The Jaffe Briefing - October 19, 2017
OUR TAKE ON THE NEWS IN NEW JERSEY
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL - There was actually some substantive discussion in last night's scrappy gubernatorial debate about the state pension fund, currently about $66 billion underfunded. The fund would swallow up about $5 billion in the state treasury, if there was money to fully fund it. Phil Murphy wants to shore up the pension, somehow, and then discuss changes. Kim Guadagno wants to negotiate with the unions now, as new, bright-eyed employees are being hired and still being told they will have a pension when they retire. Either way, as the pension problem won't magically disappear, people won't be happy - another joy the next governor must deal with.
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL - Another big issue is the state's insane property taxes, with the candidates posed the question three separate times last night. Guadagno is all in with her "circuit breaker" plan, capping school taxes at 5 percent of a taxpayer's household income, with an average benefit of $800, costing the state $1.5 billion. The money would suddenly appear from a state audit of government finances, not done since 1983, which apparently saved $100 million at the time. Murphy questioned why the audit wasn't done in the past eight years of Christie/Guadagno, adding "I don't think a fancy title, a gimmick, the circuit-buzzer - it sounds like an overstock item at Crazy Eddie's, that's not a plan."
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL - Another nugget of interest is the fact that, if elected, Kim Guadagno would never appoint her boss, Chris Christie, to the U.S. Senate. "That was an easy one," she said, likely recognizing if she uttered "Yes," she might as well stop campaigning. The candidates are still open to marijuana in New Jersey, with Murphy high over $1 billion in potential revenue a year, while Guadagno seems to want to forgo the cash, but still decriminalize it. (Huh?) Both also seem open to the idea of casinos in North Jersey, a truly cringe-worthy concept across Atlantic City, working hard at a renaissance.
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL - Perhaps the biggest debate point last night was the choice of footwear for the Democratic candidate. Plenty of early-morning talk around our office about these shoes. Sneakers? Tweed shoes? Something in between? All can agree they are not the spit-shined, black wingtips that the likes of Jim McGreevey was rumored to shower in. Or not like the preppy loafers that matched oh-so-well with Jon Corzine's sweater vests. Or not like the professional high-heels, that were really not that high, on the heels of Christie Whitman. Or maybe, rather than pondering all of this, we should have just watched last night's Yankee game.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It was an extremely short career in law enforcement for a local police cadet, who used his father's squad car to pull over his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend. The cadet, trying to work for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, where his dad is a lieutenant, figured he could use all of dad's fancy red and blue lights to mess up his ex-girlfriend's date Saturday night. He even ordered the boyfriend out of the vehicle. The Sun Sentinel reports the cadet was fired immediately, as well as slapped with a restraining order and charges of impersonating a real cop. Looks like the Palm Beach Corrections Department will soon have a new recruit.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
WORD OF THE DAY
Hew - [HYOO] - verb
Definition: To cut or fell with blows, such as with an axe
Example: The gubernatorial candidates last night hewed their positions, trying to show a real difference for voters.
WEATHER IN A WORD
Glorious