The Morning Briefing - March 6, 2015
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL – For those keeping track of the governor’s side job as an unannounced Presidential candidate, he was at a five-star luxury resort in Georgia last night, attempting to dazzle deep-pocketed attendees of the American Enterprise Institute World Forum, among the gaggle of GOP contenders. Today, he is in Florida for the Palm Beach County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner, hosted by Donald Trump and his pet hair, before heading to Iowa on Monday for an “agricultural summit.”Because no one knows farming like Chris Christie.
SOMERVILLE – So it seems like the next time New Jersey gets a crack at asking Gov. Chris Christie a question is Tuesday, when he holds his 130th town hall, to be held at an elementary school in Somerville. Curious if the matter of the Exxon Mobil settlement will be broached, as the Christie administration agreed to a $225 million environmental settlement when $8.9 billion was originally sought for pollution in Linden and Bayonne. Both State Senate President Steve Sweeney and Sen. Ray Lesniak - Democrats and gubernatorial candidates - are threatening lawsuits over the settlement, demanding much, much more.
NEWARK – With Rutgers and Seton Hall fielding some lackluster basketball teams this year, there’s some post-season excitement coming from the strangest of places: NJIT. Yes, the school has a Division 1 basketball team, and yes, it somehow beat Michigan this year. And, now, this is the first year in school history that the Highlanders will be playing in a post-season tournament, hosting the College Insider Tourney on March 16. The school, with the only Division 1 team that can’t find a conference to accept it, also recently announced the construction of a glitzy $100 million sports center to woo some suitors. Could the future of New Jersey college basketball sit in University Heights?
TRENTON – There is apparently “The Code” among New Jersey governors – you don’t disparage your own. And that’s why Dick Codey is telling Gov. Chris Christie to “man up” and stop blaming his predecessors for the state pension mess, NJTV reports. Christie is offering an interesting fun fact: Gov. Christie Whitman provided $963 million for the pension system, Gov. Donald DiFrancesco dropped in $600,000, Gov. Jim McGreevey came in at $101 million, Codey was $165 million and Gov. Jon Corzine contributed $2.2 billion. It’s a grand total of $3.4 billion over 15 years. Meanwhile, Christie will have put in $4.2 billion over six budget cycles, as he consistently reminds everyone. “We put $800 million more in five years than they put in 15 years. So what’s that tell you?” Christie said. Point made, but, hey, what about “The Code”?
TEANECK – “Where’s the beef?” That’s what State Sen. Loretta Weinberg wants to know, demanding the state Treasury Department show actual proof that the Izod Center would have lost an estimated $8.5 million if it remained open this year. The Record reports Weinberg is expected to file a lawsuit today, demanding the report from the Treasury Department, which, she claims, keeps stalling on handing over the information used to shutter the 34-year-old arena.
YOUR FAUCET – Wonder why you are so darn thirsty? Perhaps it is all the salt in your tap water, following the 15 snowfalls this winter. The Record reports that all those salt trucks have kept the roads passable, but dropped plenty of sodium into rivers, reservoirs, wetlands and aquifers. Some water utilities are now mixing clean water into the supplies to dilute all that salt. When is spring, again?
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
MEGYER, Hungary – Why book a hotel room when you can book the entire town? That is the idea behind the mayor of Megyer, who is now renting out the entire village (Population: 18) for about $760 a night. Amenities include seven homes, a bus stop, horses, chickens and about 10 acres of farm land to prounce around. Another added perk: Guest can rename the village streets, with replica signs. (That explains 21 Poop Street.)
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 1991 that President George Bush tells Congress that the war is over in the Persian Gulf with the capitulation of Iraq, proclaiming “Aggression is Defeated.” Or, in the popular words of another, “Mission Accomplished.”
WORD OF THE DAY
Batrachomyomachy – noun
Making a mountain out of a molehill.
Example:
Gov. Chris Christie will likely claim some gubernatorial candidates are raising a batrachomyomachy over his settlement with Exxon Mobil. He may yell, “They are just a bunch of batrachomyomachists!”