The Jaffe Briefing - March 7, 2019
OFF THE RAILS - It is early in the state's budget season. Very, very early. But Gov. Phil Murphy knows it is political suicide to attempt to dare raise fares on NJ Transit, as commuters have been clinging to their last nerve for years. His fiscal 2020 budget throws $100 million at the beleaguered agency, and promises to keep rates flat for the second year in a row. There's a big "if," of course. The state Legislature has to support a version of the governor's proposed spending plan, as opposed to their own, as he gins up the pressure for a budget that needs to be adopted by June 30.
TRENTON - Yet more budget tweaking in Trenton, with a hundred million here, a hundred million there. The state's treasury department has bumped up the fiscal 2019 revenue projections for corporate business taxes by about $700 million, and lowered the forecast for income-tax revenue to $414 million. Those aren't big numbers when you are talking about a fiscal 2019 budget that hit $37.4 billion. But those revised numbers should ensure that spending stays on target over the next few months. That's very good news for the governor; as his opponents in the Legislature and elsewhere are already picking apart next year's plan. Read more in today's NJ Spotlight.
ALPHA - A forgetful fellow nearly missed out twice on a $273 million Mega Millions jackpot. Local resident Mike Weirsky, 54, told NJ.com that he forgot two lottery tickets at a Quick Chek in Pohatcong where he bought them Thursday. A good Samaritan found them, turned them in, and a store clerk held them in a drawer until Weirsky returned the next day. Then, this winner didn't bother to check his numbers when they were picked Friday night, so he had no clue he'd won this heap of cash until he got around to checking his numbers two days later. The unemployed handyman says: "I was a bum in high school, I was a bum after. Maybe I'll be a beach bum now."
NEWTON - Plenty of buzz around town about the 2019 "American Honey Princess." That crown goes to 20-year-old Nicole Medina. The Newton native is the first New Jerseyan in 60 years to win this national honor from the American Beekeeping Federation at its annual conference in Myrtle Beach, SC. Nicole, a Sussex County College student, won for her super-duper beekeeping knowledge. She'll spend the next year touring the country to promote the agricultural value of honeybees. Nicole tells the American Agriculturist she got stung by the beekeeping bug at age 13 and cares for 11 active hives. Although she plans on a marketing career, Nicole says her "beekeeping passion" means "I'll always have (bees) in my backyard." Just proves smarts, not swimsuits, can win pageants.
STATEWIDE - Umm. Sooo, it appears that four lots of birth control pillsmay not exactly be 100 percent effective. Global pharmaceutical giant Apotex Corp. wants everyone to know that, er, sorry, but it appears that placebos may have been placed in the slots where the birth control pills are supposed to be. In other cases, the blister pockets were just plain empty. The lots were distributed nationally and, of course, here in Jersey. Red-faced Apotex officials have reported no pregnancies or other awkward situations have yet surfaced. They've set up a hotline for panicking consumers who perhaps have one or two questions. You can call 800-706-5575 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and expect to stay on hold for at least two days.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
SAN JOSE, Cal. - The next generation of high school students may not have the pleasure of seeing the splayed innards of a dead frog, or the intoxicating odors of formaldehyde. Assembly member Ash Kalra has introduced Assembly Bill 1586, which would ban dissections for students in public and private schools, in kindergarten through 12th grade. Instead, California kids would participate in "alternative education projects," like using three-dimensional models or computer software to learn pretty much the same thing. Sounds good; as no high school graduate can possibly recall anything learned from poking around a frog carcass, other than a loss of appetite for the cafeteria mystery meat.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 1997 that the Japanese prime minister is sued by five citizens, claiming their leader's incessant cigarette smoking violates the country's constitution that mandates he must lead a wholesome life.
WORD OF THE DAY
Genuflect - [JEN-yə-flekt] - verb
Definition: To kneel, especially in the presence of the powerful or pine
Example: Are NJ Transit riders expected to genuflect upon news there may not be a rate hike?
WIT OF THE DAY
"My best birth control now is just to leave the lights on." - Joan Rivers
WEATHER IN A WORD
Brrr
THE NEW 60
A Jaffe Briefing Exclusive by Andy Landorf & John Colquhoun
