Insider NJ’s Morning Intelligence Briefing: 11/28/2022 – Insider NJ

See the daily COVID-19 numbers on the NJDOH’s dashboard.

The Governor and First Lady launched the annual ‘Holidays at Drumthwacket’ public tour tradition.

Inflation took a bite out of NJ’s Black Friday, according to the Courier Post.

The NJ Turnpike expansion plan has drawn critics, according to NJ Spotlight.

A fire plan would cut 2.4M trees in the Pinelands, according to the Press of Atlantic City.

Experts say sports betting is luring NJ kids, according to MyCentralJersey.

The NJDOL launched three new ways for identity verification.

Mercer County Clerk Sollami issued a statement following the conclusion of an inquiry that found no criminal intent or tampering during the recent Election Day scanners failure.

Kean University was selected to pilot a new college admissions tool.

ICYMI: Murphy sent ‘Critical Mission Team’ to Menlo Park vets home; Teixeira pleaded guilty

Hazard pay for essential workers is languishing at the Statehouse.

The concealed carry debate last week in the Assembly was punctuated by colorful exchanges.

The NJBIA released its annual Business Outlook Survey.

The NJ Cannabis Trade Association named Todd Johnson the Executive Director.

The Clean Water, Healthy Families, Good Jobs campaign celebrated the final amendments to the NJDEP’s Drinking Water and Clean Water Intended Use Plan.

The IPMA-HR NJ will host a luncheon and Public Service Awards next month.

Steve Adubato discusses clean energy costs with Senator Bucco (video).

ICYMI: Gun proposal advanced after intense debate; unions forming coalition on health costs

In Trenton, Mayor Gusciora signed an executive order instituting an amended city budget following the council voted down the budget. The state certified the budget. The election numbers are in but questions remain, according to the Trentonian. Three women are suing the city alleging sexual harassment by the former clerk, according to the Trentonian. AFSCME Council 63 endorsed Damian Malave in the South Ward runoff.

In Hoboken, Councilman Cohen called on the NPS and FAA to reject the draft helicopter agreement.

In Rahway, the NJDOL issued a stop-work order to a contractor on two school construction projects.

In Jersey City, the city won a ‘Municipal Project of the Year’ award for the Newark Avenue pedestrian hub.

In Atlantic City, competing multi-billion dollar redevelopment plans are pitched for Bader Field, according to NJ Spotlight. The community wants main roads fixed, according to the Press of Atlantic City.

In Bernards, Police Chief Shimsky will retire, according to NJ Hills.

In Cranbury, the new $4.3M library opened, according to MyCentralJersey.

In Edison, the BOE appointed an acting superintendent, according to MyCentralJersey.

In Flemington, the council approved several safety ordinances, according to TAPinto.

In Montgomery, full-day kindergarten was approved, according to MyCentralJersey.

In Monroe, major updates were made to the master plan, according to MyCentralJersey.

In Mount Olive, the town won’t enforce the state-mandated insurance law, according to NJ Hills. The suspended schools chief filed a suit and ethics complaints against the school district and BOE, according to NJ Hills.

In Oakland, the Crystal Springs Beach Club voted to dissolve, according to the Daily Record.

In Ocean County, an esports program is planned for the high school, according to the Press of Atlantic City.

In Paterson, a lawsuit alleges the city is ‘deliberately indifferent’ to police misconduct, according to Paterson Press.

In Parsippany, the mayor and council vowed to reopen the historic Mount Tabor Library, according to the Daily Record.

In Phillipsburg, the town is in the running for a multipurpose field through the Cal Ripken Jr. Foundation, according to Lehigh Valley Live.

In Randolph, Schliefstein alleged BOE election interference, according to NJ Hills.

In Rutherford, Gavin MacInned threatened to sue over a cancelled show, according to NJ Herald.

In Springfield, the town contracted a firm for sewer upgrades, according to TAPinto.

In Wayne, the town must pay for the dredging of Packanack Lake, according to TAPinto.

In West Caldwell, infrastructure remediation continues, according to TAPinto.

In Westfield, an OPRA request yielded private information and potential conflicts, according to UC Hawk.

ICYMI: In Mendham Township, two votes separate committee candidates; in Hackensack, Gottheimer rallied with firefighters

Did Donald Trump just hint at his own demise? | Mulshine 

Paul Mulshine, Star-Ledger

• The other day, one of my friends assured me that Donald Trump remains the leader of the Republican Party and that his fanatical supporters will carry him to victory in the Republican presidential primaries of 2024. But that friend is a Democrat. Democrats would like nothing more than to get another chance to defeat the Donald in 2024.

President Biden: Our new health crisis is guns. It’s time to act | Mike Kelly 

Mike Kelly, NorthJersey.com

• Dear President Biden, America has a public health crisis. It’s called mass shootings. It’s time for you to act. The bloodshed of the last week is no longer shocking. Mass shootings are now a deafening, bang-bang-bang echo of a problem that has persisted far too long. In recent days, death came to a Walmart, a gay nightclub and a college bus returning from a field trip. But this bloodshed is not just a reminder of what we’ve endured; it’s a precursor of what will surely come.

When media gets it wrong: Why we’re correcting a 103-year-old obituary 

Jim Beckerman, NorthJersey.com

• “DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN.” The most famous headline in history was not the cleverest. It was not the best written. It owes its notoriety to just one thing: It was wrong. Dewey did not defeat Truman. Which is why the iconic photo of a gloating Harry Truman, holding up the Nov. 3, 1948, Chicago Daily Tribune, is a classic piece of Americana. Today, copies of that famed first edition go for $2,000. Ever wonder if the Tribune ran a correction? The answer appears to be: It didn’t.

Trust us. Winter is the best time to go to the Jersey Shore. 

Amy S. Rosenberg, Philadelphia Inquirer

• A taste of winter came early this year, and the reasons to head to the beach in New Jersey quietly blossomed. One day it was a late summer, local’s summer, with familiar faces spreading out blankets for their toddlers, dogs welcomed anywhere, surfers and cold-water swimmers no longer so rigidly organized and partitioned.

NJ Transit report card: A chief ethics officer with two jobs and two masters 

Colleen Wilson, NorthJersey.com

• Many commuters have heard of NJ Transit’s notoriously vacant customer advocate position — but few have heard of the chief ethics officer role. The chief ethics officer position was created as part of the NJ Transit reform legislation to investigate fraud, waste and abuse. In October 2021, the board unanimously approved Christopher Iu for the position. Iu, however, is also the agency’s chief compliance officer, and in that role answers to Kevin Corbett, the CEO and president of the agency.

Area mayors to speak on local impact of healthcare cost spike at Tuesday press conference 

NJ Hills

• Mayors and elected officials from several southeast Morris County towns will discuss the impacts of pending increases to health insurance premiums on their municipalities at a joint press conference at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29 in Morris Township. Mayors Mark Gyorfy of Morris Township, Bob Conley of Madison, Thad Kobylarz of Chatham, Ashley Felice of Chatham Township, Tim Dougherty of Morristown and Jason Karr of Morris Plains will be among the speakers.

Some riders want ‘mask only’ cars on NJ Transit 

Eric Conklin, Press of Atlantic City

• Meg Rathgeb only occasionally uses a face covering when she’s on a crowded NJ Transit train since COVID-19 protocols ended. But, as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), flu and COVID-19 continue to cause concern, she understands why concerned riders throughout the Garden State want the agency to institute a “mask car” for at-risk passengers.

I know a lot about Trump and ‘news.’ Can the media change how it covers him? | Mike Kelly 

Mike Kelly, NorthJersey.com

• My moment in Donald Trump’s presidential glow this year came months before he formally announced his candidacy for the presidency. I offer it now as a lesson for journalists — even a personal confession of sorts — as we approach yet another Trump run for the White House. We hear much now about how Trump poses a dilemma for Republicans. How will they support or criticize him? Should they? Even Democrats are supposedly rethinking their strategies in dealing with him.

More pointless whining from the criminal-in-chief | Moran 

Tom Moran, Star-Ledger

• Let’s face it, it’s beyond awkward for the Biden Justice Department to investigate Donald Trump while he is running for president — especially when his most likely opponent at this stage is Joe Biden himself. Attorney General Merrick Garland understands that, which is why he announced Friday that he will surrender direct control of the investigation, and hand it to a special counsel, Jack Smith.

In politics, be thankful for climate turnaround above all | Moran 

Tom Moran, Star-Ledger

• This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful that the United States is finally putting its mighty shoulder into the fight against climate change, that the decades of dawdling have finally come to an end. The Inflation Reduction Act does almost nothing to fight inflation, beyond containing the cost of prescription drugs. It was given that name so that Sen. Joe Manchin could pretend otherwise.

Bruce Springsteen should charge what the market will bear | Mulshine 

Paul Mulshine, Star-Ledger

• Rarely do I agree with Bruce Springsteen. But this time I do. This issue is how he should price the tickets for his upcoming tour, which includes an April 14 stop at the Prudential Center in Newark. For prior tours, Springsteen has low-balled the prices to reward his faithful fans for their loyalty.

Chris Christie is making his move for the White House. Job one is attacking Donald Trump. 

Matt Arco, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

• A year ago, Chris Christie wouldn’t even call former President Donald Trump out by name when he warned an audience at the Ronald Regan Library not to let “a few zealots” control the Republican Party. Now, there’s no holding back for the former New Jersey governor with eyes on the White House. “This guy is a loser,” Christie told NJ Advance Media in a recent interview. “He can’t win. He’s won once and everything he’s done since then is lose.”

Gritty, Elmo and Mayor McCheese for Congress — why do people throw their votes away on write-ins? 

Terence McDonald, NJ Monitor

• Why would a voter write in “my butt” for Congress instead of choosing between Rep. Tom Malinowski and Tom Kean Jr. in the 7th District House race? A variation on this question has bugged me since 2016, when I wrote about a surge of New Jersey voters casting write-in ballots for president rather than voting for either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. Write-ins that year ranged from obvious protest votes like Sen. Bernie Sanders to … less obvious ones like Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine. Or both: Someone in Kearny wrote in Evan McMullin for president and Dat boiiiiiiiiiii for vice president.

Push for fusion voting in New Jersey didn’t end with Rep. Tom Malinowski’s loss 

Terence McDonald, NJ Monitor

• New Jerseyans want fusion voting. That’s the takeaway from a new poll, anyway, one conducted by Braun Research on behalf of Washington-based think tank New America Foundation. The poll surveyed 800 New Jersey residents about political polarization, the two-party system, and fusion voting, and found that 81% of respondents think the two-party system is not working as it should and 68% said fusion voting can better express citizens’ views.

The richest and poorest countries in New Jersey, ranked 

Michael Symons, NJ1015

• New Jersey’s income growth seems to be continuing, though moderating, this year. In earlier reports, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said personal income in the state grew at an annual rate of 5.3% in the January-to-March quarter and 5.6% in the April-to-June quarter. Next month, the BEA will issue a report on what it calls real personal income, which adjusts the data using regional price differences and inflation to better compare the buying power of those incomes.

Delaware Water Gap tourism gave $235M boost to Pa. and N.J. communities in 2021, study finds 

Steve Novak, For lehighvalleylive.com

• Millions of dollars flowed through the Delaware Water Gap in 2021. A report release this fall by the National Parks Conservation Association studying the financial impacts of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area found the park and its 4.3 million visitors generated $235 million in revenue for businesses in Northampton, Monroe and Pike counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Sussex counties in New Jersey.

Op-Ed: Assessing the Garden State’s new congressional map 

Brad Van Arnum, NJ Spotlight

• With the 2022 midterm election now in the books, it is worth examining how New Jersey’s congressional map performed. The new congressional map, which was used for the first time this year, was enacted at the very end of 2021 by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission. The commission was a 13-member body composed of six Democrats, six Republicans, and a tiebreaker chosen by the New Jersey Supreme Court.

Murphy talks up NJ’s newest property tax program 

Briana Vannozzi, NJ Spotlight

• The rising cost of a Thanksgiving celebration is top of mind as we head into the holiday, with inflation making it tougher to get that Thanksgiving feast on the table. Data from the annual Farm Bureau Survey shows you’ll pay 20% more for a dinner that feeds 10 people. And it’s not just the grocery bill that’s affecting the holiday spirit. Residents in New Jersey and across the country say they’re planning to cut back on gift-giving and even seasonal travel to save a few bucks, according to a new Stockton University Poll out this week.

South Jersey wines top New Jersey Governor’s Cup awards 

Carol Comegno, Cherry Hill Courier-Post

• South Jersey wines have swept all but one category in the New Jersey Governor’s Cup tasting awards for 2022. William Heritage Winery of Mullica Hill took the top honor for the best wine in the competition, a 2019 Reserve BDX Red Blend, a Bordeaux-style wine that also won in the best red category. Heritage also won in the rose category for its 2021 vintage. Auburn Road Vineyard and Winery of Pittsgrove also had two top wines in the white and fortified wine categories.