News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Biden vs. Gottheimer

Monday, October 4, 2021

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Biden vs. Gottheimer

Oct 04, 2021

Presented by the Consumer Action Network

Good Monday morning!

Josh Gottheimer , New Jersey's most centrist Democratic House member, has always had his share of critics on the party's left. But now, as the most prominent voice among a few moderate Democrats seeking to uncouple an infrastructure bill from the larger reconciliation package that includes many Democratic priorities, he's put himself opposite President Joe Biden, who last week visited Democrats and backed the progressive caucus's strategy of tying the two together. The New York Times noticed.

Gottheimer hasn't been vulnerable to primary challenges from the left. For one, he's New Jersey's most prolific fundraiser. But there is, of course, "the line" that Gottheimer benefits from as a Democratic incumbent in the primary.

So here's an idea I'm playing with: With the president backing the party's progressive wing on infrastructure, is New Jersey's unique incumbent-boosting ballot structure now working against Biden's agenda? Gottheimer's critics have been showing up to his office to protest, but there's no indication he's feeling any heat. He beat progressive challenger Arati Kriebich 2-1 in the 2020 primary. (Kriebich was non-committal when I asked if she would run again in 2022).

That's not to say that knocking Gottheimer out in a primary would benefit Biden. This is, after all, a district that repeatedly elected the ultra-conservative Scott Garrett until Gottheimer managed to beat him. It's a district a liberal would probably have a hard time winning, and a lot of left-leaning Democrats know that. But if the district gets a little more Democratic after redistricting, will Democrats still see it that way?

WHERE'S MURPHY? In Trenton for a 1 p.m. coronavirus

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Along with a group of members, I've been working around-the-clock to pass the bipartisan bill, legislation we held craft back in April with my senate colleagues. But a small far-left faction of the House of Representatives undermined that agreement and blocked a critical vote on the president's historic bipartisan infrastructure bill." — U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-5th Dist.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Ret. Adm. Mike Mullen, former Jersey City Corporation Counsel Bill Matsikoudis

TIPS? FEEDBACK? HATE MAIL? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com

A message from the Consumer Action Network:

New Jersey families deserve access to health care that works best for them. The state legislature unanimously passed a bill that would allow patients to continue seeing their providers and help doctors and nurses get paid fairly regardless of how they deliver care — including for telehealth visits — just as they have done throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Tell Gov. Phil Murphy: Sign the telehealth bill today. Make your voice heard.

WHAT TRENTON MADE

ASK NOT THIS — "N.J. governor candidates love bashing each other. But what will they actually do for you?" by NJ Advance Media's Matt Arco: "Democratic incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy ran his first race as a clear progressive with promises to raise taxes on the rich, make recreational marijuana legal and raise the minimum wage. This time, he has no big themes other than keeping things going … Ciattarelli, who said early on in the campaign that he was going to be the tax guy, hasn't laid out a specific plan to cut the state's notoriously high taxes … 'You look at his ads and the messaging, it's been really more like buckshot and hoping something sticks rather than having a theme,' Patrick Murray, director of Monmouth University Polling, said … In other words? Long gone are the days when Democrat Jim McGreevey nearly won his first gubernatorial run in 1997 when he campaigned by talking nonstop about New Jersey property taxes and auto insurance."

TOMS RIVER EXERCISES MAGNETIC PULL ON CIATTARELLI — "Ciattarelli's ugly plan on property taxes: Raid funds aimed at poor cities," by The Star-Ledger's Tom Moran: "He makes one sensible point, that homeowners in Jersey City and Hoboken pay much lower property taxes than homeowners in suburbs like Toms River. But Jersey City and Hoboken are anomalies they have seen explosive growth in wealth. And adjustments for that are underway -- a 2018 law phases in cuts to both cities over a seven-year stretch. And one key reason property taxes are lower in Jersey City is that same reform allowed the city to impose a payroll tax of 1 percent to help fund schools. Toms River has no payroll tax … 'He doesn't realize what's been happening (in Jersey City) in the last two or three years is that the district and the city have significantly increased their property tax contribution, and added a payroll tax, too,' [Dave Sciarra] says. 'They're losing state aid every year.' In other words, Ciattarelli's late to this game. Jersey City and Hoboken have already been brought down a notch, with more to come. As for Toms River, it is losing aid under that 2018 law as well, putting upward pressure on property taxes. The reason is that the district had lost nearly 2,000 students during a 10-year stretch when the state failed to adjust aid to follow changes in student population … He's playing a political game instead, targeting Democratic cities, and fanning resentment in the suburbs."

A RELATIONSHIP TESTA — "Testa and Testa: Buttressed by the same values, mother and son run for office" by InsiderNJ's Max Pizarro: "Ellen Testa was tired of business as usual in her hometown of Buena Vista, where she her husband have lived for over two decades. She complained to her son, state Senator Mike Testa (R-1), who told her she ought to run for the local Borough Council. She mulled it over and decided she would do it. They're a political family, going back to when her father-in-law served as the first elected mayor of Vineland. 'My husband and I have always been in the background in Republican politics in Cumberland County,' Ellen Testa told InsiderNJ on Saturday morning. 'Our family has always been active. On the first day we moved to Buena Vista (which is not in the 1st Legislative District served by her son), someone asked me to run and I thought they were crazy.' Testa and his mother talk on the phone every day. 'Because of all of my complaining, he said, 'Why don't you do something about it?'"

INTEREST — "NJ Transit junked its equipment sooner than it planned. Now it has to settle up with the feds," by NJ Advance Media's Larry Higgs: "Parked in the woods of western Morris County are 32 rusty metal eyesores covered in graffiti. The now derelict ALP-44 electric locomotives ruled the rails when they were new, but have been rusting on an unused rail line in Roxbury since 2012. NJ Transit sidelined them three years before they should have been retired because the boxy engines weren't powerful enough to pull long trains of new heavier multilevel cars and replaced them with more powerful locomotives. But before these ex-kings of the rails could go to the junkyard, NJ Transit had to satisfy a $24.5 million interest that the Federal Transit Administration still had from grants it awarded NJT to buy the locomotives … They're not the only trains that NJ Transit has to satisfy the feds on. Deteriorating in a train yard in Bay Head for the past 13 years are 42 Comet III rail cars, sidelined by the better multilevel cars. Flooded by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, they were also deemed unusable and have since then."

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—Snowflack: "Ciattarelli's astounding general election pivot"

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—Potosnak: "The defeat of the PennEast project is a long-awaited victory"

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THE MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE 2021 IS HERE: POLITICO is excited to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage and insights from one of the largest and most influential gatherings of experts reinventing finance, health, technology, philanthropy, industry and media. Don't miss a thing from the 24th annual Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, from Oct. 17 to 20. Can't make it? We've got you covered. Planning to attend? Enhance your #MIGlobal experience and subscribe today.

BIDEN TIME

GOTT-OUTMANEUVERED-HEIMER — "How Rep. Josh Gottheimer got outmatched by the Congressional Progressive Caucus," by The intercept's Ryan Grimm: "At the end of August, Gottheimer and a gang of eight other House members used their leverage to force Pelosi to schedule a vote on the infrastructure bill that had already passed the Senate with a bipartisan majority. The group of conservative Democrats hoped to cleave it off from the broader reconciliation package, which includes steep tax hikes on the rich and robust social spending. But come Friday, Gottheimer was the lone name on the statement after, according to Politico's Heather Caygle, no one else from his 'unbreakable nine' would sign on. Later that evening, a Republican representative said one angry Democrat called Pelosi a 'fucking liar' for not putting the bill on the floor, and there was little question about the identity of that angry Democrat."

WOMEN'S MARCHES — "Women march for their reproductive rights across N.J.," by NJ Advance Media's Josh Solomon : "Across the country and in New Jersey on Saturday, women and allies marched through the streets to defend their reproductive rights in the face of Texas's restrictive abortion bill and similar legislation moving through other statehouses. The marches were scheduled before the U.S. Supreme Court reconvenes on Monday. Last month, the country's highest court declined to block the Texas abortion law, which bans abortions by rendering them illegal after six weeks of pregnancy, before many women even know they're pregnant...Gov. Phil Murphy was on hand [in Montclair] to hear the demands, and promised that he would sign such a bill should it reach his desk."

TWITTER THREAD OF THE DAY — @AndyKim: "A mysterious group called Healthy Future LLC is spending a ton of money spreading lies that I want to cut Medicare. Who are they? I looked up their address in Stafford VA and found this storefront in a strip mall. Hmmm...Let me tell a story of dark money and lies."

—" Hundreds join Women's Marches across New Jersey to rally for reproductive rights"

—"Booker sides with Democratic progressives in fight over infrastructure bill"

A message from the Consumer Action Network:

LOCAL

THAT'S A LOT OF RESPONSIBLE GOVERNANCE — Dark money group spent $89K against Norcross critic in small South Jersey town, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: A dark money group run by a friend of South Jersey Democratic power broker George Norcross spent almost $90,000 on mailers and digital ads to beat back a critic of the Camden County Democratic machine, records show. Spending by the group, Committee for Responsible Governance, was so intense that even Collingswood Mayor Jim Maley — whom the organization was boosting — wanted it to stop. Maley and his slate easily prevailed in the May municipal election. The election was ostensibly nonpartisan, but it became a proxy war between the Democratic machine that has long controlled Camden County and its progressive critics. Maley's mayoral challenger, Kate Delany, wrested control of the Collingswood Democratic committee two years earlier — the only recent progressive victory in Camden County politics.

THE COOL TOWNS OF SOUTH JERSEY — "These South Jersey towns are allowing legal weed stores to set up shop," by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Harold Brubaker: "In Philadelphia's South Jersey suburbs, 40 of 100 municipalities have opened their doors to cannabis businesses within their borders under New Jersey's legalization law, which was signed in February and allowed towns to ban marijuana businesses ― but not the delivery of cannabis to residents. The number of towns allowing cannabis businesses is expected to grow. Some of the 60 that opted out, such as the city of Camden and Bellmawr, did so by an August deadline to gain more time to write local regulations but intend to allow at least some of the law's six types of cannabis businesses … Some towns have taken pains in their ordinances to foster racial diversity in the industry. Willingboro, a majority-Black township in Burlington County, wanted to increase the chances that its residents could benefit from starting a marijuana business there by offering discounts on the local fee structure … Mount Holly's ordinance goes even further, eliminating the township's annual licensing fee entirely if criteria are met. In Moorestown, at least two of the four licenses allowed in the township must be awarded to microbusinesses."

WHAT 'TIL THEY LEARN ABOUT SOME ANCIENT SPARTAN CUSTOMS — " 'Give us our favorite educator back': Sparta students, parents protest teacher suspension," by The New Jersey Herald's Kyle Morel: "The alleged suspension of a beloved high school teacher and coach and talk of banning a racially sensitive book had parents and residents accusing school officials of censorship at this week's school board meeting. Many of the approximately two dozen people who spoke asked school board members to reinstate Sparta High School English teacher and girls lacrosse coach Kate Brennan, who they said was suspended over a book controversy. The speakers said the book at the center of the controversy is 'Ghost Boys,' a 2018 novel by Jewell Parker Rhodes that tells the story of a Black youth fatally shot by a police officer … It is not clear if or why Brennan was suspended. Superintendent Matt Beck, in a phone conversation with the New Jersey Herald on Saturday said he could not confirm the suspension of any staff member, but refuted the details reported by speakers at Wednesday's meeting. 'Unequivocally, no teacher, including Ms. Brennan, has been suspended over 'Ghost Boys',' Beck said. The book, he said, is part of the middle school curriculum, not the high school."

—"Paterson neighbors oppose plan for new drug treatment center"

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—"Paterson and Trenton mayors make a bet on cities' vaccine rates"

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EVERYTHING ELSE

WHILE YOU'RE AT IT, NAME THE BASKETBALL ARENA AFTER DOMINO'S PIZZA AND THE TENNIS COURTS AFTER LENDER'S BAGELS — "Rutgers nearing RAC naming-rights deal -- one with 'Jersey' in it," by The Asbury Park Press' Jerry Carino: "Rutgers University is nearing a naming-rights deal for the Rutgers Athletic Center with a partner befitting the state university: Jersey Mike's Subs. A contract has not been finalized, but barring an unforeseen setback, an agreement should get done in the coming weeks, according to multiple people familiar with the situation. The name, yet unknown, could be some variation of 'The Jersey Mike's Athletic Center at Rutgers.'"

INHERITING THE WIND — " A vision is becoming reality: South Jersey is mastering the wind industry," by Steve Sweeney, John J. Burzichelli and Adam J. Taliaferro for The Star-Ledger: "Wind blowing across the Atlantic will turn the turbines, but the thousands of jobs building the 5 million pound steel monopile foundations, assembling the sections of the massive wind towers, turbines and blades, and shipping them out to sea will flow through Gloucester and Salem counties. South Jersey will be the epicenter of the offshore wind industry not just for wind farms off the Jersey Shore, but for the entire Atlantic Seaboard from Maine to North Carolina. It didn't happen by accident."

'YOU'RE ENDORSED BY A SERIAL SEXUAL HARASSER? TAKE MY MONEY!' — "This N.J. firm promises to make clients rich. It might just be one big con," by Bill Myers and Kyle Campbell for NJ.com: "The billboards offer an irresistible come-on, the promise of a pristine life on Easy Street. 'Realty Investment Done Right' one says, alongside an image of a silver-haired couple riding bicycles on the beach. The radio ads feature none other than former Fox News personality Bill O'Reilly, promising a '10-per-cent monthly payout.' 'Yes, there is fine print — for one thing, National Realty Investment Advisors will only accept minimum investments of $1 million … But the Secaucus-based private equity firm portrays its 'cash recycling' investment strategy as foolproof … The alluring pitch, however, may mask a more sordid reality. On the morning of March 4, FBI agents surrounded the Secaucus home of the firm's then-portfolio manager, Nick Salzano. A tense, hours-long standoff ensued, locking down the suburban neighborhood. When Salzano eventually surrendered, authorities charged him with attempting to con an investor as part of a North Bergen housing development project."

—"Bayside State Prison guard beat inmates to punish them, federal prosecutors say"

—"New Wittpenn Bridge opens after 10 years and half a billion dollars"

—"Snoop Dogg to headline celebration for Rutgers' 2020, 2021 graduates"

—" Former pastor admits to stealing $30K from parish for Jersey Shore house, dates with men"

—"Cost of congestion includes air quality"

A message from the Consumer Action Network:

The COVID-19 pandemic proved that expanding access to care is critical for reaching medically underserved communities and making sure overburdened health systems can meet the needs of New Jersey families. That includes telehealth visits for low-income individuals, people of color, and others who have difficulty getting to a physical facility for their care. It's clear that New Jersey families deserve to have access to health care that works best for them. The state legislature has already unanimously passed a bill that would make this a reality, but Gov. Phil Murphy could become the only governor nationwide to limit access to telehealth services if he vetoes the bill. No state has vetoed a bill supporting expanded access to telehealth services since the pandemic began. New Jersey should not be the first. Tell Gov. Murphy: Sign the telehealth bill today. Make your voice heard.