Good Tuesday morning!

Middlesex County Democrats, come January the state’s most powerful legislative delegation, are trying to help out one of their own.

State Sen. Joe Vitale and Assemblymember Yvonne Lopez last Monday proposed a bill that would allow a public official to retire from a state job while continuing to serve on the local governing body and still receive a pension.

This bill is aimed at a Carteret councilmember, Raymond “Randy” Krum, who’s about to retire from his job as a training manager at the Turnpike Authority after more than 30 years. He’s been on the council for about 20 years. Under current law, in place since the 2011 pension reforms, Krum will have to resign from his council seat for at least six months in order to collect his pension.

This isn’t akin to Dana Redd, who saw her pension more than triple a few years ago, when lawmakers passed and then-Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill to put her back into tier one of the pension system around the same time an obscure university board hired her for a $275,000 pensionable job. And it’s far from the only bill being considered or that recently passed that tinkers with undoing some pension reforms. But can we expect more of this as Middlesex feels its power?

Read more about it here.

WHERE’S MURPHY? Out-of-state until Friday, making Sheila Oliver acting governor. The governor's public schedule did not say where Murphy went.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Put down your stones.” — Chris and Deborah Gramiccioni on the Wall High School hazing scandal

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — FDU’s Fernando Alonso, GOP activist Mike Ramaglia, former Rush Holt spox Matt Dennis

TIPS? FEEDBACK? HATE MAIL? Email me at [email protected]

OFF THE WATERFRONT — New Jersey gets high court victory in Waterfront Commission case, but fight may not be over, by POLITICO’s Ry Rivard: The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed New Jersey a victory in its effort to abolish the 70-year-old Waterfront Commission, declining to intervene for now in whether the state can leave the bi-state agency tasked with keeping the ports around New York Harbor free of organized crime. But the high court’s move doesn’t end the commission — if anything, it may intensify a simmering dispute between New Jersey and New York about the agency’s future, adding to other state clashes between the two states over taxes and tolls. The Waterfront Commission had sued to stop New Jersey from abandoning the agreement that established it decades ago, a move that would have effectively killed it. On Monday, the nation’s high court declined to hear an appeal of a lower court ruling that sided with New Jersey's argument that the commission didn’t have standing to sue the state.

GOP: MURPHY DOESN’T CARE IF IT HURTS. HE WANTS TO HAVE CONTROL. HE WANTS A PERFECT BUDGET. HE WANTS ITALIAN SOLE — “Bracket creep: Under-the-radar tax hikes for NJ wage earners,” by NJ Spotlight News’ John Reitmeyer: “Under a circumstance known as ‘bracket creep,’ the tax hikes will come even as inflation — which has increased significantly over the last year, according to the latest federal data — erodes the buying power of their take-home pay, resulting in a net loss for the taxpayer. ‘Inflation is eating away at their buying power and now they’re paying more taxes. It’s completely unfair,’ said Sen. Anthony Bucco (R-Morris) during a recent interview with NJ Spotlight News. Bucco is the sponsor of a bill that would seek to prevent such tax increases by linking, or ‘indexing,’ New Jersey’s income-tax brackets to the rate of inflation. Under his bill, the tax brackets would be adjusted automatically each year to keep up with rising inflation. A former state assemblyman who became a senator in 2019, Bucco has been sounding bracket-creep alarms for years. But this year, with inflation on the rise and Republicans making new gains in the State House — and Gov. Phil Murphy escaping a near-upset earlier this month — affordability is now a buzzword in Trenton.”

MIDDLE-CLASS ON A VERY GOOD DAY — Murphys reported $982K in income for 2020 and paid nearly $500K in taxes, by POLITICO’s Katherine Landergan: Gov. Phil Murphy and first lady Tammy Murphy reported slightly less than $1 million in income last year and paid just under $500,000 in taxes, according to a summary of the couple’s tax returns released Monday. According to a five-year tax summary the governor’s office released, 2020 marked the first time since at least 2016 that the couple reported an annual income of less than $1 million. That means Murphy, a former Goldman Sachs executive, and his wife will not be impacted by the governor’s own millionaires tax, which he signed into law last year and imposes a higher tax rate on income above $1 million. For comparison, the couple reported an adjusted annual income of $4.6 million in 2016; $6.8 million in 2017; $2.2 million in 2018; and $2.7 million in 2019.

PARENTS UPSET AT ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT BIPARTISANS EXIST — “Bipartisanship is a dirty word. But did NJ's election open the door to compromise?” by The Record’s Charles Stile: “It's easy to see why the topic has vanished from political discourse. Just ask the 13 House Republicans who dared vote for President Joe Biden's infrastructure package, a measure that routinely won support from both parties. The nihilists who dwell in the Republican base hounded them as traitors … Still, I also see a slight opening in that window here in New Jersey. Maybe it's crazy, but consider the environment. Democrats still retain strong majorities, but they lost seats and support in predominantly blue-collar towns that Biden carried in 2020. Call it the return of the Reagan Democrats. The Democrats also saw some reversals of fortunes in suburban Republican areas where they made inroads in recent years. Fairly or not, the perception in the Legislature is that Murphy's message leaned too far to the left. It's a perception that has now sunk into the Democratic caucus in Trenton. It's now the cautious, even slightly more conservative caucus. Meanwhile, the Republicans are buoyed by the election, and are eager to find a place at the table in Trenton, especially by 2023, when all 120 seats are up for election. Both parties will feel the pressure to point to some results that are of importance to both parties.”

PRISON RELEASES — “NJ Cut Its Prison Population By 40% During 11 Months Of the Pandemic,” by WNYC’s Karen Yi: “As the coronavirus swept through New Jersey’s prison system last year, killing inmates at the highest rate in the nation for months, state leaders took an unprecedented step: They slashed the prison population by 40%. ‘No other state has been able to accomplish what New Jersey has accomplished,’ said Amol Sinha, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey … In October 2020, Governor Phil Murphy signed a law that allowed those within a year of release to get out up to eight months early. The first-in-the-nation measure ultimately freed nearly 5,300 adults and juveniles from state custody over the last 11 months. ‘New Jersey's prison population plummeted under the law, reaching a level that it had not been in for decades and creating a much more manageable … population for the correction system,’ said Todd Clear, a university professor at Rutgers who specializes in criminal justice … While there’s no data yet on the rates of recidivism among those released early, Clear said several studies show that reducing an individual’s time in prison by a few months does not affect recidivism. He said the percentage of people likely to be re-arrested stays the same, it just happens sooner. ... But those releases have now stopped … New Jersey’s DOC oversaw about 18,000 people in its system, pre-pandemic. Spokeswoman Liz Velez said the population is now down to 10,800.”

RED TIDE — “GOP gains leave Jersey Shore nearly free of Democratic legislators,” by New Jersey Monitor’s Nikita Biryuvkov: “Starting on Jan. 11, only one Democrat, Sen. Vin Gopal, will represent the coastal region south of Sayreville in the Legislature, and even he finds himself on a precarious perch amid Republican enthusiasm that could further imperil Gopal, a former Monmouth County Democratic chairman whose running mates lost re-election on Nov. 2. 'The party itself has to look a lot and see how they’re doing things differently. A win is a win, but Democrats should not be celebrating,' Gopal told the New Jersey Monitor. Since 2019, Democrats have lost numerous Shore districts. Sen. Michael Testa (R-Cumberland) ousted former Sen. Bob Andrzejczak (D-Cape May) in the 1st District that year, with the Republican’s running mates taking the district’s two Assembly seats. This year, the party lost another four Assembly seats in Atlantic and Monmouth counties and also failed to claim a state Senate seat in the 2nd District, which was left vacant by Republican Sen. Chris Brown’s July resignation (the seat had been controlled by Democrats for a decade prior to Brown winning it in 2007). Every political corner has its own explanation for the defeats, but one thing is clear: Progressivism is not playing along the Shore.”

UNLESS BON JOVI GETS IN TROUBLE —“Could Murphy’s first term go by without a single pardon?” by New Jersey Globe’s Joey Fox: “With his first term almost done, Murphy still has yet to issue a single pardon, commutation, or reprieve. Thanksgiving is often a time when governors both in New Jersey and around the country focus the most on pardons and commutations. Asked today whether he intends to follow that tradition, however, Murphy demurred. 'No news on pardons to make,' he said. 'That doesn’t mean that I’m making a statement either for or against them. I am proud of the fact that we’ve expunged 362,000 low-end drug records...'"

BETTER GIVE THEM TAX BREAKS — "Quarterly Atlantic City profits double from a year ago," by The AP's Wayne Parry: "Atlantic City’s nine casinos saw their gross operating profit more than double in the third quarter of this year, according to state figures released Monday. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement figures show the casinos posted a collective gross operating profit of more than $310 million in July, August and September of this year. That is more than twice the $151 million profit they reported in the third quarter of 2020, when they were still operating under state-imposed capacity restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic."

—“Report offers 4 ways to make N.J. an easier place to retire”

—“N.J.’s 1st full report on school staff, student COVID cases shows 22K positive tests this year”

—“Middlesex rising – and other observations”

—"Ciattarelli was unable to topple Middlesex’s blue wall"

—“A 'series of manipulation and grooming': Middletown alum files $50M sex abuse suit”

—Persichilli: Covid hospitalizations could hit 2,000 during holiday season

—“Supply chain issues impact day-to-day items need by NJ businesses”

LOCAL

IDA — “21 N.J. schools closed due to Ida storm damage. 4 still haven’t reopened,” by NJ Advance Media’s Jackie Roman: “According to records provided by the New Jersey Department of Education, 21 schools in the state had to close on or after their original start date due to damage incurred by Tropical Storm Ida. The ‘lucky’ ones, like Grieco Elementary School in Englewood Public School District, lost less than a week of in-person instruction. Originally scheduled to welcome students back on Sept. 2, the district pushed the start of its academic year to Sept. 9, but kept Grieco Elementary School students remote until Sept. 14, according to state documents. Since the building only sustained water damage on its first floor, and no structural or mechanical damage, it was able to relocate instruction to the building’s second and third floors while restoration continued elsewhere. That might mislead one to believe the damage in Englewood Public School District was minor, but that’s not case. The Englewood Public Schools business administrator submitted a preliminary damage assessment form to the New Jersey State Office of Emergency Management to report the estimated amount of Tropical Storm Ida damage at $24.2 million dollars for the John Grieco Elementary School and the district’s Winton White Stadium area.”

TOM’S INDECISION — “Toms River school board blasted by LGBTQ group for failing to protect the 'most vulnerable',” by The Asbury Park Press’ Jean Mikle: “The Toms River Regional school board is being criticized for not protecting its ‘most vulnerable students’ after declining in a vote last month to implement a new state-mandated curriculum that includes lessons on gender identity and sexual orientation. The board's initial decision not to approve the comprehensive health and physical education curriculum drew fire from Garden State Equality, an Asbury Park-based LGBTQ advocacy group … Last month, a majority of the nine-member board, citing their opposition to various aspects of the curriculum, voted not to approve it. The state-mandated curriculum is scheduled to go into effect in the 2022-2023 school year … Last month, a majority of the nine-member board, citing their opposition to various aspects of the curriculum, voted not to approve it.The practical effect of the vote is unclear. The curriculum is mandated by the state, which sets policy on instruction and graduation requirements. Asked about the Toms River action, the state Education Department did not offer a comment. The debate, however, positions Toms River Regional in a political, cultural and values debate being hashed out in many New Jersey school districts, as well as those across the country.”

PARENTS WHO PRESUMABLY DON’T GIVE THEIR KIDS ACCESS TO SMARTPHONES OR COMPUTERS — “Wayne parents demand removal of 'Gender Queer,' six other books from school libraries,” by The Record’s Philip DeVencentis: “Parents are calling for the Board of Education to permanently remove what they consider to be improper and "pornographic" material from multiple school libraries. The issue arose last month, but it came to a head last week when at least three parents filed complaints with the K-12 district over seven books. They include an award-winning memoir titled "Gender Queer," which faces formidable criticism across the nation for its suggestive language and cartoon images of masturbation and oral sex. All of the books under scrutiny in Wayne have to do with topics of sexual identity, and none is assigned to students as part of the district's curriculum.”

EWING — “Ewing council prez denies conflict repping Ewing cop in federal case,” by The Trentonian’s Isaac Avilucea: “Ewing council president David Schroth, also an attorney, is representing retired Ewing cop Lt. Michael Delahanty against civil-rights deprivation charges in federal court. The feds indicted Delahanty and two other cops Friday after they were caught on tape stomping the head and kicking snow in the face of a 16-year-old Black teenager during a Jan. 5, 2018 arrest. Schroth accompanied Delahanty to FBI headquarters Friday morning to surrender to the FBI. He planned to argue on Delahanty’s behalf at an arraignment this afternoon. Asked about the awkward arrangement, Schroth told The Trentonian by phone that he would evaluate whether it’s a conflict for him to continue representing Delahanty.”

_“Video shows [Essex County] jail inmate viciously beaten with microwave, repeatedly stomped in attack by 7 men”

—“Jersey City public schools to receive $4.5 million in SDA funds but still not enough for districts needs”

—“New $241M Hoboken High School would replace JFK Stadium, transfer middle schoolers to existing building”

—“Mom, 2 kids killed after N.J. apartment owners didn’t change her locks, lawsuit says”

—“Wayne school trustee targeted by anonymous flyer takes high road in concession speech”

—“Asians are N.J.’s fastest growing population. They are also the most underrepresented in police departments”

GOFUNDYOURSELF — “N.J. man pleads guilty to federal charge in $400K GoFundMe scam,” by NJ Advance Media’s Noah Cohen: “A Burlington County man on Monday admitted his role in a GoFundMe scam that involved his then-girlfriend and a lie about a helpful homeless veteran, and netted $400,000 from online donors, officials said. Mark D’Amico, 42, pleaded guilty in Camden federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to New Jersey Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig. A January 2020 indictment charged the former Bordentown resident with more than a dozen counts, including wire fraud and money laundering. D’Amico and his ex-girlfriend, Katelyn McClure, duped more than 14,000 donors with the fabricated story that claimed the homeless man, Johnny Bobbitt Jr, spent his last $20 to help McClure when she ran out of gas and was stranded on I-95 in Philadelphia.”

—“NJ churches have reopened their doors as COVID wanes. But can they fill the pews?”

—“A new search for Jimmy Hoffa”

—“We need a regional transit fare card that works in N.J. and NYC, advocates say”