The Jaffe Briefing - November 4, 2022
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL – Election Day is Tuesday, and what does that mean? For one, the airwaves will soon go back to advertising dishwashing liquid and drugs for odd ailments, rather than screaming politicians who proclaim: “Vote. Your Life Depends on It.” Meanwhile, quite soon, your mailbox will soon only be filled with something other than ludicrous mailers about who, exactly, is soft on crime. Yeah, this is crazy time with all the conspiracy theorists, as the 12 House members in New Jersey are all up for grabs in the mid-term election, as well as plenty of local races for county commissioner, mayor, town council and school board. There are many, many ways you can vote, such as via mail, early voting at select polling places and on Tuesday, when polls are open 6 a.m to 8 p.m. It then all mercifully ends, getting out of the way for advertisers who want to share some spectacular Christmas sales that you need to know about now.
HOPEWELL – It’s rare to hear any “news” related to the Lindbergh kidnapping. After all, the abduction of the 20-month-old baby took place March 1, 1932 and the killer, Bruno Richard Hauptmann, fried in the electric chair four years later. But now a researcher is suing Gov. Phil Murphy, the State Police and the Attorney General, demanding access to 14 sealed envelopes and 11 stamps that the murderer used on ransom notes, as well as wood from a ladder the kidnapper used to climb into the second-floor nursery to abduct the boy, New Jersey Monitor reports. No real comment from state authorities about all this breaking Lindbergh “news.” The researcher claims the real crime of the 20th century is that Hauptmann was either wrongfully convicted or part of a larger, unknown conspiracy. He never admitted to the killing, despite offers from authorities to spare his pitiful life. A new investigation, with new studies of old saliva, are warranted, the lawsuit claims, adding one heckuva epilogue to a well-worn piece of Jersey lore.
STATEWIDE – Dreaming about opening a bookstore in Boonton? A florist in Florence? Pizza in Pennsauken? Yeah, good luck with all that. A new report that ranks business tax climates across the country places New Jersey dead last among the 50 states. A top policy tax analyst from the Tax Foundation, a think tank, doesn’t think much of the Garden State’s national-high corporate income tax (11.5%) and its convoluted tax bracket methodology, NJ 101.5 reports. With a corporate tax climate about as unfriendly as rush hour motorists on the Pulaski Skyway, the foundation says it could be a factor that prompts would-be entrepreneurs to invest elsewhere. So if you’re hoping to open a hardware store in Hardyston, you may want to move it west. Like, way west. Experts rank Wyoming and South Dakota as the states with the biggest welcome mats.
BRIEFING BREATHER
Black pepper was once used to pay rent and taxes.
ONLINE – For any kid who can fool DraftKings into thinking he is 21, the world of online gambling is big, beautiful and never-ending. And, of course, dangerous. Of no surprise to anyone, many teens are now admitting to some big-time gambling problems, as the online betting apps keep reminding them of the next big game and the big game after that. NJ 101.5 reports that more than 90% of the state’s gaming profits come through internet gaming, as opposed to in-person gambling at such regulated places as Atlantic City. The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey is telling state lawmakers that it is easier for kids to place a bet than buy a beer or a pack of smokes. The stakes are high - some kids are now planning for life as professional gamblers rather than seek some sort of noble profession. Lawmakers are trying to clamp down on all the action, proposing bills that fine underage gamblers or force them into treatment. But no one is betting on such legislation getting through.
TRENTON – If you are going to buy weed, the governor is offering some suggestions. Gov. Phil Murphy is joining a national campaign by the U.S. Cannabis Council, a marijuana trade association, to urge people to ditch their local pot dealer. Rather, Murphy is urging all of us to “Buy Legal” from the state-licensed, regulated businesses that promise to generate heaps of tax revenue to the state. There are other reasons, besides all that cannabis cash: The dispensaries are run by local entrepreneurs, so support them. And you don’t exactly know what’s in that bag that Johnny down the street has been selling you for years.
STATEWIDE – Enjoy the extra hour of sleep. Clocks go back at 2 a.m. on Sunday night for daylight saving time. ZZZ…
IN THE MEDIA
STATEWIDE – Produce an inferior product, charge more money for it and then wonder why your business is struggling. You don’t need an MBA from Trump University to figure out why Gannett is suffering these days, showing a net loss of $54.1 million in the third quarter, New Jersey Globe reports. Gannett, which has infamously gutted nine newspapers in New Jersey as part of its incessant cost-cutting, actually claims its “future is bright,” while its stock price has plummeted to $1.75 a share, down from $6.05 a year ago. We all want the Home News Tribune, the Asbury Park Press and the other Gannett papers to succeed in New Jersey, as they play such a critical role as the fourth estate. But, when, if ever, will Gannett’s bean counters see these newspapers as something other than petty assets, its reporters as disposable line items? Meanwhile, the newsstand price for a weekday Bergen Record is at the criminal level of $3.49, as Gannett continues to offer its North Jersey readers less for more, despite the Herculean efforts of a hollowed news staff.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
TOKYO – Happen to know anyone named Hirokazu Tanaka? That’s likely, as there were 178 men with the exact same name who gathered in the same room at the same time, breaking a Guinness World Record for the largest number of people congregated in such a way. The group is proudly called “The Same Name Association of Hirokazu Tanakas,” founded in 1994. At meetings, you get the chance to greet Mr. Tanaka, Mr. Tanaka and, well, you get the point. The Tanakas snatched the world record distinction after two failed attempts, when they could only amass 71 Hirokazu Tanakas in 2011 and then 87 Hirokazu Tanakas six years later. Clearly, the Hirokazu Tanakas are now primed and eager to defend their record. Mr. Tanaka would be proud.
THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
New Jersey made history this week in 1993, electing its very first female governor, Christie Whitman.
WORD OF THE WEEK
Mnemonic – [nih-MAH-nik] – adjective
Definition: Assisting or intended to assist memory
Example: In high school, I was taught the mnemonic sentence “King Philip Came Over For Good Spaghetti” so I can remember the levels of biological classification - Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species. (Still do.)
WIT OF THE WEEK
“Chaos is a name for any order that produces confusion in our minds."
-George Santayana
BIDEN BLURB
“They want chaos to reign. We want the people to rule.”
-Joe Biden
WEEKEND WEATHER IN A WORD
June?
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL – Election Day is Tuesday, and what does that mean? For one, the airwaves will soon go back to advertising dishwashing liquid and drugs for odd ailments, rather than screaming politicians who proclaim: “Vote. Your Life Depends on It.” Meanwhile, quite soon, your mailbox will soon only be filled with something other than ludicrous mailers about who, exactly, is soft on crime. Yeah, this is crazy time with all the conspiracy theorists, as the 12 House members in New Jersey are all up for grabs in the mid-term election, as well as plenty of local races for county commissioner, mayor, town council and school board. There are many, many ways you can vote, such as via mail, early voting at select polling places and on Tuesday, when polls are open 6 a.m to 8 p.m. It then all mercifully ends, getting out of the way for advertisers who want to share some spectacular Christmas sales that you need to know about now.
HOPEWELL – It’s rare to hear any “news” related to the Lindbergh kidnapping. After all, the abduction of the 20-month-old baby took place March 1, 1932 and the killer, Bruno Richard Hauptmann, fried in the electric chair four years later. But now a researcher is suing Gov. Phil Murphy, the State Police and the Attorney General, demanding access to 14 sealed envelopes and 11 stamps that the murderer used on ransom notes, as well as wood from a ladder the kidnapper used to climb into the second-floor nursery to abduct the boy, New Jersey Monitor reports. No real comment from state authorities about all this breaking Lindbergh “news.” The researcher claims the real crime of the 20th century is that Hauptmann was either wrongfully convicted or part of a larger, unknown conspiracy. He never admitted to the killing, despite offers from authorities to spare his pitiful life. A new investigation, with new studies of old saliva, are warranted, the lawsuit claims, adding one heckuva epilogue to a well-worn piece of Jersey lore.
STATEWIDE – Dreaming about opening a bookstore in Boonton? A florist in Florence? Pizza in Pennsauken? Yeah, good luck with all that. A new report that ranks business tax climates across the country places New Jersey dead last among the 50 states. A top policy tax analyst from the Tax Foundation, a think tank, doesn’t think much of the Garden State’s national-high corporate income tax (11.5%) and its convoluted tax bracket methodology, NJ 101.5 reports. With a corporate tax climate about as unfriendly as rush hour motorists on the Pulaski Skyway, the foundation says it could be a factor that prompts would-be entrepreneurs to invest elsewhere. So if you’re hoping to open a hardware store in Hardyston, you may want to move it west. Like, way west. Experts rank Wyoming and South Dakota as the states with the biggest welcome mats.
BRIEFING BREATHER
Black pepper was once used to pay rent and taxes.
ONLINE – For any kid who can fool DraftKings into thinking he is 21, the world of online gambling is big, beautiful and never-ending. And, of course, dangerous. Of no surprise to anyone, many teens are now admitting to some big-time gambling problems, as the online betting apps keep reminding them of the next big game and the big game after that. NJ 101.5 reports that more than 90% of the state’s gaming profits come through internet gaming, as opposed to in-person gambling at such regulated places as Atlantic City. The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey is telling state lawmakers that it is easier for kids to place a bet than buy a beer or a pack of smokes. The stakes are high - some kids are now planning for life as professional gamblers rather than seek some sort of noble profession. Lawmakers are trying to clamp down on all the action, proposing bills that fine underage gamblers or force them into treatment. But no one is betting on such legislation getting through.
TRENTON – If you are going to buy weed, the governor is offering some suggestions. Gov. Phil Murphy is joining a national campaign by the U.S. Cannabis Council, a marijuana trade association, to urge people to ditch their local pot dealer. Rather, Murphy is urging all of us to “Buy Legal” from the state-licensed, regulated businesses that promise to generate heaps of tax revenue to the state. There are other reasons, besides all that cannabis cash: The dispensaries are run by local entrepreneurs, so support them. And you don’t exactly know what’s in that bag that Johnny down the street has been selling you for years.
STATEWIDE – Enjoy the extra hour of sleep. Clocks go back at 2 a.m. on Sunday night for daylight saving time. ZZZ…
IN THE MEDIA
STATEWIDE – Produce an inferior product, charge more money for it and then wonder why your business is struggling. You don’t need an MBA from Trump University to figure out why Gannett is suffering these days, showing a net loss of $54.1 million in the third quarter, New Jersey Globe reports. Gannett, which has infamously gutted nine newspapers in New Jersey as part of its incessant cost-cutting, actually claims its “future is bright,” while its stock price has plummeted to $1.75 a share, down from $6.05 a year ago. We all want the Home News Tribune, the Asbury Park Press and the other Gannett papers to succeed in New Jersey, as they play such a critical role as the fourth estate. But, when, if ever, will Gannett’s bean counters see these newspapers as something other than petty assets, its reporters as disposable line items? Meanwhile, the newsstand price for a weekday Bergen Record is at the criminal level of $3.49, as Gannett continues to offer its North Jersey readers less for more, despite the Herculean efforts of a hollowed news staff.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
TOKYO – Happen to know anyone named Hirokazu Tanaka? That’s likely, as there were 178 men with the exact same name who gathered in the same room at the same time, breaking a Guinness World Record for the largest number of people congregated in such a way. The group is proudly called “The Same Name Association of Hirokazu Tanakas,” founded in 1994. At meetings, you get the chance to greet Mr. Tanaka, Mr. Tanaka and, well, you get the point. The Tanakas snatched the world record distinction after two failed attempts, when they could only amass 71 Hirokazu Tanakas in 2011 and then 87 Hirokazu Tanakas six years later. Clearly, the Hirokazu Tanakas are now primed and eager to defend their record. Mr. Tanaka would be proud.
THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
New Jersey made history this week in 1993, electing its very first female governor, Christie Whitman.
WORD OF THE WEEK
Mnemonic – [nih-MAH-nik] – adjective
Definition: Assisting or intended to assist memory
Example: In high school, I was taught the mnemonic sentence “King Philip Came Over For Good Spaghetti” so I can remember the levels of biological classification - Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species. (Still do.)
WIT OF THE WEEK
“Chaos is a name for any order that produces confusion in our minds."
-George Santayana
BIDEN BLURB
“They want chaos to reign. We want the people to rule.”
-Joe Biden
WEEKEND WEATHER IN A WORD
June?