in Jersey City: will there be a part 2?"

—" Following Einstein texts, NJGOP moving to adopt harassment and personal conduct policy"

—"Accountant fired from Jersey City job training agency settles whistleblower lawsuit for $175K"

—" Fair Lawn police say the 'noose' found in a resident's tree was not deliberate"

—"Cape NAACP urges Murphy to sign cannabis legislation"

JOIN THURSDAY TO HEAR FROM SELECT MAYORS ACROSS THE U.S.: On Thursday, Jan. 21, The Fifty: America's Mayors will virtually convene select mayors from across the U.S. for back-to-back interviews during inauguration week to discuss bold ideas and policy proposals for their cities to move forward post-COVID-19. The mayors will also discuss their cities' needs from state and federal government to recover from the economic and public health crises and how they'd like to work with President Biden as he begins in the White House. This virtual program will feature an executive conversation between POLITICO CEO Patrick Steel and Microsoft's President of U.S. Regulated Industries Toni Townes-Whitley. REGISTER HERE.

EVERYTHING ELSE

THE LEGAL KUBRICK — "Photo of Jack Nicholson in 'The Shining' gets alleged N.J. bank robber new trial," by NJ Advance Media's Blake Nelson: "Damon Williams did not brandish a weapon — and certainly not an ax — when he walked into a Merchantville Bank of America branch in summer 2014. But he wanted cash, court documents show … The central issue at trial was not whether Williams was the culprit. Instead, it was whether he was guilty of robbery, which requires the use or a threat of violence to take property — or simply theft, which does not. The New Jersey Supreme Court on Tuesday granted Williams a new trial because the prosecutor trying his case used a picture of a sinister-looking Jack Nicholson from the 1980 horror classic 'The Shining' to make the point during closing arguments that 'actions speak louder than words … 'Prosecutors must walk a fine line when making comparisons, whether implicit or explicit, between a defendant and an individual whom the jury associates with violence or guilt,' Justice Lee Solomon wrote in the opinion, which vacated Williams' conviction."

YES, ADVIL — "'Rogue heroine': NJ teacher who gave Advil to students can be fired, rules arbitrator," by MyCentralJersey's Mike Deak: "An arbitrator has ruled that the township school district can fire a high school teacher for giving Advil to students and favoring another student by taking her shopping on a day she had called in sick. Jennifer Resil-Johnson, who joined the school district in 2004 and was an English teacher in the high school's remedial behavior program called 'Piscataway Students Seeking Success,' can be terminated, according to a ruling by arbitrator Ralph H. Colfesh Jr. The school district filed charges against Resil-Johnson in December 2019, alleging several violations of policy including using her cellphone during class time, leaving her classroom unattended and sending text messages to her students."

A message from Pre-K Our Way:

In four years, there has been statewide, bipartisan support for funding pre-k expansion. NJ's pre-k is now in 150+ school districts, with more beginning in early 2021! Despite this remarkable record of achievement, there are 110+ eligible school districts that still wait.

There are eligible districts in every county. They're in rural, suburban and urban communities, and they're located across New Jersey, from east to west – and north to south. You either live in an eligible school district or you live near at least one. There are 3- and 4-year-olds still waiting for NJ's pre-k in each of these 110+ communities.

Substantial funding for NJ's pre-k will provide a strong start to a lifetime of learning for more of our children – and immediate support for their working families.

Let's reach a total of 200+ districts with NJ's pre-k – there are 110+ communities waiting. Fund substantial pre-k expansion THIS YEAR!

Visit prekourway.org for more info