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Presented by AARP New Jersey: Matt Friedman's must-read briefing on the Garden State's important news of the day | | | | |  | | By Matt Friedman | Presented by AARP New Jersey | Good Tuesday morning! Polls are open! New Jerseyans head to the polls in the most consequential election since, err.. I don’t know, probably the last one? As a political reporter in this state for a long time, I’ve developed election fatigue. The people who drew up the state’s constitution 74 years ago made a smart move in divorcing state-level elections from federal ones. But they were short-sighted in thinking about how political reporters would never get a break, always having to cover some kind of campaign. Reporters are, of course, the first people who should be taken into account for every decision. You know I’m not going to offer any predictions as to today’s results. But I did put together a list of things to watch today that are at least somewhat beyond the obvious. Give it a read here . DAYS SINCE MURPHY REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HIS WIFE’S NON-PROFIT SHOULD DISCLOSE DONORS: 275 TIPS? FEEDBACK? HATE MAIL? Email me at mfriedman@politico.com HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Ashley Balcerzak, Sister Pat Codey, A.J. Sabath, Erik Simonsen WHERE’S MURPHY? — In East Brunswick for a World Cup-related event at 12 p.m. Doing a New Jersey Globe livestream at 5 p.m. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I would like to hear from him.” — Clark Democratic Chair Nancy Sheridan on Senate President Nick Scutari, who according to a report has not showed up to events to back the local Democrats or explicitly called for the mayor to step down following his n-word tirades that were caught on tape. POLL OF THE DAY — FDU : “Overall, just 12 percent of New Jersey residents say that the local media is doing a good job of covering important issues and holding officials accountable. Thirty-five percent say that the media is doing a ‘fair’ job, and the plurality, 41 percent rate it as ‘poor.’ ‘Local news coverage in New Jersey has really been hollowed out over the past decade,’ said Dan Cassino, a professor of Government and Politics at FDU, and the Executive Director of the Poll. ‘The reporters and outlets we have do good work, but there’s just not that many of them left.’” | | | | A message from AARP New Jersey: Caring for a parent, spouse or other older loved one can be financially and emotionally draining. Every day, family caregivers struggle to assist older loved ones often using money out of their own pockets. The average family caregiver spends about a quarter of their income on caregiving activities. That’s a huge burden. But NJ lawmakers can give family caregivers the relief they need by supporting the Caregiver’s Assistance Act (A1802/S2021). Tell lawmakers: support (A1802/S2021). | | | |  | WHAT TRENTON MADE | |
NURSING HOMES — “ Scathing report says some at state-operated veteran’s home were put in ‘immediate jeopardy’ ,” by NJ Advance Media’s Susan K. Livio and Ted Sherman: “In a highly critical report, inspectors found the state’s Veteran’s Memorial Home at Menlo Park placed some residents in “immediate jeopardy” over serious shortcomings in care — citing the troubled nursing home for incredible medical mistakes, abuse of a resident who had not received medication, and improper infection controls to stop a new COVID outbreak. In one incident, a registered nurse who apparently did not know how to remove a catheter — a skill taught in nursing school — simply cut it with a scissor. The resident ended up in the emergency room and then was transferred to a hospital to be treated for a urinary tract infection … Another resident who repeatedly rang the call bell to get his medication was allegedly confronted by an angry nurse and an aide in what was described in the report as an emotionally and physically abusive episode. And staff failed to conduct contact tracing to contain what became a massive COVID outbreak, inspectors charged … A finding of ‘immediate jeopardy’ signifies a threat to life and can lead to severe sanctions against a nursing home.”
NEEDLES — “ Drug deaths rise, but NJ’s safe-injection sites stalled ,” by NJ Spotlight News’ Lilo H. Stainton: “Last year, 3,124 people died of an overdose in the state, according to state figures. Infectious disease expert Dr. Amesika Nyaku, also a report author and coalition trustee, said the current landscape represents a ‘systemic failure’ but is not unique to this state … There is good news, Nyaku and others agreed, in the form of a law Gov. Phil Murphy signed in January to encourage additional syringe access programs by eliminating the ability of local officials to block programs. But regulations to enact the statute are still being drafted by the Department of Health, despite the department’s suggesting to the legislative champion, Sen. Joe Vitale (D-Middlesex) that the process would be complete in September.” TRENTON WATER… WORKS? — In New Jersey, another capital city struggles to provide safe water , by POLITICO’s Ry Rivard: If there is going to be another capital city without safe water anytime soon, it may be New Jersey’s. On the heels of a water crisis in Jackson, Miss., officials in New Jersey have moved to tighten state oversight of Trenton’s water system, citing the “imminent and substantial endangerment” to more than 200,000 customers in and around the capital city. While Trenton’s water is considered safe to drink at the moment, the state Department of Environmental Protection says maintenance and operation failures threaten the city and four suburbs by creating conditions that invite bacteria, lead contamination and worms into the drinking water supply. Some of the issues are longstanding, but dysfunction in City Hall prompted the state to step in. — Murphy backs bills aimed at combating auto theft —“ Turnpike widening opponents say report boosts case against $4.7B plan to add more lanes ” —” Emergency food network needs improvement, study says ” —“ New state resident can’t vote this year because Motor Vehicles couldn’t give him an appointment on time ” | | | | 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 | |
ROE WOE — “ Will inflation frustration overtake NJ Democrats? It'll be down to the wire ,” by The Record’s Charles Stile; “With rake in hand and a heavy sweat on his brow, Charles Graytok could declare his yard in Rahway leaf-free — and his mind made up about Tuesday's midterm elections. The 38-year-old accountant already plans to vote for the Democratic ticket and Rep. Tom Malinowski of the 7th Congressional District — perhaps the most endangered incumbent this Tuesday. Still, Graytok remains uneasy about the Democrats' messaging — mainly through television ads — that has flooded the airwaves at the close of the race. Some of those clips, he said, seemed out of touch with the pulse of a public struggling with stubbornly high prices for food and gas while interest rates climb and the stock market wobbles. ‘Most of the ads I've been seeing have been focusing issues on like women's rights and abortion, which I feel is very important, but it's just not what the majority of people are focused on at the moment,’ he said. ‘A majority of Americans care about finances and inflation and how we're going to combat that.’ Graytok's anxiety courses not only through this deep-blue redoubt in Union County, but throughout the national Democratic Party as it braces itself for the possibility of a Republican wave in Tuesday's election.”
SOME SUSPECT THAT PHIL MURPHY SUPPORTS A WIG — “ If control of the House is close, Jan. 3 could be chaos ,” by Roll Call’s Jim Saksa: “Consider the following scenario: Following a contentious midterm election, the House gathers on the first day of the new Congress to organize itself. With an unpopular Democrat in the White House, the party appears to have lost its House majority. … In one state, it looks like the Democrats lost five tight races, but there are reports that votes from entire towns were never counted. Despite the irregularities, though, the governor certified the results, which would have tipped control of the House to his party … except the House clerk, picked by the Democrats in the lame duck, refuses to recognize the five disputed representatives-elect. And that tips the balance in the House back to the Democrats. Chaos ensues. This might sound like the plot of a bad political thriller or the fever dream of a conspiracy theorist, but it’s no hypothetical. It actually happened in 1839, when House Democrats rejected five of six Whig representatives-elect from New Jersey who showed up with election certificates issued by the governor, who was also a Whig. As a result, they retained partisan control of the House during the months it took to resolve the debacle. This would be nothing more than a historical footnote if it couldn’t happen again. But according to election law experts, it could.” GOOD LUCK WITH THAT — “ Midterm snapshot ,” by InsiderNJ’s Fred Snowflack: “No matter what the voters say tomorrow, Paul DeGroot is taking his case to court. The Republican candidate in CD-11 has filed a defamation suit against opponent Mikie Sherrill and her campaign. His claim is that Team Sherrill continues to run campaign ads that are false. The suit puts it this way: ‘These defendants have spent millions of dollars to falsely accuse the plaintiff of favoring (a) law which bans abortion in the case of rape, incest and when a woman’s life is in danger.’” —“ Murphy’s federal PAC boosting key Democratic candidates, voting rights issues nationally ” —“ Here’s where over $70 million was spent on NJ races for Congress ” —“ Political spending grows as time dwindles ” —“ Josh Gottheimer, Frank Pallotta to have U.S. House rematch. Here's what to know ” —Snowflack: “ Kean glimpsed at the Westin ” —Moran: “ A candidate who won’t talk to voters? Does Tom Kean think he’s royalty? ” —“ 2018 ‘blue wave’ Democrats face different challenges four years later ” —“ More than 725,000 votes cast in advance of Election Day ” —“ Where each competitive N.J. congressional race stands, by the numbers ” | | | | A message from AARP New Jersey:   | | |
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THE ERA OF BAD FEELINGS — “ NJ tosses another ethics complaint against Monroe school board members ,”by MyCentralJersey’s Mike Deak: “The New Jersey School Ethics Commission has dismissed a complaint that four Monroe Board of Education members violated the School Ethics Act by posting on Facebook what a township resident claimed were attacks on her in retaliation for her posts questioning the credentials of the then assistant superintendent of schools … Sarah Aziz filed the ethics charges on May 10 against school board members Adi Nikitinsky, Kenneth Chiarella, Christine Skurbe and Karen Bierman, for the social media posts made after Aziz uploaded a file in April alleging that [Superintendent Chari] Chanley had made ‘several misrepresentations"’about her doctoral degree … In her complaint, Aziz charged that Nikitinsky ‘launched an Islamophobic attack’ on her by falsely claiming she was ‘involved in an organization that inspires terrorism.’ … In their response to the charges, the board members said that Aziz had been employed as a media relations director more than a decade ago for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) which they claimed was ‘regarded as anti-Semitic.’”
THIS FIGMENT OF MY IMAGINATION IS RIDICULOUS— “ Politics and polarization fire up N.J. school board races ,” by NJ Advance Media’s Tina Kelley and Riley Yates: “In the Barnegat Township School District in Ocean County, 10 candidates are seeking five seats, and families have opted out more than 15% of students from the new sex-ed curriculum … Dave Sherman, a former school board member, is among the other slate’s candidates. He called it ‘ridiculous’ that 5- or 6-year-olds would be taught about anal sex, though asked by NJ Advance Media whether that was part of the curriculum, he said he was unsure. The 2020 sex education standards require students to be familiar with the concepts of vaginal, oral, and anal sex by the end of eighth grade when most are 14 years old. Sherman questioned whether schools should be teaching sex education at all. ‘It’s up to the parents,’ he said. ‘It’s not up to the schools.’” —“ In heated N.J. school board race, things get physical ” —“ West Milford introduced 95 ordinances in last two years. Here's what residents should know ” —“ These are the ballot questions South Jersey voters will see on Election Day 2022 ” —“ Monmouth Mall, Fort Monmouth dominate Eatontown mayoral race ” —“ Vandals hit Belmar, NJ, GOP headquarters ” — “ Cape officials meet to strategize about heading off future unsanctioned events ” —“ Haledon's Ken Pengitore: Ex-football great is heavy underdog to regain the job of mayor ” —“ Voters to determine rematch for mayor of Prospect Park; Khairullah seeks fifth term ” —“ Trenton Mayoral Candidates, well, some of them, talk to The Trentonian ” —“ Newark city worker shot and wounded Monday, after shooting of 2 officers last week ” —“ Upper Saddle River's new mayor is continuing a lifetime of public service in the borough ” | | | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S 2nd ANNUAL DEFENSE SUMMIT ON 11/16: The United States is facing a defining moment in the future of its defense, national security and democratic ideals. The current conflicts and developments around the world are pushing Washington to reshape its defense strategy and how it cooperates with allies. Join POLITICO for our second annual defense summit, “At a Crossroads: America’s Defense Strategy” on November 16 in person at the Schuyler DC or join online to hear keynote interviews and panels discussing the road ahead for America’s national security. REGISTER HERE . | | | | | | | EVERYTHING ELSE | |
WHY MESS WITH PERFECTION? — Hochul plan to upgrade Penn Station faces renewed scrutiny amid economic uncertainty , by POLITICO’s Danielle Muoio Dunn : Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to reconstruct Penn Station is facing financial headwinds and new criticism from a member of her own party. Hochul wants to sell development rights around the Midtown Manhattan rail hub and hopes ensuing economic activity will generate revenue to help pay for $22 billion in upgrades to Penn Station. But Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) is questioning New York's projected demand for commercial real estate and wants to know how revenue shortfalls could impact New Jersey, which is expected to help pay for the undertaking, according to a letter obtained by POLITICO.
OH HELO NO — “ Liberty State Park advocates to Nat’l Park Service: Don’t foist helicopters on us ,” by The Jersey Journal’s Teri West: “Should the visitor experience at one park be prioritized over that of another? As the National Park Service looks to strike a deal with helicopter tourism companies that would divert the aircrafts away from Liberty Island and Ellis Island, advocates of Liberty State Park fear that the helicopters will instead create a noisy, dangerous situation by hovering over their park. The agreement, currently in draft form, would create a half-mile boundary around each of the islands that commercial helicopters would voluntarily agree not to breach. Liberty State Park sits less than half a mile from the two islands, so helicopters would not be prevented from flying over the park. ‘This agreement is equivalent to approving tourist helicopters right over Central Park,Friends of Liberty State Park said in a statement opposing the plan.” FORT MONEYPIT — “ Once hailed as a Shore thing, Fort Monmouth now an albatross around NJCU’s neck ,” by The Jersey Journal’s Joshua Rosario: “ In 2018, NJCU signed a $61.5-million deal — including a 35-year lease agreement — that led to the creation of the satellite campus on the old Army property. It was the first time the 95-year-old state college ventured entirely on its own beyond its long-established home on Jersey City’s West Side. Four years later, Squier Hall, the 70,000-square-foot heart of NJCU at Fort Monmouth, is a prime example of the grand dreams with small results that left the university with a $67 million deficit, forcing it to declare a financial emergency this summer and lay off or furlough dozens of faculty and staff … The initial “rightsizing” plan adopted in September by NJCU trustees calls for the university to find a way out of the Fort Monmouth campus, perhaps by transferring it to the control of another state college — a humbling conclusion to what was conceived as a bold move to expand the school’s reach into the fast-growing suburbs of the Jersey Shore.” ED AND MEDS — “ Rowan University and Virtua Health unveil plans for new college of medicine and health ,” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Harold Brubaker: “Rowan University and Virtua Health on Monday unveiled their plans for a new college of medicine and health that they hope will become a force in education, health care, and research in South Jersey. The new college, backed over 10 years by $125 million from Rowan and $85 million from Virtua, combines Rowan’s School of Osteopathic Medicine, Rowan’s School of Nursing and Health Professions, and Virtua’s Our Lady of Lourdes Nursing School, plus a new school of translational biomedical engineering and sciences. Its formal name is Virtua Health College of Medicine & Life Sciences.” R.I.P. — “ N.J. rapper Tame One dead at 52. The Artifacts hip-hop great remembered by fans, friends ” —“ Oddball NJ governors: The strangest of the strange ” —“ What did we learn from the battle to defeat the PennEast Pipeline? | Opinion ” — New Jersey reports its first monkeypox-related death | | | | A message from AARP New Jersey: Caring for a parent, spouse or other older loved one can be financially and emotionally draining. Every day, family caregivers struggle to assist loved ones often using money out of their own pockets. The average family caregiver spends about a quarter of their income on caregiving activities. Many take on debt or tap into savings to make sure their loved ones get the care they need. That’s a huge burden. And their sacrifices save the state and taxpayers money by keeping their loved ones out of costly nursing home facilities. New Jersey family caregivers provide more than $13 billion a year in unpaid care. It’s past time to give them some financial relief. NJ lawmakers can take action by supporting the Caregiver’s Assistance Act (A1802/S2021). This bill would provide a modest tax credit for family caregivers who pay for expensive care out of their own pockets. Tell lawmakers: support (A1802/S2021). | | | | | | | 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 | | | | |  |
