Thursday, September 8, 2011

Christie helps rich wage open warfare

September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City: V...Image via Wikipedia
Will too much 9/11 anniversary coverage turn off readers?


Governor Christie has been waging open warfare for the rich against the rest of us since he took office, but now he's upped the ante considerably.


The Record reports he addressed hundreds of wealthy donors at a secret June meeting in Vail, Colo., sponsored by a pair of right-wing billionaires.

On Page 1 today, Columnist Charles Stile describes how the Koch brothers' network of "foundations, think tanks and front groups ... promote drastically lower personal and corporate taxes, fewer social services for the poor and less government regulation."


That sounds like the Republican bully's agenda in cutting the state budget this year and in 2010, but he also mounted an assault on the benefits of unionized state workers, teachers, cops and firefighters. 


The state teachers union says Christie's net worth is $3 million.


Borg way or highway


So, it's no surprise Publisher Stephen A. Borg has editors of the Woodland Park daily marching in lockstep with Christie.


Not content with the $2 million house he lived in, the wealthy scion waged his own war on the less fortunate -- his much poorer employees -- by grabbing a $3.65 million company mortgage to buy a McMansion in late 2007, followed several months later by record layoffs.


In the second part of Rich v. Poor, Washington Correspondent Herb Jackson reports congressional Republicans are fighting to preserve a corrupt system of political contributions -- one that ensures only the wealthy can run for state or national office (A-1).


On A-2, two of the three corrections are attributed to sloppy reporting or copy editing.


Bad English, home version


On A-21, Editor Francis Scandale publishes a full page of 9/11 remembrances from foreign writers, including journalists and students.


I can understand awkward writing from those whose native language isn't English, but what's Scandale's excuse? Here are two excerpts from his introduction:


First, take a deep breath. 


"As we explored going outside the United States to hear what citizens of other countries took away from the attacks of Sept. 11, we came across a small town in Italy that had planned to teach the event in school."


"Many residents work in the near town of Siena ...." 


In head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes' Local section, the only Hackensack news is a burglary arrest (L-2). 


More red-light-running news appears on L-3, but do readers really need a 12- to 14-inch story each time a town decides to install cameras?


9/11 anniversary


Scandale began coverage of 9/11 in earnest on Sept. 1, with the first in a series of front-page stories that presumably will culminate this Sunday, the 10th anniversary of the attack on America.


I'm already sick of reading about 9/11, including the pieces from abroad, all of which sound the same. 


The only A-1 stories I read through were Staff Writer Leslie Brody's piece on the memorial to New Jersey victims and Thomas E. Franklin's account of the 9/11 photographers.


None of the coverage has mentioned U.S. support for Israel, which Al-Qaida cited originally as the reason it wants to destroy America.


More rich news


Donald Trump sued for defamation and lost, at least as far as the Appellate Division of state Superior Court is concerned. 


A brief on the case appears on L-8 today. The Record carried a glowing account about Trump the other day.


Here is the link to the full written decision, which contains a lot of information about his real and imagined net worth:


http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/opinions/a6141-08.pdf 





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2 comments:

  1. Trump should sue whoever is responsible for that bird's nest on his head.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Victor, I do not recall you proving a link to that appeal decision in your case. That would seem to be of greater interest to your readers than the Trump decision.

    ReplyDelete

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