By Matt Friedman

Presented by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital

Good Wednesday morning!

Another day, another release of Hudson County mayors backing former Gov. Jim McGreevey to be the next mayor of Jersey CIty. According to David Wildstein, it’s now up to nine mayors who have put out support for him, out of 12 in Hudson County. Among those who haven’t endorsed: Jersey City Mayor and 2025 gubernatorial candidate Steve Fulop.

You know who also hasn’t endorsed McGreevey? The voters of Jersey City. Or even McGreevey himself, since he hasn’t declared his candidacy, even though he’s clearly running.

McGreevey’s still going about reentry work while having the bulk of the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) back his candidacy before he even announces it is strongly reminiscent of installing Rob Menendez — the guy Creedence Clearwater Revival sang about 16 years before he was born — as a congressman. To me it looks like an attempt to make McGreevey’s mayorship inevitable, so why even bother running?

But it probably won’t be as easy as it was with Menendez. The HCDO carries a lot of weight, but Jersey City elections are non-partisan. There won’t be a county line. And it can be hard to remember because Fulop became such a big player in the local Democratic machine, but his political rise as a councilman for the heavily gentrified Ward E in Jersey City was opposed by the HCDO bosses at the time.

There are three other people who’ve also seen mayoral candidacies floated: Council President Joyce Watterman, Ward E Councilmember James Solomon and Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea. Solomon told me other towns’ mayors’ endorsements are largely “irrelevant to the people of the city.”

 “There’s nothing in this that speaks to the people of Jersey City, and there’s not a resident I’ve talked to that cares about what power brokers in the rest of the county think,” he said. “They care about their taxes being too high and political cronies stealing their tax dollars.”

O’Dea, who said he plans to make an announcement about whether he’ll run for mayor in the next 60 days, said McGreeevy “can probably raise some money off of some of those names, but I don’t believe they deliver votes.”

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QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Maybe the year 2050, they’ll get the [light rail train] to Bergen,” Albert Cafiero, then-head of Bergen County’s transit committee, to The Record in 1996.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY —  Jeff Gardner, Michelle Timoni, Paula Sollami Covello, Alexi Friedman

WHERE’S MURPHY? In Monroe at 10:30 a.m. to address the New Jersey Alliance for Action conference, then in Manhattan at 12:30 p.m. to speak at the Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce forum.

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OFF THE RAILS — “Three decades later, the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line still has no Bergen spur. How come?” by The Record’s Colleen Wilson: “This marks the 30th year since the U.S. Department of Transportation first infused the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail project with federal funds to build a first-of-its-kind project through two of New Jersey's densest and most populated counties. Yet three decades on, the project still evokes controversy, criticized as an unfinished misnomer sinking further in bureaucratic stasis because the line has never been extended 10 miles into Bergen County, as originally planned. … It’s a conundrum that puzzles many. … The latest blow to the Bergen project came just weeks ago. The Federal Transit Administration told NJ Transit it had to throw out a 15-year-old environmental impact report that cost $9 million to produce. Now, the agency has to start over — a process that could take two years or more. … However, for the FTA to even consider reexamining the project, one key detail that has been conspicuously missing for the last three decades must be included: a source of state or local funding.

"Paul Kincaid, a Biden-appointed associate administrator for communications and congressional affairs for the FTA, said local financial commitments, known as matches, are critical for projects to be eligible for federal grants so work can proceed. … U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, whose newly redrawn District includes Englewood — the last municipality on the proposed line extension — said Friday that the issue of money is a ‘red herring.’”

—“It’s time to fix this NJ Transit light [Riverline], state leader says, after service cuts are announced”

THE GARDEN STATE PORKWAY — “N.J. lawmakers added $1.5 billion to budget, but few funds went to competitive districts,” by New Jersey Monitor’s Nikita Biyrukov: “State lawmakers’ individual funding requests for the $54.3 billion budget New Jersey adopted in June directed millions of dollars to the state’s few competitive legislative districts, but tens of millions more went to Democratic strongholds where there is no real risk of turnover. A New Jersey Monitor review of the budget documents found just $21.1 million of the $661.6 million that lawmakers and the Murphy administration directed to projects in individual counties or municipalities fell in the 3rd, 4th, 11th, and 16th districts — the four New Jersey legislative districts expected to hold the state’s most competitive races. All 120 seats in the Legislature are on the ballot in November. ‘We had a long period without very many earmarks. When these were much more prevalent, they were going to shore up districts where the party leaders thought the incumbent was in trouble. The fact that we’re not seeing that now, it really feels like a failure of leadership,’ said Dan Cassino, executive director of the Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll. … No New Jersey legislative district received more direct funding than the 36th, which got $53.5 million as a result of budget resolutions. The district is represented by Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen), who chairs the Senate’s budget committee.”

—“NJ Transit delays getting worse with more office workers returning” 

—“Port Authority embarks on bold plan to slash pollution to zero by 2050”

A message from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital:

We at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital are deeply disappointed with United Steel Workers 4-200's extreme action to strike. No one benefits from the strike, least of all our nurses. The union should consider the impact it is having on them and their families. Multiple attempts to prevent the strike were rejected, including accepting the union's demands and offering arbitration. RWJUH is already among the highest-staffed hospitals in the state, and our nurses are currently the highest-paid in New Jersey.

TRADING TOM MAL... KEAN — “Kean self-reports stock trades left off earlier reports,” by New Jersey Globe’s David Wildstein: “Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) disclosed today that he failed to report six stock trades beginning last April to the U.S. House of Representatives after a family trust didn’t notify him of the transactions until last Thursday. With his siblings, Kean is the one-third beneficiary of a trust established by his father, former Gov. Thomas H. Kean, and has no control over which stocks are bought and sold. ‘This week, the attorney charged with overseeing my Personal Transaction Reporting for the House shared with me that transactions from a family trust account, which I have no control over, were shared with him in an untimely fashion despite regular check-ins and confirmation of accurate reporting,’ Kean said. The Kean Family Partnership sold between $2,000 and $30,000 in stock in Fidelity National Information Services and Global Payments in April and May and purchased between $4,000 and $60,000 in Crown Holdings, Danaher Corporation, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co, and Fidelity between April and July, according to Personal Transaction Reports (PTRs) filed with the Clerk of the House.”

—“NJ-7 Democrats blast Kean for stock reporting issues” 

—“$82M will help protect whales from vessel strikes after over 60 strandings on Atlantic Coast”

—“Lin-Manuel Miranda to give keynote address at Menendez Hispanic Heritage Month event”

A message from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital:

FREE LUNCH — The Deptford school district on Tuesday suspended its new school lunch policy penalizing families racked up hundreds of dollars — in some cases thousands — in overdue fees after the Murphy administration stepped in. The district in Gloucester County started cracking down on parents this school year by serving peanut butter or cheese sandwiches to students until their bills are paid. In the district of roughly 4,100 students, 783 student accounts were $68,000 in arrears, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. But the state says the district’s policy runs afoul of a pair of new laws recently signed by Gov. Phil Murphy: The Hunger-Free Students’ Bill of Rights Act, which bans districts from “taking adverse action” or “lunch shaming” students with overdue bills, and the Working-Class Families’ Anti-Hunger Act that increases eligibility for free meals. The state Board of Education has reached out the county’s executive superintendent and the Department of Agriculture is instructing the district to discontinue its policy immediately, according to Murphy’s office. The district will also be told to notify including parents that police no longer applies and that it will not provide alternative meals due to money owed, and it must submit a revised policy to the state for review. “The Governor and his Administration will not stand for policies that ostracize and harm New Jersey students, especially those who may already come from a family struggling to put food on the table,” spokesperson Christi Peace said in a statement. The Gloucester County superintendent did not return a message Tuesday seeking comment, but Murphy's office said the school district told the administration it suspended its policy. — Dustin Racioppi

A FIGHT AT THE ROXBURY — “Will Roxbury be next to join fight over transgender students and parental notification?” by The Daily Record’s Kyle Morel: “The township school district, already at the center of a lawsuit involving LGBTQ-themed library books, will further discuss its policies regarding transgender students amid concerns about the rights of parents. Three members of the Roxbury Board of Education urged the board to review Policy 5756, which states that the district must accept a student's preferred gender identity without parental consent, after a member of the public brought up the issue at Monday's meeting. The policy follows wording recommended by the state Education Department. But board member Christopher Milde said that the state's language is not mandatory and merely provides guidance for districts relating to transgender students.”

SHE GREW BORED OF EDUCATION — “School board president in N.J.’s largest district resigns,” by NJ Advance Media’s Steve Strunsky: “Newark’s Board of Education president resigned Monday, later saying she was leaving to take a court job. ‘I stepped down because I began working for the superior court of New Jersey, Essex Vicinage,’ Asia Norton said in a statement to NJ Advance Media Monday night. Her resignation was effective immediately. Norton, who graduated from Rutgers Law School this spring, did not specify what kind of job she had taken or why that made it necessary to leave the board. … Norton had posted on social media Monday afternoon that she had resigned, though the post did not mention her new employment or give any reason why she was stepping down .. One of the board’s co-vice presidents, Dawn Haynes, had seen the Facebook post on Monday afternoon, though she did not know why Norton had resigned. … As president, Norton’s duties included setting the board agenda, running board meetings and acting as the board spokesperson, though she told NJ Advance Media following her election as president that she had a policy of not talking to reporters.”

A message from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital:

We at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital are deeply disappointed with United Steel Workers 4-200's extreme action to strike. No one benefits from the strike, least of all our nurses. The union should consider the impact it is having on them and their families. Multiple attempts to prevent the strike were rejected, including accepting the union's demands and offering arbitration. RWJUH is already among the highest-staffed hospitals in the state, and our nurses are currently the highest-paid in New Jersey. Our top priority is our patients. We remain steadfast in our commitment to delivering the highest-quality care in the safest environment. We want to reassure our patients, their families, and our community that we continue to care without interruption. We remain fully open and continue to deliver the high-quality care they deserve.

CHAIN MAIL — “Jenkinson’s ordered by state to unchain fences blocking access to beach,” by NJ Advance Media’s Jeff Goldman: “Jenkinson’s Boardwalk has received a warning letter from the state Department of Environmental Protection days after preventing the public from accessing its beaches in Point Pleasant Beach. The DEP said Tuesday that Jenkinson’s violated the conditions of its permit by fencing off the beach behind its boardwalk and putting up signs barring people from even walking on the sand. The letter was issued following an on-site inspection Thursday.”

—“Landlord scores court victory over constitutionality of Union City rent control rules”

—“Dover blaze was 'warning shot' to town about understaffed fire department, chief says” 

—“Dashcam video captures moment van slams into school bus picking up students in Lakewood” 

—Snowflack: ”The (Charlie) Sandman of time” 

—"New pedestrian bridge to connect Newark Penn Station to Prudential Center"

—“JCMUA adds $50 million sweetener into water deal to help Jersey City pay down ‘existing bond debt’” 

Enter the “room where it happens”, where global power players shape policy and politics, with Power Play. POLITICO’s brand-new podcast will host conversations with the leaders and power players shaping the biggest ideas and driving the global conversations, moderated by award-winning journalist Anne McElvoy. Sign up today to be notified of the first episodes in September – click here.

MEGADEBT: AMERICAN DREAM’S COUNTDOWN TO EXTINCTION — ”New Jersey’s American Dream megamall losses quadrupled in 2022,” by Bloomberg’s Martin Z. Braun: “American Dream, the megamall in New Jersey’s Meadowlands, has seen its losses increase fourfold in one year, according to a draft securities filing. The 3.5-million-square-foot shopping and entertainment complex, home to an indoor ski slope, amusement park and water park, lost about $245 million in 2022 as expenses almost doubled to $428 million, according to the three-page document posted Monday to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s EMMA website. Financial expenses, which typically include debt service payments, ballooned to $189 million.”

$4.2 MILLION x $0.50 — “Former employee pleads guilty to swindling $2.1 million from 50 Cent’s Hoboken-based liquor company,” by The Jersey Journal’s Ron Zeitlinger: “There’s a reason fans has to pay more than $200 a bottle for a popular rap artist-turned-actor-turned-entrepreneur’s brands of champagne and cognac — and it wasn’t just that it was good. The price of the Branson cognac and Chemin di Roi champagne had been inflated because the purchaser for the Hoboken-based Sire Spirits, founded by Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson, by adding in more than $2 million in hidden ‘agency fees’ to enrich himself and counterparts from the French distilleries he worked with. Mitchell Green, 44, of toney Westport, Connecticut, admitted in federal court to orchestrating a $2.19 million scheme to defraud Sire Spirits, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Officially Green pleaded guilty one count of wire fraud.”

PORTNOY COMPLAINTS — “Why are N.J. pizzerias supporting misogynist bully Dave Portnoy?” by NJ Advance Media’s Jeremy Schneider: “This weekend, more than 35 of America’s top pizzerias will converge on Coney Island for the inaugural One Bite Pizza Festival. Nine of them hail from the Garden State. … But pizza prowess isn’t the problem. It’s the host: Dave Portnoy. The founder of Barstool Sports has become one of the most influential, if not unlikely, figures in American pizza. His “One Bite” video reviews, which have included stops at more than 100 Jersey shops and tallied more than 600 million views, have the power to make or break many mom-and-pop pizzerias. … That’s all well and good, but to the nine New Jersey pizzerias participating in this upcoming festival, I pose a sincere inquiry: Are you comfortable associating with a person as regularly abhorrent as Portnoy? The list of disgusting things the 46-year-old personality from Boston has said or done is so long that Media Matters published a sprawling timeline of the incidents, aptly titled 'Barstool Sports is a cesspool of misogyny and bigotry.””

—RWJ nurses union temporarily barred from 'obstructive picketing'

—“Chef featured on ‘Chopped’ charged again with sex assault at N.J. restaurant” 

—“Private hospital system leads major public health program in Newark”

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