Official inaction is everywhere you look

Image by redspotted via Flickr

The Record today is "mad about mushrooms."

No fix for high property tax bills. Weak government ethics laws. Uncertain funding for education and affordable housing. 


And starting in 2018 -- thanks to Governor Christie's sleight of hand -- yearly payments of $5 billion tax dollars to fund the state pension system.


And those are only the problems listed in stories on the front page and A-3 of The Record today. 


What about the lack of long-term solutions to flooding? Or persistent unemployment. Or Christie's refusal to tax millionaires. Or the sad state of mass transit in one of the most congested regions in the country?


Even the Bergen County sheriff is defying attempts to eliminate duplication in law enforcement (A-1 and L-1).


Senior moments


Editor Francis Scandale is really hanging crepe with Page 1 today. 


If you send reporters only to senior centers and nursing homes, you're going to find nothing but hard-luck seniors, such as those shown eating a free lunch in Mahwah (A-1).


Scandale and head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes continue to ignore Bergen County's wealthy seniors, the ones with vacation homes and European travel plans -- just as they ignore Alzheimer's disease and the challenges facing older drivers.


They find it so much easier to write stories off Census 2010 data -- as with today's piece on social services for seniors. It's a neat package that requires a minimum of enterprise and legwork, perfect for Sykes' lazy assignment minions.


At the bottom of A-1, The Associated Press -- the news agency that practices body-count journalism in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere -- reports the "world is more peaceful than ever," according to the headline.


Local news holiday


By the looks of the Local section today, municipal news took a holiday this weekend.


On L-1, Road Warrior John Cichowski responds sarcastically to readers who say his past reporting has been inaccurate or incomplete.


There is so little local news, minor fires in North Arlington and Paramus are reported on L-3 and L-7, respectively.


Another great job by Sykes and her crack assignment desk or is it cracked? 


Smoking shrooms


Better Living Staff Writer Kara Yorio's cover story on mushrooms sounds like she was smoking something and no one bothered to edit her ("Mad about mushrooms," F-1).


"In the fall, we get mushrooms in the heartier and richer dishes that keep us warm in the cooler weather.


"A quick look at menus at a few local restaurants shows us that mushroom lovers need not search very hard to meet a mushroom craving."


And, "The wide variety of mushrooms lends itself to a wide variety of mushroom dishes."


Truffles are called "expensive little guys."


To cut costs in recent years, editors at The Record have given reporting work to low-paid editorial clerks, who don't have the experience or journalism education of reporters.


Yorio is one of the most productive Better Living staffers, but her work needs polish.