If Christie drops out of race, no need for friendly columnist

Hudson Street in Hackensack is one of many streets showing the signs of utility work, but the patching is much smoother than on River Street, especially near the old headquarters of The Record.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

A day after The Record declared that many view Governor Christie's White House bid as a "long shot," the paper's political columnist doesn't miss a beat.

Since the GOP bully took office in early 2010, Staff Writer Charles Stile has stuck by Christie in his Political Stile column, never bothering to report on whether the conservative's policies have been good for New Jersey.

Today, he's back on Page 1, analyzing whether Donald Trump's foot-in-mouth disease can help boost Christie's anemic showing in the race for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016.

His column is never labeled "Opinion" or "Analysis," as many papers would with similar partisan reporting.

With Stile in his corner, Christie doesn't even need spin doctors.

The veteran Trenton reporter does a good imitation of a journalist who is angling for a job in what he hopes will be a Christie administration in Washington.

Stile's chief weakness is that he continues to completely ignore all of the New Jersey baggage and failed policies Christie brought to the race -- from Superstorm Sandy recovery to mass transit to "pension reform" to the Bridgegate scandal.

It's a weakness shared with Editor Martin Gottlieb, who puts Stile's boring column on the front page once or twice a week.

Stile's next and last column should be on the sentiment for Christie to drop out of the race, return to New Jersey and finish out his term, fixing the mess he's made as the state's worst governor ever.

Another one of Christie's many cronies takes a powder

A little red paint dresses up this building on Hudson Street in Hackensack.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

How many key Christie administration officials once worked for the GOP bully when he was the crime-busting U.S. attorney for New Jersey?

You'd expect The Record to have informed readers long ago about the large number of cronies who got jobs from Governor Christie, but the editors don't sweat the details.

After all, they just got around to tallying the 300-plus vetoes he's used to get his way since he took office more than five years ago and inherited a Democratic-controlled state Legislature.

Sandy aide

Now, Richard Constable is stepping down as Christie's commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, the agency that is taking all the heat for screwing up the recovery from Superstorm Sandy (A-3). 

Constable is a former federal prosecutor who worked for Christie in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Newark. 

Staff Writer Melissa Hayes actually wrote Constable worked with Christie [italics added]. 

And the reporter neglected to tell readers how much Constable is paid and how much more he will be making in the private sector. 

I guess that information wasn't in the press release she rewrote.

Constable is one of the many former assistant U.S. attorneys who got jobs from Christie, even though a good prosecutor doesn't necessarily know anything about being a good administrator.

I was shocked to see by the photo on A-3 today that Constable is black, because minorities complained the state's Sandy recovery program discriminated against them.

Fire series flaws

Today's front page carries the last of three parts of "AFTER THE FIRE," focusing on Englewood and Paterson families "coping after disaster" (A-1).

The poorly edited series neglected to emphasize some basics of fire safety, including the importance of smoke detectors, as was evident in the Brooklyn fire that killed seven children early Saturday.

Editor Martin Gottlieb just threw tens of thousands of words and some photos at readers, neglecting to break out some basic fire-safety rules in a graphic or box.

This from a former editor at The New York Times. Sheesh!

Elizabeth Branch

The best story on Page 1 today is by transportation reporter Christopher Maag, who interviewed Elizabeth Branch at a party celebrating her 50th anniversary as a Port Authority toll taker (A-1 and A-6).

Maag answers a natural question: 

How could Branch, of Bergenfield, love a job that forced her to breath in fumes for 50 years?

"The air is fresher," said the queen of the midnight shift.

Atlantic City casinos are backing Stockton College plan

Empty storefronts on North Dean Street in downtown Englewood, where property taxes are said to be higher than in Hackensack. What are Englewood officials doing with the taxes paid by owners of multi-million dollar mansions on the East Hill, hundreds of apartments in buildings on Route 4 and a sizable number of industrial properties?  

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

When Stockton College takes over the shuttered Showboat hotel and casino in Atlantic City, escort services that cater to gamblers will have a ready supply of new employees -- coeds.

A Page 1 story in The Record today doesn't say if boosting escort service employment is part of Governor Christie's plan to revive the fading seaside resort and the state's economy.

Atlantic City isn't the only part of the shore that has suffered since the GOP bully took office. 

More than two years after Christie embraced President Obama to get billions in federal Superstorm Sandy aid, his administration continues to bungle the relief effort.

Foreign news

Too much of today's front page is devoted to international news and Paterson, which many Bergen County residents view as a foreign country (A-1).

The lead story on students attacking two teachers at John F. Kennedy High School only emphasizes the kinds of negative Silk City stereotypes the editors have been reporting for years.  

The copy editor who wrote the headline on a three-paragraph brief on A-1 today sounds hysterical:

Attack on Isrealis

sparks fear of war

And doesn't giving front-page play to Islamic State threats to behead more hostages only encourage these bloodthirsty terrorists?

Gee-whiz photo

The local assignment editors were too lazy to find out why a car caught fire in Saddle Brook on Wednesday, according to the L-1 photo caption.

Gee-whiz. Would you look at those flames? Where is the Fire Department?

A far better photo of a 4-year-old child's delight while sledding down a snowy slope was buried inside (L-2).

Lacking municipal news, the local editors had to use the employment woes of cops in Glen Rock and Saddle Brook on the Local front, stories of interest only to those four officers (L-1).

Second look

When Staff Writer John Cichowski lacks any New Jersey data to back up his assertions, he'll refer to a study from elsewhere in the country, as he did in Road Warrior columns on Jan. 22 and Jan. 11.

According to the Facebook page for Road Warrior Bloopers, Cichowski's Jan. 22 column included:

"Deceptive, made-up false statements -- 'Cellphones, new drivers and low gas prices are the perfect storm!' proclaimed Walt Stevens, who had been reading about a South Dakota study showing how crashes tend to rise as gas prices fall. This phenomenon tends to play out mostly among teens.'

"Facts -- 'Senile Road Warrior totally forgot to mention that this person read about this very minor South Dakota study in the Road Warrior's Jan. 11 column, which turned out to be a pack of false conclusions related to the study.'"

See:

Road Warrior tries to scare parents of new drivers

Port Authority adds 'runway robbery' to 'highway robbery'

My purchase of a large snow blower may have been one of the factors limiting Thursday's snowfall to a dusting.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Isn't it rich?

One of the airlines that soaks travelers with fees on checked luggage and added legroom, plus charges extra for food in economy, is complaining about "skyrocketing fees" at the airport in Newark.

The Record reports today that United Airlines is asking federal officials to investigate the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for "runway robbery," similar to the "highway robbery" drivers experience at the Hudson River toll crossings (A-1).

The biggest airline serving New Jersey cites "unwise choices, inefficiencies and political influences" at the massive bi-state agency for making "flying out of Newark more than twice as expensive as trips from other major cities." 

United, which pays landing and other fees, says $2 billion has been diverted from Newark Liberty International Airport since 2004, including $181 million this year alone that went to rehab the Pulaski Skyway -- under pressure from Governor Christie.

The Record put this story on Page 1 even though the airline's complaint was reported first by The Wall Street Journal (A-10).

Christie fading

The Record's editors -- who have knocked themselves out promoting the GOP bully's White House dreams -- seem to be the only ones surprised by news that Christie is struggling in a presidential poll, even in New Jersey (A-8).

Voters favor Democrat Hillary Clinton over Christie, the worst New Jersey governor ever.

Another front-page story today reports heart attacks jumped 22 percent in the two weeks after Superstorm Sandy hit New Jersey in October 2012, and the death rate was 31 percent higher within a month of being stricken (A-1).

The story doesn't say what has happened to victims in the past two years, when the Christie administration bungled distribution of billions of federal dollars for Sandy recovery and relief.

More corrections

Six-figure Production Editor Liz Houlton ordered two more corrections, further evidence of her incompetence in supervising the news, layout and copy desks (A-2).

Jamie Silverman of the Elmwood Park Public Library was "incorrectly identified" in a story on Tuesday's L-2.

And an A-7 photo caption on Sunday "misidentified the substance that caused two deaths at a music studio in the city of Passaic."

The wrong caption said "carbon dioxide" instead of the correct "carbon monoxide," which appeared in the headline and caption on Sunday's front page.

Pair mourned

It took the carbon-monoxide deaths of skateboard impresario Noel Korman and girlfriend Alice Park last Saturday for the lazy local assignment editors to discover the fascinating subculture the victims once inhabited.

Today and in an earlier story, The Record reports Korman used the music studio to headquarter the Shralpers Union, an organization he founded "to promote skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing" (L-1).

Leonia suit

Attorney Rosemarie Arnold of Fort Lee calls the $320,000 settlement she won in a lawsuit filed by the parents of a molested boy "significant" money for the family (L-1).

Indeed. Also "significant" is the $100,000 or more the lawyer will receive from the settlement, though you won't find any mention of that in The Record story.  

Greek speak

With her checks paid by The Record, Restaurant Reviewer Elisa Ung ignores the exorbitant prices Greek restaurants charge for whole fish (BL-18).

In her 3-star evaluation of Syros Taverna in Englewood, she matter of factly mentions the restaurant hits up customers for $39, if they order a wild red snapper, and $29 for a farmed branzino.

She also ignores the noise and pollution from passing cars and trucks on Palisade Avenue when she reports the restaurant has windows that can open and "make warm weather dining much more pleasant."

Smell the aroma of the Shrimp Saganaki's "rich tomato-pepper sauce laced with ... ouzo" -- then breathe in those fumes.

Christie's frequent hand jobs are the only 'job' he is doing

A smaller number of homes on Clinton Place in Hackensack have been decorated for Halloween than in past years. Does the addition of a lawn sign suggest that this candidate's campaign is dead or that he wants the dead to vote for him?

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

The Record keeps on quoting Governor Christie as saying he is doing his job, but his constituents are baffled by the claim.

On Wednesday, Christie bullied a former Asbury Park councilman who protested the glacial pace of Sandy recovery two years after the superstorm hit New Jersey.

On Thursday, the GOP bully said, "It's just another day at the ranch, the Rancho Christie, and so we'll keep doing our jobs" (A-3).

"Rancho Christie"? Is that the governor's way of trying to appeal to Hispanics in his quixotic bid for the White House?

Sloppy reporting

The Record's story on Thursday didn't mention that protester Jim Keady is a former councilman and part of a Sandy victims advocacy group called Finish the Job.

Nor did Staff Writer Melissa Hayes report how angry and unpresidential Christie was when Keady stood up and kept talking over the politician, as you could clearly see if you watched TV news on Thursday.

The Record's Christie-friendly filter is evident again today in an editorial noting that only half of the 8,800 homeowners approved for relief money have received it (A-20).

The editorial doesn't even come close to saying Christie bears some of the responsibility.

One of the trainers at 24 Hour Fitness in Paramus this morning.

How is Christie doing?

Shouldn't the taxpayers dock Christie for the more than 65 days he has spent out of state this year to raise funds as head of the Republican Governors Association?

He's visited 36 states and Washington, D.C., according to what reads like one of the governor's press releases on The Record's A-3 today.

Besides hand jobs, has Christie done the job of expanding mass transit in one of the nation's most traffic-choked regions or cleaning up the environment?

Christie can't even figure out how to fix the bankrupt Transportation Trust Fund for infrastructure and mass-transit improvements.

What else has he accomplished besides vetoing numerous initiatives from the Democratic-controlled state Legislature -- from raising the minimum wage to open space preservation? 

Election coverage

For the second day in a row, The Record questions the viability of a candidate based on how much he or she has raised in contributions (L-1).

The story makes no mention of the many Democrats who voted for Kathleen Donovan, a Republican who is seeking a second term as county executive on Nov. 4.

I am among those Democrats who split their vote and chose Donovan then and again on my mail-in ballot for this election, because I am repelled by the practices of the county and local Democratic organizations.

Are polls reliable?

Another story on the election appears on L-3, a poll that purports to show that Rep. Scott Garrett, the Tea Party icon from Wantage, is leading challenger Roy Cho by a wider margin than before.

With about 70 percent of the voters living in Bergen County, only widespread voter apathy could derail Cho's momentum in the 5th Congressional District.

Recall the polls that said the race between President Obama and Republican Mitt Romney was too close to call. 

If fact, the president's resounding victory embarrassed the candidate of the 1 percent.

The rest of Local today is filled with an inordinate amount of Law & Order news.

Too sheepish

Despite the poor preparation of entrees and a dessert, Staff Writer Elisa Ung gives a rave, 3-star review to The Plum & Pear in Wyckoff (BL-1).

She again touts the "quality of the ingredients" and praises the restaurant's global focus, but doesn't say why the owner chose domestic chops over naturally raised Australian lamb in a $34 special.

And she was bowled over by three desserts, which many health conscious customers never eat.

Why didn't she report on the taste of the house-made whole wheat linguine or a popular "greens and grains" salad? 

Why are the editors going easy on Rep. Scott Garrett?

Someone used a shopping cart at Target in Hackensack to "recycle" several items today, including a plastic toilet seat and cover, above.

Not far away was this pair of children's shoes, above and below.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Scott Garrett, the conservative Republican seeking a seventh term in Congress, is ducking out of a candidate forum tonight and a debate with his Democratic challenger.

But you wouldn't know that from The Record today.

A rambling column by Editorial Page Editor Alfred P. Doblin recalls that in 2008, Garrett "declined to attend a candidate forum at a temple in Bergen County" (A-11).

Doblin says the Wantage Republican "sent a blind Jewish man as his surrogate," because his opponent, Dennis Shulman, was "a blind rabbi."

Can you just imagine who Garrett would send as his surrogate tonight, seeing that his challenger is Hackensack attorney Roy Cho, who is Korean-American.

Doblin makes no mention of tonight's candidate forum at Temple Israel and Jewish Community Center in Ridgewood.

Cho is seeking to unseat Garrett in the 5th Congressional District, which includes Bergen County.

Garrett is a Tea Party favorite for his opposition to just about everything, especially programs that help the middle class.

He initially opposed federal aid for Sandy victims and voted against legislation that would help women, then lied about his stance on both issues in campaign literature.

Editors don't I.D. crime victim as NJMG developer

On River Street in Hackensack, customers actually line up and wait for a seat at White Manna, where they pay for the privilege of eating mystery meat and other unhealthy food.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
Editor

Is the deal off between North Jersey Media Group and multimillionaire Fred Daibes for development of 20 acres in Hackensack where The Record prospered for more than 110 years?

A story on the sale of Daibes' luxury St. Moritz high-rise in Edgewater appeared in Friday's Local section (L-3), but there was no mention of whether he still plans to build apartments on the River Street property.

Despite all his wealth, Daibes apparently cut corners on security at the St. Moritz, and was a victim of a home invasion last November.

Four suspects yanked him from bed, broke his ribs and shoulder blade, and made off with nearly $2 million in cash, gold bars and other valuables, according to county prosecutors.

Daibes' luxury and exotic car collection was photographed for Bergen.com in the driveway of the St. Moritz.

The rental building, at 100 Daibes Court, boasts of hotel-like amenities, but its Web site doesn't mention security.

Today's paper

In today's edition of The Record, front-page stories speculating about the whereabouts of a missing jet and the fate of 239 people on board have been replaced by a story on the Jets (A-1).

Would four people killed by fire in a shore motel that was a refuge for Sandy survivors still be alive, if Governor Christie hadn't bungled the distribution of federal aid (A-1)?

Christie's mismanagement of state finances gets gentle treatment in another Page 1 story, which avoids discussing his inflexible stance against taxing the wealthy or raising the low gasoline tax to revive the bankrupt Transportation Trust Fund (A-1).

Local yokels

Today's Local section is heavy on Law & Order news, including a dramatic photo of a Norwood DPW garage fire that injured no one and whose cause eludes the talented local staff (L-6).

The Better Living editors waste their cover today on a half-dozen Jersey bimbos. A seventh bimbo wrote the piece (BL-1).

Bridgegate scandal darkens Christie's image

In Hackensack, Euclid Avenue residents are still waiting for the crews who are supposedly out filling potholes, above and below.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
Editor

Governor Christie's poor performance on delivering Sandy aid gets a good working over in two stories in The Record today, including a Page 1 story listing "a litany of grant-funding problems" (A-1 and A-3).

Before the Bridgegate scandal broke in January, Staff Writers Melissa Hayes and Herb Jackson, among other reporters, spent most of their time reporting on how Christie's every action or inaction affected his presidential ambitions.

The A-1 story on applicants' complaints by Hayes and Staff Writer Karen Sudol, and the A-3 NJ/DC column on flood insurance misinformation from Christie don't even mention his White House potential.

Thank God.

Lots of Passaic news

Today's Local section shortchanges Bergen County readers, who find four Passaic County stories (L-3, L-5, L-6 and L-7).

Two of the stories are from Woodland Park, where The Record's newsroom found a home in a nondescript office building overlooking Route 80 after fleeing Hackensack in 2009.

Don't miss the riveting account of an increase in Woodland Park water bills (L-5).

Restaurant promoters

The Better Living editors have been knocking themselves out promoting restaurants and trying to get readers to feel sorry for their many wealthy owners, hoping for lots of advertising revenue in return.

Today, the cover story on Cafe Matisse and other fine-dining places ending their bread service to save money and cut down on waste ignores the practice in many Manhattan restaurants that continue to serve bread for free (BL-1).

A staffer circulates with a large basket of rolls or sliced bread and focaccia, and offers customers one or two at a time.

This story, and Sunday's BL-1 column on customers who steal "stuff" from restaurants, is among the anti-consumer propaganda The Record has published for years.

Unrepentant

As the paper's chief restaurant reviewer, Staff Writer Elisa Ung, who reported thefts from The Dog and Cask in Rochelle Park, is supposed to represent customers who want to know where their food comes from and how it is raised.

But in many of her appraisals, Ung seems not to know or care whether the humongous steak she ate was grass fed and raised without harmful additives.

Why should she worry?

She thinks she is going to live forever, and The Record always pays the tab, even if that hunk of meat costs more than $50.

Really low pay

The pieces today and Sunday also serve to keep the focus off the starvation wages restaurants pay their servers, and how customers are expected to tip generously to make up the difference.  

How much did restaurant owners contribute to candidates for office to institutionalize that scam? 

Fishy rating

On Friday, Ung again gave a "Good" rating to a restaurant where she experienced major problems, including shrimp ($20) and sea bass ($25) that "both smelled and tasted past their prime."

When she told chef-owner Todd Villani of Terre a Terre in Carlstadt about the smelly seafood, he said the shrimp and sea bass had come to the restaurant right "from the docks." 

Something is wrong here, though I'm not sure whether it is with Ung or the chef.

Then, she recommends sticking to meat and vegetable dishes, and praises a pork chop, beef tartare and short ribs, but says nothing about how they were raised.

Housekeeping

Eye on The Record's search function is working again, as is the search function on my food blog.