News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: N.J. musician with dedicated following arrested

Thursday, February 11, 2021

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: N.J. musician with dedicated following arrested

Feb 11, 2021

Presented by Pre-K Our Way

Good Thursday morning!

Bruce Springsteen, who's fairly popular in New Jersey, has a DUI charge — even if his blood-alcohol level was reportedly only a quarter of the legal limit.

But here's the really shocking part: The traffic stop took place three months ago and didn't leak out until TMZ published it Wednesday morning, despite the New Jersey media's obsession with the 71-year-old musician. That's likely at least in part because the incident took place on federal land, Sandy Hook, involving a federal agency, helping it go unnoticed by the New Jersey press.

Details about the incident are scarce, so I'm not sure if Springsteen was racing in the street. My guess is the cops noticed Springsteen had trouble staying in the middle of the lane. The reports don't even say what time he was arrested, but I'm assuming it was in the evening, because the night. No word on whether Springsteen was blinded by the light from the highway patrolman during the eye test, as he suspected Springsteen was intoxicated and likely spent all night trying to prove it.

It didn't turn into a wreck on the highway. But it wasn't one of Springsteen's glory days. And it shows no matter how old you are, you probably have some growin' up to do.

WHERE'S MURPHY? Quarantining — no public schedule

CORONAVIRUS TRACKER : 3,740 newly-reported positive PCR tests for a total of 653,955. 88 more deaths for a total of 20,004 (and 2,246 probable deaths). 2,786 hospitalized, 535 in intensive care. 263,196 fully vaccinated, or just shy of 3 percent of the population.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — NJ Advance Media's Samantha Marcus, Speight COS Jermaine James

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "By all indications, this is shaping up to be that rarest of things in New Jersey: a primary contest in which two well regarded, popular candidates go up against each other. There's no sign Assemblywoman Vainieri Huttle is back down or dissuaded by the line — it appears she is prepared to run against it." — Rider University Prof. Micah Rasmussen on Johnson vs. Huttle

PROGRAMMING NOTE: New Jersey Playbook will not publish on Monday, Feb. 15. We'll be back on our normal schedule on Tuesday, Feb 16.

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

BOARD OF PRIVATE UTILITIES — 'It's not publicized' — the BPU's continued transparency problem, by POLITICO's Samantha Maldonado: The Board of Public Utilities still has a transparency problem. Six months ago, the board finally joined 48 other states in establishing a digital docket system for matters under its review — after years of prodding from advocacy groups and the press. The system, though, is often incomplete, lacking some or all documents related to each matter before the board. According to the BPU president, the opacity is purposeful. "It's been kind of our rule that until the board acts on something, it's not publicized," BPU President Joseph Fiordaliso said at a recent board meeting, amid an extended complaint about a story that reported details of a proposed deal with utility giant PSE&G before it came to the board for discussion. Fiordaliso's admission encapsulated what energy and environmental advocates, consultants, analysts and other observers have complained of for years, regardless of whether the board is under Republican or Democratic control: Billions of dollars worth of deals between the state and the utilities it regulates largely get brokered out of public view, without scrutiny — and when matters do come to light, it is often too late for the public to weigh in.

A PERIOD OF FULL STOP — Murphy to quarantine after family member tests positive for Covid-19, by POLITICO's Sam Sutton : New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is going into quarantine after a member of his family tested positive for Covid-19. "After careful review, the Governor does not qualify as an exposed close contact. However, out of an abundance of caution and in line with the highest levels of commitment to protecting public health, the Governor will be canceling in-person events and voluntarily quarantining before resuming any in-person engagements," Communications Director Mahen Gunaratna said in a statement. Murphy, who underwent cancer surgery last spring, tested negative for the virus earlier Wednesday.

VACCINE HOTLINE FAIL — "After slip-ups, New Jersey's COVID vaccine call center will not make appointments for now," by The Record's Scott Fallon: "New Jersey's COVID-19 vaccine call center will stop booking appointments temporarily because agents were making too many mistakes such as double-booking patients, state officials said Wednesday. Since the call center opened two weeks ago, only 600 appointments had been booked by early this week despite the center being inundated with hundreds of thousands of callers. The 250 agents who operate the phone line — 855-568-0545 — will have more training on using the state's appointment system, Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said at Wednesday's briefing. 'We found that it is not as easy as we thought it would be,' she said."

HE'LL EVEN VOTE FOR IT THIS TIME — Sweeney leads new push to write same-sex marriage into New Jersey law, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: New Jersey has allowed same-sex marriage since the fall of 2013 thanks to a court decision, but state law remains silent on the matter. That could soon change as New Jersey's top lawmaker is the lead sponsor of a bill that would write same-sex marriage into state law. The idea, which has been proposed several times since 2013, had previously been controversial. Advocacy groups that had spent years pushing for same-sex marriage, both legislatively and through the courts, believed the court decision gave same-sex couples greater rights than previously proposed legislation, which included sections specifically recognizing religious groups' rights to deny space or services to anything involved in the "solemnization, celebration or promotion" of same-sex marriage. The Legislature chose not to act because of opposition from those groups.

EDNA MAHAN — "Senators want to know why Corrections Department hasn't signed federal consent order," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: "The failure of the Department of Corrections to agree to federal monitors at an embattled women's prison has three state senators questioning why the state hasn't signed a consent agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice. 'If federal monitors were assigned to Edna Mahan, the 32 Corrections officers who are now suspended would have had to think hard before deciding to don riot gear, brutally assault women inmates or brazenly try to cover it up,' said Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg."

— Golden: " Murphy is following well-worn path on prison controversy"

HATE HAS A HOME HERE — "Hate groups call N.J. home and white supremacists remain 'top level terror threat," state says," by NJ Advnace Media's Rebecca Everett: "The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks and calls out hate groups in the U.S., released its annual report on the groups last week. It found that there are at least 16 hate groups in New Jersey, including anti-Semitic Black nationalists and some of the same white supremacist groups that were seen at the Capitol, including the Proud Boys, Patriotic Front and the New Jersey European Heritage Association. 'We have this presence here that I think a lot of people don't realize,' said Jared Maples, who leads the state's Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. It's not a new presence — New Jersey has had hate groups going back many years — but Maples said his office has been monitoring the movements and became concerned early last year, especially about white supremacists.We were the very first government entity in the United States to label white supremacy as a top level terror threat," Maples said."

— "N.J. legal weed still in limbo as Murphy just got extra time to act. Here are his options — and the political pitfalls"

— Lassiter: "NJ political potpourri. 'Let patients grow their own pot' edition"

— "Progressive Democrats fight back against NJ 'county line' tradition"

— Brindle: " ELEC welcomes debate over pending campaign finance reform bill"

— "N.J. won't tax federal coronavirus relief loans awarded to 'beleaguered' small businesses, Murphy says"

THE INDISPENSABLE GUIDE TO CONGRESS: Looking for the latest on the Schumer/McConnell dynamic or the increasing tensions in the House? What are the latest whispers coming out of the Speaker's Lobby? Just leave it to Beavers... New author Olivia Beavers delivers the scoop in Huddle, the morning Capitol Hill must-read with assists from POLITICO's deeply sourced Congress team. Subscribe to Huddle today.

BIDEN TIME

— Christie calls Bruce Castor's performance in impeachment trial 'unthinkable'

— " Chris Christie discusses the Capitol riots & how he differs from Trump with Steve Adubato"

— "9/11 lawsuit against Saudi officials takes a major turn. Here's what happens next"

LOCAL

ACRINOTSOSUREANYMORE — "Middlesex dumps insurance broker over 'serious red flags,'" by New Brunswick Today's Dave Polakiewicz: "A health insurance broker reportedly caught up in a state pay-to-play probe has been dumped by one Middlesex County town where it had been considered for a municipal contract. The Middlesex Borough Council named Alamo Insurance Group as its a risk management consultant for 2021 on February 9, opting not to hire Acrisure, the embattled Michigan-based firm that was up for appointment in January until the action got tabled … Council President James Eodice said members of the Middlesex governing body began having reservations about the hire after reading news reports of a state Attorney General's investigation into public health contracts handled by Acrisure or its subsidiaries."

CHILDREN OF SANCHEZ — "Parent rips district over all-remote school. Official fires back photos of her family sledding without masks," by NJ Advance Media's Anthony G. Attrino: "After a parent sent multiple messages complaining that her Middlesex County school district has not returned to in-person learning, a school official replied with an email saying the community has not taken the COVID-19 outbreak seriously and attached photos of the parent and her son recently sledding with friends while not wearing masks. 'For instance, we know that parents and students are not following the same CDC guidelines that you continue to share with us that detail the importance of social distancing and mask wearing,' Paul Rafalowski, assistant superintendent of Middlesex Borough schools said in the email dated Thursday obtained by NJ Advance Media. 'Case in point, we were provided a number of photos that illustrate the precise reason our school community remains in Phase 1 (virtual),' Rafalowski said in the email. 'As you can see from the attached photos, you and four other adults appear in close proximity without a mask. Further, the second photo illustrates 16 children all in close proximity without mask.' … 'My son is one of the 16 pictured. He is 7-years-old. He was outside. Snow sledding. With some friends. On private property,' Roger Sanchez wrote in an email to members of the borough's council and school board. 'It was worrisome to see my son's image used that way, to say the least,' Sanchez said."

POLICE STILL INVESTIGATING MYSTERY FIRE AT VESUVIO — "West Long Branch OKs senior townhouses where Shaheen mansion burned by mystery fire," by The Asbury Park Press' Dan Radel: "A plan for an age-restricted townhouse community on the former Shaheen property on Norwood Avenue was approved by the Planning Board. The developer, Kelly Builders, was approved for 53 total units, 42 of which will be market rate and the remaining 11 will be set aside for affordable housing, including two for low-income buyers … The Monmouth County Fire Marshal's Office was never able to find conclusive evidence as to what started the July 16 fire at the Shaheen mansion, the residence of the late borough Mayor Henry J. Shaheen. The investigation concluded that the fire was 'incendiary,' meaning it was deliberately set, but the explanation for how it started was inconclusive. An incendiary fire is not necessarily arson. It could be caused by someone lighting a fire in a place where they shouldn't, be it for warmth, cooking, drug use or any other reason, but they weren't specifically trying to set the building on fire, the way an arsonist would."

TRUMP IMPLOSION LESS DANGEROUS THAN HIS RHETORIC — "Atlantic City announces game plan for Trump Plaza demolition on Feb, 17," by The Press of Atlantic City's Michelle Brunetti Post: "Keeping people safe during the implosion of the former Trump Plaza casino Feb. 17 will only require closing a small area of the city, officials said at a press conference Wednesday, leaving much of the resort unaffected. Still, Mayor Marty Small Sr. stressed that people should watch from a designated public viewing site at Bader Field rather than from a street corner. 'We don't want anyone near the downtown area' to view the event, Small said, for safety reasons …. There are few places in the city with an unobstructed view of the implosion site, due to the Plaza's location … That's why the city is encouraging anyone who wants a good view to drive over to Bader Field, early on the morning of Feb. 17, for a 'pull up and watch' event that will cost $10 per car."

CAMDEN POLICE STOP RESISTING — "$300K settlement reached after cop punched man 12 times in the back of the head," by NJ Advance Media's Rebecca Everett: "The Camden man seen on a viral video being punched 12 times in the back of the head by a now ex-cop during a 2018 arrest will get a $300,000 settlement to resolve his civil rights lawsuit against the officer. Edward Minguela, now 35, was surrounded by police and had his hands up on Feb. 22, 2018 when then-officer Nicholas Romantino threw him to the ground and punched him repeatedly. Police had received an erroneous 911 call claiming Minguela had a gun, but no weapon was found, authorities said. Romantino, 27, who maintained that Minguela was pulling his hands away and thus resisting arrest, was placed on unpaid leave. He was eventually tried twice and eventually acquitted of excessive force charges by a federal jury in 2019."

NOT GOOD KUSH — "Lawsuits filed against Kushner's Teaneck development over 'segregated' affordable housing," by Jersey Digs' Chris Fry: "An approved plan that would create a new multi-family townhouse community has come under fire via two separate legal actions that allege homes for those with moderate incomes in the project will be 'separate and distinctly unequal.' … The easternmost portion of the property will consist of a single, two-story building with 16 units set aside for low- and moderate-income families, with a parking lot dividing the structure from the neighboring townhouses. The lawsuits allege that reality will create de facto exclusion at the future development."

— "'Teflon' councilman George Muschal survived grudge matches, racism claims"

— "Neptune police oversight board getting started over after a typo"

— " Battle between Tick Tock Diner owners broadens with second lawsuit"

— "Wyckoff, residents reach accord after flying of Black History Month, Gay Pride flags"

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EVERYTHING ELSE

THESE NEWS ORGANIZATIONS JUST UNIONIZED. HERE'S WHY — "Three Gannett New Jersey newsrooms announce joint union," by Poynter's Angela Fu: "Three Gannett-owned newsrooms in New Jersey announced Wednesday morning they are jointly unionizing. The Bergen Record, the Daily Record and the NJ Herald will come together to form The Record Guild, which will be part of the NewsGuild of New York. In an announcement signed by 68 staff members across the three papers, The Record Guild said they are calling for higher wages and better health care benefits to help them better cover the communities they serve. 'With increasing workloads and dwindling resources dedicated to local news, Gannett expects the staff will continue to accomplish more with less,' the announcement reads."

IN SICKNESS AND HOPEFULLY IN HEALTH — "'A beautiful act of love and hope': After beating back death, COVID survivors marry in NJ," by The Record's Stephanie Noda: "When Brian Rosenblatt woke up in the hospital after suffering a seizure, he had a single goal in his mind: to marry the love of his life as soon as possible. 'After he survived this last scare, he said, 'I don't want to live another day without you being my wife,'' said Angel Rosenblatt, Brian's wife. The seizure was one of several he'd survived during his monthslong treatment for COVID-19. The couple, clad in masks, made their dream come true and tied the knot Monday in a small gathering at Kessler Rehabilitation Center, the first wedding ever held at the facility … The small gathering represented the beginning of a brighter future after Brian's long journey recovering from COVID-19, which almost took his life."

— "South Jersey teen is the youngest girl to create a New York Times crossword puzzle"

— "Jon Bon Jovi's stunning Middletown home is on the market"

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