Business editors blow Christie -- again

Bruce Springsteen with Barack Obama. Springsteen's old songs describe a weak New Jersey economy that isn't far different from what residents are living with today.

The Record's editors appear to have appointed themselves defenders of Governor Christie and the weak New Jersey economy.

Just take a look at the elaborate defense of the state economy -- under the guise of a news story -- on the first Business page today (L-7).

The story claims the "left-leaning" treasurer of Australia criticized Christie's economic policies based on outdated Bruce Springsteen songs.

Treasurer Wayne Swan "painted a picture of vacant storefronts,  jobless dead-enders and closing textile mills."

Office potatoes

I guess the business editors haven't left the office lately and seen all of the vacant storefronts in Hackensack, Teaneck, Englewood and other downtowns.

Nor have they driven past all of the abandoned mills in Paterson and Passaic.

The Record continues to report with a straight face that there's been a "Jersey Comeback" -- instead of labeling it as another big Christie lie.

This spirited defense comes only a day after New Jersey placed last among 30 states in replacing jobs lost to the recession. 

And the state's unemployment rate is higher than the nation's, despite millions in business tax breaks from Christie.  

Of course, let's not forget how Springsteen snubbed Christie's invitation to play at his inaugural festivities in January 2010.

Ho-hum front page 

Editor Marty Gottlieb packs Page 1 today with three ho-hum stories.

The glowing profile of state Sen. Joe Vitale doesn't mention how ineffective he and other Democrats have been in the face of Christie's conservative no-tax policies and his lukewarm support of mass transit (A-1).

Did any reader plow all the way through the takeout on two Bergen County police officers who allegedly tampered with evidence in a burglary case (A-1)? 

Blinded by the sun

An editorial praising Christie as a champion of solar energy mentions PSE&G's four-year-old solar loan effort, but fails to say the program ended last Dec. 31 and wasn't renewed (A-10).

On the front of head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes' Local section, the big news is that more than 90,000 Orthodox Jews gathered in the Meadowlands to pray for lower property taxes and more Hebrew immersion charter schools (L-1).

Not so fast

At Chick-fil-A in Paramus, hundreds of conservatives lined up for their daily dose of harmful animal antibiotics (L-1).

As if chicken raised on antibiotics isn't bad enough, the breast meat is fried and some sandwiches include artery clogging bacon.

Instead of campaigning against same-sex marriage,  conservatives should boycott Chick-fil-A and other fast-food places that serve unhealthy poultry and burgers.