The Jaffe Briefing - November 19, 2020
STATEWIDE – The economic fall-out from this pandemic is fuzzy, at best. We all hear stories of families in ruin, unable to work or pay their bills, requiring billions of dollars in collective bailout. Then we hear head-scratchers: NJ Spotlight is reporting that the state’s sales tax revenue was up nearly 7% over the same period in 2019 – the third straight month of year-over-year improvement. That means New Jerseyans are buying stuff. Actually, a lot of stuff. So, what gives? And here is something more confusing: Despite sales tax revenue numbers that are considerably higher than pre-pandemic, the state is also reporting a 5% decrease in overall tax collections compared to the same month last year, showing the pandemic drag. Why the stark difference? No clue; ask someone who didn’t go to journalism school.
ATLANTIC CITY – This resort mecca just can’t get a break. The feds are out with a report that shows every one of the 357 largest counties in the nation suffered job losses between June 2019 and June 2020. And which county – can you surmise – sustained the absolute worst job loss? Yep, Atlantic County. Over that 12-month period – and attributable directly to this damn virus – there was a 34.2% drop in employment. That is equivalent to 33,336 jobs that just went “poof!” Of course, positive people like us note a silver lining in everything. And the silver lining here is that once this pandemic is over, Atlantic County will roar back with resurgence. The bones for success are there; it’s just begging for a string of good luck.
STATEWIDE – College kids will be returning home in droves, and state officials are bracing for a health crisis that could come with all these tearful reunions. That’s why Gov. Phil Murphy and six other northeastern states are calling on universities to test the students for COVID before the leave campus and to inform them about the states’ quarantine requirements. Moreover, any student who tests positive should remain at school, rather than travel and risk further exposure. And one more thing: Once kids come home for Thanksgiving, they shouldn’t go back to school until the spring semester, the governors say. The virus doesn’t exactly respect state borders; good to see the governors getting together with a uniform message to control this thing. Overreaction here? No way; the U.S. reported 164,382 new cases on Tuesday.
BRIEFING BREATHER
You're more likely to get a computer virus from visiting religious sites than porn sites.
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL – Not only should President Trump promptly pack his bags and leave Dodge, he should also be prosecuted for any and all crimes. That’s the fond farewell from Rep. Bill Pascrell, ticking off “innumerable crimes” that have been committed, allegedly, by the Trump Administration over these four, Twitter-infused years. Yeah, like what? “He has endangered our national security. He ripped families apart. He poisoned the Census. He has personally profited from his office. He has attacked our elections and sought to throttle democracy. He was rightly impeached by the House of Representatives. He has engaged in treachery, in treason. He has all but given up on governing and protecting our nation and if he had a shred of dignity he would resign today.” That’s all from Pascrell, who says anyone who gives Trump a free pass is emboldening “criminality by our national leaders.” Can’t disagree, there.
FAIR LAWN – It always seems to smell like fresh-baked cookies in this small Bergen County town, as it has since 1958 when a towering Nabisco factory opened on Route 208. Now, that warm-from-the-oven aroma of Oreos and Chips Ahoy may vanish, along with 600 jobs as parent company, Mondelez International, threatens to close in 2021. Mayor Kurt Peluso and Rep. Josh Gottheimer are scrambling to convince owners and unions that the bakery must stay. The mayor tells Patch.com its departure and job loss would be an economic blow to the region. Peluso says: “One of the best things about growing up here is this town smells like cookies. As you get older you realize that smell equates to jobs and opportunities.” If all else fails, perhaps retain Keebler elves to pressure corporate execs.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
BENTONVILLE, AR – If you are willing to move to Northeast Arkansas, not only will you be handed $10,000, you will also get a new bicycle. A local economic development group is trying to lure people from here to actually live here. There is even a fancy title for this: the “Life Works Here Initiative.” It’s simple. Move there. Get money, and get a bike to “enjoy the area’s 162 miles of paved trails and 322 miles of mountain biking trails.” Don’t want the darn bike? No problem. You can swap it for an annual membership to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Forbes reports. It is apparently a lovely place to live, so ignore the shameless bribe. Apply here.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
CBS came between Brooke Shields and her Calvins on this day in 1980, when the network pulls the jean ad featuring the 15-year-old girl.
WORD OF THE DAY
Farrier – [FAIR-ee-er] – noun
Definition: A person who shoes horses
Example: Tell the farrier to remove his boots before he comes into the house.
WIT OF THE DAY
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.”
-Winnie the Pooh
TODAY'S TRUMPISM
“Look at this in Wisconsin! A day AFTER the election, Biden receives a dump of 143,379 votes at 3:42AM, when they learned he was losing badly. This is unbelievable!”
-Donald J. Trump
WEATHER IN A WORD
Brisk
THE NEW 60
A Jaffe Briefing Exclusive
by Andy Landorf & John Colquhoun
TheNew60Comic.Com
