Christie helps Camden again, but still ignores Paterson

This block of Forest Avenue off of River Road in Teaneck is another street that hasn't been repaved for eons, even though residents pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Governor Christie is up to his old dirty political tricks again in Camden, where he unveiled a $1 billion waterfront project.

And The Record's editors and reporters are swallowing his B.S. hook, line and sinker (A-3).

How's that for a mixed metaphor to describe the story by Staff Writer Melissa Hayes?

In a bubble

Hayes, who is assigned to cover the GOP bully and his so-called presidential campaign, inhabits a bubble.

How else could she report that Christie on Thursday claimed:

"The news media were skeptical when he took office and reached out to Democrats. He said there were allegations of backroom deals."

The Record's chief political columnist, Charles Stile, was never skeptical of Christie's claims of cooperating with the Democrats who control the state Legislature.

Stile has filled numerous Page 1 columns with that preposterous notion, as recently as a few weeks ago.

More B.S.

Then, Hayes has the gall to quote Christie saying:

"Political leaders in this state have decided to drop their R's and their D's and instead put forward their NJ's. We care more about our state than we care about our party."

How could Hayes not challenge such nonsense, when on the next page readers see a banner headline reporting the Senate has failed again to override a Christie veto (A-4)?

"As in all the other tries in the past five years, the Democrats ... were unable to get the necessary support from Republicans ....," The Record notes.

Missing from the story is the total number of vetoes Christie has exercised (more than 350), and his political retaliation against Democrats like the mayor of Fort Lee, triggering the Bridgegate lane-closure scandal.

Why not Paterson?

Hayes story doesn't explain why "Christie has made revamping Camden a cornerstone of his governorship" while allowing Paterson and the rest of New Jersey go to hell (A-3).

In the 2010 census, Camden didn't even rank in the top 10 of communities with the biggest population, but Paterson was the third most-populous city behind Newark and Jersey City.

In fact, The Record's editors have never questioned all of the attention Christie has paid to Camden compared to Paterson, were gun violence claimed the lives of four innocent young people in less than a year.

Campaign lies

In Camden, Christie has tried "to improve the schools, reduce violence through a regional police force and bring businesses back to the city," Hayes says, noting they are among the governor's "talking points" on his doomed quest for the GOP presidential nomination (A-3).

That may fly in Iowa and New Hampshire, but in Paterson, Christie is a dirty word.

Pope Francis

The Record assigned at last seven reporters, one staff photographer and an unknown number of editors to Pope Francis' arrival in New York on Thursday (A-1, A-8, A-9 and L-1).

An eighth reporter is in Philadelphia, where Francis goes next. 

How many reporters will be assigned to follow-up on how none of the pope's initiatives -- from eradicating poverty to immigration reform to easing climate change -- will ever become a reality in the United States as long as conservative and Tea Party Republicans control Congress?

Today, the main story on Page 1 reports the pope sent "a remarkable message of empathy ... to my Muslim brothers and sisters" after a stampede killed more than 700 in Mecca.

Trump, Carson

Of course, the leading contender for the GOP presidential nod, Donald Trump, has for years demonized President Obama, and questioned whether he was born in the United States.

And at a recent town hall meeting, Trump didn't contradict a speaker who said Obama is a Muslim.

And the Uncle Tom named Ben Carson, who is second in the polls, said a Muslim should never become president.

Going to Totowa?

I wonder how many Bergen County residents are going to jump into their cars and drive to Totowa on horrendous Route 80 for dinner at Ristorante Benissimo (2.5 out of 4 stars on BL-16)?

I am so tired of all the Passaic County restaurant reviews from Elisa Ung, who can't seem to find anything but Italian-American or Turkish food out there.