The Jaffe Briefing - December 2, 2022

NEWARK – It’s been reported throughout the year about how deep-pocketed corporations are buying homes on the cheap, fixing them up and then jacking up the rent. While it’s wonderful that dilapidated row houses are getting a new life, this profitable business model is making it even more difficult for Newarkers to buy homes as they simply can’t outbid the big guys. And the other black eye: residents forced to pay above-market rent for a home they should have had a fighting chance to buy for themselves. TAPinto Newark says a new state report shows these “institutional buyers” are aggressively pursuing New Jersey’s lower-income distressed communities. They gobbled up 154,000 homes here by 2020, compared to just 87,000 in 2012. Is it legal? Yes. Fair? No way.

ATLANTIC CITY – No doubt, Atlantic City tops the national rankings for… (insert your snarky joke here.) But what may be of complete surprise is that AC is also the perfect home for the holidays. That is the thinking, at least, of Travel + Leisure magazine, selecting AC as one of the year’s “25 Best Christmas Towns in the USA.”  So, for your own idyllic Hallmark magic, Atlantic City ranks right up there with Aspen, Vail and, of course, Cape May, as places where special yuletide memories are made and recalled for generations. Yeah, we don’t believe this either. But AC is now debuting the “Tinseltown Holiday Experience” and a holiday tree at Bally’s, as part of a full schedule of cheer amid the 24-hour slots and late-night watering holes. You can find a list of all the holiday happenings at AtlanticCityNJ.com. Warm up in the hot seat.

TRENTON – So much for enjoying that bike, the wind whipping through your hair. Some state officials believe it makes no sense that kids are required to wear helmets, but not all those adults who clumsily attempt to relive the 1980s on bicycles, skateboards, roller skates and scooters. You may (or may not) recall that New Jersey has required the kiddies to wear bike helmets since 1992, but adults are not included in the law. But as we all like our brains safely inside our heads, rather than splattered elsewhere, this proposed law requiring everyone to wear helmets just makes plain sense.

BRIEFING BREATHER

"OMG" usage can be traced back to 1917

HOLMDEL – Not only should you get off my lawn, stay off my driveway, too. That’s the message from local lawmakers, who want to outlaw anyone from lingering around someone else’s driveway or other paved parking surface. The ordinance is set for a Dec 13 vote, threatening to imprison a person who tries to open, unlock or even loiter in the vicinity of a vehicle they do not own. It is all about reducing car theft, but the law may be a bit unconstitutional, based on our zero years of law school. The ordinance says you can’t be within 20 feet of a parked car; good luck finding such a space in New Jersey. And if I am facing potential prison, is it really worth the risk of walking through the parking lot at Holmdel Commons? Bet I can safely buy those socks in nearby Aberdeen.

STATEWIDE – If you forget for a moment the state has a chronic teacher shortage, and is forced to retain odd-looking substitutes who you wouldn’t want in your living room, then this new state education plan makes sense. Education officials want to recruit and train 5,000 volunteers to help students suffering with learning loss stemming from the pandemic, Politico reports. The program even has a terrific name – the New Jersey Partnership for Student Success, mirrored after a national program. And there’s also a great logo. But when school districts can’t pay people to teach kids, will the state be able to find 5,000 volunteers?

IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS

ALL OVER – Trust us, when we say we are not gaslighting you into thinking that “gaslighting” is the 2022 “Word of the Year.” The folks at Merriam-Webster say “gaslighting” – a behavior that is mind-manipulating, grossly misleading and downright deceitful – has seen an enormous spike in lookups in the dictionary. In fact, “gaslighting” views increased 1,740% this year over 2021. Gaslighting is commonly done by ethnically-challenging politicians, perhaps, say, who were elected U.S. President in, maybe 2016. It is also used by bad doctors, who claim a bulging tumor is “all in your head,” as well as awful boyfriends who claim the naked girl sleeping in the spare bedroom for the past three nights is a friendly nun “on a mission.” Other big words in 2022, according to Merriam-Webster:

• “Oligarch,” those fat, rich sycophants targeted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• “Omicron,” the persistent COVID-19 variant that destroyed New Year’s Eve parties
• “Codify,” as in turning abortion rights into federal law.
• “Queen consort,” what King Charles’ wife, Camilla is now known as.
• “Raid,” as in the search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home.
• “Cancel culture,” enough said.
• “LGBTQIA,” for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual, aromantic or agender.
• “Loamy,” which many Wordle users tried back in summer. The right word, folks, was “clown."

QATAR – Rabid soccer fans were delirious when the U.S. men’s national team defeated Iran on Tuesday to move to the next stage of the World Cup. Expect no one more ecstatic than the U.S women’s soccer team. Why? Thanks to a historic deal the women’s team struck in May to receive equal pay with the male players and split prize money evenly, they will get half of the $13 million payout the men secured with the victory, Fox Business reports. Score one for the women, who waged legal battles against the United States Soccer Federation over six years with the determination of a dogged midfielder trying to win a 50/50 ball. And if the U.S. men can upset The Netherlands in Saturday’s match, hand another $2 million to the women. Finally, some human rights justice in Qatar, where women must still obtain permission from male guardians to marry, study abroad, work in government, receive reproductive health care and to act as a child's primary guardian.

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

It was this week in 1997 that Golden State Warrior guard Latrell Sprewell loses $32 million, fired from his dream job for attacking coach PJ Carlesimo.

WORD OF THE WEEK

Intaxication – [intäksəˈkāSH(ə)n] – noun

Definition: Euphoria at getting a refund from the IRS, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with. 

Example: I plan to pay off all my Cyber Monday purchases in April, with complete intaxification.

WIT OF THE WEEK

“What’s worth doing is worth doing for money.” 

–Gordon Gekko

BIDEN BLURB

“The idea we still allow semiautomatic weapons to be purchased is sick.  It’s just sick.  It has no, no social redeeming value.  Zero.  None.  Not a single, solitary rationale for it except profit for the gun manufacturers.”

-Joe Biden

WEEKEND WEATHER IN A WORD

Bright

NEWARK – It’s been reported throughout the year about how deep-pocketed corporations are buying homes on the cheap, fixing them up and then jacking up the rent. While it’s wonderful that dilapidated row houses are getting a new life, this profitable business model is making it even more difficult for Newarkers to buy homes as they simply can’t outbid the big guys. And the other black eye: residents forced to pay above-market rent for a home they should have had a fighting chance to buy for themselves. TAPinto Newark says a new state report shows these “institutional buyers” are aggressively pursuing New Jersey’s lower-income distressed communities. They gobbled up 154,000 homes here by 2020, compared to just 87,000 in 2012. Is it legal? Yes. Fair? No way.

ATLANTIC CITY – No doubt, Atlantic City tops the national rankings for… (insert your snarky joke here.) But what may be of complete surprise is that AC is also the perfect home for the holidays. That is the thinking, at least, of Travel + Leisure magazine, selecting AC as one of the year’s “25 Best Christmas Towns in the USA.”  So, for your own idyllic Hallmark magic, Atlantic City ranks right up there with Aspen, Vail and, of course, Cape May, as places where special yuletide memories are made and recalled for generations. Yeah, we don’t believe this either. But AC is now debuting the “Tinseltown Holiday Experience” and a holiday tree at Bally’s, as part of a full schedule of cheer amid the 24-hour slots and late-night watering holes. You can find a list of all the holiday happenings at AtlanticCityNJ.com. Warm up in the hot seat.

TRENTON – So much for enjoying that bike, the wind whipping through your hair. Some state officials believe it makes no sense that kids are required to wear helmets, but not all those adults who clumsily attempt to relive the 1980s on bicycles, skateboards, roller skates and scooters. You may (or may not) recall that New Jersey has required the kiddies to wear bike helmets since 1992, but adults are not included in the law. But as we all like our brains safely inside our heads, rather than splattered elsewhere, this proposed law requiring everyone to wear helmets just makes plain sense.

BRIEFING BREATHER

"OMG" usage can be traced back to 1917

HOLMDEL – Not only should you get off my lawn, stay off my driveway, too. That’s the message from local lawmakers, who want to outlaw anyone from lingering around someone else’s driveway or other paved parking surface. The ordinance is set for a Dec 13 vote, threatening to imprison a person who tries to open, unlock or even loiter in the vicinity of a vehicle they do not own. It is all about reducing car theft, but the law may be a bit unconstitutional, based on our zero years of law school. The ordinance says you can’t be within 20 feet of a parked car; good luck finding such a space in New Jersey. And if I am facing potential prison, is it really worth the risk of walking through the parking lot at Holmdel Commons? Bet I can safely buy those socks in nearby Aberdeen.

STATEWIDE – If you forget for a moment the state has a chronic teacher shortage, and is forced to retain odd-looking substitutes who you wouldn’t want in your living room, then this new state education plan makes sense. Education officials want to recruit and train 5,000 volunteers to help students suffering with learning loss stemming from the pandemic, Politico reports. The program even has a terrific name – the New Jersey Partnership for Student Success, mirrored after a national program. And there’s also a great logo. But when school districts can’t pay people to teach kids, will the state be able to find 5,000 volunteers?

IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS

ALL OVER – Trust us, when we say we are not gaslighting you into thinking that “gaslighting” is the 2022 “Word of the Year.” The folks at Merriam-Webster say “gaslighting” – a behavior that is mind-manipulating, grossly misleading and downright deceitful – has seen an enormous spike in lookups in the dictionary. In fact, “gaslighting” views increased 1,740% this year over 2021. Gaslighting is commonly done by ethnically-challenging politicians, perhaps, say, who were elected U.S. President in, maybe 2016. It is also used by bad doctors, who claim a bulging tumor is “all in your head,” as well as awful boyfriends who claim the naked girl sleeping in the spare bedroom for the past three nights is a friendly nun “on a mission.” Other big words in 2022, according to Merriam-Webster:

• “Oligarch,” those fat, rich sycophants targeted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• “Omicron,” the persistent COVID-19 variant that destroyed New Year’s Eve parties
• “Codify,” as in turning abortion rights into federal law.
• “Queen consort,” what King Charles’ wife, Camilla is now known as.
• “Raid,” as in the search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home.
• “Cancel culture,” enough said.
• “LGBTQIA,” for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual, aromantic or agender.
• “Loamy,” which many Wordle users tried back in summer. The right word, folks, was “clown."

QATAR – Rabid soccer fans were delirious when the U.S. men’s national team defeated Iran on Tuesday to move to the next stage of the World Cup. Expect no one more ecstatic than the U.S women’s soccer team. Why? Thanks to a historic deal the women’s team struck in May to receive equal pay with the male players and split prize money evenly, they will get half of the $13 million payout the men secured with the victory, Fox Business reports. Score one for the women, who waged legal battles against the United States Soccer Federation over six years with the determination of a dogged midfielder trying to win a 50/50 ball. And if the U.S. men can upset The Netherlands in Saturday’s match, hand another $2 million to the women. Finally, some human rights justice in Qatar, where women must still obtain permission from male guardians to marry, study abroad, work in government, receive reproductive health care and to act as a child's primary guardian.

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

It was this week in 1997 that Golden State Warrior guard Latrell Sprewell loses $32 million, fired from his dream job for attacking coach PJ Carlesimo.

WORD OF THE WEEK

Intaxication – [intäksəˈkāSH(ə)n] – noun

Definition: Euphoria at getting a refund from the IRS, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with. 

Example: I plan to pay off all my Cyber Monday purchases in April, with complete intaxification.

WIT OF THE WEEK

“What’s worth doing is worth doing for money.” 

–Gordon Gekko

BIDEN BLURB

“The idea we still allow semiautomatic weapons to be purchased is sick.  It’s just sick.  It has no, no social redeeming value.  Zero.  None.  Not a single, solitary rationale for it except profit for the gun manufacturers.”

-Joe Biden

WEEKEND WEATHER IN A WORD

Bright