| | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | | | Good Friday morning! In a move that was influenced by the election coming up in less than two weeks, Gov. Phil Murphy vetoed the New Jersey Turnpike’s proposed budget that would have included a 3 percent toll hike based on indexing. "After considering the issue, I have decided to veto the @NJTurnpike’s proposed budget passed earlier this week. I am not satisfied with the justification provided for the toll increases reflected in the budget and need more information for why the board is taking this step,” Murphy tweeted. This comes after Democratic legislative leaders and candidates in tough districts urged Murphy to veto the toll increase, and after Republicans complained about it. Do I really need to tell you I’m being sarcastic? I’m skeptical, to say the least, that this veto was based on the “need for more information” so much as political expediency. Just like how the fact that residents are receiving tax rebate checks this month almost certainly isn’t coincidental timing. In reality, I think this was all about the political toll. (I’d write “no pun intended” but you wouldn’t believe me.) I understand that politics and government are inexorably intertwined. But our policymakers put some things in place to try to check the influence of short-term politics on governing. That’s one of the reasons for indexing things like toll hikes. Somehow, Murphy didn’t see the need to veto them for the last three years. As the Assembly GOP noted, just ask his chief of staff. Read more from Ry Rivard here. TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I’m the senator that fights for the little guy.” — U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez last night in his first sit-down interview since his indictment. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: George Helmy, Eric Scott, Rick Tighe. Saturday for James Beach, Leslie Tejada. Sunday for Michele Matsikoudis, Bob Singer, Abdel Aziz. Tony Sayegh. WHERE’S MURPHY? In Moonachie at 9:45 a.m. for a discussion on the economy with Meadowlands Chamber President Jim Kirkos. Then at NJPAC in Newark at 8 p.m. to introduce Stephen Colbert for the 2023 Montclair Film Festival. | | A message from Alibaba: Alibaba means big business for U.S. companies, like New Jersey’s Nuria and Phyto-C. Last year, $66 billion worth of American goods were sold across the globe through Alibaba’s online marketplace. These sales added $1.2 billion to New Jersey’s economy while supporting 10,000 local jobs and $694 million in wages for local workers. Learn more about Alibaba’s positive impact on New Jersey’s economy. | | | |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
TRANSPARENCY — ELEC is bumping up its disclosure calendar: 11-day pre-election reports from campaigns and independent-expenditure groups are due today. Initially, ELEC did not plan to disclose them until Thursday, Nov. 2 — just five days before the election. But yesterday, the agency announced that it will release any reports received by tonight’s 5 p.m. deadline by 7 p.m. I know, I know. This is really geeky, obscure stuff. But it’s actually important. Because there are independent expenditure groups that didn’t start spending money until late in the cycle and did not disclose 29-day pre-election reports. If we had to wait until Thursday, there would be six fewer days for the press and interested members of the public to figure out who’s funding them.
WHEN IT WAS ‘23, IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR — “Fiscal ’23 was a good year for NJ’s public-worker pension funds,” by NJ Spotlight News’ John Reitmeyer: “New Jersey’s public-worker pension fund closed out the last fiscal year with healthy investment gains and a big increase in overall market value, according to new estimates released Wednesday. The full review of the pension fund’s fiscal year 2023 performance was a major subject of discussion during a Wednesday meeting of the New Jersey State Investment Council, the panel that sets policy for the pension fund. In all, net investment returns hit 9% during the 2023 fiscal year, which ended June 30, according to the new estimates reviewed by members of the council. While still subject to final auditing, the fiscal year 2023 investment performance will easily top the pension fund’s assumed rate of return of 7%, said Shoaib Khan, the director of the Department of Treasury’s Division of Investment.” BARBS TRADED — “Local agency’s request to borrow money leads to spat between gubernatorial hopeful, GOP leaders,” by New Jersey Monitor’s Sophie Nieto-Munoz: “A fight over a Jersey City agency’s request for state approval to borrow $157 million dollars offers a peek into the snide back-and-forth New Jerseyans will witness when it searches for its new governor. The bonding request has a handful of Republican leaders trading barbs with Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop — the only Democrat who has declared he will run to succeed Gov. Phil Murphy — with Sen. Mike Testa (R-Cumberland) accusing Fulop of shoddy governance and Fulop’s spokeswoman attacking Testa as irrelevant … The issue at the center of the current fight went before the state Local Finance Board on Wednesday. The Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority asked for permission to issue $157 million in bonds, $102 million to pay for capital projects and $55 million to give to Jersey City’s municipal government as a franchise fee. The agency pays the fee to the city to run the city’s water and sewer systems. Testa wrote to the board Monday asking it to reject the request, saying the city was playing 'reckless financial games' and calling the $55 million plan to borrow money and hand it to the city’s government 'especially offensive' because it appeared the city was trying to paper over its own debt problems by pushing one of its agencies further into debt. Testa, a rising GOP star, has criticized Jersey City before, for its plan to build a French art museum, some of it with state funding.” A SCHNALL PROBLEM — Lakewood Dem Assembly candidate discloses expenses following GOP complaint, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: A Democratic Assembly candidate amended his campaign finance filings to show $33,000 in debt after the Republican State Committee filed a complaint alleging he had not properly disclosed his finances and suggesting he was illegally coordinating with an independent expenditure group. Alexander "Avi" Schnall, a rabbi from Lakewood who’s running for Assembly in the 30th District, in a Wednesday filing with the Election Law Enforcement Commission reported raising just $100 but disclosed incurring $33,087 in debt for digital and print advertisements. Republicans alleged in a complaint with the Election Law Enforcement Commission filed Monday that those expenses should have been disclosed on Schnall’s initial 29-day pre-election report, initially filed Oct. 10. “It is contrary to the entire purpose of ELEC for persons and entities to fund and publish political communications without disclosing who paid for them, and for candidates running for political office to flagrantly violate the law requiring disclosure of contributions and expenses in an election,” reads the committee’s complaint. —“Rutgers’ president on the medical school merger, that vote of no confidence, and the faculty strike” —“Dem Senate candidate quit county job because they wouldn’t pay her for time off campaigning” | | | | GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here. | | | | | | | Biden's Beltway | |
ENDEZ OF THE ROAD — New Jersey to Menendez: Get out, by POLITICO’s Matt Friedman: Fewer than 1 in 10 New Jerseyans believe that Sen. Bob Menendez should remain in office following his charges of bribery and being an unregistered foreign agent for the Egyptian government, according to a poll released Thursday. The Stockton University Polling Institute survey of 630 Garden State residents found just 8 percent of New Jerseyans said the senior Democratic senator should remain in office, while 71 percent said he should resign. (Full poll)
—“We’ve never seen anything like the Menendez indictment” LADIES PLIGHT — “In race to replace NJ's Sen. Menendez, first lady Tammy Murphy would have advantages few women share,” by WNYC’s Nancy Solomon: “Two insiders privy to their strategy discussions say Democratic bosses want a woman to run, as a counterbalance to the disproportionate number of men already in the state’s elected offices. But political scholars, activists and those insiders say that speaks to a larger problem: There are few women who could mount a bid for higher office because the state’s powerful political machines have always protected entrenched interests. And those entrenched interests are usually men. ‘We have a pipeline problem in the state,’ said Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. ‘You see when you really break it down by gender and then also by gender and race, how underrepresented women are and how overrepresented white men are in all elective office.’ … [A]bout a dozen party leaders met on the day of the Menendez indictment and decided to call for his resignation … There were no women in the room.” —“[Bernie Sanders] calls out N.J. hospital leaders. They tell him to back off” | | | | A message from Alibaba:   | | | | | LOCAL | |
ALEX THE NOT SO GREAT — “Witness was with Paterson's Alex Mendez when he allegedly broke election law, say records,” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “An unidentified state’s witness said he accompanied Alex Mendez while the then-City Council candidate illegally collected mail-in ballots from voters, according to court records in the new election fraud charges filed against Mendez. The unnamed witness told detectives he and Mendez took the ballots to the candidate’s headquarters and the two of them then went with campaign chairman Omar Ledesma to drop off more than 300 illegally collected ballots at a mailbox in Haledon, said the affidavit of probable cause. Mendez’s trip to Haledon in a car owned by his wife was captured on video by a surveillance camera, the affidavit said. Investigators also said they have audio recordings of Mendez admitting he completed a false registration form for someone described as ‘Voter 5‘ and of Mendez discussing a false story to explain the Paterson ballots found mailed in Haledon.”
THE LOCH MESS MONSTER — “Holmdel board stares into the face of the wokeness monster,” by InsiderNJ’s Fred Snowflack: “Walk around the local high school lobby and you see signs of support for inclusion and a bulletin board promoting a student Gay Straight Alliance Club. This is, board of education members said during Wednesday night’s meeting, a very welcoming environment … But how will such a rosy view of high school life in this Monmouth County town survive the ‘culture wars?’ Wednesday’s meeting saw the board in a 5-3 vote with one abstention rescind a state recommended policy governing how transgender students are treated. The controversial part of the policy reads that a district 'shall accept a student’s asserted gender identity; parental consent is not required.' School boards across the state adopted this policy a few years ago, some believing it was mandatory. But it surfaced during a court hearing earlier this year that it is not.” —“Jersey City Council votes to amend Master Plan to allow accessory dwelling units” —“Fellow Democrats again call on twice-arrested Flemington councilman to resign” —“GEICO, Novelis cutting almost 200 jobs in South Jersey” —“Paterson City Council just agreed to this settlement in a police excessive force case” —“How Paterson will settle workers' comp claim from controversial ex-personnel director” —“Bullying lawsuit settled for $30K after dad says kid was beaten while [Paulsboro] school did nothing” | | | | PLAYBOOK IS GOING GLOBAL! We’re excited to introduce Global Playbook, POLITICO’s premier newsletter that brings you inside the most important conversations at the most influential events in the world. From the buzzy echoes emanating from the snowy peaks at the WEF in Davos to the discussions and personalities at Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to the heart of diplomacy at UNGA in New York City – author Suzanne Lynch brings it all to your fingertips. Experience the elite. Witness the influential. And never miss a global beat. BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
PARAMUS BUS CRASH — “N.J. families settle horrific Paramus school bus crash case for nearly $20M,” by NJ Advance Media’s Brianna Kudisch: “More than five years after the horrific Paramus school bus crash on Route 80 that killed a student and a teacher, two cases have been settled for nearly $20 million, the attorney said. The Paramus Public Schools reached a settlement with the family of Miranda Vargas, the 10-year-old student killed, for $7 million, said attorney Bruce Nagel. The district also settled with the family of Asher Majeed, who was critically injured in the crash, for $12.5 million, he said."
SLAYERVILLE — “Sayreville police investigate old firehouse's hauntings on video. See what they found,” by MyCentralJersey’s Jenna Intersimone: “The walls of the Sayreville original firehouse and borough hall won’t stop talking … With a red brick façade and interior filled with remnants of its varied past, the building has been vacant since 2018 after a pipe broke — and it’s long been rumored to be haunted. Now, the ‘Poltergeist Police’ have determined — with the use of EMF meters, SLS cameras, a medium and even cat toys — that’s likely to be true. Lt. James Novak and Charles Teator and Briana Cortez of the Sayreville Police Department were members of the Poltergeist Police in a nearly hour-long YouTube video and ghost investigation of the building that the department posted on Friday, Oct. 13. ‘I’m open to the idea that something that I don’t understand happens in the universe, but I’ve always been skeptical,’ Novak said. ‘I’m definitely more of a believer after this investigation.’” — “The landmark B.L. England smokestack was imploded to make room for an off-shore wind facility and more" —“Hate and harassment: NJ Palestinians, vilified as terrorists, are worried for their safety” —“NJ [for-profit college] ordered to cancel $3.4M in student debt” R.I.P. — “Longtime CBS New York journalist Arnold Diaz, known for 'Shame on You' segment, dies” | | A message from Alibaba: New Jersey businesses are making it big in China and having a bigger impact back home. How?
By partnering with Alibaba, an online marketplace that reaches over one billion Chinese consumers, New Jersey businesses generate enough sales to add $1.2 billion to the state’s economy, supporting 10,000 local jobs and $694 million in wages.
Alibaba helps emerging and established brands from New Jersey, like Nuria and Phyto-C, sell their products to consumers across China. From start to finish, Alibaba partners with U.S. companies to inform their strategy, marketing plan, and sales tools, and even assists with fulfillment so that they can tap into the world’s second largest economy.
This translates to big business for companies of all sizes. Explore how Alibaba benefits local businesses and New Jersey’s economy. | | | | | | | 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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