WNYC-FM: Christie campaign revs up, Statehouse snores

These enormous pipes are being installed along River Street in Hackensack, below, as part of a $3 million-plus storm sewer separation, and that is for the first phase of the project.

The sign with information about the work is in front of the Johnson Public Library on Main Street, below.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

You'll find a frank assessment of how little governing an absentee Governor Christie is doing -- on a New York-based public radio station, not in The Record of Woodland Park.

Matt Katz, the WNYC-FM reporter who brought us The Christie Tracker, today takes a look at how the GOP bully is leaving major initiatives unfinished and vacancies unfilled:

"A year-and-a-half into his second term, as he prepares to announce his desire to get another job — president of the United States — I took a look at whether Christie has gotten back to work in New Jersey, as promised. What I found is that there's a whole lot less going on than there was in his first four years.

Katz recalls Christie's victory speech in November 2013, when he won a second term with the lowest turnout ever for a New Jersey gubernatorial election:

"When New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was reelected ..., he stood before an adoring crowd at Asbury Park Convention Hall to declare victory.

"'Tonight I know that my mom is looking down on New Jersey and saying to me — I can feel it – she’s saying to me, ‘Chris, the job’s not done yet. Get back to work and finish the job for the people of New Jersey,'" Christie told the crowd. "That’s exactly what I’ll do! I love you, New Jersey!'"

More boring columns

And what has The Record reported on Christie?

On Sunday and Monday, Editor Martin Gottlieb ran political columns on Page 1, the first assessing Christie's relationship with the majority Democrats in Trenton, and the other on how he is doing with religious conservatives nationwide.

On Saturday's A-3, Staff Writers Melissa Hayes and Herb Jackson reported on Christie's out-of-state appearances before "crucial audiences he will need to win the GOP nomination for president."

Gag me with a spoon.

Today, a Page 1 story assesses the Democrats' chances of getting their $5.3 billion budget plan -- including tax increases to shore up funding of the state pension system -- past Christie's veto.

But on A-3, Hayes devotes an entire story to Christie doubling his PAC staff in New Hampshire.

Hackensack news?

The front of the Local section today has an upbeat feature on the principal of the high school in Tenafly, where Publisher Stephen A. Borg lives (L-1).

But when was the last time local Editors Deirdre Sykes and Dan Sforza assigned a story on the schools in Hackensack?

Tonight, as at every City Council meeting, school board members and their attorney likely will get up and attack council members on just about everything they are doing or not doing.

Residents who attend meetings have witnessed this parade of bitter Zisacrats (Democrats allied with the once-powerful Zisa family) stomping on sour grapes since their slate was defeated in the May 2013 municipal election.

Two members of the losing slate are on the Board of Education, and another Zisacrat, school board attorney Richard Salkin, was stripped of his other job as municipal prosecutor.

Residents are wondering when board members Jason Nunnermacker, Daniel Carola, Joseph Barreto and others will tell them what they have done -- if anything -- to improve education in Hackensack.