Will big $$ make NJ more appealing?

From Bloomberg:

Christie Backs Newark’s Amazon Bid With $7 Billion in Tax Breaks

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is seeking to deploy $7 billion in potential tax credits to lure Amazon.com Inc.’s planned second headquarters to Newark, which has been struggling to stage a broad economic revival since it was devastated by riots in 1967.

The proposal would offset state and city taxes, including an incentive through New Jersey’s Economic Development Authority that could reach $5 billion over 10 years, the governor’s office said Monday in a statement. The remainder of the tax breaks would come from a $1 billion city property tax abatement and a wage tax waiver of $1 billion for employees.

A reputation for crime and poverty has kept the state’s largest city, just 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of Manhattan, mostly on the sidelines of the urban revival that’s transformed swaths of blight into trendy neighborhoods across the U.S. In recent years, though, Prudential Financial Inc. has built a new office tower in Newark and has backed several real estate projects.

Seattle-based Amazon last month solicited proposals for the second headquarters, a project expected to cost more than $5 billion and create 50,000 jobs during the next 15 to 17 years. Politicians across the U.S. and Canada have eagerly expressed interest. Newark has competition from big cities such as Boston and Chicago and smaller markets including Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Memphis, Tennessee.

This entry was posted in Economics, New Development, New Jersey Real Estate, Politics. Bookmark the permalink.

188 Responses to Will big $$ make NJ more appealing?

  1. Juice Box says:

    New Jersey has a track record of reneging on the tax credits promised to businesses for bringing jobs to NJ.

    http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/06/nj_businesses_will_have_to_wait_longer_for_overdue.html

  2. nwnj says:

    When does John McCain announce he’s a Democrat? Can we get rid of this guy already?

  3. SorryToLeave says:

    Hahahahaha. Not a chance that Amazon will come to Newark. Not. A. Chance.

  4. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Yes, this will be yet another example of urban revival in a place people didn’t think possible.

    “A reputation for crime and poverty has kept the state’s largest city, just 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of Manhattan, mostly on the sidelines of the urban revival that’s transformed swaths of blight into trendy neighborhoods across the U.S. In recent years, though, Prudential Financial Inc. has built a new office tower in Newark and has backed several real estate projects.”

  5. grim says:

    NJ would benefit if it locates anywhere in the NY or Philly Metro areas. So, technically we have 3 chances.

  6. The Great Pumpkin says:

    It’s inevitable that Newark will grow into a powerhouse. Even if Amazon doesn’t come, others will. Prime location right there, no pun intended.

  7. grim says:

    I think Bayonne has the edge over Newark.

  8. nwnj says:

    Another thing hurting NJ’s chances of landing HQ2 is that the political leadership is completely lacking. I think a big part of them adding a second HQ location is to expand their political clout. “Buy” a few politicians.

    Tax breaks are great and you will to offer them to have a chance but NJ has no leadership in DC. Menendez is likely to be convicted. Booker seems ineffective at best. No representatives of any prominence. Look at they way NJ is treated in DC.

    If you were a big company with a huge number of regulations facing you and potential monopoly questions, you will look to an area with a strong lobby backing you in DC. That’s not NJ.

  9. grim says:

    I said in an earlier thread that I thought DC Metro was a highly probable location, for exactly this reason.

  10. grim says:

    Also keep in mind that Amazon has a major datacenter outside of DC, Northern Virginia.

    I believe it’s their largest location in the world, and was among the first deployed. When the internet breaks, it’s usually because something broke in Virginia.

  11. Juice Box says:

    How many empty campuses of 40 year old buildings designed for another era are available in New Jersey?

  12. The Great Pumpkin says:

    That’s why nj is prime location to redevelop into the tech economy of tomorrow. No doubts in my mind nj will be a leader in the tech economy within a decade or two.

    Juice Box says:
    October 17, 2017 at 9:42 am
    How many empty campuses of 40 year old buildings designed for another era are available in New Jersey?

  13. SorryToLeave says:

    There are people that still think NJ has a chance of becoming a “Prime” corporate hub? Really? I’d love to hear more about what the catalyst will be for this? Especially with Murphy coming on board soon. Last one out, turn off the light. LOL.

  14. 3b says:

    Juice lots of empty office space in Montvale and Paramus and alongside Route 4 in Englewood. The Englewood properties have been vacant for years.

  15. Phoenix says:

    Are you a veteran?

    nwnj says:
    October 17, 2017 at 8:15 am
    When does John McCain announce he’s a Democrat? Can we get rid of this guy already?

  16. joyce says:

    Phoenix,
    What does that have to do with the price of tea China?

  17. leftwing says:

    You too can post JUST LIKE PUMPKIN!! Right now!!

    Hurry, this special won’t run for long. Simply:

    1. Pick the most recent point raised.
    2. Don’t read any words, thoughts, or analysis around it.
    3. Insert the topic in the blanks: “That’s why NJ is poised to become the [topic] of tomorrow. No doubt in my mind NJ will be a leader in [topic] in a decade or two.”
    4. Provide no supporting data or analysis whatsoever. Hit the Post button.
    5. Find a USA Today article remoting touching on the topic.
    6. Come back to the blog and post incessantly for the next two months how prescient you are, citing the USA Today article.
    7. Wash, rinse, repeat ad nauseam.

  18. grim says:

    There are people that still think NJ has a chance of becoming a “Prime” corporate hub? Really? I’d love to hear more about what the catalyst will be for this?

    You are kidding, right? Travel much? Probably not.

    NJ GDP is greater than most European countries, want to compare?

    NJ’s $575 million GDP is higher than:
    Sweden – $492 million
    Poland – $475 million
    Austria – $374 million
    Denmark – $295 million
    Ireland – $238 million
    Finland – $229 million
    Greece – $195 million
    Czech Republic – $181 million
    Romania – $177 million

    To put things into perspective, NJ’s GDP is roughly half of the entirety of Mexico.

  19. leftwing says:

    Trade you one Jersey for three Czeck Republics. Hell, I’ll give you a premium. Make it two Czeck Republics.

    May even take three Greeces. Need some diligence to see whose liabilities are worse.

  20. grim says:

    Comparing GDP per capita against the countries of the world, NJ would rank as 8th highest per capita on the World Bank ranking.

    It would go something like:

    Qatar
    Luxembourg
    Macau
    Singapore
    Brunei
    UAE
    Ireland
    New Jersey

    Given the nonsense at the top of the list (small countries with massive resources or financial activities), NJ is actually one of the most productive places in the world.

  21. Fast Eddie says:

    NJ GDP is greater than most European countries…

    If that’s the case then why can’t we make Amazon an offer they can’t refuse? 40,000,000 million people in the NY/NJ/CT area so what’s the issue?

  22. leftwing says:

    Jersey for Ireland, straight up?

  23. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Heard Kaepernick is trying to sue the nfl because lesser players have jobs and he does not. That’s what happens when you get political at any job.

    He’s sad. He was adopted by two white parents, given an opportunity to make millions, and he still has to cry about how unfair life is because of “white” racism. And let’s be clear about the context of “racism” in this country….they are only referring to “white racism.” How white’s treat everyone else……isn’t that racist in itself? How come white people are the only people that can be racist towards others, how come we ignore racism towards white culture? You know things like why are you acting so white? Yes, what the white’s did was wrong, but if people want to end racism, it has to be a two way street. Let go of the wrongs in the past, move on, and treat everyone with respect.

  24. Ern_G says:

    well im looking to invest in the area, first time investor… found some great repositioning steals.

    I have a group of friends in the area involved with the local artist scene and night life, things have been turning around for a while and there isn’t a shortage of developers in the area.

    I need capital for construction, not really looking for hardline high interest but rather a couple of partners.

  25. The Great Pumpkin says:

    You have to play the “game” Eddie. Make it seem like you can go anywhere, so they offer you all these incentives to come.

    Fast Eddie says:
    October 17, 2017 at 10:19 am
    NJ GDP is greater than most European countries…

    If that’s the case then why can’t we make Amazon an offer they can’t refuse? 40,000,000 million people in the NY/NJ/CT area so what’s the issue?

  26. Comrade Nom Deplorable, surfacing for air says:

    Chi in chi says:
    October 16, 2017 at 10:01 pm

    The fcuking sales tax in downtown Chicago is 14.50%?”

    Thats why nearly no one is pushing to put a gun shop in Chicago. No legal demand with nearly 15% sales tax. And that’s not so much of a sales tax but a VAT.

  27. Comrade Nom Deplorable, surfacing for air says:

    The issue with thinking that Amazon will relo to Newark is that for every strong positive you can cite for New Jersey, there is an equally compelling strong negative.

    Newark may have made the short list but it is hanging on to the bottom IMHO. No reason for saying that, I just think it.

  28. D-FENS says:

    Ireland gets Hurricanes? Who knew?

  29. D-FENS says:

    Did Steve Bannon steal Pumpkin’s handle?

  30. D-FENS says:

    John McCain is just mad because Trump is doing such a terrible job battling ISIS in the Middle East.

  31. STEAMturd questioning the gender of Hillary's Cankle fluid. says:

    Payday loans? Oh yeah!

  32. ex-Jersey says:

    Newark would be transformed by Amazon and the optics on that from a Corporate standpoint would be very good. But the big question remains. Can you attract the talent that you are looking for if you locate in Newark. So many issues with locating so close to blight of that magnitude.

  33. D-FENS says:

    Business friendly climate…hmmm….yeah well…did I mention we have an airport?

  34. STEAMturd questioning the gender of Hillary's Cankle fluid. says:

    “Business friendly climate”

    There’s a thriving bootleg DVD market in Newark.

  35. Bagholder says:

    ‘John McCain is just mad because Trump is doing such a terrible job battling ISIS in the Middle East.’

    30 days ended a long time ago. But at least Iran, Russia and Syria will be happy.

  36. Fast Eddie says:

    Amazon heads are probably laughing at the Jersey proposals. I can hear it now: “How the f.uck does anyone open a business in NJ with all this regulation?” There is no way Amazon breaks ground here. In fact, they’re stunned at how everything meets their requirements only to find that that NJ is an epic money pit for business. The kill shot will be on November 7th when yet another worthless democrat gets elected.

  37. Fast Eddie says:

    Democrats are the Harvey Weinsteins of politics, btw.

  38. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Eddie,

    Cali is worse, and the state of washington is prob on par with jersey. Same with Massachusetts and New York. Do you realize most techies support democratic policies? They are not as obsessed with money like the wall st guys, they are more obsessed with making the history books as a big contributor to the evolution of the human race.

    Fast Eddie says:
    October 17, 2017 at 1:16 pm
    Amazon heads are probably laughing at the Jersey proposals. I can hear it now: “How the f.uck does anyone open a business in NJ with all this regulation?” There is no way Amazon breaks ground here. In fact, they’re stunned at how everything meets their requirements only to find that that NJ is an epic money pit for business. The kill shot will be on November 7th when yet another worthless democrat gets elected.

  39. Yo! says:

    Fast Eddie – Amazon is opening huge operations across New Jersey. Recently opened Teterboro, Swedesboro, and Cranbury, and opening in Edison and Burlington soon.

    New Jersey is superior location for warehousing than New York State and Connecticut.

  40. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Only way you have no regulation is if you live in a state with lots of empty land where you can put a business in place that doesn’t really impact anyone directly. So they can do whatever they want like dump poison all over the land. Jersey was like this at one point, and you see what they did to the land. Over regulation can be misguided, but let’s not act like regulation in general is a bad thing. It’s for our own protection from ourselves.

    Just look at the Carolina’s, god knows what happens with the waste produced from all those pig farms. Glad I don’t live there. Same with the energy states like Texas and Wyoming, god knows what has been dumped into their water supply and soil. Of course nj gets all the fame, but that’s because it was prosecuted and brought to light on a regular basis. These other places are all hush hush.

  41. Fast Eddie says:

    Yo!

    Distribution centers vs. a massive new HQs. They need a place to shelter all the sh1t the masses are consuming. A bit of a difference? No? Why did Mercedes move out (BMW to follow?) and why are a slew of corporate parks becoming abandoned? Are the trendy people going to flock to Teterboro?

  42. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Eddie, are you stating that Atlanta is a trendier and superior location? If you say so.

    Mercedes will regret that move. Hell, they prob already do. Those ceo’s/executives chose short term thinking over long term thinking. They wanted to cut costs now at the expense of the future. Go ahead and take that low hanging fruit. There is no free lunch, there is a reason why it’s cheaper there. When your team is getting destroyed by the competition’s team that is better paid and in a more lucrative location, they will know why.

    Fast Eddie says:
    October 17, 2017 at 1:40 pm
    Yo!

    Distribution centers vs. a massive new HQs. They need a place to shelter all the sh1t the masses are consuming. A bit of a difference? No? Why did Mercedes move out (BMW to follow?) and why are a slew of corporate parks becoming abandoned? Are the trendy people going to flock to Teterboro?

  43. D-FENS says:

    Kitchenaid refrigerators suck. I hate them right now. I’ve had the refrigerator 8 months and twice they’ve had to replace the “stainless steel” doors for rusting.

  44. D-FENS says:

    They’re not looking to build a warehouse. None of that matters in their current Request for Proposal.

    Yo! says:
    October 17, 2017 at 1:32 pm
    Fast Eddie – Amazon is opening huge operations across New Jersey. Recently opened Teterboro, Swedesboro, and Cranbury, and opening in Edison and Burlington soon.

    New Jersey is superior location for warehousing than New York State and Connecticut.

  45. STEAMturd questioning the gender of Hillary's Cankle fluid. says:

    It’s very hard to find appliances with quality stainless steel these days. Really hard.

  46. Fast Eddie says:

    Never mentioned Atlanta… have no idea what you’re talking about.

  47. The Great Pumpkin says:

    That’s what happens when everyone wants stuff to be super cheap, you get what you asked for.

    Not many people will pay for quality these days, and those business models are now dying because of it. Quality names just sell their name to the walmarts and home depots , knowing they are dead, so take whatever money they could get.

    The result, each market is almost entirely made up of crap, but hey, it’s cheap!

  48. D-FENS says:

    Kitchenaid is not a cheap brand

  49. The Great Pumpkin says:

    You mentioned Mercedes moving…

    Fast Eddie says:
    October 17, 2017 at 2:00 pm
    Never mentioned Atlanta… have no idea what you’re talking about.

  50. grim says:

    I’ve got one of those $7000 built in refrigerators, Kitchenaid. Started leaking, was terrified at the prospect of a new fridge. The Sears repair guys were fantastic, took on a repair even I wouldn’t dare myself. Only cost like $250 to fix it. Great unit, compressor at the top, subzero style. Repairable for just about forever. Totally satisfied with Kitchenaid, it’ll easily last 20 years.

  51. D-FENS says:

    No mechanical issues. I’m happy with the design. But what good is a stainless steel refrigerator with rust all over the doors? The last set of doors I only had for ten days and noticed rust on them again? I haven’t even had a chance to clean it yet…so it’s nothing I’m doing.

  52. D-FENS says:

    I wonder where your unit is made Grim. I’m pretty sure mine is made by Whirlpool. One of the ladies I spoke with at customer service said “thank you for calling Whirlpool” by accident at the end of one of our phone calls.

    With a unit that costs $7000 maybe it’s made elsewhere.

  53. grim says:

    For good measure, it would be good for you to passivate the stainless with nitric acid. Don’t get it on the tile, or your skin though.

    Kidding.

  54. STEAMturd questioning the gender of Hillary's Cankle fluid. says:

    The stainless on my dishwasher rusted from a car magnet I had on there for like two weeks. I know better going forward.

  55. grim says:

    By the way, bleach and Clorox wipes will destroy stainless appliances.

  56. STEAMturd questioning the gender of Hillary's Cankle fluid. says:

    And KitchenAid is Whirlpool.

    I’ve been repairing most of my appliances myself lately. Thank the lord for the internet and widely available service guides which used to be impossible to obtain. They are still not technically supposed to be available, but same with babysitter p0rn. My project for this week is replacing the digital display on my $3,000 Samsung POS fridge. I’m surprised the icemaker is still working on it.

  57. grim says:

    The most corrosion resistant stainless steels are austenitic, non-magnetic. If a magnet sticks to it, it’s not that it isn’t stainless, but it’s not one of the most corrosion resistant types.

  58. grim says:

    Maybe it would be a good idea to bring a magnet with you when you are looking for stainless appliances, if a magnet sticks, move on.

  59. D-FENS says:

    My wife has always used Weiman stainless steel cleaner. But we didn’t even get a chance to use it on the new doors!

    The steel is definitely sh1ttier than what I’m used to. The Kenmore I got rid of was 10 years old and had zero rust on it. We had cruddy magnets all over the Kenmore too.

    I spent the extra money on the Kitchenaid thinking it was the premium brand. I wonder if they’re buying cheaper steel to save a buck or something.

  60. leftwing says:

    “But the big question remains. Can you attract the talent that you are looking for if you locate in Newark”

    Newark is a massive win on attracting talent if you can get something walkable from Penn Station. Direct lines from younger environs (JC and Hoboken by PATH, M’town by train, Manhattan by train/PATH). Suburbs of your choice for the older and married.

    I get what they are trying to do here, basically tap talent that otherwise isn’t ready for a move to Seattle. That is why Calif won’t win. Doesn’t open up the East Coast students/professionals as much as alternatives. Plus in Calif they would always be second choice for talent after the hard core Sand Hill Rd companies.

    Prize will go to Denver, TX, Nashville, or Eastern seaboard metro. Think new grad through 45 year old, a profile of where they are looking to relocate.

    Problem is this State can’t get out of its own way. All you need is one or two more towers dropped in one of the areas recently built up. It’s not that hard. We’re already in the metro area attractive to (and likely currently home of) the prospective hires. What developer wouldn’t want to build out these buildings, especially with the zoning ram throughs that would come from the muni/state to make sure it gets done? No brainer.

    Meanwhile, sounds like we started the homework assignment the night before it was due. Can’t make it up.

  61. leftwing says:

    “Prize will go to Denver, TX, Nashville, or Eastern seaboard metro. Think new grad through 45 year old, a profile of where they are looking to relocate.”

    Might better say, think of the new grad through 45 year old, with ties East of the Mississippi, where they would be willing to relocate.

    That is the target audience they want and are not getting in Seattle.

  62. exjersey says:

    West coast people seem verrrrrry different than east coast folks. Come to think of it, regions have really become markedly fragmented and prone to believe their own BS.

  63. grim says:

    What I’ve heard through my other manufacturing contacts is that the metalworking lines aren’t really run cleanly in China. So even when the stainless meets spec, they aren’t working to keep cross-contamination from standard steels and other metals. We’re seeing a lot of this in sanitary tank and equipment manufacture (I’m talking brewery and distillery equipment).

    It’s plausible that a sheet metal fabrication line stamps a bunch of mild-steel panels destined for lower-grade appliances and the paint line, and then puts stainless through the same equipment. Small pieces of non-stainless get embedded in the stainless, and they rust.

    You see this with grinding as cutting as well. When you grind steel and let the sparks fly off an hit your pretty stainless, and then polish it, you’ll get a spec of rust where some of the molten material transferred over to the surface of the stainless.

    Now, imagine all sorts of rollers, cutters, die machines, laser or waterjet tables. There are tons of opportunities to ruin your stainless surface.

  64. grim says:

    To me, Denver seems strange, due to the proximity to current HQ. I can understand Texas, but I would imagine that would represent the most massive cultural incompatibility possible.

  65. trick says:

    We go there every week for the prices, but the produce stinks as well as the parking

  66. leftwing says:

    Denver at 3.5-4 hrs by flight is probably the outer bound for distance.

    Culturally, likely one of the better fits. Hot area for the yung ‘uns. Probably every CS grad has a friend in college there or living out there, and loving it. At most one degree of separation. Great quality of life for the married with kids.

  67. leftwing says:

    There are three 50+ story residential towers approved for new construction in Jersey City.

    Take the Goldman building across the river. Jack it up by about 20 floors. Find a developer with dirt along the Gold Coast or in Newark to construct it. Splatter the Amazon swoosh across the top of it 25 feet high. Clean eyesight staring right at Manhattan. Modern version of the Colgate clock. Just as iconic.

    Send a rendering to Seattle. Bezos would get woody. That bent pecker of a logo would straighten itself right out.

  68. exjersey says:

    4:17. Colo too damn cold.

  69. No One says:

    Keep in mind that Bezos went to Princeton and worked in investments in NYC before heading west.
    The research triangle in NC should have enough talent.
    Or they can move close to Washington DC to do more lobbying.

  70. exjersey says:

    Do you suppose he already knows NJ and in possibly an unfavorable light? He did buy the Washington post. Baltimore is an interesting option too.

  71. exjersey says:

    Bezos said he wanted: https://youtu.be/BgwdO-4a_uQ

  72. Phoenix says:

    My grandmother’s 60 year old refrigerator is still working fine. Oldie but goodie.

  73. leftwing says:

    Just found this.

    ““Quality of life” in this context is primarily about two things — housing costs and amenities — and striking a balance between them…As for the amenities, the winning region will also have the restaurants, outdoor recreation, cultural attractions and general cool of Amazon’s first home, Seattle. Urban economists suggest that such amenities are important to explaining the allure of cities. We asked the economist David Albouy to rank these metro areas for us with an index he uses to measure how much people would be willing to sacrifice, in terms of housing costs and commutes, to live in desirable places…Here is one other way to consider how tech workers weigh the cost of cities against their benefits: According to the real estate site Redfin, people looking to leave the Bay Area are primarily looking for an alternative in Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Austin, Tex.; Denver; Dallas; and Washington…”

    Good interactive https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/09/09/upshot/where-should-amazon-new-headquarters-be.html?_r=0

    I still say Denver, TX, DC metro, or for a long shot Nashville. Would throw Boston in but they said they weren’t playing the concession game. Add them if they’ve had a change of heart.

  74. Gobsmacked says:

    NJ is done for, doomed to turn into another Connecticut. Pennsylvania’s GDP is higher than NJ’s. Like Connecticut, and New York for that matter, there will be pockets of wealth, but the rest of the state will hollow out. Every year, more and more of my friends are leaving the mother land for places like Nashville, Atlanta, Houston, and they are loving it. Amazon won’t move here, their best bet is somewhere south of the Mason Dixon line.

  75. grim says:

    Compare apples to apples, PA GDP per Capita is lower than NJ. Total GDP greater? I should hope so with 4 million more people, and 6x the total square miles. Point being, NJ is more productive per person, and more productive per square mile of land.

    Nashville? Awfully generous of you to fund a boomer’s exit plan from Nashville’s epic housing bubble. Buying a house in the desirable Nashville neighborhoods is like buying a house in Summit, Westfield, Short Hills right now. Every bit expensive. The $1m+ inventory is huge, there are plenty of $750,000 shotgun shacks. Your wife isn’t going to be happy when her friends are all in $2m+ houses now. Of course, THEY didn’t pay that, but you will. Pony up sucker.

    Oh, and the schools are shit, you need to pay for private school.

    Please, spare me the photos of the exurb housing developments.

  76. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Loving it? Sure, what exactly does Atlanta or Houston have over jersey? Please explain. Don’t forget that most people that leave want to tell themselves they made the right move….so they lie to themselves and will lie to you about how happy they are and how great it is. Moving from jersey to these places mentioned are like moving from Boston or southern cali to Atlanta and claiming it’s so much better….sure, I believe you.

  77. 3b says:

    Grim end of the day they are not moving to NJ.

  78. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Exactly, grim. No idea what these people are talking about when they makes claims like this. It’s like saying Jacksonville is better than Miami. Get the hell out of here with this crap. Whether you realize it or not, north jersey is one of premiere locations to live in our country.

  79. leftwing says:

    So through the transitive theory Jersey = Boston or S. Calif.

    Me thinks not.

  80. The Great Pumpkin says:

    You have sf, southern cali, D.C., Maryland and Virginia areas near D.C., Boston, Seattle, NYC, and Dallas/Austin as prob the best places to live in this country if you are working on a career and raising a family.

  81. The Great Pumpkin says:

    So full of it. Your hate for jersey blinds you. Yes, southern cal is like jersey, whether you realize it or not. Same with Boston. You know how many jersey people live in Boston and southern cali? I wonder why? Because it’s pretty damn close to being just like north jersey. Really not much of a difference culture wise, pretty much same kind of people.

    leftwing says:
    October 17, 2017 at 7:27 pm
    So through the transitive theory Jersey = Boston or S. Calif.

    Me thinks not.

  82. leftwing says:

    Hawaiian judge knocks down Trumps ban, again.

    What I don’t understand here is threefold:

    Admin has the sole power to make/enforce immigration policy?

    Strong historical basis for denying admission on a variety of demographic factors, including quotas that say simply ‘we have enough of you’?

    Even if it is discriminatory, standing for claims of such are valid only for US citizens? In other words, by extending constitutional protections in this matter to non-citizens, why shouldn’t the same US constitutional protections be applied to non-citizens in all matters? The logic makes no sense.

    Under the third point, will we start having judicial review of military bombing runs? The US cannot kill its own citizens. If we are granting non-citizens equal rights shouldn’t we start there? A big one, no? Right to life?

    Freaking ridiculous. No fan of the administration but I would love to see an actual constitutional showdown. Hope Trump just instructs State to enforce the order and ignore the judge.

  83. grim says:

    Realistically, I think this is a big shell game and Amazon actually does nothing in the next 5-10 years. You don’t do this kind of thing this publicly.

  84. ex-Jersey says:

    7:33 again, you are sadly mistaken. I suppose you can’t be blamed for not reading. No one does any more. I like Jersey well enough. Just not well enough to live there anymore.

  85. grim says:

    Thousand Oaks/Simi Valley?

    You sure as hell picked a place that was like NJ. Major metro exurb I mean. 35-40 miles out, bedroom community, much lower prices than LA suburbs.

  86. Gobsmacked says:

    Grim, true enough about the per capita difference between NJ and PA – but if the exodus from NJ keeps up, it is only a matter of time before that difference becomes smaller, perhaps is gone completely. If it were not for New York City and all that Wall Street money coming home on NJ Transit, our per capita GDP would be much smaller.

    There’s a housing bubble in NJ too, not just in Nashville. Nashville is an interesting city that is moving beyond the Grand Ole Opry. But it is not Atlanta or Houston, that’s true. There are plenty of nice houses that aren’t 1 mil plus in these cities, as my spouse keeps showing me to convince me to move. There are maybe a handful of school districts in NJ that are producing truly high caliber students. Not that I care, I spent the money on private education for my genetic offspring. If they are going to be brainwashed, then I want them brainwashed as I see fit.

    And Pumpkin – north Jersey is one of the premier places to live in this country? What are you smoking? Have you lived anywhere else? I have, and trust me, that are plenty of places in the US that are hands down superior to north Jersey.

  87. grim says:

    GDP on a state basis represents the total value of goods and services produced in the state. Incomes earned in NYC don’t apply to NJ – the services and goods produced by those earners accrue to NY State.

  88. LurksMcGee says:

    I agree with grim. Amazon’s just watching the show.

  89. grim says:

    It’s really seeming to be a big Bezos ego circlejerk.

  90. leftwing says:

    “So full of it. Your hate for jersey blinds you. Yes, southern cal is like jersey, whether you realize it or not. Same with Boston. You know how many jersey people live in Boston and southern cali? I wonder why? Because it’s pretty damn close to being just like north jersey. Really not much of a difference culture wise, pretty much same kind of people.”

    LOLOLOL. Don’t even know where to start here.

    To try….So, SCal and Boston are so very similar to NJ because a ton of *former* Jersey residents moved there. That’s one (improbable) theory. You’d need to believe they were so happy with their current environs in NNJ that they decided to pick up and leave to go somewhere that…replicates what they just left. Uh, OK….

    The more likely reason they left? They got the hell out of Dodge, dumbass.

    I don’t hate NJ pumps. I hate that it is full of self absorbed, insecure, entitled dolts like you, thinking it is the alpha and the omega. Clean out that half of the population and this place would be great.

  91. Gobsmacked says:

    Grim, are you saying that goods and services produced in NJ and paid for with money earned in NY are not included in this state’s GDP?

  92. Abeiz says:

    Who the fk buys a $7k fridge?

  93. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    Not for nothin, but I can’t stand just about everyone I’ve ever met from SoCal…they are nothing like the people of New Jersey.

  94. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    Realistically, I think this is a big shell game and Amazon actually does nothing in the next 5-10 years. You don’t do this kind of thing this publicly.

    Or maybe they are just looking to force every governor to show their hand and see who’s willing to give the most handouts. Basically a public bidding war down to the first person willing to offer zero taxes. Jersey City seems ideal. They always give huge tax breaks because we pay for their school system.

  95. ex-Jersey says:

    8:11 It may seem similar and in some ways it might be. I think it is much more conservative out here in Simi. Home of the Reagan Library of all things. I haven’t really figured the place out. The economy is heavily weighted toward agriculture at least out here. It takes about 45 mins to get into LA, but I aside from going to my friend’s recording studio in Culver City, and a few concerts and ball games, I haven’t felt the need to visit LA. New York was a far more compelling place in my opinion. I have no emotional stake in comparing one place to another. I have no ego about where I have lived. I have managed to find great things about every one of the 7 states that I have resided in. The weather here is outstanding. The beaches, FREE. So we got that.

  96. exjersey says:

    Oh yeah…and weeds legal.

  97. The Great Pumpkin says:

    lefty,

    Bring people from Boston, so cal, and north jersey together in a room, and they will get along. Bring some middle American and throw them in the mix, and they will feel totally out of place.

  98. exjersey says:

    12:17. Ridiculous.

  99. Juice Box says:

    D.O.J. I meant…

    it is going to be months of messy testimony and maybe a few unexplained suicides.

  100. Juice Box says:

    Pumps- have you even earned enough frequent flyers miles to get a free car wash?

  101. 3b says:

    Juice Just shake your head brother. It’s all you can do.

  102. leftwing says:

    “Pumps- have you even earned enough frequent flyers miles to get a free car wash?”

    LOL. Good one.

    A thirty five year old whose sum total of travel experience consists of Disney World and a discounted cruise making broad cultural assertions without any hesitancy or trepidation whatsoever.

    That, Pumps, is exactly why the Boston, SoCal, and Middle Americans will get up and walk out of your theoretical room, leaving you and the Joisey ilk like you to sit around in a big circle jerk and bray about NNJ pizza and how best to perfectly groom your 1/16th of an acre.

  103. leftwing says:

    What happens to Pumps and his best friend when they leave Jersey

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuFCaIAnETk

  104. D-FENS says:

    Michael…A lot of people who live in NNJ are originally NOT from “NNJ”…and are from “Middle America”. If I’m not mistaken, exjersey (formerly Essex?) is one of them. Your statement is completely false.

  105. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Point flew right over your heads. It was just meant to show that they would have more in common. It wasn’t meant to be taken at face value that they would not be able to get along or carry on a conversation. All the places I mentioned carry a similar lifestyle, political beliefs, and similar interests. The midwest would be more focused on religion and would not carry the same culture tastes as people from southern cal, boston, and northern nj.

  106. leftwing says:

    Points flew right over your head.

    You have no basis, history, or knowledge to make such claims yet continue to push them incessantly and with confidence based on your limited perception of stereotypes. So NNJ…..

  107. leftwing says:

    How’s Mohammed doing, Lonny?

    “we’ve already met”

    “great, then you’ll have a lot to talk about”

    LOL.

  108. The Great Pumpkin says:

    I’ve been all over the country and I have family all over. Don’t act like we are all alike, and make me sound like I’m making all this up.

    leftwing says:
    October 18, 2017 at 8:21 am
    Points flew right over your head.

    You have no basis, history, or knowledge to make such claims yet continue to push them incessantly and with confidence based on your limited perception of stereotypes. So NNJ…..

  109. leftwing says:

    OK, Lonny.

  110. D-FENS says:

    It’s a sickness leftwing. He can’t help it. Some people like to focus on differences between different people and speak about them in a negative light.

    Others like to find common ground.

  111. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Lefty,

    You are being unfair to me, and you know it. Come on, there is even a difference in culture between north and south jersey. Used to go dirtbike riding down at exit 64 on the parkway and you should have seen the country folk I would run into. You would think you were in Alabama. Totally different culture wise. From the way they spoke, to the way they dressed, there was a big difference.

  112. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Negative? What did I say that was negative? You just assumed, because that’s what you do. Difference in culture doesn’t have to imply negativity.

    D-FENS says:
    October 18, 2017 at 8:56 am
    It’s a sickness leftwing. He can’t help it. Some people like to focus on differences between different people and speak about them in a negative light.

    Others like to find common ground.

  113. D-FENS says:

    Article in 2012…

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2216023/Tom-Logan-Father-angered-letter-President-Obama-son-killed-Afghanistan.html

    Father’s fury at Obama’s ‘disrespectful’ form letter sent to him by UPS to offer condolences for son killed in Afghanistan

    -Tom Logan angered to receive ‘impersonal’ condolence letter from the White House four months after son’s death in Afghanistan

    -Investigation finds the White House has been sending same condolence letters to families of foreign soldiers for years

  114. D-FENS says:

    This is a positive statement?

    “Bring some middle American and throw them in the mix, and they will feel totally out of place.”

    The Great Pumpkin says:
    October 18, 2017 at 12:17 am
    lefty,

    Bring people from Boston, so cal, and north jersey together in a room, and they will get along. Bring some middle American and throw them in the mix, and they will feel totally out of place.

  115. D-FENS says:

    What does this mean exactly? Because it seems like you are saying people on the coasts are somehow superior to “Middle Americans”.

    “Bring some middle American and throw them in the mix, and they will feel totally out of place.”

  116. Steamturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    I am fairly well traveled. Lived in Cali for nearly two years, but have been all over the left coast. People are really all the same. There are definitely a few stereotypes that will hold true, but the middle of the country is not filled up entirely with bible-pushers, cowboys and farmers. I’ve spent the most time in Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Cali, Nevada, much of the Northeast and Northwest as well as Minnesota. Been to Alaska and Hawaii three times each. I’ve also been to Europe a number of times and to nearly every island in the Caribbean from Cuba to Curacao as well as nearly every country in Central America. I used to spend countless days in Mexico and it is still one of my favorites (mainly due to cost, but I do like the culture as well).

    Gator and I used to be serial vacationers mainly off of credit card freebies and casino comps. But when we vacation, we rarely do what tourists do. Heck, I work in New York and to this day have not visited the WTC memorial. My goal is always to pickup as much of the culture as is possible. In Jamaica, I’ve smoked weed with a painter who doubled as a taxi driver and went to a dance hall where we were the only devils. It was fantastic. Especially getting chased from the rich man’s private beach later that night. In Costa Rica, where I aspire to become a citizen, I’ve spent entire day’s in bars talking to people about how to become a local and not an expat.

    The truth is, people are the same whereever you go. They all want a good life for themselves and their families. In Austin, I’ve seen bible studies occurring in a Whole Foods Cafe right next to a LBGT group. In Los Angeles, I lived in a community made up of gays (most lesbians) and Orthodox Jews. Even crazier, it was one block off of Melrose in West Hollywood. I worked downtown towards the Watts side. And had lots of friends in the hills, Silver Lake (gangland) and plenty in the valley as well.

    Are New Yorkers, New Jersey and Staten Islanders abrasive to the edge of rude. Absolutely, it’s so friggin’ densely populated that if you don’t go for yours and wait your turn, you’ll be waiting for ever. But we are also outgoing, willing to talk with anyone and everyone and truly understand the craft of bagelry and pizzamaking. Brooklyn and Manhattanites think their sh1t don’t stink. As you go South, I find people are nicer, more respectful, but think Yankees are dumb for wanting that hustle-bustle lifestyle. As you go towards the midwest, I find women are more respected and you see a lot more of them in leadership positions. Especially in the workplace. Out there, people are way more considerate. Though, they do tend to keep to themselves. Florida is essentially New York with some Cubans mixed in. In the Gulf, you find the absolutely nicest people in the world. I’m not sure what it is, perhaps the French influence? But they understand customer service better there than anywhere else. Perhaps because there’s not much of anything else. The music down that way is tops too. Lot’s of culture to enjoy in Louisiana and Mississippi. Then there’s the west coast. California is exactly like New Jersey and it is truly the land of transplants. With that said, it’s a repeating pattern of ethnic enclaves all up and down the coast. You’ll find 6 blocks of Mexicans, then 4 block of Koreans, then 2 blocks of rich whitey, then 4 blocks of Chinese, then 2 blocks of poor whitey, then 2 blocks of Japanese. This repeats over and over again through all of the larger cities. But everyone gets along and you do not feel like an outsider frequenting say the Korean Kareoke shops or the Thai take outs. Though I will say there is definitely an off value system in Los Angeles itself caused by the broadcast and film industry. People (mostly those under 40) really do tend to judge you by what you wear and drive and especially where you live. It’s really silly. Much like Pumps, they have enormous pride and at times too think their sh1t don’t stink.

    But ultimately, if you are outgoing and respectful, people are intelligent, generous and really all the same no matter where you go. IMO.

  117. Steamturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    I am fairly well traveled. Lived in Cali for nearly two years, but have been all over the left coast. People are really all the same. There are definitely a few stereotypes that will hold true, but the middle of the country is not filled up entirely with bible-pushers, cowboys and farmers. I’ve spent the most time in Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Cali, Nevada, much of the Northeast and Northwest as well as Minnesota. Been to Alaska and Hawaii three times each. I’ve also been to Europe a number of times and to nearly every island in the Caribbean from Cuba to Curacao as well as nearly every country in Central America. I used to spend countless days in Mexico and it is still one of my favorites (mainly due to cost, but I do like the culture as well).

    Gator and I used to be serial vacationers mainly off of credit card freebies and cas1no comps. But when we vacation, we rarely do what tourists do. Heck, I work in New York and to this day have not visited the WTC memorial. My goal is always to pickup as much of the culture as is possible. In Jamaica, I’ve smoked weed with a painter who doubled as a taxi driver and went to a dance hall where we were the only devils. It was fantastic. Especially getting chased from the rich man’s private beach later that night. In Costa Rica, where I aspire to become a citizen, I’ve spent entire day’s in bars talking to people about how to become a local and not an expat.

    The truth is, people are the same whereever you go. They all want a good life for themselves and their families. In Austin, I’ve seen bible studies occurring in a Whole Foods Cafe right next to a LBGT group. In Los Angeles, I lived in a community made up of gays (most lesbians) and Orthodox Jews. Even crazier, it was one block off of Melrose in West Hollywood. I worked downtown towards the Watts side. And had lots of friends in the hills, Silver Lake (gangland) and plenty in the valley as well.

    Are New Yorkers, New Jersey and Staten Islanders abrasive to the edge of rude. Absolutely, it’s so friggin’ densely populated that if you don’t go for yours and wait your turn, you’ll be waiting for ever. But we are also outgoing, willing to talk with anyone and everyone and truly understand the craft of bagelry and pizzamaking. Brooklyn and Manhattanites think their sh1t don’t stink. As you go South, I find people are nicer, more respectful, but think Yankees are dumb for wanting that hustle-bustle lifestyle. As you go towards the midwest, I find women are more respected and you see a lot more of them in leadership positions. Especially in the workplace. Out there, people are way more considerate. Though, they do tend to keep to themselves. Florida is essentially New York with some Cubans mixed in. In the Gulf, you find the absolutely nicest people in the world. I’m not sure what it is, perhaps the French influence? But they understand customer service better there than anywhere else. Perhaps because there’s not much of anything else. The music down that way is tops too. Lot’s of culture to enjoy in Louisiana and Mississippi. Then there’s the west coast. California is exactly like New Jersey and it is truly the land of transplants. With that said, it’s a repeating pattern of ethnic enclaves all up and down the coast. You’ll find 6 blocks of Mexicans, then 4 block of Koreans, then 2 blocks of rich whitey, then 4 blocks of Chinese, then 2 blocks of poor whitey, then 2 blocks of Japanese. This repeats over and over again through all of the larger cities. But everyone gets along and you do not feel like an outsider frequenting say the Korean Kareoke shops or the Thai take outs. Though I will say there is definitely an off value system in Los Angeles itself caused by the broadcast and film industry. People (mostly those under 40) really do tend to judge you by what you wear and drive and especially where you live. It’s really silly. Much like Pumps, they have enormous pride and at times too think their sh1t don’t stink.

    But ultimately, if you are outgoing and respectful, people are intelligent, generous and really all the same no matter where you go. IMO.

  118. Steamturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    I am fairly well traveled. Lived in Cali for nearly two years, but have been all over the left coast. People are really all the same. There are definitely a few stereotypes that will hold true, but the middle of the country is not filled up entirely with bible-pushers, cowboys and farmers. I’ve spent the most time in Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Cali, Nevada, much of the Northeast and Northwest as well as Minnesota. Been to Alaska and Hawaii three times each. I’ve also been to Europe a number of times and to nearly every island in the Caribbean from Cuba to Curacao as well as nearly every country in Central America. I used to spend countless days in Mexico and it is still one of my favorites (mainly due to cost, but I do like the culture as well).

    Gator and I used to be serial vacationers mainly off of credit card freebies and cas1no comps. But when we vacation, we rarely do what tourists do. Heck, I work in New York and to this day have not visited the WTC memorial. My goal is always to pickup as much of the culture as is possible. In Jamaica, I’ve smoked weed with a painter who doubled as a taxi driver and went to a dance hall where we were the only devils. It was fantastic. Especially getting chased from the rich man’s private beach later that night. In Costa Rica, where I aspire to become a citizen, I’ve spent entire day’s in bars talking to people about how to become a local and not an expat.

    The truth is, people are the same whereever you go. They all want a good life for themselves and their families. In Austin, I’ve seen bible studies occurring in a Whole Foods Cafe right next to a LBGT group. In Los Angeles, I lived in a community made up of gays (most lesb1ans) and Orthodox Jews. Even crazier, it was one block off of Melrose in West Hollywood. I worked downtown towards the Watts side. And had lots of friends in the hills, Silver Lake (gangland) and plenty in the valley as well.

    Are New Yorkers, New Jersey and Staten Islanders abrasive to the edge of rude. Absolutely, it’s so friggin’ densely populated that if you don’t go for yours and wait your turn, you’ll be waiting for ever. But we are also outgoing, willing to talk with anyone and everyone and truly understand the craft of bagelry and pizzamaking. Brooklyn and Manhattanites think their sh1t don’t stink. As you go South, I find people are nicer, more respectful, but think Yankees are dumb for wanting that hustle-bustle lifestyle. As you go towards the midwest, I find women are more respected and you see a lot more of them in leadership positions. Especially in the workplace. Out there, people are way more considerate. Though, they do tend to keep to themselves. Florida is essentially New York with some Cubans mixed in. In the Gulf, you find the absolutely nicest people in the world. I’m not sure what it is, perhaps the French influence? But they understand customer service better there than anywhere else. Perhaps because there’s not much of anything else. The music down that way is tops too. Lot’s of culture to enjoy in Louisiana and Mississippi. Then there’s the west coast. California is exactly like New Jersey and it is truly the land of transplants. With that said, it’s a repeating pattern of ethnic enclaves all up and down the coast. You’ll find 6 blocks of Mexicans, then 4 block of Koreans, then 2 blocks of rich whitey, then 4 blocks of Chinese, then 2 blocks of poor whitey, then 2 blocks of Japanese. This repeats over and over again through all of the larger cities. But everyone gets along and you do not feel like an outsider frequenting say the Korean Kareoke shops or the Thai take outs. Though I will say there is definitely an off value system in Los Angeles itself caused by the broadcast and film industry. People (mostly those under 40) really do tend to judge you by what you wear and drive and especially where you live. It’s really silly. Much like Pumps, they have enormous pride and at times too think their sh1t don’t stink.

    But ultimately, if you are outgoing and respectful, people are intelligent, generous and really all the same no matter where you go. IMO.

  119. Steamturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    Oh…Forgot to mention the sleepy Northwest. Lots of H addicts but they keep to themselves mostly. :P They love soccer for some reason. People are in much better physical shape out that way.

  120. D-FENS says:

    I’m busy scarfing a massively over sized bagel with butter and cream cheese as you type this…maybe I shouldn’t finish the other half :P

    “People are in much better physical shape out that way.”

  121. Steamturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    Futures look pretty good. Dow 23K today!

  122. grim says:

    Grim, are you saying that goods and services produced in NJ and paid for with money earned in NY are not included in this state’s GDP?

    Sure, I’ll concede that, just as soon as you concede that the entire area stretching from Boston to DC becomes inextricably linked as a single economic zone. You might as well erase state and county lines on a map, because they become entirely irrelevant if this is the discussion we’re having.

    Now the discussion is that the wealthiest and most productive economic area in the history of the world is somehow a bad place to be? Cool, sure, run with that.

  123. grim says:

    I really like this graphic from America2050.org – it’s an illustration of the Northeast Megalopolis in 2050:

    http://www.america2050.org/images/Northeast.png

    The Northeast is a powerhouse of density and economic output, producing 20% of the nation’s GDP with 17% of the population on 2% of the nation’s land area. Over the next generation, the Northeast will add 17 million new residents.

    Borders = Irrelevant

  124. leftwing says:

    Nice post Stu. Well spoken and thought out from experience. Appreciate it.

  125. leftwing says:

    And if you ever want to partner up to retire running a 20 villa property with a little beach bar Costa Rica is one of my favorite places on earth. Pura Vida ;)

  126. grim says:

    Nice, Mnuchin calling for a stock market crash if tax reform fails.

  127. nwnj says:

    The fake news industry seems to be going to into hyperdrive to distract from the latest bombshell revelations about the Clintons and the urianiums sales to Russians. Clintons, Comey, Mueller etc. are all implicated. Who else? We might find out.

    Just read a fake news story on MSN that Obamacare subsidies were stabilizing before Trump eliminated the carrier subsidies. Sure…

  128. Steamturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    Lefty…will let you know. I am so sick of living around here, I can’t tell you.

    I have been driving to the city for work instead of taking the train. It had been relatively good for a while. As long as I was in my car by 6am, I’d be at the desk by 7am easy. Coming home, same thing. If I left at 3, I’d be home by 4 easy. Sometimes, by 3:30. The mornings are now taking me closer to 90 minutes and the returns really vary. So, I’ve decided to try the trains again. THEY ARE WORSE THAN EVER. No seats, lots of trains are being cancelled due to an engineer shortage. It’s simply too unreliable to use. The real problem being that one cancelled train completely wrecks it for everyone when you are at the second to last stop. By the time the next train comes, there is no room for you. So you end up waiting over an hour and even that train will be SRO. It’s completely third world. And the commuters are ruder than ever, which isn’t surprising as they are truly pissed. The 5:30 from Penn, probably the busiest train run on our line, is the one they keep cancelling. There’s no winning. I’m starting to understand why people are willing to pay that much to live along the PATH in Harrison now. Can’t wait until my only worry is how long I should sleep for every day.

  129. Steamturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    nwnj…but there was no conflict of interest with the Clinton Foundation. There were three stories which everyone knows were true. The Uranium Deal. The Swiss Bank Account Deal and the Somali Aid Deal. There were lots of others that were harder to prove, but all of the evidence was there on those three. It’s nice to know that I was right. Meanwhile, we are still waiting for more than a paid for dossier linking Trump to Putin.

  130. 3b says:

    Saw some commercial last night for some financial company. Goes like this. Hister/ Millenials couple live in the city. Parents of the Mom live in suburbs. Parents sell the big house in the suburbs. And move into the apartment across the hall. Grand kids are thrilled Mom says to her Mom thanks Mom. Is this a trend? Just saying.

  131. Fast Eddie says:

    Steam,

    Nice read on your travels. I’ve been to Disney and the Bahamas. The end. lol.

  132. nwnj says:

    Don’t forget the Haiti cell phone deal.

  133. grim says:

    No seats, lots of trains are being cancelled due to an engineer shortage. It’s simply too unreliable to use. The real problem being that one cancelled train completely wrecks it for everyone when you are at the second to last stop.

    There is some sort of nonsense retaliation going on here. Engineers calling out sick in mass, etc etc. Something fishy here.

  134. exjersey says:

    I am not a traveler anymore and it annoys all of my far flung relatives and i could not care less.

  135. exjersey says:

    911 really took my desire to fly away.

  136. grim says:

    “Time for some train problems on the NJ Transit line”

  137. nwnj says:

    BTW, meant to say Obamacare premiums.

  138. 3b says:

    Grim no disagreement from me on the northeast corridor thing. Yet somehow NJ is lagging.

  139. D-FENS says:

    No doubt a concerted effort to get Murphy Elected. Just as bad…maybe worse than blocking lanes on the GWB

  140. Fast Eddie says:

    DOW at 23,130

    Thank you, President Trump!

  141. grim says:

    NJ’s vested interests will fight tooth and nail, but the old guard will go. Thankfully, they’ll die soon and a younger generation will move in.

  142. grim says:

    Mmmm hmmmm..

    Crew shortages were blamed for the cancellation of 35 trains on Columbus Day, after NJ Transit officials said 20 engineers took a personal day. However the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers union challenged NJ Transit’s figures and said only five engineers took off and others volunteered to work on their day off.

  143. Juice Box says:

    re: Something fishy here.

    You mean like a sleep apnea test missing from the mandatory medical workup for NJ Transit workers?

    Or the fact that The U.S. Department of Labor is investigating NJ Transit for widespread abuse of the federal Family Medical Leave Act?

    Quote from the article last month…

    “The audit found a history of NJ Transit employees who “call-out to use FMLA time just before their shift is scheduled to begin, or even it has begun.”

    This is the FU pay me state.

  144. grim says:

    Look, I know nothing about running trains, but I know a thing or two about workforce management at scale. You do not allow critical employees to take unscheduled personal days on a whim. You can not accommodate these situations without massive overstaffing. You might need north of a dozen additional engineers, who would sit in a room doing nothing, just to cover unexpected absences resulting from simply being able to call out on a moments notice.

    …which I suppose what the Brotherhood expects, I’m sure this was negotiated into a contract without any thought to the cost implications of a policy like this.

  145. Juice Box says:

    I think I found the answer they NJ Transit employees are fighting against the analytics? Better a canceled train than a late train??

    https://www.salesforce.com/customer-success-stories/nj-transit/

    Also I surmise they may have added a Work Force Management system with more just in time analytics. So the conductors and engineers maybe getting called up to work allot more within the three-hour window their contracts allow for perhaps allot more than the the old paperwork system that gave them allot more downtime and allot more overtime.

  146. Steamturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    I don’t doubt that this is a labor move to get NJ Engineer salaries in line with Metro North’s. But unfortunately, Metro North did not ignore the warnings when Sandy came and ruined 1/3rd of the NJ Transit fleet. Those trains cost one million each. The last number I saw on the repairs was approaching 200 million. 200 million could have paid for a lot of conductors. The truth is, the leadership of the Port Authority, NJ Transit, the Turnpike Authority and too many others to list are all filled with political appointees as a thank you for political campaign contributions. It works like this. You host a dinner party for me and I’ll give your failure of a son or daughter a 150K year middle management job. This creates a complete vacuum of incompetent leadership that permeates down to all levels. Don’t think that the blue collars don’t realize how this works. And the Port Authority is worse supposedly but printing money so you don’t see it as much.

  147. Steamturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    competent. Whoops and engineers instead of conductors.

  148. leftwing says:

    “The fake news industry seems to be going to into hyperdrive to distract from the latest bombshell revelations about the Clintons and the urianiums sales to Russians.”

    If Trump had 90% less mouth/150% more brain OR more than two friends on the Hill things would be very different right now.

    The scope of the special counsel should have been ANY relations with Russia among EITHER of the Presidential candidates.

    Mueller would have been green lighted to poke around the Clintons. That would have been priceless.

    Mueller’s mandate is below. Three more words, wildly different outcome. Friends and intellect matter.

    “any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated [with Trump’s campaign]…and any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation.”

  149. D-FENS says:

    I’m not so sure bragging about NJTransit’s success is something salesforce should use as a marketing pitch.

  150. exjersey says:

    11:08. Admittedly he’s having a good run here. No complaints

  151. Juice Box says:

    re:”Mueller would have been green lighted to poke around the Clintons. That would have been priceless.”

    Yeah no he was the FBI director from 2001 – 2013. If anything it is CYA for him, he needs to recuse and they need to appoint another Special Prosecutor.

    My feeling is none of that will happen. Trump is going down like Nixon did eventually
    they will pin something on him.

  152. grim says:

    Would love to help take NJT customer service off-shore. I could probably save the state millions. The workforce management highlighted by salesforce was the contact center work, not the engineers. Guarantee they are still 20-30% overstaffed, probably paying 3-4x more in salary than they need to.

  153. Steamturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/07/our_latest_transit_fiasco_a_17_ferry_that_nobody_u.html

    I wonder which contributor that lives in the Atlantic Highlands paid for this favor?

  154. Steamturd supporting the Canklephate says:

    Hmmm… probably this one.

    “James Gorman – $118,475 in Political Contributions for 2016”

    http://nj.gov/governor/news/news/552011/approved/20110113b.html

  155. Steamturd supporting the Canklephate says:
  156. leftwing says:

    Anyone shoot clays on here?

    Chi, heading far above Cayuga’s waters this wknd

  157. Yo! says:

    NJ Transit has made numerous investments to improve service over the past few decades – MidTown Direct, Montclair Connection, Secaucus Junction, Hudson Bergen Lite Railway, heck even a new station in Wayne.

    Ironically this makes it a lot easier for NJ residents to quit their NJ jobs and take jobs in New York, then stop paying income taxes to NJ.

    My big gripe with NJ Transit – no alcohol vendors selling to commuters. Adding booze carts would raise some revenue while taking some of the edge of the annoying commutes.

  158. D-FENS says:

    I wish I had the time

    leftwing says:
    October 18, 2017 at 1:22 pm
    Anyone shoot clays on here?

    Chi, heading far above Cayuga’s waters this wknd

  159. grim says:

    I keep meaning to check out Ringwood or that place on the Passaic River. I’d love to shoot clays.

    My dad has an Citori I’ve been meaning to swipe, this would be good enough reason.

  160. JJ fanboy says:

    First north Texas gets the 2018 NFL draft, next will be the prime hq

  161. leftwing says:

    Nice on the Citori.

  162. Grab them by the puzzy says:

    Where’s Jared at?

    He hasn’t been attending meetings

  163. Grab them by the puzzy says:

    @VanityFair

    SCOOP:

    Jared Kushner has hired Charles Harder, the lawyer who helped crush Gawker, to join his legal team

  164. D-FENS says:

    Thunder mountain? Sounds cool. I think they rent shotguns too

    My wife’s family keeps inviting me to some club they’re e a member of in PA. The culture sure is different there i guess. They tell me they sell alcohol and you can bring it up to where you shoot.

  165. Guomino says:

    You’re smoking strong weed if you believe Amazon is dumb enough to put its headquarters in NJ, where taxation is hidden in every corner.

    Also, if Christie cuts a deal, the massive expense would come out of the taxpayers’ pockets, while the number of jobs the Amazon headquarters creates would be minimum (thousands, at best).

  166. D-FENS says:

    It doesn’t come out of anyone’s pocket. It means less comes out of Amazons pocket.

  167. 3b says:

    Speaking of NJ Transit stuck again on a broken down piece of krap train. Yeah our world class transportation system blah blah Amazon will come everybody wants to live here!!

  168. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Why such an obsession with taxes? I don’t get it. Do you understand how highly taxed silicone valley is? How did it blow up so much and carry the west coast economy under such a highly taxed area? Open up your eyes, and stop drinking the republican kool-aid that low taxes are the answer to all problems. It’s only one aspect of running a business, clearly based on the silicone valley, seattle, and boston case studies, high taxes does not have the huge impact you imply on big industry. Yes, for some industries, taxes matter more, but for big industry that drives this country, give me a break already with that nonsense.

    Guomino says:
    October 18, 2017 at 5:56 pm
    You’re smoking strong weed if you believe Amazon is dumb enough to put its headquarters in NJ, where taxation is hidden in every corner.

    Also, if Christie cuts a deal, the massive expense would come out of the taxpayers’ pockets, while the number of jobs the Amazon headquarters creates would be minimum (thousands, at best).

  169. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Not an attack on you, so don’t take it that way.

    You do realize that in 10 years the entire mass transit system will be totally updated, right? All the problems you speak of are due to them milking the current equipment/infrastructure for as long as they could. It’s inevitable that the federal govt will come to the aid of this, they just can’t afford to let such a crucial part of our economy go to hell. So trust me, everything will be updated, just give it some time.

    3b says:
    October 18, 2017 at 6:16 pm
    Speaking of NJ Transit stuck again on a broken down piece of krap train. Yeah our world class transportation system blah blah Amazon will come everybody wants to live here!!

  170. Chi in chi says:

    Enjoy. I’m going to Princeton Cornell at Hobie Baker On 11/4.

    According to clot the best injection house is behind the Starbucks just off the commons

    D-FENS says:
    October 18, 2017 at 2:15 pm
    I wish I had the time

    leftwing says:
    October 18, 2017 at 1:22 pm
    Anyone shoot clays on here?

    Chi, heading far above Cayuga’s waters this wknd

  171. Chi in chi says:

    Asked Austan Goolsbee a corporate tax rate question at a sessional on this afternnon

  172. Gobsmacked says:

    “Sure, I’ll concede that, just as soon as you concede that the entire area stretching from Boston to DC becomes inextricably linked as a single economic zone.”

    That I won’t concede. I don’t expect that happening. Maybe there will be no empty land left between these cities, but that doesn’t mean that Boston will be linked to DC or NYC linked to Boston. What constitutes an inextricable link? I would say that it must be possible to have an affordable commute for the average white collar worker, both in terms of price and time. And don’t throw in telecommuting, because then the entire world is inextricably linked.

  173. Blue Ribbon Teacher says:

    Pumpkin, care to explain why every major Pharma company in NJ has shut down buildings and moved them to PA or Texas?

  174. 3b says:

    Blue stop being so negative! They will all be back in 10 years when the infrastructure is all updated. You heard it here first.

  175. grim says:

    What’s this news about Russia having a hand in black lives matter, orchestrating it through Facebook?

  176. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Grim, I was at the town council meeting tonight to speak to the council about lowering the speed limit and removing the recently installed rumble strips. Def getting it lowered to 35mph, but we are still fighting for 30 or less. Had enough people there and the entire council supports us. They all agree that it’s a residential street and it’s ridiculous to have that speed limit there.
    .

    Theme of the meeting——how bad the county govt rips our town off.

  177. The Great Pumpkin says:

    I had no idea how many physicians lived on my street, but one of them stated that they would testify on behalf of any lawsuit brought about by neighbors suffering physical harm from the sound of rumble strips. My neighbors don’t play around when you mess with their quality of life.

  178. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Like the members of this blog always point out….divide and conquer.

    grim says:
    October 18, 2017 at 10:37 pm
    What’s this news about Russia having a hand in black lives matter, orchestrating it through Facebook?

  179. The Great Pumpkin says:

    That business cycle based on the pharma industry in nj has come and gone. Nothing lasts forever, and it’s better this way. Opens the door to new industry in our state. Give it some time, some good will come of this.

    Blue Ribbon Teacher says:
    October 18, 2017 at 7:56 pm
    Pumpkin, care to explain why every major Pharma company in NJ has shut down buildings and moved them to PA or Texas?

  180. exjersey says:

    Pharma is still in NJ…. it’s Biotech that is thriving elsewhere.

  181. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Compared to the price of real estate in the rest of the world, north jersey real estate is so f/ing cheap. You guys are complaining about the price, when you should be buying it all up. It’s a fuc!k’n super economic hub and it’s the location of the cheapest real estate prices in this super economic hub.

    “I would say that it must be possible to have an affordable commute for the average white collar worker, both in terms of price and time. “

  182. The Great Pumpkin says:

    The world is moving to cloud based tech……and you think people are going to move to remote locations? Nada……complete opposite. Place the the nyc market become even more of a magnet under a cloud based tech world.

  183. The Great Pumpkin says:

    Yahtzee! Think you hit the nail on the head with this one.

    exjersey says:
    October 18, 2017 at 11:17 pm
    Pharma is still in NJ…. it’s Biotech that is thriving elsewhere.

  184. D-FENS says:

    Who did better in the Gubernatorial Debate?

Comments are closed.