Get in the Zone
Ted Greenberg at NBC Philadelphia got surveillance video of the pickup truck plowing into the storefront in Ventnor Plaza. Only two injuries, amazingly.
Adults in the Room
Aggrieved Connecticut Millionaire Tom MacArthur, who has a 93 rating from the NRA, told The Asbury Park Press that more gun control was not the answer in the wake of the–I don’t know eighth? eighteenth?–school shooting of the year, even as the nation’s teenagers continued to embarrass his party over their commitment to ensuring people with severe mental illnesses have convenient access to high-powered weaponry, or as MacArthur put it, taking guns away from “law-abiding, mentally-sound” Americans” would “never fly in this country.”
That’s called a “straw man” argument kiddlies, and you should keep it in mind when they try to tell you they’re the only adults in the room.
Taxes
Elsewhere in Millionaires, Senate President Steve Sweeney has formed a panel to study the impact of the Republican federal tax cuts on New Jersey residents, and as Michael Diamond of the Asbury Park Press points out, it’s 16 men and one woman. Sounds like the board of the CRDA!
It’s almost like there might be some common thread between the two…
Here’s the membership of new panel tasked by @NJSenatePres with studying the the impact of the federal tax changes in NJ.
Sweeney says the group will start a broader conversation about taxes. Findings could be used as further basis for his refusal to back millionaires tax. pic.twitter.com/ay5cz7GT4n
— Ryan Hutchins (@ryanhutchins) February 20, 2018
Per Politico, either Sweeney is digging in against the Millionaires Tax, after being for it, or just picking a fight with Phil Murphy for opaque reasons we’ll probably never know.
What’s $5 Million?
Elsewhere in South Jersey Democrats, Vince Mazzeo and John Armato announced we’re getting “almost $5 million” from the Department of Transportation.
That’s almost enough to pay off Carl Icahn to demolish Trump Plaza!
Elsewhere across your region:
Asbury Park Press helped pay MLK’s fine during Montgomery bus boycott–When a little-known Baptist minister named Martin Luther King Jr. was indicted for his role in the Montgomery bus boycott of 1956, one sympathetic Northern newspaper decided to launch a fundraising campaign to pay his $500 fine and court costs. www.app.com
LAWMAKERS DRILL DOWN ON POLICIES TO IMPROVE MATERNAL, CHILD HEALTH–So far, 2018 could be considered the "Year of Maternal and Child Health in New Jersey," with the topic the focus of legislative hearings and a public awareness campaign, and the new governor set to commit millions of dollars more to family planning services. www.njspotlight.com
NEW JERSEY, DELAWARE EASE ADVISORIES ON CERTAIN FISH–New Jersey and Delaware are easing consumption advisories on certain fish caught in the lower Delaware River and Delaware Bay, a rare joint action suggesting improving ecological conditions as levels of contamination drop. www.njspotlight.com
NJ Politics Digest: Former Assembly Speaker Nabs $280K State Post–The former top Democrat in the state Assembly is stepping down after landing a $280,000 per year post as president and CEO of the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority (NJSEA). observer.com
Violence, Finances, and DREAMers: Oaklyn Roundtable Talks Concerns with Congressman–U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (D, NJ-01) hosted a roundtable discussion in Oaklyn on Tuesday, welcoming a selected group of young professionals to The Square Meal for a lunch-and-listen. www.njpen.com
Control of Atlantic Freeholder Board up in 2018 — and 2019–Atlantic County is one of the few places in New Jersey where elections are still competitive, and one of three counties where control of the Board of Freeholders is at stake this year. politicsdw.com
‘Skinny Joey’ Merlino’s racketeering trial ends with hung jury–Score this one for Philadelphia mob boss "Skinny Joey" Merlino. www.phillyvoice.com