| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Presented by Anbaric Development Partners | Good Friday morning! Well, it seems Big Goose has prevailed in the 4th Congressional District. Matt Jenkins, the Democrat challenging longtime Republican Rep. Chris Smith, has removed from his website and other campaign communications the two geese that were highly-reminiscent of Wawa's logo. (In fact, they were identical to a logo Wawa used to use). Jenkins declined to comment, but as I reported last month , Wawa had sent him a cease and desist letter after I tweeted about the similarity between his campaign logo and that of the popular convenience store chain. It's not my place to help campaigns, but I do have some suggestions for a replacement logo. How about a tiger that exclaims how "Gr-r-reat!" Jenkins is? Or a bear that tells voters "Only you can prevent another Chris Smith term"? DAYS SINCE MURPHY REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HIS WIFE'S NON-PROFIT SHOULD DISCLOSE DONORS: 257 TIPS? FEEDBACK? HATE MAIL? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com WHERE'S MURPHY? — No public schedule QUOTE OF THE DAY: "She told me to take off my mask so she could spit in my face, because apparently she didn't believe I was a … Republican or Trump supporter." — Kimberly Schulskie, a manager at Ivy League Bar & Grill, alleging during a council meeting that Howell Deputy Mayor Pamela Richmond and her boyfriend were inebriated and irate when she asked them to stop chanting "Let's Go Brandon!" at the bar. She also claims Richmond threatened her job. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Planned Parenthood's Elizabeth Coulter. Saturday for CLB's Jon Boguchwal, journalist Hank Kalet, Sunday for Assemblymember Eliana Pintor Marin, NJ Globe's Ken Kurson, freelance reporter Malia Rulon Herman | | | | A message from Anbaric Development Partners: New Jersey is at the precipice of a nation-leading award in the BPU's historic offshore wind transmission solicitation—and Anbaric's project is ready to go on day one. We started laying the groundwork required for our Boardwalk Power Link Project nearly a decade ago. Our shovel-ready project is the result of years of community outreach, engineering, and investment. With our portfolio of Boardwalk projects, Anbaric is ready to deliver a clean energy future. | | | |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
THEY'RE JUST BEING CHARITABLE — " NJ's recent pension strategy gets good marks ," by NJ Spotlight News' John Reitmeyer: "From ramping up state payments to requiring regular risk assessments, New Jersey has enacted a number of key policy changes in recent years to improve the health of one of the nation's worst-funded state retirement plans. A new report that looks closely at the condition of the nation's state-run pension systems recognizes some of New Jersey's progress, even as figures included in the analysis also suggest the state still has a way to go to make up for a long history of poor pension funding. States as a group have been increasing their employer pension contributions as revenues have risen in recent years, according to the report published by retirement-system experts at The Pew Charitable Trusts."
SCARLET INK KNIGHTS — " Public universities could face more audits for misspending under new bill ," by New Jersey Monitor's Sophie Nieto-Munoz: "On the heels of reports revealing Rutgers athletics programs spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on food deliveries for athletes, one senator wants to expand the state's power to audit public universities' spending of taxpayer dollars. 'You start to wonder, what's going on at other institutions that's not being uncovered?' said Sen. Declan O'Scanlon. 'I love Rutgers, but nobody, not even the biggest fans, should not be troubled by the lack of transparency.' The bill (S3243) would allow the state's secretary of higher education to appoint a special auditor to investigate claims of abuse of public funds and public institutions. The Monmouth County Republican pointed to NorthJersey.com reports alleging the Rutgers football program spent $450,000 on DoorDash deliveries in one year, and another citing university documents showing Rutgers spent $118 million on athletics with just $45 million in revenue to show for it." THE CHRONICLES OF BERNARDSNIA — " All kidding aside, it's time to put Central Jersey on the map ," by Andrew Zwicker for The Star-Ledger: "As an avid surfer, I love the Jersey Shore, but our tourism marketing is not doing enough to tell the stories of New Jersey's history, agriculture, and wilderness areas. As Hunterdon County's new campaign puts it, "the other side" of New Jersey is worth visiting, too. Here you will find quaint river towns and canal villages, scenic byways, harvest festivals, craft beverage makers, and more Revolutionary War sites than you'll find in any other state. That 'other side' of New Jersey is concentrated in the middle of the state, an area that is completely ignored by our state tourism map. The tongue-in-cheek 'Does Central Jersey exist?' controversy has been entertaining, but it also carries some serious cultural resonance. The center of our state offers a unique combination of historic, agricultural, artistic, and eco-tourism experiences that are reminiscent of the highly successful Hudson Valley in nearby New York." RAW DEAL — " Is expensive NJ beach replenishment only helping the ultra-rich? " by NJ 101.5s David Matthau: "Ross Kushner, coordinator for the New Jersey Coastal Alliance, said over the past 30 years the Army Corps has put 130 million cubic yards of sand on the New Jersey coastline. He pointed out that building up the beach protects homes that are right up next to the ocean, not the structures behind them, because flooding usually comes from the bay side during a big storm. "Really, what you have is you're spending hundreds of millions of dollars to protect what are really summer homes of the ultra-rich.' He said the result has been almost the complete destruction of coastal marine life. 'The sandbars are gone, the waves roll in unbroken, the beach goes from dry beach to over-your-head water in about two steps. It's a dangerous place for children, it's a dangerous place for weak swimmers,' he said." —" Collision over gun reform bill: 'You're making criminals of common citizens '' —" Appropriations Committee argues over police and polling place provision " —" Lawmakers hear criticism of governor's youth services plan " —" NJ midterms: How will North Jersey congressional candidates make housing more affordable? " —" NJ jobs expanded in September, but at slower pace, officials say " | | | | NEW AND IMPROVED POLITICO APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. With a fresh look and improved features, the sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don't miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. Already a POLITICO app user? Upgrade today! DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID . | | | | | | | BIDEN TIME | |
RAGE AGAINST THE MANCHIN — New Jersey Republican House candidates are hitting Democrats on the SALT deduction, a key issue in the state with the highest property taxes in the nation , by POLITICO's Matt Friedman: Several New Jersey Republican House candidates on Thursday said the state's Democratic incumbents have not done enough to undo what the previous GOP majority had done regarding a cap on write-offs for the full cost of property tax bills. "They have failed in their promise to eliminate the SALT cap," said Frank Pallotta, the Republican running against Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer in New Jersey's 5th District. Who was there? Five candidates participated in the press conference, held in front of the Statehouse Annex in Trenton: Pallota, 3rd District candidate Bob Healey, who's running against incumbent Andy Kim; 11th District candidate Paul DeGroot, who's challenging Mikie Sherrill; 6th District candidate Sue Kiley, who's challenging Frank Pallone; and 12th District candidate Darius Mayfield, who's running against Bonnie Watson Coleman … "She could have done what Joe Manchin did and stood her ground and fought for New Jersey. But when push came to shove, what did she do? She fell in line with Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden," said DeGroot
—" CD-3 and fascism: Orwell would be disappointed " —Mulshine: " The Democrats' energy plan lacks punch " | | LOCAL | |
PERHAPS EVERYTHING THAT DIES REALLY DOES COME BACK — " Standard & Poor's upgrades Atlantic City bonds, citing better management and finances ," by The Press of Atlantic City's Michelle Brunetti Post: " Standard & Poor's has upgraded the city general obligation bonds, citing its improved budgeting and management policies, the firm said in a Thursday report. Atlantic City's rating was raised to BB from BB-, with a positive outlook, the firm reported. 'The upgrade reflects continued strengthening of the city's financial position following a sizable operating surplus in fiscal year 2021 and another projected in fiscal 2022,' the report from the ratings firm said. State oversight of the city, its backing of city bonds and its considerable state aid, were positive aspects that also figured in the upgrade, S&P said … In September, Moody's Investors Service upgraded the city's long-term issuer rating to Ba2 from Ba3, with the outlook remaining positive."
LET THEM LEARN ABOUT IT THE NORMAL WAY: FROM THEIR PHONES — " Sixth of Barnegat students opted out of sex ed by parents following 'outlandish' pushback ," by The Asbury Park Press' Joe Strupp: "One out of six students in the district have opted out of the new state-mandated sex education curriculum, according to officials who blame the higher rate on misinformation in the community and on social media. 'Sources of information are very far outside the realm of what is accurate and what was going to transpire,' Jim Barbieri, Barnegat Schools director of curriculum and instruction, said about parental concerns voiced at a recent parents meeting. 'They were so outlandish. I think the information that they were receiving from whatever source is so tilted and inaccurate compared to what we are going to do.' Barnegat Superintendent Brian Latwis revealed that 16.9% of students in the K-12 district had been opted out of the new required lessons by their parents, which state officials instituted to begin this fall. That's far higher than most Shore districts that are reporting only a handful of students or none at all choosing to avoid the new expanded lessons." | | | | A message from Anbaric Development Partners:   | | |
IT'S PROBABLY SAFE TO STOP OBSERVING ZEUS' BIRTHDAY — " Should N.J. schools close for religious holidays? Districts grapple with adding, eliminating days ," by NJ Advance Media's Brianna Kudich: "Clifton Superintendent Danny Robertozzi has a problem — the school year is just too long. Parents email him to complain that his district's end date, June 23 this year, is too late for kids to still be in school. Some say it's too hot. Others say the late end date is interfering with college-bound seniors starting summer programs or other kids starting summer activities. Robertozzi says he might have a solution: Eliminate the district's non-federal religious holidays, including Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Diwali and Eid al-Fitr. That would allow Clifton schools — where 58% of students are Hispanic and 29% white — to get out of school earlier in June … Robertozzi is set to make his recommendation to the board of education Thursday night after reviewing a community survey he sent out last month and guidance from a school calendar advisory committee. Clifton is the latest school district in New Jersey to grapple with complicated questions about which religious holidays to keep on the school calendar and which ones to nix. As the state's school population gets more racially and ethnically diverse, some holidays have gained more visibility and school calendar questions have become more fraught."
THE WESTFIELD WATCHER — " Westfield, N.J., residents are sick of Netflix fans driving to 'The Watcher' house at 657 Boulevard ," by NJ Advance Media's Nicolas Fernandes: "The people of Westfield would be happier if fans of the new Netflix series 'The Watcher' — based loosely on the creepy lore surrounding the house at 657 Boulevard — would stick to their sofas and smartphones to check out the fictional version of the home in question. But that's not happening, locals say, as visitors flocked to the area in the days after the show's premiere to get a glimpse of the real house that served as inspiration for the show … Pradeep Soni drove 25 minutes from his home in Franklin, Somerset County, on Monday to get an up-close look at the house. 'I just thought I would come because of how interesting the story was,' he said … They and other visitors over the weekend and on Monday found multiple township police officers stationed outside the home, with yellow tape surrounding the house and a barricade placed in front of the driveway to prevent trespassers." BERGEN COUNTY — " Takeaways from the Bergen County executive debate as candidates went head-to-head ," by The Record's Kristie Cattafi: " The League of Women Voters of Bergen County hosted the virtual forum Tuesday night for county executive candidates, incumbent Democrat James Tedesco and Republican challenger Todd Caliguire … Caliguire said he is running for office because he's concerned what a "one-party" government is doing, including high property taxes and what he said was an increase in crime. If elected, his main priority will be to restore affordability to the county to stop residents, especially seniors, from leaving. Tedesco is running for his third term as county executive and was first elected in 2014. He said his priority for the next four years will be to continue to ensure the safety of all residents, continue to make sure there are safe roads and bridges, continue to take care of veterans and senior citizens with continued fiscal responsibility and to ensure New Bridge Medical Center continues to provide health services throughout the county." SONG OF SOLOMON — " Why I voted 'No' on Jersey City budget ," by James Solomon for The Jersey Journal: "The first issue is that we voted on the 2022 calendar year budget in mid-October, meaning we've already failed at the most basic responsibility as a city: making sure we're getting things done on time. The delay was completely unnecessary, and it raised your taxes by an additional $10 million. The city failed to submit its Annual Financial Statement by the statutory March deadline, instead turning it in in August. That document revealed a $36 million cash deficit that was previously unaccounted for — further delaying the budget vote so the city could address that deficit. Ultimately, this delay is the reason that the city was unable to collect $10 million from its annual tax sale, and, as a result, Jersey City residents are being forced to shoulder that $10 million burden. This tax increase will fall entirely on your fourth-quarter taxes." —" Hoboken council OKs measure to potentially acquire Union Dry Dock, talks cannabis enforcement " —" Where will Paterson find an extra $8 million for Hinchliffe Stadium's redevelopment? " —" Days after mom found chemicals at Colonia H.S., school may be in line for more testing " —" Sandy Hook Fort Hancock could get affordable housing, but will buildings collapse first? " | | | | JOIN WOMEN RULE THURSDAY FOR A TALK WITH DEPARTING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS: A historic wave of retirements is hitting Congress, including several prominent Democratic women such as Illinois Rep. Cheri Bustos, House Democrats' former campaign chief. What is driving their departures? Join POLITICO on Oct. 27 for "The Exit Interview," a virtual event that will feature a conversation with departing members where they'll explain why they decided to leave office and what challenges face their parties ahead. REGISTER HERE . | | | | | | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
JERSEY JOE BONAPARTE — " Joseph Bonaparte exhibit in Bordentown gains attention of French ambassador ," by The Burlington County Times' Nichole White: "Each year, the Bordentown Historical Society hosts several exhibits at The Bordentown Friends Meetinghouse, located in the historic district, to educate visitors and residents on the town's history. Its newest exhibition consists of artifacts collected from King Joseph Bonaparte's self-imposed exile in South Jersey. Despite Bordentown's notoriety for its rich history, Doug Kiovsky, vice president of the BHS, says that Bonaparte's ties to the small town is less known." I'M CHANGING MY NAME TO PAWEEDMAN.EDU — " After 20 years, longtime N.J. marijuana activist officially changes his name ," by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jason Nark: "It was once a nickname, a marketing gimmick that morphed into a battle cry for marijuana freedom in the Garden State, but for 20 years, Ed Forchion failed to change his name to 'NJWeedman.com.' That changed, much to his surprise, on Monday Oct. 17, when a Mercer County judge finally signed off on his petition. Forchion's website, which he admittedly hasn't updated much in recent years, is now his legal name. 'Honestly, I just don't like losing,' Forchion 58, told the Inquirer Thursday." —" 5 N.J. daycare workers charged with abusing, force feeding kids " | | | | A message from Anbaric Development Partners: Anbaric's Boardwalk Power Portfolio is strategically designed to deliver what's needed, when it's needed. As the state continues to expand its offshore wind target, implementing a planned transmission system to scale the delivery of energy from offshore wind to shore becomes increasingly critical to the success of the state's goals.
Our projects have been thoughtfully developed to move forward on day one in collaboration with the communities in which we will operate. Anbaric's Boardwalk Power Link leverages an ideal onshore location, significant permitting advantages, and unique partnerships to deliver energy from offshore wind turbines to shore and into the heart of New Jersey, via a route buried in the public right of way. Our planned transmission vision is ready to be made reality—to support industry growth and protect New Jersey's ratepayers and environment.
Read more about how Anbaric's experience as a planned transmission advocate sets our project apart. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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