The Jaffe Briefing - January 4, 2022
TRENTON – With this crazy spike in COVID, we are once again hearing about all these “executive orders.” There are about 100 or so pandemic-related executive orders, administrative orders, waivers and directives set to expire next week. But Gov. Phil Murphy wants them extended, Politico reports, as this public health emergency isn’t going away anytime soon. There will be at least 90 more days of these public health directives, such as requiring kids in schools to wear masks. Sure, there’s grumbling out there. Got another option?
NEWARK – In some public schools, it’s reached crisis levels. There are simply not enough teachers to work with all the kids. That’s why an Assembly committee zipped through a measure yesterday to allow retired teachers to dust off the apples and earn a paycheck without jeopardizing their pensions. New Jersey Monitor reports the emergency staff is sorely needed in cities like Newark and Jersey City, where remote instruction is now taking place because of staff shortages related to this stubborn pandemic. The burning question: What retired teacher would want to step into such a mess? And, more importantly, can these gray-haired educators still navigate an abacus?
TRENTON – Next week, the New Jersey Legislature will welcome 16 new members. And who are these people? The hope, of course, is that they represent the ethnic make-up of the state. And, of course, they really don’t. NJ Spotlight reports of the 120 senators and assembly members of the 219th Legislature, two-thirds are still men, while 70% of the lawmakers are white and non-Hispanic. Sure, there’s some movement toward diversity, compared to the current Legislature. But with the state’s population being only 52% white and 49% male, the Legislature still has a long way to go. The long-term fix: More recruitment among diverse people willing to dive into the murky, shark-infested waters of Jersey politics.
BRIEFING BREATHER
One in every four Americans has appeared on television.
STATEWIDE – Need some justice? Get in line. New Jersey Monitor reports about the seemingly hopeless backlog of court cases after two full years of this pandemic. There are now tens of thousands of cases and all these new COVID variants aren’t helping things. In March 2020, there were already 23,917 cases on the docket. Two months ago, that number hit 94,963, as there is just a trickle of in-person trials. There won’t be any more jury trials until Jan. 17, at the earliest, as all these landlord-tenant disputes linger, as well as heaps of criminal, civil, and family court cases. Having more judges would certainly help things. Essex County, for example, has 16 vacancies on the bench, as 25,923 cases await justice. The State Senate approves judges and can also push for a retirement age beyond 70. Perhaps there lies the solution.
ATLANTIC CITY – The wind chill whipping off the Atlantic Ocean is nine degrees, so let’s talk about new swimming pools. Yes, we are incredibly tone deaf, as we gush excitedly about all the family-friendly construction projects coming to the casinos. The AP reports that Resorts is renovating its rooftop pool, with a retractable roof for year-round use. The Ocean Casino is dropping $75 million to finally finish 12 floors of hotel rooms, Caesars is building a theater, the Showboat is constructing a $100 million indoor water park and Bally’s is thankfully renovating 750 well-worn rooms and finally redoing its lobby bar that was once the go-to place. And there will be a three-day country music festival this summer on the beach, with the grand assumption that summer will once again return to New Jersey.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
THIBODAUX, La. — Expect local cops to be hairier than usual, as the enormous success of the “No Shave November” fundraiser generated about $4,000, prompting the sheriff to make it year-round. “I figured there’s plenty of great causes to allow this to continue all year. So, I am changing No Shave November into No Shave Forever,” Sheriff Craig Webre declared via a press release secured by the Jaffe Briefing. Deputies and other workers of the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office have been donating $25 a month in exchange for the honor of growing beards. Now, expect 12 months of glorious growth per year – great news for the American Cancer Society and Special Olympics Louisiana.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Remember the polar vortex that brought record-low temperatures to New Jersey? It was on this day in 2014, with frigid air blasting down from the North Pole.
WORD OF THE DAY
Palindrome – [PAL-un-drohm] – noun
Definition: A word, verse, or sentence (“Able was I ere I saw Elba”), or a number (2002) that reads the same backward or forward.
Example: I actually have a favorite palindrome: “Drab as a fool, aloof as a bard.”
WIT OF THE DAY
“Nothing frustrates team members more than leaders who can't make up their minds.”
-John Maxwell
BIDEN BLURB
“I want to start by acknowledging how tired, worried, and frustrated I know you are. I know how you’re feeling.”
-Joe Biden
WEATHER IN A WORD
Shiver