The Morning Briefing - February 19, 2015
EN ROUTE TO DC – It’s time yet again for the annual “Walk to Washington,” as 600 politicians and business leaders chug on down to the nation’s capital to cultivate relationships in a 14-car gabfest and hear from Gov. Chris Christie. Pundits are eagerly anticipating the governor’s speech in DC, salivating to draw contrasts between how Christie addresses New Jersey’s political and business elite, compared with messages he is dishing to Iowa farmers or New Hampshire maple syrup makers on the GOP circuit. On the campaign trail, Christie trumpets how he has whipped New Jersey into shape, bringing the status quo to its knees. Expect a slightly different message when he hits the stage tonight.
ATLANTIC CITY – As the city reinvents itself with plans to build a Ferris wheel and zipline on an expanded Steel Pier, it also is focused on attracting top attractions – like the “Miss’d America Pageant,” featuring the nation’s top-tier drag queens. Today, officials from the pageant will be presenting a $5,000 donation to the South Jersey AIDS Alliance during the Greater Atlantic City GLBT Alliance's February mixer, as they build the hype for an event that Atlantic City can proudly call all its own.
TRENTON – New Jersey’s teachers have become the greatest friends of media ad reps, as the New Jersey Education Association is dropping millions of dollars on advertising that blasts new standardized testing known as PARCC. The controversial test – which is supposed to be pretty tough - is to be administered throughout the state’s public schools beginning March 1, with about 10 percent of teacher evaluations connected to the math and language arts results. Click here to learn why the NJEA thinks this test is awful for your kids (and its members). You can also take a practice test, if you want to feel stupid and wonder how you ever graduated from middle school.
GALLOWAY – The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey is no more. Today, it is proudly known as “Stockton University,” a school of 8,500 students with an emphasis on teaching. Great news for the student and faculty, but poor Dick Stockton – now without a university named after him.
ELIZABETH – There’s still a couple of years left on the Christie Administration, but the field of Democratic gubernatorial challengers is steadily growing. The next potential candidate is long-time Sen. Ray Lesniak, who is organizing a political action committee to raise money. Just on the Democratic side, the list is already robust, with Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, state Senate President Steve Sweeney and former U.S. Ambassador to Germany Phil Murphy attending virtually every event, anywhere. Interesting to see if Lesniak would follow a similar, exhausting strategy.
NEWARK – As six students stage a sit-in at the Newark Public Schools’ headquarters, demanding the resignation of embattled Superintendent Cami Anderson, we have to wonder if all the energy used to hate and resent one person could be magically bottled up and redirected into improving the schools. Could Anderson really be singled out as the reason why this $1 billion school system is not reaching its potential? Once Anderson finally leaves Newark, the underlying issues will remain – waiting for the next punching bag crazy enough to take this job.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
BOSTON – Mayor Marty Walsh likely never thought he would be issuing this public warning, but here it goes: Bostonians are urged not to jump out of windows to land in the massive 10-feet-high snowbanks covering the city. The Boston Herald reports the mayor is targeting thrill-seekers who film themselves diving out windows and posting their feats on social media. Walsh reminds residents that Boston is not Leon Mountain, a New Hampshire ski resort. It is also difficult for the DPW to plow snow when workers need to look out for the mangled, frozen bodies of those who think a snowman knows how to catch.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 1981 that a new legal term entered the American vernacular – “subconscious plagiarism.” And it cost ex-Beatle George Harrison $587,000 in a settlement with a music company. His song "My Sweet Lord" mixes perfectly with "He's So Fine," performed by The Chiffons.