The Morning Briefing - June 30, 2016
The Morning Briefing will be off for the holiday weekend, returning Wednesday, July 6
TRENTON – In the world of Gov. Chris Christie, an increase in the gas tax and a cut in the sales tax makes perfect sense. Follow his oh-so-obvious logic: With a gas tax increase of 23 cents per gallon, the average driver will pay about $100 more a year. BUT, with the tax money going toward building safe roads, drivers would SAVE $600 in auto repair costs. By the time the sales tax cut is in place in 2018, happy motorists will be enjoying $435 more in the household kitty, courtesy of our benevolent leader. Now, what about the pesky issue of $1.3 billion in projected revenue loss each year to the state? Is that also part of the grand solution, Governor? “I was given a deadline,” Christie said. “I’ve met my deadline. I’m sitting here with my pen and I’m waiting for them (the Legislature) to do their job.”
HAMILTON TWP. – After two massage parlors got raided and two hookers were arrested, Mayor Kelly Yaede insisted her town needed a tough municipal ordinance to stamp out such “unscrupulous and illegal activities.” Here's the rub: The Town Council won't entertain such a measure, refusing even to introduce it. Nearby West Windsor, Lawrence Township and Hightstown slapped their own restrictions on massage parlors. Yet, Hamilton's council president tells The Trentonian it would be “over-regulation of an industry” that the state already regulates. Apparently not well enough for Yaede. Perhaps, the mayor just needs to apply trigger-point pressure to her governing body, then try again.
AT THE BANK – Well, it's happened again: The 50 wealthiest Jerseyans list is out and, once again, we are nowhere to be found. Sheesh. Since billionaire David Tepper infamously decided to bolt to Florida, the Garden State's wealthiest person title passes to media mogul Donald Newhouse with a $10.3 billion net worth, says NJBIZ, which compiles the annual list. No real eye-poppers on it. And no women. Mostly, it's hedge fund and real estate investors, business owners and a few guys who got their fortunes the old-fashioned way: They inherited it. The only politician is former Gov. Tom Kean at No. 42. While he's a rock star in some circles, Kean surprisingly topped actual rockers Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen, who came in at No. 43 and 44 respectively. Check if you made this year's list. If so, call us.
CUMBERLAND COUNTY – While all these rich guys may have lost a few hundred million or so through Brexit, there’s one victor in the UK’s decision to leave the EU: Cumberland County. NJ.com says the county stands to reap nearly $400,000 over the next eight years because of the sudden demand for nice, reliable, stable bonds. County financial officials say this week was the perfect time for a county bond sale, as investors flock to safe havens to invest.
ATLANTIC CITY – Council President Marty Small likes to think small, especially when it comes to smaller government. He is calling for the city to slash two at-large council seats, as part of a smaller budget. The councilman, who happens to be a ward councilman, not an at-large one, wants to cut the council back to seven seats, saving nearly a half-million dollars over four years, the Press of AC reports. The Council will talk about it at 5 p.m. today. When it comes to saving Atlantic City from itself, the councilman wants us all to Think Small.
EDISON – Scruffy and Fido now have a new place to run, play and socialize. Officials from Edison and Metuchen cut the ribbon last night on a dual-community dog park, reclaiming public use of an old industrial site sitting vacant since 1970. Mayor Thomas Lankey praised the dog park as “an environmental victory” for both towns. With a financial boost from Middlesex County's Open Space Trust Fund, the dog park is now landscaped and fenced; and it has benches, water fountains, trash receptacles and walking paths. Girl Scouts Abigail Brooks and Lilith Hoover first came up with dog park idea in 2012 and have worked with local officials to create it. See, perseverance really does pay off.
MORRIS TWP. – Kids who mess around with toothpicks and glue could grow up to be the next Stan Munro. Maybe he's not a household name yet, but Munro turned his 5th-grade fascination with “toothpick art” into an amazing career. Since 2006, he's been building and exhibiting miniature toothpick replicas of landmarks, from Yankee Stadium and the Freedom Tower to the Pyramid at Giza to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Starting Friday, a showcase of Muro's work called “Toothpick World” opens at the Morris Museum and runs until Aug. 31, the Morris NewsBee says. There's also an Aug. 7 “Toothpick Workshop,” so youngsters can learn to make their very own masterpieces. More info is at www.morrismuseum.org.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
NEW YORK – Just in case you have run out of things to pay obscene prices for, Kellogg’s is here with the latest-must have item: a bowl of cereal for $7.50. Yup, the purveyors of the Family Size box of cereal you can buy for $2.99 (with coupon) now has a little cafe in Times Square targeting dumb tourists and 20-something office workers. You can now mix your Special K or Frosted Flakes with a counter full of gentrified items, like lime zest, thyme and malted milk powder. There will also be a delivery service because, heck, let’s see if some schmuck will even pay $10 for a bowl of Rice Krispies. Kellogg’s anticipates profits will be grrrr-eat!
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It is a name that now only appears in crossword puzzles. But, on this one day in 1998, the name Linda Tripp held some importance, as she testified before a grand jury in the Lewinsky mess.
WORD OF THE DAY
Crackerjack (CRACK-er-jack) – adjective
Definition: Of striking ability or excellence
Example: Linda Tripp was one heckuva crackerjack witness on the stand.
WEATHER IN A WORD
Ahhhh.