The Morning Briefing - April 21, 2015

CLOSTER – We talked yesterday about the turkey living in the parking lot of a local A&P.  Morning Briefing readers sprung to action, as they sometimes do, with Andrew Lazarus capturing a photo for all to enjoy.

ON THE RAIL – Hard to know what is more concerning at NJ Transit: a $40 million cut in fuel and spare parts for our trains and buses, or a 9 percent fare hike. Both are happening, of course, as NJ Transit is looking at a $60 million budget hole. NJ Transit is required to have public hearings on the fare hikes –  a truly silly endeavor. Hard to imagine anyone standing up, applauding and questioning why the rate increases can’t be even higher, as it seems like most commuters would still be able to afford an off-peak trip to Manhattan.

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL – Two things always ring true: There are no atheists in foxholes and there are no friends in Presidential politics. The Washington Post reports that State Sen. Joe Kyrillos is ignoring his years of friendship with Gov. Chris Christie to support Jeb Bush in the Republican primary, including a generous $10,000 donation. Kyrillos can certainly do what he wants, but surprising to see him jump off the Christie bandwagon so early – especially with the New Hampshire primary set so far down the road, on Feb. 20. Lots can happen by then.

ON THE ROADS - If New Jersey is going to pass a gas tax, it seems like now or never. The price per gallon is relatively low, and Quinnipiac University is out with a poll this morning that says 50 percent of respondents seem fine with it. That’s a big move from January, when only 37 percent of respondents voiced support. Unless there is some other magic bullet to pay for all the crumbling bridges and roads across New Jersey, this is the moment for state lawmakers to show all that courage and leadership we see in the campaign ads.

TRENTON – How popular is former Gov. Thomas Kean? Politicker notes he is so well-liked that he was somehow able to pass three separate tax hikes in June 1982 as a Republican, after barely defeating Jim Florio for governor. The political website notes Kean increased the state income tax rate from 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent, the sales tax from 5 percent to 6 percent and the gas tax by 2.5 cents per gallon. While other governors would have been chased out of New Jersey by an angry throng for even suggesting such blasphemy, Kean went on to win easy re-election in 1985 by the largest margin in state history. Maybe the state Legislature can authorize him to once again raise the gas tax.

IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court has heard the famous Brown v. Board of Education and Plessy v. Ferguson. Now it can say it has also heard the case of a nail salon owner who sued for the right to give “fish pedicures.” Reuters reports the Phoenix-based business used small fish to nibble the dead skin off customers’ feet. Arizona officials said, uh, you can’t do that because tools used for pedicures must be disinfected. And you can’t disinfect a fish. The case somehow wound its way up the food chain, landing on the Supreme Court docket, with the justices affirming the fact that you can’t disinfect a fish. (Or at least in the United States.)

AT THE GROCERY – You may be having a bad day, but you can breathe deeply and thank the heavens you are not Paul Kruse. And who is he? Kruse happens to be the president & CEO of Blue Bell Creameries, probably a pretty amazing job until today. The company is being forced to recall its entire line of ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet and other frozen snacks from every supermarket in the land because of a possible deadly bacteria. There have already been five cases of Listeria in Kansas and three cases in Texas, to date.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

It was this day in 1990 that the Bakersfield Police Department in California yelled “Yerrr Out!” to a National League umpire, caught stuffing 4,180 baseball cards into his pants at a sports store.

WORD OF THE DAY

Furbelow – noun

Definition: a gathered strip or pleated border of a skirt or petticoat.

Example: “Boy can Myrna rock that furbelow!”