The Jaffe Briefing - May 20, 2022

TRENTON – It makes no sense that the state has stockpiled billions, yet still wants small business owners to replenish the state’s unemployment fund, which took a huge hit during the pandemic. This mandate has business groups howling, as these higher taxes are unnecessary and could easily be funded elsewhere. Thankfully, there’s now a bill filtering through the Assembly that would award tax credits to offset rising unemployment taxes for those brave entrepreneurs who create jobs in New Jersey. The bill would provide $375 million in corporate business and gross income tax credits to cover the bill, New Jersey Monitor reports. “You’re saying to them, ‘Look, we realize the increases that are currently scheduled will have a negative effect,’ and with this bill we’d actually give them a tax credit for any of those increases that they might incur,” said Assemblyman Roy Freiman (D-Somerset), the bill’s prime sponsor. “This is a positive.”

STATEWIDE – If there is an election day, and many voters don’t know about it, did it really happen? Unfortunately, yes. New Jersey Globe is reporting on the dismal turnout during the May 10 non-partisan election, when a trickle of voters went to the polls in big cities like Paterson and Newark to re-elect mayors. In eight of the towns holding non-partisan elections on May 10, more than 80% of voters sat on the sidelines.  Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was re-elected with just 8.7% of Newark’s registered voters, while Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh just needed 9% in his successful re-election. Other alarming turnouts: Weehawken (11.2%), Long Branch (7.5%), and Keansburg (7%). Perhaps it should be required that these non-partisan elections include opportunities for three days of early voting, or maybe they just hold elections on the traditional Election Day, when voters are actually paying attention. Whatever the case, all can agree the current plan isn’t working.

BRIEFING BREATHER

Prince is credited with playing 27 different instruments on his debut album.

STATEWIDE – In such a diverse state, with more and more diversity quickly reaching our shores, it’s becoming a real issue for school districts. The Record reports things used to be nice and simple: give off for Christian and Jewish holidays. But now local officials are closing their doors for Diwali, Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr or the Lunar New Year. To show the changing trend, at least 23 public school districts in the state, such as Clifton, Fair Lawn and Edison, will close for Diwali, the Festival of Lights celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and some Buddhists. The number of people identifying as Christian is dropping, while other religions continue to grow. As trends continue, expect some raucous school board meetings as impossible decisions need to be made very soon.

STATEWIDE – And what the heck is this now? It’s called “monkeypox” and apparently it is the latest and greatest health scare that we need to now be concerned about. It is a virus that comes from wild animals and it now seems that young men are catching it. Most human cases over the decades have been in places like West Africa, but now there is a case in Massachusetts and a smattering in other places outside of West Africa. Monkeypox seems to be like smallpox, with people suffering from typical stuff like fever, aches and chills. And most people are perfectly fine after a couple of weeks. But, we’re just getting this on your radar, in case you are looking for new stuff to fret about.

IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS

HELSINKI – If there is any type of world event, expect an immediate beer to be brewed in its honor. A small, politically-minded brewery in Finland has launched a NATO-themed beer to mark the country’s efforts to join the Western military alliance. It’s Olaf Brewing’s OTAN lager and the name needs some explaining. The beer’s name is a play on the Finnish expression “Otan olutta,” which means “I’ll have a beer,” and the French abbreviation for NATO, which is “OTAN.” As this Finnish small batch brew will not likely be appearing on a store shelf near you for a tasting, the brewmaster sums up the flavor: a beer having “a taste of security, with a hint of freedom.” 

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

It was this day in 2001 that a Christian broadcaster, Harold Camping, predicts the end of the world on this day in 2011. Run, don’t walk.

WORD OF THE DAY

Kibosh – [KYE-bosh] – noun

Definition: Something that serves as a check or stop. It is usually used in the phrase "put the kibosh on.”

Example: Once again, let’s put a kibosh on this Jaffe Briefing after the comic strip.

WIT OF THE DAY

“You cannot be the leader of the free world and sit on the sidelines and tweet and think you're going to get the job done.”

- Kevin McCarthy

BIDEN BLURB

“There's nothing I can say about the GOP that Kevin McCarthy hasn't already put on tape.”

-Joe Biden

WEATHER IN A WORD

Storms