The Jaffe Briefing - March 11, 2022

TRENTON – It was a good, old-fashioned pile-on, after the state Labor Commissioner was dragged through a three-hour hearing in Trenton yesterday, peppered with questions about lousy service for those desperate for unemployment benefits. People sat in the cheap seats, munching popcorn, as the Senate Labor Committee threw darts at state Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. Separately, the commissioner’s swift impeachment was suggested, courtesy of Assemblyman Christopher DePhillips (R-Wyckoff). Lawmakers are demanding that unemployed people have access to real, live people to get their benefits, as opposed to being stuck on a phone, on hold, until the next millennium. Of course, to be fair, the commissioner made some good points and, no, he is not asleep at the wheel. But the point of the meeting was to carry some pitchforks and demand some action, as media gobbled up every word. Mission Accomplished.

TRENTON – Despite another year of pandemic, 2021 was an awfully good year for New Jersey’s influence-peddlers. Last year, New Jersey’s lobbyists spent $93.7 million to sway state lawmakers, falling short of the record in 2020, when $106.8 million was shelled out. The NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission notes that even when the world is torn apart by a public health emergency, somehow lobbyists are still able to do what they do, a “major enterprise” in the halls of Trenton. It is widely assumed that COVID-19 was good for the lobbying biz, as the state’s major entities were hat-in-hand as federal relief cash fell from New Jersey’s skies.

TRENTON – Christmas came early (or late depending on how you look at the calendar), as Gov. Phil Murphy announced that $11.6 billion is going to New Jersey public schools for the upcoming year. Winners abound, as more than two-thirds of almost 600 school districts will see healthy increases in state funding this year, eight districts are remaining flat and the others are getting a cut of some sort. All in, the state is hiking school aid by 6%, or $662 million, so there were plenty of high-fives. Some big winners include Milltown (56% hike), West Orange (44%), Edison (32%), Woodbridge (32%) and Atlantic City (31%). A big loser is Jersey City, getting smacked upside the head with a $68.5 million cut, equivalent to a 27% loss in funding.

BRIEFING BREATHER

No number from one to 999 includes the letter “a” in its word form.

TRENTON – It’s yet another bad news day for Woodrow Wilson and Christopher Columbus, as both should consider retaining crisis communication firms to spit-shine their soiled images. The latest news comes from the capital city, where school officials are actively stripping their names from elementary schools. Public meetings are now in the works, NJ.com reports, as city residents are urged to suggest some new names for these schools. District leaders are not explaining why the names are changing, but anyone not under a rock knows about the ongoing effort to scrub away the sullied names of brutal conquerors, crazy racists, vocal segregationists and other historical figures whose LinkedIn profiles wouldn’t fly in 2022.

IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS

HOLLYWOOD, CA. – Things have been going well for you. There are a couple of extra bucks in your pocket. So, now, it is finally time to take the next step: winning the auction for the Tin Man’s oil can from The Wizard of Oz. Yes, we know you’ve had your eye on this prize ever since the first time you saw your favorite actor – Jack Haley – squeak across the screen in this 1939 masterpiece. The auction house says there were only five oil cans used in the movie; one of them is going on the block. Now, get ready to gulp: the opening bid is $200,000. Personally speaking, our eyes are on the scarecrow’s hat. That’s where you’ll find the real value.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

It was this day in 2014 that a merger was announced among two major menswear companies – Men's Wearhouse and Jos A Bank – serving up even more risk-free fashion in three “safe” colors: blue, gray and tan.

WORD OF THE DAY

Tempestuous – [tem-PESS-chuh-wus] – adjective

Definition: Of, relating to, or resembling a violent storm

Example: Will Rutgers be deemed the tempestuous team of the Big 10 tournament?

WIT OF THE DAY

"All our country has done is given more funding to police. The result? 2021 set a record for fatal police shootings. Defund the police. Invest in our communities.”

-Cori Bush

BIDEN BLURB

"Let’s not abandon our streets. Or choose between safety and equal justice. We should all agree: The answer is not to defund the police. The answer is to fund the police. Fund them with resources and training they need to protect our communities."

-Joe Biden

WEATHER IN A WORD

Mild