The Jaffe Briefing - July 12, 2019

STATEWIDE - It's like we are living in a foreign country, with word the feds may be planning a round-up this weekend in immigrant communities. Gov. Phil Murphy is responding - in both English and Spanish - by offering some unspecified help to those who are here illegally. There had been plenty of talk about these raids in June, but President Trump delayed the plans to hash out a $4.6 billion border aid bill.  The feds are not tipping their hands as to when or if these raids will commence. In response, Murphy said, quite generally, that "we are proactively reaching out to our immigrant communities to make sure they know we stand with them and are prepared to do whatever we can to protect them." Meanwhile, local mayors are circulating information about legal aid, just in case ICE comes knocking. A good weekend to be elsewhere.

DOWN THE SHORE - It's time for the beach, so let's argue once again about public beach access. State environmental officials are once again holding stakeholder meetings in an effort to get towns to provide access points, parking lots and bathrooms for the poor, public, non-residential masses who dare attempt to sit on "their" beaches. The Press of Atlantic City says the state is looking at beach access regulations. Shore communities, of course, oppose everything, saying any "one-size-fits-all" regulation won't work and changes would be an unfair financial burden to those local taxpayers with their waterfront mansions.  It's been glaringly obvious over the years that shore communities are desperate to stay "local," and any proposed state changes would be met with something south of enthusiasm.

LAKEWOOD - If you have been attempting to follow the school budget mess in Lakewood - and we apologize if you have - there seems to be some sort of conclusion for the 2019-20 school year. It seems - miraculously - that school taxes will "only" be increasing $67 on average for property taxpayers. How is that possible for this perennially-broke school district teetering on abyss? Well, to slap together this $238 million budget with as much gum as you can find under the desks, the district is relying on a $36 million state loan that one may assume will be paid back. Local school officials were praying for a $30 million state grant, which was promised, but isn't coming, the Asbury Park Press reports. The district is also seeking voter approval for another $6 million to pay for after-school programs and clubs, as well as busing. That would add another $203 to each taxpayer's bill, on average. Again, not a big increase when you consider the district always seems financially in tatters.

STATEWIDE - Is Burger King the new Taco King?  Burger King - which seems to be unveiling a new menu item daily - is hoping you will drop the chalupa and head to the Home of the Whopper for your next Mexican fiesta. That's right; Burger King is entering the taco market, offering bargain-basement, buck-a-piece tacos. (Prices are higher in Alaska and Hawaii, where perhaps there are Trump tariffs on tortillas.) So far, critics have been brutal, describing BK's latest gimmick as a "malformed, dense food creature," with a "warped greasy shell," and hot sauce "no where to be seen, found or tasted." Chalk this gooey, confusing mess up as the latest whopper for a fast food franchise still desperate to define itself beyond those tasty, flame-broiled burgers. Always good to stick with what you know.