Good Monday morning! Just in time for New Jersey’s governor’s race to kick off in earnest, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is bringing the prospect of congestion pricing back into it. POLITICO’s Jeff Coltin and Ry Rivard report that after halting the project due to political considerations ahead of the election, Hochul has reached out to the U.S. Department of Transportation to see if restarting the program with lower tolls — $9 from the original $15 — would require another environmental review. Whether you agree with congestion pricing or not, the halting of the program for obvious political considerations on was a short-term political ploy. Cynical, sure. Successful? I’ll let others parse the New York results. But given the financial problems for transit in New York, whether it will be remembered as short-sighted depends on whether they can revive it. U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer has so far built his unofficial gubernatorial campaign on this issue, and it’s not hard to figure out that you’ll politically benefit by fighting a plan to will cost New Jersey drivers more money. But in a Democratic primary with more progressive voters — people who also may be galvanized by a second Trump presidency — I just don’t know how it will play. Read more about it here. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “There’s no end in sight.” — NJ Forest Fire Service Chief Bill Donnelly HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Barry Kushnir, Brian Nelson, Mike Strada WHERE’S MURPHY? In the United Kingdom. Acting Gov. Tahesha Way will be at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial & Museum in Holmdel at 11 a.m. for an announcement on veteran homelessness.
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AS GOES SPRINGSTEEN SO GOES JERSEY —“Dire drought conditions in N.J. may force emergency action as wildfires burn and reservoirs dwindle,” by NJ Advance Media’s Len Melisurgo: “New Jersey’s worsening drought conditions are so dire that the state may be forced to declare a drought warning as early as next week or a rare drought emergency in the coming weeks, officials said, as conditions continue to rapidly deteriorate and wildfires keep breaking out almost daily. The dangerous conditions have put a major strain on crops, firefighters, private wells, and reservoirs that provide drinking water to millions of people. But the biggest immediate danger has come from the wildfires, as firefighters over the past several weeks have battled hundreds of blazes fueled by the dry brush and gusty winds. At least ten wildfires were burning as of Friday afternoon in eight different counties around the state, from as far north as Bergen and Essex and south to Camden and Cumberland. One of the latest blazes to break out Friday afternoon was near the Palisades Interstate Parkway in Englewood Cliffs. The drought continues to put a strain on the water supply. Some of the biggest reservoirs in the Garden State are at the lowest capacity seen in more than 20 years, and other reservoirs have dipped to their lowest levels on record, officials said.”
— “ As wildfire burns in New Jersey and New York, rain offers little relief,” by The New York Times’ Nichole Hong: “Firefighters in New Jersey and New York were working on Sunday to contain the latest of several recent wildfires in the region, where the first forecast rainfall in weeks was expected to bring little relief to areas experiencing drought conditions. The fire has blazed across more than 2,500 acres in Passaic County, N.J., and Orange County, N.Y. — about an hour northwest of New York City. As of Sunday afternoon, it was completely uncontained, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. An 18-year-old employee of the New York State parks system died on Saturday while fighting the fire. The employee, Dariel Vasquez, was helping to clear a wooded area when a tree fell and hit him, officials said. Hundreds of fires have burned in the region this fall during an unusually warm and dry season” WITH CANNABENEFITS, THE COLA REALLY IS SODA — “A huge step to help N.J. patients pay for medical weed is coming soon. No other state has done this ,” by NJ Advance Media’s Susan K. Livio and Jelani: Gibson: “It looked like the typical open enrollment session at Trenton City Hall one day last month, with a line of tables covered in pamphlets, pens and tchotchkes promoting the latest in dental, prescription drug and other health insurance offerings for the upcoming year. But it was actually an historic moment in health care. A dozen years after New Jersey allowed the sale of medical marijuana for registered patients coping with pain, muscle spasms, nausea, anxiety and other conditions, medicinal cannabis products will be among the benefits available to government employees in some communities for the first time next year. Employees of the city of Trenton and the Orange and Teaneck boards of education will have the opportunity to sign up for discounts on cannabis at participating dispensaries, as well telehealth appointments through a benefit add-on known as Bennabis Health. A company that has brokered discounts between dispensaries and medical marijuana patients since 2020, Bennabis Health also is in negotiations with other local government entities to join, said John Agos, Bennabis Health’s CEO.” LOOKING FOR THE FAULT IN NJ — “ How does the Trump earthquake rattle NJ Democrats before the 2025 governor race?” by The Record’s Charles Stile: “The unexpected close finish in New Jersey was result of a Harris ‘nosedive,’ as Monmouth University pollster Patrick Murray described it, rather than a Trump surge. Harris notched 2,100,255 votes (with more than 93% of precincts reporting), which is 508,000 fewer votes than were cast for President Joe Biden, a 19% drop from four years ago. Trump, meanwhile, collected 1,883,313, or just about 11,000 more votes than in 2020, or less than 1%. In other words, there was no great shift in New Jersey for Trump, but a lack of enthusiasm for the Harris candidacy. … But in fact, the sharp decline in Democratic turnout from four years ago does suggest that the Democratic Party did put their feet up with confidence that New Jersey was solid for Harris and that Trump posed no real threat. The state Democratic Party and leadership did not deploy a vigorous get-out-the-vote operation with the exception of supporters for Sue Altman, who lost in her bid to unseat Republican Tom Kean Jr. in the 7th Congressional District. Instead, brigades of New Jersey volunteer spent their weekends in neighboring Pennsylvania, a battleground state that Harris eventually lost. ‘They (Democratic officials) will work hard when the Legislature is on the line, not for somebody else,’ said Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics.” THE HEIMER MANEUVER — “Partially gloomy N.J. Dems ready to find themselves in 2025,” by InsideRNJ’s Max Pizarro: “On Wednesday, operatives sat on a telephone call preparing for the imminent 2025 gubernatorial announcement of U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-11). Farther north, the allies of U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-5) began summoning the finishing touches of his imminent rollout. Each side felt confident about how they could message their candidate as what New Jersey Democrats – and ultimately all New Jerseyans, and maybe, for that matter, the country, desperate to change a hellish headline – need to staunch the bleeding.” DELTA BLOW — “Cannabis agency announces new statewide hemp ban will be enforced,” by New Jersey Monitor’s Sophie Nieto-Munoz: “The state’s cannabis agency quietly announced Friday it will begin enforcing a new state ban on hemp product sales. The law kicked in Oct. 12, but a federal judge’s ruling from two days prior kept the Cannabis Regulatory Commission from enforcing most of it right away. Now, the agency says in a statement on its website that the sale of hemp products or cannabis items that are not derived from ‘naturally occurring’ chemicals is currently enforceable. … Beau Huch, a cannabis and hemp attorney with Porzio Governmental Affairs, said he thinks the news means the agency will start targeting products with synthetic cannabinoids like delta-10 and THC-o that the hemp industry agrees are dangerous to consumers, as opposed to products made with naturally occurring cannabinoids like Delta-8 and Delta-9. ‘They’re testing the waters. They’re sending a message, which will obviously have an intended chilling effect on bad actors. It also says they’re still paying attention,’ Huch said.” —“ Murphy on Democratic losses: Chat Box”
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MUCH A POMPIDOU ABOUT NOTHING — “Fulop announces plan for rec center in every ward, another project Jersey City’s next mayor would have to complete,” by The Jersey Journal’s Teri West: “Hey Jersey City, how does a recreation center in each of the city’s six wards sound to you? That’s the latest ambitious project Mayor Steve Fulop plans to launch as he heads into his final year in office before trying to become the next governor of New Jersey. His initial goal is to open new “community-focus” recreation centers in Wards A, D and E ― two of which would be housed in planned or existing buildings and one of which would be an entirely new structure in Bayside Park … The mayor has promised the city will build the Centre Pompidou modern art museum outpost on its own after the state bailed on the project earlier this year. Now you can add the millions this recreation center projects will cost to the bill that will come due to future mayors. His successors may also have to work out much of the funding for the project.”
WRONG SAID FRED — “Borough attorney up for judgeship says political parties can’t fill municipal vacancies ,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Arguably the most doltish municipal government lawyer in New Jersey today is Frederick C. Raffetto, who happens to be Gov. Phil Murphy’s nominee to serve as a state Tax Court judge. As the Jamesburg borough attorney, Raffetto issued a seemingly heavy-handed legal opinion that the local Republican county committee can’t submit three names to replace a GOP mayor who resigned because the mayor ran off-the-line in the 2023 Republican primary. That defies a state law followed by Democrats and Republicans for decades empowering the political party that won the previous election to fill the vacancy.” TREES — “Drew University, Madison sign 'landmark' deal to purchase, preserve forest,” by The Daily Record’s William Westhoven: “Madison and Drew University announced what the two sides called a ‘landmark agreement’ on Friday to preserve 51 acres of woodlands on the campus, ending two years of negotiations, legal battles and a public campaign to save the land from development. While the price and other details were not revealed, a joint statement said the agreement calls for the borough to purchase the Drew Forest property and also ‘paves the way’ for the university to sell additional land for a multi-family housing project. The school has said for years that it needed to sell property as a way to shore up its finances. The announcement came days after a Morris County committee recommended a $1 million grant for the effort, adding to millions in public funds already committed to the preservation campaign.” —“Judge rules Teaneck school board still not complying with July meeting notice order” |
THE JACKSON FIRE — “ A man has been charged with arson in connection to a New Jersey wildfire sparked by a shotgun round, officials say,” by CNN’s Alaa Elassar: “A man has been charged with arson after officials say he fired an illegal shotgun round that sparked a wildfire in Jackson Township, New Jersey, scorching 350 acres of land and prompting evacuations in the surrounding community. Richard Shashaty, 37, has been charged with arson and violation of the regulatory provisions relating to firearms, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced in a joint statement Saturday. Officials said they determined the origin of the fire, dubbed the Shotgun Fire, was ‘behind a berm in the Southwest corner of the Rifle Club, and the fire was caused by magnesium shards of a Dragons Breath 12 gauge shotgun round igniting available combustibles on the berm of the shooting range.’ The firing of this type of incendiary or tracer ammunition is prohibited in New Jersey, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.”
FRY ME TO THE MOON — “ Will the NJ drought cancel your deep-fried turkey tradition? We asked and found out,” by The Daily Record’s William Westhoven: “[G]iven the extraordinary drought conditions and elevated fire risk in New Jersey as Thanksgiving approaches, and with firefighters battling wildfires across the state, we felt it reasonable to ask if it was safe — or even legal — to fire up your backyard deep-fryer for the holiday? Jeffrey Paul, director of the Morris County Office of Emergency Management, said the law says you can do it, but for Pete's sake, ‘safety first!’ ‘The issue of frying turkeys as we get closer to Thanksgiving is not restricted since the cooking is done with propane and not an open burn,’ Paul said. ‘This, however, does not mean that anyone frying a turkey should not be using extreme caution.’” —“Union alleges cleaning worker at American Dream fired for trying to organize”
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