Does this story help or hurt?

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I expected more from the Page A-5 "fact checker," especially after reading The Record's A-1 promo today under the heading: 

Christie vs. NJEA:
Who's telling the truth?

Why wasn't the story played out front? And why allow a stubborn foe of mass transit, Staff Writer Tom Davis, to write about the NJ Transit fare hikes, which have been approved for May 1? He's some "transportation reporter."

How much time is a reader expected to spend with that A-5 fact-checker? The third item appears under a heading: "Income tax rates for the rich," but the text merely recaps the governor's and teachers union's positions. Next, "the facts" appear, but we never learn who is telling the truth, as the A-1 promo promised.

The one-year tax surcharge on the Borgs and other wealthy families earning over $400,000 would generate "nearly $1 billion." That would avert a lot of the cuts Governor Christie has imposed on just about everyone but the rich. The extra tax was enacted by Jon Corzine in his last year in office (and will remain in effect until Dec. 31, according to WBGO-FM news).

Staff Writer Ashley Kindergan continues to impress. After excellent follow-up stories on the murder of a teacher Tuesday and Wednesday, she has two municipal stories in Local today -- "the patch" on the front and a tax hike story inside.

She puts the rest of the local staff to shame, including Hackensack reporter Monsy Alvarado. Every edition of The Record raises the question of how clueless head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes and her minions keep their jobs.