The Morning Briefing August 16, 2012

FREEHOLD – “Baby, we were born to run….” in the Baby Bruce Springsteen Look-a-like Contest at a Freehold daycare center at 5 p.m. WWZY “The Breeze” 107.1 FM will have children up to six years old competing for cash prizes, as the contest is broadcast live. A tip for toddlers: Between now and 5 p.m., have mommy find a large Black sax player and a red-headed woman for you to perform with.

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL – The Holy Grail of Republican politics is to blindly say no to new taxes, no matter the need or logic. But Joe Kyrillos is not playing that game. The GOP senate hopeful is refusing to sign the anti-tax pledge that Americans for Tax Reform demand of all card-carrying, God-loving Republicans. Kyrillos tells the Record he is willing to support “smart” tax increases for wealthier people and recognizes over time that Congress will have to raise more revenue. Sure, the GOP is cringing, but having a backbone plays well in New Jersey. (See Chris Christie)

TRENTON – Politicians, policy wonks and bean counters have guzzled plenty of anti-acid this morning, and are officially braced to hear the latest unemployment numbers for New Jersey. The job numbers for July, to be released today, will be the latest figures available for the national political conventions. Will New Jersey, under GOP keynote speaker Chris Christie, be experiencing his long-awaited comeback? Or will this be another month with 9.6 percent of New Jerseyans out of work? Pass the Pepcid.

TRENTON – The hallmark of the daily pot smoker is certainly not initiative, so it really comes as no surprise that the state Health Department has only seen 21 patients wander in to apply for the medical marijuana program since registration began one week ago. Perhaps the state should offer a large pizza with extra cheese to gin up the registration numbers.

ATLANTIC CITY – New Jerseyans wouldn’t really care about the financial wellbeing of the fledgling Revel casino if it weren’t the fact that $261 million of our money was invested – without our permission – into this $2.4 billion behemoth. So, as involuntary investors, we’re peeved the Revel is only expected to bring in $200 million in its first 12 months – or $360 million short of projections, The Star-Ledger reports. And the fact that some guy choked and carjacked a cab driver on Sunday right in front of the casino doesn’t add to its luxurious allure. In hindsight, maybe the cabbie should have just driven the nut to Trenton, like he demanded. At least it would have gotten him away from “our” casino.

NEW BRUNSWICK – Now this may not be the first time that politicians have been likened to cockroaches, but that doesn’t diminish the entertainment value of the 16^th-annual "New Jersey Cockroach Derby" today. The race pits two Madagascar hissing cockroaches named after Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. It’s all part of the breathtaking action at the New Jersey Pest Management Association's 65th annual clinic at Cook College.

COLTS NECK – State officials are trying to figure if New Jersey American Water should have taken the time to repair a decaying wooden bridge that ran over three of its key water pipes. NJ.com reports the bridge collapsed June 29, knocking out service to 22 Monmouth County towns and forcing 285,000 people to boil water for a few days. The bridge was damaged in Tropical Store Irene, but the company’s inspectors said the section “was within manufacturing standards.” (huh?) More importantly, what are the conditions on all the other wooden bridges stretching over key infrastructure that we don’t know exist, but rely on?

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

Pete Best quickly went to “Pete Worst” on this day in 1962 when the Beatles decided to replace him with Ringo Starr