News : POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Saint Peter's had New Jerseyans in heaven

Monday, March 28, 2022

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Saint Peter's had New Jerseyans in heaven

Mar 28, 2022

Presented by American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation

Good Monday morning!

I've never followed college basketball and to me the word "seed" is still entirely horticultural. When I had to fill out a March Madness bracket for this publication, I picked "VT" for a win thinking it was the University of Vermont. But since it's pretty much all the state has been talking about for the past week, I almost feel obligated to give a nod to Saint Peter's here.

A small Jesuit school in the heart of Jersey City attended by mostly commuter students, Saint Peter's humbled two massive and ridiculously better-funded teams from states that take their college basketball seriously — Kentucky and Indiana — before being taken out of the tournament by Michael Jordan's alma mater last night. Saint Peter's entire annual basketball budget is $1.6 million (I'm surprised it's even that high) — one-tenth of the new contract for Rutgers' basketball coach. And you've got to love the name "Peacocks."

I think what made people love Saint Peter's victories so much, aside from the fact that they're underdogs, is that they're homegrown athletes, not NBA prospects drawn from all over the country, playing under a coach whose salary is — gasp! — only in the six figures. That's fun. Watching public universities pour hundreds of millions of dollars into programs so maybe they can have the honor of being a big league farm team? Not as much. To me, anyway.

DAYS SINCE MURPHY REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HIS WIFE'S NON-PROFIT SHOULD DISCLOSE DONORS: 41

WHERE'S MURPHY? No public schedule.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I think a day of reckoning is coming. I'm a perfect example of what can happen." — Senate President Steve Sweeney on the right's higher voter enthusiasm.

BIRTHDAY WISHES OF THE WEEK: Trenton councilmembers Santiago Rodriguez and Robin Vaughn to Mayor Reed Gusciora.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Marathon's Jeanette Hoffman Henne, former NJTV reporter Adrienne Supino

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

A message from American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation:

No worker should have to choose between their health and a paycheck, but that's exactly what a loophole in state law forces Atlantic City casino employees to do every day. It's past time to eliminate the casino smoking loophole by passing S264/A2151, bipartisan bills supported by legislators across the state and which Gov. Murphy says he'll sign. Learn why thousands of casino employees are speaking out on this life and death matter.

EVERYTHING ELSE

DIE ANOTHER DAY — "Top N.J. lawmaker all but shuts the door on Murphy's same-day voting goal," by NJ Advance Media's Matt Arco and Brent Johnson: "As Democrats across the country push to allow people to register to vote on the same day as elections, Gov. Phil Murphy has said the issue is a big goal for his second term in New Jersey. But that effort may have just hit a big wall. State Senate President Nicholas Scutari, New Jersey's top state lawmaker and a fellow Democrat, told NJ Advance Media he doesn't support the bill, saying he has yet to be convinced it's necessary … 'Someone's got to convince me why people have the sacred right to vote and they can't decide they're going to do it until that day,' Scutari, D-Union, said after a voting session Thursday at the Statehouse. 'Right now, I'm not willing to post it,' he added. 'Make the case.' This comes even as the legislation has gained bipartisan support. State Sen. Jon Bramnick, R-Union, recently joined as a co-sponsor of the bill. 'I think it's pretty simple,' Bramnick said. 'The fact of the matter is that we're in the computer age. If somebody walks in and has the prerequisites to vote and we can confirm that they are an eligible voter, why shouldn't they vote?'."

I SUFFERED AS A STUDENT SO THESE KIDS SHOULD, TOO — New Jersey high school students could get extra time to sleep under new bill, by POLITICO's Carly Sitrin: New Jersey officials are coalescing behind a proposal to push back high school start times, citing worsening student mental health conditions brought on by the pandemic. Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Middlesex) and Senate Education Chair Vin Gopal (D-Monmouth) announced Friday that they are introducing legislation that would push statewide high school start times to no earlier than 8:30 a.m. beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. At an unrelated event in Chatham Township Friday morning, Gov. Phil Murphy told POLITICO he is "absolutely open minded" to the idea. Representatives from Senate President Nicholas Scutari's (D-Union) office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether he would support the bill. According to draft bill text, the enforcement mechanism for the policy would be state aid. Any public, charter, county vocational or renaissance school that includes grades 9 through 12 would be barred from receiving money through the school funding formula if they started school before 8:30 a.m.

IF ONLY THERE WAS YOUNG PEOPLE COULD DO IN GREATER NUMBERS TO CHANGE THAT — " Young people are significantly underrepresented in Trenton," by New Jersey Globe's Joey Fox : "The average age of a New Jersey legislator, for example, is 58-and-a-half; looking just at the State Senate, the more prominent and prestigious chamber, the average age is 63. 37 legislators, or nearly one-third of the legislature's 120 members, have reached the standard retirement age of 65, and another dozen are just a couple years away from that milestone. But this framing – focusing on how old the legislature is – perhaps misses the point. After all, for all the grief politicians in their 70s and 80s get about their age, they represent a large and growing constituency: older Americans. Nearly 17 percent of New Jersey's population was 65 or older as of the 2020 Census, and it makes sense that people who understand their interests would have a voice in the legislature. On the other hand, the flipside to an older legislature is that young people tend to be left underrepresented, something that is very much the case in New Jersey."

ONLY THE ELECTION POLL WORKERS — "N.J. election poll workers just got a pay raise ," by NJ Advance Media's Matt Arco: "Poll workers in New Jersey will start earning more money for their work on Election Day. Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday signed a bill to increase pay for election workers in the state from $200 a day to $300 a day. It also appropriates $7 million to the New Jersey Department of State to help fund the payments."

— Murphy: Durr's bill to provide gas tax rebates 'worthy of debate'

—"Two bills aim to make NJ transportation more accessible for people with disabilities"

—"N.J.'s transportation boss continues phone-in comments at meetings. Expert says towns should too"

—" Will N.J. suspend its gas tax to curb high prices? Here's what Gov. Murphy says"

—"NJ Supreme Court to consider if pipeline company can be part of construction permit appeal "

—Lassiter: "HIV and me, a 30 year tango"

—Mulshine: " Why is there a ceiling on rooftop solar reimbursements?"

CARTOON BREAK — "Abracadabra! NJ Transit has funding! "

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BIDEN TIME

MAN WHO KILLED PERSON WHILE DRIVING DRUNK CONTINUES TO MAKE BAD DECISIONS — "N.J. congressman went viral for cleaning up Jan. 6 debris at Capitol. His opponent backed the protest ," by NJ Advance Media's Jonathan D. Salant: "After the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, Rep. Andy Kim went down on his hands and knees to clean up the debris left behind by Donald Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol. His action went viral and became a national symbol. One of the Republicans seeking to challenge Kim, D-3rd Dist., was there too. But he was on the side of the protesters. And last week, he mocked Kim's action in a tweet. Ian Smith, the co-owner of Atilis Gym in Bellmawr … said he was not among those who breached the building … 'That seemed like an extremely foolish idea,' he told NJ Advance Media. But he insists there are still unanswered questions about the election and won't say if Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential contest … He has pitched his tent in the camp of those challenging the election results, speaking at a 'Stop the Steal' rally in Washington the day before the insurrection and using social media to urge Americans to protest in the nation's capital as Congress prepared to certify the electoral votes making Joe Biden the next U.S. president … On an interview on a conservative website, Smith appeared to agree that the FBI and Capitol Police were the violent ones, not the pro-Trump protesters that he described as 'a bunch of flag-waving patriots' … Bob Healy, one of Smith's opponents in the June 7 Republican primary, did not respond to several requests by phone and email for comment about the insurrection."

THEY SAY HIS WRIST MAY NEVER RECOVER FROM THE SLAP — "N.J. Capitol rioter who told cop 'give us Nancy,' then took Pelosi's microphones, gets 10 days in prison," by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Anna Orso : "A man from Atlantic County who stole two microphones belonging to Nancy Pelosi and smoked a cigarette in the Capitol Rotunda was sentenced to 10 days in prison and a year of probation for his role in the Jan. 6 riot. In federal court in Washington Friday, Robert Petrosh, 52, of Mays Landing, who served as a Marine, was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, and $938 in restitution, and he must return the microphones to the government within 30 days. Prosecutors dropped four related charges against Petrosh in January after he pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of theft of government property. Still, attorneys for the government described him in court papers as 'among the more culpable misdemeanor defendants arising out of the January 6 riot,' noting that he admitted to telling a Capitol Police officer: 'Give us Nancy, and we will leave.'"

—"Booker says Justice Thomas should recuse himself on Trump election rulings"

A message from American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation:

LOCAL

OCEAN GATE GATE — "Ocean Gate mayor admits to pocketing money from auctioned borough property, affidavit says," by by The Asbury Park Press' Ken Serrano: "Ocean Gate Mayor Paul Kennedy admitted to an investigator that he took three checks for borough vehicles sold on a government property auction website, put them into his bank account and spent the money on personal expenses, according to a court document. Kennedy also told Lindsay Llauget, an investigator for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, that he took coins from the parking meters that are in operation from May to September and had not deposited the money into the borough's bank account, according to an affidavit of probable cause. It was Kennedy's job in the borough to collect the parking meter money. And according to the affidavit, the Ocean Gate Police Department said Kennedy was the chief contact person for GovDeals.com, a website where the borough sold surplus and seized property."

PRIVY EQUITY — "Residents, activists express anger over 39-year, multi-million dollar private equity concession," by The Press of Atlantic City's Christopher Doyle: "A proposed multi-million dollar, four-decade partnership between the city and a private-equity firm is running into opposition. City Council held a hearing Wednesday on a proposed 39-year concession of the city's wastewater-management system to Bernhard Capital Partners — an agreement that would provide the city a nominal sum of about $78 million over four decades, while allowing Bernhard Capital to manage the utility and collect revenue for ratepayers. Residents and activists voiced their displeasure about the concession, rejecting the private management of a public utility as exploitative. Noting there was confusion in the audience about what the specific purpose of Wednesday's hearing was and how much rates would be raised, some people asked the city to slow the approval of the project."

NEW JERSEY'S CAPITAL CITY — "9-year-old girl is shot dead during brawl in Trenton, NJ courtyard," by NJ 101.5's Sergio Bichao: "An innocent 9-year-old girl is the latest homicide victim in the state's capital city after a brawl escalated into a shooting Friday night. The shooting was reported in the courtyard of the Kingsbury Square affordable housing towers near Cooper Street — just steps away from the county courthouse and state justice building. The girl who got caught in the line of fire was identified as a fourth-grade student at Parker Elementary School, although her name had not been officially released Saturday afternoon. Her mother poured her grief online and asked the public to help."

GOOWING PAINS — "Sayegh backer funds lawsuit aimed at another rival in Paterson mayoral election," by The Paterson Press' Joe Malinconico: "A lawsuit funded by powerful Paterson developer Charles Florio is calling for the removal of former councilman Aslon Goow from the city's mayor's election with a claim that Goow lives in West Milford. The lawsuit, which was filed on Friday, targets a candidate who many political operatives say likely will siphon votes from Mayor Andre Sayegh, whom Florio has supported for many years. Goow said the lack of evidence in the lawsuit showed that the complaint was nothing more than a campaign attack … The legal challenge questions Goow's residency based on a surveillance report done by Harry Melber, the same private investigator Florio hired seven years ago to follow around then mayor Joey Torres. Melber's video recordings helped put Torres in prison for 13 months … The report said Melber's staff never saw Goow spend a night at the Paterson address but saw him or his vehicles on multiple occasions at the West Milford house. But Goow asserted that he lives at the Edmund Avenue home where his family has been for decades."

THINGS HAVE GOTTEN OFF THE ANDL — " Burlington GOP files lawsuit to stop dems from filling county commissioner vacancy," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: "Saying that Democrats have 'squandered its chance to appoint a temporary successor' following the resignation of Burlington County Commissioner Linda Hynes, Republicans are asking a judge to prohibit anyone from filing the vacant seat through the remainder of the year. In a lawsuit filed on Friday the Burlington County Republican Committee says that Democrats missed the 35-day window to fill Hynes' seat through a special election convention … The GOP says that Democrats are planning to fill the seat anyway with Allison Eckel, their candidate in the full election. The New Jersey Globe has confirmed Andl's intention to appoint Eckel."

—Politi: "That 'stache is from Nutley: Doug Edert is making my hometown proud with Saint Peter's hoops"

—" Mendham middle schoolers bullied and called 'terrorists,' lawsuit claims"

—" With $1B in aid, Newark adopts $1.2B school budget that raises spending and cuts tax bills"

—"Lakewood proposed school budget comes with smaller tax increase than last year"

—"Teachers union president urges ed board to name Fernandez permanent Jersey City superintendent"

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EVERYTHING ELSE

BLUE ACRES IS NOT THE PLACE TO BE — "NJ residents grapple with abandoning their homes as floods and storms worsen," by WNYC's Karen Yi: "When the remnants of Hurricane Ida barreled across New Jersey, Maryann Morris had just started to settle into her newly purchased home on a quiet residential block in Manville. Less than a year after she moved in with her 7-year-old daughter, Ida's flood waters inundated her basement and sloshed up another four feet on the first floor … Seven months after the storm, Morris and her daughter, Ember, are still living in a nearby rented apartment as they wait to settle an insurance dispute and receive a government loan to start construction … But even when she returns home, she'll have to decide whether it's safe enough to stay. She's one of 200 home and business owners in Manville who received letters from the Somerset County borough telling them they have to elevate their properties or sell to the state's buyout program, known as Blue Acres. But even when she returns home, she'll have to decide whether it's safe enough to stay. She's one of 200 home and business owners in Manville who received letters from the Somerset County borough telling them they have to elevate their properties or sell to the state's buyout program, known as Blue Acres."

SHE COULD HAVE A BRIGHT FUTURE IN NJ POLITICS — " Ex-Paraguayan congresswoman sentenced in N.J. for role in $2M money laundering scheme," by NJ Advance Media's Anthony G. Attrino: "A former member of Paraguay's congress was sentenced Thursday to nearly three years in federal prison for her role in a $2 million international money laundering conspiracy with ties to New Jersey and Florida. Cynthia Elizabeth Tarrago Diaz, 42, pleaded guilty Sept. 15, 2020, to conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Freda L. Wolfson sentenced Tarrago Diaz via videoconference in Newark on Thursday to two years and nine months in prison and ordered her to forfeit $119,049, Sellinger said in a statement."

HAROLD AND KUMAR WERE ROBBED — "The 51 greatest New Jersey movies of all time, ranked," by NJ.com: "44. "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle," 2004 Who doesn't love a dopey stoner comedy where a couple of glassy-eyed pals search for the perfect fast-food? "Harold and Kumar" isn't exactly high-concept, but it rolls up plenty of R-rated fun across its quick 88 minutes. Jersey's own Kal Penn (Marlboro, Freehold) is hilarious as the wise-cracking foil to John Cho's tight-laced persona. The guys drive around Jersey looking for tiny burgers, they get revenge on some bullies, they ride a cheetah, they run into a very horny Neil Patrick Harris — what more could you want?"

—"Elite Eight and now a peacock bobblehead for St. Peter's University Cinderella team"

A message from American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation:

No worker in New Jersey should have to choose between their health and a paycheck, but that's exactly what a loophole in state law forces Atlantic City casino employees to do every day. It's past time to eliminate the casino smoking loophole by passing S264/A2151, bipartisan bills supported by legislators across the state and which Gov. Murphy says he'll sign. New Jersey should not allow any worker to be subjected to known carcinogens. Atlantic City casinos have been setting revenue records and operating with the fewest employees in years. Now is the time to protect casino employees' health. Just like restaurants adapted and thrived 16 years ago, casinos will do the same—and going smokefree can be a win-win, as several Pennsylvania casinos have voluntarily gotten rid of smoking and are setting revenue records. Learn why thousands of casino employees are speaking out on this life and death matter.