The Jaffe Briefing - May 3, 2021

STATEWIDE – The sticky issue of taxing out-of-state commuters has gotten a bit stickier during the pandemic, as many New York-bound workers were able to do their jobs in Jersey. So, should they still be paying New York taxes? Let’s assume New York is saying “absolutely.” But, here in New Jersey, there is some mounting effort to give our homebound commuters a big tax break, while generating more cash for our state, the Record reports. Rep. Josh Gottheimer is joining with state Sen. Steve Oroho and others to demand these Jersey-based workers be taxed at the lower Jersey rate for 2020. We’re talking big bucks here. Say a person earns $100,000. The tax bill would drop from $5,600 in New York to $2,750 in New Jersey, funding our schools, roads and other expenses. There’s now a mounting lawsuit before the U.S. Supreme Court, fueled by New Hampshire, with no state income tax, which typically has many workers heading to Massachusetts. Thirteen other states have already jumped on, seeking tax fairness. Of course, New York is not one of them.

EAST RUTHERFORD – There’s great sports journalism, and then there’s this. Plenty of eyebrows are raised this morning after WFAN host Craig Carton asked this question of new Jets QB Zach Wilson: “I’m just wondering how awkward that is for you, that you just got picked second overall in the NFL draft, and the focus is, ‘wow, his mom is really hot.’” What? Wilson actually responds to Carton: “I like to keep her out of the spotlight. She’s an awesome lady and I love having her support.” Welcome to New York, Zach. Anyway, Carton is now defending himself – again – writing on Twitter, without any need for punctuation: “I didnt ask him bout her looks or 2comment on them Big difference.”

STATEWIDE – Someday, you’ll tell the grand kiddies about how you spent hours waiting in line for a COVID vaccine, or how you monitored Twitter and websites every day, just for the slight chance of landing a coveted appointment. Well, that’s all history now in New Jersey, where the six COVID vaccine mega-sites are offering doses to anyone with an arm. Feel free to just walk in, as demand for vaccination continues to drop. Once again, this proves we are all blessed to live in America, as countries across the planet are pleading for vaccine as their virus numbers skyrocket. Here’s how we can help in this global mess: Encourage anyone who has not yet been vaccinated to get one. There’s no longer any viable excuse, as the state’s rock-bottom transmission rate proves we are finally beating this thing. Politics, aside.

BRIEFING BREATHER

The average person has four to six dreams per night.

STATEWIDE – In a world where there seems to be an issue about everything, the next “issue” is about the cost of tortilla chips as we prepare to celebrate Cinco de Mayo on Wednesday. Apparently, the cost of corn in Mexico is skyrocketing this entire year – rising 30% since January – and now culminating with bags of chips going for a premium, just at the ideal moment when you need to munch on something between swigs of Corona. CNN reports tortilla is at the highest price in eight years, blaming the high cost of corn. Expect us to run this exact same story on Memorial Day, as we blame the same commodity prices for ruining your first official BBQ of summer.

IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS

PAMPLONA, SPAIN – In an effort to safeguard the public health, local residents will no longer have the opportunity to run for their lives – under direct threat of being gored or trampled by angry bulls – as the town, for the second straight year, will be cancelling the famous “Running of the Bulls” festival. The last time the city did not celebrate the festival two years in a row was during the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War. Expressing his “despair,” the mayor made the unpopular decision, worried that people may potentially catch COVID as they flee down the city’s cobbled streets. But, hey, there is always next year for this always-safe, family-friendly festival.

QUEENS, NY – This is definitely for the birds. Customs agents at JFK Airport pinched a 36-year-old businessman returning from Guyana with 35 live finches somehow hidden inside his coat and pant legs. Each of these songbirds was stuffed into women’s hair curlers and capped at each end to prevent them from escaping. This traveler sang like a canary when he got before a federal judge in Brooklyn, admitting he was offered $3,000 to smuggle the singing finches. Federal authorities tell the NY Post some birdbrains enter the finches in underground song contests, wager on them, and re-sell winners for as much as $10,000. But, of course, bringing these birds into the US is a big no-no. And, if you’re wondering, this smuggler got nabbed because Customs agents heard waaay too much noise coming from this guy's trousers. 

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

It was this day in 1982 that President Reagan introduces his five-minute weekly radio addresses. Not much more to add each week, apparently.

WORD OF THE DAY

Abjure – [ab-JOOR] – verb

Definition: To avoid, abstain

Example: I abjure turnips and any other vegetable that tastes like dirt.

WIT OF THE DAY

“Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

-Sam Beckett

BIDEN BLURB

“Failure at some point in your life is inevitable, but giving up is unforgivable.”

-Joe Biden

WEATHER IN A WORD

Raindrops