Good Monday morning!
Where did all the millionaires go? It’s been three years since New Jersey raised its top tax bracket on income over $1 million to 10.75 percent.
You heard at the time a lot of wealth advisers saying that this would cause the state’s wealthiest residents, who can easily relocate, to domicile elsewhere.
So here we are today, and here are the latest headlines: New Jersey has the highest median household income of any state, and only one of 21 New Jersey counties has a median income that’s below the national average.
Yes, there are Census figures that have in recent years shown a net loss in annual gross income. That’s not new. It happened throughout the last decade, well before the institution of the millionaires tax.
You can pick different statistics to make the point you seek to make. But what’s clear is that even with the higher millionaires tax, New Jersey has remained a very rich state, even if money doesn’t go as far here as some less-rich states. Sure, high taxes are part of the reason for the high cost of living. I’m no expert, but I imagine that many other factors, such as being full of rich people and being next to the world financial capital, play a role.
I’ve read little evidence that relatively modest increases in taxes for the top tax brackets is leading the rich to abandon this state or any other. Even the most famous anecdotal example — billionaire David Tepper allegedly moving to Florida because of New Jersey’s high taxes (something Tepper himself never claimed) — was put to rest by Tepper’s decision to move back to New Jersey, which we ironically found out about during the Senate’s vote to pass the millionaires tax.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I don’t know if you used Babbel to translate into Hindi, I don’t know why it was sent to the people that it was sent, I just know that you present yourself as a good citizen … committed to your town and concerned about the fiscal responsibility or whatever your issues were … and then you behave like a fourth grader, right? I mean truly like a fourth grader.” — Secaucus Municipal Court Judge Karen Boylan to Hoboken resident Matt Majer, who pleaded guilty to harassment against the administrator of a local Facebook page. Several Hoboken officials filed harassment complaints against Majer, including Mayor Ravi Bhalla, to whom he allegedly sent a note in Hindi.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Jamila Bremmer, Eric Richard, James Marsden, Trajan
WHERE’S MURPHY? No public schedule.
AID IN DYING — “Supporters of aid in dying sue N.J. over residency requirement,” by The New York Times’ Paula Span: “Judy Govatos has heard that magical phrase ‘you’re in remission’ twice, in 2015 and again in 2019. … Ms. Govatos, 79, a retired executive at nonprofit organizations who lives in Wilmington, Del., has been grateful for the extra years. … But she knows that the cancer may well return, and she doesn’t want to endure the pain and disability of further attempts to vanquish it. … Aid in dying remains illegal in Delaware, despite repeated legislative attempts to pass a bill permitting it. Since 2019, however, it has been legal in neighboring New Jersey, a half-hour drive from Ms. Govatos’s home. But New Jersey restricts aid in dying to terminally ill residents of its own state. Ms. Govatos was more than willing, therefore, to become one of four plaintiffs — two patients, two doctors — taking New Jersey officials to federal court. The lawsuit, filed last month, argues that New Jersey’s residency requirement violates the Constitution’s privileges and immunities clause and its equal protection clause … ‘I’d like not to die in horrible pain and horrible fear, and I’ve experienced both,’ Ms. Govatos said. Even if she enrolls in hospice, many of the pain medications used cause her to pass out, hallucinate and vomit. To be able to legally end her life when she decides to ‘is a question of mercy and kindness,’ she said.”
DEMOCRATS’ GAS PROBLEM — “Sex education, gas stoves, dead whales targeted by Republicans in fight for N.J. Legislature,” by NJ Advance Media’s Brent Johnson: “Republicans would likely have to run the table in competitive districts and not lose any seats to take over even one of the chambers this election. Currently, Democrats hold a 25-15 majority in the Senate and a 46-35 majority in the Assembly. But with Labor Day over and the biggest stretch of the campaign beginning, Republicans are at least seeking to slice Democrats’ numbers even thinner. ‘We’re very confident,’ said state Senate Minority Leader Anthony Bucco, R-Morris. ‘The climate out there as far as our polling and data is concerned has never been better. We haven’t seen this kind of response in 20 years.’ ‘I think for the first time in a long time, Republicans have been on offense and we’re going to continue to be on offense.’ … Republican have zeroed in on social issues, including claims Murphy and Democrats installed sex ed and gender policies in schools that are extreme, stripping away “parental rights.“ They also say Democrats are too soft on crime and that Murphy’s energy policies, designed to battle climate change, are too costly and overbearing, especially offshore wind development and plans to require all new cars be electric by 2035. This is still a blue state, with about 1 million more registered Democrats that Republicans. Yet, polling indicates those topics are divisive or even potent with voters.”
CAIRULLAH — Muslim New Jersey mayor denied entry to White House plans lawsuit against ‘watchlist’, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: A Muslim Democratic mayor from New Jersey plans to sue the Biden administration seeking to end a federal terrorism watchlist which he has previously said unfairly targets Muslims — including himself this spring at the White House. More details of the legal challenge by Prospect Park Mayor Mohamed Khairullah are expected to be unveiled Monday, when lawyers plan to file the suit. Khairullah, who fled his native Syria for New Jersey in 1980, was abruptly disinvited from entering a White House event earlier this year celebrating the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitar after learning he was not cleared by the Secret Service. Khairullah — New Jersey’s longest-serving Muslim mayor — has said he believes his name is allegedly on a federal terrorist watchlist and that he had no ‘due process to clear my name.’ … The lawsuit was announced by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organization, and is expected to include a dozen plaintiffs, including from Massachusetts, Michigan and Washington, D.C. CAIR filed a similar lawsuit in the past challenging the federal terrorism watch list, also referred to as the Terrorism Screening Dataset.”
PROSECUTORS HAD HOPED THEY COULD DO QUALITY TIME TOGETHER — “South Jersey father and son sentenced to probation for role in Capitol riot,” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeremy Roebuck: “A father and son duo from South Jersey railed against the U.S. Justice Department’s decision to charge hundreds nonviolent Jan. 6 Capitol rioters as they were both sentenced on Friday to probation for illegally entering the building as part of the mob. David Krauss, 56, and his son Nicholas Krauss, 32, both of Gloucester County, maintained they didn’t attack police, didn’t destroy property, left the Capitol as soon as officers told them to while the building was overrun by a crowd of angry supporters of former President Donald Trump. And yet both men have been convicted of federal charges that weren’t lodged against other demonstrators who disrupted congressional proceedings or illegally entered the building in earlier protests on behalf progressive causes, their attorney Marina Medvin contended during a hearing in Washington before U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg. … Boasberg balked at that comparison, sentencing both men to nine months probation.”
LIKE THE MIDDLE FINGER, RESCINDING THE APPROVAL IS A JERSEY SIGN OF AFFECTION — “Gottheimer Rails against feds’ ‘middle finger’ for Jersey,” by InsiderNJ’s Fred Snowflack: “It’s called the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail. That’s a pretty descriptive name, but it’s not wholly accurate. The rail line has never gone to Bergen County and it’s unknown when and if that will change. The Federal Transit Administration last month rescinded approval – technically a ‘notice of intent’ – that allowed NJ Transit to prepare an environmental impact statement for the project. The upshot is that extending the rail line to its projected terminus at Englewood Hospital will be delayed at least two more years. That move by the feds prompted a large gathering Friday of officials on all levels – led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer – to denounce what the federal government just did. The group assembled – appropriately enough – adjacent to railroad tracks. They were for a freight line, but the point was made. Gottheimer was quite blunt, comparing the action to the federal Transportation Department giving New Jersey the ‘middle finger.’”
—Gottheimer pushes Princeton and UPenn to act on ‘antisemitic’ book and speakers
LA-LA LANTIC CITY — “Atlantic City pier being transformed into movie studio,” by The Press of Atlantic City’s Selena Vazquez: “A four-story, 550,000-square-foot glass building connected to Caesars Atlantic City via a second-story skybridge … the former Playground Pier … ACX1, short for Atlantic City Experiences — the ‘1’ being for the studio’s 1 Atlantic Ocean address — will focus on reimagining the pier by turning its vacant storefronts, restaurants, bars and other businesses into more than 150 television and media production sets, said Dom Franklin, chief operating officer for ACX1 Studios. ‘We want to basically make Atlantic City into the new Hollywood,’ Franklin said. And a movement is underway, in part, to make New Jersey the new California. “Right now, there’s multiple big companies that are buying studios in New Jersey — Netflix, Lionsgate — so we knew there was opportunity,” said Roy Koriakin, executive vice president of film for ACX1.”
SINKING TO NEW DEPTHSFORD — “Deptford schools crack down on unpaid lunch accounts after students reach $68,000 in arrears,” by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Melanie Burney: “The Deptford School district is cracking down on parents who rack up hundreds of dollars in students’ unpaid meal fees by adopting a new policy to serve peanut butter or cheese sandwiches to their children until bills are paid. The South Jersey district enacted the policy for the new school year after some parents accrued thousands of dollars in debt, said spokesman Salvatore Randazzo. Already this year, 783 student accounts are $68,000 in arrears from past years’ dues, he said. … The district notified parents this week about the new policy, which triggered a social media firestorm: Critics said the policy publicly embarrasses students in an attempt to force their parents to pay their bill, while others said the district can’t endlessly foot their bills. … A similar practice adopted several years ago by the Cherry Hill school district of serving tuna sandwiches to students with delinquent accounts made national headlines. The district later revised the policy, allowing students with overdue accounts to get a hot meal.’’
THEOCRASEA— “State demands Jersey Shore community stop blocking beach access on Sunday mornings,” by NJ Advance Media’s Rob Jennings: “State officials have sent a notice of violation to the landowners’ group in Ocean Grove that has restricted Sunday morning access to the beach from its boardwalk. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection did not specify any penalties in its Sept. 14 letter to the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association but demanded within 10 days compliance with mandated corrective actions, such as agreeing to no longer use chain and pad lock barriers to block beach access from the boardwalk Sundays between 9 a.m. and noon. … Michael Badger, the president of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, said Friday that no fines have been issued against his organization. … Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association officials have said limiting beach access on Sunday mornings improves the “religious and secular” quality of life along its boardwalk.”
TRENTON MAKES, THE WORLD TAKES ITS BALLS — “Trenton government gets close to success but falls just short again,” by The Trentonian’s L.A. Parker: “A pang of potential disaster loomed when New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy visited Trenton’s RISE Youth Center to sign further legislation to give law enforcement another tool to fight gun trafficking. The governor identified Maria Richardson, director of the city’s Recreation, Natural Resources and Culture then noted her role in the creation of RISE. ‘I’m told there’s a ribbon-cutting pending in the fall. Is that right? By November?’ Murphy asked. ‘October 2nd,’ Richardson responded. ‘October 2nd, which is by November. So, you beat the deadline,’ Murphy joked. … End this deplorable charade. The city had a ribbon cutting on Nov. 2, 2022, just before the mayoral election. And, at the time, not one youth had used this wonderful space as a safe haven. Eleven months had passed as city officials told one lie after another about the delay in opening the center. … A visit to RISE last week included this interesting incident. Employees waited for guests. “Who wants to challenge me in a game of ping pong?” Employees explained there were no ping pong balls, that the City waited for a shipment.”
—“One more police officer sues Hackensack, police director alleging retaliation”
—“Burlington Dems pull brochure that had a photo of alleged wife beater”
—“Appellate court will hear Penns Grove election matter”
—“[Mount Olive] police chief retaliated against cop who served as union president, lawsuit says”
RWJ — “N.J. hospital gives striking nurses a deadline. Nurses ‘are disgusted’,” by NJ Advance Media’s Spencer Kent: “Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital has given its striking nurses a Tuesday deadline to accept its terms, enter into binding arbitration or continue their 43-day work stoppage. The 1,700 nurses at the 620-bed New Brunswick facility met with hospital officials and federal mediators Thursday for hours, again leaving at an impasse. … The union plans a vote among its members to decide whether to accept the proposal, the offer of arbitration or continue the strike, according to Judy Danella, president of United Steel Workers Local 4-200 — which represents the nurses — and a registered nurse at the hospital. A date for the vote remains unclear.”
—“Amid Inspira Vineland suicide probe, health care union seeks stronger safety standards”
THE PEOPLE OF MAHWAH DEMAND A CONVENIENCE STORE THAT SELLS SOFT PRETZELS — “Remembering the Sheraton Mahwah as iconic beacon on N.J.-N.Y. border faces demolition,” by NJ Advance Media’s Brianna Kudisch: “For many people in the area, the 22-story hotel in Bergen County was akin to a lighthouse — a towering landmark with an illuminated peak at night that served as a geographical reference point. If you saw the Sheraton Mahwah Hotel near Routes 287, 202 and 17, it meant you were close to the New Jersey-New York border. Built in 1986, the massive hotel remains the largest structure in Mahwah, according to Mayor Jim Wysocki. Before it went up, the tallest building in the township was three stories tall. But the hotel, described as ‘iconic’ by the mayor and others, may soon be eliminated from the skyline. The hotel recently filed notice with the state to lay off workers amid plans to demolish the building to make way for two huge warehouses. The news prompted many people to fondly remember the landmark and their ties to the hotel. ‘One might find it strange to find a hotel in New Jersey to be an iconic structure, but this one was,” said Evan Bindelglass, whose family’s business served as the lead HVAC contractor for the project. “It sort of glimmers in the sun depending on the time of day.’”
— Conservationists clash over plan to save a rare bird in a public forest”
—“Old train line clear for N.J.’s newest Greenway, but do its rail age relics have a future?”
—Calavia-Robertson: “Meet the N.J. man using drink coasters to save lives after he tried to end his own”
