Lazy editors refuse to do the legwork

Colonist and native agree to build the Court Street Bridge.

Three days ago, The Record gave a state assemblyman a front-page platform to blame President Obama and the poor economy for his financial and legal problems, including charges he wrote $400,000 in bad checks.

Assemblyman Robert Schroeder said he had made a "mistake." 

Gullible editors

Now, it turns out, the Republican assemblyman from Bergen County and his company have been named in at least six federal and state lawsuits trying to recover $1.78 million from "unpaid bills in recent years," according to a Page 1 story today.

How gullible can Editor Marty Gottlieb and head Assignment Deirdre Sykes get? 

They have full-time federal and state courthouse reporters at their beck and call, so why didn't they perform the basic legwork of checking court records on Friday to prevent publishing Saturday's embarrassing story?

Small-minded columnist

Writing off a state Supreme Court decision upholding red decals on the license plates of young drivers (A-1), Road Warrior John Cichowski can't resist a "cute" expression (L-1).

He refers to the decals as "itsy-bitsy red tags," then proceeds to put readers to sleep.

Bridge to nowhere

On Sykes' Local front on Monday, Staff Writer Stephanie Akin does a hell of a reporting and writing job on Hackensack's Court Street Bridge (L-1).

Reopening of the bridge is one of the final pieces needed to transform 20 acres along River Street -- The Record's old headquarters -- into the site of a Walmart.

Hackensack readers can only wish Akin devotes her considerable skills to covering municipal affairs.