Chaos in Hamilton – Politico
Good Thursday morning!
I’d like to take a step back and marvel at the chaos in Hamilton.
Mayor Kelly Yaede is now facing charges for allegedly publishing her June primary opponent’s expunged arrest record on an anonymous blog, according to reports.
Yaede is fighting back, saying the police department made an error and didn’t mark the record expunged. But it seems that no one is disputing the mayor or her aides ran an anonymous blog that attacked her opponents. Meanwhile, the council president is calling for Yaede to take a leave of absence.
This is all happening in a politically-important town — the ninth most populous in New Jersey. What a mess!
As an aside, there are a lot of anonymous blogs in New Jersey. And usually it’s easy to tell which are run by political hacks with no interest in actually reporting on something but rather kicking up mud and other distractions. Politicians and even reporters are fair game for criticism. But if you’re a politician or working for one, you should at least have the courage to put your name behind it.
WHERE’S MURPHY?: In New Brunswick for an 11 a.m. P-TECH ribbon cutting ceremony
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: State Sen. Tom Kean Jr., Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling, NJ Advance Media’s Brent Johnson, Princeton Strategic Communications’ Ethan Anderson, Paragon Strategies’ Nick Fixmer
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I’m tired of hearing we have to wait for the president to tell us what he’s willing to sign. That’s not the way the Constitution of the United States was made. There are checks and balances, let’s send a bill to the president and see if he signs it or not.” — Sen. Robert Menendez on gun background checks
DAYS SINCE MURPHY-ALIGNED GROUP INTENTIONALLY BLEW OFF SELF-IMPOSED DEADLINE TO DISCLOSE ITS DONORS: 247
‘BUSINESS AS USUAL’ — Norcross recently met with Barclay, whom he calls a ‘mentor’ to Camden children, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: Arthur Barclay, the former state assemblyman who resigned in the wake of his arrest on domestic violence charges, recently met with one of the most powerful Democrats in New Jersey, a clear indication he remains in South Jersey Democrats’ good graces. A photo Barclay posted to Facebook on Aug. 7 showed him at the famed Donkey’s Place restaurant in Camden with South Jersey Democratic power broker George Norcross, then-Camden County Assistant Police Chief Joseph Wysocki and Norcross’ son, Alex. There is no indication of when the meeting took place. “Business as usual. … Had a great meeting today. Got a few things working in the pipeline,” Barclay wrote above the photo. Norcross said in a statement to POLITICO that the meeting was about the Camden Health & Athletic Association, “which has transformed recreational opportunities for kids across Camden. I am happy that Arthur remains committed to working towards the betterment for the citizens of the City of Camden.” “Arthur Barclay promptly resigned from the General Assembly, which was appropriate. He has taken steps to accept responsibility for the mistakes he’s made and improve himself,” Norcross stated.
HOW TO MAKE SWEENEY MAD — Coughlin pursues NJEA-backed health insurance reforms that promise $300M in savings, by POLITICO’s Ryan Hutchins: Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin wants to upend the health insurance plans offered to teachers and other educators in New Jersey, replacing a controversial, eight-year-old system with an approach he says would save taxpayers $300 million annually. The changes, which are included in a bill proposed for introduction, would reduce the share of premiums paid by some employees and retirees — now said to be as high as 35 percent of their pay — while pushing educators into three new health care plans costing considerably less than existing coverage options. “This legislation provides significant reform and savings for New Jersey residents,” Coughlin said in a statement to POLITICO.
JUULING — “State investigates vaping’s connection to lung disease,” by NJ Spotlight’s Lilo H. Stainton: “State and local officials in New Jersey are grappling with reports of severe lung disease in 15 relatively young patients with a history of e-cigarette use, part of a growing concern that has involved more than 200 patients in at least two dozen states. Garden State officials are working with county and municipal health departments, healthcare providers and other groups to learn more about 13 of the reports; two others have been confirmed as aligning with a specific case description created by national experts for ‘severe pulmonary disease associated with using e-cigarette products,’ according to the Department of Health, which is overseeing the state investigation.’”
THE LAWMAKERS WHO PACKED THE PINELANDS COMMISSION WITH PRO-PIPELINE VOTES — “Governor names enviros to Highlands Council; when will lawmakers approve?” by NJ Spotlight’s Tom Johnson: “The appointments, which the governor announced late last month, mark the latest effort by the administration to reshape the focus of the council, as well as of the Pinelands Commission, to support the goals of the two regional planning agencies to protect and preserve their natural resources. The nominations still must be approved by the New Jersey Senate, which has failed to move on five previous appointments to the Pinelands Commission made by the governor, including one nominated as long ago as January. Few legislative sessions are expected to be held until after the November elections, making it unlikely the latest nominees will be approved quickly.”
AND GOD SAID, ‘LET THERE BE WHOOPING COUGH’ — “Vaccinations in NJ: Religious exemptions are on the rise in schools,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Susanne Cervenka: “The number of New Jersey kindergartners claiming religious exemptions from vaccination requirements has been ticking up each year since 2013. … The increases in religious exemptions are coming at a time when the United States saw its biggest outbreak in measles in 25 years and some states are considering removing such exemptions to vaccination laws. …. New Jersey had 2,516 kindergartners last school year who declined vaccination citing the religious exemption under state law. That’s up about 53 percent from the 1,641 kindergartners who had religious exemptions during the 2013-14 school year. To be clear, students claiming religious exemptions are a tiny portion of the overall school enrollment in New Jersey. About 95% of New Jersey kindergartners were fully vaccinated in the 2018-19 school year, a rate that has remained stable in recent years.”
GUN CONTROL LAW HELPS GUN BUSINESS — “N.J. gun owners are storing ‘thousands and thousands’ of banned gun magazines in a steel vault,” by NJ Advance Media’s Joe Atmonovage: “When New Jersey’s ban on large-capacity gun magazines went into effect last December, it forced gun owners to make a decision. Should they turn the magazines over to law enforcement? Should they modify them into compliance? Should they sell them to authorized owners or store them in another state? … As the state’s largest gun group challenges the constitutionality of the law, gun owners have had to get creative with how they abide by the law. … ‘Thousands and thousands’ of large-capacity magazines are stored currently at GunSitters in Whippany, where gun owners have handed over their large-capacity magazines, taking advantage of the storage option as litigation plays out, Rebels said. Some have turned over more than 100 magazines, which are held in a 3,000-square-foot steel vault.”
ESPECIALLY SINCE I MOVED TO PA — “N.J.’s neighbor is dirtying up the place, environmentalists say,” by Tom Schuster and Jeff Tittel for The Star-Ledger: “For decades, Pennsylvania’s coal-fired power plants have been polluting the Northeast and harming nearby communities. Not just states over the border like New Jersey, but others as far away as New England have seen an increase in high ozone alert days partially attributed to Pennsylvania’s coal plants. Coal-fired power plants are the largest stationary sources of nitrogen oxides (NOx) which forms smog (ozone) when it reacts with other compounds in the air. NOx can travel long distances and cause pollution problems far from its source.”
POOR MATH STUDENTS INVITED TO JOIN BURGEONING PROFESSION OF JOURNALISM — “N.J.’s standardized test scores are in and they aren’t much better,” by NJ Advance Media’s Adam Clark: “Five years into a controversial set of standardized exams, many New Jersey students are still struggling to make the grade, and statewide gains in test scores are starting to level off. Fewer than 64 percent of students scored proficient on each of the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments (formerly known as PARCC) in grades 3-10 last year, according to results released Wednesday before the state Board of Education.”
—Report: New Jersey has the best public schools in the country
—“Judge Delivers Setback to Proponents of Cherry Hill Sports Betting Parlor”
—“NJ Environmentalists Say Murphy’s Energy Plan Comes Up Short”
—Egea: “N.J.’s economic reality vs. Gov. Murphy’s rhetoric”
—Rutgers launches search for Barchi’s replacement
—PARCC will continue to be used through at least 2021 as state develops new exam
—“Essex Dems chairman Jones offers his general election game plan advice to Governor Murphy”
BOOKER HAS CONSISTENTLY OPPOSED DEVOS SINCE HE KNEW HE WOULD RUN FOR PRESIDENT — “Booker’s history with DeVos under scrutiny as Democrats invoke her on the trail,” by NBC News’ Carol E. Lee and Josh Lederman: “Although Booker’s record as an advocate for public school reform has long been known, his past work with DeVos continues to dog him on the campaign trail as Democrats invoke her name with more and more frequency, turning her into their preferred bogeyman of the Trump Cabinet. The issue has put Booker, a former mayor of Newark, New Jersey, in the position of defending his past while candidates like Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont are emphasizing their pro-active plans on education and public schools. Last week, while taking questions in Las Vegas, Booker was confronted by the vice president of the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association, Ingrid Walker Henry, who accused him of diverting funding away from public schools for charter schools. She called him out for having ‘served with Betsy DeVos on the board of directors’ of a DeVos-affiliated school choice organization.”
ALREADY HOLDS RECORD FOR LONGEST TIME LIVING OUTSIDE NEW JERSEY FOR A NJ CONGRESSMAN — “Chris Smith inches toward #1 in House seniority,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “The announcement today that Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisconsin) will retire after 42 years in Congress means that New Jersey Rep. Christopher Smith (R-Hamilton) could move up to third in seniority if he wins re-election next year. Smith is currently 4th in seniority out of the 433 current House members. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Kentucky), who took office on the same day as Smith on January 3, 1981, is 3rd because House members who get sworn in at the same time receive the seniority in alphabetical order. The most senior member of the House is Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), who won an October 1973 special election.”
—“Catholics make a human crucifix in the street to protest Trump’s immigration policy”
CURT COBIAN — “Teacher’s use of n-word is ‘toxic, intolerable’ and district vows to fight to have him fired,” by NJ Advance Media’s Rob Jennings: “A school superintendent is slamming a state arbitrator for blocking the dismissal of a tenured middle school teacher who allegedly used a racial epithet in class last winter. Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional Superintendent Zenaida Cobian said Wednesday that the school board will appeal the arbitrator’s ruling in favor of Bruce Bassetti, a 14-year science teacher at Penns Grove Middle School. ‘The board and administration stand by our position that use of any racial epithet or slur, such as the ‘n-word,’ by a teacher towards, about or in the presence of students anywhere, but especially in the classroom, is toxic, intolerable and has no place in our district,’ Cobian said in a written statement provided Wednesday to NJ Advance Media.”
UNILEVER, MULTI-UNITS — “Englewood Cliffs loses affordable housing lawsuit,” by NJTV’s Julie Daurio: “A Bergen County judge has ruled against Englewood Cliffs in an affordable housing lawsuit, claiming the borough has ‘acted in bad faith’ and ‘made a concerted effort to avoid compliance with its obligation.’ The decision by Bergen County Superior Court Judge Christine A. Farrington allows a private developer to sue the borough for the right to build a development with affordable units on the former Unilever campus.”
I’M THINKIN’ ABOUT YOUR DOORBELL IS IT GONNA WATCH ME? IS IT GONNA WATCH ME? — “These 30 NJ towns give police officers access to Ring camera footage,” by The Record’s Alexis Shanes: “Police departments in 30 New Jersey towns have agreed to partnerships with Ring, the Amazon-owned doorbell-camera company, giving law enforcement officials access to homeowners’ high-resolution doorbell videos. More than 400 police departments nationwide have established partnerships with the company. In New Jersey, the agreements became active as early as this January, according to a Washington Post report. The partnerships allow police to request footage from Ring devices in areas up to half a square mile wide within a certain amount of time, the company told the Post. Law enforcement agencies can’t get access to live video or receive ongoing access. Ring users can decline video access requests by police officers.”
DRAFT BORIS JOHNSON FOR COUNCIL PRESIDENT — “Rockaway Township Council ousts its president and vice president,” by The Daily Record’s Gene Myers: “The Township Council removed Council President Tucker Kelley from his leadership role Tuesday night and Council Vice President Patricia Abrahamsen resigned the vice president position earlier in the day. When the council adopted an ordinance at its August meeting that gave it the power to replace its president and vice president, Kelley said he saw the writing on the wall. ‘They are going to take me down,’ he said in advance of the meeting. Kelley took over the role from council member Jeremy Jedynak in January. Jedynak stepped down halfway through his two-year term as president after a controversial year that involved multiple judicial rulings against the council, including the voiding of two of its meetings.”
—“Barnegat residents clash over mayor’s anti-LGBT statements”
—“NJ bad cops can’t sneak to other towns under bill inspired by ‘Shield’ investigation”
—“Embattled Palisades Park police chief will get $115,000 payout as he retires”
HE THOUGHT IT WAS A TAYLOR HAM FAST FOOD JOINT — “N.J. man broke into Taylor Swift’s mansion, politely took off shoes and hung out, cops say,” by NJ ADvance Media’s Jeff Goldman: “A 26-year-old New Jersey man broke into the beachfront Rhode Island mansion of singer-songwriter Taylor Swift on Friday and removed his shoes because he wanted to be polite, police said. Richard J. McEwan, of Milford, is the third man this summer to attempt to enter the 11,744-square-foot home in Westerly since July, but the first to make it inside, according to Westerly Police Chief Shawn Lacey.”
HE CAME UP SHORT — “Repeat Wildwood skinny dipper loses lawsuit against police, sheriff,” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Amy S. Rosenberg: “First he lost his shorts. Then he lost his suit. A Cape May County man who was arrested after twice swimming naked in Wildwood Bay in front of patrons of the Wharf restaurant lost a federal lawsuit this week claiming mistreatment and excessive force first by Wildwood police and later at the Cape May County jail. William Shoffler, then 65, says he was merely swimming in the bay in front of property he owns in Wildwood that is adjacent to The Wharf restaurant in June 2017 when his corduroy shorts slipped off, not once, but twice. But the manager of the restaurant called police after patrons noticed the naked swimmer.”
SEVEN MORE PEOPLE TO WATCH ‘ASK THE GOVERNOR’ ON NEWS 12 — “Verizon to add News 12 to channel lineup as company drops FIOS1 News,’ by The Rockland/Westcheter Journal News’ Peter D. Kramer: “Verizon is getting out of creating hyperlocal news, announcing today it is partnering with the rival it sought for 10 years to overtake, Altice Optimum’s News 12. It’s the end of Verizon Fios1 News, just as Westchester lawmakers were set to rally to keep that channel, and its 150 jobs at Rye Brook’s RNN, in New York, Long Island and New Jersey. RNN’s contract with Verizon ends Nov. 15.”
—“Visiting Nurse Association to be acquired by Bayada as demand from aging population rises”
—“Come November, expect to wait longer to borrow that new e-book from your library”
—“As toll hikes loom, Goethals Bridge sets new record for July traffic”
