The Jaffe Briefing - August 5, 2021

STATEWIDE – Finally some good news for landlords unable to collect a nickel in rent during the pandemic. After much howling from landlord groups, furious over the ongoing moratorium to boot out non-payers, Gov. Phil Murphy has signed a law that ends the shield on renters whose earnings exceed a certain level, on Aug. 31. For the remainder, that shield from eviction expires at the end of this year. There are now 60,000 eviction cases filed in the courts from desperate landlords. This grand plan is going to be shored up with $500 million in federal pandemic funds, designed to create an escape hatch for renters with months and months of rent due. There’s also a separate kitty of $250 million to help with the overdue utility payments. Hey, is there no problem that money can’t solve?

UNION CITY – As our governor signed those renter-relief bills at a staged PR event yesterday, there were a gaggle of anti-vax protesters who saw a great opportunity to slam the governor on his continual plea for people to get the COVID vaccine, especially as the damn Delta variant gathers steam. After listening to some of the chants from these “ultimate knuckleheads,” the usually jovial Murphy shot back: “These folks back there have lost their minds. You’ve lost your minds. Because of what you're saying and standing for, people are losing their life. People are losing their life and you have to know that.” Here’s the video, courtesy of NJ Spotlight News.

STATEWIDE – When it comes to the latest, greatest COVID restrictions, Murphy is now considering “things in the general neighborhood of what New York City’s doing.” That was the latest fuzzy information, Politico reports, as the governor said, again, that “all options are on the table.” But the fact that Murphy is even mentioning NYC is newsworthy, as the city will be requiring customers at all restaurants, nightclubs, gyms, museums, shows, etc. to show proof of vaccination beginning Aug. 16. NYC is also taking the hard stance that all city employees must get vaccinated or submit to regular Covid tests. Murphy announced a similar requirement earlier this week, but just for public and private healthcare and correctional workers. Expect much more to come. Nobody, including Murphy, is pleased.

BRIEFING BREATHER

Each year, there is one ton of cement poured for each man, woman and child in the world. 

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL – Former Sen. Diane Allen is saying “Me Too,” in her criticism of Gov. Phil Murphy and his administration’s alleged mistreatment of women. Allen, who is now Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli’s running mate, is drilling down on Murphy’s response to female abuse in his political circles. “He does nothing until he’s going to get some of the blowback on his own personal face and then maybe he’ll make a move,” Allen said. “But he waits and waits and waits. We can’t have that. When we see something that’s wrong, we need to fix it.” Allen is the ideal candidate to carry the MeToo message as a former Philly news anchor whose sex and age discrimination complaints against her employer made headlines in the 1990s, Politico reports. It could be the issue, if repeated enough, that can turn some female voters to the GOP – a terrific political strategy if it sticks.

STATEWIDE – The age of COVID has spawned more ingenuity, as marketing gurus figure out ways to get people vaccinated, while also hyping private business. Look no further than Paterson and Jersey City for clever campaigning, Politico reports. Paterson is now offering kids $10 vouchers to McDonald’s, asking those ages 12-17 “Would you like a Big Mac for a little jab? How about some fries when you immunize?" Pretty clever, especially as no 17-year-old boy can just spend $10 in a McDonald’s as his metabolism dissolves a Quarter Pounder within five seconds. Meanwhile, Jersey City is helping build the hype for the HOT 97 Summer Jam concert at MetLife Stadium on Aug. 22, challenging all public high schools to a race to vaccinate the most students. Winners, of course, go to the big show – full of $35 T-shirts, $7 sodas and, perhaps, the Delta variant.

IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS

BERLIN – With World War II long over at this point, a local magistrate has ruled that an 84-year-old man has absolutely no more need for his personal arsenal, comprising a tank, a flak cannon and multiple other items from the Nazi era. He was convicted of having illegal weapons and fined the equivalent of $300,000. He also needs to finally get rid of his 45-ton tank and the anti-aircraft cannon within the next two years, perhaps to a museum or charity not run by neo-Nazis.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

It was not a particularly good day for the EPA on this day in 2015, accidentally releasing a million or so gallons of metal-laden mining wastewater into Colorado’s Animas River while investigating a Superfund site.

WORD OF THE DAY

Flexuous – [FLEK-shuh-wus] – adjective

Definition: Having curves and turns

Example: The final part of my jog was up a flexuous path. 

WIT OF THE DAY

“You can always count on Americans to do the right thing - after they've tried everything else.”

-Winston Churchill

BIDEN BLURB

“Our future cannot depend on the government alone. The ultimate solutions lie in the attitudes and the actions of the American people.”

-Joe Biden

WEATHER IN A WORD

Drying