The Morning Briefing - December 22, 2015
*** The final 2015 issue of the Morning Briefing will be tomorrow, returning Jan. 4, 2016. Happy Holidays to all! ***
STATEWIDE – It’s the first day of winter! So, uh, grab that T-shirt and, um, running shorts, to enjoy the 60-degree temperatures, as the weather will easily hit 70 degrees on Christmas Eve as the reindeer clip-clop through the snowless streets and drink lots of water so they don’t get dehydrated. Meanwhile, Santa has declared a rare “no cocoa” policy, urging families to leave plenty of ice-cold milk.
ATLANTIC CITY – You can hear that sigh of relief from down south, as it looks like lawmakers will not be able to get a ballot question in place next year for voter approval on North Jersey casinos. There has been a noticeable rush to get the ballot question in place – as there is a fortune at stake here. But, the Record reports, Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto need to get on the same page about who could obtain casino licenses, how much of the casino tax revenues would be sent to Atlantic City and for how long this special aid would be provided. So, it looks like the ballot question could hit squarely during the gubernatorial election of 2017, adding some fun new drama.
ON THE RAILS – Commuters have been pounded by toll and fare hikes for years, encouraging them all to just get a job at a local Starbucks, likely with a shop less than a mile from every home in New Jersey. But the federal government can sometimes show some benevolence, allowing bus and rail commuters to get a $255 a month deduction in pre-tax earnings on their taxes to offset the huge costs, starting next year, equal to an estimated $1,000 savings a year, says Sen. Bob Menendez, who co-sponsored the legislation. That’s nice. But is still stings if you happen to be one of those lost souls commuting into Manhattan from, say, Princeton Junction - a $451 bite a month.
NEWARK – A Rutgers education is becoming more accessible than ever in the state’s largest city, with university officials saying accepted students from low-income families won’t have to pay tuition and fees. You just need to be from Newark, attend the Newark campus, and have a household income of $60,000 or less. The total benefit is equal to $13,600 a year. It will be amazing to see how many city students take advantage of such a golden opportunity.
ASBURY PARK – The former director of the city’s housing authority has plenty of explaining to do, accused of using a training grant to give himself a raise and to pay for some personal expenses. Prosecutors claim he was able to steal more than $75,000 by redirecting state grants, collecting reimbursements for unauthorized meals and figuring out ways to double-dip when travelling on the city’s dime. Unrelated to this guy, it has to be tough to be a public official with a government-issued credit card, as every single expenditure could likely be twisted and targeted as “waste,” “graft” or even “theft.”
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. – We’ve been hearing plenty of stories about how Star Wars fans have gone to the farthest of galaxies to celebrate the new movie, from dressing like Chewbacca to sit through the movie or sleeping out in the movie parking lot. But it looks like the Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester has found the oddest behavior: A 43-year-old local Marine has legally changed his name to “Darth Vader” because of its “aura of leadership and toughness.” It’s now the official name on his driver’s license, creating a lifetime of issues from authorities who think his ID is bogus. May the force be with him.
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND – Move over Donner and Blitzen. Forget Rudolph. Here comes “Bjorn-the-Runaway-Reindeer.” Instead of pulling Santa's sleigh across a supermarket parking lot on Sunday with his reindeer-friend Thor, the Daily Mail says this 375-pound caribou slipped his harness with vixen-like guile and made a dash through a city best known as Robin Hood's turf. When Bjorn took flight, he startled holiday shoppers, caused traffic chaos and nearly gored a bus. Luckily, the merry men who organized his supermarket visit found Bjorn noshing on a front lawn and coaxed him into their truck.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 1937 that the Lincoln Tunnel opened, promising an easy flow into New York City for decades to come.
WORD OF THE DAY
Coprolite (KOP-rah-lite) — noun
Definition: Fossilized excrement
Example: “I usually expect Sarah will buy me unique, personalized gifts for the holiday. But caprolite?”