The Jaffe Briefing - January 24, 2019
TOMS RIVER - Perhaps the key to getting school bond referenda passedis the celebrity factor. Toms River may be the ideal case study, as voters said "Sure" to a $147 million plan to update all 18 district schools. All should thank Mets third baseman Todd Frazier - who is local royalty - for speaking up in support of the referendum, which voters passed 7,513 to 5,383. Assume the "no" voters are Phillies and Yankees fans, who, let's assume, hate education.
TRENTON - Medical marijuana and adult-use legalization have got New Jersey's business community in a lather - understandably so. Can they administer drug tests on employees carrying medical cannabis IDs? And what happens if they test positive? And while Gov. Phil Murphy and Senate President Steve Sweeney extol the economic benefits of legalization, business owners with no-tolerance drug policies are bracing for all the lawsuits down the road. And how can they tell if that forklift operator with a slightly glazed look should be on the loading dock? No easy answers to this one, but NJ Spotlight tries to cut through the fog.
STATEWIDE - One glaring fact in this federal shutdown: most New Jerseyans are living paycheck to paycheck. Even federal employees, with their perceived cushy jobs, are skirting along, even with all this gushing news of a robust economy. A new survey from Bankrate.com shows that many of us don't even have the extra cash for an unexpected $1,000 expense, especially because we live in such an expensive state, with unforgivable rent, medical expenses and, of course, unforgiving taxes. What's the solution, if any? Further belt-tightening will help, but all this global perception of a "rich America" is being proven a fallacy as the shutdown drags on. Day 34.
STATEWIDE - There are still riches to be made in New Jersey, especially if you know the difference between a wrench and a socket set. NJ 101.5 reports the state is desperately in need of auto mechanics, to the tune of 24,000 of them over the next seven years. Apparently, not enough students are enrolling in vo-tech programs, even though dealerships are willing to offer starting salaries of $50,000 to $70,000, and can quickly bump talented mechanics into the six-figures. There's some urgency here, especially as the old guys who can tool around a carburetor are retiring to focus on rebuilding that dream 1970 Pontiac.
FREEHOLD - Money meant to help people with autism was used to buy a $2,000 fish tank, install landscaping and do home remodeling for the former CFO at the non-profit New Horizons agency. The Asbury Park Press says Peter Pflug, 56, pleaded guilty to diverting $115,000 for personal use. He'll be facing three years in prison when he gets sentenced March 22. New Horizons receives most of its funding from the state Division of Developmental Disabilities to provide group homes, behavior therapy and vocational training and - obviously - money shouldn't be squandered on tropical fish.
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL - Is now the time to run out for your "Christie '24" bumper sticker? The former governor was in Indian Wells, CA. on Tuesday, chatting up Republicans about his new book, his past and his future. Many candidates who had run and lost early in their careers, including Ronald Reagan, Christie said, were victorious in later elections and became successful presidents, reports The Desert Sun. "Once you've got this in your blood, it's hard to get rid of it," he said. The big question: Is it too early to hype a Christie-Palin ticket?
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
RUTLAND, VT - Think New Jersey is the beer-drinking capital of the world? We are nothing but pathetic little teetotalers compared to the drunken masses of Vermont. The Green Mountain State leads the U.S. with 11.5 craft breweries for every 100,000 thirsty adults. The National Brewers Association vows Vermont's breweries are "an important industry" that have "a real economic impact," producing 150 pints of beer per person annually. It's an astonishing amount of suds for this state of fewer than 630,000 people. Of course, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse ranks Vermont sixth among states with the highest alcohol consumption. Of course. With two feet of snow on the ground - and plenty more coming - what else is there to do in Vermont until May?
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was on this day in 1984 that the Macintosh first went on sale, with a whopping 128k of RAM and a lightning-fast 7.8 MHz processor, all for the low, low price of $2,495.
WORD OF THE DAY
Imbroglio - [im-BROHWL-yoh] - noun
Definition: An acutely painful or embarrassing misunderstanding
Example: The present imbroglio relates to the delicious bowl of soup I just enjoyed, which, uh, was yours.
WIT OF THE DAY
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"You have to remember one thing about the will of the people: It wasn't that long ago that we were swept away by the Macarena."
- Jon Stewart
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WEATHER IN A WORD
Soaker
THE NEW 60
A Jaffe Briefing exclusive
by Andy Landorf & John Colquhoun
