Murphy administration threatens to veto Camden’s Barclay appointment – Politico
Good Wednesday morning!
Sometimes, a political machine so dominates a county or city that those in charge aren’t even slightly concerned with appearances.
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How else could you explain how not only did former Assemblyman Arthur Barclay get a pay bump after being arrested on domestic violence charges (charges that were dropped because the alleged victim didn’t show up to court), but that the Camden council also put his name on its agenda next week to be a commissioner on the city’s parking authority?
Yeah, that really happened. It’s an unpaid position. But it could mean something. George Norcross was chairman of the authority in the 1970s and he arguably turned out to have some clout.
After the news broke, the Murphy administration reached out to the Camden council and informed them that Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver — who doubles as DCA commissioner — would veto Baclay’s appointment. No official word yet from the Camden council on whether it plans to go through with the vote.
Like I said a couple weeks ago, we’ll never really know what happened the night Barclay was arrested. When I wrote about him keeping his Camden County job after the arrest, the line from Camden County was that they couldn’t fire someone for a domestic violence arrest unrelated to work that didn’t result in a conviction. As employment attorney Nancy Erika Smith pointed out, that’s simply not true. But even if that was correct, were Camden Democrats legally obligated to offer him a position on the parking authority after the arrest?
WHERE’S MURPHY? — On “Ask Governor Murphy” at 7 p.m. Listen on your local NPR affiliate.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — State Sen. Sandra Cunningham
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “It’s one firework. I know they are illegal in the state of New Jersey, he knows they are illegal in the state of New Jersey, but it’s a firework. It’s not a bomb.” — The brother of the man arrested over South Plainfield’s Labor Day bomb scare.
DAYS SINCE MURPHY-ALIGNED GROUP INTENTIONALLY BLEW OFF SELF-IMPOSED DEADLINE TO DISCLOSE ITS DONORS: 246
GUNS — “NJ Treasury details pension system’s gun-industry connections,” by NJ Spotlight’s John Reitmeyer: “New Jersey public-worker pension links to the gun industry include stakes in a maker of high-end shotguns and rifles, a manufacturer of ammunition, and a major retail chain that’s under pressure to stop selling firearms to the public following a recent mass shooting. The combined value of those holdings is roughly $180 million, according to the state Department of Treasury. But, because they are part of broader investments, that valuation also involves other items that aren’t tied to the sale of firearms or ammunition.”
NJEA — “A bill drops: Coughlin cross currents and the NJEA endorsements,” by InsiderNJ’s Max Pizarro: “(NJEA) issued its legislative endorsements, in fact just before that happened, Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-19) dropped a skeletal bill that met the benchmark of some of the labor organization’s longstanding pen-ben worries. Significantly it (S-5815) would provide relief from Chapter 78. It had been Coughlin’s hope, or at least that was the closest human emotion observable in the political transmission of moving the bill, that some show of action would cause the NJEA to move on their endorsements of legislative incumbents.”
IF YOU PASS IT, THEY WILL FIND A WAY AROUND IT — “New Jersey pay-to-play laws: no ‘Field of Dreams’,” by ELEC’s Jeff Brindle: “While ‘Field of Dreams’ had a happy ending, the same cannot be said of well-intentioned reforms made to the New Jersey electoral “playing field” in the form of a Pay-to-Play law enacted in 2006 Unlike the baseball film, pay-to-play restrictions have driven some major players away from the field and hamstrung the game of politics in the state. Pay-to-Play reform helped spur consequences not intended by good faith reformers, most notably the dismantlement of the political party system in New Jersey and the simultaneous emergence of independent, outside groups.”
THE ARBITRATOR’S DECISION SEEMS… ARBITRARY — “NJ official: Teacher uttered N-word in class, but that’s no reason to fire him!” by NJ 101.5’s Sergio Bichao: “Using the ‘nuclear bomb of racial epithets’ in class is not a good enough reason to fire a teacher, according to a state arbitrator who suggested that black people might not be able to fairly judge situations involving the slur. The Penns Grove-Carneys Point regional district tried to fire middle school science teacher Bruce Bassetti last school year after several students reported hearing him quietly use an anti-black racial slur. But an arbitrator last month said termination was overkill because the teacher only muttered the slur under his breath, declaring that the teacher — who admitting using the word when he was ‘growing up’ — is ‘not a racist.’ According to several 7th grade students interviewed during the district’s investigation, Bassetti said something to the effect of ‘I’m done with these n—–s’ or ‘I’m not trying to deal with these n—–s,’ after he confronted an unruly student in class.”
2.2 MASTROS — 28 districts to share $20M in state funding for ‘high quality’ preschool programs, by POLITICO’s Carly Sitrin: Gov. Phil Murphy announced Tuesday that 28 more school districts in New Jersey will receive state funding to begin or expand “high quality” preschool programs in their communities by Oct. 1. The announcement continues Murphy’s campaign promise to provide universal access to pre-K to all 3- and 4-year-olds in the state. According to Murphy, the additional $20 million allocated in his fiscal year 2020 budget for the Preschool Education Aid program will help approximately 1,450 additional children across the state attend a “quality preschool” this school year.
‘SORRY ABOUT THOSE SEATS YOU LOST WHEN I WAS GOVERNOR’ — Christie headlining high-dollar fundraiser to help Assembly Republicans, by Matt: Former Gov. Chris Christie is pitching in to help Assembly Republicans this November. Christie, a Republican who served as governor for eight years, is headlining a fundraiser for a new independent expenditure group called Just the Facts New Jersey whose mission is to “maintain and expand the Republican Assembly membership in Trenton,” according to an invitation to the event. Tickets for the Sept. 23 reception at the Bernards Inn in Bernardsville range from $1,000 to $5,000. According to the invitation, the group will have a “specific focus to help ensure the reelection of our Assembly Republican leadership.”
IF A BILL DROPS AND SWEENEY DOESN’T LIKE IT, WILL IT MAKE A SOUND? — “A bill drops: Coughlin cross currents and the NJEA endorsements,” by InsiderNJ’s Max Pizarro: “(NJEA) issued its legislative endorsements, in fact just before that happened, Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-19) dropped a skeletal bill that met the benchmark of some of the labor organization’s longstanding pen-ben worries. Significantly it (S-5815) would provide relief from Chapter 78. It had been Coughlin’s hope, or at least that was the closest human emotion observable in the political transmission of moving the bill, that some show of action would cause the NJEA to move on their endorsements of legislative incumbents.”
WILL HOWARTH CO-SPONSOR? — “Assemblyman Ryan Peters to introduce EDA, lobbying reforms,” by The Burlington County Times’ David Levinsky: “A Republican assemblyman seeking re-election in one of New Jersey’s most competitive political contests is wading into the debate over the state’s controversial tax incentive programs by proposing reforms to the agency responsible for awarding the multimillion dollar tax credits. Assemblyman Ryan Peters, R-8 of Hainesport, announced Tuesday his intent to introduce a multi-bill package he said would boost accountability and oversight within the state Economic Development Authority. The agency has been at the center of one of the year’s biggest political fights over the future of the corporate tax incentive programs it oversees. Peters wants to create an independent inspector general’s office within the agency, along with a permanent auditor to root out fraud, waste and abuse and to ensure that recipients awarded tax incentives comply with and deliver the promised jobs and investment.”
—Snowflack: “The subtleties of Bucco world, and other LD25 battleground nuggets”
—“Back to school: 5 changes for the new school year in New Jersey”
—“How New Jersey Tries to Curb Cost of Prescriptions for Vulnerable Residents”
NJ DEMS: ‘HEY LOOK OVER THERE! A PRIVATE ICE FACILITY IN ELIZABETH!’ — “NJ and NY jails billed ICE $87 million in 2018 and they’ll collect millions more this year,” by The Record’s Monsy Alvarado: “Three counties in New Jersey and one in New York have received more than $35 million to house immigration detainees at their jails so far this year and stand to collect millions more even as advocates continue to call for elected officials to stop helping U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The county jails in Bergen, Hudson and Essex counties in New Jersey and Orange County, New York, have seen their ICE detainee populations grow since Donald Trump became president and could see more detainees as the administration continues its crackdown on illegal immigration and presses forward on stricter immigration policies. Last year, the four counties collected more than $87 million for housing ICE detainees”
333333.3 MASTROS — How Booker would combat climate change, by POLITICO’s Anthony Adragna: Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) on Tuesday unveiled a $3 trillion plan to tackle climate change and invest heavily in cleaning up polluted sites around the country that disproportionately affects low-income and communities of color. “We are facing a dual crisis of climate change and economic inequality,” Booker said in a statement. “To end the real and growing threat of climate change and to create a more just country for everyone, we must heal these past mistakes and act boldly to create a green and equitable future.” The plan takes policies that Booker has long-championed and expands them to a national scale, including using direct spending to develop clean energy, energy storage and electric vehicle technologies. And he would create a national electric vehicle charging station network and establish a carbon fee and dividend program that would return money to citizens on a monthly basis. Booker’s plan would shoot to achieve 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2030 and a carbon neutral economy by 2045.
—“Cory Booker transformed Newark schools. Some Residents still haven’t forgiven him for it,” by The Huffington Post’s Rebecca Klein and Daniel Marans: “HuffPost attended Newark school board and community meetings, spent time in neighborhood hangouts and interviewed 39 stakeholders, parents and community activists about Booker’s education legacy. Some Newark residents said they are mistrustful of the data that has come out about the district; they claim that potential gains have occurred in spite of the changes Booker spurred, not because of them. They remain angry and resentful of their former mayor, who they say handed their schools and children over to money-hungry consultants in the name of national recognition. Others are more positive or conflicted about the changes ― critical of what took place, while nonetheless embracing the shiny new charter schools that have come to their neighborhood. Many of the people HuffPost spoke to said they resented the way the education reform efforts were implemented, sometimes even more than the changes themselves.”
—“Altman won’t rule out CD-1 run, but prioritizes longer range movement”
YAEDE FRAMED BY KELLY RIPA — “N.J. mayor charged with releasing opponent’s expunged arrest, posting it on campaign blog she controlled,” by NJ Advance Media’s Kevin Shea: “Hamilton Mayor Kelly Yaede and her campaign manager have been been charged with publicly releasing an opponent’s years-ago and now expunged arrest by posting it on a campaign blog ahead of the June Republican primary, which she won. Authorities say Yaede’s campaign manager, Dan Scharfenberger, was the blog’s administrator, and he and Yaede controlled the blog’s content – even though her campaign has said publicly they had no idea who was behind the online site. The charges come from an investigation by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, which filed the disorderly person offenses in Hamilton Municipal Court, the office said. And, the prosecutor’s office said Tuesday evening, the information from the person’s arrest came from an anonymous Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request left in Hamilton’s clerk’s office, which was ultimately fulfilled. The OPRA requestor, the prosecutor’s office said, was Yaede’s chief of staff, Marty Flynn.”
IT MEANS YOUR CHILD WILL NOT GET AN EDUCATION AND LIVE A SHALLOW, MEANINGLESS LIFE — “Teachers in these NJ districts don’t have contracts yet. What does it mean for your child?” by The Record’s Kristie Cattafi: “When schools closed for summer break in June, many teachers left their districts without a clear head. Edgewater teachers took to social media, reminding residents that their contract expired on June 30. The district is among 103 in the state where teachers are returning to school this week under an expired contract. For many of those teachers, summer meant mobilizing, strategizing and fretting … Lengthy contract impasses can affect morale and lead to teachers’ fleeing to higher-paying districts, educators and experts say. Teachers who stay may follow their outdated contracts to the letter — limiting extra help, for example.”
—“Lakewood school parents say they’re fed up, want answers from school board”
—“Stevens alleges being targeted by Hoboken to ‘extract’ $4M for University Center project”
—“MCRC chairwoman Lisa Richford sues to block removal meeting”
NEW JERSEYANS WILL NEVER PUT UP WITH TRAFFIC OR A MALL — “New Jersey’s ‘Dream’ mall: 40M people and a traffic nightmare,” by Bloomberg’s Elise Young and Donald Moore: “After 16 years of false starts, the behemoth American Dream retail and amusement complex is set to open just west of Manhattan. To get there, an expected 40 million visitors must join the traffic-choked roads of northern New Jersey. The project’s owner, Triple Five Group, expects crowds to rival those at its Mall of America, where express buses, free shuttles and Minnesota’s most-traveled light-rail route carry people to the busiest U.S. shopping destination. Unlike Minnesota, New Jersey has no plans to link the site by rail from its major airport. In fact, it has no plans for any new train service, only additional bus routes with extended hours and stops. American Dream was built in New Jersey’s Meadowlands, where some of the nation’s most congested highways crisscross swamps, former landfills and commuter towns. In and around neighboring MetLife Stadium, home to the busiest National Football League playing schedule and a favorite concert stop for the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Beyonce, stand-still traffic and transit muck-ups are routine.”
THEY REALLY WENT OVERBOARD WITH BRANDING OPIOIDS AS ‘NO MORE TEARS’ — “Inside Johnson & Johnson’s $100M plan to turn pain into opioid sales,” by The Asbury Park Press’ David P. Willis and Andrew Ford: “A Johnson & Johnson subsidiary pumped more than $100 million into a national campaign to sell a new heavy-duty pain killer, a marketing campaign New Jersey’s attorney general says helped to fuel the state’s deadly opioid crisis. Janssen Pharmaceuticals flooded doctors’ offices in New Jersey with sales representatives. It created or sponsored websites, and paid tens of thousands of dollars to make sure one site,titled Prescribe Responsibly, was easily seen by web searchers. It used brochures, paid speakers, and “flawed and biased” research, according to court papers filed by New Jersey. Company sales reps, armed with misleading information and a drive for profit, made more than 150,000 visits to 6,800 prescribers, mostly doctors, the state claims. The company ‘expressly set out to create a vastly expanded market for opioid use,’ New Jersey’s attorney general claims”
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD DISTRICT — “In new book, retired Air Force major claims alien was killed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Erik Larsen: “Was an alien shot and killed in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey? A new book, titled “Strange Craft: The True Story of an Air Force Intelligence Officer’s Life with UFOs,” claims that a military police officer shot an extraterrestrial being at Fort Dix in the early morning hours of Jan. 18, 1978. In the book by author John L. Guerra … retired Air Force Major George Filer III — a decorated former intelligence officer …. said what has been an urban legend first promulgated by UFO enthusiasts since the early 1980s is indeed true. That’s because he was there and wrote a top-secret memo about it, he said. In the freezing winter darkness of that day in January 1978, a bipedal creature, described as about 4 feet in height and grayish-brown in color, with a ‘fat head, long arms and slender body,’’ was shot to death with five rounds fired from a service member’s .45-caliber (military issue M1911A1) handgun.”
