The Jaffe Briefing - July 11, 2022
TRENTON – You are sick, take a sick day. But among public employees in New Jersey, an unused sick day is a glorious perk, resulting in extra compensation at some point. Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz (R-Union) has been banging the drum for more than a decade, calling for legislation that would bar payouts to public employees who accumulate sick time, as well as ensure that sick-leave payouts don’t count toward pension benefits, New Jersey Monitorreports. “Sick leave is an insurance policy in the event you are too ill to work,” Munoz said. Her legislation, which never went anywhere, is now back in the headlines, following the latest watchdog report that shows towns are still paying public workers for accrued sick time. In the most egregious cases, towns are paying out unused sick time as annual bonuses, while others hand out nice retirement packages, far exceeding a state cap. Meanwhile, property taxes climb.
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL – Jersey beach-goers got a dose of Pennsylvania politics this weekend, catching an airplane banner that curiously read “Hey Dr. Oz, Welcome Home To NJ!.” Huh? Well, that ad was courtesy of U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman, highlighting the fact that he was born and raised in Pennsylvania while Oz has spent many of his years in New Jersey. There’s also an ad that calls the Republican nominee ‘Doc Hollywood,’ and — flashing images of the candidate’s New Jersey mansion and a video of him kissing his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame — says he’s ‘not one of us.’ Adding the airplane over the beaches of South Jersey further enhanced the Democrat’s theme. Meanwhile, those on the beach – most from Jersey and couldn’t give a hoot about any of this – would rather enjoy a nice summer break from politics, especially the silliness from another state.
BRIEFING BREATHER
In the first eight months of 2021, the NRA spent $13,900 on “School Shield,” to promote school safety after the 2012 mass shooting in Sandy Hook, CT. Last year, the NRA had $282 million in revenue.
ATLANTIC CITY – Want to experience the finest of art? There’s always the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. Or somewhere between the craps tables, cocktail bars and 24-hour spinning of a roulette wheel. The AP is reporting how the Hard Rock casino is now offering the “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” exhibit featuring more than 300 reproductions of the famous artist’s works in a 30,000-square-foot display. The goal here – besides creating yet another attraction for a gambler praying for a lucky streak – is to get art in front of many more eyeballs. Let’s just take the flying leap to assume that the AC crowd does not exactly split its vacation time with visits to The Louvre. So why not bring the great art to the masses, with Van Gogh’s art displayed digitally and projected onto screens, walls and floors? Of course, stick around for that $10 “credit” for blackjack.
ATLANTIC CITY – It was famously known as “Chicken Bone Beach” and it is returning – at least on July 20, during the annual NAACP convention that is coming to the city. Convention organizers will celebrate the beach with a private party, NJ.com reports. The beach was informally created during an era of segregation, when Black people could not be on white beaches. And because Black people also weren’t allowed in many boardwalk restaurants, they had to bring their own food. Chicken was a popular choice, evidenced by bones plucked from the sand when beaches cleared. There’s now a Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation, celebrating Black culture and reminding everyone the pains of segregation not that long ago. More than 2,500 people are invited to the celebration with roped off-entrances, live exhibits and screens showcasing the beach’s history. And we assume plenty of really good chicken.
AT THE POST OFFICE – A “forever” stamp will now cost you 60 cents beginning today, as the U.S. Postal Service raises prices across the board, averaging 6.5%
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
FREIBURG, GERMANY – A 20-year-old student created a fake COVID-19 screening center, earning up to $6 million from insurance companies for tests he never performed. The student explains he devised the scam while thoroughly hammered at a party, submitting invoices for 4,000 tests a day at his bogus, non-existent testing center. It wasn’t the German government who finally figured things out. Rather, it was the bank, wondering why this kid’s account was ballooning each day. All the ill-gotten money was confiscated. And this entrepreneur’s punishment? Probation and a minor fine. Would love the name of his attorney.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 1988 that Mike Tyson hires a future U.S. president as a “consultant.”
WORD OF THE DAY
Gibbous – [JIB-us]- adjective
Definition: A moon or planet that is seen with more than half, but not all, of the apparent disk illuminated.
Example: After yet another evening chomping on wings and beer, my butt looks like a bright gibbous moon.
WIT OF THE DAY
“I do not like work, even if someone else is doing it.”
-Mark Twain
BIDEN BLURB
“Our private sector has recovered all of the jobs lost during the pandemic, and added jobs on top of that. This has been the fastest and strongest jobs recovery in American history.”
-Joe Biden
WEATHER IN A WORD
Quiet