The Jaffe Briefing - October 21, 2021
STATEWIDE – Donald Trump has not done Jack Ciattarelli any favors. Last year, with Trump on the ballot, the number of registered Democrats in the state jumped, outnumbering unaffiliated voters for the very first time. As of the first of the month, NJ Spotlight reports, almost 40% of registrants were Democrats, 23% were Republicans, 36% remained unaffiliated, and a small number were connected to irrelevant third parties. There’s also the glaring fact that the Republican Party is fractured into the Trump and non-Trump contingents, and all are watching where Ciattarelli falls. Moderate Republicans could decide he is “too Trump,” while the die-hard Trumpians may think the GOP candidate is just too sane to earn their vote. Translation: Four more years of Murphy.
STATEWIDE – Early voting begins Saturday, so local political campaigns have reached the annual moment in which they lose their minds. Positive campaigns go negative, Facebook blows up and politicians start pointing fingers everywhere. It’s one of the reasons why some New Jersey media chooses to have a “black out,” in which no campaigns get ink through Election Day. Another part of the annual ritual: Stealing campaign signs. NJ.com reports that yanking the opponent’s sign from a lawn is certainly a crime, but police are not racing to investigate and seek prosecution. It’s very hard to identify perpetrators, except for the numskulls who flaunt their newly-liberated treasures on social media. If you are dumb enough to get caught, it’s a disorderly persons offense, with up to six months in jail and fines up to $1,000. What a silly charge to deal with, especially once the election is over and the candidates no longer remember your name.
BLOOMFIELD – Is Bloomfield College a sinking ship? It seems so, as the private, liberal arts college may close if it doesn’t find a financial savior. NJ.com reports the four-year school desperately needs a life raft from another college or whatever. School officials have even sent out a SOS, asking potential donors or those with other creative ideas to give them a jingle. The college, with about 1,500 or so underserved students, has enough cash to stay open this year, but that may be it, as enrollment continues to drop. Cash needs to come quickly, as what high school senior would consider Bloomfield College if it ended up closing next year, or the year after? That’s why a merger with a reputable school could be so critical. And don’t look at Centenary University in Hackettstown, Drew University in Madison and Rider University in Lawrenceville – all sucking wind, as well.It was this day in 2014 that McDonald’s learned the Dollar Menu is king, after third-quarter sales dropped 30% in the wake of price hikes.
BRIEFING BREATHER
Dueling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors.
ATLANTIC CITY – Man cannot live on saltwater taffy alone. And that is why the city will soon be welcoming a ShopRite to Baltic Avenue. It is a big deal for the gaming resort, considered a “food desert” for low-income residents relying on overpriced bodegas for their grocery shopping. The project is so important that the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority is kicking in $18.5 million, and Gov. Phil Murphy even sent out a message, calling it “a great day for Atlantic City.” The city has not had a decent supermarket in 15 years, forcing residents to head to surrounding towns for groceries. The site, near the convention center, is also great for visitors, especially those who are always ticked off about having to buy $5 bottles of water in the casinos.
STATEWIDE – If your theater group is performing “Phantom of the Opera,” no worries. But if you want to do any other show in a school setting, Murphy says you need to be smart about wearing masks. Yes, the executive order requires wearing masks for all in-school stuff and that also applies to school performances. But the governor asks for “common sense” depending on the scope of the show, NJ.com reports. Lots of hypotheticals to consider. “Is it a one-man show? Are you able to social distance? Are you doing some serious aerobic activity as it relates to a high level of dancing, for instance, where I think you’d be eligible for a carve-out?” Murphy asks. Not a good time to be a high school musical teacher, preparing for a production of “Twinkle Towne.”
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
HONG KONG – Trouble sleeping? The tourism folks in Hong Kong have a solution, launching a 47-mile, five-hour ride around the territory. The “Sleeping Bus Tour” is deliberately designed for people who get their best sleep on long rides and was inspired by all those snoozing commuters on public transit. Tickets cost between $13 and $51, depending on where you choose to sit on the double-decker. Each rider gets a goodie bag, featuring an eye mask and ear plugs for a better sleep along the journey. Passengers are even encouraged to bring their own blankets, pillows and slippers for even better shut-eye.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 2014 that McDonald’s learned the Dollar Menu is king, after third-quarter sales dropped 30% in the wake of price hikes.
WORD OF THE DAY
Untoward – [un-TOH-erd] – adjective
Definition: Unruly, unfavorable, or improper
Example: Have I made an untoward deal with the devil?
WIT OF THE DAY
“I do not propose to be buried until I am dead.”
— Daniel Webster, turning down the vice presidency in 1839
BIDEN BLURB
“A previous occupant was famously quoted as saying that the office is 'not worth a bucket of warm spit.' (That’s the expurgated version. He did not say “spit.”)
– Joe Biden, on the vice presidency
WEATHER IN A WORD
Gorgeous