The Morning Briefing - June 1, 2016
CRANFORD – For those still charmed by President Bill Clinton, now is your golden chance to see him live. He’ll be at Union County College at 3:45 p.m. today for an organizing event, after swinging through Edison last week to talk up Hillary. New Jersey is squarely in the Clinton focus for the June 7th primary, as Hillary is scheduled to appear with Jersey rocker Jon Bon Jovi at Rutgers University in Newark at 1:30 p.m. today, before Mrs. Clinton and Bon Jovi jet to Boston for another campaign fundraiser. We should enjoy all this fleeting star-studded attention, lasting until the polls close next Tuesday.
HAZLET – There are about 15,000 Uber drivers in New Jersey likely quite interested in the lawsuit that one Hazlet-based driver has filed, demanding the ride-hailing service pay drivers for overtime, gas, tolls and other expenses. Uber notes the contract clearly states that these drivers are independent contractors, and not entitled to the typical perks. But the driver argues he gets 100 percent of his assignments through Uber, which means, in his mind, that he is an employee, not a freelancer. The federal courts will hash this out.
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL – Another as-of-yet-undeclared candidate appears poised to toss her chapeau into the race for governor. Three-term Paterson Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter – goddaughter of state Democratic Chairman John Currie – has racked up a series of legislative wins. Now she's stumping for Hillary Clinton alongside daughter Chelsea; been nominated for a Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award; and just got a big boost from Ebony magazine. At a recent event, Sen. Sandra Cunningham mistakenly introduced Sumter as an already declared candidate, then went on to contrast Sumter with other hopefuls saying: “No one has mentioned an African-American or a Latino … an Indian or Pakistani. The only persons we're talking about (for governor) are Caucasian, middle-aged men.” That looks to change. Read more here.
EAST BRUNSWICK—Sen. Cory Booker tries hard to be a well-known mensch, so it wasn't that surprising when he warmed up a few hundred Hillary Clinton donors last night at the East Brunswick Hilton with a call-and-response version of the Passover sing-along, Dayenu, a song of divine appreciation. "It would have been enough for Hillary to be the First Lady of the United States. Dayenu! It would have been enough to be Senator from New York. Dayenu! It would have been enough to be Secretary of State! Dayenu!" The VP contender, however, brought the crowd to its feet with the kicker: "It would have been enough, but sometimes the man that’s called into the arena to fight the great fights, to stand up for our country’s values, to show grace and courage...is a woman." No word on where Booker hid the matzo.
OCEANPORT – Place your bets…Please? Monmouth Park needs you to gamble more this summer – perhaps on some crazy long shots – after the Memorial Day weekend's lackluster start. A paltry $7.75 million in bets got placed at the track from around the country last weekend, compared with $15 million at the same time last year. Racetrack attendance was also down as more gamblers bet on sun, sand and surf at the shore, rather than on horses to win, place or show. Only $1.5 million in bets got placed at the park. The racetrack tried once again to boost attendance, hosting its annual the Jersey Shore Food Truck Festival over the weekend. But, the Asbury Park Press says that only helped draw 42,000 foodies, down from 60,000 last year. Perhaps it’s time to drop the extra mayo on those lobster rolls.
LAKEWOOD - Local zoning board members are opting to stay home, rather than be in front of a camera. The Asbury Park Press reports chronic absenteeism among the nine-member board after a local gadfly started videotaping their meetings for some reason in March. One 12-year veteran of the board walked off the dais that night, just as the camera started rolling, and hasn't been heard from since. No clue what has everyone so darn camera shy, but good luck trying to get a quorum of these guys.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — If you ever considered throwing an alligator into a fast food restaurant, but needed to know the criminal penalty, we have it right here: Probation. That’s the penance of a Florida man, after he told a judge last week that he was really, really sorry for chucking a four-foot alligator through the window of a Wendy’s. He thought it would just be a hilarious prank on a friend who was inside, enjoying a Baconator. The guy was originally charged with felony, using the alligator as an “assault with a deadly weapon.” But no one was hurt, the Palm Beach Post reports, and so the judge gave him a break. But he still needs to answer to the alligator.
DALLAS – Republican Donald Trump got called a reptile by hackers who changed the messages on several electronic roadside signs along Interstate 30 outside of Dallas early yesterday. The signs, typically warning motorists about construction, began flashing messages like: “Donald Trump is … a shape shifting lizard” and “Bernie for President.” Another sign was reset to say: “Work is canceled. Go back home.” A humorless Texas transportation department spokesman told CBS News that hacking isn't funny: “Tampering is a third-degree felony … so we're talking prison time.” This is Texas, after all, where Republican candidates are taken very seriously. Amazing no one is demanding the death penalty.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Car thieves everywhere are likely celebrating a special anniversary today: it was this day in 1869 that the first car was stolen. It was a Peugeot owned by Baron de Zuylen de Nyevelt. The suspect? His mechanic.
WORD OF THE DAY
Pettyfog – [pet-ee-fog] – verb
Definition: To argue, bicker or quibble over unimportant matters.
Example: To continually pettyfog about the “Pork Roll v. Taylor Ham” debate is a huge distraction from the big, pressing issues in New Jersey; perhaps just what some state officials want.
WEATHER IN A WORD
80.