The Jaffe Briefing - May 5, 2022
OCEAN GATE – There may be one politician in New Jersey more unpopular that Clark Mayor Sal Bonaccorso. And that’s Ocean Gate Mayor Paul Kennedy, accused of stealing money from parking meters, auctioning off municipal vehicles and selling the office conference room table on Facebook. The latest accusation of outrageous thieving? Stealing money from his own political supporters who thought they were donating to his re-election campaign, as well as arranging for county workers to perform construction work at his home while they were on the clock, NJ.comreports. The mayor’s lawyer was conveniently unavailable for comment, while the borough council has already slashed his $50,000 annual salary to just $1. He remains overpaid.
NORTH JERSEY – “Stay in Jersey.” That’s the name of a new campaign to fight NYC’s very unpopular “congestion pricing plan,” designed to slam New Jersey commuters with extra fees if they dare drive into Manhattan south of 60thStreet. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-5th) is leading the charge to urge those who have been working from home to continue doing so, while suggesting that Manhattan-based companies should consider opening satellite offices in New Jersey, where we don’t surcharge our people to go to work, NJ.com reports. There are some obvious perks, like saving $20,000 in commuting costs each year, more time with family and perhaps buying lunch from a reasonable, local place that doesn’t charge an extra $3 for a side pickle. And a possible dangling carrot to these NYC businesses: Tax breaks for moving across the Hudson.
BRIEFING BREATHER
The oldest-known soup came from 6,000 B.C., featuring hippopotamus and sparrow meat.
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS – Should the town be renamed “Silicon Cliffs?” That’s the thinking of the media-savvy mayor, Mario Kranjac, dashing off a press release that is calling on Elon Musk to move Twitter's headquarters to his town. According to the release, this is "the perfect opportunity" for the Tesla mogul, as there are already lots of big companies in town. Kranjac says Englewood Cliffs is the ideal town for Twitter as it “unabashedly supports free speech and is located right next to the media capital of the world.” As of press time, Musk did not respond to the Jaffe Briefing, seeking comment.
NEWARK – Who owns Newark? That is the big question, as city officials are ringing alarm bells over the fact that corporations are scooping up homes with cash offers and flipping them for a big payday, to the detriment of local residents who must dig much deeper to cover the rent. TAPInto Newark is all over the story, talking about one woman who gets calls day and night on her cellphone and landline from investors who want her South Ward house. Yes, there are tons of those “We Buy Houses for Cash” signs stapled on telephone poles, with Rutgers Law School reporting that nearly half of the single-family homes sold between 2017 and 2020 were bought by these greedy corporations. And this is not unique to Newark. Investors are draining the inventory of houses that might otherwise be obtainable for working- and middle-class residents all over New Jersey and beyond. Mayor Ras Baraka is vowing to fight. Have at it, mayor. But how do you fight such deep pockets?
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL. – A Florida man stole a Mercedes SUV and drove 178 mph through six counties, with cops in full chase on Monday. But that’s just a typical day in the Sunshine State. Cops then used their “stop sticks” to deflate the tires. Again, nothing new for Florida. But when the suspect ran from the car and dashed into the woods, things got interesting. Cops dispatched a K-9 known as “Zorro,” who eagerly gave chase. The dog quickly snagged the 20-year-old idiot, (sorry, we mean “suspect”), and ended what cops are calling a “dangerous criminal joyride,” following a 150-mile high-speed chase from Orlando to Hobe Sound.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 2013 that the first plastic gun – made on a 3D printer – is successfully fired in Austin, changing the game, yet again, for gun control.
WORD OF THE DAY
Fractious – [FRAK-shus] – adjective
Definition: Troublesome or unruly
Example: Maybe the cheap seats at Mets games are less fractious these days.
WIT OF THE DAY
“If the President put Russian salad dressing on his salad tonight, somehow that’s a Russia connection.”
-Sean Spicer
BIDEN BLURB
“I'm really excited to be here tonight with the only group of Americans with a lower approval rating than I have.”
-Joe Biden, addressing the DC press corps
WEATHER IN A WORD
Pick-of-the-week