New Jersey grew because of pizza – POLITICO – Politico

Good Friday morning!

People are racking their brains about New Jersey’s Census numbers. Garden State Initiative, which argues that high taxes have people fleeing the state, raised some ideas about the count to smooth over the apparent contradiction.

But I think the most promising answer to the mystery is not in an economist’s speculation or buried in some yet-to-be-released data. It came to me from Food & Wine Magazine: “New Jersey is the best place to eat pizza in the country right now.”

Many people will brave high taxes, endless traffic jams and suburban sprawl for a good slice. The country has caught on to New Jersey’s pizza greatness, and everyone wants to get sauced.

WHERE’S MURPHY?: In Lyndhurst at 11:30 a.m. for a NJ Transit station groundbreaking, then in Hammonton for a 2:45 p.m. vaccination site visit.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Assemblymember Roy Freiman. Saturday for state Sen. Michael Testa, former state Sen. Bob Andrzejczak, Singleton COS Jennifer Aydjian, DCF’s Jason Butkowski, Mosquera staffer John Saban, freelance video producer Tim Stollery, attorney Thomas Segreto, Verrelli staffer Karl Weiskopf.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Imagine, if you will, what New York’s pizza culture might look like, forced to exist outside of the spotlight, without the world beating a path to its door — that’s New Jersey, working hard, very often without the interruption of sustained attention, mostly serving a very local clientele that will have no trouble holding them accountable.” — Food & Wine’s David Landsel

CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: 2,092 newly-reported positive PCR tests for a total of 871,333. 20 more deaths for a total of 25,529 confirmed or probable deaths. 1,691 hospitalized, 384 in intensive care. 2,959,204 fully vaccinated, or about 31.9 percent of the population.

THAT’S WHAT SUPER PACS ARE FOR — Top New Jersey law firm cutting back politicla donations to avoid pay-to-play obligations, by POLITICO’s Sam Sutton: A powerful New Jersey law firm has sharply curtailed its political contributions in an effort to bypass a legal requirement that it disclose its public contracts. After years of its partners making direct political contributions to the tune of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, DeCotiis, Fitzpatrick, Cole & Giblin’s reportable donations in 2020 would barely cover the rent of a cold water flat. The firm’s lone reportable contribution in 2020 was $1,000 from DeCotiis partner Bart Mongelli to state Sen. Nicholas Sacco (D-Hudson) in October. Had Mongelli not sent that check, the firm would not have had to detail each of its contracts with New Jersey agencies, municipal governments, public universities and authorities in a lengthy annual pay-to-play statement. That book of business has been worth between $10 million and $17 million in each of the last 13 years, according to its filings. According to a statement on file with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, the firm made no reportable contributions in 2020. However, after POLITICO requested information about Mongelli’s contribution to Sacco, the Paramus firm said it would amend its filing.

MAKE CAMPAIGNS COMPETENT AGAIN — Rizzo files appeal after ELEC denies his campaign public funding, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: Republican gubernatorial candidate Phil Rizzo is appealing in court a state agency’s denial of public financing for his campaign, calling its decision “arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable.” Rizzo on Monday filed to appeal last week’s decision by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, which denied his application for two-for-one matching campaign funds. ELEC ruled that Rizzo had applied for funds one day past the April 5 deadline and said his application was incomplete. The decision also made Rizzo ineligible to participate in two yet-to-be scheduled publicly sanctioned Republican gubernatorial primary debates. ELEC’s decision was likely a big help to Jack Ciattarelli, the establishment-backed Republican candidate for governor who has received almost $3 million in matching funds so far. Rizzo is running to Ciattarelli’s right and has appealed to some of former President Donald Trump’s more devout supporters in the Republican base.

PRISONS — “New Jersey Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak kept quiet in state prisons,” by The Intercept’s Akela Lucy: “After Jamil Robinson drank the water from the infirmary at East Jersey State Prison, he became so violently ill that prison officials quietly sent him to the hospital. On February 9, Robinson was placed in a medically induced coma, which he stayed in for more than 30 days. When he woke up on March 12, nurses told him he had contracted Legionnaires’ disease, a rare form of pneumonia … Staff never announced that anyone had contracted Legionnaires’ disease, according to Robinson and one other person incarcerated at EJSP, who requested to speak anonymously for fear of retaliation. And they didn’t tell people to stop drinking the water until two weeks ago, Robinson said. According to both Robinson and the other person, prison officials did not provide free bottled water to anyone except corrections staff. On April 16, Rutgers Health, which regularly sends public health notices to New Jersey prisons, distributed a flyer about how Legionella grows and how the disease spreads to post in all housing units and on must-read boards. ‘It’s like Rutgers is taking the responsibility of explaining to us the health situation,’ said the second person incarcerated at EJSP.”

WHATEVER, JUST DON’T CANCEL PEN15 — “PennEast will scrap pipeline if it loses U.S. Supreme Court appeal,” by NJ Spotlight News’ John Hurdle: “The PennEast Pipeline Co. would drop its plans to build a natural-gas pipeline through New Jersey, or substantially alter them, if it loses a current appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court, a lawyer for the company told the court on Wednesday. Paul Clement was asked by Justice Brett Kavanaugh about what would happen if the high court rules against PennEast in its review of a lower court ruling that the company does not have the right to sue the state to take 49 parcels of public land by eminent domain for construction of the pipeline. ‘If we lose this case, this pipeline will not be built, at least at anything like its current configuration, and depending on exactly how we lose this case, I think this pipeline, this federal interstate pipeline, will be at the mercy of New Jersey because I don’t think there is a way to reroute this pipeline in a way that doesn’t implicate a state interest in land,’ he said, during oral arguments.”

—“Approvals for $308M Pinelands pipeline stand after court rejects environmental challenge,” by NJ Advance Media’s Michael Sol Warren: “A long-running challenge to a controversial natural gas pipeline being built through New Jersey’s Pinelands has been rejected. On Thursday, a trio of judges in the New Jersey Superior Court’s Appellate Division dismissed appeals from a pair of environmental groups seeking to overturn state approvals for the Southern Reliability Link, a 28-mile pipeline that will run through Monmouth, Ocean and Burlington counties.”

LABOR — Murphy signs bill boosting health benefits for airport workers, by POLITICO’s Katherine Landergan: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday signed into law a bill that will require employers to provide most workers at Newark Liberty International Airport and its train station with a benefit supplement above their regular pay to be used to help pay for their health insurance. Two years ago, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs Newark Airport, raised the pay for minimum-wage workers so that they‘ll be earning $19 an hour by 2023. But as their salaries have gradually risen, many workers no longer qualify for Medicaid and cannot afford their employers’ health care plans. According to the union SEIU 32BJ, which represents thousands of low-wage workers at Newark Liberty, only 13 percent of its members are enrolled in company health care programs.

—“Port Authority nominees could face Senate confirmation as early as May 13”

—Snowflack: “Singh’s choice threatens the viability of the Republican Party”

HEY MR. TAMBUSSI MAN, GET A JUDGE FOR ME — “Biden nominates Haddon Township attorney to be federal judge,” by The Courier-Post’s Jim Walsh: “President Joseph Biden on Thursday announced the nomination of Christine O’Hearn to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. She is a partner at Brown & Connery LLP in Westmont, where she practices labor, employment and complex civil litigation, their statement noted. The Haddon Township law firm congratulated O’Hearn, describing her as ‘an exceptional trial lawyer who will bring her extensive trial experience to the bench.’ “She has the intellect, the compassion and demeanor to be an outstanding judge,’ said Wiliam Tambussi, a partner at the firm.”

I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE — “The impact of legalizing weed in N.J. and other states needs to be studied, N.J. senator says,” by NJ Advance Media’s Jonathan D. Salant: “As more states allow cannabis use, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez wants to know what impact legal marijuana [has] on their residents and budgets. Toward that end, Menendez on Thursday introduced bipartisan legislation to require a study of just that for legal medical and recreational marijuana.”

A SALTY COLUMN — “Congressional Democrats heroic fight to save the rich,” by Mat Taibbi for The National Post: “Josh Gottheimer, Democrat of New Jersey, made an inspired plea recently. The Harvard man and Alpha Epsilon Pi brother is a member of the so-called ‘SALT caucus,’ a group of congressfolk threatening to hold up Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill if it doesn’t include a full repeal of a Donald Trump-imposed $10,000 cap on deductions of state and local taxes … The effort by the ‘SALT caucus’ to hold a $2 trillion relief bill hostage in order to help what they’re calling ‘struggling families’ in the ‘middle class’ is just the latest development in a years-long saga revealing Congress at its phoniest and most shameless … There are a lot of people who own homes in blue states, could use the deduction, probably don’t think of themselves as rich, and would balk at the idea that repealing the cap would be a luxury giveaway. The story has been framed in the press as more of an everyman issue, and the fact that most of the money at stake involves people at the very top of the curve has been obscured.”

—@jgreenbladtADL: ”Mentioning a member of Congress was in a Jewish fraternity in college in an article about tax policy is wholly irrelevant and plays into classic #antisemitic tropes about Jews and money. The @nationalpost should edit this article ASAP.” (Playbook author’s note: As someone of partial Semitic heritage, I had no idea that was a Jewish fraternity).

ICE CRACKING — “DeGise: Hudson County ‘determined’ to get out of ICE contract following Essex decision,” by Hudson County View’s John Heinis: “Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise said his administration is ‘determined’ to get out of their agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after Essex County announced they would be doing so yesterday. ‘We’ve always been of the opinion we’d rather be generating revenue someplace else out of our jail. We’ve had discussions with interested parties and we’re still hopeful we can put something together,’ DeGise said over the phone this afternoon. ‘I’m willing to work hard with our state and federal partners to help us get there: we’re determined … It doesn’t change our insistence that we need a revenue stream there. If not ICE, we need others.’”

—“Are Bergen and Hudson counties phasing out ICE detentions at their jails?,” by The Record’s Monsy Alvarado: “On Thursday, officials in both counties said they are not accepting any more immigration detainees, raising questions about whether they will join Essex County in ending the long-standing practice of housing ICE detainees. The three counties have been the target of protests for years by activists who have demanded that they not profit from immigration detention.”

—@MattKatz00: “Meanwhile: There’s a 4th ICE facility in New Jersey, which houses many asylum seekers who fly into NY/NJ. It’s the Elizabeth Detention Center, operated by @CoreCivic. Under pressure, the owners of building that rents to Core Civic is working to terminate its lease & kick em out.”

NOT NEW JERSEY — “Elected Montclair school board backers: we have signatures needed for a referendum,” by Montclair Local’s Talia Wiener: “A petition’s organizers say they have enough signatures to force a ballot question asking if Montclair should continue to have an appointed school board — or if it should have an elected one, as most New Jersey communities do. It’s a question Montclair voters have been asked in five previous referendums since the 1960s, and they’ve opted to keep an appointed board each time. The most recent referendum question, in 2009, was defeated 57% to 43%. But representatives of Vote Montclair said they expected to submit their petition to the municipal clerk Wednesday, April 28, with about double the number of signatures required.”

—“Montclair mayor says he would be ‘fully supportive of moving to elected BOE’”

HIGHER ED — County College of Morris faculty union, NJEA claim school engaging in ‘union busting,’ by Carly Sitrin: Faculty union members at the County College of Morris are escalating their allegations that the school is engaging in “union busting” tactics by laying off seven staff members. Professors, students and community members appealed to the county Board of Commissioners Wednesday evening to intervene after six non-tenured faculty members, including two union leaders, were issued non-renewal notices this month.

BACK THE BLACK AND BLUE — “Paterson cops charged with beating man. But he may not be the only victim’,” by The Record’s Joe Malinconico, Abbott Koloff and Jean Rimbach: “The federal probe of two Paterson police officers charged with attacking 19-year-old Osamah Alsaidi appears broader than the charges filed in federal court this week — with state and federal investigators questioning two other alleged victims in recent months, including one whose incident was captured on video. City police have turned the video over to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, according to Mayor Andre Sayegh. But the alleged victim, Desyiah Leak of Garfield, and her lawyer said they have been trying to get authorities to provide them with a copy of the recording for five months without success. It’s not clear what the video shows regarding the Dec. 6 traffic stop. The officer, Kendry Tineo-Restituyo, charged Leak with assaulting him during the incident, and she made similar accusations against him. Tineo-Restituyo’s departmental discipline records show that the prosecutor’s office initially decided that he did not commit a crime by striking Leak during her arrest. The prosecutor sent the case back to Paterson’s Internal Affairs division for an administrative review, according to the records. But that was before the allegations by Leak and Alsaidi became public and before the FBI began its probe, according to multiple sources familiar with the case.”

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET FIRED IN VINELAND? — “Police chief who asked to sleep with officer’s wife and daughter should be demoted, hearing officer rules,” by NJ Advance Media’s Anthony G. Attrino: “A police chief in Cumberland County who promoted his own daughter and offered to promote an officer in exchange for sleeping with the man’s wife and daughter should be demoted to deputy chief, a hearing officer has ruled. Vineland Chief Rudolph Beu IV, who has been the city’s top cop since 2017, also failed to recuse himself over a disciplinary matter involving a police officer who is the father of his grandchild, according to the hearing officer, retired Judge Raymond A. Batten. Beu, 60, had denied most of the allegations against him but also claimed nearly every charge violated a 45-day statute of limitations imposed under New Jersey law. Batten disagreed, however, and found Beu guilty of insubordination, neglect of duty, conduct unbecoming a public employee and other offenses.”

CLERKS III PLOT REVEALED — “‘Disrespectful’ Cresskill postal clerks to get mandatory retraining after complaints,” by The Record’s Ricardo Kaulessar: “Christine Olmo lives only a short walk from the post office on Washington Street. However, she plans to use the post offices in the nearby towns of Closter and Tenafly until two clerks at the local branch are held accountable for their allegedly rude treatment of customers … It turns out those clerks will be getting ‘mandatory retraining,’ according to U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell after he contacted U.S. Postal Officials immediately after receiving a petition signed by 300 people including Olmo seeking redress for complaints of ‘constant belligerence, unprofessionalism, an uncooperative nature, a lack of common courtesy, and disrespectful behavior’ from the clerks … The petition created by fellow Cresskill resident Michael Dressler … Dressler, who serves as the Bergen County Surrogate Judge, said he created the petition in March after seeing numerous complaints on a Facebook page for Cresskill residents about the clerks and then hearing it from his wife, Agata, after her visit in February where she inquired about a letter she sent to her mother in New York. ‘She came back home and told me, ‘I have never been so abused as I have tonight by the woman behind the counter’,” Dressler said.”

THE MASKLESS MARTYR — “Stafford school nurse suspended for refusing to wear face mask, claiming ‘child abuse’,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Mike Davis: “A traveling school nurse was suspended from the district after she decided to stop wearing a face mask to work, in defiance of a mask mandate she called ‘child abuse.’ Erin Pein, 35, reported to work for two days without wearing a face mask before she was suspended, she described in a Facebook video posted by Republican gubernatorial candidate Hirsh Singh. In the video, Pein said she hadn’t ‘seen a single child wearing (face masks) correctly — or staff’ and alleges that ‘because the (COVID-19) viruses are so small, they can’t be stopped with a cloth mask or a surgical mask, even an N-95 mask.’ Her remarks stand in contrast to findings by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and researchers across the globe, all of whom report that face masks are effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19 … In the video, Pein cites CDC statistics that show children have a 99.997% survival rate if they test positive for COVID-19. She did not disclose that children can still spread the virus to others, including adults who are immunocompromised and for whom the virus is much more deadly.”

—“Toms River moves to ban marijuana businesses, some residents object“

—“Vernon, Sussex County sued by woman who says cop groped her after domestic violence call”

—“Neptune parents blast vice principal’s ‘disturbing’ transphobic confrontation”

—“As Garfield ramps up LGBTQ support, the town next door says no to flag display”

—“Jackson school, municipal taxes on the rise due to state aid cuts, road repair funding”

—“As COVID ravages India, families in NJ scramble to organize relief, reach relatives”

—“There were 143 rapes reported at N.J. colleges pre-pandemic. Here’s the campus-by-campus breakdown”

—“NJIT to require students and employees to get coronavirus vaccination”

— “Robots cook your food at this experimental new N.J. restaurant“