Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 11/15/2024
Below is Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing:
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “It is critical that we keep politics out of school board elections. We’re in a world marked by diverse rhetoric and partisan bickering, and the last place we need that to occur is at the local school board level.” – NJ School Boards Association Executive Director Timothy Purnell
TOP STORY: The Sweeney 2025 Path to Drumthwacket in a Trump Universe
Download and read Insider NJ’s 2024 Out 100: Power List by Jay Lassiter.
Governor Murphy won’t seek to become DNC chair, according to NJ.com.
Governor Murphy expressed opposition the NY’s congestion pricing plan.
Governor Murphy released his 2023 tax returns.
The state divvied up $150M in roadwork grants, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
The state’s gas tax could rise, according to NJ Spotlight.
Prosecutors say they mistakenly gave jurors access to evidence in the Menendez case, according to NJ.com.
PATH fares will increase, according to NJ.com.
NJ Transit approved a new operator for the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail.
Burlington County voters were asked to share stories of long voting lines amid a probe, according to Burlington County Times.
Hudson County Executive Guy announced the first-ever affordable housing task force.
Low cost housing for veterans in coming to Ocean County, according to the Asbury Park Press.
Rep. Van Drew won’t take a position in the incoming Trump administration, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
One On One with Steve Adubato is celebrating 30 years on the air.
ICYMI: Democrats lost strength; voters aren’t familiar w/ guv candidates; Murphy addressed the loss of Democratic strength on election day
Former Senate President Sweeney’s allies see a statewide path to victory in the gubernatorial primary following Trump’s win.
The gubernatorial race is taking shape immediately following the presidential election.
For Reps. Sherrill and Gottheimer, electability could be a potent argument for their gubernatorial candidacies, according to NJ Globe.
Camden Mayor Carstarphen endorsed Mayor Baraka for Governor.
The Roofers Union endorsed Steve Sweeney for Governor.
The NJ Right To Life PAC endorsed Bill Spadea for Governor.
Atlantic County GOP officials endorsed Jack Ciattarelli for Governor, according to NJ Globe.
Former Rep. Lance endorsed Senator Bramnick for Governor.
In CD3, Assemblyman Conaway finally lands in DC, according to NJ Globe.
In LD39, the Mahwah GOP endorsed Assemblyman Auth for re-election.
Cumberland County Democrats retained the clerkship and flipped a commission seat, according to NJ Globe.
ICYMI: Baraka allies energized; firefighter unions split over guv race; Dems ready to find themselves; Hispanic Democratic dissatisfaction has grown; Bramnick faces difficult path; Ciattarelli sees advantages; Duarte looking ahead to 2025; Cryan says election should serve as self-reflection point; GOP romped in Monmouth County; war room, street strewn view of PA
The state is preparing to defend against Trumps deportation agenda.
Former Senator Wallwork passed away, according to NJ Globe.
Assemblyman DePhillips called for a more in-depth hearing on NJ Transit.
Most NJ voters don’t see schools as segregated, according to NJ Spotlight.
The NJBIA made recommendations for the child care industry.
ICYMI: Guv converged at housing conference; Haytaian passed away; Bramnick bucked his party
In Jersey City, Ward D Councilman Saleh announced his re-election bid.
In Newark, AG Platkin held a strategy meeting with law enforcement leaders.
In Mahwah, Councilwoman Ariema joined the GOP.
In Atlantic City, an ordinance to lower the voting age was postponed, according to the Press of Atlantic City. Opponents told the council that Trump will end offshore wind, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In Berkeley Heights, there’s a razor-thin margin in the council race, according to TAPinto.
In Branchburg, the town isn’t sure what to do with $28M of properties it purchased, according to MyCentralJersey.
In Clifton, the city has a plan to increase the number of police officers, according to NorthJersey.com.
In Hackensack, Councilman Battaglia says he didn’t do anything wrong, according to the Bergen Record.
In Harding, the BOE was praised for sticking with Madison, according to NJ Hills.
In Ocean City, a hearing on Wonderland was moved to a larger venue, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In Paterson, the city is taking aim at illegal dumpers, according to Paterson Press. A spat between a current and former councilmen got thornier, according to Paterson Press.
In Phillipsburg, Republicans say personnel complaints against the former mayor should be made public, according to Lehigh Valley Live.
In Readington, a councilman will face a January trial in the sign stealing case, according to NJ Globe.
In South Orange, the council discussed improving safety, according to TAPinto.
ICYMI: n Howell, GOP won election; in Marlboro, voters elected split BOE ticket; in Hoboken, Councilwoman Giattino passed away; in Howell, little unity w/in GOP; in Marlboro, tensions rising in the BOE race; in Somerville, JFK is on the ballot; in Randolph, council control at stake with huge significance
In a guest column on Insider NJ, Dari Kotzker writes ‘Blue Wife, Red Husband: LMT Household at the Heart of the Battleground‘
In a guest column on Insider NJ, Liz DeBeer writes ‘What Motivates Progressives to Write Postcards‘
Insider NJ columnist Andrew Leven ‘An Aspect of the Harris/Trump Economic Plans That Isn’t Being Discussed, But Should Be‘
Insider NJ columnist Bob Hennelly writes ‘More Helene Fallout: When Local News is All that Matters‘
AROUND THE WEB:
N.J. lawmaker calls Trump “Daddy”
Matt Arco, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- Dad’s home. Congressman Jeff Van Drew referred to President-elect Donald Trump as “daddy” Thursday while talking about the world stage and how bad actors will get in line now that Trump will return to the White House. “Countries indicating they’re going to be good boys and girls now, you know, just liken it to an old parable here, daddy’s home and things are going to change — and we’re going to go back to being a strong America,” Van Drew said on Newsmax.
Progressive think tank urges tax hikes to close budget gaps
Nikita Biryukov, NJ Monitor
- New Jersey should adopt a host of progressive tax changes to generate nearly $4 billion in revenue to bridge structural deficits over the coming years, including new tax brackets for millionaires, an expanded sales tax, and a revived estate tax, a new report from a left-leaning think tank urges. The report from New Jersey Policy Perspective calls for the state to levy higher income taxes on multimillionaires, undo a Christie-era sales tax cut, and apply sales tax to a range of services excluded under current law to bridge a gap between state spending and state revenues that threaten to drain New Jersey’s surplus over the coming years.
Fulop and Baraka lead charge against county line in ballot committee hearing
Zach Blackburn, NJ Globe
- Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka led a chorus of voices calling on legislators to end the county line during a ballot design committee hearing Tuesday evening. The hearing, held at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, was the second Assembly ballot design committee hearing to accept public testimony. The bipartisan committee — which was tasked with recommending ballot design reforms after the controversial county line system was deemed likely unconstitutional — has at least two more hearings scheduled.
Gov. Murphy got a call from Trump this week. Are the two playing nice again?
Brent Johnson, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy revealed Wednesday he got a phone call this week from someone you might not expect: Republican President-elect Donald Trump. Murphy said Trump called him Monday evening, six days after the former president was elected to retake the White House over Vice President Kamala Harris — and lost blue New Jersey by a much-closer-than-expected 5 percentage points.
Aftermath: The Big Bad List Of Winners And Losers
Dan Cirruci, Save Jersey
- After every election, there’s a winner and a loser. That’s one of the things we like about politics: somebody wins (always more fun) and somebody loses. But it’s not just the candidates who win or lose; it’s actually a whole slew of people — and there are so many more in a big quadrennial presidential election like this one We can’t possibly catalogue all the winners and losers from the campaign’s fallout here, but we will try to enumerate the major ones.
Ex-NRIA ‘shadow chief’ in Secaucus of gets 12 years for running $568M Ponzi scheme
John Heinis, Hudson County View
- The former “shadow chief” of the now defunct National Realty Investment Advisors (NRIA) in Secaucus received a 12-year prison sentence for running a $568 million Ponzi scheme, which led to a multi-million dollar tax evasion conspiracy, authorities said.
Sweeney talks school funding during sit down with Hudson County Chamber of Commerce
Daniel Ulloa, NJ Spotlight
- Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Steve Sweeney discussed school funding, education, public safety, immigration, and much more during a sit down with the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce this afternoon.
Progress made on NJ-NY wildfire
Briana Vannozzi, NJ Spotlight
- Persistent hot and dry weather is giving crews a real fight in battling a massive, fatal wildfire burning on the New Jersey-New York border. The Jennings Creek wildfire remains roughly 4,400 acres large — about 2,300 acres on the Jersey side and another 2,100 in New York.
Cannabis operators say consumption lounge process too slow
Raven Santana, NJ Spotlight
- The state’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission approved rules for consumption lounges in January, but no applications are yet available to entrepreneurs who want to open the lounges. Alyza Brevard-Rodriguez, CEO and founder of The Other Side Dispensary in Jersey City, said waiting for the green light from the commission hasn’t just been time-consuming, it’s also been expensive. And without a timeline or direction from the state on how she can build out her consumption lounge, she said she is stuck in limbo.
Mercer County is trying to fix the mistake of where they painted a tribute to Athing Mu
LA Parker, The Trentonian
- Mercer County officials said late Wednesday that they were looking for a new place to paint a mural of Olympic gold-medalist and Trenton Native Athing Mu after some expressed disappointment that she was part of a mural on the state prison.
Old-fashioned windmill pops up near I-195 in Jackson. Soon you can see it up close
Joe Mason, Asbury Park Press
- Windmills have been a great topic of discussion around New Jersey in recent years, but recently a new question popped up. Who is responsible for the old-fashioned, full-size windmill that is sitting just off I-195 in Jackson? No, it’s not a state-of-the-art 18th hole on a miniature golf course. It is a real giant windmill, and people on social media are asking where it came from.
4 months after director died, SCI won’t say who’s running the watchdog agency
Michael L. Diamond, Asbury Park Press
- Four months after its executive director died in a car accident, the New Jersey commission designed to root out mismanagement and corruption in the state has yet to select a replacement, and it isn’t clear who has been leading the agency.
Netflix at Fort Monmouth: Construction plans unveiled to public, studio seeks Oceanport OK
Dan Radel, Asbury Park Press
- Netflix has an ask of the borough. They want bigger stage identification numbers on the outside of the buildings than permitted. And the borough wants to know exactly what they’re in store for from Netflix, looking to minimize the impact on their residents’ quality of life while inviting a bit of Hollywood to town.
Murphy celebrates “a full week of declining numbers” then says “status quo of lockdown will remain until new cases and fatalities decrease.” So, which of Murphy’s statements is accurate? He said 2 opposite things in a single paragraph of speaking.
He;s “vacationing” at his villa in Italy, while Covid surges and the state is paralyzed by “remote work”…………translation: NO WORK
That is what happens in practicality when they are “suspending their disbelief” (HR Clinton) in real numbers and going on predictive models to make decisions. And then after doing that, they vote with “feelings.”
lmao imagine supporting lockdowns after the largest mass death event in american history and calling that a feeling driven conclusion? maga chuds never fail to disappoint
keeping up with the news
OK
What I — and most of the women I know who are passionate about cosmetics —like about make up isn’t that the right gloss can make your lips poutier or that false lashes can make your eyes more doe-like. Rather, it’s how women can communicate messages and express ourselves through makeup. Certainly it’s not our single factor of communication, but it’s one of many forms of expression that allow us to showcase our individual styles.
keeping up with the news
Longmont Tree Service
Roofing In Brighton
Roofing Colorado Springs
So….about those 56 machines in Bergen… <<>>
Murphy running for President is LAUGHABLE. Nased on what??
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Increasing Use of Cosmetic Products & Their Side Effects
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very informative thank you so much
Murphy doesn’t want to be the president, he wants to be a state trooper.
Nice article! thanks for sharing the post!
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lETS NOT FORGET that during the pandemic Donald Trump sent the MERCY, a fully equipped, COVID prepared Hospital ship to save lives of victims and healthcare workers . But Murphy in his wisdom would rather send Patients back to nursing homes that were ill-equipped to treat these patients so they could die , rather than utilize a life-saving gift and be like NY governor Cuomo, another anti-Trump
tool.
Your blog is a haven of positivity in a sometimes chaotic online world.
Your exquisitely curated blog epitomizes erudition, captivating readers with its intellectually stimulating content and profound philosophical insights.
Gun owners don’t have to talk about guns because they know that they have to come out and vote to protect their constitutional right to bear arms. The Supreme court decision has affirmed that right and somehow our “leaders” haven’t learned how to read.
NJ is one of the most corrupt and racist places to live. There’s “0” accountability for the criminal acts, corruption, and unfair treatment of the people of this state. It starts with our governor who cares less for truth and honesty. Continue to ruin the lives of the citizens of this state.
How about those unintended consequences.
New Jersey mandating that all cars being sold by 2035 be electric is telling us what we can or cannot buy with our own money. There will always be gasoline powered vehicles because of the power produced by internal combustion compared to the power produced by batteries; which is to say the more power the bigger the battery to the point of rediculousness. My thought is that if the state wants fewer gas powered vehicles on the road it should create a mass transit electric powered system that would emphasize convenience for commuters and everyday shoppers. Of course that would mean vehicles weighing tons more because of the size of batteries and that creates a whole other question of where to dispose of them (also for elelectric car batteries), since they are composed of highly toxic materials that can’t be burnt or buried. These are unintended consequences no- one is willing to grapple with until its too late. I think by 2035 th he electric car fantasy will go the same way the offshore wind farm has gone.
Stephen Brickman
206 Stonehenge Dr
Phillipsburg,NJ 08865
Stephen.Brickman@gmail.com
Sent from my iPhone
The military serving in the Middle East represents every state in the Union. Those are our sons and daughters, Moms and Dads and yet we are very little to protect them, or REALLY retaliate when they’re attacked. Governor Murphy is the Chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, and past chair of the National Governors Association and yet you never hear him mention about any requests either organization makes to Biden to be more aggressive about protecting our kids in harms way. It’s as though it doesn’t seem to matter to them. No wonder we look so weak to the rest of the world.
Teaneck property taxes pays for the school budget. Teaneck High School students walk out. Is a Hamas military shuffle march property tax bill included?
I’m a conservative and I do believe life begins at conception but the problem is that each mother is responsible for that life and it is in the realm of her mental and physical health that she will either bring it to term or abort it. This should not be a political decision and should not be be dictated by thousand of strangers. The Supreme Court turned it over to the states but it still remains personal for the mother and her family.
I don’t think it should be an “agenda item” for any political party. A state medical society may want to impose a time frame within which an abortion can occur but even that may be subject to the mother’s doctor’s discretion.
I say just quit discussing it and leave it up to the mother a father.
Voting should be based on understanding what’s actually happening and knowing who would make life safer and more livable. The only way to do that is to get both sides of the information remembering there are always two sides to a story. Mainstream media in my area includes the Star Ledger and the Easton Express. If you look at the bylines of the opinions you will find writers from the Washington Post and Bloomberg, both notoriously on the left. Even the political cartoons are a dead giveaway. CNN and CNBC are also left leaning. So what are the options for getting opinions and news from the right? Fortunately cable news has Fox, which is near center, and Newsmax, and NewsNation which are full right. Watching these even just occasionally will show a much broader picture and give the reader more information with which to make an informed voting decision. And remember you DONT have to vote party if you feel there’s a wiser choice.
The governor signed off on having Narcan available in all schools grades 9 through 12. But what about the idea
of having Narcan available in ALL SCHOOLS in New Jersey?
How’s his for an idea? Uncover the identities of the un-elected advisors to Pres. Biden, and publish their names. That way there is actually someone to blame when we lose valuable lives from unanswered attacks by terrorist organizations. We know Biden isn’t making these decisions on his own. My guess is that these advisors will quit the team rather than take the heat for poor decisions, revealing a big weakness in this administration. It might lead to improvements to the decision-making process.
Note to Concealed Carry permit holders: make sure you subscribe to one of the insurance companies that specialize in CCP, ie: US LAW SHIELD. If you ever have to fire your weapon , that has to be the first phone call you make. The second is 911, the third is your family. With so many new permit holders there will probably be an increase in discharges until word gets out that it’s actually unsafe for criminals to be in New Jersey and crime will take a nosedive.
Now unless you have a conviction in your background you can get that CCP and really defend yourself and your family. And more women are applying which is great for family defense. The stats that record gun violence will have to be re-organized into guns used for crime and guns used to prevent crime. A lot of get-always here because sometimes just brandishing a firearm is enough to stop a crime. But it should be reported anyway..
The liability limits for taxi cabs are extreme starting July 1. It was a plan in place through the insurance banking committee and it was abruptly changed with an amendment. The guys are barely making a living today and you’ve increased their insurance. What’s fair is fair and this is not it was an incremental increase, which was fair, and was removed by the governor please refer back to the original plan
Iowa gets it right. What better school security is there than trained, armed teachers with concealed carry permits. You wonder what parents and local government officials when they oppose this idea. Apparently they would rather wait for some demented individual, either a student or maybe an ex student pulls out a handgun of his backpack , or a long gun out of a duffel and starts firing do they can call it in and wait for help to show up. This move would save many lives and I would heartily endorse this idea nationwide. Of course I’m just an average gun owner who believes that our kids are our most valuable asset and need real protection.
The problem with the Line is that there is no vetting process. Whoever pays the most and/or is specifically unqualified and therefore relegated to the status of puppet is who the county bosses support and threaten the committee members to support. My opponent said on-air that he will do whatever they tell him. What kind of leadership is that. I have 8-10 organizations endorsing me to his zero. I have served many statewide for almost 4 years while he has never helped anyone but himself. No-brainer who is qualified, and they know it. That’s why they are getting nasty and vile while I continue to take the high road.
With the mainstream media touting the current president and suddenly discovers he’s been lying to us all about how supportive he is of Israel when it is reported he is receiving BIG donations from Soros and Rockefellers , both proven anti-American donors, to become pro Palestinian and Pro Hamas and Anti Israel by holding up ammunition shipments to Israel. And solidly answering the question of why he never goes directly against Iran. Is the MSM party to this also. How can the general public now know who and what to trust. They warn us how terrible a trump administration will be as if they have totally forgotten how good we had it under Trump. All I can say is put on your big boy pants and tell us how it really is.
Studies show that recreational cannabis is responsible a 10% increase in motor vehicle accident deaths. These studies show that cannabis impairs driving ability and driving while high is common among regular users. Since cannabis is still an illegal drug, insurance companies are within their rights to deny coverage in for an accident ruled a DUI due to cannabis. However a state that approved its recreational use should be held accountable for any and all the consequences of that DUI. States are more interested in the money they make but they should accept the responsibility for having approved the use of recreational cannabis.
Could you please fix your “bay blood spots “ typo. It sounds like a horror movie. Although “baby blood spots” isn’t much better. Maybe there’s a clearer and less distressing turn of phrase for all of our sensitive readers, lol. Please and thank you.
Reclassifying marihuana from CI to any other category will involve Pharmacy because by law only a Pharmacist with a DEA license can purchase or sell any drug with a CII to CV
Classification. (CI is exempt because it’s heroine or any other drug with no medical purpose). This is a National problem because it is all under the DEA. And since marihuana is a hallucinogen among other things it requires control. The whole weed issue has put the cart before the horse and really requires reining in to have it conform
to the legal requirements. (Sorry Mr. Weedman). And recreational use will get the biggest hit because it will require a prescription
for medicinal use, but that cuts out the recreational aspect. Maybe in the future Pharmacists may be able to prescribe it but not yet. And how many physicians and Nurse Practitioners will want to be involved in the weed industry, I wonder? Lots of questions and few answers so far.
Changing the regulations to allow Optometrists to perform surgery is foolhardy and dangerous. Their training is doing vision tests and prescribing the correct glasses to improve vision. Only an MD in ophthalmology should be the one to do eye surgery.
That’s like asking the fellow filling your gas tank to fix a ball joint suspension.
This is not the answer to a shortage of ophthalmologists
Can’t seem to access the Steinberg column on Sam Alito, Sr. on your website. Suggestions?
Stop complaining about taxes ,our schools , our crime, ,after all folks we keep voting in the same Democrat party politicians each time .
For instance who would think that every Democrat who represents us in congress would vote for men playing in woman sports ,but they did , ask yourself are you the kind of a person who would kill ( sorry to use that word kill but hard not to since the law is that is a human being and if the mother is murdered it’s a double homicide ) a baby up to the moment of birth sorry to tell you that is the law in New Jersey.
So stop complaining your part of the problem.
NOTE TO SENIORS
I was 85 when I got my Carry permit. If you want to protect yourself and your family you are never too old to carry. As log as you can pass the test at the range, which is pretty simple, and you have a handgun you can handle (which is why I purchased a Walther CCP M2 PLUS which is easy to rack) and you have no police record or mental health problems, you can qualify. Of course you need to get a Federal weapons ID card, if you don’t already have one. We are targets because we are older and look easy. Well surprise , surprise. The more folks that are carrying the less crime because the bad guys wont know if you are armed and might not try something. By the way
it doesn’t matter- male or female!!
Great article, thanks for keeping us informed!
Assemblyman Schaer’s Bill to define antisemitism for New Jersey residents and to be able to react to it is great. But what about our kids going off to college, especially the Jewish kids. They should have a means to know what schools have active anti-Jewish protests, and/or pro-Palestinian demonstration allowed on and off campus. They should be able to feel safe wherever they go, and not have their studies interrupted by what I consider this unlawful activity. Are there websites with this kind of information posted?
Concerns about Jan 6 violence
The simple solution to allay the concerns of the Jan.6 violence happening again is to make sure the election is run in an honest and above board manner, which must include voter I.D. via a totally transparent system. Otherwise I’m betting all bets are off.
(The state’s voting system is secure, according to NJ Spotlight.)
This was without doubt one of the most farcical articles perhaps ever written. To give you an idea just how corrupt and lawless the voting system is, in 2021 Governor Murphy deviously ousted the Bergen County Superintendent of Elections with over 30+ years of experience (coerced and strongarmed into early retirement) in order to then deliberately and deviously insert Loretta Weinberg’s Chief of Staff who, had absolutely NO previous election experience whatsoever.
This was all masterfully formulated and then executed just several weeks prior to the Gubernatorial primary. But of course there was nothing nefarious regarding such an abrupt change.
Although Bergen County is not the largest County in New Jersey it is however home to the most registered voters of which the vast majority are also Democrats.
Keep in mind The Superintendent of Elections Office is also in charge of voter “registrations” – polls books, voting machines and of course – investigating any and all reports of voter fraud.
Murphy’s intentions had been to leave the position vacant until “after” the Gubernatorial Election in November but the media exposed his chicanery and he was forced to fill and announce his personal “appointment” immediately and how all of this came to light.
The former Superintendent of Elections was also a Republican and certainly would’ve never voluntarily retired “prematurely” but just prior to a major election. Her integrity was legendary throughout the entire County.
But of course there was nothing to Murphy’s sudden lead change “in the middle of the night” in Bergen County after the polls had already closed.
Murphy was and still remains loathed and despised by all because of his despotic actions and stance on the Covid lockdowns. He knew there was no other way he could ever beat Ciattarelli and never did. But certainly not legally nor ever legitimately. But keep believing “the voting system in NJ” is actually secure.