Borgs sound death knell for unions

Image via Wikipedia

On WNET, Governor Christie told a caller it is none of her business that he sends his kids to private school while cutting aid to public schools.

The Record puts a positive spin on Governor Christie's end run around collective bargaining laws, labeling it "reform" in a big, black headline on Page 1 today.

Just below the A-1 fold, Political Stile Columnist Charles Stile celebrates a funeral Mass for public unions, and on the OpEd Page, Editorial Page Editor Alfred P. Doblin piles on (A-23). 

Are their strings being pulled by the Borg family, whose disdain for unions is well-known?

Christie said on a WNET call-in show that the deal with lawmakers to cut public employee benefits will make the state pension system solvent again in 30 years. 

Is that how long we'll have to wait for him to cut property taxes? 

Rape and shame

The off-lead story on the front page reports the arrest of two students in the rape of a 15-year-old girl at Clifton High School.

But surely, there is more important and relevant news than the story at the bottom of the page on the resignation of Rep. Anthony Weiner, who doesn't even represent anyone in New Jersey?

Can't Editor Francis Scandale get his mind out of the gutter?

Another embarrassing correction from Better Living  appears on A-2 today.

Road kill

With standing-room-only on the morning rail or bus commute to Manhattan and disappearing E-ZPass discounts, can't Road Warrior Columnist John Cichowski find anything else to write about than a man who got a speeding ticket in Florida and points on his New Jersey license (L-1)?  

The lead story on the front of head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes' Local section is about a new athletic field for Wallington High School. You can't get any more compelling than that.

Sykes also makes sure she runs another story by Staff Writer John Brennan on privatization of horse racing -- in response to the thousands of calls to the news desk (L-3).

Stomach-turning

Those food photos with this week's restaurant review -- Taphouse Grille in Wayne -- are an instant turnoff (Better Living centerfold).

Let's rename the place Tapped Out Grill.

In contrast, Staff Writer Elisa Ung positively gushed last Friday in her appraisal of Bibi'z, a Westwood restaurant from Ida Assaf, who was born in Lebanon. She rated it only a half-star away from perfect.

Ung still bores readers with the owner's and chef's resumes, but she appears to be coming around to the realization that reviewing restaurants is more than just telling readers what tastes good.

Something is missing

Her Bibi'z review has lots of detailed information about menu items that are organic and which dishes come with vegetables or fruit, but why does the restaurant uses wild fish only some of the time? 

The swordfish entree pictured on the Better Living cover is an especially poor choice, because it is endangered and contains a large amount of harmful mercury.

And Ung is silent about the meat served at Bibi'z. Are readers to assume it is conventionally raised with antibiotics, growth hormones and animal byproducts? 

And what does "Bibi'z" mean?

Of course, the headlines can't make up for all that's missing in Ung's reviews, but they've been excellent in recent weeks. "Bibi'z feast" appears to be a play on the 1987 film "Babette's Feast," a lavish celebration of food.

Reporters are off chasing penny ante savings

Image via Wikipedia

The Record's news staff has adopted Governor Christie's conservative agenda.

If you need further evidence The Record's editors are marching to Governor Christie's orders, just look at three news stories -- two on Page 1 -- and an L-1 column today trumpeting the Republican's penny ante savings campaign.

Day after day, reporters are sent chasing leads on wasted state clothing allowances, so-called pension abuses, and waste and corruption at independent boards, agencies and commissions.

But that's exactly what Christie wants them to do.

More than a year into his first term, he has successfully distracted the media from exposing his real program: 

Giving tax breaks to millionaires and wealthy small-business owners; pitting middle-class union members against middle-class homeowners desperate for property tax relief; and cutting programs for seniors and low-income women and children.

Anonymous supporters

I am still waiting for a story naming the millionaires and wealthy businesspeople who are being rewarded with lower taxes for supporting Christie financially, or even a story clearly laying out how much revenue is being lost.

On A-17, a photo caption on the Pizza World Championships in Italy doesn't tell you who won.

On A-19, the Religion page carries a wire-service story on Passover after the editors failed to find any North Jersey Jews who celebrate the holiday.

Governor gets a pass

On A-20, an editorial wholeheartedly supports President Obama's deficit-cutting plan, going as far as suggesting a temporary rollback of Bush-era tax breaks for those who earn more than $250,000.

To be fair to Editorial Page Editor Alfred P. Doblin, several weeks ago in another editorial, he timidly suggested Christie should tap new sources of revenue to help the state out of its fiscal hole -- such as raising taxes on the wealthy and adding a few cents to the low gasoline tax to fix roads and improve mass transit.

But that was buried deep in the editorial and was the last readers heard on the topic. He probably got a good spanking from Editor Francis Scandale for straying from the Christie line.

A letter to the editor from Stephen Nix of River Edge corrects the apparently deliberate distortions in a letter a few days ago that cited a study on why the rich leave New Jersey (A-20). 

Pants on fire

Scandale and head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes do everything they can to avoid rocking the home-rule boat, so often celebrate small savings, such as a joint municipal court in the Pascack Valley (Local front).

But when Teaneck tried to replace its police and fire chiefs with a civilian public safety director last year -- projecting a $250,000 annual savings -- Sykes neglected to do any follow-up stories on how neighboring Hackensack and Englewood could do the same for even greater efficiencies. 

Editors hide bad news for Christie

Image via Wikipedia

Governor Christie doubts Katie Couric knows anything about public opinion.

Two major stories about Governor Christie appear in The Record today (A-1 and A-7), but the editors were careful to avoid any mention of major opposition to the war against public workers being waged in New Jersey, Wisconsin and other states.

The New York Times/CBS News poll found a majority opposes weakening bargaining rights for public workers. A summary on the Times' Web site reported:

"As labor battles erupt in state capitals around the nation, a majority of Americans say they oppose efforts to weaken the collective bargaining rights of public employee unions and are also against cutting the pay and benefits of public workers to reduce state budget deficits."

The poll was reported by the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric on Monday night, and Christie was asked about the poll results. He accused the media of wording the poll questions to get the results they wanted to keep what he called an entertaining story alive.

He also said he has a better idea of public opinion than Couric, and if that's not the case, the CBS News anchor should run for governor of New Jersey. Click on the following link to see a video of his comments:

Governor Christie dismisses poll results 

Today's front page

A big photo of a murder suspect on Page 1 today carries this heading: "FIRST GLANCE AT SLAYING SUSPECT," a puzzling choice given that his photo also appeared on the front page Sunday and Monday.

Cookie monsters

There is no truth to the rumor that Christie, former Food Editor Bill Pitcher and Project Editor Tim Nostrand are vying for the job of spokesman for Fatboy Cookies (Better Living, F-1).

See earlier posts on the Borgs' jet