Fat-mouth Christie keeps us guessing on immigration

Closing one lane on River Street in Hackensack, even at 1:45 in the afternoon, causes a backup that might make you think you live in a far bigger city -- such as the traffic nightmare across the Hudson River. Time for some relaxing classical music.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Governor Christie has never hesitated to speak his mind, such as telling the media someone should "take a bat" to Sen. Loretta Weinberg, the elderly Democrat from Teaneck.

But surrounded by reporters outside a Mexico City taqueria, the GOP bully with the big, fat mouth won't say a word about his position on immigration -- even though New Jersey is known for its diversity.

Gee. Do the media really have to play cat and mouse with this conservative Republican who wanted to be president before the George Washington Bridge lane closures blew up in his face (A-1)?

We know he'd just as soon as send the New Jersey National Guard to the border then actually show concern for the many Mexicans and Central Americans who have relatives in the Garden State.

Christie is supposed to visit Puebla on this so-called trade mission to Mexico, but he's never actually visited the thousands of the Poblanos who live in the city of Passaic.

Mi casa, por favor

A related story on the Local front today notes Christie met with Mexican-American business leaders from Passaic, but they had to travel to the governor's mansion in Princeton (L-1).

When Lilia Rios, an importer of Mexican pottery, told Christie one of the biggest obstacles faced by illegal immigrants is their inability to obtain a New Jersey driver's license, he basically told her to take a hike.

"He didn't respond," she recalled.

Hot-button issue

Actually, if Christie wanted to reduce illegal immigration, he'd urge reform of the legal immigration system.

That system is so expensive, slow and arbitrary many immigrants would rather enter the United States illegally, risking death and deportation.

But The Record and other media have ignored the dysfunctional legal immigration system for decades, preferring the hot-button issue of illegals they know will inflame the racists in their audience.

Sloppy editing

Today and  Thursday, Staff Writer Melissa Hayes' front-page stories on Christie in Mexico seem hastily written and poorly edited.

On Thursday, a dozen words placed awkwardly at the end of the first paragraph should have introduced the sentence.

Today, on A-3, Hayes' story seems to jump from immigration to trade to an exchange program and back again, and she never explains why he isn't shown eating a taco.

Page 1 stories

A day after The Record called a double slaying and suicide in Hasbrouck Heights "inexplicable," the editors now refer to the three deaths as "domestic violence" (A-1).

After Robin Williams and Lauren Bacall died, Columnist Bill Ervolino couldn't wait to dust off the ancient interviews he did with them, and present them to readers on the front page.

Today, with his tribute to Joan Rivers (A-1), Ervolino shows restraint, and if readers get to the continuation page, they'll find one quote that Rivers "told me" (A-10). 

Baseball or food?

A story on the first Business page notes Newark's minor league baseball team "didn't have a lot of community support" (L-7 and L-8).

That may be because residents of the Brick City put a higher priority on getting enough to eat and trying to survive drive-by shootings and other violence.

Cafe Panache

Restaurant Reviewer Elisa Ung today raves about the three-decade-old Cafe Panache in Ramsey, where the fare "keeps the elegant BYO packed" (BL-16).

At dinner, she should have added.

When I met a friend there for lunch in August, the dining room was otherwise empty, and even though my soft-shell crab entree was good, I've had better at Seafood Gourmet in Maywood for much less money.

Ung's data box continues to state the obvious.

Right after she notes entrees are priced from $28 to $39, she tells readers the restaurant would be "less appropriate for those looking for bargain fare."

Instead of treating us like dolts, she could use the data box to tell readers whether the meat and poultry served there is organic or naturally raised.