Home Rule
Micha Rasmussen has a fun op-ed in the Asbury Park Press on the proposal by Steve Sweeney for a pilot program for countywide school districts, which he (Rasmussen) says would “reduce duplicative administrative costs” and maybe even reduce segregation and the inequality that attends a system where students, “born into ZIP codes with strong property values go to better-funded schools than students born into ZIP codes with weak ones.”
Of course people like their segregation and will even pay for 565 separate municipalities to maintain it. But I’m beginning to think people here secretly like the high taxes too.
In Atlantic County, the small-governmenters want the homerule and the duplicative services and also want to replace the Hamilton Mall with an Amazon HQ somewhere that gets a 5,000-year tax abatement.
Immigration
Today is the deadline for local law enforcement to implement new procedures for dealing with immigrants, and NJ.com has a helpful explainer. Under the new rules, prosecutors can’t discredit witnesses in court by citing immigration status, departments can’t deputize local police to act as ICE agents and they have to help immigrants who request U-visas which are set aside for victims of domestic violence, e.g., who assist in investigations. Anyhoo. There are more rules.
Your Natural World
ROI-NJ has a story about Senate bill S2252 (Assembly bill A4819) to encourage the use of zero-emissions electric vehicles across the state. Meanwhile the City Council of Sea Isle City is considering an ordinance that would “effectively” declare the entire town a no-wake zone, meaning the streets, since the flooding is so bad cars routinely create waves that damage people’s stuff.
“It’s a pet peeve of mine that these people with these SUVs, large trucks and four-by-fours love driving around in flooded conditions,” Councilman William Kehner said, per Donald Witkowski’s report. “Quite a few of my neighbors have had damage to their garage doors because these individuals think it’s funny to be riding around and causing these wakes.”
For more feats of journalism…
NORTHFIELD FRIENDLY’S CLOSES PERMANENTLY–With spring about to be sprung, shocking news from Tilton Road in Northfield: Friendly's Restaurant has closed. With little or no notice, the Northfield staple has closed it's doors - apparently for good. catcountry1073.com
Gardner’s Basin Shop to Close–From Donna Elias: We’ve decided to close the “Donna Elias Bayside Gallery & Coastal Gift Shop” that was located at Historic Gardner’s Basin Marine Park in Atlantic City. This was not an easy decision, but the Park’s attendance has been dropping steadily due to years of mismanagement and lack of support from the city of Atlantic City. acprimetime.com
ARE CAMDEN’S MILLIONS IN TAX INCENTIVES BENEFITING RESIDENTS?–Camden resident Ladeen Hornsby began working at My Auto Store 10 months ago. “Five minute drive from my house. My kids are on my insurance plan, that’s fantastic. It’s a great environment. I learned a new trade. I got a new trade under my belt. I mean it’s a fast-paced work environment. This is my type of place,” Hornsby said. www.njspotlight.com
Atlantic City woman charged in drug-induced death of Ventnor man–An Atlantic City woman was federally charged Thursday with distribution of heroin and fentanyl in the drug-induced death of a Ventnor man, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. www.pressofatlanticcity.com