Editors allow partisan politics to shape Trenton coverage

In Englewood, Mayor Frank Huttle is pushing the City Council to buy a building next to a Korean supermarket and develop it as a community center, The Record reports today. The plan comes many years after the city dropped plans to buy the shuttered, 100-year-old-plus Lincoln Elementary School for a community center, eventually selling the land and building to an apartment developer.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

The Record's editors and owners refuse to provide the leadership readers are looking for as Governor Christie butts heads with Democrats over an "extensive" list of problems facing the state.

As they did after Christie took office in early 2010, the editors continue to focus on the nasty partisan politics dividing the conservative governor and the Democratic majority in the state Legislature (A-1).

Today, The Record announces a groundbreaking "tracker graphic" as key issues move through the Governor's Office and the legislative process in 2016.

Of course, the original "Christie Tracker" was started by WNYC-FM, which told listeners where Christie was traveling as head of a GOP governors group or when he was campaigning.

Real estate mogul Jon F. Hanson, left, is a top adviser to Governor Christie, and a personal friend of Malcolm A. "Mac" Borg, chairman of North Jersey Media Group, publisher of The Record.

He said, she said

But if the past is any guide, Editor Deirdre Sykes' bad-hair days will mean bad-news days for readers, who will have to slog through endless he said/she said stories on such issues as transportation, public worker benefits and taxes.

Since she took over in January, Sykes has failed to provide any editorial leadership in Woodland Park, repeating the same failures readers know from the many years she ran the local-news section.  

Seven other daily papers in New Jersey called for Christie's resignation after he endorsed and campaigned for racist Donald Trump. 

But the Woodland Park daily didn't even report the state's biggest daily, The Star Ledger, and the other papers want the GOP bully to leave Trenton for good.

Readers' eyes roll

Charles Stile, the biggest Christie apologist on staff, today has readers' eyes rolling with a front-page column on the Republican Party in New Jersey more than 50 years ago (A-1).

Meanwhile, as limp as they are, the last four lines of Mike Kelly's Opinion front column on Christie should have been the first four lines (O-3):

"He says he's 'back to work'. Yet, he skips a state trooper's funeral for a political campaign.

"He's the butt of belittling jokes.

"He thinks this is all just a good time."

And on the Local front, Road Warrior John Cichowski is writing about "us older folks" who don't buckle up in the back seat (L-1).

Mazel tov

Congratulations to Hackensack Mayor John P. Labrosse Jr., who became a grandfather twice on Friday (L-1).

Flay's burgers

Food writer Elisa Ung has been a big fan of Bobby Flay ever since she reported a decade ago "chef's quality" beef is used in the hamburgers sold at his Bobby's Burger Palace in Paramus.

Today, the sell-out continues to blow smoke in another elaborately promotional piece on Flay and his burger restaurants (Better Living front).

Of course, nothing could be farther from the truth. Flay uses Certified Angus Beef, which is raised on harmful antibiotics and who knows what else.

Stick with the salads, if you know what's good for you.

Front page embraces Christian values

Mormon Mitt Romney (shown in 2007) has kept his wife barefoot and pregnant at least five times. Has any of his 5 sons served in the military? (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dominating Page 1 today is a debate over the abortion stances of Governor Christie, who is a good Catholic, and GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney -- two men with low regard for women.

Both are distancing themselves from another Republican's moronic rape remark during a campaign in Indiana.

Editor Marty Gottlieb's front page also makes a big deal over a football game between two Catholic high schools in Bergen County.

Let's hear it for the Catholics. 

There's more on today's themed A-1. 

A state Supreme Court ruling on the reproductive rights of women and men also appears outside -- a story of interest to Christians and people of other religions.

Selective reporting

As usual, two of the stories leave a lot unsaid.

Christie's views on abortion are no surprise, because he hates New Jersey women, as readers know from all the cuts he's made in health-care programs for them.

The extra seats being brought in for the Don Bosco-Bergen Catholic football game in Palisades Park recognize the need to make room for clergy and coaches who abused the players when they were younger.

Marty: 'Use the wire'

Why is another Page 1 story -- on the importance of New Jersey's suburban voters -- written by The Washington Post, not The Record?

In what has become known as the Daily Journal of Autism, it's good to see rare recognition of the accomplishments of a senior citizen -- bowler Quentin Wiest of Ridgewood, who will turn 100 on Monday (A-1 photo).

More police news 

In Local, the big Hackensack news is the arrest of a city man who allegedly broke into a car in neighboring Maywood (L-3).

Another police brief caught my eye -- the arrest of a motorcyclist who police say was going 138 mph on Route 208 (L-6).

Since pursuing police cars can't travel that fast, the driver, Abraham Zaydan, 20, of Haledon must have boasted about hitting that speed after his arrest.

The poorly edited third paragraph has Wyckoff Police Officer Kyle Ferreira -- not the suspect -- "weaving between cars as he headed toward Paterson."

It's a good thing Zaydan didn't kill himself or head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes would have commissioned a glowing obituary, as she did for motorcyclist Eric Meyer, 27, of Rutherford in October 2011.

Where's the beef?

There are at least three food-related stories in today's paper, including the highly promotional piece on Jersey Mike's Subs, which has no stores in Bergen or Passaic counties (Business, L-7).

Jersey Mike's is called "upscale," and the reporter notes it serves "freshly sliced top-grade meat."

But the Certified Angus Beef used by Jersey Mike's is raised on animal antibiotics and growth hormones that are harmful to humans, and his cured meats are filled with nitrites, a preservative linked to cancer.

The salt content of some of the sandwiches far exceeds the daily recommended intake of sodium (2,300 mg to 2,400 mg).

Here are some of the ingredients used by Jersey Mike's, taken from the chain's Web site:
  
"Chicken Breast, Grilled

boneless skinless chicken breast fillet with rib meat, water, isolated soy protein, modified food starch, salt, carrageenan, sodium phosphate

Contains Soy

"Ham, Boiled

cured with water, salt, dextrose, sodium phosphate, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite

"Ham, Cappacuolo

cured with water, salt, sugar, sodium lactate, sodium phosphate, sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, coated with dextrose, flavoring and oleoresin of paprika."

See previous post: 

 Road Warrior screwed up again