| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | | | Good Wednesday morning! ELEC meetings are typically about as eventful as you would expect of Trenton bureaucracy. Tuesday’s meeting, in which the agency’s non-recused commissioners decided whether to take action against ELEC Executive Director Jeff Brindle over an Equal Employment Opportunity complaint, was different. First off, the agency decided to take no action against Brindle. The two non-recused commissioners said that despite the email — in which he lamented being encouraged to celebrate National Coming Out Day despite what he felt was not enough recognition of Washington and Lincoln’s birthdays — there was no evidence, based on four interviews of ELEC staff conducted by the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity that Brindle had created a hostile work environment. But the meeting was tense. In its press release notifying the public about it — and by the public, I mean the very small group of people, including myself, who follow this kind of thing — ELEC had its standard line asking members of the public who wish to speak to sign up. Three did — Garden State Equality’s two leaders and Pastor Amir Khan of Camden. But at the beginning of the meeting, Commissioner Stephen Holden said there would be no testimony from anyone not directly involved in the case. “ELEC has lost all legitimacy, and this hearing is proof of that. This is a joke. Shame on all of you. A bunch of white, straight men,” Garden State Equality Christian Fuscarino said just as the commission went into executive session. “Express your heterophobia someplace else, young man,” Commissioner Stephen Holden shot back.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Their tactics have escalated to pitting different groups from across the region against each other in the hopes of achieving their ultimate goal: private development on public land. In a spirit of reconciliation, I humbly propose the state of New Jersey use its powers of eminent domain to expand Liberty State Park by acquiring [Paul] Fireman’s golf course. The additional acreage will provide lots of land for active recreation for the community. And the state of the art club house will become NJ's preeminent cultural center, a venue with sweeping views of the park, Jersey City, and New York.” — Jersey City resident Eric Allen Conner in an online petition WHERE’S MURPHY? No public schedule.
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ELEC — At tense hearing, ELEC takes no action against Brindle, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: The Election Law Enforcement Commission will not discipline its executive director, Jeff Brindle, over an allegedly anti-gay email he sent to a staff member following a tense Tuesday hearing that drew protests from the leaders of New Jersey's biggest gay rights group. “There is no testimony in the record that there was anyone here who was not treated with fairness, dignity and respect,” ELEC Commissioner Stephen Holden said during the hearing. “Those who worked with Mr. Brindle many years never saw any trace of that behavior or belief, either through jokes or through comments.” … At issue was an email Brindle sent to an unnamed employee last October that led her to file a complaint against him. Brindle's email was a reply to a state communication about National Coming Out Day. “Are you coming out? No Lincoln or Washington’s Birthday’s but we can celebrate national coming out day,” Brindle wrote in response. Since Brindle’s first email surfaced, attorney and open records advocate CJ Griffin has released about a dozen other emails in which Brindle expressed frustration with LGBTQ and other hot-button social issues, but the commission did not consider them Thursday, sticking narrowly to the original allegations as outlined in a state Employment Opportunity complaint.
PEDAL TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL — “Public records reveal supplemental spending will add $1.5B to 2023 budget,” by NJ Spotlight News’ John Reitmeyer: “Nearly $1.5 billion in planned supplemental spending covering everything from additional gun-violence research to a voter-education initiative is set to occur before the end of June, according to state budget documents obtained through a public records request. The full list of the dozens of supplemental spending items for the 2023 fiscal year includes a $600 million appropriation to a proposed ‘Health Care Affordability and Accessibility Fund.’ The source of funding for that appropriation comes from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey as a result of its recent reorganization into a mutual holding company, according to Department of Treasury officials and budget documents. In all, the planned supplemental spending to be added to the original budget for the current fiscal year that was enacted by Gov. Phil Murphy and lawmakers late last June totals $1.456 billion.” CADDLE SEEKS NEW PASTURE — “Political operative in bizarre NJ murder-for-hire case must leave home after missing rent,” by The Record’s Ashley Balcerzak: “A federal judge ordered political consultant Sean Caddle in January 2022 to don an ankle monitor and not leave his Sussex County home after pleading guilty to hiring two hit men to kill a former friend and associate. The Hardyston address where Caddle has awaited sentencing for nearly a year and a half is about to change, because Caddle missed months of rent payments. In a legal proceeding on Tuesday, Superior Court Judge David Weaver approved an agreement between Caddle and his landlord: Caddle and his family must move out by April 15, or else they will be physically removed from the property. Caddle would not be required to pay the thousands of dollars he previously owed in missed rental payments.”
| | | | A message from Alibaba:   | | | TIK TOK YA DON'T NEED TO STOP — “N.J. not ready for all-out ban of TikTok, but concerns linger, Murphy says,” by NJ Advance Media’s Matt Arco: “A few months after barring TikTok on many state government devices in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy would not say Monday whether he supports a blanket ban on the social media app used by some 150 million people. Murphy said on his regular call-in television show he’s “not of the opinion — at least not yet — that the Garden State should completely prohibit the app. The Democratic governor, however, said he was concerned about Chinese government using it to conduct surveillance of its users and whether its “age-inappropriate” content is to easily available for minors to view. ‘I worry about these folks for two reasons. One is the security of our personal information. I, frankly, think it’s not secure, and that concerns me,’ Murphy said on News 12 New Jersey.” —“Legislators propose $3M program to treat law enforcement officers in mental crisis” —“N.J. Turnpike, Parkway authority director announces retirement” —“'Proud and historic': Two hijab-wearing women sworn in as judges in NJ” —“ILA Local 1588 president: Waterfront commission is ‘stifling hiring,’ unfairly punished Sampson” | | BIDEN TIME | |
WHALE DEATHS — “Whale death info needed faster as speculation grows rampant, N.J. Democrats tell feds,” by NJ Advance Media’s Steven Rodas: “So far, mostly Republicans have pressed for more transparency following the death of at least 29 whales on the Atlantic Coast since December. They’ve done so while pointing to offshore wind development as the suspected cause, despite federal agencies saying no evidence supports that claim. On Tuesday, several Democratic lawmakers — acknowledging vessel strikes have been linked to many of the marine mammal beachings — joined a call for the release of more information on the federal investigation into the deaths. ‘We appreciate (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s) ongoing commitment to marine mammal conservation and your efforts to keep our offices and the public informed about these ongoing strandings,’ reads a letter sent Tuesday to NOAA by lawmakers, including New Jersey Democrats Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. Bob Menendez.”
—“Dead harbor porpoise washes up on [Ortley] beach” —“Rep. Josh Gottheimer is making new calls to stem NJ mail fraud. Here's why”
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NEW LEGAL PRECEDENT: SITTING IN CHAIRS NOT INCRIMINATING — “Paterson City Hall: Gilmore prevails in case against Sayegh administration,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “The city’s community improvements director, David Gilmore, should regain his job, along with back pay and legal fees, because he was improperly fired, a state administrative law judge ruled Monday. Mayor Andre Sayegh’s administration terminated Gilmore — a frequent critic of the mayor — on sexual harassment charges in December 2021. In rejecting Gilmore’s dismissal, Administrative Law Judge Gail Cookson said “these trumped-up disciplinary charges rest primarily on testimony from biased witnesses, hearsay, and fuzzy photos of appellant sitting in a chair.” Cookson said the accusations against Gilmore were “almost orchestrated” by his rival in the office, Construction Official Gerry Lobozzo. … Getting reinstated likely would bolster Gilmore’s pending federal lawsuits against the city, in which he claims he was targeted for enforcement action against Sayegh’s supporters, including Art Factory complex owner David Garsia.”
CAMDEN DEMOCRATS’ LESSON FROM THE #METOO MOVEMENT — “Ex-assemblyman accused of assault will seek Camden City Council seat,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Arthur Barclay, who resigned his seat in the New Jersey State Assembly in 2018 after being arrested n domestic violence charges, is seeking a seat on the Camden City Council with the support of the local Democratic organization. Barclay, a 6-foot-8-inch former college basketball star, was accused of punching his girlfriend in the face and breaking her nose. Camden County police officers arrested him. Charges were later dropped when Barclay’s girlfriend never appeared in court. There was no announcement of the assault charges against a sitting assemblyman, and when the New Jersey Globe first reported the arrest, twelve days had passed. … Despite the events, Barclay kept his job working for Camden County and is the organizing chairman of the Camden NAACP.” EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY ACT TO OFFER PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR TAX CREDITS — “Camden schools are offering $10K signing bonus to attract new teachers. ‘This is where we are,’ says the superintendent,” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Melanie Burney: “Struggling to fill critical vacancies amid a national teacher shortage, the Camden City School District is upping the ante by offering a $10,000 signing bonus. Superintendent Katrina McCombs said the South Jersey district still has about 50 teacher vacancies for the current school year, about 7% of its teaching staff. It projects roughly the same need for next year’s hiring, she said. Marking the first time the district has offered such a perk, the signing bonus is available for new hires in high demand — math, science, ESL, and bilingual roles, McCombs said. The district did not immediately respond to a question about where the money will come from.”
| | A message from Alibaba: Alibaba helps American businesses succeed globally. In 2022, $66 billion worth of U.S. products were sold on Alibaba’s e-commerce platforms, a nearly 10% increase over 2021. From household names to emerging small businesses, thousands of American companies sell products to over one billion consumers in China on Alibaba.
Read how American businesses are succeeding with Alibaba. | | | WHOSE RIVER? — “Toms River GOP war: 4 candidates seek mayor's seat in June primary,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Jean Mikle: “Toms River's ongoing Republican battle will play out in the June 6 primary, with two slates of candidates challenging Mayor Maurice B. Hill Jr. and three township councilmen for the opportunity to be the GOP's standard-bearers in November. Hill and his running mates, councilmen Kevin M. Geoghegan, Josh Kopp and Matt Lotano, will have the coveted GOP party line on the ballot … They will be challenged by the "Save Toms River" team, a slate headed by Councilman Daniel Rodrick. … Another slate is headed by mayoral candidate Geri Ambrosio, former president of the Toms River Regular Republican Club. … Ambrosio's slate was endorsed last month by the the Regular Republican Club. Also seeking the mayor's seat in the GOP primary is Robert Bianchini, an engineer and director of capital projects and public facilities for Asbury Park's Public Works Department.” EXIT THE WU-TANG — “Wu-Tang Clan rapper’s N.J. cannabis lounge rejected after church’s objections,” by NJ Advance Media’s Steve Strunsky: “Newark’s Central Planning Board stomped on a lot of buzzes Monday night, denying an application by Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon to open a cannabis lounge a block from the Prudential Center arena after church elders protested and one board member complained that the rendering was offensive. A lawyer for the Hashstoria, the Oregon company co-founded by Corey Woods, a.k.a. Raekwon the Chef, had warned the board that the plan conformed to zoning and other requirements and that a denial would almost certainly lead to an appeal the company would win in court. But that did not deter board members, who voted to reject Hashstoria’s site plan application after expressing concerns that lines would form outside the Broad Street location, parking would be a problem, and customers would walk out stoned.” GALLAGHER WANTS TO SMASH SULLIVAN LIKE A WATERMELON — “Somerville mayor's race a rematch two decades in the making,” by MyCentralJersey’s Mike Deak: “It's a rematch that has been two decades in the making. Incumbent Democratic Mayor Dennis Sullivan is being challenged by former Republican mayor and Somerset County Freeholder Brian Gallagher for the four-year term, in a battle of two political veterans who have dominated Somerville's politics in the 21st century. Their rivalry began in 2003 when Gallagher defeated Sullivan by three votes for the mayoralty.” —“Paterson faith leaders criticize city officials for their ‘silence’ in activist’s killing” —“[Atlantic] City to leave state health plan” —“[Sea Isle City] considers summertime curfew for kids and teens” —“Jersey City spending millions to renovate urban oasis, but 3 years later it remains closed” —“Jersey City BOE hears allegations of racist hiring practices & student bullying at meeting” —“With all the focus on Philly, what about South Jersey’s drinking water?” —Opinion: “In Montclair, Lackawanna Plaza is where the river forks on liberal values”
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NO RESTING ON MT LAURELS — “Why is N.J. rent so high? Because the state is short 225K affordable units, report says,” by NJ Advance Media’s Camille Furst: “About 225,000 of New Jersey’s 323,000 extremely low-income households have no affordable rentals available to them, the [National Low Income Housing Coalition] said. Extremely low-income renters are defined as those with incomes at or below either the federal poverty line or 30% of their area’s median income — whichever is greater. … The report’s data shows a widening gap between New Jersey’s extremely low-income households and the number of units available to them. While the Garden State saw an addition of more than 2,000 affordable units between 2019 and 2021, the number of extremely low-income households outpaced that. There were 21,508 more extremely low-income households in 2021 than there were in 2019. … Rent prices in New Jersey skyrocketed between 20% and 40% in 14 of New Jersey’s 21 counties since the start of the pandemic, according to data published by Zillow.”
—“Monmouth University gifted $21M; largest gift in 90-year history will expand educational access” —“New security alliance formed to protect NY and NJ Jewish community as threats soar” —“A year after crisis, NJ parents still have a hard time finding baby formula” —“'The book from the enemy': A lifetime after Vietnam, U.S. veteran delivers a diary to its home” —“'Joker' sequel resumes filming in Belleville as officials make plans for crowds”
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