News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Codey kids team protests Clark mayor

Monday, May 23, 2022

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Codey kids team protests Clark mayor

May 23, 2022

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By Matt Friedman

Presented by AARP New Jersey

Good Monday morning!

The term "cancel culture" has a negative connotation. And I often understand why.

Take this article about how a prominent cancer researcher, David Sabatini, had his career ended and pathways to future employment shut down following mostly nebulous claims by a younger former co-worker he had a consensual relationship with.

But here in New Jersey, cancel culture hasn't succeeded in toppling Clark Mayor Sal Bonaccorso. I can't see into his heart, but he casually tosses around racial slurs — including that one. An adult man who does that can't be trusted to govern fairly for all his constituents, or even for people just passing through. This is before even taking into consideration the town's role in covering his behavior up.

So in academia, where liberal culture prevails, this "cancel culture" can run rampant. In small, conservative Clark, the mayor doesn't get so much as a reprimand from the governing body, which was complicit in covering his behavior up. And the response to the recordings of the mayor, considering the circumstances, has been fairly muted across the political spectrum in New Jersey. The mayor's wife even took to Facebook to bemoan "woke" politics for, you know, people protesting her husband using the n-word.

Enter state Sen. Dick Codey. The kids basketball team he coaches showed up to a tournament in Clark with bright green shirts that said "end racism" on the front and "equality" on the back to protest. The response by the crowd, according to an NJ Advance Media article, was largely positive.

It looks like the mayor of Clark will still be heading that town for a while. It doesn't mean we have to forget what he's done.

DAYS SINCE MURPHY REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HIS WIFE'S NON-PROFIT SHOULD DISCLOSE DONORS: 97

WHERE'S MURPHY? — In Ewing at noon with Biden administration officials to talk about student loan forgiveness.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'This is just not the best use of our money. We would much rather use it just in races against Democrats. But it was made necessary because Donald Trump decided on the vendetta tour this year and so we need to make sure we protect these folks who are the objects of his vengeance.'" — Chris Christie on the push by many Republicans to stop Trump-endrosed former Sen. David Perdue from unseating Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — DACC's Iris Delgado, Kivvit's Laura Matos, Assembly Dems' Jennifer Taylor

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

NEED MORE PLAYBOOK? — Sign up here for NJ Playbook PM and get more news in your inbox care of POLITICO's Jonathan Custodio, minus the snarky headlines

A message from AARP New Jersey:

Americans are struggling to afford rising prices on everything from groceries to gas. On top of this, we're paying the highest drug prices in the world. Your elected lawmakers have the power to reduce this burden by enacting S329/A1747 and establishing a Prescription Drug Affordability Board. This board is responsible for investigating high drug prices and recommending action to lower costs for consumers. It's time for real action. Tell Governor Murphy: Stand up to Pharma!

WHAT TRENTON MADE

THE BENCH — "Chief justice raises alarm as court vacancies reach 'highest level in the history'," by New Jersey Monitor's Nikita Biryukov: "New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner urged lawmakers and the governor to speed the approval of new judges Friday, warning the broad swath of vacant seats had stopped some counties from scheduling certain types of trials altogether. Seventy-five of the 433 seats on the Superior Court bench are vacant as of Friday, Rabner said during an address at the State Bar Association's annual convention in Atlantic City. That's the highest number of vacancies in the court's history … Other types of cases also face staggering delays. It can take complex personal injury cases three or four years to get to trial, Rabner said … Rabner also issued a warning about thinning at the state's highest court, where only five of seven seats are occupied by confirmed justices. One of those five, Justice Barry Albin, is due to step down when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 on July 7. "Unless there is movement in the weeks ahead, we will soon reach a day when only four members have met those constitutional requirements," Rabner said. 'Ask any student of the constitutional convention of 1947, and they will tell you that is not what the framers of the modern constitution had in mind.' Murphy has made a nomination to only one of the two vacant Supreme Court seats."

TEACHER BENEFITS — "New state teachers' health plan didn't deliver promised savings, say school districts," by The Record's Mary Ann Koruth: "Many New Jersey school districts say they did not see the cost savings promised to them by the state when they implemented the mandatory New Jersey Educators Health Plan in 2021. The Chapter 44 plan, signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy in 2020 and supported by the state's powerful teachers' union, may end up costing some districts more than the old plan. Three districts have told the state they want out of the new health plan, with support from seven more. In Ridgewood, school officials said the state estimated the district would save about $4.7 million in health benefits under the new plan. While preparing the 2022-23 budget, local officials learned that the actual savings would amount to $27,000 … Ridgewood is not alone, as other districts have told similar stories of inaccurately estimated savings or additional costs, unlike what the law intended … Local school officials agree the plan reduces the contributions teachers make to their health plan, but the costs are passed on to districts and therefore taxpayers."

—" Public school enrollment dropped 18K since start of pandemic, state data shows," by New Jersey Monitor's Sophie Nieto-Munoz: "Enrollment in New Jersey's traditional public schools fell by about 18,000 in the two years since the pandemic led to school closures and other classroom disruptions, according to new enrollment data from the state Department of Education. The losses came in the state's urban centers and suburban districts alike. In October, Passaic reported 800 fewer students enrolled in its schools compared to two years prior. In Toms River, the loss exceeded 600. … The figures mirror a national trend, with public school enrollment plunging by at least 1.2 million nationwide during the pandemic, according to an enrollment tracker from conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute. Though the Garden State's public school losses are not as dramatic as those in other states — New York City public school enrollment dropped 5% — the two-year drop is the largest New Jersey has seen in recent memory."

—"Assembly panel advances curriculum transparency bill"

UNEXPLAINED PICNIC BASKET DISAPPEARANCES HAVE RISEN 150% — "NJ reports an increase in serious bear encounters, but won't conduct a bear count," by The New Jersey Herald's Bruce A. Scruton: "New Jersey's black bear population appears to be increasing based on the number of reported serious encounters with humans, but as the state has had no official bear management plan for the last two years, the Division of Fish and Wildlife doesn't know for sure. Without the plan, the division did not make an estimate of the bear population in the state's northwest area last year and won't do so this year. The last count was done in 2020 and coincided with the last statewide bear hunt. At that time there were about 3,158 bears in northwestern New Jersey, specifically in the areas previously designated as bear hunting zones north of Route 80 and west of Route 287. Records show that reported serious encounters with bears since the count have gone up nearly nine-fold … At least two people in Sussex County were injured in separate black bear encounters just outside their homes and at least three dogs were killed or injured. The 2020 count shows the bear population doubled from the 1,522 counted in 2018, the last year a bear hunt was allowed on state-owned lands."

BOUGHT AND PAID FOR BY BIG BEAR — " Time for changes on the N.J. Fish and Wildlife Council," by former Sen. Robert Torricelli for NJ Advance Media: "Bees, snakes and even wild dogs kill many more people than bears but we're not eradicating any of them. They are all a part of rural life and if you don't want to live responsibly with them, don't share their habitat … Shockingly, New Jersey rivals Alaska with the least humane and most aggressive hunting laws in the United States. Killing contests, baiting, trapping and unrestricted killing without regard to the gender or age of some animals have been permitted. In a cruel irony, some of these practices like baiting are fostering the bears' familiarity with human food and creating the very danger that hunters claim to be solving."

—"Tax relief, bigger rebates and more. What leaders want to do with N.J.'s extra billions"

—" N.J. small businesses could see tax relief under new bill'

—"'Red flag' gun laws under spotlight in N.J., U.S. after Buffalo shootings "

—Change to bail reform law for gun possession stalls in Senate committee

— EPA announces major loans for New Jersey water projects

DON'T MISS THE 2022 GREAT LAKES ECONOMIC FORUM: POLITICO is excited to be the exclusive media partner again at the Council of the Great Lakes Region's bi-national Great Lakes Economic Forum with co-hosts Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot. This premier, intimate networking event, taking place June 26-28 in Chicago, brings together international, national and regional leaders from business, government, academia and the nonprofit sector each year. "Powering Forward" is this year's theme, setting the stage to connect key decision-makers with thought leaders and agents of change to identify and advance solutions that will strengthen the region's competitiveness and sustainability in today's competitive climate of trade, innovation, investment, labor mobility and environmental performance. Register today.

BIDEN TIME

I'VEGOTNOTHINGTODOWITHITHEIMER —"Anonymous super PAC trying to influence NJ-5 GOP primary," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: "An unregistered, dark money super PAC has sent out a mailer to Republican primary voters in New Jersey's 5th district in what looks like another bid to help pick a weaker general election opponent for Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Wyckoff). 'A vote for Frank Pallotta means the return of Donald Trump,' touts the flyer from the Opportunity for All Action Fund … The messaging is one that seemingly appeals to Republican primary voters: 'The Pallotta-Trump agenda is too conservative for New Jersey.' The super PAC doesn't necessarily come from Gottheimer. The three-term Democratic congressman has used his own campaign funds to deliver a similar message in recent weeks. A spokesman for the Gottheimer campaign declined comment on the super PAC."

RIZZO FIZZLE — Crowded GOP field will likely help Kean secure rematch with Malinowski in New Jersey's 7th District, by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: Decrying vaccine mandates, inflation, "cancel culture" and sex education standards, 36 Republican candidates have flied to run in New Jersey's 12 congressional districts. It's a sign of enthusiasm on the right in what looks to be shaping up as a tough midterm for Democrats, who hold all but two of New Jersey's House seats. But the number of Republicans running in one key suburban district in the June 7 primary could help pave the way for former state Sen. Tom Kean Jr., the more moderate, establishment-backed candidate. Kean's Republican rivals, most of whom are running campaigns appealing to the party's right-wing base, are so numerous that they're allowing him to tiptoe around issues such as abortion and support for former President Donald Trump that likely play well in a GOP primary but could complicate his run in the general election. Kean has given few interviews and has often been vague on the day's hot button issues.

—"Pascrell: America's oligarchs are ripping us off. And Democrats are helping! | Moran "

—"Note to Kean: 'Silence encourages the tormentor'"

A message from AARP New Jersey:

LOCAL

TRENTON LEADS — "Feds subpoena Trenton over lead grant program ," by The Trentonian's Isaac Avilucea: "Federal investigators served a subpoena this week on City Hall, demanding extensive documentation over a grant related to lead remediation in the capital city, according to a high-ranking city official who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the ongoing probe. The subpoena, from the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey, was served in the last couple of days, the source said. It appears to target grant money that the city received from the feds under Mayor Eric Jackson's administration, the source said."

—"Rodriguez calls Trenton residency claims 'bulls**t,' accuses colleagues of racism"

UH OH. CHILDREN MIGHT HAVE LEARNED THAT DIFFERENT PEOPLE EXIST AND ARE STILL HUMAN BEINGS — " AOC arrives in a GOP primary," by InsiderNJ's Fred Snowflack: "AOC gets around. Oddly enough, New York City Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez has popped into the Morris County Republican primary for county commissioner. A recent mailer on behalf of incumbent Tom Mastrangelo says that Sarah Neibart, one of his opponents, just like Ocasio Cortez, 'supports indoctrinating our children with drag queens.' The mailer from "Friends of Tom Mastrangelo" prompted an immediate response from county GOP chair Laura Ali, who called it 'reprehensible.' … His mailer says Neibart can't be trusted, because she supports pushing a 'woke' agenda on children. It refers to a Gay Pride event last year in Mendham Township featuring, according to the township, a 'special Drag Queen Story Hour' described at the time as '100 percent family friendly and suitable for all ages.' This was the first event of its kind in the township and Neibart, who was mayor at the time, attended."

ASKED TO COMMENT, THE RESPONSE FROM SHI WAS …. CRICKETS — "Subpoenas dropped In Edison probe of adult cricket fields paid for Board Of Education ," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: "A grand jury empaneled to probe the construction an adult cricket field at a public school has subpoenaed records from the Edison Board of Education that appear to center around political allies of controversial Edison Democratic Municipal Chairman Mahesh Bhagia. An investigation by the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office centers around a $100,000 cricket pitch that was constructed by the Edison Board of Education at the Woodrow Wilson Middle School on behalf of a politically-connected private, semi-professional league. The school board, around 2019 and 2020, developed other cricket fields for adult use … Sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the subpoena said the cricket pitch was paid for by the Board of Education at the suggest of Mohin Patel, Shi and others as a way of currying favor with community members in advance of the 2021 Democratic mayoral primary. Last year, Shi, Peng and Mohin Patel appeared on a Zoom meeting with cricket league members and pledged to support added services for the field, the source said. At the same meeting, they reportedly made a pitch for support for Bhagia, who was seeking the Democratic nomination for mayor of Edison."

R.I.P. — " Former Atlantic City councilman Eugene Robinson dies at 80"

—"Long Branch issues curfew after large crowd gathers "

—"Jersey City police officer fabricated hit-and-run to conceal own crash: prosecutor"

—"Mired in Hackensack River muck, USS Ling makes list of most endangered NJ historic places"

—" 'We gotta give him a cut': Crooked ex-Paterson cop testifies to sergeant's role in scheme"

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

—"Princeton University president recommends firing professor in sexual-misconduct probe "

—"Atlantic City casino workers' union warns of 'labor disputes' if contracts expire"

—"From Haddon Township, around the world and back again"

A message from AARP New Jersey:

New Jerseyans are struggling to afford rising prices on everything from groceries to gas. On top of this, Americans are paying the highest drug prices in the world. It's time to enact S329/A1747, which establishes a Prescription Drug Affordability Board. This board is responsible for investigating high drug prices and recommending action to lower costs for consumers. Governor Murphy has introduced legislation that addresses prescription drug costs, but it simply does not go far enough. It fails to address the root cause of the problem – the high prices set by drug manufacturers. Tell Governor Murphy: Stand up to Big Pharma!