By Matt Friedman

Presented by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey

Good Tuesday morning!

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. the now-independent candidate for president who’s made a name for himself as perhaps the leading anti-vaccine activist, was the surprise speaker at a gala late last month hosted by the New Jersey Public Health Innovation PAC. The group characterizes itself as opposing vaccine mandates but, based on its embrace of RFK Jr. and others, it’s fair to call it an anti-vaccine group. (The only advertised guest speaker for the event was Peter McCullough — a cardiologist accused of promoting false or misleading statements on Covid-19 vaccines and who has mischaracterized federal data to argue that Covid-19 vaccines kill people.)

A bunch of New Jersey lawmakers were there, all Republicans, along with one Democrat who’s almost certainly to be elected in November: Hudson County’s Julio Marenco.

RFK Jr. has and continues to put out some truly abhorrent conspiracy theories, including most recently drawing heat for suggesting Covid was engineered to spare Jewish and Chinese people. Nevertheless, some of the Republicans present seem to think quite highly of Kennedy.

“He's very knowledgeable on this particular topic,” Assemblymember Gerry Scharfenberger (R-Monmouth) told Han. I have no idea where he stands on other dozens of hundreds of issues. It was very interesting to hear him speak. He's done his homework on this particular issue.”

Others, like state Sen. Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth), took issue with him. “I’m not a fan at all [of RFK Jr.],” said O’Scanlon. “I left before he spoke. But I probably would not have stayed if I was there when he came out. I have issues with his style of advocacy and some of his stances.”

There’s a lot of debate over Kennedy as a potential spoiler in 2024, whether for President Joe Biden or the Republican nominee against him. Based on the fact that it’s mostly Republican elected officials showing up en masse to the gala of a group that attracted Kennedy to speak, the latter looks more probable to me. But then, I doubt most of those Republican elected officials present would vote for Kennedy over Trump. And I guess — maybe — I could see some extraordinarily low-information Democratic voters pulling the lever for RFK Jr. because they don’t like Biden, and Kennedy has an iconic political name.

Read more from Daniel Han here. 

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QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I would say anyone who underestimates the guy is making a big mistake. … He comes off almost like a Clark Kent type of figure, like he's very innocent and very kind of ‘aw-shucks,’ but he's incredibly, incredibly shrewd. And the way he entered this race? If that doesn't get their attention that he's someone to be reckoned with, then they're missing out.” — Republican consultant Chris Russell on U.S. Rep. Andy Kim (D-3rd Dist.), who’s running for the Democratic Senate nomination.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Sean Darcy, Stephanie Lagos, Digna Townsend, Adam Kraemer, Tim O’Neill

CONGRATULATIONS — To my wife Emily for her 13th anniversary of being married to me, a catch

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Per the above, since we’re going to have to travel far for our anniversary dinner, Mia McCarthy will handle tomorrow’ edition of New Jersey Playbook.

WHERE’S MURPHY? Asia. Acting Gov. Tahesha Way has nothing public scheduled

 

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GATEWAY TO GATEWAY — “Construction of the N.Y.-N.J. Gateway Tunnel, one of the nation’s biggest transit projects, is about to begin,” by NJ Advance Media’s Larry Higgs: “Construction of the first phase of what could be the nation’s biggest mass transit project will be starting in the next few weeks, officials of the commission overseeing the Gateway Tunnel project said Monday. “We will be in construction this year,” Kris Kolluri, Gateway Development Commission CEO, said Monday. “Early construction activities are going to begin at Tonnelle Avenue, and to build the third phase concrete casing at Hudson Yards within the next several weeks.” The work is part of a larger multi-phase joint $16 billion project between New Jersey, New York and Amtrak to build two new Hudson River rail tunnels and rehabilitate the 113-year-old tunnels built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1910.”

SCHOOLS COULD USE SOME GOLD BARS — “New Jersey lawmakers mull tweaks to school funding formula,” by New Jersey Monitor’s Nikita Biryukov: “New Jersey lawmakers are preparing tweaks to the state’s school funding formula months after inflation and a white-hot housing market spurred outsized cuts to state education aid for a third of the state’s school districts. The contours of the reforms remain blurry, and lawmakers do not expect to approve the legislation until the next legislative session, said Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Monmouth), chair of the Senate Education Committee. But Gopal said the policy would include provisions to address categorical aid to districts’ transportation and extraordinary special education costs, which are provided independently of the state’s funding formula. ‘The formula hasn’t really been touched since 2008. The world’s changed since 2008,” Gopal said. Legislators renewed their focus on school funding this spring, after the state told more than 160 districts — including about two dozen in Gopal’s home of Monmouth County — that they would receive cuts in state aid.’”

—Pizarro:  “Baraka galloping around the state as Dems digest new dynamics”

—“‘A waiting game’ - frustrating delays in N.J.’s tutoring program” 

A message from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey:

PUERTO POBRE — “At Menendez’s island resort fund-raiser, donors were scarce. so was he,” by The New York Times’ Luis Ferré-Sadurní: “At Puerto Rico’s most exclusive beachfront resort, where shoulder season rooms go for $1,500 a night, deep-pocketed donors have reliably lined up to pay tribute to Senator Robert Menendez in the form of a $5,000 check to his political action committee. But this year’s retreat imploded, as donors quickly distanced themselves from Mr. Menendez turning the once powerful Democrat from New Jersey into a pariah at his own fund-raiser last weekend. The opening reception on Friday evening was pared down to three small tables overlooking the beach. There were still open seats: Only about a dozen people showed up to the subdued affair and roughly half of them were the senator’s aides. ... The shunned senator never showed, absent at his own ill-timed and ill-fated fund-raiser. More than half of the 50-or-so donors and their guests canceled attendance after the senator was charged three weeks ago. … In the end, only a handful of guests and their partners made the trip to Puerto Rico, but even some who stayed at the resort did not turn up to the scheduled receptions. Neither did Mr. Menendez.”

—“US Senator Menendez's arraignment on new charges moved to Oct. 23 -judge” 

WRONG SAID FRED — “The real estate tycoon whose fingerprints are on the Menendez indictment,” by The New York Times’ Elise Young and Tracey Tully: “Fred Daibes, the New Jersey real estate tycoon at the center of an international scandal threatening the career of Senator Robert Menendez, has found his way out of more than one tough spot over the course of his tumultuous life. He spent his first 10 years in a Palestinian refugee camp before emigrating to New Jersey, court records show. At 20, after his father died, he dropped out of college to support four younger siblings, a decision that paved the way to a wildly successful career building luxury housing in Edgewater, N.J. In 2013, he survived a vicious beating inside his penthouse apartment there. But in 2018, he faced a challenge that was far different. A 14-count federal indictment accusing him of scheming to defraud a bank he had founded threatened to upend his real estate empire and carried the risk of a lengthy prison term. It was then, prosecutors say, that he turned to a longtime ally for help: Senator Menendez.”

—“North Jersey developer Fred Daibes withdraws bank fraud guilty plea rejected by judge” 

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INSTEAD OF HELPING AREAS SUFFERING FROM DROUGHTS — “Rainmakers find political hedge in Chris Christie,” by Reuters’ Ben Winck: “Several hedge fund rainmakers poured cash into Chris Christie’s campaign over the summer, according to filings released on Monday. The former New Jersey governor’s flagging poll numbers make the donations look like losing bets at first blush. But with legal woes hanging over Trump’s campaign, contributions to the most anti-Trump conservative could become a valuable call option for the group that knows something about hedging. Campaign finance filings showed Christie raising $3.8 million in the third quarter, marking the fifth-largest quarterly total behind Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis as well as long-shot candidates Vivek Ramaswamy and Senator Tim Scott. That’s despite Christie’s backers counting for just 2% of Republican voters, per a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in September, compared to Trump’s 51% support.”

BLAZAKING A TRAIL — “More than one third of Blazakis’s Q3 fundraising came from himself,” by New Jersey Glove’s Ricky Suta: “More Than OneFormer U.S. State Department official Jason Blazakis announced on Friday that he’d raised $194,699 during his first six weeks in the Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 7th congressional district – but it turns out $71,600 came from his own pockets … it’s not unusual for congressional candidates – especially first-time candidates – to put in some of their own money to kickstart a campaign. … Unless there’s more self-funding on the way, which seems unlikely, Blazakis’s 3rd quarter numbers may give some Democrats pause – especially when they’re put in comparison with those of his Democratic primary opponent, Sue Altman. Altman, the former New Jersey Working Families Party director, has raised just over $500,000 so far, though she’s been in the race more than twice as long as Blazakis. During her first month in the race, Altman raised $218,000, none of it self-funded.”

A message from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey:

A healthier New Jersey. That’s our goal at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. That takes improving health care quality, affordability, and convenience. That means a commitment beyond providing great health insurance.

Since 2004, Horizon has given more than $125 million dollars to causes across New Jersey. We’re the only health insurer with a foundation focused on investing in the health of our communities and supporting the local organizations that are addressing our most pressing challenges. Health equity. Food and housing security. Substance abuse and mental health. Diabetes and childhood obesity. And so much more.

We have the largest network of hospitals in the state and are partnering with doctors and health systems who share our commitment to change. More New Jerseyans choose Horizon than any other health insurer. We’re proud to be your trusted choice and health partner since 1932.

We are Horizon. We are New Jersey.

CAR 420, WHERE ARE YOU? — “Jersey City plans federal lawsuit in fight to keep cops from using legal cannabis,” by The Jersey Journa’s Ron Zeitlinger: “Jersey City is not giving up on its fight to stop its police officers from legally using cannabis. Mayor Steve Fulop says the city is filing a lawsuit in federal court to challenge the state’s Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act (CREAMMA), saying the federal law preempts the state legislation on the legal use of cannabis. The city has lost two cases against police officers it had sanctioned for off-duty marijuana use. The Office of Administrative Law and the Civil Service Commissioner each ordered Jersey City to reinstate police officers Norhan Mansour and Omar Polanco in cases heard separately. Jersey City officials had vowed to appeal those decision. Fulop announced Monday that he, along with Public Safety Director Jim Shea and police officials, will hold a news conference Tuesday to discuss the lawsuit, which is not yet available online.”

ANDRE THE NON-PLIANT — “What's driving an apparent split between Andre Sayegh and prominent NJ Democrats?” by The Paterson Press’ Joe Malinconico: “Mayor Andre Sayegh’s recent public disputes with Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration represent the latest cracks in a growing divide between City Hall in Paterson and the Statehouse in Trenton, political insiders say. Sayegh this month unleashed separate criticisms against Murphy’s chief counsel and his attorney general, accusing them of being insensitive to Paterson crime victims. After those attacks, the mayor joined a lawsuit seeking to end the Murphy administration’s state takeover of Paterson’s Police Department. ‘I think it was ill-advised to take issue with the governor’s administration, because this governor has been very good to Paterson and very good to Andre,’ said Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly. ‘He’s going after somebody that Paterson needs.’ … Sayegh took office in 2018 boasting about his strong relationships with Murphy, Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. in Congress and Paterson’s state legislative contingent. But those relationships have gotten much weaker since then, political insiders said. It started when Sayegh offended Pascrell in the past two years by openly campaigning to become his onetime mentor’s successor in Congress, a move he made without waiting for the elder statesman’s blessing, political operatives said.”

PLAYBOOK IS GOING GLOBAL! We’re excited to introduce Global Playbook, POLITICO’s premier newsletter that brings you inside the most important conversations at the most influential events in the world. From the buzzy echoes emanating from the snowy peaks at the WEF in Davos to the discussions and personalities at Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to the heart of diplomacy at UNGA in New York City – author Suzanne Lynch brings it all to your fingertips. Experience the elite. Witness the influential. And never miss a global beat. BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. SUBSCRIBE NOW.

WALLFLOWERS —  “Is the Wall school board the worst job in New Jersey? Here's why no one is running for BOE,” by The Asbury Park Press’ Mike Davis: “All you need is three or more friends to write in your name on Election Day, and the glamorous job of serving on the Wall Township Board of Education could be yours! That's all you need to serve on the nine-member body, which is charged with using a $89 million budget, including a $73 million tax levy, to educate the 3,200 school children in Wall. For the first time in at least a decade, not a single candidate has filed to run for a seat on the school board this year. It's a stark contrast to just a few years ago: From 2013 to 2018, there were at least five candidates for three open, full-term board seats every year. ‘I hear it all the time: 'Why do you do that to yourself? You just get yelled at all the time,' said Christopher San Fillippo, who declined to run for reelection to the Wall school board after two terms. … Without any formally filed candidates, the three seats will go to the three write-in candidates with the highest votes, as long as they're qualified candidates and accept the position.”

THE QUEEN OF H.R. — “Mayor calls herself a ‘rockstar,’ won’t promote people she doesn’t like, N.J. cop says in court filings,” by NJ Advance Media’s Anthony G. Attrino: “A police officer in Middlesex County has filed a notice of intent to sue to the small borough where he works, claiming the mayor won’t promote police officers she doesn’t like because her husband was forced to resign from the department. Richard Sasso Jr., 35, a senior patrolman in the Spotswood Police Department, claims Mayor Jackie Palmer has violated state and local laws regarding promotions in the agency, which is non-civil service. ‘You better start getting in line because when I tear through this place, the only people left standing are the people that I like,’ the mayor allegedly said to Sasso. … Sasso writes the mayor blames him for the resignation of her husband, Kevin, who quietly left his police officer job in Spotswood during an internal affairs investigation several years ago. The details of why Kevin Palmer left his post are not publicly available. … At a December 2020 PBA Christmas party, Jackie Palmer allegedly “became intoxicated” and made exaggerated statements about her mayoral authority, according to the claim. “She was walking around belligerently telling people, ‘I’m a f------ rockstar’ and ‘I’m the queen of H.R.,” the claim states.”

—”Sayreville scrutinizes multimillion dollar development board in wake of corruption charges”

—“[North Wildwood] is to blame for dune breach and costly ineffective repair, state says” 

—“Details murky as Edison council moves to create public advocate job” 

—“Thousands gather in one of NJ’s most Jewish towns [Livingston] over Israel-Hamas war” 

—“Affordable housing crisis hinders refugees’ resettlement chances | Opinion” 

—“Hardships continue for Americans landing in Newark Airport after fleeing Israel” 

—“More N.J. kids are choosing vo-tech schools. Some are turning students away”

—“N.J. 18 year old arrested in airport killing of Philadelphia police officer” 

—“This year's NJ bear hunt saw third-highest kill count during archery season” 

—“Steve Martin, Martin Short to perform at Hard Rock Atlantic City next spring” 

—“Bon Jovi recording new album in Nashville after pre-production in New Jersey” 

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