The Jaffe Briefing - April 22, 2019

TRENTON - What happens in New Jersey when a governor signs a law,but never enacts it? Well, um, nothing. That's what NJ.com has astutely noticed, noting then-Gov. Chris Christie signed a law three years ago that would allow employees of small businesses to save a little extra for retirement. There was supposed to be the creation of a virtual marketplace for small businesses to shop for private retirement plans, with money then invested via a deducted paycheck.  Yet, no one ever bothered to set up the marketplace. That's news to Senate President Steve Sweeney, who co-sponsored the legislation and told NJ.com: "When we pass laws we expect them to be implemented." Gov. Phil Murphy then signed his own version of the law in February, with the full hope and intention of actually implementing it: in, say, two or three years.

TRENTON - In what could potentially be the most boring jobs report ever issued in New Jersey, state officials have announced the unemployment rate ticked up in March, from 4 percent to 4.1 percent. (Stop the presses.)  New Jersey added 3,600 jobs last month, which is pretty darn irrelevant in a state of nearly 9 million people. So, how did New Jersey's boring numbers compare with other boring numbers from other states?  Yeah, around the middle of the pack, adding to the boredom and making it impossible for media eager to discover a big "trend."

STATEWIDE - Students learn a buck will get them to a dollar's worth of stuff. Yet, somehow that basic theory flies out the window when it comes to school construction. These kiddies may be from one of the 113 districts that started the 2016 school year with more than $10,000 in debt per pupil; 23 had more than $20,000 in debt per pupil. NJ Spotlight, in tandem with The Hechinger Report,has dived deep into school debt, Garden-State style. Apparently, New Jersey is in better shape than the nation as a whole; so, that's something. But these students should know that paying off the bonds used to finance school construction equals about a quarter of the state's total debt service. And it is a debt our young cherubs will be paying long after we flee to Florida. Count the costs in today's NJ Spotlight.

BOONTON - Some see old railroad cars as treasure, others see it as target practice. Rail history buffs are unamused, offering a $5,000 reward over the weekend to find who smashed the windows of a 106-year-old luxury parlor car. NJ.com reports that this is not your run-of-the-mill, average, luxury parlor car. In fact, it transported the likes of Thomas Edison and Malcolm Forbes as part of the fabled "Millionaire's Express" line, according to the United Railroad Historical Society. It was one of a few cars vandalized last week. There's a GoFundMe page,now with $1,045 committed, to date, to raise money for repairs. Where's a millionaire when you truly need him?

MILLVILLE - Actor and comedian Rob Schneider visited severalCumberland County businesses Friday before his show at Millville's Levoy Theatre, reports the Press of Atlantic City. Uh. Ok.

ON AIR - Will Jeopardy go bankrupt? OK, likely not, but assume that advertising rates might be going up, as a super contestant is bleeding the game show dry. As of the Friday episode, James Holzhauer has somehow won $850,000 in just 12 episodes. If he keeps up the pace, he will easily surpass the grand winner, Ken Jennings, who won $2.5 million over 74 episodes in 2004. Holzhauer already has the single episode record of $131,127, as he hones in on Daily Doubles and the high-value tiles, while gambling like a crazy man as he keeps banging the buzzer. Figure that Jeopardy producers are begging this guy to just go away.