The Patriarchy is a Multi-Level Marketing Scheme
The CEO of the Miss America Organization is a cad who appears to think calling the young women who help him earn $500,000 per year for organizing their pageant “c***s” in work-related emails is an enjoyable pastime, according to a review of those emails by the Huffington Post.
As a result of the HuffPo story, Dick Clark Productions has cut ties with the Pageant.
Dick Clark Productions produced the Pageant on TV and was supposed to promote Atlantic City while doing so, not just with the Pageant but with its other high-class TV extravaganzas, the New Year’s Eve thing in Times Square springs to mind, as part of a $12.5 million subsidy deal back in 2016 with the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, a deal that struck some people as weird when it was signed. Jim Whelan for instance called it “nuts” and he thought it only cost $4 million. CRDA also leased the Pageant people office space in Boardwalk Hall for less than my old New York City rent.
This is as good a time as any to remind our loyal listeners that women enjoy a nearly 6% representation on the CRDA board of directors (1 out of 17), and now that Frank Gilliam’s been elected mayor, there will even be one non-Caucasian. Are these facts unrelated to the decision to subsidize hazard pay for a Hollywood weirdo who makes, again, $500,000 per year (per the HuffPo)? You tell me.
I’m not sure, gentle citizens, we can topple this system. It may topple by itself. In the meantime, turn your backs on the rot. Form a Green Zone of your own. Place the things you love in it and protect them. Forge a separate peace.
You Did It!
The population of NJ hit nine million, a new record. It’s the Spotlight’s Number of the Day. Sadly, the population is still shrinking in South Jersey.
Shadow Lobbying
Jeff Brindle at the Observer has a nice op-ed on the rise of shadow lobbying, a development at the federal level that’s likely to spread to spread down to states and municipalities as the train speeds ever, ever on.
Did you know, for instance, the number of federal lobbyists peaked in 2007? It has fallen by 26% since. I wonder if there’s been a concomitant decline in the pernicious influence of money on our political process. Probably the data reflect some other phenomenon.
Anyway. What does this mean for New Jersey? “In recent years, professionals in New Jersey’s lobbying community, just like their federal colleagues, have become increasingly sophisticated, suggesting that shadow lobbying has begun to filter down from the federal level to the state.”
While we’re on lobbyists, did you know Roger Stone used to dream about writing a book on Hap Farley? In another timeline…
Stone also did almost $370,000 of work for Bill Gormley in the 80s before turning on him and working for Christie Whitman. Between Stone and Don McGahn and Kellyanne Conway and The Donald himself, it feels more like the Atlantic City model has moved to D.C. rather than the other way around.
Why Aren’t You Going to the Asbury Park Cat Convention?
Ok it’s not till April. The complete lineup’s expected to be announced in early January. We’ll keep you posted.
It’s true. Email is faster.
Over at the Playbook, Matt Friedman gave Quote of the Day honors to Colin Bell, who wrote a letter in response to an “urgent” letter he (Bell) himself had received from Chris Brown regarding the 13.5% PILOT issue which really is important.
“I write in response to your December 11, 2017, letter regarding the so-called ‘13.5% issue’ in the PILOT legislation, which I did not receive until December 18, 2017 because notwithstanding your claim that this issue is ‘urgent,’ you chose to send me your letter by mail, with a stamp, from your office, a mile down the road. Next time you need my help with an ‘urgent’ issue, try e-mail, fax, text, courier, handing something to me while we are both in the State House, or simply picking up the phone.”
Atlantic City High student using yoga to raise funds for school in Africa–Yoga is well known as a form of meditation and exercise. Now, one Atlantic City High School senior is using it to raise funds for students in Africa. www.pressofatlanticcity.com
Longport investigates library expansion–Satisfied with attendance and the expanded programming at the Longport Public Library, which held its grand opening July 28, the Board of Commissioners is already investigating an expansion that could include new construction or reconfiguration of Borough Hall. www.shorenewstoday.com
Politician switches parties, puts Dems in control of Salem County–Salem County Republican Freeholder Melissa DeCastro has switched parties, a move that will give political control of the county back to the Democrats in the new year. www.nj.com