The Jaffe Briefing - November 16, 2017
OUR TAKE ON THE NEWS IN NEW JERSEY
ATLANTIC CITY - In what should finally be an interesting annual League of Municipalities luncheon, Phil Murphy will be taking the microphone today to talk to municipal officials about his plans for New Jersey. Gov. Chris Christie will be someplace else, as he has been for most of his second term, attending the Republican Governors Association conference in Texas. Usually, an appearance at the luncheon would be the final swan song for the lame duck governor to bathe in accolades and adoration for a job well done. (Note Gov. Jon Corzine's tearful farewell eight years ago.) No such emotion, apparently, from our current governor.
BAYONNE - The good news is that the public schools don't have a $2 million deficit. The bad news is that Bayonne school officials thought they were in a big hole, due to accounting errors, prompting layoffs, tax increases and some other big time belt tightening. The Jersey Journal reports the school district actually had a $3 million surplus, state auditors discovered, as opposed to a $2.2 million deficit. Apparently, all of these millions were never appropriated in the 2015-16 budget, prompting school officials to scramble for a solution to a non-existent problem.
ON AIR - In a sudden bout of apparent sense, MTV has decided not to air "Teen Mom New Jersey." MTV reached out to the "stars" of the show to let them know the former music channel is going in a different direction, reports The Ashley, perhaps securing even more cringe-worthy content for its pre-teen viewership. So, it looks like we will never get to learn about the fun and frolicking of five teenage mothers, apparently living the life, footloose and fancy free.
STATEWIDE - School officials can now take kids' word about their gender when they sign up for school sports. No longer do the students have to present an embarrassing doctor's note, an updated birth certificate or revised driver's license to "prove" they are a boy or girl, to be placed on the correct team. The NJSIAA correctly decided that transgender kids don't tend to make this stuff up and - yeah - let's just go with what they say.
IN THE MEDIA
WASHINGTON - Maybe this is the moment when the White House press corps officially lost its collective mind, writing reams of copy about President Trump pausing during an address yesterday to take a swig of water - twice. (Gasp!) According to some of the allegedly best journalists in America, here is the blow-by-blow recount: At first, Trump couldn't find water in his presidential lectern. "They don't have water? That's OK," he said. When the President was informed it was sitting on a small table to his right, the president unscrewed the cap, took a drink and then resumed his speech. He took another swig later in the speech. Yep, this, apparently, is real news.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
IN THE WILD - It's sure great when daddy is President. You can bet Eric and Donald Trump, Jr. are high-fiving on the squash court this morning, learning that good ol' pops is now allowing them, and other big game hunters, to import the heads of elephants into the United States. It is another reversal of Obama, in which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will begin issuing permits for elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Zambia. Apparently, the inconvenient fact that these creatures are still listed under the Endangered Species Act wasn't factored into Trump's decision.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was on this day in 1901 that race car driver Harry Fournier dazzled and amazed spectators on Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn by driving nearly 52 mph.
WORD OF THE DAY
Skrimshank - [SKRIM-shangk] - verb
Definition: To avoid one's obligations or share of work
Example: Some super tired Jaffe Briefing writers are skrimshanking this morning.
WEATHER IN A WORD
Fifties