The Jaffe Briefing - March 18, 2021
TRENTON – Short answer: Yes. It may be a buzzkill, but some Democrats think this huge windfall of federal cash is ideally timed to finally, finally address this state’s ongoing addiction to debt. Honestly, when else will New Jersey get the chance? Politico reports that some Democratic lawmakers think the upcoming budget year is perfect to whack away at debt, as the state enjoys this one, brief, bright fiscal moment. Gov. Phil Murphy was bracing for a pandemic-fueled Armageddon. But revenues surprisingly are much better than what the bean counters initially forecasted, especially as middle- and high-income households seem to have weathered most of this storm. And the state borrowed more than $4 billion in anticipation of revenue losses, while the latest stimulus from Uncle Sam throws another $6 billion in state coffers. Time to pay some bills, while we can.
LAKE HIAWATHA – I’m with her? In what could be the most wishy-washy press release ever constructed in an unincorporated part of Parsippany, a local Republican is announcing that she is thinking about running for Congress. Actually, to be more accurate, Hillery Brotschol is “seriously considering” an effort to unseat Rep. Mikie Sherrill in the 11th Congressional District. The possible Congressional candidate even has a logo that seems, well, familiar. In Brotschol’s grand semi-announcement, potential candiate says she is “testing the waters” but then says in the final paragraph of this terrific press release that she “is running for office.” So, maybe Hillery is all in? Dunno.
EVERYWHERE – It’s time to save the donuts. At least that’s the battle cry for one online petition that’s trying to stop Dunkin from apparently jettisoning jelly donuts, expelling eclairs and forsaking French crullers each day when they’ve lost their glorious freshness. The petition posted on change.org is an attempt to convince the 9,300 or so Dunkins across the country to donate those coffee rolls, bagels and Munchkins to local food pantries and homeless shelters. The petition is more than halfway to its goal of collecting 150,000 electronic signatures and suggests the national chain – with more than 1,000 locations in New Jersey and New York – has a giant hole in its business model.
BRIEFING BREATHER
The U.S. Supreme Court has its own private basketball court on its fifth floor, nicknamed “the highest court in the land.”
TRENTON – Enough, already, with all this remote learning. That’s the message from a very optimistic Gov. Phil Murphy, who says it’s time for kids to actually close the laptops, actually sling on their bookbags, actually leave their homes and actually go to school. With the billions of federal cash being thrown at New Jersey, there are now resources to help ensure all school buildings can open safely, Murphy says. “Now is the time for all of our schools to meaningfully move forward with in-person instruction,” the governor proclaimed, targeting the 317,044 students across 98 school districts still stuck on all-remote learning. It is certainly great progress, yet, like anything regarding public education in the state, expect more howling at school board meetings statewide.
TRENTON – Six years ago, a former McDonald’s worker walked into the fast food joint, using a fake shotgun to demand cash. But the caper quickly fell apart when an employee called out the bogus gun and, when the suspect pulled off his mask, the manager quickly identified him. The so-called bandit was convicted, but now that old case is being dusted off, as the state’s Supreme Court is unanimously calling for a new trial, AP reports. Why? When the guy told the court he wanted to be his own lawyer, the trial judge peppered him with questions about rules of evidence and other stuff they teach in law school. So, now, the Supreme Court deemed the judge’s questions were “more like a bar exam than colloquy to determine whether defendant understood the consequences of acting as his own attorney at trial.” The result? A new trial.
IN THE MEDIA
TOMS RIVER – Saying “local girl makes good” may be a huge understatement about Maria Ressa, nominee for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. This Toms River High School North alum, now 57, is an investigative journalist in the Philippines where, at great personal risk, she documents President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal reign. Her tenacious coverage has gotten Ressa “harassed, persecuted and repeatedly arrested on trumped-up charges,” the Toms River Times says. A former CNN Asia reporter and author of two books on terrorism, Ressa co-founded a Manila-based news site “Rappler” that details Duterte’s human rights abuses and mass killings. The 1982 High School North grad is a long, long way from her days as class president, ball player and performer in her high school chorus, orchestra and theater. No surprise: Ressa’s classmates voted her “most likely to succeed.”
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
NIZHNEVARTOVSK, Russia – A guy was just trying to get to work, but ended up face to face with a bear who just escaped from a local zoo. Of course, like everything, there is video, as the frantic commuter is seen sprinting away from the freshly-freed animal, crossing the street and narrowly missing a green bus, which then hits the bear. Witnesses said the bear had been wandering around the Siberian city for an hour or so, before deciding to chase this guy, yelling for his life into a cell phone. The bear is then seen hiding behind some heating pipes, while the zookeeper told police that he didn’t want it back. Want a runaway bear from Siberia? A crazy video of people shouting in Russian is here.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
After 17 months sitting on the sidelines, it was this day in 1995 that Michael Jordan announced the end to his very short retirement.
WORD OF THE DAY
Blarney – [BLAR-nee] – noun
Definition: Skillful flattery
Example: Does anyone ever believe my blarney by the wee morning hours of March 18?
WIT OF THE DAY
“Boldness is sexy, especially when it's done with a wink.”
-Matthew Hussey
BIDEN BLURB
“Are we going to step up, all of us? It′s time for boldness, for there is so much to do.”
-Joe Biden
WEATHER IN A WORD
Puddles