News : POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Can Ciattarelli land a police union endorsement?

Thursday, September 9, 2021

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Can Ciattarelli land a police union endorsement?

Sep 09, 2021

Presented by A Healthy Future, LLC

Good Thursday morning! Here's to hoping you didn't suffer any flooding.

Jack Ciattarelli has focused his campaign heavily on law and order. Complaining about how police can't search kids if they smell weed. Rowdy mobs of teens at the beach. A spike in shootings.

But so far, the only police unions to endorse in the race — the Port Authority PBA and the State Troopers Fraternal Association — have backed Murphy. The two major police unions, the NJ PBA and NJ FOP, haven't concluded their endorsement process. The NJ FOP is expected to make a decision next week.

So can Ciattarelli count on their support? They can't know for sure, but some people around Murphy expect the unions — which both endorsed Donald Trump in 2020 — to be neutral in the race. And NJ PBA President Pat Colligan's comment to POLITICO last month that "I don't think [Murphy's] anti-police" seemed to hint at that.

It doesn't seem like a stretch that the rank-and-file cops would be sympathetic to Ciattarelli. But the unions also have to weigh the potential of alienating an incumbent — one they backed in 2017 after years of fighting with Chris Christie over benefits.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I'm not the sacrificial lamb of the Republican Party." — Jack Ciattarelli

WHERE'S MURPHY? — In Lowers Alloway Creek for a windport groundbreaking ceremony with U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh at 11:15 a.m.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Frequent candidate Joseph "Rudy" Rullo, Star-Ledger columnist Paul Mulshine , former Press of Atlantic City reporter Derek Harper, former real estate commissioner Benjamin Steltzer, Booker staffer Henrique Ferreira

A message from A Healthy Future, LLC:

Some members of Congress want to fund a partisan $3.5 trillion spending plan on the backs of Medicare patients. Their plan would repeal a safeguard in Medicare protecting seniors and those with disabilities, cutting off access to life-saving medicines. Tell Congressman Andy Kim: Oppose cutting Medicare to pay for the $3.5 trillion spending plan. Stop the government from pulling needed prescription drugs from the market. Sign the petition.

WHAT TRENTON MADE

DISASTER DECLARATION — "Disaster declaration being considered for 8 more N.J. counties, officials say," by NJ Advance Media's Amanda Hoover: "New Jersey and federal officials are assessing the severity of damage from Tropical Storm Ida in eight more counties as the state seeks additional federal help for residents impacted by the storm. The Office of Emergency Management and FEMA toured Hudson, Essex, Mercer and Union counties Tuesday, and continued on to Burlington, Monmouth and Morris counties Wednesday, said Pat Callahan, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. They were expected to assess Warren County later today, he said. 'We are not done,' Gov. Phil Murphy said Wednesday during a press briefing on COVID-19. 'We're continuing to work with FEMA and county leaders across the state to expedite damage assessments and have those counties added to the major disaster declaration.'"

— "After meeting Biden, [Harrison] mayor is confident of federal aid for cleanup"

— "Hudson County will be added to FEMA's disaster area list, source says"

TRENTON EXPERTS IN BUYOFFS SCRAMBLE TO LEARN ABOUT BUYOUTS — Murphy: New Jersey may need to buy out homeowners as flood risk grows, by POLITICO's Sam Sutton and Ry Rivard: One week after the remnants of Hurricane Ida unleashed tornadoes and flash floods across the state, Murphy acknowledged that as much as New Jersey and the rest of the Northeast would benefit from pending infrastructure legislation that would fund flood mitigation projects, it may be too late for areas where flash floods will continue to pose risks to residents, homeowners and commercial corridors. "There's no amount of mitigation that can be put in place that is going to keep them from the reality of what we're seeing, which is the intensity and frequency of storms," Murphy said during his regular press briefing in Trenton.

PRAY THAT THE GOLF CLUB IN BEDMINSTER WAS UNSCATHED — "After Ida's chaos, both Joe Biden and Phil Murphy reap political gains," by The Record's Charles Stile: "For Murphy, the Democratic incumbent seeking reelection in November, the president's visit was a chance to remind voters that he has a Batphone link to the White House. The meta-message Murphy delivered was hard to ignore. This alliance could potentially yield large benefits for New Jersey, not just with emergency aid that is soon to flow, but also with a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River and other infrastructure largess. At Tuesday's press conference, Murphy sat at a folding table with Biden, but he'll soon be at the deal-making table, lobbying a sympathetic ear for the spoils that could fuel post-Ida recovery."

YOU COULD'VE JUST CALLED SWEENEY AND COUGHLIN — "New Jersey must ensure reproductive freedom for all," by Phil Murphy and Loretta Weinberg for The Star-Ledger: "Nearly four years ago, we turned our back on this failed way of thinking, restoring funding for Planned Parenthood and family planning services statewide. We cannot have a stronger and fairer New Jersey unless we guarantee access to reproductive and family planning services, critical cancer screenings, and prenatal care to everyone, in every community of our state. It is why we unequivocally believe that choice can no longer be a matter of case law in New Jersey — it must be state law. Now is the time to pass the Reproductive Freedom Act and protect reproductive justice for all. This legislation says plainly to all New Jerseyans: You have a right to make decisions with your doctors. You have a right to access lifesaving health care. You have a right to choose. We can't go back."

DISINTERESTED — "Despite money in bank, NJ now pays interest on unemployment loan," by NJ 101.5's Michael Symons : "Not only will New Jersey employers pay higher unemployment taxes starting next month, but now the state is paying interest to the federal government on the loan it is carrying to pay jobless benefits. The advance from the U.S. Labor Department had been interest-free since March 2020, but that grace period ended Monday. The size of the loan can vary daily as it operates like a line of credit, depending on the balance of the state's unemployment fund, but was over $217 million and rising as of Tuesday. In all, 10 states and the Virgin Islands owe $44.7 billion. Nevada and Ohio paid off their balances last week to avoid paying the newly applicable interest rate of nearly 2.3%. The state has more than $2 billion in a new debt avoidance fund, as well as more than $4 billion in federal coronavirus funding available, but Gov. Phil Murphy said it hasn't yet been decided how that funding will be used."

*FOR DOWNTOWN BUFFALO — Hochul: 'I will support' congestion pricing, by POLITICO's Danielle Muoio and Erin Durkin: Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday voiced unequivocal support for congestion pricing, adding she wants to see the federal review of the new system completed as quickly as possible. "I have supported, I do support and I will support — no question, my support for congestion pricing," Hochul told reporters at an unrelated press conference. "And I've already asked the question, how do we reduce the timeframe?" Hochul's remarks come as the city sees an alarming rise in traffic, with residents largely opting for personal vehicle travel over mass transit during the Covid-19 pandemic. A recent report by the Regional Plan Association found traffic on the state's bridges and tunnels has exceeded pre-pandemic levels, when they served 900,000 vehicles on an average day in 2019. Ridership on buses, subways and commuter rails remains down by roughly 50 percent.

— "Stop looting, gawking in storm damaged towns, N.J. officials say"

— " N.J. residents can get free Ubers, Lyfts if they lost their car in Ida. Insurance may cover it, too"

— "Growing chorus of critics want to hit the brakes on N.J. electric heating mandate"

— " Students don't have to wear masks if classrooms are too hot, Murphy says, but warns districts 'Don't play games'"

— "Majority of COVID cases are among the unvaccinated, Murphy says. Breakthrough deaths rise to 80 in N.J."

BIDEN TIME

A RICH STORY — "Two staffers who opened their Capitol Hill homes to colleagues on 9/11," by Roll Call's Niels Lesniewski and Herb Jackson: "[Ben] Rich, who is now Pascrell's chief of staff, knew something was wrong that day when he looked up at the TV in his seventh-floor office in the Longworth Building and initial news reports were saying a small plane had crashed into the North Tower … Rich said the office started making calls to find out what was up, trying the Federal Aviation Administration and lobbyists for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owned the trade center complex. 'Then the second plane hit, and that's when it clicked that this is something really nefarious, and we should probably leave,' Rich said … Rumors made people afraid to take Metro home, or to drive, because they might drive past a building that was targeted … So people ended up at his place, watching TV, eventually calling their families to say they were OK. The next time he saw his boss was that evening, when House members and senators from both parties gathered on the House steps to show that Congress couldn't be kept from gathering."

— Golden: "Gateway, SALT repeal teeter on a knife's edge with biden infrastructure plan"

— "Hugin blames Biden for deaths of soldiers in attack on Kabul airport"

— "Labor Secretary Walsh to attend groundbreaking of New Jersey wind port"

LOCAL

MANVILLE OVERBOARD — "In the flooded New Jersey town that Biden visited, residents feel forgotten," by The New York Times' Juliet Macur: "The working-class town of about 10,000 residents has seen many hardships. Manville was named after the company Johns Manville, which manufactured asbestos there. Town residents found white flakes of asbestos floating in their pools, thinking nothing of it until the material was later found to cause cancer. Another part of town was later designated a federal Superfund site, needing major environmental cleanup because a wood treatment facility had used creosote, a toxic substance dumped into two sludge lagoons. … And flooding in Manville, which President Biden visited on Tuesday, has been an issue for decades. When Regina Petrone's house flooded this time — she has lived in Manville for 30 years — she lost everything in her basement.

"The federal government has let Manville suffer, she said as the stench of sewage wafted through the pile of debris from her house. In recent years, an Army Corps of Engineers study found that Manville did not meet the cost-benefit standard for any flood protection project; a series of dikes that were built in a nearby town, Bound Brook, saved it from Ida's devastation. 'We're the forgotten town,' Ms. Petrone said. 'We're too small to care about, evidently. So I hope Biden does something. This has gone on way too long.'"

— "After presidential visit, NJ neighborhood destroyed by Ida hopes for change"

'PUBLIC SAFETY' WORKERS — "Newark police, fire union leaders demand negotiations over city's employee vaccination mandate," by TAPIntoNewark's Tom Widemann: "Newark police and fire union leaders are calling for a sit-down with Mayor Ras Baraka's office to negotiate the terms and conditions of a city employee vaccination mandate they felt was rushed to the table after it went into effect last month. A sea of red and blue shirts showcasing the union leaders' message to Newark officials, 'Let Us Call Our Own Shots!' swarmed the steps of City Hall on Wednesday to air their grievances with the executive order. The order requires city employees to get vaccinated or be subject to the potential risk of losing their job. Union leaders made it clear during Wednesday's rally that while they didn't necessarily oppose a mandate for the vaccination, they took issue with the order stating those who didn't comply could face a potential loss in pay and termination."

— @NikitaBiryukov_ on Wednesday: "Former Ocean GOP Chair George Gilmore is hosting a fundraiser in Seaside headlined by NEWT GINGRICH tonight. The funds go to GOPAC, an IE group with ties to Gilmore, who said more than $200,000 has already been raised. ... The money is meant to boost Republican campaigns, he said. Gilmore fundraising a sore spot for some Ocean GOP, including current chair Frank Holman. The two have butted heads over his Gilmore's competing fundraising operation."

NEWS TO MAKE YOU GRIMACE — " EEOC: McDonald's operator fired worker due to his autism," by The Courier-Post's Jim Walsh: "A federal agency has sued a South Jersey McDonald's operator, alleging it fired a long-time worker due to his autism. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is seeking financial damages for Anthony Cardone, who spent 37 years as a grill cook with the fast-food chain. The agency contends a Sewell-based firm, JDKD Enterprises, improperly terminated Cardone just weeks after buying his workplace, a McDonald's in Deptford. Cardone had previously received awards while working for other McDonald's operators, noted Debra Lawrence, an EEOC attorney. 'The only thing that changed was new owners who acted based on his disability, not on his demonstrated outstanding job performance,' she asserted."

R.I.P. — "Long-time Lincoln Park Councilman Jim Wild dies at 81," by The Daily Record's Jessie Gomez: "James Wild, a longtime resident and councilman for three decades, died last week. He was 81. Mayor David Runfeldt announced the councilman's death on Facebook on Monday after Wild's death last Friday. The cause of death was not disclosed. 'He was passionate about cars and had an uncanny ability to troubleshoot,' Runfeldt posted on Facebook. 'Jim was a regular Saturday lunch fixture at the Hopper for decades.'"

— " Complaints filed against [Barnegat Baord of Ed] members for going maskless"

— "Ramapo Indian Hills school board president ignored mask mandate, teachers union says"

— " First day of school at the Shore: COVID masks, social distancing, and high hopes"

— "One solution to all-day masking: Fair Lawn sets up tents for outdoor lunch and classrooms"

— " A $1.4 million renovation has started at Toms River's town hall"

— "[Paterson] school district with delayed classroom return still needs to fill 76 positions"

— " Growing N.J. district [Elizabet] buys shuttered Catholic school building for $5.5M"

— "NJ to restart study of options for often-flooded Rahway River"

A message from A Healthy Future, LLC:

If Congressman Andy Kim and Congress cut Medicare to pay for the $3.5 trillion spending plan, the government could refuse to cover life-saving medicines and prevent breakthrough therapies for diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's, or diabetes. What about a vaccine for the next pandemic? This is a prescription for disaster. We can't let the government play doctor. We can't give government bureaucrats the authority to deny access to needed prescription medicines and ration care as a way of "saving money" to fund their multi-trillion-dollar wish list. Sign the petition and make sure Congressman Kim hears your voice today.

EVERYTHING ELSE

FARM IN NEED — "N.J.'s largest dairy farmer begs Gov. Murphy: 'Help us.'" by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Erin Arvedlubnd: "The Eachus family's dairy cows no longer have a barn for shelter. And the third-generation owners of New Jersey's largest dairy, called Wellacrest Farms in Mullica Hill, couldn't store the milk at one point from their 1,400 cow herd — their refrigerated tanks were too damaged. And the Eachuses expect "millions of dollars" in financial costs from Hurricane Ida. The storm generated an EF-3 tornado that tore through the state's largest dairy operation, destroying equipment and buildings and trapping hundreds of cows under collapsed barns … The family did manage to repair their milk storage tanks. So they're milking, storing, and shipping out each morning. But they still face a heap of bills. And Eric Eachus, 29, and grandson of the founder, had one request of Gov. Phil Murphy: 'Help us.' 'We haven't gotten any help from anyone, the state or the federal government,' although U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R., N.J.) had visited in the past week, Eachus said."

— "How post-Sandy resiliency program paid off for PSE&G during Ida"

— "'We don't stop': Rutgers professor still IDs 9/11 ground zero remains after 20 years"

— "NJ had 27 deaths related to Ida. Here's what we've learned about the people we lost"

— "Saint Barnabas CEO and other execs replaced in major shake-up"

— "NJ LGBTQ+ Pride parade and festival in Asbury Park postponed until 2022 due to COVID"

— " NJ man captures moment tornado devastated his home in chilling video"

— "WATCH: Cop saves woman from Ida floodwaters, then firefighters rescue them"

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