Bribing Doctors With Strippers
Ted Sherman reports on the dude behind the medical fraud conspiracy believed to have netted “the largest number of medical professionals ever prosecuted in a federal bribery case.”
David Nicoll, the guy behind Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services, “provided prostitutes to at least five physicians in exchange for blood work orders.” Other doctors he just sent to Key West to go fishing. Or they got fancy cars. Or Katy Perry tickets or Super Bowl tickets. Etc.
I kind of get why a former nurse might take a look at a business whose “biggest monthly expense” was an “exclusive New York strip club,” and who netted upwards of $150 million in revenue (he lost track), and decide to make a career change, but how many god-damned doctors are there out there who need a swimming pool “shaped like Mickey Mouse” or tickets to Justin Bieber? Are their kids the problem?
Society is a sack of gilded potatoes.
GOP Tax Bill
New Jersey Congressman Tom MacArthur, who is from Connecticut, in an op-ed last month said property tax deductions in the GOP tax bill would would “cover nearly every taxpayer in the Third Congressional District” prompting a long examination of this claim in The Washington Post. For starters, by “nearly every taxpayer” MacArthur meant 93.3%, but even that’s too high, WaPo says (it’s more like 84-ish%). Moreover, MacArthur highlights “the impact of the property tax deduction in isolation without considering the interaction with other aspects of the tax bill.” They award him Two Pinocchios.
Speaking of the GOP Tax Bill
Local citizens who care about democracy and don’t like oligarchy held a rally outside Frank LoBiondo’s offices* in Mays Landing to protest the bill, the Press of AC reports. Ashley Bennett was there. She’s the lady who heard John Carman’s joke about whether attendees at the Women’s March in Washington last winter would be home in time to cook dinner and promptly took his seat on the board of freeholders.
By the way, if you’re a decent normal human who thinks political leadership is more than just razzing the “liberals” or whatever and want to take baby steps to fix our broken society, run for office, because the people we currently have: There’s something wrong with them. But the window’s open. Old rules of electability are changing. We’ll do a story on you.
*For the record, LoBiondo – who has said he will not seek reelection next year – voted against the tax cut bill.
Fun with Public Money
The state (the Board of Public Utilities) is paying Joe Jingoli’s company to study the feasibility of a project that will probably be awarded to Joe Jingoli’s other company, which seems reasonable. Oh, and the project is to add on to the lil’ power plant owned and operated by Joe Jingoli’s company. Route 40’s Elinor Comlay reports.
Speaking of Speaking of the GOP Tax Bill
Phil Murphy said he didn’t like the bill very much, but what are you going to do.
SPORTS-BETTING WATCH
The SCOTUS could permit NJ to have sports betting, Alyana Alfaro reports. “A majority of justices hinted they saw merit in the New Jersey’s argument…”
I’m going to start calling it “the New Jersey” too.
I Call Bull-[SNEEZE]
You’re telling me this little kid caught this big fish.
The Press of AC reports.
EHT Police
The EHT Committee is considering a plan to create a deputy chief of police, rather than three captains, Bill Barlow reports. A hearing on a final vote is scheduled for December 20.
Usual Suspects
West Windsor native and Usual Suspects director Bryan Singer has been fired from directing a film about the rock group Queen, Amy Kuperinsky reports. Singer has been accused of a lot of sexual funnybusiness over the years, including rape, assault and “being part of a Hollywood sex ring that allegedly preyed on teen boys.” Lately these accusations have been revisited because we’re taking that shit seriously all of a sudden. Also, Rami Malek, the lead in the Queen movie (and “Mr. Robot”) “threw an object” at Singer “during a fight.” Allegedly. Singer has denied all the stuff.
He Also Confessed To Obstruction
Fakhruddin Ahmed of Princeton Junction describes what it’s like to be a Muslim-American with an internet troll as president who retweets “fraudulent, incendiary, racist” videos from Britain First. “Despondency has descended,” Ahmed writes.
Circle Game
Chris Christie nominated the daughter-in-law of an assembly leader and wife of a state senator for judgeships.
Elsewhere in South Jersey:
Cherry Hill Highway Intersection Claims 2nd Pedestrian in Four Months–On November 30, 59-year-old Clarence Singletary of Collingswood was killed while crossing Route 38 in Cherry Hill. www.njpen.com
Remembering a leader and the multiracial South Jersey coalition he helped to build–Samuel E. Appel’s memorial service celebrated the life of a much admired, sometimes controversial clergyman — and reunited people who marched and made headlines with him in the tumultuous Camden of the 1960s and ’70s. www.philly.com
Ryan weighed stripping Frelinghuysen of chairmanship–Speaker Paul Ryan and his leadership team recently discussed replacing House Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen after he bucked the party and voted against the GOP tax bill, multiple sources told POLITICO. www.politico.com
ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS BILL SEEKS TO PROTECT AGAINST DRUG DIVERSION CONCERNS–Garden State lawmakers are seeking to ensure that new healthcare technologies can appropriately process — and protect — prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in an effort to reduce drug diversion and the potential for abuse. www.njspotlight.com
NJ BUSINESSES BULLISH BUT SAY $15 MINIMUM WAGE WOULD CAUSE JOB CUTS, PRICE HIKES–New Jersey has had a relatively slow pace of wage growth since the recovery from the Great Recession. www.njspotlight.com