Editors give us a rare front page with plenty of local news

At Drago Shoe Repair on the upper level of the Port Authority Bus Terminal in midtown Manhattan, a shoe shine costs $5, and a tip of less than $5 will get you a lot of attitude from the man who does your shoes.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

The Record's belated recognition of decades-old property tax inequity in Hackensack, Englewood and other North Jersey communities with non-profit hospitals is front and center today.

Two other local stories appear on Page 1, including one on a family of seven Syrian refugees moving into a Paterson apartment next week with the help of an interfaith group, this despite hate mongers like Governor Christie (A-1).

For Editor Martin Gottlieb, a onetime globetrotter at The New York Times, today's front page is rare acknowledgement that he is now running a local daily paper based in Woodland Park.

Ailing city

Hackensack University Medical Center's $128.7 million in untaxed property has been an issue for city homeowners who have been paying a disproportionate share for years.

Yet, as the hospital continued to expand in Hackensack, The Record ignored the controversy until "a precedent-setting Tax Court decision and recent settlement ... between Morristown and non-profit Morristown Medical Center."

Morristown settled its case for $15.5 million, but HUMC got off easy -- a settlement of tax appeals that will bring Hackensack only $5.1 million over the next three years (A-1 and A-6).

And pleas from residents for the hospital to make in-kind contributions to the city have been largely ignored by Mayor John Labrosse, a hospital employee, and other members of the City Council.

Trump and 9/11

An editorial criticizing GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump shows how little the editors know about the Syrian community in Paterson, which boasts a bustling Middle Eastern district with restaurants, bakeries and other businesses (A-10).

"There have been various reports, over the years and even now, that people were dancing in South Paterson, home to one of the largest Arab and Muslim populations in the region, during and after the attacks of 9/11," the editorial reports.

But the Syrians who first settled in Paterson in the late 19th century to work in the city's silk mills were Christian, not Muslim, and the community, which has spread to other towns in Passaic County, remains predominantly Christian, with no love for their Muslim persecutors.

A news story on Trump's claims also says Paterson had "a large Muslim population" on 9/11 (L-1).

Second look

A Nov. 14 editorial, the day after the Paris attacks, 
contained an embarrassing error on the date of 9/11 that wasn't corrected on A-2 until four days later.

"In this country, we recall all too well that day in September 2011, and the enormity of an incident in which 3,000 lives were lost in a matter of minutes ...," the editorial said.

Of course, 9/11 took place in 2001, not 2011, but the error was never fixed in the North Jersey.com version of the editorial I looked at today.

Hackensack officials deal more blows to taxpayers

A photo taken today of filled potholes on Euclid Avenue in Hackensack. On Monday, "Eye on The Record" published a photo from Feb. 26, below, and reported incorrectly that no potholes had been repaired on the street in the Fairmount section. However, Prospect Avenue, one of the city's premier streets, remains a disaster along almost its entire length between Euclid Avenue and Essex Street, and other potholes on Euclid weren't repaired as of this morning.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
Editor

Instead of urging residents to recycle more, Hackensack officials have announced that twice-a-week garbage collection will start on March 17.

The e-mail from the city's official Web site doesn't say why once-a-week garbage collection is being doubled, how much it will cost and whether the city's already high property taxes will increase as a result.

"Recycling and rubbish collection will remain the same," the e-mail says. 

Who wants this?

I am sure I am not alone among Hackensack residents in saying once-a-week garbage collection is plenty.

As it is, I don't put out garbage for collection ever week, even though we prepare meals five to six days a week.

We have two disposals in our sinks, but would like to see the city collect food scraps for composting, which would be far better than increasing garbage collection.

I actually have to hold back recyclables -- paper, cardboard, bottles and cans -- which also are picked up curbside, and I recycle plastic bags and food wrapping and packaging at ShopRite.

Smelly garbage

I recall attending City Council meetings where residents of one ward complained their garbage smelled during the summer, and asked for twice-a-week collection.

The city didn't survey residents in other wards on whether they, too, wanted more garbage collection.

Hackensack is the most populous community in Bergen County, but it also is one of the most inefficient in terms of using renewable energy or adding hybrid and electric cars to its fleet.

Main Street app

The city seems to be largely influenced by property owners who belong to the Upper Main Street Alliance, a public-private group that is hoping to score big from downtown redevelopment.

Today, The Record reports the alliance has unveiled a free Main Street app, the first in the state (L-3), but the paper doesn't say the app ignores many merchants and restaurants outside of the alliance's arbitrary zone.

Much of the city's redevelopment is taking the form of luxury apartments, and one building going up on State Street won a big tax break from the city, shifting the burden to homeowners. 

Tax-exempt property

Another reason property taxes are so high is the hundreds of millions of dollars in tax-exempt property owned by Hackensack University Medical Center, Bergen County and Fairleigh Dickinson University. 

With Mayor John Labrosse, a hospital employee, in control, the city is in no hurry to ask HUMC to give back in lieu of taxes on at least $180 million in property that pays absolutely nothing, despite all the city services the hospital uses.

For example, the hospital could pave Prospect Avenue, which rocks patients in ambulances heading for the emergency room; or buy new cruisers for the city Police Department.

$78,000 mouthpiece

Labrosse and fellow members of Citizens for Change were swept into office last May, then chose Thom Ammirato, their campaign manager, as the city's chief spokesman, paying him an outrageous $78,000 a year, not $65,000, as I wrote earlier.

As a full-time employee of Bergen County, Ammirato won't be supporting in-kind contributions from the tax-exempt county, either.

Page 1 today

Transportation reporter Karen Rouse has written far more about NJ Transit service problems encountered by Super Bowl fans on one day February than she has in the previous decade about long-suffering commuters (A-1).

On the continuation page (A-6), the photo caption is wrong in describing fans "outside MetLife Stadium."

The photo clearly shows a platform at the transfer station in Secaucus, where the copy editor who wrote the wrong caption and everyone else who worked on the story obviously have never been.

Why is a story on winter snowstorms boosting business at carwashes on the front page today (A-1)? What's next -- a boost in the dry cleaning business?

Does anybody care which federal prosecutors -- in New York or New Jersey -- try to take down Port Authority Chairman David Samson, Governor Christie's crony (A-1)?

The powerful law firm headed by Samson has seen its lobbying and legal business skyrocket since Christie named him to the unsalaried position, and businesses he represents have benefited from his official actions.

Local yokels

Today's Local section brings more Passaic County news to Bergen County readers (L-2 and L-3).

Readers confused by Sunday's Road Warrior column reporting both an increase and a decline in pedestrian deaths were not alone, as this e-mail to managers and editors shows:

"In his Sunday column, the Road Warrior embarrasses himself by mistakenly advocating both sides of the argument that New Jersey pedestrian deaths have generally risen over the past decade and have generally fallen over the past decade based on his own made-up and cherry picked information.

"He spent most of his column indicating that pedestrian fatalities rose in the past decade since they went from 138 in 2003 to 163 in 2012.

"He then indicated that pedestrian fatalities fell in the past decade since they went from 176 in 2002 to 132 in 2013.

"To make matters even more absurd, he tried to do this while still misstating New Jersey State Police road fatality statistics for this time period that are readily available to him online.

"Road Warrior indicated that 132 pedestrians were killed in 2013 in New Jersey – 'the lowest yearly number since state police began keeping accurate counts in the 1970s.'"

"However, state police fatality statistics show there were only 130 pedestrian deaths in 2001." 

See the full e-mail on the Facebook page for Road Warrior Bloopers:

Road Warrior credibility continues to fall

NJMG, Bergen County are bad for Hackensack

Bergen County has agreed to lease 540 parking spaces at the former headquarters of The Record in Hackensack, above, from North Jersey Media Group, and provide shuttle buses to the courthouse. These dumpsters were still in place on Monday, nearly four years after the publishing company and its flagship newspaper moved out.

It isn't known whether any of the parking spaces near the U.S.S. Ling are included in the parking deal, which might further delay development of the property in tax-poor Hackensack.

Lots of equipment has been staged in The Record's parking lot in recent months, but the wealthy Borg family haven't disclosed their plans for the 20 acres they own along River Street or whether their landmark newspaper building will be torn down.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

It's bad enough that North Jersey Media Group and The Record abandoned Hackensack in 2009, sending Main Street merchants into a tail-spin from which they still haven't recovered.

But the selfish Borg family -- NJMG's owners -- still haven't announced plans for development of their 20 acres along River Street -- property that could generate much-need revenue for tax-poor Hackensack.

Now, according to a story on today's Local front, Bergen County will begin construction on a new Justice Center on Court Street, and lease 540 parking spaces in the parking lot of the old Record building for more than $777,000.

These developments are really bad news for Hackensack residents and the reform slate of City Council members who will be sworn in on July 1 after campaigning against a 65% property tax hike under successive Zisa family administrations.

Borgs get richer

The wealthy Borgs will cash in on their eyesore, but Hackensack won't see any additional tax revenue from NJMG or tax-exempt Bergen County.

The tax-exempt Justice Center will pile on hundreds of millions of dollars of tax-free property owned by Hackensack University Medical Center and Fairleigh Dickinson University -- two of The Record's media darlings.

And the 2-year parking-space lease with the county may prevent development of 150 River Street and nearby acres through July 2015 and beyond.

Rumors of a new Walmart on the Borg's River Street property have evaporated, and now Walmart will be opening a new store in Teterboro.

Is Costco leaving?

And Costco Wholesale reportedly will close its store opposite the Bergen County Courthouse complex, and build a larger store in Teterboro next to Walmart, depriving Hackensack of more tax revenue.

It's unclear why the Borgs didn't offer their 20 acres to Costco or to the developer of a proposed 19-story acute-care hospital who has been battling the city of Hackensack and Prospect Avenue residents for close to 4 years.

Today's L-1 story on the new Justice Center makes a mysterious reference to revenue from "the metered parking lot" offsetting the cost of the county's parking lease with NJMG, and "the county's existing metered lot" (L-6).

Christie's lap dogs

The Record continues to talk up Governor Christie's chances for winning a second term and to discount the challenge from Democrat Barbara Buono (A-1 and A-8).

All this wasted space on politics -- without any discussion of Christie's many policy failures and mismanagement of state finances -- is what we've come to expect from Editor Marty Gottlieb, Columnist Charles Stile and the paper's robotic Trenton reporters.

Hackensack news?

Coverage of Hackensack is going  to the dogs -- with the byline of Hackensack reporter Hannan Adely appearing for a second day today on a story about a pit bull that attacked two 12-year-old boys in Lyndhurst (L-1).

On Tuesday, Adlely reported police news from Clifton and fire news from Rutherford.

More crumbs

Esther Davidowitz is listed as the new food editor in the "CONTACT US" box on BL-2 today, but her byline on the Better Living front identifies her as "STAFF WRITER."

Readers looking for guidance on preparing healthy meals at home can turn the page: 

Davidowtiz promotes a new, expensive cooking school in Englewood.