The Jaffe Briefing - April 29, 2021

STATEWIDE – New Jersey to Biden: Thanks for nuthin’. As the president is eager to spend a trillion here, a trillion there, and a trillion everywhere, he is refusing to give New Jerseyans some property tax relief. There were high hopes among our federal lawmakers that the cozy relationship with Biden would prompt a swift removal of the $10,000 cap on state and local tax, or SALT. Donald Trump put the much-despised cap in place in 2017 – a thumb in the eye of New Jersey taxpayers whose property tax bills are chronically higher than $10,000. Bloomberg reports the president’s decision will be a headache for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, assigned to sell the White House plan to a fractured Congress. When she turns to New Jersey congress members, we can only hope they dangle their support in exchange for Biden eliminating the $10,000 cap. Time for some Jersey-style hard ball.

MONTGOMERY – Less than 200 signatures on a Change.org petition will likely not rise to Gov. Phil Murphy’s attention, but a high school senior makes a good point. Montgomery High School has a prom scheduled for May 7 – three days prior to the governor’s decision to expand capacity to 250 people. Jordan, a senior at Montgomery High School, says his “class will not be able to dance, and will be limited to 150 people in a room. If our prom was scheduled for only three days later, my classmates and I would have had the opportunity to use a dance floor and gather together as a large group for the first time in over a year.” Jordan wants the new restrictions set for the first day of May, considering the May 10 date to have “zero justification.” Gov. Murphy: Stop ticking off Jordan.

TEANECK – An Assembly candidate may have discovered the perfect narrative: She feels your pain. Teaneck Councilwoman Gervonn Romney Rice, running in the hotly-contested 37th District, has been late paying her property taxes 81 times since 2006, while the town had put her home up for public sale for unpaid taxes nine times, NJ Globe reports. So, opponents can certainly slam her for fiscal mismanagement or whatever. Meanwhile, she counters, these personal struggles will make her an even better assemblywoman, if that could be possible. “Sometimes you fall behind,” she said. “I can relate to how challenging home ownership is. I am your neighbor. I understand how challenging this is.  It speaks to me as an average person.” Is this a negative or positive talking point? Voters will let us know on primary day, June 8.

BRIEFING BREATHER

According to the Bible, the chicken came before the egg.

STATEWIDE – The narrative for years has been that people are fleeing New Jersey in droves, seeking tax relief and affordability elsewhere. But now the findings of the latest U.S. Census have been released and things are, well, different. In fact, the state’s population has grown by nearly a half-million people since 2010. The state – often mocked for its perceived flight – now has 9.29 million people – all of whom seem to be driving on Route 22 when we are late for an appointment. This news even seemed to surprise the unflappable Census experts, who had assumed the state’s population was 8.82 million in 2019. The good news: Because of the Census, the state gets to keep its 12 U.S. House seats and 14 Electoral College votes – at least until the next count in 2030.

STATEWIDE – If you are a parent counting down the minutes until you can throw your kids in sleepaway camp, Gov. Phil Murphy has some good news: The sleepaway camps across the state will mercifully reopen for the first time in two years, while day camps will be allowed to open on time this summer, as COVID cases continue to drop. Meanwhile, the governor continues to drop hints of more to come, vowing that we are “going to see us accelerating the opening up of the state.” It’s gonna be a good summer.

IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS

PORTSMOUTH, RI – Hate people? We have the perfect home for you. For a very affordable price, you can live at the clever address of 0 Patience Way – in the only house on a small island in Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay. This seasonal cottage has hit the market for $399,900, the Newport Daily News reports. Now, before you plunk down the cash for glorious waterfront property, there’s some stuff you need to know. This two-bedroom home on “Patience Island” is off the electrical grid, is only 609 square feet and only has a half bath.  But there’s also a “picturesque front porch,” so you can wave at no one passing by. The Realtor has best described the property as perfect for “comfortable camping.” This cottage was built in 1972 by a family who was desperate to get away from it all, and has lived there ever since. (And could still be there; who knows?)

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

It was this day in 2012 that One World Trade Center overtakes the Empire State Building as the tallest structure in NYC.

WORD OF THE DAY

Herald – [HAIR-uld] – verb

Definition: To greet with enthusiasm; hail

Example: Today’s rain is heralding the arrival of May

WIT OF THE DAY

“Sticks and stones can only break bones; but words can shatter the soul.”

-Adam Savage

BIDEN BLURB

“The president has a big stick.”

-Joe Biden

WEATHER IN A WORD

Swampy