Wednesday October 21,2015

TRANSPORTATION TRUST FUND AT CENTER OF ENDLESS DEBATE AS ELECTION DAY LOOMS
Everyone\’s talking about it, but no one wants to do anything about it. NJTV says the Transportation Trust Fund, the mechanism for funding bridge and highway maintenance and mass transit projects, is essentially bankrupt. Everyone in Trenton agrees that the TTF is one of the state\’s biggest concerns. But Christie doesn\’t think it\’s that big of a deal, NJ residents don\’t want higher taxes to help pay for it, and every seat in the Assembly is up for grabs this year, so lawmakers likely won\’t do anything about it until after the elections.

MOST NJ STUDENTS DON\’T MEET GRADE-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS ON PARCC TESTS
The PARCC test results released Tuesday show NJ most students failed to meet grade-level expectations in math and English language arts. The Record says the results are based on the new and tougher standards, so they shouldn\’t be used to measure growth, but they can provide a wake-up call for schools to see where instruction is failing and where students need help.

NJ TOWN ARRANGES FREE NIGHTLY UBER RIDES TO REDUCE DRUNK DRIVING
Instead of trying to ban ridesharing services, Evesham, NJ has partnered with Uber and BeMyDD to make sure residents get home safely after a night on the town. Philly.com says customers can use the services at one of the 21 bars in Evesham everyday between 9pm and and 2am until January 2, 2016. The partnership is the first of its kind for Uber, and will require no money from taxpayers or riders because it will be funded solely through donations.

DEMOCRATS TAKE FRESH AIM AT CHRISTIE WITH HEARINGS ON NATIONAL GUARD, LOTTERY
New Jersey Democrats are going after Governor Christie with another round of hearings and investigations – this time over a lottery privatization that has yet to pay off as promised, and allegations of cronyism and racism in the upper ranks of the NJ Army National Guard. They\’re also looking into the reported failure of the Guard\’s commander to meet physical fitness standards. The Record says it\’s not clear what lawmakers hope to accomplish beyond fact-finding in either case, but the investigations are expected to proceed nonetheless.

CHRISTIE WATCH: A CAMPAIGN STUCK IN FIRST GEAR
Reaction to the first fundraising reports from Governor Christie\’s presidential campaign varied. Christie\’s team said they were pleased about how much money they had. Pundits called it a disappointing haul. NJPR\’s Matt Katz says \”It\’s what you would expect from someone who is now clearly a second-tier candidate.\” This week, Matt joins host David Furst on the latest episode of The Christie Tracker Podcast to assess the state of the finances. Also, Furst looks at the waning support for Christie\’s presidential ambitions among NJ Republicans .

press release October 20, 2015

 TRENTON – Northern New Jersey\’s Ramapo Mountain State Forest reopened today following a two-week closure for monitoring of unusual black bear activity in the area.

The decision to reopen the 4,200-acre state forest bordering Passaic and Bergen counties was made as a result of an assessment of Division of Fish and Wildlife biologists who have been monitoring traps set near trails where multiple encounters between one or more potentially aggressive bears occurred in recent weeks.

NEW YORK, Oct. 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Hess announced today that the 2015 Hess Fire Truck and Ladder Rescue will be available for sale online starting Sunday, November 1 at www.hesstoytruck.com for $30.99 with free standard shipping and 5 Energizer® batteries included. 

TRENTON — A majority of New Jerseyans remain opposed to an increase in the gasoline tax considered by some lawmakers and business leaders the key to funding transportation projects in the state, according to a new poll. Fifty-seven percent of people surveyed by the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University said they opposed…

By Mark Lagerkvist / October 19, 2015 /

CNB ARCHIVES : Wednesday, March 09, 2011

 Steven Malanga is the senior editor of City Journal and a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. He is the author of Shakedown: The Continuing Conspiracy Against the American Taxpayer.

Monday, October 19, 2015

 Philadelphia, PA – On Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 11:30 a.m., the Grand Master of Pennsylvania Masons Robert J. Bateman will unveil a new painting by fine artist Brad Clever that depicts a significant event in American and Masonic history. To be on display in the Masonic Temple’s Museum, the painting portrays vividly the eternal bonds of friendship and brotherhood that transcend political differences, even amidst the tragedies of war.