News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Ciattarelli and Christie: Still not cool together

Friday, April 2, 2021

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Ciattarelli and Christie: Still not cool together

Apr 02, 2021

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Good Friday morning!

Yesterday, Democratic consultant Joshua Henne sent out his annual April Fool's Day press release . It began: "Today, Chris Christie endorsed fellow Republican career politician Jack Ciattarelli for Governor. 'Jack and I are cut from the same cloth, and he's just as beloved as I was by the time I left office,' said Christie, who polled at a whopping 15% as Governor."

When I saw the headline in my inbox — before I read that first quote or noticed Henne's name attached to the release — I almost thought this was a notable development. Because the truth is that New Jersey's last Republican governor hasn't endorsed Ciattarelli, nor has he raised money for him.

Christie has been raising money for others. He has a fundraiser for state Sen. Mike Testa (R-1st Dist.) scheduled later this month. But Christie and Ciattarelli don't like each other. Ciattarelli was one of the few Republicans to openly criticize Christie during the former governor's time in office, and even said he should focus on New Jersey or resign when Christie was spending much of his time out of state as RGA chair.

And while Christie can still be a fundraising draw, it's clear that Ciattarelli doesn't really have much interest in patching up that relationship.

"Not April Fool's: @Jack4NJ was tougher on Gov Christie over a statehouse renovation than @GovMurphy has been on Cuomo, Al Alvarez, and Marcus Hicks — combined — on alleged sexual assaults and harassment. Let that sink in," Ciattarelli's consultant, Chris Russell, tweeted in response to the faux release.

WHERE'S MURPHY?: No public schedule

CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: 4,699 newly-reported positive PCR tests for a total of 804,037. 30 more deaths for a total of 22,023 (and 2,568 probable deaths).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Assemblymember Linda Carter, Princeton's Brent Colburn, Environment New Jersey's Doug O'Malley, Poughkeepsie native Dana Rubinstein. Saturday for Blairstown Clerk Everett Falt. Sunday for Dem consultant Dave Parano

QUOTE OF THE DAY: " There are names mentioned in the grand jury transcript. These may be pretty heavy duty political players in Hudson County." — Judge Mitzy Galis-Menendez on a list of people government cooperating witness Matthew O'Donnell offered to contact, or who prosecutors wanted him to contact

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WHAT TRENTON MADE

THE RACE IS O… ARE WE ALREADY OUT OF PRINGLES? — "The race is on' in NY vs. NJ marijuana legalization: Where can you buy legal weed first?" by The Asbury Park Press' Mike Davis: "While the Empire State may eat into the Garden State's legal weed profits, experts still believe New Jersey will get to the 'finish line' and have the first recreational marijuana sales — or 'adult use,' as cannabis industry and marijuana legalization activists refer to them — in the Mid-Atlantic first. The New York marijuana legalization laws enacted by Cuomo on Wednesday includes a tax structure that doesn't take effect until April 2022, a soft target by which the state expects its Office of Cannabis Management to be appointed and have already adopted and implemented regulations for the fledgling cannabis industry. The New Jersey legal weed laws have a six-month deadline — the clock began when they were enacted Feb. 22 — by which the Cannabis Regulatory Commission must adopt those regulations. Edmund DeVeaux, president of the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association, believes recreational marijuana sales could start at medical marijuana dispensaries in August, when that six-month window is complete."

MOUNT HOLLYWOOD — "New jersey woos film studios amid outcry over Georgia's voting law ," by The Wall Street Journal's Joseph De Avila and Erich Schwartzel: "New Jersey is trying to poach movie and television studios from Georgia after the state passed a voting law that has drawn criticism from business leaders and some major corporations. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy sent a letter Thursday to major studios including Walt Disney Co., Warner Bros. and Netflix Inc., offering them tax credits on up to 30% of production costs — equal to what Georgia currently offers. He also offered a 40% subsidy for bricks-and-mortar studio development, according to the letter viewed by The Wall Street Journal. The governor's tax credit offering is the same as what is included in New Jersey's economic-incentive package that the state Legislature passed last year. In his letter, the governor also drew a contrast between voting rights in Georgia and New Jersey."

EDUCATION — "In-person learning reaches new high at 143 N.J. districts, as push to bring students back continues," by NJ Advance Media's Katie Kausch: "The number of fully in-person districts reached a new high this week, as Gov. Phil Murphy has begun to push districts to bring students back into classrooms following a year of coronavirus-related school closures. As of Monday, March 29, 535 districts were hybrid, 85 remote, and 148 were fully in-person, the highest number of in-person districts since the coronavirus shuttered schools last March."

OAF KEEPERS — Having an Oath Keeper on Assembly ticket could pose problems for New Jersey GOP, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: As New Jersey Republicans focus on ousting Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, they may have a problem on their hands with a long-shot candidate whose background could be a reminder of one of the darkest moments of the Trump presidency. In Bergen County's 37th Legislative District, Republicans are backing Ed Durfee, a member of the far-right militia group Oath Keepers, for an Assembly seat. The GOP has a minuscule chance of winning a seat in the heavily Democratic district, and candidate recruitment there is far from a priority for them. But Durfee's mere presence on the ticket could complicate efforts by the party to look past former President Donald Trump, whose time in office was an electoral disaster for the state GOP, which at one point lost all but one of its congressional seats.

—"NJ Latino groups reach 200K voters with COVID-19 relief campaign"

—"N.J. unemployment new claims see huge spike, Labor Department says"

—"Full apology from journalist who wrote offensive Asbury Park Press caption"

—"NJ Transit is behind other agencies in deploying electric buses, report says"

—"Grayzel will challenge Bucco for Senate"

—"NJ parolees still face obstacles when it comes to reentry"

JOIN THE CONVERSATION, SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" Power dynamics are shifting in Washington, and more people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. "The Recast" is a new twice-weekly newsletter that breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics, policy and power in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear from new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out on our latest newsletter, SUBSCRIBE NOW. Thank you to our sponsor, Intel.

BIDEN TIME

SALT IN THE WOUND — "Biden doesn't plan to revive SALT deduction, possibly losing key moderates," by Axios' Jonathan Swan: "President Biden is unlikely to propose reinstating state and local tax deductions in his second tax-and-spending package despite pressure from several fellow Democrats, according to people with direct knowledge of the planning."

—Pelosi hopes to offer SALT relief in infrastructure package, by POLITICO's Bernie Becker: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday she hopes that Democrats can ease the current cap on state and local tax deductions as part of a larger infrastructure package. Several House Democrats from New York and New Jersey say they wouldn't back any other tax changes unless the state and local tax cap is repealed. Republicans put a $10,000 limit on state and local deductions in their 2017 tax law, H.R. 1 (115), a move that particularly hurt those states and Pelosi's home base of California. "I'm sympathetic to their position," Pelosi said during a briefing with reporters, later adding: "Hopefully, we can get it into the bill."

—Democrats poised to reintroduce college athlete rights legislation Booker proposed

—"FEMA unveils new flood insurance calculation it says will be more equitable"

LOCAL

THE BLUE IS THE ONLY THING STANDING BETWEEN LAW AND ORDER AND THE PERSON WHO PAINTED THE BLUE LINE — "Toms River man charged in 'thin blue line' mystery on Hooper Avenue," by The Asbury Park Press' Erik Larsen: "The mystery of who painted the 'thin blue line' down the center of Hooper Avenue has been solved, according to police. David Giordano, 43, of Toms River, has been arrested and charged with theft of movable property, theft of services, burglary and criminal mischief — the last charge directly related to Tuesday's incident … Giordano was originally wanted in connection to the theft of his own impounded bucket truck from Freedom Towing & Recovery on Route 9 in Toms River on March 22. Surveillance video showed Giordano entering the truck and driving it through the locked gate of the property before leaving the truck in the mayor's parking space at Toms River Town Hall later that morning. The boom of the truck had also been extended so as to block other vehicles from passing … Giordano was arrested on Tuesday and the Toms River Police Department was notified later that he was being sought for criminal mischief on Hooper Avenue, Messina said. Earlier that morning, a four-inch wide blue line was painted between the double yellow lines on the county-owned road that runs through the Ocean County government campus, which includes the Justice Complex, Prosecutor's Office and Administration Building."

LET'S TALK ABOUT SEXTUPLE DIPPING BABY — "Report said Palisades Park CFO 'rarely' in office. Payroll shows he works for 5 other towns," by The Record's Terrence T. McDonald and Katie Sobko: "When you think of the highest-paid public workers in the state, you probably don't think of the chief financial officer for Rochelle Park, population 5,597. But Roy Riggitano, the township's CFO, brings home at least $347,970 a year. That's not just because Riggitano works for Rochelle Park. He's also CFO for Palisades Park. He works for Elmwood Park, where he's the tax collector. And he's the CFO of Garfield. Plus he's a purchasing agent for Elmwood Park. And he's a fire inspector in Fairview. Oh, and he's a fire inspector in Cliffside Park. Six towns, six separate salaries. Riggitano's sextuple-dipping is in the spotlight after New Jersey's comptroller issued a report March 2 blasting Riggitano and other Palisades Park officials for widespread fiscal mismanagement of that borough. The report says Riggitano 'is rarely in the Borough's offices,' approves some records via signature stamp without reviewing them and 'most often' approves vouchers, purchase orders and checks through text messages, the report says."

PATERSON — "Attorney general sends accused 'voluminous' files of evidence in Paterson election fraud case ," by The Paterson Press' Joe Malinconico: "The New Jersey Attorney General's Office this week provided lawyers for indicted Paterson Councilmen Michael Jackson and Alex Mendez with thousands of pages of alleged evidence in the state election fraud case against them. Lawyers for the two councilmen said they will closely review the files they received from the state in the 'discovery' part of the criminal case, the point when the prosecution shares with the accused whatever evidence it plans to use. They said the volume of documents should not be seen as a sign that the state has a strong case. 'The quantity doesn't matter,' said Ted Kyles, Jackson's lawyer. 'It depends on the quality. We have to examine these files very closely to see what they have and what they don't have.'"

0.000011 MASTRO FINE — "State agency holds that Bridgeton Councilman violated Local Government Ethics Law," by Transparency NJ's John Paff : "On March 19, 2021, the Local Finance Board, the chief enforcer of New Jersey's Local Government Ethics Law, found that a Bridgeton City Councilman violated the state's conflict-of-interest laws when he voted in 2017 to sell several parcels of City real estate to a corporation while he simultaneously served on the board of one of the corporation's 'partners.' In its Notice of Violation, the LFB found that Councilman James Curtis Edwards 'voted yea on Resolution 43-17 . . . concerning the River Grove Housing Project while he was also serving on the Board of Gateway Community Action Partnership a/k/a/ Tri-County Community Action Agency, a partner in the River Grove Housing Project.' The LFB found that the vote 'constitute[d] a matter where [Edwards] had a direct or indirect personal or financial involvement that might reasonably be expected to impair his objectivity or independence of judgment … The LFB fined Edwards $100 but gave him an opportunity to appeal the fine within 30 days … On the same date, the LFB also dismissed a similar complaint against former City Councilman Jack Surrency."

—" Bergen sheriff candidate not first NJ pol to campaign while facing charges. Here's the list"

—"State bias report shows more incidents across South Jersey"

—" Toms River Regional could cut 60 teaching positions as state aid drops"

—"Englewood police chief retiring after three decades on the force"

—" Cumberland County prosecutor names new chief of detectives"

—"Gusciora to council: Increase spending if you want"

—" Edison mayhem: Bhagia and Joshi unleash on each other as Dems' collision course intensifies"

—"Judge tosses Paterson hauler's lawsuit over Hawthorne's trash pickup contract"

THE LATEST FROM INSIDE THE WEST WING : A lot happened in the first two months of the Biden presidency. From a growing crisis at the border to increased mass shootings across the country while navigating the pandemic and ongoing economic challenges. Add Transition Playbook to your daily reads to find out what actions are on the table and the internal state of play inside the West Wing and across the administration. Track the people, policies and emerging power centers of the Biden administration. Don't miss out. Subscribe today.

EVERYTHING ELSE

MARCH WAS A BAD NEWS MONTH FOR JOHNSONS — "What Johnson & Johnson's mix-up means for the vaccine rollout in NY, NJ," by WNYC's Nsikan Akpan and Karen Yi: "New York and New Jersey officials are monitoring the situation with Johnson & Johnson, after reports of a production delay with the drugmaker's COVID-19 vaccine. The single shot from the New Jersey-based company is vital to New York's vaccination expansion, especially for reaching vulnerable populations such as homebound seniors and the homeless … New Jersey health officials said they did not expect the Baltimore factory mix-up to impact next week's allocation but did not address future shipments. Johnson & Johnson, the New Brunswick-based drugmaker, referred Gothamist/WNYC to a statement released Wednesday that did not hint at any alteration in its plan to safely deliver 24 million doses of its vaccines in April. The company did not answer specific questions about potential delays to vaccine shipments in the region."

THEY'RE HERE TO TAKE OVER THE STATE TWITTER ACCOUNT — "138 UFOs were spotted in N.J. last year. Here's a map that shows where," by NJ Advance Media's Amy Kuperinsky: "The National UFO Reporting Center keeps a running list of UFO sightings in all states, including New Jersey, where 1,954 reports have been logged since 1950 … Jan. 4: 11 a.m., Green Brook. Shape: Disc. Duration: One minute. 'Saucer or diamond shaped craft with four lights (3 appearing in somewhat of a triangle and one on the bottom) flew horizontally in sky.' 'We were driving down the route and saw what seemed to be one craft with four lights in somewhat or a saucer or diamond shape move horizontally across the sky then seem to tail along straight adjacent to the vehicle. Lights moved across for about 40 seconds then disappeared. It displayed odd light pattern and was abnormally bright.' Jan. 11: 10:30 a.m., Rahway. Shape: Cylinder. Duration: Five minutes."

PRIVATION — "N.J. private schools see surging demand. Yet they lost 5K students during the pandemic," by NJ Advance Media's Adam Clark and Brianna Kudisch: " Despite the flood of phone calls, Princeton Day School declined to expand enrollment, saying it wanted to ensure proper social distancing for its existing students. Its decision underscores a striking dichotomy between anecdotal tales of surging demand for private schools and state statistics that reveal the most dramatic decline in private school enrollment in a decade, an NJ Advance Media analysis found. Though many frustrated families say they have transferred their children to private schools, enrollment at registered independent schools decreased by 5,095 students for the 2020-21 school year, a decline of more than 3%, according to the state Department of Education. What's behind the divide — and if enrollment significantly increased after the state collected data in October — is not entirely clear. But what is apparent is how the pandemic decimated financially struggling private schools while funneling interest to some Catholic elementary schools as well as elite academies that routinely turn away students."

—"No time for handwashing, absolving ourselves of segregating schools | Opinion"

—"New docs reveal how N.J. landlord allegedly preyed on vulnerable with sex-for-housing trades"

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