The Morning Briefing - March 8, 2016
ON THE RAILS – As a NJ Transit strike looms this Sunday, the Asbury Park Press offers up some background on this mess. In July 2011, when the union contract expired, the agency was hit with $80 million in state aid cuts. Then, over the last five years, NJ Transit got slammed with another $270 million in cuts. Its $34 million subsidy this year represents a 90 percent cut in aid over 10 years. So, NJ Transit is starving for cash. Meanwhile, Gov. Chris Christie says he could lock out workers if deals aren’t struck with the 11 labor unions. Oh, and through all this, the governor is heading out on vacation. Commuters: time to grease up that bike chain.
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL – With the 21 county Republican chairs meeting tonight in New Brunswick, there is some rumble that New Jersey could be the state where the Trump train finally derails. Politico notes that some of the Trump-mania is already beginning to stall, as there is hope left for humanity. New Jersey’s 51 delegates to the national party could determine if the state GOP goes with the hair-raising candidate – as Gov. Chris Christie infamously hopes – or swings the support elsewhere during the June 7 primary. Wow, who knew a Presidential primary election in New Jersey – one of the last in the nation – could mean anything?
PASSAIC – Plenty of crossed legs and urgency at Passaic High School, where students are miffed about a new bathroom policy that was enacted in response to bomb threats. Students staged a walkout yesterday to protest the policy, in which most of the bathrooms are now locked, requiring the high school’s 3,000 students to sign out of class, summon a security guard to unlock an available restroom, and then sign back into class, the Record reports. Students argue that when you gotta go, finding locked bathrooms and slow-as-molasses security guards is akin to a cruel and unusual policy.
STATEWIDE – Let's try to be nicer to “Bennys” and “Shooebies” this summer. After all, some 95 million tourists shelled out $43.4 billion in the Garden State last year. Nearly half of that tourism cash was spent down the shore, probably on overpriced pancakes. New estimates show Hudson and Passaic counties got nice chunks too, and visitors also paid $4.7 billion in state and local taxes. Gubernatorial pinch-hitter Kim Guadagno told Philly's NBC10-TV that cheaper gas and good weather fueled a robust 2015 tourism season and she hopes for a repeat. Guadagno said: “People going to Atlantic City don't ask if there's a state takeover; they ask, 'Is the sun shining and are the casinos open?'”
BOGOTA – Your money is no good here. Or it won't be, if Business Administrator Joe Scarpa gets to enact a “no cash” policy in Borough Hall. People won't be able to use their Benjamins to pay tax bills, court fines, buy pet licenses or anything else. Scarpa tells the Record a “no cash” policy means municipal workers wouldn't have to carry money bags to banks, removing any temptation for theft, hastily adding no thefts occurred. “It just eliminates any issues whatsoever,” said Scarpa. Except one: Scarpa's “no cash” policy sparked a two-year federal lawsuit in Emerson, where he enacted the same policy.
MANCHESTER – A fear of falling drones has the Township Council here talking about a ban. Councilman Craig Wallis suggested a drone ban after one dropped out of the sky injuring two people at a crowded Seaside Heights event recently. Wallis doesn't want to risk anything similar at the upcoming Manchester Day celebration or other outdoor events, the Manchester Times reports. Blanket drone bans already exist at all state parks and airports; Long Beach Township bans drones over its beaches and public areas, like its streets; and Ocean City doesn't allow flying drones at all. Will “Droneophobia” catch on in other towns?
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL – OK, there has been plenty written about Super Tuesday and the governor’s expressions behind The Donald. Old news now, and so we vowed not to write anything else. But then this video appeared on Facebook. Sorry, we can’t help it. See it here.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
REDDING, Calif. – Ruh-roh! Local cops are trying to solve the mystery of the girl driving her very own “Mystery Machine” from over 100 mph. Let’s assume the girl is named “Daphne” and she has a nerdy pal named “Velma,” and they have a stoner pal named “Shaggy.” Cops chased Daphne on Sunday, as she blew through red lights and gave them the slip in her “Mystery Machine,” disguised as a 1994 Chrysler Town and Country minivan. Cops are trying to find her. We suggest a sting with plenty of Scooby snacks.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 1979 that “The Future” of music arrived, as Phillips unveils the compact disc, with its fancy scratch free technology, promising a 21st century digital sound. There were 200 billion CDs created, before deemed obsolete by 2005.
Trivia: What was the first CD to sell over a million copies? (No, not Thriller). Answer below.
WORD OF THE DAY
Funambulist (fyoo-NAM-byah-liz-em) - noun
Definition: Tightrope walker
Example: I was thinking about becoming an accountant, but the real money is being a funambulist.
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Answer: Dire Straits’ “Brothers in Arms”