$15 An Hour Minimum Wage Is Coming Which Could Help Folks Afford Legal Weed

Last week NJ.com did a piece on the minimum wage, basically saying Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin “expects his house will vote in the coming months on a much-anticipated bill raising the minimum wage gradually to $15 an hour.”

And, just today, the Asbury Park Press did a piece on legalizing marijuana in New Jersey. Mostly the article discussed all the missed deadlines for making legalized weed a reality. As the Asbury Park Press explained in its article:

While the waiting may be the hardest part for New Jersey marijuana legalization advocates, attorney and weed proponent Bill Caruso said the process should take a while if legislators are serious about addressing social justice concerns that are integral to the legalization debate.

"There's an entire process that has to occur to get this right. It's realistic that by the end of the year, if the racial and social justice pieces are done, the Legislature will have the votes," said Caruso, who co-founded New Jersey United for Marijuana Reform, a marijuana legalization advocacy group.

Last month, NJUMR decried the most recently amended version of the marijuana legalization bill introduced in Trenton earlier this year because it didn't include a process to "reinvest in communities harmed by the drug war" — including helping people in those communities get involved in the cannabis industry.

The group also wants any New Jersey legal weed bill to include the automatic expungement of marijuana convictions on the books and allow residents to grow marijuana at home. 

Part of the delay may be that Governor Phil Murphy has planned on a 25 percent tax rate on marijuana. That’s the tax amount he projected in his 2018-2019 budget. But Senate President Steve Sweeney has said the Legislature settled on a 12 percent tax rate.

All this got me thinking the reason Coughlin is pushing so hard to get the $15 an hour minimum wage through the Assembly might be so folks can afford legal marijuana with all it’s extra taxes. It’s certainly going to cost a lot more than buying weed from the guy standing on the corner yelling, “Yo, yo, what you need!”

Then again, lower wage earners, even with the increase in the minimum wage, still may not be able to afford legal weed in South Jersey. The increase in minimum wage might be enough to help them afford the bridge tolls to go to Philly and buy decriminalized weed from a street level dealer. At least the DRPA will make some money.

So, yeah, an increase in the minimum wage would likely be a win-win for weed, both legal and decriminalized.

Another South Jersey Democrat In A Fight, Another “It Is What It Is” Answer

Frank Gilliam and Jeffree Fauntleroy

The Press of Atlantic City did an excellent job following up on a story broken by Harry Hurley, specifically an “incident” involving Atlantic City Mayor Frank M. Gilliam and Atlantic City Councilman Jeffree Fauntleroy II.

Apparently, that incident was, according to The Press, “a fight with several other people outside a casino nightclub early Sunday morning.”

I’m guessing this story wouldn’t be as bad if Mayor Gilliam hadn’t spent the better part of the day denying it happened. As he told The Press:

Gilliam acknowledged Sunday night there was a physical confrontation. However, earlier Sunday, the mayor said there was “no incident” and “nothing happened.”

“I’m going to hold my comments until my attorney and the law enforcement people do this because I’m not even sure why you would have access to a videotape,” Gilliam said.

Then there was what Fauntleroy had to say:

When contacted Sunday morning, Fauntleroy said the incident was a “loud argument” and nothing more. Reached for comment Sunday evening, he said, “You saw the video. It is what it is.”

“It is what it is.” That’s exactly what former Assemblyman Arthur Barclay told the New Jersey Globe after it was discovered he was arrested on assault charges.

So that’s two South Jersey Democrats using the exact same phrase when contacted by the press after being in a fight. Is, “It is what it is” something South Jersey Democrats teach their members to say after getting in fights?

What about the silence from South Jersey Democrats? Barclay gets arrested, silence from his party. Former Haddon Township Commissioner Paul Dougherty crashes into the back of another car and leaves the scene. Silence from Democrats. The discovery of Voorhees Township Deputy Mayor Jason Ravitz getting into bar fights. Silence from Democrats.

Will South Jersey Democrats ever call out a member of their own party for doing something wrong? Probably not, they’ll probably just hide with each other and say, “It is what it is.”

Also, let’s not forget the 2018 New Jersey League of Municipalities Conference is happening this week in Atlantic City. Gilliam has to deliver the traditional “Host City Welcome” on Tuesday. He also delivers a welcome message to the League Delegates Luncheon. I can hear it now, “Welcome to Atlantic City where it is what it is.”

We’re getting used to this bad behavior by Democrats in South Jersey. To the rest of you, especially those headed to South Jersey and visiting Atlantic City for the League of Municipalities Conference. Enjoy your stay and remember, “It is what it is.”

It Appears Two More South Jersey Democrats Have “Issues” With Law Enforcement

In a story broken by WPG’s Mayor of the Morning, Harry Hurley, it appears Atlantic City Mayor Frank M. Gilliam and Atlantic City Councilman Jeffree Fauntleroy II were involved in an “incident” at an Atlantic City casino nightclub early this morning.

Hurley reports, “Multiple well placed sources have told me that there are allegedly videos showing Gilliam punching and choking a female Security Officer.”

Screenshot of Harry Hurley’s Facebook post

The Press of Atlantic City backs up Hurley’s reporting that charges have been filed:

Fauntleroy said he was made aware of a complaint signed against the two officials Sunday morning after being sent a text message with a picture of the document from a reporter but no law enforcement official has contacted him about the matter.

The signed complaints include allegations of simple assault and harassment.

"It's kind of just mind boggling from a verbal argument now being complaints signed," Fauntleroy said. "I don't really understand. But it's politics. Everything is blown out of proportion in Atlantic City."

In early October The Bob & Steve Show wrote about flawed politicians who have had some sort of “issue” with law enforcement within the past year. Three of those politicians were Democrats and we pointed out how Democratic Party officials were silent on their three flawed politicians while the Republicans disavowed their candidate who had issues. Now we’re left to wonder if Democratic Party officials will sit silent on this latest round of Democrats gone wild.

Stay tuned! We’re sure there will be to come on this.