News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: The NJ Transit budget snub

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: The NJ Transit budget snub

Jun 22, 2021

Presented by PhRMA

Good Tuesday morning!

Remember all the praise for Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg from her fellow politicians shortly after she announced her retirement?

Well, plaudits don't necessarily translate into political juice. Weinberg's top funding priority — creating a stable, dedicated funding source for NJ Transit and funding some of its major projects — has fallen by the wayside ahead of the last budget she'll be voting on. A budget with a $10 billion unanticipated windfall.

Gov. Phil Murphy has said many times that he'll fix NJ Transit "if it kills me." But it looks like Murphy has a lust for life . The proposed appropriation for NJ Transit in the Fiscal Year 2022 budget hasn't increased since Murphy outlined the budget in February.

"I can't even explain it. You'll have to ask the governor," Weinberg told reporters Monday, adding that the agency has been largely flat-funded in the budget, with federal money merely replacing state money.

Murphy spox Michael Zandovsi in a statement said this: "After decades of inaction and underfunding in Trenton, Governor Murphy has increased NJ TRANSIT funding to historic highs, with this year's $2.65 billion appropriation representing a 15% increase over Fiscal Year 2019, in addition to the over $2 billion that NJ TRANSIT will receive in the American Rescue Plan. This year's budget includes the lowest capital to operating transfer in 15 years, while maintaining no fare hikes for the fourth consecutive year."

As Charles Stile notes in his column, there are lots of other chronic New Jersey problems that aren't getting solved in this budget, including outdated unemployment hardware or MVC upgrades.

Read about the budget details, such as they are, from Katherine Landergan here. Since the budget was just introduced, I'm sure we'll see more interesting details in the coming days — and especially in the coming weeks, after it's been signed.

WHERE'S MURPHY — In Long Branch for an 11:15 a.m. bill signing

QUOTE OF THE DAY : "I don't feel slighted. I feel like 'how come I couldn't get this done?' It's so beyond rational thinking that it's even hard to answer." — State Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg to me about NJ Transit funding

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Murphy staffer John Mulholland, NJSBA's Chris Jones, former North Bergen municipal candidate Ravi Varma. Missed yesterday: Essex GOP Chair Al Barlas

A message from PhRMA:

America's unique R&D ecosystem delivered multiple COVID-19 medical breakthroughs in record-breaking time. As we continue our work to help end the pandemic, we are committed to common sense policy changes that will improve our health care system for everyone. Unfortunately, some legislators want to enact changes with price control policies that could threaten access to medicines today and new treatments in the future. Tell New Jersey lawmakers: don't take our state's success stories for granted.

WHAT TRENTON MADE

BONANZA GOES UP IN GUNSMOKE — "$10B budget bonanza won't fund big fixes for MVC, unemployment. It's election time," by The Record's Charles Stile: "Now is the time to invest big on NJ Transit, the crumbling rail and bus agency. Now is the time to invest in a new unemployment Insurance system, which crumbled under the pressure of the pandemic. Now is the time to replace rusty pipes that pump water with dangerous levels of lead to millions of households and school water fountains. Now is the time to modernize the Motor Vehicle Commission, which was choked with long lines and computer failures last year. And so on … Sounds reasonable? Sure. But will it happen? Probably not … The bottom-line fact is that this is an election year and the three-men-in-a-room Democrats who run the Statehouse — Gov. Phil Murphy, Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin — are not eager to invest heavily in long-term projects that provide no short-term political benefit. This is the era of the new intra-party detente, when enemies have temporarily turned into allies. It's a time to demonstrate the efficiency of one-party rule. No public battles. No threats of shutdowns. No fuming before cameras during bitter, late-night negotiations."

THE SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT — " As school year ends, New Jersey families are still waiting for pandemic food money," by Chalkbeat's Patrick Wall: "New Jersey families were supposed to receive nearly $564 million this school year to keep their children from going hungry. But as classes end, the state still has not distributed most of the emergency food money. In a state where more than one in seven children are projected to face food insecurity this year, the bureaucratic delay has left some children without enough to eat … A federal relief program called Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer, or P-EBT, was meant to be a lifeline for families like Benson's. Created last spring, it gives parents grocery money to make up for school meals that children missed while learning from home … But, as the school year ends, New Jersey has only just started giving out food money for the past nine months to the parents of eligible preschool-age children. Benefits for those roughly 105,000 children should be distributed by June 25, officials said. The families of more than 840,000 school-age children still have yet to receive a single dollar of the emergency assistance they are owed dating back to last October. That money could have filled countless cupboards and refrigerators in homes where children were stuck learning remotely this school year."

SECTION 420 OF THE TAX CODE — " Your NJ medical marijuana could be covered by taxpayers under these measures," by The Asbury Park Press' Mike Davis: "In a state where medical marijuana is often more expensive than flying to another state and buying it there, patients registered with some financial assistance programs could see their weed costs covered. The cost of New Jersey medical marijuana, among the highest of any state in the country, would be covered for patients enrolled in four different financial assistance programs meant to help children, seniors, crime victims and those with disabilities, under identical bills already approved by the Senate and Assembly health committees."

FLAGGING MORALE — "State still doesn't have permit process for hanging American flags over Turnpike, Parkway," by NJ Advance Media's Larry Higgs: "Veterans' groups and patriotic individuals looking for rules and permit applications to properly display American flags on overpasses spanning the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway haven't been able to find them. That's because there are none. And a new flag controversy has erupted about whether the New Jersey Turnpike Authority should allow U.S. military flags to be displayed from Turnpike and Garden State Parkway overpasses."

IS THE WU TANG MOVIE FOR THE CHILDREN? — " Really a gold rush' (access required) How the New Jersey film industry is recovering from the pandemic," by NJBIz's Daniel J. Munoz : "When NJBIZ last checked in on the state of showbiz here in October, few producers were willing to talk about what they were up to. Film and television production all but shut down during the pandemic, with a few exceptions for projects that imposed strict standards for social distancing, mask usage and sanitization. But now, with the state reopening, industry insiders are more forthcoming. In a recent interview, Steven Gorelick, head of the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission, ticked off a long list of projects underway in the state, and the addition of new studios that should ensure productions keep coming here. The Hulu series 'Wu-Tang: An American Saga' is being filmed across Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties. NBC's drama series 'Law and Order: Organized Crime' is being filmed in Edison, Newark and Wayne. A remake of the 2014 film 'Goodnight Mommy' is being filmed in Bedminster and will feature actress Naomi Watts in a lead role."

ESTHER SUAREZ — "Weinberg, Suarez spar at reappointment hearing," by New Jersey Globe's Nikita Biryukov : "The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez's renomination after a series of tense exchanges with Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck). Weinberg questioned Suarez on the handling of Katie Brennan's sexual assault allegations against former Schools Development Authority chief of staff Al Alvarez. The Hudson County Prosecutor's office declined to pursue charges, as did the office of the Middlesex County Prosecutor, which was tapped to lead a separate probe into Brennan's claims after the legislature began holding hearings about the alleged assault. 'I have serious problems with the way the Katie Brennan case was handled, with the way people were forthcoming and how honest they were,' Weinberg said. 'I have a problem with your accusation that we somehow made all of this up because you and Al Alvarez have Hispanic last names.' At multiple points, Suarez and Weinberg interrupted one another, claimed the other had a faulty recollection of past events and challenging various claim."

—FDU poll: Murphy leads Ciattarelli by 15 points

—Workers 70 and over could soon be protected from age discrimination

—Lead service line replacement bill heading to Murphy

—" N.J. lawmakers pump the brakes on letting civilians investigate cops as activists demand more oversight"

—"N.J. court halts release of video allegedly showing beatings at women's prison after officer accused of assault sues"

—" First chance for public to weigh in on latest Port Authority Bus Terminal plan is this week"

—"NJ's COVID emergency is over, but legal immunity for health providers isn't. Here's why"

—" Murphy eludes question on reparations"

—"Delta variant of COVID detected in NJ, raising concerns about millions of unvaccinated"

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BIDEN TIME

TRYING TO PEDAL AWAY FROM CONTROVERSY BUT GOING NOWHERE — "Rep. Tom Malinowski continues to aggressively trade stocks despite a congressional ethics investigation," by Business Insider's Dave Levinthal: "Following Insider's reporting in March, the Office of Congressional Ethics began investigating Rep. Tom Malinowski, a Democrat from New Jersey, for failing to properly disclose dozens of stock trades during 2019 and 2020. This hasn't stopped Malinowski from continuing to buy and sell equities this year, according to new documents he filed with the clerk of the House of Representatives. Of particular note is Malinowski's April 21 purchase of up to $50,000 worth of shares in the embattled exercise-equipment company Peloton Interactive Inc … Malinowski's purchase came four days after the US Consumer Product Safety Commission on April 17 issued a public warning about the 'danger of popular Peloton Tread+ exercise machine after multiple incidents of small children and a pet being injured beneath the machines.'"

—"With members set, what's next for redistricting?"

LOCAL

AIN'T NO PARTY LIKE A HUDSON COUNTY PARTY BECAUSE YOUR PARTY DOESN'T MATTER — "Jersey City Dem Committee results certified with some questions over party affiliations, addresses ," by Hiudson County View's John Heinis: "The Jersey City Democratic Committee results were certified last week, with 26 off-the-line challengers winning in 56 contested races, five ties, and questions being raised over several party affiliations and addresses – though the clerk's office says most of these concerns are unfounded … In the Heights, two HCDO candidates were disqualified for living outside of the 10th District, securing two wins for the Progressive Democrats of Hudson County in what appeared to be a tightly contested bout. On Friday, the day after the results were certified, Marc Devens, who easily won his Ward E committee seat and is a member of the HCPA, tweeted a thread relying on county and state voter registration data that showed three Republican and seven unaffiliated voters running on the line with a handful of other residencies being questioned as well … In a lengthy emailed explanation earlier this evening, Deputy City Clerk John Hallanan said that his office checked the same state and online data Devens had referenced and found that there were no additional residency discrepancies – indicating that they were looking at two separate sets of data … In regards to the possibility of three Republicans running as Democrats, Hallanan wrote that all three were registered Democrats, though two of them filled out their Voter Registration Forms with their petitions."

—"Seeking 'progressive leadership,' Mary Jane Desmond to challenge Davis for Bayonne Dem chair"

CANCELING CANCEL CULTURE — "N.J. district reverses course, will add holiday names back onto school calendar," by NJ Advance Media's Chris Sheldon: "The Randolph Board of Education did an about-face Monday evening on its decision to remove holiday names from the school calendar following tremendous backlash from the public. Following the board's action, all holidays will be listed by name on the school calendar, including Columbus Day. At its May meeting, the board voted to refer to Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples' Day. Then on June 10 — over loud objections — the board voted to label holidays generically on its one-page calendar. Holidays including Christmas and Veterans Day were just listed as a 'Day Off,' with no mention of the holiday name. Following a nearly four-hour meeting Monday, which included public comment from about 50 people, the board voted 8-1 to adopt the motion to restore the calendar to the way it was before Columbus Day and the other holiday names were taken off."

RICOTTA CHEESED — "'This is a bad situation.' Toms River Regional board faces superintendent deadline," by The Asbury Park Press' Jean Mikle: "It's back to the drawing board for a divided Toms River Regional Board of Education, which only has two weeks to find a new superintendent. 'We are required to appoint a superintendent by July 1 or we can't operate,' said board Vice President Anna Polozzo, who heads the superintendent search committee. 'Somebody has to either do the job or we shut down.' Interim Superintendent Thomas Gialanella will leave Toms River Regional on June 30. Gialanella replaced former Superintendent David M. Healy, who retired at the end of December … On Wednesday, board members were unable to agree on which of two candidates to appoint: Assistant Superintendent James Ricotta garnered four votes, while James Altobello, who is director of secondary education in the Hamilton school district, received three votes … Toms River Regional Board of Education member Lisa Contessa. The board has been searching for a new superintendent since the fall, but, so far, a board majority has not coalesced around one candidate. Board President Joseph Nardini and member Kathy Eagan are unable to vote on the matter as both have relatives who work in the district. That leaves seven board members eligible to vote. Ricotta fell one vote short of a majority."

—" Atlantic City Council members call for State Police to take over city in light of recent homicides"

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EVERYTHING ELSE

STARCHILD — "George Clinton, founder of P-Funk, to receive star on Hollywood Walk of Fame," by The Asbury Park Press' Chris Jordan: "Clinton, who founded Parliament Funkadelic in his Plainfield barbershop in the '60s, was announced as one of 38 star recipients by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, June 17. Newark native Michael B. Jordan is also receiving a star."

I HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC SET OF QUACKS, QUACKS THAT I HAVE ACQUIRED OVER A VERY LONG SWIM — "Duck-napping mystery ruffles N.J. farm center. Can you help quack case?" by NJ Advance Media's Rob Jennings: "A longtime garden center is seeking answers after 14 ducks worth approximately $1,000 were apparently stolen over the weekend. There were 49 ducks in a fully-enclosed coop on Saturday night, according to the manager of Ideal Farm and Garden Center in Lafayette. When the coop was opened up around 9 a.m. Sunday morning, only 35 ducks remained. Workers searched under the coop and all around, to no avail, store manager Lindsey Struble said."

—" 'A seller's market': Here's where home prices are soaring in NJ even as the pandemic fades"

A message from PhRMA:

America's unique R&D ecosystem delivered multiple COVID-19 medical breakthroughs in record-breaking time. As we continue our work to help end the pandemic—from researching variants to seeking additional therapeutics—we are committed to common sense policy changes that will improve our health care system for everyone.

Unfortunately, some New Jersey legislators want to enact changes with price control policies, such as A2418, that could threaten access to medicines today and new treatments and cures in the future. Instead of ramming through sweeping changes that upend our system without addressing the broader challenges facing New Jersey patients, let's work together to end COVID-19, strengthen the health care system and make health care—including medicines—more affordable. Tell New Jersey lawmakers: don't take our state's success stories for granted.