News : POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: A surprising development in Camden

Monday, January 3, 2022

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: A surprising development in Camden

Jan 03, 2022

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By Matt Friedman

Presented by Anbaric Development Partners

Good Monday morning!

I'm back after a pretty eventful two weeks with no New Jersey Playbook. And it might snow.

The governor went on vacation as Covid-19 hospitalizations increased.

Albio Sires announced his retirement with things already arranged so that Robert Menendez Jr. stepped in as the heir apparent, leapfrogging a bunch of people who have more experience than, say, seven months on the Port Authority. It was telling to watch the endorsements being orchestrated before he even declared his candidacy (has he even done that yet?), as if this move isn't being politically imposed .

Redistricting tie-breaker John Wallace Jr. sided with Democrats' map because, he said, both maps were good but Republicans won last time. (Sorry, Republicans, but Wallace isn't the tie-breaker in state legislative redistricting).

But you probably know that stuff already. Here's a story that's largely flown under the radar but looks politically significant: Three of seven Camden council members opposed the city's renewal of a Conner Strong (i.e. George Norcross) insurance contract and have asked Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, in her role as DCA Commissioner, to kill it. I doubt that will happen. But in the dead center of Norcross-world, in the city he's touted his role in revitalizing — where his company is headquartered — it's pretty significant that nearly half the counsel would take a stand that would affect the boss's pocketbook. What's going on?

Sure, you would expect Councilmember Felicia Reyes-Morton to raise an objection. She's been a rebel since her unsuccessful mayoral run. But Marilyn Torres and Shaneka Boucher as well?

On a personal note, it wasn't a relaxing holiday season for me. My father-in-law, Tim Helck, died suddenly of complications from Covid. He was 64. We knew he had Covid, but we weren't too worried: He was fully vaccinated, boosted and had only been exhibiting mild symptoms. Then he wasn't feeling well, and just a couple hours later he died of a heart attack indirectly brought on by the virus. I loved him, and if you want to read about the man we lost, my wife wrote about him here.

WHERE'S MURPHY ? In cyberspace for a 1 p.m. coronavirus press conference.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Not only is the political environment worse for Democrats but the district is 6 points worse. Kean is the favorite for 2022." — Cook's David Wasserman on the 7th District

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Assemblymember Gabriela Mosquera, NJ Human Services' Andrea Katz, CCSNJ's Hilary Chebra

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

A message from Anbaric Development Partners:

It's a New Year and the need for swift action to address climate change is clearer now than ever. Anbaric believes in New Jersey's clean energy goals and stands ready to work together to accelerate the growth of the state's offshore wind industry. That's why we were thrilled to submit a robust bid package to deliver an efficient, cost-effective transmission system that protects the environment and the ratepayer. Learn more.

WHAT TRENTON MADE

COVID — "For NJ hospitals during historic COVID spike, worry is not over PPE or beds, but staff," by The Record's Lindy Washburn: "As the omicron variant of COVID-19 drives a steep increase in hospital admissions in New Jersey, the biggest worry for health care leaders in this wave of the pandemic is not personal protective equipment, intensive care space or ventilators. It's staffing. Hospital employees — physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, patient care technicians and others — are becoming infected with COVID at record numbers, just like the public. But when they get sick, that affects hospitals' ability to care for the rest of us …. On Dec. 23, a record for hospital staff infections was set — 437. And on Tuesday, a new record was set at 56. That overshadows the previous high last winter of 162. The number of staff infections prior to December of 2020 has not been made public."

—Tammy Murphy tests positive for Covid-19

—"Murphy declares 'omicron tsunami' in N.J. while touring new COVID testing site"

—"N.J reports 3 COVID deaths, 24,710 cases. Hospitalizations quadruple from last month"

—"What steps could Gov. Murphy take as COVID cases surge in New Jersey?"

I WONDER WHAT'S ON WEINBERG'S…. HORIZON — "One of New Jersey's 1960s political reformers is about to call it quits," by The Record's Mike Kelly: "The storefront beckoned. Loretta Weinberg knew she had to go inside. It was the fall of 1964. Weinberg, then 29 and an at-home mother who had just moved into Teaneck with her husband, pushed a double stroller with her 2-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter along a sidewalk leading to the township's Cedar Lane business district. As she approached Teaneck's movie theater marquee, she stopped a few doors before and looked through a wall of windows — a spacious room that would later become a kosher restaurant. Inside, volunteers stuffed envelopes, arranged posters and dialed phones on behalf of the Democratic presidential candidate Lyndon B. Johnson. Weinberg opened the door and walked inside. So began a political life. Weinberg, now 86, the state Senate majority leader and one of the most powerful women in New Jersey politics for the last two decades, plans to call it quits after the current legislative session ends in Trenton in early January. For the first time in six decades, Weinberg won't have to worry about counting votes or studying polls or raising campaign funds or nudging reluctant party members to get in line and support a piece of legislation."

GUNS — Murphy-backed gun control package falling flat in lame duck, by POLITICO's Daniel Han: Most of an eight-bill gun control package Gov. Phil Murphy has made a legislative priority during the lame duck will likely fail to advance by the end of the legislative session next month. Though Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Middlesex) supports the entire package, just two of the eight bills have cleared the full Assembly as lawmakers there await action in the Senate. Only one of the bills has been approved in the upper house, where Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester) has questioned the overall effectiveness of the package.

ANOTHER 'PREVENTATIVE' TESTA BILL WOULD BAN THE JERSEY DEVIL FROM CUMBERLAND COUNTY, JUST IN CASE — New Jersey bill to ban critical race theory has no chance, but Republicans still pushing it, by POLITICO's Carly Sitrin: A bill proposed by New Jersey Republicans to ban the teaching of critical race theory from public schools has no chance of passing the Democrat-controlled Legislature, but its introduction and debate reveal the extent to which state-level GOP lawmakers are latching on to national talking points around racism. Sen. Mike Testa (R-Cumberland), the bill's sponsor, could not give POLITICO any concrete examples of instances where New Jersey students are being taught that one group of kids is inherently superior to another due to their skin color. However, he said the bill, NJ S4166 (20R), is "preventative" — a just-in-case bulwark against any insidious teachings creeping into the classroom. Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester) rejected that argument.

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GOP SEEKS TO CREATE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTORAL COLLEGE WHERE EACH TOWN GETS ONE VOTE — "The 76 towns that flipped in NJ governor's race — 68 red, 8 blue," by NJ 101.5's Michael Symons : "Murphy won by more than 70 percentage points in 15 places: Camden, East Orange, Irvington, Lawnside, Maplewood, Montclair, Newark, Orange, Paterson, Plainfield, Roselle, South Orange, Trenton, Union City and Willingboro. Ciattarelli improved on 2017 GOP nominee Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno's margins in 443 municipalities, on his way to winning in 354 of them. He won by 50 points or more in 19 places: Alloway Township, Bass River, Colts Neck, Deal, Eagleswood, Fairfield, Harmony, Lacey, Lawrence (Cumberland), Lower Alloways Creek, Mantoloking, Montague, Pine Valley, Plumsted, Stow Creek, Upper Pittsgrove, Walpack, Wantage and Woodland. Murphy won in 270 of the 565 municipalities in 2017, but Ciattarelli flipped 68 of those in the Republicans' favor in 2021, including 37 towns in South Jersey (such as 10 in Atlantic and 12 in Gloucester) and 20 in Bergen and Passaic counties."

—"N.J.'s minimum wage rises to $13 an hour on its way to $15"

— Senate GOP again demands investigation into Murphy administration's pandemic response

—"LaVecchia ends 21-year stint on N.J. Supreme Court"

—" Scutari to name Gopal as Senate Education Committee chairman"

—"New Jersey drivers going through tolls are about to pay more"

—" N.J. corrections department without permanent head for six months"

—"Schools can't go virtual due to snow. But some educators want to change that"

BIDEN TIME

—Stile: "Why abortion rights could be a key issue in the 2022 midterm elections"

—" New N.J. congressional district lines give Kean edge over Malinowski, publication says"

A message from Anbaric Development Partners:

LOCAL

LAST RESORT — "Atlantic City among lowest in state in many social health categories, but work being done to improve," by The Press of Atlantic City's Vincent Jackson: "In 2019, the New Jersey Hospital Association developed a Vulnerable Communities Database that shows many of the zip codes hit hardest by COVID were the same as those identified before the pandemic by the association's vulnerable communities algorithm. The 08401 zip code of 'America's Favorite Playground' ranked the sixth worst in the state, out of 537 zip codes. Among the categories in which the city fared poorly were fetal deaths, unemployment and households in food deserts. The resort ranked 517th out of 537 in the state when it came to households in food deserts, the association said last month."

LEARNING LOSS — "N.J.'s largest school district will switch to remote learning as COVID fears rise," by NJ Advance Media's Kelly Heyboer: "Newark, the state's largest school district, has joined the growing list of districts switching to remote learning next week due to rising COVID-19 cases statewide. The district, which has about 40,000 students, will move to virtual learning from Jan. 3 to Jan. 14., officials said. 'We anticipate resuming in-person instruction on Jan. 18,' district officials said in a message to parents. Nearly all of the state's largest urban school districts — including Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth, Camden, New Brunswick and Trenton — have announced they will start the new year with virtual classes. Many, but not all, of the state's largest suburban districts have also said they will delay a return to in-person classes for one or two weeks."

—"Will N.J. schools bring back remote learning option for families scared to send kids back into classrooms?"

THE CHEMICAL BOTHERS — " Some NJ drinking water systems are failing to meet stringent limits on dangerous chemicals," by The Record's Melanie Anzidel : "Towns scattered across New Jersey have been alerting residents recently that their drinking water has failed to meet a stringent new limit on several common chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other illnesses. Public water systems in New Jersey were required to begin monitoring for the chemicals — called PFOA and PFOS — beginning this year to abide by new state standards adopted in 2020. If water exceeds the standards, utility operators have to install treatment systems or take wells offline, while also notifying consumers. In Park Ridge and Woodcliff Lake, for instance, an estimated 5,000 customers were sent a notice, dated Dec. 21, informing them that their drinking water exceeded the new standard. The PFOA levels ranged from below detection to 19 parts per trillion. The state standard is 14 parts per trillion. Such notices are likely to become more common as water systems try to comply with the new rules — which are among the toughest in the nation."

PATERSON FAILS — "Fatal shooting: Paterson lags behind rest of state in equipping officers with body cameras," by The Paterson Press' Joe Malinconico: "Amid conflicting accounts about a Paterson police detective's fatal shooting of a 25-year-old gun suspect Wednesday night, community activists were planning to call for the public release of the video recordings from the officer's body camera. But the officer who fired the fatal shots, along with the other two cops at the scene, is among the 258 members of the Paterson police department — or 63 percent of the force — who currently do not have body cameras. Right now, only 150 officers in the patrol division and emergency response teams wear the recording devices. The detectives at Wednesday's shooting are members of the Street Crimes unit. Paterson is one of many cities scrambling to comply with a state adopted a law in 2020 that required all uniformed law enforcement officers in New Jersey to have body cameras by June 2021, a measure advocates said would improve transparency and accountability in local police departments.

NOW YOU CAN REST ON YOUR MOUNT LAURELS — "46 years after landmark Supreme Court case, Booker swears in Mount Laurel's first Black mayor," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: "Few issues have impacted local elections across New Jersey suburbs over the last 46 years than what's referred to as Mount Laurel, a controversial 1975 New Jersey Supreme Court decision mandating municipalities to offer prospects for affordable housing. Mount Laurel, where Southern Burlington County N.A.A.C.P. v. Mount Laurel Township originated, today inaugurated their first Black mayor in their 150-year history with Kareem Pritchett taking the oath of office. 'Today, in Mount Laurel, we begin the new year with immense optimism and hope, as Kareem Pritchett becomes Mayor of this great community. It is also a historic day that touches close to my heart,' said U.S. Senator Cory Booker, who swore the new mayor in."

R.I.P. — "Lodi police captain, a longtime officer, coach and BOE member, dies"

R.I.P. — "Longtime Lakewood municipal court judge, son of former mayor, dies"

—"Great place to avoid New Jersey's latest COVID surge? The Bergen County Jail"

—"Wildes embarking on fourth term as Englewood's mayor, a record for the city"

—"Black Lives Matter post by Plainfield charter school director did not violate ethics rules"

—"Violent crime up slightly in Newark this year, while arrests are down, officials say"

—"Jackson police lawsuit case: Does dash cam video show excessive force or self-defense?"

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.

EVERYTHING ELSE

HACKENSACKED — "A stalled hospital merger in N.J. sits at heart of federal opposition to consolidation," by George E. Jordan for NJ ADvance Media: "In the frenzy of New Jersey hospital mergers and acquisitions, Hackensack Meridian Health three years ago announced plans to acquire Englewood Healthcare. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued to block the deal, which has evolved into a national test case of the federal government's power to intervene in hospital mergers. As many as 23 attorneys general, led by California and Pennsylvania, have filed court papers opposing the merger on the grounds it would leave Bergen County consumers fewer choices for inpatient acute care. Nine major hospital trade organizations, including the New Jersey Hospital Association, filed briefs in favor of the deal. The fight has taken on national significance as the FTC steps up challenges to mergers in the industry.'

ELNAHAL —"The good doctor: Dysfunction and neglect plagued this N.J. institution. Then came a leader like Newark has never seen," by NJ Advance Media's Elizabeth Llorente: "The boy wanted to get better for the sake of his worried mother. That concern resonated with Shereef Elnahal in the summer of 2005. Like the teen, he had struggled with Type 1 diabetes, taking the condition seriously only to allay his own mother's fears … Then, he was gone … But the teen's death had nothing to do with diabetes. He had been shot, Elnahal learned, and was selling drugs as a gang member. The boy's death sparked a tragic epiphany: Health care has to go beyond diagnosis and treatment. Poverty and systemic racism are public health crises. They have to be treated as such. 'It was not the diabetes,' 'said Elnahal, who declined to identify the teen he worked with for six months. 'It was the social environment around him that affected his health outcome. If I had stepped back and looked at the big picture of his whole life and what the true risks were, then perhaps I could have helped him to prevent what happened.' The lessons of that boy lost to the streets of Baltimore convinced Elnahal that to truly make a difference, he would have to help not just the patient, but the broader community. The tragedy helped shape a man who just a few years later was entrusted with revamping U.S. Veterans Affairs hospitals across the country and crafting public policy as New Jersey's health commissioner. And it now informs how he runs the state's only public acute-care medical facility, serving one of the nation's most vulnerable communities."

NOW WHERE WILL YOU HOST YOUR FUNDRAISER? — —"Legendary Mastoris Diner closing its doors, cites COVID's impact on dining industry," by TAPIntoBordentown's Kristin Antonello: "A legendary Bordentown dining institution is closing its doors. Mastoris Diner & Restaurant announced on Saturday morning that it would be permanently closing, citing COVID-19's impact on the restaurant industry. 'It is with great sadness that we announce the permanent closing of Mastoris at 144 US-130, Bordentown, NJ,' Mastoris wrote on its Facebook page on January 1. 'The decision to close is, in part, due to the ongoing pandemic's impact on the restaurant industry, as well as a strategic decision among investors with an eye toward the future of the bar/restaurant in its current location.'"

—"Why was Michelle Lodzinski's conviction overturned? Here's what two attorneys say"

A message from Anbaric Development Partners:

Anbaric is proud to be a leading developer of electric transmission projects and the primary advocate for a transmission-first approach to offshore wind – in New Jersey and across the east coast. Anbaric has the experience needed to deliver offshore wind energy across New Jersey with an efficient, cost-effective transmission system.

That's why Anbaric was thrilled to submit a robust portfolio of projects to achieve New Jersey's clean energy goals in response to New Jersey's first-in-the-nation solicitation for offshore wind transmission. Anbaric's proposal will efficiently deliver wind power to shore, protect the environment, coastal communities, and the ratepayer, and can be developed to accompany the growth of the offshore industry. Anbaric is proud to be working with incredible partners, including Ferreira Construction, a seasoned New Jersey utility and civil contractor, to make this vision a reality.

Read more about what Anbaric's bid package means for the future of clean energy.