The Morning Briefing - April 22, 2016
ON THE RAILS – Back to the drawing board at NJ Transit, where honchos still need to find someone to take the top job. Finally, everything seemed settled when a guy from Virginia said, “uh, I guess so,” agreeing to be the Voodoo doll of humorless, tired, ticked-off commuters who refuse to pay another nickel for their monthly passes. NJ Transit has a $45 million deficit, perhaps a factor in the decision by former Amtrak executive William Crosbie. Gov. Chris Christie says Crosbie told him “face-to-face” that he was willing to take the job. “I just wish that when you say you accept the job and you look somebody in the eye, I think it's important that you keep your word." Absolutely. If, for example, Christie was elected President, he would definitely serve.
SOUTH PLAINFIELD – Next time you visit the MVC to renew your driver’s license, bring Gov. Chris Christie along. It seems like the governor may have the juice to get the attention of those half-asleep, surly workers, who finally noticed a 17-year-old Bound Brook boy who has visited seven separate times to try to get a new learner’s permit. Christie learned about the boy’s plight on Wednesday night, during his “Ask the Governor” radio program, NJ.com reports. The boy’s permit was damaged in the wash, and he has spent four fruitless months trying to get a new one. Yesterday, at 11:15 a.m., the governor strode into the MVC with the boy and his mother, with a 101.5 reporter chronicling every move, and four media trucks in the parking lot. In less than 10 minutes at Window #16, the boy and his governor left victorious, with his new permit.
BARNEGAT – Fetching coffee for the police chief isn't in his new secretary's job description, even though the town is paying $46,000 for an “assistant/confidential secretary” to Chief Arthur Drexler. Despite the job title, town Administrator Martin Lisella told The Sandpaper the new aide's will be fetching data, rather than danish. The job duties are strictly high-tech, providing IT support for its 45 police officers and implementing a new computer software program. Odd to have a job title that has zero connection with your actual duties. Please now refer to us as “celebrity astronauts.”
STATEWIDE – Call it “the little state council that could.” Who knew it had such clout? But, the state Council on Local Mandates flexed its muscle this week, declaring “invalid” a 2014 state law requiring all 564 New Jersey towns to install dashboard cameras in police cars and supply all officers with body cameras. The reason: That state isn't helping to pay for the new technology. The Record says the ruling has drawn new attention to the little-known, nine-member bipartisan watchdog panel created by the Legislature in 1996 to monitor unfunded mandates. So, as it stands now, towns can voluntarily buy dash-cams and body-cams for their cops, but the state can't make them do it.
YOUR DINING ROOM – The Passover cookbook has been thrown out the window for tonight’s Seder, as Jews mark the first night of the holiday. Why? Some rabbis somewhere have decided that it is now perfectly ok for Jews of Eastern European descent to eat meals with rice, corn and beans over Passover. For those who don’t follow the holiday, you’ve probably stopped reading this. But if you are living on matzah and all its heavy, indigestible products for eight long days, this big rabbinical decision is cause for celebration, as many finally look forward to Passover dinner.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
ONLINE – With the many, many tributes pouring in to celebrate the life of Prince, it did not take long for the marketers to get involved. Cheerios sent out the tweet below, just hours after the singer’s death was announced. Because, obviously, when people think Prince, they should think about the right choice for great-tasting, gluten-free morning oats.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Get out there and plant something, as we mark the anniversary of the first Earth Day, launched on this day in 1970.
WORD OF THE DAY
Indemnify (in-DEM-nah-fi) — verb
Definition: To protect against damage, loss, or injury; insure.
Example: Will you please indemnify us from this week-long barrage of references to Justin Bieber’s new cologne?