Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 8/6/2024
Below is Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing:
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We think this rule is really the first step in trying to force people to retreat from the Jersey Shore.” – NJBIA Government Affairs VP Ray Cantor on new DEP rules concerning land use in flood-prone areas
TOP STORY: Gottheimer Nudges the GOP on Gun Bill
Former state Supreme Court Justice Coleman, the state’s first black justice, passed away, according to the Bergen Record.
The state gained 22,000 voters in July, according to the Bergen Record.
The state, specifically Bergen County, suffers from ‘boroughitis’, according to the Bergen Record.
A Mark Cuban-backed startup is coming to the state as a new way to fight opioids, according to NJ.com.
Stinging jellyfish are invading the Shore, according to NJ.com.
Mercer County hired Maria Connolly as the new Planning Director.
Ocean County restarted foreclosure sales, according to the Asbury Park Press.
Rep. Gottheimer wants congressional action on gun legislation.
ICYMI: Menendez plans to resign, Governor will appoint placeholder; Biden withdrawing, and endorsed Harris, Dems scrambling to advance potential VP picks; Menendez saga still unfolding, Senator says there ‘seems to be an effort to force me into a statement‘, Murphy in position to appoint, Booker would lead expulsion effort; Menendez found guilty and faces a reckoning; Trump injured in assassination attempt; Norcross pleaded not guilty; Sherrill doesn’t want President Biden to run; Menendez verdict will come soon; Murphy signed budget; courts shaping political developments; Critchley, Marino statement on Norcross
Governor Murphy is considering appointing former COS George Helmy to Senator Menendez’s seat, according to the NY Post.
NJ South Asian voters are cautiously optimistic about VP Harris, according to NJ Spotlight.
In CD10, faith leaders urged McIver to oppose the Delaney Hall reopening. McIver was endorsed by the Congressional Black Caucus PAC.
The NEW JOBS PAC announced Tony Bawidamann as the new chair.
ICYMI: Bashaw touts himself as centrist; in CD10, district has some of state’s poorest zip codes; Fulop campaign announced two Assembly candidates; Whitman endorsing VP Harris; PFANJ endorsed candidates; Bramnick seeks to position himself as trusted GOP candidate; Freeman will run in LD8 w/ Fulop; VP contenders have Jersey ties; Ciattarelli, Spadea spoke at the NJHSR brunch; Baraka came out swinging for Harris; Menendez seat raises questions; NJSPBA endorsed Bashaw; Spadea launched ad hitting Ciattarelli; Bashaw slammed Kim; Sette planned, cancelled fundraiser for commissioner candidates; NJ delegates endorse Harris; Sherrill ahead of the game
Download and read Insider NJ’s 2024 Insider 100: Policymakers publication.
Details of $600M in last-minute budget add-ons still haven’t been made public, according to NJ Spotlight.
Proposed DEP rules sparked debate on resiliency and development, according to NJ Spotlight.
The ABC-NJ promoted Derek DeLuca to Director of Government Affairs.
Kyle England joined the UTCA as Director of Environmental and Utility Operations.
The HealthCare Institute of NJ elected new board leadership.
ICYMI: Lawmakers heard calls to restrict pornography access
Compliance Corner: Navigating ELEC Investigations and Complaints
A recent political chronology of Garden State politics.
Download and read Insider NJ’s 2024 Insider 100: Legal publication.
Download and read Insider NJ’s 2024 Insider 100: Lobbyist publication.
In Jersey City, 1199J endorsed Bill O’Dea for mayor. An aide to the mayor resigned from the city’s LGBTQ task force after donating to his sister, who is running a hate-filled campaign for Missouri Secretary of State, according to Hudson County View. Hudson Pride Center staff resigned from the task force, according to TAPinto.
In Bridgewater, court shared services were approved with Raritan, according to TAPinto.
In Caldwell, a senior rent increase reduction ordinance was tabled, according to NJ Hills.
In Fairfield, the budget was introduced, according to NJ Hills.
In Hanover, a pool upgrade bond ordinance was approved, according to NJ Hills.
In Hillsborough, the town invested $9M in road repairs, according to TAPinto.
In Hoboken, Mayor Bhalla says he will veto the rent control ordinance if the council passes it, according to Hudson County View.
In Keyport, beach debris contains high levels of arsenic, according to the Asbury Park Press.
In Lawrence, a judge who fraternized with cops agreed to leave the bench, according to NJ.com.
In Mays Landing, Rep. Van Drew toured the Lenape Dams, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In Newark, a senior building may get a tax reduction despite a claim of $1.5M owed, according to TAPinto.
In Prospect Park, expert planners are helping the town transform its main road, according to NorthJersey.com.
In South Plainfield, Durham Plaza is eyed for redevelopment, according to MyCentralJersey.
In Southampton, traffic is troubling a warehouse project, according to Burlington County Times.
In Sparta, the council didn’t approve the master plan funding ordinance, according to TAPinto.
In Upper, the township detailed parking rules in an ordinance, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
In Vineland, the tax collector is retiring, according to Burlington County Times.
ICYMI: In Union City, an ongoing battle; in Union City, residents reacted to Menendez conviction; in Newark, Speight announced candidacy for Central Ward; in Wayne, debate popped up
Insider NJ columnist Alan Joel Steinberg writes ‘While Harris hires the best message team in politics, Jim Margolis and David Plouffe, three core issues are causing a Trump-Vance meltdown‘
In a guest column on Insider NJ, former Senator Kenny writes ‘‘A Republic — if You can Keep it’‘
In a guest column on Insider NJ, Christina Christodoulou writes ‘To Preserve Social Unity, Stop Dehumanizing Others‘
Insider NJ columnist Bob Hennelly writes ‘An RNC Field Guide from Inside and Outside the Armed Compound‘
Insider NJ columnist Tom Barrett writes ‘Mikie Sherrill is Right‘
Insider NJ columnist Andrew Leven writes ‘The Wrong Questions Are Providing the Wrong Answers‘
AROUND THE WEB:
The dead bear cub is not the worst part of the RFK Jr. story | Moran
Tom Moran, Star-Ledger
- Which part of New Yorker magazine’s new piece on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the most unnerving? His decision to stash a dead bear cub in Central Park a decade ago is getting all the attention today. And we’ll explore that. But how about his allegedly groping the babysitter in his kitchen pantry, running his hands along her hips and breasts when she was 23-year-old, and he was a married 45-year-old with five children? That’s an unwanted advance that might qualify as sexual assault if the statute of limitation hadn’t run out, according to a former prosecutor quoted in the piece.
The case against N.J. rabbi was tossed. Now his lawyers want probe into why it was started.
Ted Sherman, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
- The trial was thrown out before it ended. “The evidence presented in the state’s case,” said Superior Court Judge Joseph Paone in New Brunswick, “is insufficient to warrant a conviction.”
NJ mayor blocks flag honoring dead police officers, lawsuit says
Rick Rickman, NJ1015
- The police union for the seat of Hudson County and families of fallen local police officers have accused Mayor Steven Fulop’s office of blocking them from flying a flag to honor the dead. The accusations that center on the Thin Blue Line flag are outlined in a new lawsuit against Jersey City filed last week by attorneys Charles Sciarra and Jeffrey Catrambone. Both lawyers have represented numerous police officers in New Jersey.
State introduces new rules that would increase building elevations at the shore
Access News Network
- The Department of Environmental Protection in today’s edition of the New Jersey Register proposes formal rulemaking that will make New Jersey the first state to modernize land-resource protection regulations to address the current and future impacts of a changing climate. The rulemaking focuses on the long-term economic viability of communities while protecting current landscapes and developments for future generations.
Op-Ed: NJ corporate leaders could learn from Olympics’ achievement of gender parity
- Courtney McCormick, NJ Spotlight
- Billions of viewers around the globe are tuning in to watch fan-favorite athletes like Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky and Sha’Carri Richardson push the limits of human potential in their quests to make Olympic history. But the Paris 2024 Olympic Games have already made history, becoming the first since the global sporting event’s inception to see as many women vying for gold as men.
Summer resurfacing and activities make traffic nightmares in Trenton
LA Parker, The Trentonian
- A confluence of street projects wreaked havoc for motorists and businesses last Thursday then continued on Monday. The corner of Chambers St. and Hamilton Ave. served as ground zero for confusion and angst as PSE&G continued a gas pipe replacement initiative and Mercer County Department of Transportation started a paving project.
Ryan Blatstein, son of Showboat developer Bart Blatstein, dies
Michelle Brunetti Post, Press of Atlantic City
- Ryan Blatstein, the son of Atlantic City and Philadelphia developer Bart Blatstein and his wife, Jil, died last week at home, according to people familiar with the family. Ryan, 39, and his father had traveled to Israel to show their support for the country in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, and was known along with his father to be a great supporter of the police.
Asbury Park Press Time Machine: ‘The Guns of August’
Erik Larsen, Asbury Park Press
- Little did anyone know in the summer of 1914 that the world was coming apart. Three weeks before the publication of this edition, Archduke Franz Ferdinand had been assassinated on a visit to Sarajevo, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. That led to a rapid escalation of international tensions and political miscalculations, as various European empires were made to adhere to treaty obligations to protect their offended allies and frenemies abroad.
If N.J. wants to avert electoral chaos, here’s our best move | Editorial
Star-Ledger Editorial Board
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is not going to win the 2024 presidential election, but he is perfectly positioned to have a profound influence on its outcome – or ruin it terribly, depending on your perspective. The independent candidate consistently polls as high as 10% in many swing states, and depending on which major party he pulls more votes away from, he could easily tip the balance in favor of either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump – just by being the least unappealing choice for a small minority of voters who probably know that Kennedy can’t win.
Grow a spine! Don’t be bullied into harming tenants, city | Jersey Journal editorial
Jersey Journal Editorial
- Hoboken’s rent control law is peppered with references to the mid-1980s, and for good reason. It was during those few years that the city was flipped on its head, moving rapidly from a solid working-class town to a chichi luxury-rental boomtown.
Brownstone banquet hall $137K behind on Paterson property tax payments for parking lot
Joe Malinconico, Paterson Press
- The Brownstone’s owners are 15 months behind — or an estimated $136,969 in arrears — in payments to the city for a tax appeal settlement involving a small parking lot next to the banquet hall, municipal officials say. That information was brought to light by Councilman Luis Velez, who did some research about The Brownstone’s property taxes after he recently paid the banquet hall for an overdue bill from his August 2023 wedding reception.
Report: 1,800 cats, dogs killed at NJ animal shelters in 1 year
Dino Flammia, NJ1015
- Across the country, hundreds of thousands of pets are unnecessarily killed at animal shelters each year. A new report from Best Friends Animal Society suggests that shelters in New Jersey do a better job than many other states when it comes to keeping their animals alive and delivering them to new families. But in a one-year period, still more than 1,800 cats and dogs were killed at shelters across the Garden State.
Starkweather named dean of Rutgers School of Nursing
ROI-NJ Staff
- Angela Starkweather, an accomplished nurse-scientist and clinician with extensive higher education experience, has been named dean of the Rutgers School of Nursing. Starkweather, who will join Rutgers Health on Aug. 19, assumes the leadership role from Linda Flynn, who is retiring after serving as dean since June 2020.
Jersey Shore professor seeks clues for alien life in the crushing dark of the ocean floor
Dan Radel, Asbury Park Press
- Besides the scholars of the astrobiology world, Stockton University professor Lauren Seyler, a mom of two young kids, also has to answer her eldest daughter’s questions about life on earth and aliens.
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
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Roofing In Brighton
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So….about those 56 machines in Bergen… <<>>
Murphy running for President is LAUGHABLE. Nased on what??
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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.