The Morning Briefing - May 5, 2015
TRENTON – If New Jersey Policy Perspective mysteriously vanished in the middle of the night, you could bet Gov. Chris Christie would not be leading the search party. After all, this liberal think tank is always poking around the dark underbelly of the state. Today, the group is reporting that all these tax credits handed out to major corporations could end up ultimately costing state taxpayers $97 million. The state has authorized $2 billion in corporate tax credits since 2013, trying to shore up the business tax base for years to come. Will the state end up in the red? To quote the band Asia, “only time will tell.”
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL – Gov. Chris Christie is continuing to act like a Presidential candidate – as more and more aspiring Republicans crowd into Iowa and fight over the last pancake at the American Legion breakfast. And that is why Christie will head, instead, today to Jackson, Mississippi, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to meet with Republicans not submerged yet in candidates.
PRINCETON – Yawn, someone has given Princeton University another $10 million. This time, the cash windfall is to create a behavioral science and public policy center. Princeton now has more than $21 billion in its endowment. Meanwhile, schools like New Jersey City University had just $6.6 million in its endowment, as per 2013 numbers. If you are going to donate money, where do you think it could have the greatest impact?
UNION CITY – It was short-lived freedom for a Union City man who punched two jail guards at a Pennsylvania prison as they were releasing him. Now he must respond to charges of aggravated assault on a jail guard after his scrape at the Monroe County Correctional Facility. At least he was back in his cell in time for lunch, which is likely “Taco Tuesday” in honor of Cinco de Mayo.
MAYWOOD – Any cookbook will tell you that birthday cake should include eggs and flour. But we challenge you to find one publication that also suggests the use of lighter fluid and gasoline. A local Maywood man gave that no heed, apparently, using the fuel to light up the cake and set his kitchen on fire, the Record reports. Apparently, the man was trying to make the cake burst into flames so he could post it on YouTube. Police and firefighters responded to house on Sunday and were ordered to leave by the angry baker.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
ASPEN, Colo. – Sometimes, even the media gets it wrong. In its coverage on May 1 about the weight of dog poop that was collected by Aspen volunteers, The Aspen Times reported that 600 pounds was scooped up. But, following intense scrutiny and an investigation, the total weight of the feces was just 100 pounds. This isn’t the first time the news media has gotten this type of story wrong. Call it deja-poo.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 2011 that Olympian gold medalist Carl Lewis was granted a place on the Democratic ballot for a New Jersey Senate seat. But, although Lewis was the best sprinter in the world, he quickly learned that running for office in New Jersey is competition at a whole new level.
WORD OF THE DAY
Gonzo – adjective
Definition: Far-out, bizarre journalism. (A term conceived by U.S. journalist Hunter Thompson)
Example: “Waiting breathlessly for the royal couple to tell us if their baby is wearing a designer diaper is the most gonzo stuff we’ve ever seen.”