The Morning Briefing - April 15, 2015
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL – Apparently a “Christie for President” voter has no plans to ever receive Social Security benefits. It seems the only reason one would cheer Gov. Chris Christie’s suggestion to slash Social Security benefits for retirees earning more than $80,000 and eliminate it altogether for those earning more than $200,000 – no matter what people contributed to the system over the decades. Moreover, Christie thinks people should retire at 69, rather than 64, to get “early” benefits, as well as increase the eligibility age for Medicare to 67 by 2040. Plenty of applause from the faction of Americans who think we should finally earn full benefits at age 104, but, upon death, would need to repay all earnings, with appropriate fines, taxes, and compounded interest.
SAYREVILLE – Good to see the QuickChek convenience store on Main Street in Sayreville reopen its doors, after the big strip mall fire in February. Also good to see the store planning to donate 25 cents for each sandwich it sells to the Sayreville Fire Department – the only reason this QuickChek was not reduced to ash, rubble and slightly charred Twinkies.
ATLANTIC CITY – It seems the only place to watch a good fight these days in Atlantic City is at the Revel, which should offer Pay-Per-View as the new owner squares off against the utility company that shut off the power. The company doesn’t want the Revel messing with its equipment, while the city fire department is demanding that this empty 47-story firetrap be equipped with power. Meanwhile, the new owner is getting fined $5,000 a day for having no power, is demanding the power company remove all its equipment from the premises and is trying to connect to the power grid at the nearby shuttered Showboat. In the interim, power generators will be brought in. What a mess. Bet Nucky Johnson would have figured it all out.
NEWARK – For tax deadline day – which is today, by the way – protesters will be on the steps of City Hall at 4 p.m., using this national day of pain to highlight the low minimum wage across the United States. Airport, child care and fast food workers – some of the lowest paid people around – will be part of the “Fight for $15” campaign that coincides with tax deadline day. Campaign leaders say there is some momentum for a $15 an hour standard, with cities like San Francisco and Seattle hiking wages.But there is a long road ahead – especially with many thinking $1.49 is too expensive for a McDouble.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
LEWISTON, Maine – It seemed a good gig – getting paid to play tennis, jog and watch “chick-flicks” all day long. But it wasn’t the right job for the aide of a college president, who quit and then filed a discrimination lawsuit against Bates College. The former executive assistant said she was treated differently than her male colleagues, who likely could not survive a Julia Roberts movie marathon. The Sun Journal reports the woman worked for Bates President A. Clayton Spencer in the summer of 2012, but couldn’t take it. The school “strongly disagrees” with her allegations about the forced chick-flicks, adding, as an aside, that “The Notebook” is a wonderful film about a poor and passionate young man who falls in love with a rich young woman and gives her a sense of freedom. But – gasp – they are soon separated by their social differences in this cold, cruel world. (Sniff.)
IN THE MEDIA
And the worst job in America is….newspaper reporter. According to CareerCast’s Jobs Rated list for 2015, newspaper reporter now replaces lumberjack as the crappiest job in the country, coming in at #200 out of 200 occupations - even crappier than soldier, embalmer, proctologist and ditch digger. According to the press release: “Newspaper reporter has a negative growth outlook of -13.33% and an average annual salary of $36,267. Broadcaster and photojournalist, with mid-level annual salaries of less than $30,000, also ranked at the bottom of the list.” Oh, and PR executive comes in at a disappointing 121 for those thinking the grass must be so green on this side.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 1997 that AOL began offering service in Japan, begging the question: Why was it not named Japan Online?
WORD OF THE DAY
Firkin – noun
Definition: a quarter barrel or small cask
Example: “After another 12-hour shift in the newsroom, I returned to my parent’s basement and swigged a firkin of Chuck Shaw.”