CARLSTADT - Ballfields and firehouses, church steeples and cardboard Halloween headstones in front yards tumble downward and eastward, where the skyline of Manhattan juts in the distance and jets crisscross Jersey swamplands.

There, hugging the highway, stands Biggies, and inside amid the other sports fans, stands state Senator Paul Sarlo, chair of the Senate Budget Committee, and a lifelong ballplayer.

He calls Shohei Ohtani's game last Friday night a near-superhuman display, and probably the best postseason performance Sarlo can recall. Ohtani pitched six innings that night, struck out ten, and hit three homeruns.

It beats the Jets. At least for now.

But soon the conversation turns to politics, of course, and the South Bergenite has plenty to say on the subject.

President Donald Trump's declaration last week during the ongoing federal government shutdown of the Gateway Tunnel project's termination comes up.

Sarlo has something to say about that.

He also wants to talk about affordability, pension payments, the state budget, the impact of the loss of federal dollars on the budget, the impact of the loss of Medicaid coverage for New Jerseyans, the ANCHOR and StayNJ programs, and, certainly, the senator wants to talk gubernatorial politics.

"Three areas Democrats have taken head on," he said. "We've taken head on making our full pension payment, to help reduce our structural deficit, fully funding our education formula - we've done it - and we've done a great job of taking care of health insurance and Medicaid, which is now going to become an albatross around our necks because of the Trump administration."

Ok. But what about the next Governor?

What issues will that individual have to confront?

"One of the things that keeps me up at night we're going to have significant Medicaid cuts that are coming down from the federal government, the Trump Administration - devastating<" Sarlo said.

Also:

"Our healthcare benefits. The cost of healthcare for our public employees."

He added:

"And the third - as Mikie Sherrill has been saying, is getting out utility companies in a room to deal with our utility costs.

"Those are the three issues the next governor is going to have to deal with, regardless," the senator said.

Who will the next governor be, InsiderNJ asks Sarlo.

It's a good night to talk about politics here.

It's Wednesday.

No New York teams made the World Series.

And last weekend's local NFL football games occupy the rearview.

Better that way.

For the (FULL!) InsiderNJ Interview with Senator Paul Sarlo (D-36) in Biggie's Sports Bar, please see below: