News media always delight in exploiting political divisions

The easiest way to ruin a beautiful day is to try to drive through downtown Englewood, where construction and a blocked lane slowed traffic today at Palisade Avenue and Dean Street, above and below.

This afternon around 1, as the temperature reached a comfortable 75, one Englewood police officer directed traffic as two others leaned against a traffic-light repair truck that blocked a through lane, bullshitting. Now, residents know one reason why the city's property tax bills are so high.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

After the nation's first black president took office in 2009, the racially inspired gridlock in Congress was evident to everyone.

And the news media couldn't have been more delighted, replacing any reporting about issues and what's good for the country with story after story about our political divisions.

A year later, Republican Chris Christie was sworn in as New Jersey's governor and faced a state Legislature controlled by Democrats.

Would he compromise? Fuggedaboutit!

The GOP bully unilaterally cancelled expansion of rail service under the Hudson River, and began vetoing every bill in sight -- from a tax surcharge on millionaires to hikes in the minimum wage to using tax money to purchase open space.

Again, the news media were delighted to report all of the conflict, and The Record's Charles Stile wrote column after column explaining Christie's every word, belch and fart in political terms -- even as the vetoes topped 500 and set a record.

Clinton v. Trump

Today, Columnist Mike Kelly repeats a frequent theme of his column -- that allegedly we are no longer united, as we supposedly were after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on America (A-1).

And once again he points to "an increasingly polarized presidential campaign."

But that's nothing new, just as the media's relentless focus on politics in the nation and New Jersey isn't new, and likely won't end in the foreseeable future. 

9/11 ceremonies

Today's front page, Local front and Better Living cover are dominated by stories related to the 15th anniversary of 9/11.

That's eight straight days of coverage, but I didn't seen anything on the hijackers who lived in Paterson, and obtained phony I.D.'s and licenses in the weeks leading up to the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

Christie intensifies his campaign to cut taxes on the wealthy

On Monday afternoon, two employees were basking in the sun on the third floor of the Bergen County Administration Building in Hackensack.

By VICTOR E. SASSON

EDITOR

After reading The Record's Page 1 story today, good luck trying to figure out whether you'll benefit from a proposed "grand bargain" to fund the state's transportation network.

Clearly, Governor Christie doesn't like the plan, claiming it's "about a $1.4 billion tax increase." 

And he wants the estate tax phased out in two years, instead of three years, if gas taxes are raised about 23 cents a gallon (A-1 and A-10).

But the story by Staff Writer Christopher Maag leaves many questions unanswered, especially whether the middle class would benefit from a phaseout of taxes on estates of more than $675,000.

In New Jersey, you can leave everything you own to your spouse, and none of it will be taxed.

Still, phasing out the estate tax won't affect another state tax, this one ranging from 11% to 16% on inherited property over $25,000.

EV fee

And the compromise between Democratic and Republican state senators includes an extra $150 every time an owner registers an all-electric car "to offset lost gas-tax revenue" (A-10).

There are an estimated 2,500 all-electric vehicles or EVs registered in New Jersey, so that would raise $375,000 a year.

You can bet that any plan Christie signs will benefit the wealthy, who have been laughing all the way to the bank since he repeatedly vetoed a tax surcharge on millionaires that would have raised $1 billion for the cash-strapped state.

It's also unclear whether a proposal "to double state aid to local and county governments for transportation projects, to $400 million annually," would lead to repair of local streets, roads and highways, which are in deplorable condition.

Orlando and 9/11

The Record's Mike Kelly is a homophobic opinion columnist who apparently has no opinions to offer on the massacre of 49 people in a gay nightclub on Sunday (A-1).

That's probably why he's comparing the slaughter in Orlando, Fla., to the 9/11 attacks on America nearly 15 years ago, calling both the "the work of terrorists."

He hides his true feelings about the targeted deaths of innocent gays and lesbians by retreating into the past, when he covered the 9/11 attacks and investigative hearings ad nauseam.

And what's the point of decrying "the partisanship and political bickering that has divided the nation for months during the presidential primary season" when Kelly and so many other members of the news media have been focusing on nothing else?