The Jaffe Briefing - October 8, 2021

The Jaffe Briefing will not publish Monday, Columbus Day

DOWN THE SHORE – Environmentalists have a point: beach replenishment is a great government giveback to the rich who have the oceans in their backyards. They also correctly argue that the millions and millions spent is an act of futility, as the beaches will just erode again and again. Again, yes. And these environmentalists are also right that the money could be better spent elsewhere, such as addressing chronic flooding issues from all these terrible rain storms. But should policy change? Of course not. Beach replenishment is not just about serving the rich. It saves the entire shore economy, from the restaurants, to the hotels, to the real estate to the revenue the municipalities receive to offset the fact that most of them have zero industry to provide tax relief. Allowing beaches to vanish would be taking billions from the economy, real estate and tourism. There’s much more at stake here than the illogical, outrageously expensive effort to keep sand on the beach. 

STATEWIDE – Maybe New Jersey’s rich can pay for all that new sand. Forbes is out again with its list of the 400 wealthiest people in the nation, who likely just earned another billion or two since we began writing this sentence. At the top, of course, is Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Bill Gates. In New Jersey, the richest guy is Rocco Commisso of Mediacom, worth $8.4 billion, up from $5.5 billion just last year. (Not bad for one year of work.) Then, there’s John Overdeck, a hedge fund guy sitting on a cool $6.5 billion. Another finance guru, Peter Kellogg, amassed $3.8 billion or so. One alleged rich guy not on the list: Donald Trump. We didn’t make it either, it appears. Dammit.

WARREN – The wealthy of Warren are getting a crash course in the federal school lunch program and appear unimpressed. The affluent school district signed up for the program, for some reason, in June and then closed the parent-run program. NJ.com reports some colorful comments from Warren moms, one saying she wouldn’t serve the government-funded food to her pets, while another reported melted plastic on packages, soggy carrots, and ignored meals as kids from families with an average $170,000 annual income were just chucking them without a bite. Yes, a sad waste all around. But it also raises, again, the alarming fact that many less-fortunate kids in New Jersey eat this stuff every day, and are grateful for the opportunity. Meanwhile, Warren school officials say the enrollment in the federal program is for only a year, and you can bet that’ll be it.

BRIEFING BREATHER

The feeling of getting lost inside a mall is known as the Gruen transfer.

TRENTON – For local reporters desperate for news copy, you just need to record what Councilwoman Robin Vaughn says next. The latest gem – reported with appreciation by NJ.com – has her asking the city business administrator, Adam Cruz, if he speaks English. Cruz responded: I speak three languages, English, Italian and Spanish.” Vaughn then replied: “You’re not that smart. You’re not that bright.” Why the back-and-forth? Because the councilwoman asked a question and Cruz did not respond immediately, perhaps perceived as a sign of disrespect. Cruz later described Vaughn’s comment as “demeaning.” And it’s just the latest in the string, as Vaughn has also gone on a homophobic rant against the mayor and rushed to the defense of a fellow councilwoman who uttered an anti-Semitic slur. Hmm, what could be next?

EVERYWHERE JACK CIATTARELLI GOES - What do you do when your gubernatorial race opponent hires someone to film your every move in hopes of capturing an awkward moment that will be distributed across the internet along with so many employee-berating Karen cell phone videos? If you’re Jack Ciattarelli, you have fun with it. The Republican candidate at campaign stops has taken to introducing “Chris,” even if his videos could someday be spliced into attack ads for Gov. Phil Murphy’s campaign. “My campaign and I have become very fond of Chris,” Ciattarelli said at a town hall meeting in Jackson Township on Thursday. “See? He’s always smiling. And he’s become very fond of us.” The New Jersey Globe did not mention Chris’ last name - or whether he got up to take a bow.

IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS

NONTHABURI, Thailand — No shoes, no shirts, no worries. A flood-ravaged riverside restaurant is suddenly a popular hotspot with all these fun-loving foodies sitting out on the water-logged deck to eat as the tide laps their shins. Diners arrive just as the water rises onto the deck, and the water climbs through the night, up to 20 inches or so, the result of monsoons, storms and other environmental challenges. The wait staff – many of whom are in rubber boots – slog through the water to take orders and deliver food. Apparently, this is heaps of fun at the Chaopraya Antique Café. But we can’t think of anything other than the mosquitoes, the odor of flooded river waters and the general grossness of the entire operation. But perhaps that is why we do not reside in Nonthaburi, Thailand.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

Could an actor be back as governor of California? Apparently so, on this day in 2003, when voters elect Arnold Schwarzenegger.

WORD OF THE DAY

Cavalier – [kav-uh-LEER] – adjective

Definition: Having or showing no concern for important or serious matters

Example: I’ve been cavalier about divulging my starting tight end for this weekend’s fantasy football.

WIT OF THE DAY

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”

-Winston Churchill

BIDEN BLURB

“True bravery is when there is very little chance of winning, but you keep fighting.”

– Joe Biden

WEATHER IN A WORD

Summer?