News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: CDC mask guidelines are politically inconvenient for Murphy

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: CDC mask guidelines are politically inconvenient for Murphy

Jul 28, 2021

Good Wednesday morning!

Uh oh. Back when Gov. Murphy faced criticism over capacity restrictions and mask mandates, he could point to CDC guidance to justify them — at least until he kept the mask mandate a little longer than the CDC recommended.

But now, a few months ahead of Murphy's reelection, the CDC recommends that certain states with elevated Covid rates reimpose indoor mask requirements, even for the vaccinated. New Jersey is far from the worst, but it falls into that recommendation — or at least a bunch of counties do.

There hasn't been any public polling on this in New Jersey, but does Murphy really want to reimpose that with the election looming? Especially in the summer, when mask wearing is a lot less comfortable than the winter? And I imagine compliance would be significantly less than before.

"What's the appetite? Not much, as you can imagine. People have had it with this pandemic," Murphy told Yahoo! Finance Tuesday, a day after he suggested at a press conference that he was hesitant to reimpose restrictions.

And so the CDC recommendations, once a way for Murphy to justify restrictions, could be a political annoyance.

WHERE'S MURPHY? No public schedule

PARKWAY SERVICE AREAS OF THE DAY: The Turnpike Authority is renaming all the Garden State Parkway service areas after famous New Jerseyans, dead or alive. They'll be, from north to south: James Gandolfini, Larry Doby, Connie Chung, Whitney Houston, Jon Bon Jovi, Judy Blume, Celia Cruz, Frank Sinatra and Toni Morrison. Here's the press release. (Springsteen didn't want one. No word on Meryl Streep. But the people demand Uncle Floyd).

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Could I do a toasted plain bagel with cream cheese and a little salmon?" — Gov. Phil Murphy in a Twitter video celebrating the fake national state holiday at Tops Diner, which drew scorn on Twitter for a) ordering a bagel at a diner and b) ordering a plain bagel.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Former Sen. Bill Bradley, Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez, Dem fundraiser Samantha Maltzman

WHAT TRENTON MADE

MASK MANDATE TO RETURN NOV. 3 — Murphy: Public has little appetite for new Covid-19 restrictions, by POLITICO's Sam Sutton : New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy isn't relishing the thought of having to reimpose mask requirements. With the Delta variant fueling a surge in new Covid-19 cases nationwide, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new guidance Tuesday recommending Americans mask up in public settings regardless of their vaccination status. While the CDC's guidance only pertains to areas where it's deemed Covid-19 transmission to be "high" or "substantial," New Jersey fits that bill. The state has reported more than 53 cases per 100,000 residents over the last seven days, and the positivity rate on new tests is landing north of 3 percent, according to CDC data. Murphy, who commented shortly after news broke of the CDC's new recommendations, said his administration will take whatever steps are necessary to stanch viral spread. However, with New Jersey having been among the last states to shed its indoor mask requirement less than two months ago, there's little appetite to revert back.

—Ciattarelli pushes back on new CDC indoor mask guidance

IT'S IMPORTANT THAT NJ STUDENTS LEARN THE IMPORTANCE OF PATRONAGE AND LOW-SHOW JOBS EARLY — 'This is a crisis': Private pre-K providers in New Jersey say program rife with improprieties, by POLITICO's Carly Sitrin: New Jersey's nationally acclaimed preschool program has an accountability problem. In Trenton, private pre-K providers — community groups that are funded by the state and contracted with the school district — have long been exchanging whispered stories of district vengeance, "political favoritism" and a Department of Education unwilling — or unable — to step in. Now, some of these providers say it's time for the state to confront the structural issues they claim are degrading the preschool experience for needy children throughout New Jersey as Gov. Phil Murphy seeks reelection and as President Joe Biden's administration looks to New Jersey as a potential model for universal pre-K nationwide. Documents obtained through records requests show a head custodian at the Laura Spelman Preschool Academy in Trenton who was a former deputy mayor and one-time congressional candidate went from earning $53,000 to more than $113,000 in a four-year period from 2016 to 2020 — overseeing the cleaning of eight classrooms in a school run by his wife. In an April letter to the Department of Education, one provider, Alma Garcia, cited documents she obtained that were reviewed by POLITICO showing instances of directors being paid above their experience levels, teachers being underpaid and one director earning $144,600 for working but "0.78 time."

NEW JERSEY DRIVE — "N.J. MVC's new license appointments are booked solid for months. Here's why,' by NJ Advance Media's Jeff Goldman: "Glenn Graham had been trying for weeks to get his 17-year-old son an appointment at a New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission office so the teen could obtain his learner's permit. But there were no spots to be had — not in Flemington, the licensing center closest to Graham's Bethlehem Township home, nor at any location remotely nearby for 60 days, which is as far in advance as an appointment can be scheduled … The reason, according to the MVC, is a law that went into effect in early May that made hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants living in the state eligible to obtain a driver's license. 'Since the NJMVC launched status-neutral licensing on May 1, 2021, the demand for new permits and licenses has been very high, as an additional 400,000 residents (or more) may now be eligible for a standard New Jersey driver license,' an MVC spokesman said."

ABUSE — "Domestic violence laws are not strong enough, family of slain N.J. mom says," by NJ Advance Media's Katie Kausch and Joe Atmonavage: "Two weeks after Yasemin Uyar's death, as details of a decade-long abusive relationship have emerged, her friends and family are calling for changes to domestic violence laws. Speaking after her funeral, Uyar's mother, Karen, said New Jersey needs to toughen its laws and put in place better training for police officers who work with domestic violence victims. A petition started by Yasemin Uyar's best friend, Jacqui Psolka, calling for similar measures, has garnered over 15,000 signatures. Yasemin Uyar, 24, was found dead in Tennessee earlier this month, several days after she and her 2-year-old son were reported missing from Rahway."

PRISON CAFETERIA TO SERVE TOSSED SALAD AND SCRAMBLED EGGS — "Man hired by state Children and Families department after they investigated him gets 20 years in prison," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: "An Atlantic County man who got a job at the state Department of Children and Families despite their own findings that he spent the right [sic] with a nine-year-old student has been sentenced to 250 months in a federal prison. Kayan Frazier, 29, pleaded guilty in February to one count of producing child pornography while working as a substitute teacher in Atlantic City. Frazier worked for the state from October 2017 until April 2019, when the Atlantic County Prosecutor charged him with unlawful possession of child pornography. Federal charges for receiving, distributing and producing child pornography came three months later. The state has never publicly addressed how Frazier got through his background check."

—Interest groups pitch administration on how to spend federal relief funds

—EDA: New Jersey ranks 3rd in distributing grants to small business

—"Who's checking to see if N.J.'s buildings are at risk of falling down? Almost no one"

—"Second NJ Transit reform bill gets a big amendment in compromise to move through Trenton"

—"Fewer people are getting the COVID vaccine in N.J. That's both good news and bad"

—Moran: "It's time. Mandate the vaccine"

—" The O'Toole Chronicles: Uneasy lies the head"

—"Why we shouldn't mandate coverage of medical marijuana in New Jersey | Opinion"

JOIN TODAY – A WOMEN RULE CONVERSATION WITH THE WOMEN POWERING SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: Covid-19 took a massive toll on the entertainment and sports industries over the past year and a half. As the summer movie season kicks into full gear, concerts make their way back and crowds fill sports stadiums, we look to the women powering these industries to return in full force. Join POLITICO Women Rule editor Elizabeth Ralph for a conversation with Kamala Avila-Salmon, head of Inclusive Content for Films at Lionsgate; Monica Dixon, president, External Affairs & chief administrative officer Monumental Sports; and Sandy Lighterman, Film & Entertainment commissioner, Miami Dade County Office of Film and Entertainment on lessons learned from the pandemic upheaval to these industries and what it means for the long haul. REGISTER HERE.

BIDEN TIME

NURSING HOMES — "Feds end probe of nursing home deaths in 3 states, but N.J. remains under investigation," by NJ Advance Media's Ted Sherman: "In a letter on Friday to Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, a ranking Republican on the House Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, officials said they would not proceed with civil investigations in Pennsylvania, Michigan or New York. But the letter, signed by Deputy Assistant Attorney General Joe Gaeta, said an investigation in New Jersey at the state-operated veterans homes at Paramus and Menlo Park under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, or CRIPA, had already begun and would continue. That investigation was launched in October after the Justice Department requested information regarding the spread of COVID in the three state-operated nursing homes … But rather than provide all the data requested, New Jersey reportedly provided incomplete answers and referred federal investigators to the state's website, federal officials said. The response sparked an investigation by U.S. Attorney in New Jersey and the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division — not only into whether deaths at Menlo Park and Paramus had not been reported, but also over a 'concern that the quality of medical care at these nursing homes has been deficient,' according to a letter sent to the state."

YEAH, THAT'S TOTALLY SOMETHING TRUMP WOULD DO, AND I'M NOT BEING SARCASTIC AT ALL — "Chris Christie suggested that Trump conduct a 'thank you' tour of hospitals and small businesses to pick up in the polls and counter Biden during 2020 race: book," by Yahoo News' John L. Dorman : "Christie of New Jersey told Trump that he was behind in the race and suggested that the president conduct a national 'thank you' tour of hospitals, and manufacturers that produced medical PPE (personal protective equipment), which Leonnig and Rucker detailed in 'I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year.' 'The public won't know what to do with Donald Trump running around saying 'thank you' to everybody — and, more importantly, Joe Biden won't know what to do,' the former governor said, according to the book … Christie, who knocked off incumbent Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine in 2009 before winning reelection in the liberal-leaning Garden State four years later, was candid with Trump about the realities of running for reelection, when voters are looking for a fresh message from political candidates. 'Look, you're running the 2016 campaign again and you can't run the same campaign twice,' Christie said, according to the book. 'It just never works. Times are different. You're different. The way people view you is different. Your opponent is different. This doesn't make any logical sense to run the same campaign.'"

— "NJ veterans home staff not required to get COVID shots, while federal VA mandates them"

POLITICO REPORTER UPSET HE CAN NO LONGER MAKE 'D'COSTANZO!' SEINFELD JOKE — Weinberg's chief of staff named interim Bergen County elections superintendent, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: New Jersey's largest county will have two key election administrators in place in time for the November election. Gov. Phil Murphy on Tuesday named Debra Francica, chief of staff to state Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, as interim Bergen County superintendent of elections, Murphy spokesperson Michael Zhadanovsky said. Jamie H. Sheehan-Willis, a Republican who chairs the Bergen County Board of Elections, was named interim deputy superintendent. They will begin their new jobs on Wednesday.

—Mulshine: " Chris Christie has made himself the top anti-Trumper in the GOP"

LOCAL

WOMAN WILL NOW PUT UP 'F*** THE ACLU' SIGN — "Biden hater's banners that town called obscene can stay up, court rules," by The New York Times' Ed Shanahan and Tracey Tully: "A New Jersey woman can leave up several banners that use what local officials called an obscenity to express her hostility toward President Biden, a state court ruled on Tuesday. The ruling came after the woman, Andrea Dick of Roselle Park, enlisted the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey to fight a municipal judge's order that she take the banners off a fence outside the house where she lives with mother or face $250 a day in fines. After the civil liberties group joined the case, Roselle Park officials backpedaled on their earlier demand that Ms. Dick take down the banners and effectively dropped the matter. 'I feel amazing,' Ms. Dick, 54, said after the Superior Court of New Jersey dismissed the case … Ms. Dick vowed to challenge the ruling on free speech grounds, and the civil liberties group stepped in, filing a brief on her behalf in Superior Court. At that point, Roselle Park officials reversed course and dismissed the summons."

TINY BOXES — "[Bridgeton] plans to provide tiny houses for homeless residents, just in time for winter," by NJ Advance Media's Matt Gray: "Social services provider Gateway Community Action Partnership wants to launch a pilot program in Bridgeton to set up six shelter units — each measuring 100-square-feet — that would house longterm homeless residents in the area. The proposal will go before the city planning board on Wednesday."

—"Bergen Community College wipes out $5 million in student debt"

—"ELEC: HCDO is only Dem committee in N.J. with campaign debt, in the red about $124k"

—"Hudson County Community College forgives $4.86M in debt for 4,800 students"

— "Paterson Council takes issue with Mayor's 'already wrong' legal marijuana plan"

—"Citigroup to take over Atlantic City water park bond sale; Groundbreaking for project this fall"

—"Pitman 'opts out' on cannabis business zoning ordinance ahead of August deadline"

—"Lawsuit: Ewing couple says Trenton Water Works destroyed their $400K home"

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EVERYTHING ELSE

SCOUTS' DISHONOR — "Will NJ Boy Scouts camps have to be sold to pay for sex abuse lawsuit settlement?" by The Record's Marsha A. Stoltz: "On July 2, the national organization filed its fourth amended Chapter 11 plan for reorganization, offering an $850 million settlement, of which $600 million would be financed by its 250 local councils. Councils in Arizona, Illinois, Missouri, Maine and Wisconsin have already said they plan to sell camp land to finance their share of the settlement, striking at the heart of Scouting's emphasis on outdoor activities. So far no New Jersey properties owned by the organization have gone up for sale. If they do, environmental groups say Green Acres conservation easements will help prevent the development of the land."

SHE HEARD THAT WAWA'S SERVING DINNER — "Woman steals oil tanker, leads police on chase to Wawa 80 miles away at Jersey Shore, cops say," by NJ Advance Media's Jeff Goldman: "A 44-year-old woman who stole an oil tanker in Camden County on Saturday was arrested more than eight hours later and 80 miles away along the Jersey Shore after eluding police and getting into crashes in multiple in towns, authorities said. Wildwood police took Camille Wescott, of Lawnside, into custody in the parking lot of Wawa on West Rio Grande Avenue after 8:30 p.m. when cops forced their way into the truck due to concerns she would flee into the town congested with summer visitors, officials said."

ANOTHER CAREER CLOSED TO JAMEL HOLLEY — "RWJBarnabas Health to 35,000 NJ staffers: Get vaccinated or get fired," The Asbury Park Press' Michael Diamond: "RWJBarnabas Health, one of New Jersey's biggest health care providers, will require all of its employees and medical staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by mid-October, the company said Monday. The West Orange-based company previously mandated only supervisors get the vaccine. But it expanded the requirement because it had an ethical obligation to keep patients and colleagues safe, an executive said."

—" Why does race play a factor in medical outcomes? N.J. families want answers"

—"Brigantine native's short film shot in Atlantic City screened at Cannes"

—NJBiz: " The 2021 Law Power 50"

—"'Not just a statistic': NJ group puts a face to addiction, honors those lost to overdoses"

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