The Jaffe Briefing - January 29, 2018
OUR TAKE ON THE NEWS IN NEW JERSEY
STATEWIDE - Pastor, don't forget your hymnals and the .44 Magnum. That could be the friendly reminder at houses of worship across New Jersey, under a ludicrous bill introduced by Assemblyman Ronald Dancer (R-Ocean). Dancer introduced the law that would allow churches, synagogues, mosques, etc. to have a "qualified person" carry a concealed handgun during prayer services. Luckily, there are no co-sponsors. (Hallelujah!) Dancer said his proposal is all about safeguarding the masses from mass shootings, such as the tragedy at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in November. Yes, Dancer is trying to protect the public. But such a law brings guns into our houses of worship, rather than takes them out.
STATEWIDE - Good news for Assemblyman Dancer and others: it looks like the murder rate in the state is at its lowest level in more than 50 years of record-keeping. Murders in the state dropped by the biggest amount in decades last year, the State Police says. The last time the murder numbers were this low was 1967, as well as 1999 and 2000. But the population has grown by hundreds of thousands of residents since, giving 2017 some impressive distinction for having less than 300 murders. Now, finally, perhaps all the crime writers will go to another state for "ripped from the headlines" material.
TRENTON - Assemblyman Reed Gusciora originally ran for the state Legislature to clean up Trenton. Now he wants to oversee snow plowing, pothole repair and garbage hauling, as the 22-year veteran of the Assembly hopes to become the next mayor of the capital city. Gusciora, who serves the 15thlegislative district, figures he is the guy to handle all the "big-picture issues" in Trenton, hoping Trentonians will see his work in the Assembly as the reason to give him a shot at running a struggling city brimming with untapped potential.
HIGHLAND PARK - There's been statewide attention placed on a local church that has served as a highly-publicized sanctuary for three Indonesians facing deportation, TAPInto New Brunswick reports. But there are many legal questions about this so-called sanctuary, which has proudly cited protections stemming from medieval English law. But is a modern-day house of worship a true sanctuary from ICE? NJ.com asked some legal experts, who agree that churches, etc. are "sensitive locations" for the cops, stemming from the Middle Ages, but there are no real protections under federal law. And that's no matter if you are here legally or not. Church and municipal leaders in Highland Park have long acknowledged the fact that there's no true sanctuary, but it will be interesting to see if ICE honors long-practiced protocol or if they will storm the altar.
MAPLEWOOD - This leafy town clearly has its own vision of utopianism. It began by famously banning commercial leaf blowers last year. Now, it may be going after people who cross the street while glued to their smartphones. Maplewood may soon be ticketing pedestrians for "texting while walking," taking a page from a book of laws in Honolulu that addresses "distracted walking." Next step: fining people who make reservations at downtown restaurants on Saturdays, and then don't show up.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
MADISON, Wis. - Every once in a while, mom may be a little too helpful. For example, there is EPA Regional Administrator Cathy Stepp, who is said to have worn a fake nose and sunglasses to help her daughter pass a 2011 Wisconsin driving test after she failed her initial attempt. The Chicago Tribuneadds that Stepp often carries a fake nose, according her daughter, Hannah. The news coverage prompted Stepp to issue a statement on Friday, saying her daughter may be exaggerating things a little bit. But Stepp has yet to explain which part of the story, exactly, is the exaggeration.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 2013 that Google Maps extended its date coverage to North Korea, no longer just showing eerie blank areas where detailed road maps should be.
WORD OF THE DAY
Anthropomorphic - [an-thruh-puh-MOR-fik] - adjective
Definition: Described or thought of as having a human form or human attributes
Example: Some are wondering if the (alleged) behavior of casino mogul Steve Wynn no longer makes him anthropomorphic.
WEATHER IN A WORD
Clouds