NJ 101.5 hosts suspended for calling GREWAL ‘turban man’ — CORPORATIONS selling state-issued tax incentives …

By Matt Friedman (mfriedman@politico.com; @mattfriedmannj):

It’s been more than a decade since Craig Carton took to New Jersey 101.5’s airwaves to rant about “damn Orientals and Indians,” so maybe this was overdue.

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Yesterday, rather than learn Attorney General Gurbir Grewal’s name, NJ 101.5 host Dennis Malloy jokingly called him “the guy with the turban.” Co-host Judi Franco then dubbed Grewal “Turban Man.” “Is that highly offensive?” Malloy asked. “If you called me ‘Baseball Hat Man’ and I was in a culture where no one wore baseball hats … should I be offended?” And this line from Malloy: “Listen, and if that offends you, then don’t wear the turban and maybe I’ll remember your name.”

I’m sure these two can’t wait to hold themselves out as martyrs to political correctness. But NJ 101.5 doesn’t appear to be standing behind them. It announced yesterday it will suspend the hosts “until further notice” and “will have further comment shortly.”

Before that, Gov. Murphy already stepped in with a statement. “I’m outraged by the abhorrent and xenophobic comments made earlier today mocking Attorney General Gurbir Grewal on ‘The Dennis & Judi Show’ on New Jersey 101.5. Hate speech has no place in New Jersey, and it does not belong on our airwaves. Station management must now hold the hosts accountable for these intolerant and racist comments.”’ Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, himself a Sikh, tweeted “Hey Racist Man” at Dennis and Judi. Lots of other politicians made statements.

NJ 101.5 claims to be all about New Jersey. “Not New York. Not Philadelphia. Proud to be New Jersey.” New Jersey has an estimated Sikh population of 100,000. Practicing male Sikhs, like Grewal, wear turbans. If you live in New Jersey, you see them all over. Maybe Dennis and Judi should take a look around. I just feel bad for NJ 101.5’s excellent reporters, including Michael Symons and Sergio Bichao, for having to share the airwaves with these “personalities.”

WHERE’S MURPHY? No public schedule

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — AFP-NJ Grassroots Director Tony Howley, State Sen. Steve Oroho. Despite what I told you yesterday, today is Oroho’s birthday.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “It’s important for someone like me to do this job that’s front-line law enforcement, to show people that you don’t have to look a particular way to love this country.” — Attorney General Gurbir Grewal to The New York Times in December

WHAT TRENTON MADE

CORPORATE INCENTIVES — “For sale: New Jersey tax credits,” by The Wall Street Journal’s Kate King: “New Jersey’s corporate tax breaks, designed to lure and keep companies in one of the country’s highest-taxed states, are sold for cash more often than they are used to lower tax bills. Like many other states, New Jersey allows companies to sell tax credits they receive in exchange for building new offices, hiring more workers or moving to the state. Most take advantage of this, with state records showing that companies—including Panasonic and Prudential Financial Inc. — have sold or transferred about 78% of the $595 million in state tax credits doled out since 2011. Buyers include insurance firms and big companies like Apple Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc., according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of more than 250 transactions.“

—“The average tax-credit sale nets about 91 cents on the dollar, according to the analysis. New Jersey Treasurer Elizabeth Muoio said it is not clear the state’s tax-incentive programs are being used as intended, given that three-quarters of businesses have sold their tax credits instead of using them to lower their tax burdens.” Read the report

WEED WATCH — Will expanded medical marijuana program cloud legalization effort? by POLITICO’s Sam Sutton: The rapid growth of New Jersey’s medical marijuana program is raising the possibility that an initiative meant to help sick people could quickly come to be seen as a stand-in for legalizing the drug. The medical program has nearly doubled in size over the last six months, adding 11,600 patients as common maladies such as anxiety and chronic pain became eligible for treatment. The state’s health commissioner is campaigning to convince more doctors to prescribe the drug. And Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration wants to issue permits for six new dispensaries by November, with more to follow.

—State Sen. Joe Vitale (D-Middlesex), a legalization opponent who has led his chamber‘s efforts to expand New Jersey’s medical marijuana program, says: “Policymakers like me and others have to be careful that we don’t create a de facto recreational program, which will happen by itself anyway.” Conversations about medical marijuana and recreational use inevitably collide — often by design — forcing lawmakers to carefully craft their positions with the sharpest of points. Both sides in the battle to legalize weed in New Jersey are raising concerns that a less restrictive medical marijuana program could be the route to de facto legalization, weakening the program’s viability and removing social justice considerations from the ongoing debate over recreational use. Read the report

UNVARNEYSHED — Sweeney, in contentious interview, says he’ll release cost-cutting plans next week, by POLITICO’s Ryan Hutchins: Senate President Steve Sweeney plans to release recommendations next week to attempt to address the cost of government in New Jersey, an announcement he made during a contentious interview Wednesday on Fox Business Network. Sweeney, who commissioned a task force earlier this year to examine the issue, was peppered with loaded questions and harsh criticism by host Stuart Varney, a longtime New Jersey resident who said he was being held “prisoner” by the high-tax state. “I am a resident of New Jersey. I’ve been there for nearly 40 years. You’re going to raise my taxes and you won’t let me leave,” Varney told Sweeney. “I’m a prisoner.” Sweeney struggled to respond to the barrage of questions, a number of which were based on inaccurate information or appeared designed to get the state Senate president to trip up. “The focus is to start the reform of government. It’s long overdue,” Sweeney said. “We’ll work with the governor to start moving forward. There’s a lot of fixes that have to happen. New Jersey is a great state. You know it, you live there. That’s why I live there. But we need to fix it. It’s too expensive.” Read the report

WARNING: DO NOT READ ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING POLICY IF YOU’RE TRYING TO WAKE UP — “Assembly Housing Committee holds a contentious public hearing,” by NJTV’s Michael Aron: “The 45-year argument over New Jersey affordable housing got a good airing out Wednesday. The fight pits municipalities, that want to protect their character, against builders, who want to build housing, and advocates who want to open up the suburbs to minorities, veterans and the disabled. Mayor after mayor came before the Assembly Housing Committee to complain that housing developers are using the law to try gobble up their towns. … For years a body called COAH, the Council on Affordable Housing, determined a municipality’s fair share of affordable housing need. Then, COAH went moribund, and the decisions about allocations reverted to superior courts where they were in the 70s and 80s. Municipalities don’t like that. ‘At this point I ask you to reinstate COAH immediately. Get it out of the courts. Stop the endless chain of litigation. Give towns a chance to breathe and save taxpayer dollars,’ said former Bernards Township Mayor Al LiCata.” Read the report

—“NJ pounds UnitedHealthcare with $2.5M fine, biggest in 9 years” Read the report

—“BPU outlines funding mechanism for offshore wind projects” Read the report

—“Remember the outages and outrage from March snowstorms? N.J. just ordered power companies to shape up.” Read the report

TRUMP ERA

AS I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I TAKE A LOOK AT MY HYPERBOLE AND REALIZE THERE’S NOTHIN’ LEFT — “‘Get a grip’: Republicans seize on Booker comment that Kavanaugh supporters are ‘complicit’ in ‘evil’,” by The Washington Post’s Elise Viebeck: “Sen. Cory Booker’s statement that supporters of Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh are `complicit in ‘evil’ drew criticism from senior Republicans who called the New Jersey Democrat’s comment absurd and inappropriate. ‘It’s hard to take statements like that seriously,’ Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Tex.) said Wednesday in a floor speech. ‘To me, that’s completely unhinged and detached from any reality.’ … Booker’s comment at a news conference Tuesday could further inflame debate over Kavanaugh as red-state Democrats face pressure to support President Trump’s second Supreme Court pick … Booker described the fight over Trump’s nominee as a battle between right and wrong in which ‘there is no neutral.’ …. ‘In a moral moment there is no bystanders. You are either complicit in the evil, you are either contributing to the wrong, or you are fighting against it … Booker continued with a reference to Psalm 23: ‘We are walking through the valley of the shadow of death. But that doesn’t say, ‘Though I sit in the valley of the shadow of death.’ It doesn’t say that I’m watching on the sidelines of the valley of the shadow of death. … It says I am taking agency, that I am going to make it through this crisis.’” Read the report

FLOOD INSURANCE — “House keeps flood insurance program going during hurricane season, but will Senate follow?” by The Record’s Herb Jackson: “Days before members leave town for a monthlong recess to campaign for re-election, the House voted to keep the National Flood Insurance Program operating during hurricane season. But it is unclear whether whether the Senate will follow through before the July 31 deadline to reauthorize the program. Letting the program lapse would mean the Federal Emergency Management Agency could not issue new policies, which would prevent homes in flood-prone areas from being sold, because insurance is required by mortgage lenders.” Read the report

—“Trump administration says it’s doing a good job cleaning up these toxic sites in N.J.” Read the report

—“Menendez and Pompeo really go at each other over Trump meeting with Putin” Read the report

—“Murphy calls stalemate over Gateway funding ‘frustrating’“ Read the report

LOCAL

JUDGE POKES CURLEY IN THE EYE — “Curley sexual harassment case: Judge dismissed lawsuit, holds Monmouth County in contempt,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Susanne Cervenka: A federal “court judge dismissed a lawsuit Freeholder John Curley filed against Monmouth County in the wake of a 2017 sexual harassment investigation into comments he made at a parade. Federal Judge Brian R. Martinotti also found Monmouth County in contempt after improperly revealing portions of the report about the investigation when Curley’s fellow freeholders censured him in December … Martinotti ordered the county to pay Curley’s legal bills related to bringing the contempt charge to court … Martinotti also gave Curley until Aug. 24 to refile his lawsuit.” Read the report

THAT’S A LOT OF TICKETS TO MEDIEVAL TIMES — “Lyndhurst will give retiring police chief, captain $695,000 in payouts,” by The Record’s Nicholas Katzban: “The Lyndhurst Police Department will lose its chief and a captain to retirement this fall. Chief James O’Connor and Capt. John Valente’s retirement will leave two of the department’s top three positions vacant. If his severance agreement is approved by the Township Commission, O’Connor will get a $395,000 payout of accrued benefits, paid in two installments of nearly $50,000 in the first two years of his retirement, and nearly $100,000 each of the next three years through January 2022 … Valente, whose departing salary is about $160,000, will receive a $300,893 payout, to be dispensed in four annual installments of $75,223.” Read the report

CALDWELL — “This small dept. has 2 female cops. Both are now suing the chief alleging he made sexual remarks,” by NJ Advance Media’s Craig McCarthy: “An already embattled chief of police in Essex County is now fending off additional accusations that he made lewd sexual remarks about the only two women on the force. The latest suit — brought by Officer Jessica Luszcz and the third legal complaint filed against Caldwell’s top cop over a two-year span — alleges Police Chief James Bongiorno had made inappropriate comments about the female officer, alienated her from the rest of the department and promoted her male counterparts over her during her 13-year tenure.” Read the report

INSULT UPON INJURY — “Ex-BOE member has to pay officer he assaulted $131K. Now, he calls the cop a ‘racist pig’,” by NJ Advance Media’s Matt Gray: “A police officer who sued claiming he was permanently injured when three local officials assaulted him during a youth basketball game will receive $131,000, an arbitrator has ruled. Only one of the officials, former school board member and community activist Walter Hudson, is ordered to pay under the ruling. George Manganaro was working as a Penns Grove patrolman in 2014 when he was dispatched for a report of underage drinking during a game at the borough’s middle school. In his suit, Manganaro claimed he was injured when Hudson, Penns Grove Mayor John Washington and borough Councilwoman Jeanette Jackson intervened in the investigation and assaulted him … Hudson didn’t mince words when asked for his thoughts on being ordered to pay Manganaro. ‘The racist pig deserves prison time instead of compensation for his history of pain and suffering he caused black and brown, and poor white people, in the Penns Grove community during his time as a police officer,’ Hudson said.” Read the report

MAKING A MOCCORY — “Boos meet panel that awards developer after-the-fact building approvals,” by The Jersey Journal’s Terrence T. McDonald: “To a chorus of boos from residents, the Planning Board on Tuesday approved a host of retroactive approvals for real-estate developer Peter Mocco’s new building on Grand Street, which was constructed using materials banned by the area’s zoning laws and with an additional story not approved by city planners. Mocco was before the board seeking what are called “deviations” from the requirements of the redevelopment plan for the Liberty Harbor North area, where the 221-unit apartment building is located. Board members who voted in favor chastised the developer for building first and asking for approvals later, but sided with him anyway by a 5-2 vote. The board’s action came the same day the city told Mocco partner Jeff Zak the city would fine them $582,000 because they deviated from the board approved plans for the building, located at 333 Grand St., and ordered them to remove the extra story they added to the roof of the building without permission. Mayor Steve Fulop called the fine one of the largest the city has ever issued to a developer.” Read the report

—“Jersey City deputy mayor stepping down” Read the report

—“Hold on marijuana offenses has support in Jersey City” Read the report

TRUMP ERA: DEMS COULD COMPETE IN COUNTY WHOSE NAME IS PRACTICALLY SYNONYMOUS WITH GOP — “Stepped-up Morris GOP fundraising points to competitive countywide general election,” by InsiderNJ’s Fred Snowflack: “Summer is usually a slow time for political fundraising, but not this year. The three Republicans running for three Morris County freeholder seats have scheduled a $500 per person fundraiser for Aug. 14 at the Park Savoy restaurant in Florham Park. Elected officials, GOP club members and county committee members can go for $250 each. Dubbed the ‘Keep Morris Strong Team,’ the candidates are incumbent Deborah Smith, former freeholder John Krickus and newcomer Stephen Shaw … Still, Republicans in Morris County are operating under the premise that the general election, which long has been seen as a mere formality, will be competitive this year. That was a point former governor Chris Christie made last week when he spoke at the party’s ‘unity breakfast.’ So it clearly makes sense for Republicans to stress what long has been positive about Morris County government. GOP leaders know that Democrats are more active — or even angry — this year, which normally is a recipe for a higher than average turnout for a mid-term election. But winning a race for freeholder is still a tall order, given the fact it’s hard to campaign for an office many average people know little about.” Read the report

YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO REMEMBER FOR A FEW MORE NOVEMBERS — “Trenton councilwoman blasts governor over taxes, school funding, MOU,” by The Trentonian’s Isaac Avilucea and Penny Ray: “Newly-elected West Ward Councilwoman Robin Vaughn is publicly taking on Governor Phil Murphy regarding state oversight, taxes and school funding. ‘You DID NOT help our capital city,’ Vaughn wrote Tuesday via Twitter in response to the governor’s July 23 Tweet regarding state taxes and school funding. ‘Trentonians, unlike our wealthy neighboring towns, will see a rise in our property taxes! Come November we will remember!!” Vaughn was responding to a Tweet the governor published stating, ‘A stronger New Jersey means breaking the back of high property taxes by fully and fairly funding our schools, raising the state property tax deduction to 15K and promoting shared services between communities. We need to make living in the Garden State as affordable as possible.’ As a result of late June budget negotiations, Gov. Murphy revised the state’s K-12 education funding plan, giving Trenton a 5 percent increase in public school funding for the 2018-19 school year. In her Tweet, Vaughn described that increase as ‘measly.’” Read the report

R.I.P — “Mourners Say Goodbye to 5 Children Killed in Fire in New Jersey” Read the report

— “Everybody made it out of this elementary school fire OK — even the guinea pig” Read the report

—“Paterson officials rave about luxury housing plan for Armory site” Read the report

—“Palisades Park Council rejects racist sentiments after anti-Korean social media post” Read the report

—“Mahwah mayor files 12-page challenge to recall petitions” Read the report

—”Judge gives OK for Newton special election” Read the report

—“Toms River Regional avoids ‘draconian’ budget cuts, at least for now” Read the report

EVERYTHING ELSE

DEBBA DUTTA DONE — “Powerful Rutgers boss walks away after just 1 year on job,” by NJ Advance Media’s Adam Clark: “One of the most powerful and highly paid administrators at Rutgers University has resigned after just one year on the job, a surprising and abrupt departure he attributed to conflicting views with the university. Debasish ‘Debba’ Dutta, the chancellor of Rutgers’ New Brunswick campus, submitted his resignation Tuesday, according to the university. He will take a year sabbatical before returning as a distinguished professor in the School of Engineering, according to Rutgers. Dutta’s short tenure and the timing of his announcement, just before a new school year, are extremely rare at a university where top administrators often give notice a year before stepping down to give Rutgers time to do a nationwide search for a replacement … Asked if Dutta was asked to resign by President Robert Barchi, [Rutgers spokesman Peter] McDonough said, ‘They had a mutual agreement.’ … Dutta made a $480,000 base salary last school year and will continue to receive a chancellor’s salary during his sabbatical, McDonough said.” Read the report

DELBARTON — “Catholic order says 30 victims have alleged sexual abuse,” by The AP: “Leaders of a Catholic order in New Jersey said in a letter posted on its website that 30 people have come forward alleging sexual abuse by the monks or lay faculty associated with a private school. In a joint letter written to the community on July 20, the head of St. Mary’s Abbey and the Delbarton School headmaster said the order had settled eight lawsuits with alleged victims, while seven others were pending. The abuse allegedly took place while many of the victims were students at Delbarton School in Morristown, which is managed by the Order of St. Benedict of New Jersey. Other reports were made by a parishioner of St. James Church in Basking Ridge and former students of St. Elizabeth of Hungary School in Linden as well as by the sons of a former Delbarton School employee. The letter said the reported assaults happened between 1968 and 1999 and involved 13 monks and one lay teacher.” Read the report

MURPHY CANNOT OPPOSE UNIONIZATION — “Inside the NWSL Players Association’s pragmatic approach to progress, unionization,” by The Equalizer’s Katelyn Best: “With Sky Blue FC under renewed scrutiny following Sam Kerr’s post-game comments a few weeks ago, discussion about off-field standards in the National Women’s Soccer League is again in full swing. Despite the fact that we’re only now talking about the situation at Sky Blue, however, it isn’t new, and it’s telling that it’s only in the headlines again because a player spoke up about it. As the league continues to grow and evolve, it has to be players — who know the on-the-ground realities of life in the NWSL and have to live with those realities — who continue to drive these conversations and push for change. One mechanism for players to do that is the NWSL Players Association. The Players Association, which officially formed in May 2017, is in part the first step towards a union, which would have the legal right to bargain with the league on the players’ behalf.” Read the report

HOGAN’S HERO — “Is Larry Hogan the next Chris Christie?,” by The Baltimore Sun’s Larry Ottinger: “What would a second term under Gov. Larry Hogan look like? Honestly, it’s hard to say. He’s stashed away nearly $10 million in his war chest from special interests and is banging the same campaign drum from 2014 … Like Maryland, New Jersey is a blue state. And like Maryland, New Jersey elected a Republican governor who concluded his first term with high approval ratings … Yet by August 2017, at the end of his second term, Mr. Christie’s star had fallen. Only 16 percent of New Jerseyans approved of the job he was doing. The state’s credit rating was the second worst in the country, and when Mr. Christie left office five months later, New Jersey residents cried a resounding Good riddance!’ … It’s hard not to draw that parallel when you look at how closely aligned Messrs. Christie and Hogan are. Take K-12 education, for example. In August 2010, Chris Christie declared war on his state’s largest teachers union. His hubris cost the state $400 million in federal grants. During his presidential run in 2015, he doubled-down his schoolyard tactics, saying a national teachers union deserved a ‘punch in the face.’ Year after year, Mr. Christie starved and sought to privatize the state’s public schools. Over his eight-year tenure, state aid to schools increased a pitiful 1.3 percent. Not nearly enough to cover inflation and rapid school system growth. Maryland’s schools under Mr. Hogan haven’t fared any better. In 2016, after once again underfunding public schools, Mr. Hogan faced growing criticism from educators across the state. Taking a page from the Christie playbook, Mr. Hogan responded by calling teachers unions ‘thugs.’” Read the column

FOX NEWS — “South Jersey woman strangled rabid fox after attack at her home,” by The AP: “South Jersey woman who was attacked by a fox in her backyard says she had no choice but to reach down, grab its snout with one hand and use her other hand to strangle the animal. Pittsgrove resident Tammy DuBois tells nj.com that she doesn’t like killing things but there was nothing else she could do to ‘get it away from me.’ The attack occurred July 18 shortly after she heard rustling in some bushes. She says the fox ran out and bit her leg, puncturing her skin. The 52-year-old DuBois says she tried to escape into her house but couldn’t while the animal gnawed on her leg. She says she then reached down and choked the fox until it went limp.” Read the report

RANDOM SEMI-CELEBRITY THING OF THE DAY — Mercury’s Juan Melli had a surprise cameo in the Instagram of Real House Wives of New York Star Bethenny Frankel. Frankel was in a dispute over the window with the passenger in front of her. She wanted Juan to take her side, but he declared “I’m Switzerland.” See it here. My question is for Frankel: Did you even know that’s the FOUNDER OF BLUE JERSEY?

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