News: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Murphy weighs in on DeGise, somewhat

Tuesday, August 2, 2022

POLITICO New Jersey Playbook: Murphy weighs in on DeGise, somewhat

Aug 02, 2022

Presented by Rise Light & Power

As the controversy over Jersey City Councilmember Amy DeGise's hit-and-run simmers during an otherwise slow period in New Jersey politics, you can see a messaging strategy taking shape: Some party members don't want to defend her, but also aren't going to step out of line and call for an important member of the political machine to resign.

Gov. Phil Murphy was the latest to weigh in yesterday during a ( third! ) groundbreaking ceremony for the Portal North Bridge.

Asked by NJ Spotlight News' David Cruz yesterday about whether DeGise should resign, Murphy said he'll "leave the actual politics to the local realities but that's behavior that's unacceptable." He also mentioned that DeGise went to the police, albeit six hours later.

I'm not sure what Murphy means by leaving the politics to the "local realities." It's effectively ducking the question. In substance, the comments are similar to those Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop made to Cruz last week: That DeGise should've stopped, while not addressing whether she should still be in office.

I don't have hard data on this, but it feels like politicians get away with things now that would have previously ended their careers: Former President Donald Trump's "Access Hollywood" tape, former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's blackface photo, Clark Mayor Sal Bonaccorso's n-word tirades, to name a few.

But you've got to wonder whether the governor would go further if DeGise wasn't a former Hudson County Democratic chair whose father is the county executive and who is allied with most of the Democratic machine.

DAYS SINCE MURPHY REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HIS WIFE'S NON-PROFIT SHOULD DISCLOSE DONORS: 167

WHERE'S MURPHY? No public schedule.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Get your focus back on track because you are failing miserably, …There is not one approved annual application. There is a bunch of people with a lot of questions. But there are doors wide open for the existing millionaires to make more millions." — Scott Bent, who's seeking to open a dispensary, to the CRC

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

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — NJLCV's Allison McLeod, Town of Clinton Mayor Janice Kovach, Camden Councilmember Angel Fuentes, Bergen County Surrogate Michael Dressler, realtor Linda Singh. Missed yesterday: NJ Harm Reduction Coalition's Jenna Mellor

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Repurposing the Past to Power New Jersey's Future — The Outerbridge Renewable Connector is an "extension cord" that would link offshore wind energy to more than 1.4 million New Jersey homes under a proposal pending before the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. Revitalization of a former coal plant would advance the region as a gateway of clean energy and further position New Jersey as a national leader in the fight against climate change.

WHAT TRENTON MADE

THIRD TIME'S A CHARM — Portal North Bridge construction gets underway — finally , by POLITICO's Ry Rivard: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and a top Biden administration official broke ground Monday on the new Portal North Bridge for the second time in less than a year — but now the $1.7 billion project to replace the 111-year-old rail bridge is actually getting underway. Once completed, the new span will cross the Hackensack River between Kearny and Secaucus and replace a swinging bridge that is more than a century old and causes delays when it fails to properly close after opening to allow boats to pass. Monday's groundbreaking also represents an earnest start of the larger Gateway infrastructure program, which includes new tunnels under the Hudson River for trains and is meant to improve rail commutes across the entire northeast. … Murphy called the new bridge the "the most important infrastructure project in the entire nation."

—" NJ raised spending cap on transportation infrastructure by $600M "

THIS GUY HAS QUALMS ABOUT 'DECEIVING' VOTERS —" What is fusion voting and why do some want to revive it in New Jersey? " by New Jersey Monitor's Dana DiFilippo: "In Malinowski's case, the new Moderate Party has asked a state appellate court to allow them to put his name in their column, meaning Malinowski — already the Democratic nominee in the 7th Congressional District — would be on the ballot under two political parties' columns … Joe Dinkin, national campaigns director for the Working Families Party, called fusion 'a good thing for democracy.' Dinkin's party takes advantage of fusion voting in New York and Connecticut … Steve Ayscue, a South Jersey Democratic political strategist, is also opposed, telling Altman on Twitter last week that fusion would 'complicate voting and deceive voters.' For Dinkin, fusion could help boost voter turnout in the Garden State. Turnout for New Jersey's gubernatorial election last fall hit a century low, at 40%."

— Murphy doesn't anticipate declaring a monkeypox public health emergency 'in the near term'

— " N.J. teacher pay rose 3% at the start of the pandemic. See median salary in your district "

—" If we decriminalized drugs, New Jersey could save $1B a year | Opinion "

—" Special election convention to replace Dancer "

— " More state court judges set to retire early, widening list of superior court vacancies "

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 .

BIDEN TIME

BYE! — U.S. kills al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri in drone strike , by POLITICO's Alexander Ward, Nahal Toosi and Lara Seligman: The United States killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri in a drone strike over the weekend, three people briefed on the operation told POLITICO. The strike was conducted by the CIA, according to two of the people, with one saying it took place in Kabul. It was carried out by an Air Force drone, a U.S. official said separately. One of the people noted that it took "a few days" to confirm the killing because the U.S. doesn't "have many assets on the ground."

YES —" Is Biden radioactive for NJ Democrats in the midterms? They won't — or can't — say ," by The Record's Charles Stile: "It was not too long ago that New Jersey's House Democrats enthusiastically praised and supported President Joe Biden, the party's standard bearer and slayer of Donald Trump in 2020 … [I]t's clear that the question about the aging Biden and his unpopularity is not something Democrats are eager to talk about. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, the media-savvy 5th District congressman from Bergen County, didn't even respond to requests for comment. Nor are they eager to have Biden stand beside them on the stump. 'Since being elected in 2018, Congressman Kim has never sought out the endorsement of a political figure from outside his congressional district, nor does he plan to,' said Forrest Rilling, Kim's campaign spokesperson … Sherrill, who in 2018 seized a historically Republican district that got slightly more blue during last year's redistricting, framed Biden in a positive cast when compared with Trump, who is expected to launch his 2024 reelection campaign this fall. Still, she sidestepped questions about an endorsement or having the president campaign with her this fall. 'The fact that Biden wants to protect a woman's right to choose while Trump appointed the extremist, partisan justices who just overturned Roe with the full backing of national Republicans really sums up the choice and what's at stake for our country,' Sherrill said in a statement."

MORE LIKE 'RUH-ROEVEMBER' — " 'ROEvember' rev-up for Dems ," by InsiderNJ's Fred Snowflack: "That was the message on a T-shirt worn the other night by Amalia Duarte, the Morris County Democratic chair. She was not alone. A handful of others wore shirts displaying the same message as county Dems gathered for a barbecue in the Brookside section of this Morris County town. Nothing subtle about the message. Democrats think, or perhaps hope, that the overturning of Roe v. Wade will drive women and other pro-choice individuals to the polls in three months. It's up to women to vote and to make sure other women vote as well is how one speaker put it."

DEATH AND TAXES — " Ivana Trump is buried at Donald Trump's New Jersey golf club. Could that mean a tax break for the former president? " by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Nick Vadala: "Ivana Trump's death grabbed international headlines, but her New Jersey burial place is now garnering suspicion that its location could mean tax breaks for her ex-husband, former President Donald Trump … She has since been buried in a plot of land at Trump National Golf Club … Now, due to the intricacies of New Jersey's tax laws and how they apply to "cemetery companies," some say the course could be getting a tax break … According to the Garden State's tax code, 'cemetery companies' … are exempt from many forms of taxation. Those include property taxes 'on lands dedicated to cemetery purposes,' income taxes, sales and use taxes, business taxes, and inheritance taxes … Could her resting place help Trump's finances? Possibly. If the golf course is defined as a cemetery, the business may be able to receive tax breaks. But, as the Guardian reports, any tax breaks likely wouldn't apply to the entire property, as the cemetery tax exemptions only apply to plots less than 10 acres. Trump National Golf Club comes in at more than 500 acres, while the plot where Ivana Trump is buried reportedly measures about 1.5 acres, according to the Daily Mail … A Trump Organization representative said in an email to Fortune that calling Ivana's grave a way to avoid taxes was 'truly evil.'"

WILL THEY START A 'BALLOT SECURITY TASK FORCE'? — " RNC sues Mercer County Board Of Elections to force release of ballot cure letters ," by New Jersey Globe's David Wildstein: "The Republican National Committee wants a judge to order the Mercer County Board of Elections to fulfill requests for copies of ballot cure letters within 72 hours in future elections after they refused to respond to public document requests for the 2021 general election. In a lawsuit filed on Friday, Republicans claimed that the Mercer election board violated New Jersey's Ballot Cure Act – a law that allows voters whose vote-by-mail ballots were rejected for technical deficiencies, including unmatched signatures, to remedy their ballots – and the state's Open Public Records Act. The RNC began seeking ballot cure letters on October 19, 2021. Mercer appears to have punted and sought extensions, at one point saying the documents would be released after the certification date but did not respond until 91 days later, on January 18, 2022, and still did not give the records they asked for."

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LOCAL

IF HER CAR HAD BEEN BOOTED THIS WHOLE CONTROVERSY NEVER WOULD'VE HAPPENED — " 9 overdue tickets paid Monday are among the dozens councilwoman has racked up since 2005, records show ," by The Jersey Journal's Jake Maher: "The Jersey City councilwoman at the center of a hit-and-run firestorm had failed to pay at least nine overdue, outstanding tickets, including eight in Jersey City, as of Monday morning. But after questions from The Jersey Journal regarding the unpaid tickets and dozens more over the past 17 years that had been resolved, Councilwoman-at-Large Amy DeGise apparently paid all the fines by Monday afternoon, according to information on the New Jersey Courts website … In a February 2017 incident in Secaucus, DeGise's vehicle was impounded when police found her license was suspended. The true number of resolved tickets, though is likely much higher, because DeGise has so many resolved tickets in Jersey City that the state website, which can display 25 tickets, said the number exceeded the capability to display them … The majority of the tickets, which date back as far as 2005, are for various parking violations, but in one case, documented on video obtained by Hudson County View, DeGise received a ticket in Hoboken in November when her unregistered vehicle was illegally parked and towed away."

POLICE DEPARTMENT LAWSUITS ARE KEEPING N.J. NEWSPAPERS IN BUSINESS — " 'Crazy Racists Against Blacks': Internal discrimination claims piling up at Asbury Park PD ," by The Asbury Park Press' Charles Daye : "Claims of discrimination, misconduct, coverups and retaliation against members of the Fraternal Order of Police #221 have been lodged against the Asbury Park Police Department in three separate lawsuits filed by current members of the department. The most recent discrimination lawsuit was filed on June 24 by Ahmed Lawson, an African-American officer who alleges systemic racism in the police department. Lawson also claims he is also being blocked from a promotion. In his lawsuit, Lawson says a group known as 'the Crab Club,' crab being an acronym for 'Crazy Racists Against Blacks,' exists within the department. In addition, the lawsuit alleges use of the n-word by a captain, disparate treatment with respect to the city's imposition of discipline on minority officers compared to white officers, and the discriminatory assignment of training duties."

IN MONROE, AN ERA OF BAD FEELINGS — " N.J. school district gets new superintendent as board faces lawsuit, ethics complaints ," by NJ Advance Media's Jackie Roman: "The acting superintendent in Monroe will get the job permanently despite ongoing turmoil in the township over how she was selected, officials said. The Monroe Township Board of Education voted 6-2 last month to name longtime employee Chari R. Chanley as the Middlesex County district's permanent superintendent under a three-year contract. Chanley, who had been the acting superintendent, was selected despite pleas by several residents to postpone the vote and a civil lawsuit aimed at invalidating her $200,000-a-year contract. The nearly 7,000-student district has been searching for a new superintendent amid a series of disputes that have led to two lawsuits and at least seven ethics complaints filed against members of the local school board in the past two years, according to documents obtained by NJ Advance Media … Some residents said they have concerns about Chanley's appointment due in part to an incident several years ago in which she was referred to as 'Dr.' in the middle school yearbook when she was serving as a principal."

TRENTON, OF COURSE — " Trenton school district sues McBride-led council for holding up $24M tax levy ," by The Trentonian's Isaac Avilucea: "No legislation without litigation. That seems to be Trenton Council President Kathy McBride's motto, as she's headed back to court again over her refusal to sign off on the $24.2 million tax levy for Trenton Public Schools. The district filed suit against Trenton council, asking a judge to intervene in the monthslong saga. The Board of Education released a statement saying it was "dismayed and disappointed" with McBride for holding up tax levy. 'We have been open about our past challenges and the steps taken to mitigate the damage done. These challenges were not created overnight, nor could they have been resolved overnight,' the district said. 'However, we are intent on making a turnabout at the Board of Education; and through the work done thus far, we can say there have been improvements. It is because of this that we must, regrettably, bring suit and ask the courts to intervene on our behalf '… The Board of School Estimate set the tax levy at the March 29 meeting, but has been held in limbo for months over McBride's concerns about how it impacts overburdened city taxpayers. She opposed any funding going to charter schools and accused district officials of recklessly spending while failing to provide students with a first-rate education."

ATLANTIC CITY HOMELESSNESS PROBLEM FIXED — " Homeless camp under Atlantic City pier cleared out as massive concert sets up nearby ," by NJ Advance Media's Tim Hawk and Kevin Shea: "About 30 people who struggle with homelessness were cleared out of an encampment early Monday beneath the Playground Pier, which is owned by Caesars, off the Atlantic City boardwalk. A number of groups were present, from city police and the Casino Redevelopment Authority to organizations that aid the homeless population … Nearby, officials are setting up the stage and other apparatus for a three-day Phish concert on the beach, which drew massive crowds last year. That is a coincidence, [city spokesperson Andrew] Kramer said … Despite the city saying it was only made aware of the camp recently, some of the people displaced on Monday said they had been living there for months."

—" Fernandez gets 24% pay bump with new job as Jersey City superintendent "

—" 22 candidates take out petitions to run for Trenton council in 2022 "

—" Paterson DPW worker alleges sexual harassment — the fourth such suit since 2019 "

—" Englewood is installing surveillance cameras around the city. Here's why they're doing it "

—" Atlantic City police break up homeless encampment under Playground Pier "

—" What is to blame for series of boil water advisories, main breaks in Bergen County? "

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EVERYTHING ELSE

—" Religion in schools? Court to rehear Chatham mom's suit claiming district promoted Islam "

—" Cops bust huge illegal weekend parties at N.J. quarry with ATVs, personal watercraft "

A message from Rise Light & Power:

An offshore wind transmission solution pending before the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities would repurpose a brownfield, revitalize an industrial waterfront, generate hundreds of well-paying jobs, and spur economic growth.

The Outerbridge Renewable Connector, proposed by Rise Light & Power, would function as an "extension cord" linking energy generated by offshore wind farms to more than 1.4 million New Jersey homes. By repurposing the past to power the future, Outerbridge is projected to generate more than $1 billion in economic activity while addressing the health and economic dangers of climate change and protecting the Jersey Shore we know and love.