News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: The governor's race has left the state

Tuesday, August 10, 2021

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: The governor's race has left the state

Aug 10, 2021

Presented by AARP

Good Tuesday morning!

We're definitely in the doldrums of summer. Jack Ciattarelli is on a trip to Israel, and Gov. Phil Murphy is headed to Italy to vacation with his family.

This will be Murphy's first out-of-state vacation since the pandemic's onset, his office said. That's a year and a half. But while that's been a while, it's still a political risk. New Jersey is in the midst of another COVID wave, albeit so far much less severe than previous ones.

The State Department has softly discouraged travel to Italy and Israel, either because of Covid, or because some bureaucrat dislikes countries that start with "I."

But Murphy and family have plenty of acres to quarantine on in their vast Umbria estate. And I can't remember a time a governor's family vacation became a scandal. Well, except for that one time.

WHERE'S MURPHY? — Headed to Italy today. He has a public event scheduled at an undisclosed location (mysterious!) at 10:30 a.m. to rename the Dismal Swamp as the "Peter J. Barnes III Wildlife Preserve"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Dover Dems' Edward Correa, Former Record reporter Michael Linhorst , former Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Maya Rao

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "And Sen. Sweeney seems to have had a particular interest in Mr. Minor's termination." — U.S. District Court Judge Joshua Wolson on Logan Mayor Frank Minor's lawsuit charging he was fired from a $169,000 job at the DRBA as political retaliation for joining Gov. Phil Murphy's transition team.

A message from AARP:

Americans are sick of paying the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs — more than three times what people in other countries pay for the same medicine. The President, members of Congress in both parties, and the people agree: we must cut drug prices.

By giving Medicare the power to negotiate, we can save hundreds of billions of dollars. Tell Congress: Cut prescription drug prices now.

WHAT TRENTON MADE

NURSING HOMES — "Vaccines blunted COVID-19 inside nursing homes. Delta changed that," by NJ Spotlight News' Lilo Stainton: "Nursing homes in New Jersey and nationwide are experiencing a rising number of COVID-19 outbreaks due to the highly infectious delta variant, despite the growing use of coronavirus vaccines among previously hesitant staff. But there seems little appetite for reinstating the lockdown measures employed during much of the pandemic, like restricting residents to their rooms and suspending visits. Instead, state officials, industry leaders and others are pushing to further boost immunization rates in these facilities, while continuing to enforce strict infection-control protocols to reduce the virus's spread."

TRUST THE JUDICIAL PROCESS — New Jersey's 'Immigrant Trust Directive' survives latest court challenge, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: A Murphy administration policy that limits local law enforcement's cooperation with federal immigration authorities has survived another court challenge, after the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday upheld a lower court ruling that the policy is not preempted by federal law. Context : Former Attorney General Gurbir Grewal introduced the "Immigrant Trust Directive" in 2018 to bar local authorities from assisting the federal government in cracking down on undocumented immigration in a number of ways. They include: stopping or arresting people based on solely immigration status, barring the sharing of non-public personally identifying information with authorities and providing notice of release for people they've detained who are undocumented

MURPHY ALLBIRDS VS. CIATTARELLI DRESS SHIRT IN COUTURE WAR — "After culture war interlude, NJ governor's race turns focus back to COVID-19," by The Record's Dustin Racioppi: "The rise of the delta variant has turned attention on the gubernatorial campaign sharply back to the pandemic — specifically vaccines. And it has revealed a dramatic split between the two candidates. A similar debate is playing out in Virginia, the only other state with a gubernatorial election this November. But the one in New Jersey is likely to last beyond that, because lawmakers plan to resurrect legislation eliminating the state's religious exemption, which narrowly failed and drew hordes of protesters to the Statehouse before the pandemic … Ciattarelli offered a more nuanced explanation of his position and said Murphy should try listening and understanding people with opposing views instead of calling them 'knuckleheads' and 'forcing his extremist views upon them'" Ciattarelli's comments that he would add another vaccine exemption in schools came as New Jersey reported increases in the delta variant of COVID-19, renewing focus on vaccines and the need to inoculate much more of the population to curb the new strain's spread"

TIN FOIL HAT STILL MORE FASHIONABLE THAN MURPHY'S — 'Tin foil hat stuff': Murphy pushes back on claim illegal immigration driving Covid surge," by POLITICO's Daniel Han: Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday claims by some Republicans that undocumented immigrants illegally crossing the southern border are driving the surge in coronavirus cases in the U.S. are "tin foil hat stuff." Though he didn't mention her by name, Murphy's remarks during his regular briefing in Trenton appeared to be aimed at former state Sen. Diane Allen, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor. "I'm not getting political, but the people I'm running against started repeating this ridiculous Fox News narrative that the reason why Covid is raging in Texas and other places like that is because illegal immigrants are coming over the border — encouraged by this president — with Covid and are then being put on buses and sent to states," Murphy said. "I mean that's like tin foil hat stuff."

— "GOP Lt. Gov candidate Diane Allen veers right on immigrants, guns, LGBTQ after touted as moderate"

JAMEL HOLLEY REBUTTAL: 'SOMETHING SOMETHING BILL GATES, BIG PHARMA, AND WHATEVER I JUST READ ON FACEBOOK' — "No new COVID deaths among fully vaccinated in N.J., but positive tests are up, Murphy says," by NJ Advance Media's Karin Price Mueller: "In the last two weeks, none of New Jersey's COVID deaths were among fully vaccinated people, Gov. Phil Murphy said at his Monday coronavirus briefing. But nearly 20% of COVID-positive test results from July 20 through July 26 were among the fully vaccinated, he said … Of the 378 new COVID-positive hospitalizations statewide for those dates, 97%, or 367 of 378, were people who were either unvaccinated or not yet fully vaccinated, he said. During that same time, there were 21 COVID-related deaths, he said."

FOOD, FOLKS AND SHUNNED — " Court sides with sex offender seeking removal from registry," by The AP : "An amendment to Megan's Law that tightens the rules on who can seek to be removed from a sex offender registry can't be applied retroactively to crimes committed before the amendment was passed, New Jersey's Supreme Court ruled Monday. The case involved a man, identified by the initials J.D.-F., who was working as a manager at a McDonald's in Hillsborough in 2001 when he was accused of improperly touching two teenage boys who worked there. He was convicted in December 2002 of criminal sexual contact and child endangerment and sentenced to time in the county jail and probation."

— New Jersey's 'Immigrant Trust Directive' survives latest court challenge

— "Hate crimes registry plan finds opposition from civil rights advocates"

— " Way tells redistricting commissions that adjusted census numbers will take 7 days"

— Baraka and O'Hara: "The cities will lose their Black and brown cops to the suburbs"

— " NJ's blue state status does not inhibit segregation in schools"

— Imani Oakley: "A practice in hypocrisy: Defending voting rights while keeping the ballot line"

— " NJ anti-mask parents protest at Gov. Phil Murphy's private home"

— "N.J. school mask opponents 'willing to sacrifice our kids for politics.' Gov. Murphy fires back at anti-mask protesters"

— " Murphy defends masking policies as 13 kids are hospitalized with Covid"

— "'We know it's coming': Kids returning to school could cause NJ COVID surge, experts say"

— Ciattarelli bashes early voting law, citing cost

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

BIDEN TIME

INFRASTRUCTURE DAY — Buttigieg promotes infrastructure deal in New York's Jersey suburbs, by POLITICO's Ry Rivard: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg traveled to New Jersey on Monday to promote the bipartisan infrastructure deal, and also got an earful from local officials about suburban commuting headaches they say the multibillion-dollar Gateway rail project could fix. The Gateway project … , is among the big-ticket items the $1 trillion infrastructure deal is set to help build … . Officials said a 23-mile train commute from Westfield to New York City can sometimes take two hours. For decades, officials in this area have complained about the obstacles that delay residents who take the train to New York. Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.), who hosted Buttigieg, said one such snag — a busy, delay-prone crossing where the commuter trains intersect with Amtrak and freight trains — had almost held up the train along NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line he and Buttigieg took to get to Westfield.

LOCAL

MINOR THREAT — "Delaware River and Bay Authority appeals ruling in favor of Logan mayor Frank Minor," by The Courier-Post's Jim Walsh : "Was Logan Mayor Frank Minor a victim of politics when he lost his job with a bi-state authority in December 2019? Or did the Delaware River and Bay Authority terminate Minor because he was an unproductive employee? A federal judge has ruled a jury can answer that question to resolve a civil rights lawsuit brought by Minor over his dismissal as the DRBA's deputy executive director in December 2019. Depending on which version of events you credit, this is either a case of sordid machine politics silencing a critic or a case of a government employer terminating a stubborn and incompetent employee,' U.S. District Judge Joshua Wolson said in allowing Minor's suit to proceed to trial. But the DRBA, which operates under a compact between New Jersey and Delaware, on Monday asked a federal appeals court to overturn Wolfson's Aug. 3 ruling. Minor contends he was the victim of a rivalry between two fellow Democrats, Gov. Phil Murphy and Senate President Stephen Sweeney of West Deptford, the judge's ruling said. That feud allegedly flared when Minor joined Murphy's transition team after the governor's election in November 2017. In Minor's view, his support for Murphy led an unhappy Sweeney to press the DRBA's Chairman James Hogan, to dismiss him, the ruling continued"

THE UNCOOL TOWNS OF NEW JERSEY — "Half of New Jersey towns poised to ban cannabis businesses," by WNYC's Matt Katz: "Bergen County, 10 contiguous towns jointly decided to ban cannabis stores in part because they'd be located near residential neighborhoods and 'places of public accommodation frequented by the public, including children.' In Union City, Mayor Brian Stack is stopping marijuana operations from opening in his town even though he is also a state senator who cast a 'yes' vote for marijuana legalization. And at the Jersey Shore, one councilman—a medical marijuana patient—opposed opening stores in his town, saying it would be a "smokefest on the beaches and boardwalk," while a local mayor said residents 'didn't vote for 17-year-olds to become drug users, they didn't vote for some overtaxed product so some MS-13 gangbanger can come in here and undercut' the legal market. Yet the messaging from officials in many of the 240 towns that the state League of Municipalities estimates have banned cannabis businesses is simpler: They say they don't want to approve anything before the state's new Cannabis Regulatory Commission has even issued regulations about how these operations will work. Those regulations are also due to come out by August 21st."

—" Many NJ towns take wait-and-see approach to marijuana sales, businesses"

PROGRESSIVE COALITION VS. 'COALITION FOR PROGRESS' — "In Jersey City, progressives banding together to take on Team Fulop," by The Jersey Journal's Joshua Rosario: "If you're going to take on the big kids on the block, it pays to have some friends at your side. That seems to be the strategy of a group of Jersey City candidates challenging the slate of candidates led by Mayor Steven Fulop. An early indication of this informal alliance came on July 27 when Council at-large candidate Chris Gadsden introduced some of his allies who are hoping to get more progressive, independent voices in elected positions … The independent coalition has been canvassing together, including each other in social media posts, and promoting a need for independent voices on the City Council. Among them are Ward F candidate Frank Gilmore. He said the candidates have a lot of similar planks to their platforms and champion many of the same causes. Others in the coalition include Pedro Figuroa, Joel Brooks, Elvin Dominici, Kevin Bing, Danielle Freire and June Jones. Joining them is mayoral candidate Lewis Spears and Ward E Councilman James Solomon. Some of them have been working with each other since before the 2021 election."

'BECAUSE I SAID SO' — "For second time in 6 months, top Hudson County officials could get raises," by The Jersey Journal's Peter D'Auria: "Top Hudson County officials could see pay increases this week — their second in six months. The Hudson County Board of Commissioners will consider a resolution this week that would give 3% raises to a slate of county officials, including the county executive, administrator, and department heads. The resolution comes only about six months after the commissioners approved roughly $76,000 worth of raises for the same set of employees— and themselves — in March ... The original text of this week's resolution included raises for the county commissioners as well, but after inquiries from The Jersey Journal, a top county official said those were removed ... Asked for the reason behind the change, Vainieri said in a text, 'Because I said so.'"

— "While U.S. Attorney's Office won appeal, Raia resentenced to time served for Hoboken VBM fraud"

— " We asked 147 North Jersey schools about their COVID protocols for fall. Here's what they said"

— "Schools competing with Amazon for bus drivers. Incentives aimed at luring them back"

— " Jackson is facing four different lawsuits alleging anti-Semitism. Here's where they stand"

— "What are Chris Brown's plans for Atlantic City?"

— " Washington Twp. school district's first diversity director shares her vision"

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EVERYTHING ELSE

2,222.2 MASTROS — "The man who lost $20 billion in two days is lying low in New Jersey," by Bloomberg's Sridhar Natarajan and Katherine Burton: "Here in suburban Tenafly, 15 miles from midtown Manhattan, few would guess that this unassuming figure is none other than Bill Hwang — the man who just lost more than $20 billion … Yes, billion, with a B, as shocked lenders can attest. Four months after Archegos rocked global finance, bankers and federal authorities are still sifting through the wreckage. The liquidator who mopped up after Lehman Brothers has now come for Archegos. Some colleagues have turned on Hwang; others hope he'll bankroll hedge funds that might yet rise from the ashes. U.S. prosecutors are asking questions, too, including the big one: Was all of this another spectacle of Wall Street greed and hubris, or was it something worse? Credit Suisse Group AG, staggered by a $5.5 billion blow, says it was likely deceived by Hwang's family office"

'I DISAPPROVE OF WHAT YOU SAY, BUT I WILL DEFEND TO THE DEATH YOUR RIGHT TO HARASS CUSTOMER SERVICE WORKERS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY' — "Maskless woman's tirade in N.J. bank not protected under free speech, judge rules," by NJ Advance Media's Anthony G. Attrino: "A New Jersey Superior Court judge on Friday denied a motion to dismiss a lawsuit against a Bergen County woman who went on a tirade inside an Englewood bank last year after an employee asked her to put on a mask. Bank worker Sanaa Rami, of Budd Lake, alleges in court papers she was assaulted and suffered emotional distress on Nov. 27, 2020, when Lilach Kuhn, of Tenafly, entered the Citibank on Engle Street and screamed at her when asked to wear a mask. Kuhn's attorney, Dana Wefer, of Englewood Cliffs, said in court papers that her client's statements are protected under state and federal laws governing free speech and that no assault occurred. A judge disagreed with Wefer and refused to dismiss the lawsuit … The incident unfolded when Kuhn walked maskless into the bank as Rami was assisting a different customer … The lawsuit and video of the incident show Kuhn shouting at the banker. 'I am going to court to fight masks and you are not going to tell me what to do,' 'Kuhn yells. 'You work for me! I do not work for you! I have been a customer since 1990. Were you born then? Shame on you!" At one point, Kuhn yelled: 'I am a scientist! There is no corona[virus],' the suit states.

VACCINES — " No shot? New Jersey businesses are treading carefully on the issue of requiring COVID-19 vaccines as a condition of employment," by NJBIZ's Daniel J. Munoz and Gabrielle Saulsber y: "When NJBIZ reached out to 55 companies about their policies, including some of the state's largest employers, eight declined to comment and 32 simply did not respond … Among those that did, many said that they had not adopted a mandate but were strongly encouraging their workers to get the jab, be it through strong messaging or incentives. 'Employers don't want to be in the position of having to dictate the health care of their employees, nor do they want to be the police over customers frequenting their facilities,' said Michele Siekerka, president and chief executive officer of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association. 'It creates animosity and not a great customer experience.'"

— "N.J. restaurant to require proof of vaccination. Is it 1st of many?"

PROOF THAT NO MATTER HOW ADVANTAGED YOUR BACKGROUND YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING — " Jessica Springsteen thanks horse after winning silver with U.S. team at Tokyo Olympics," by The Asbury Park Press' Chris Jordan: "Jessica Springsteen of Colts Neck is an Olympic silver medalist and everyone is getting a thank you. Including her horse, 12-year old Don Juan van de Donkhoeve … Springsteen, the 29-year old daughter of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa, is sending thanks and receiving congratulations two days after winning silver with the U.S. equestrian jumping team on Saturday, Aug. 7, at the Olympics in Tokyo."

— "Op-Ed: The pandemic transformed education. Let's build on the changes"

— "A brush with cancer will shape the new $750M hospital that bears his family name"

A message from AARP:

It's outrageous that Americans pay more than three times what people in other countries pay for the same medicine. And these unfair prices keep going up. Even during the pandemic and financial crisis, the prices of more than 1,000 drugs were increased. It's time for the President and Congress to cut prescription drug prices.

Currently, Medicare is prohibited by law from using its buying power to negotiate with drug companies to get lower prices for people. This must change. Giving Medicare the power to negotiate will save hundreds of billions of dollars.

And the American people agree. In a recent AARP survey of Americans 50+, a vast majority supported allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices, including 88% of Democrats and 85% of Republicans.

Tell Congress: Act now to lower prescription drug prices. Let Medicare negotiate.