State jobless rate grows to 8.2%
TRENTON — New Jersey's jobless rate continued to climb last month, surpassing the national rate for the first time in two years and keeping the state firmly entrenched in the global recession, according to analysts. February's unemployment rate of 8.2 percent was nearly a full percentage point above January's rate, according to the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development, which released the figures Wednesday. (Segall, Asbury Park Press)
http://app.com/article/20090326/NEWS/903260432
Joblessness in New Jersey tops federal rate, hits 8.2 percent
TRENTON — The state shed 19,700 jobs in February as New Jersey’s unemployment rate climbed sharply past the nation’s for the first time in a year, according to numbers released by the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The state’s 8.2 percent unemployment rate jumped from January’s 7.3 percent, pushing ahead of the national 8.1 percent rate. The state unemployment rate is the highest since it hit 8.4 percent in December 1992 and is a sharp increase from February 2008’s 4.7 percent rate. (Harper, Press of Atlantic City)
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/186/story/439253.html
Corzine v. Christie in the North Ward
NEWARK – Gov. Jon Corzine and former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie traded punchlines and tweaked each other’s gravitas reflexes tonight at the North Ward Center’s annual Irish-Italian Awards Ceremony and the automatic question is who won? (Pizarro, PolitickerNJ)
http://www.politickernj.com/max/28511/corzine-versus-christie-north-ward-center
In Mercer, Republicans settle on Calabro for District 14
HAMILTON — Mercer County Republicans endorsed restaurant owner Rob Calabro as their candidate in the 14th Legislative District at their convention tonight. (Friedman, PolitickerNJ)
http://www.politickernj.com/matt-friedman/28515/mercer-republicans-settle-calabro-district-14
N.J. leaders get more powers to furlough workers
TRENTON – State and local leaders got increased powers to furlough employees yesterday from a little-watched commission after the largest flare-up yet over Gov. Corzine's plan to cut payroll costs. (Tamari, Inquirer)
Christie touts career as prosecutor in radio ad
Republican gubernatorial candidate Christopher J. Christie launched his radio ad campaign yesterday with a 60-second biographical spot that highlights his career as U.S. attorney. (Inquirer)
Unpaid wage complaints on the rise
TRENTON — One of the issues expected to be addressed in an upcoming report from Gov. Jon Corzine's panel on immigrant policy is the problem of wage abuses. New Jersey's Labor Department saw a nearly 29 percent increase in wage complaints in 2008 compared to the previous year. (AP)
http://www.northjersey.com/politics/unpaidwage032509.html
Coniglio jury hears opening statements
Joseph Coniglio, the Paramus plumber turned politician, sold his state Senate seat to a Bergen County hospital and attempted to conceal the arrangement, a federal prosecutor told jurors today in opening remarks at the former lawmaker’s federal corruption trial in Newark. (Sampson, Record)
http://www.northjersey.com/politics/coniglio032509.html
Corzine goes shopping for pears, and votes
Governor Corzine clutched a plastic bag loaded with two plump D'Anjou pears as he navigated the Paramus Fairway Market and its aisles clogged with surprised shoppers Wednesday. (Stile, Record)
http://www.northjersey.com/news/njpolitics/41874897.html
Camden COO has N.J.'s top base pay
Theodore Davis, Camden's state-appointed chief operating officer, takes home more base pay than top doctors at a state psychiatric hospital, more than the chief justice of the state Supreme Court and more than the commissioner of the state Department of Community Affairs. (Hirsch, Courier-Post)
http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20090326/NEWS01/903260339&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL
Morris County officials push to make area more business-friendly
Chief executives of Morris County's leading businesses should expect visits soon from top county government and economic officials, who want to make sure they feel welcome in the county. (Ragonese, Star-Ledger)
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/morris_county_officials_push_t.html
Council moves to defer $14.8 million in pension payments
The Jersey City Council passed a resolution tonight to ask the Local Finance Board to let Jersey City defer $14.8 million in pension payments by a vote of 8-1. Councilman Steve Fulop cast the dissenting vote, calling the request for the deferral "the height of irresponsibility" and an election-year gimmick that pushes the burden onto future residents. (Clark, Jersey Journal)
http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2009/03/council_xxx_move_to_defer_148.html
Four-term Union County Freeholder Chester Holmes announces retirement
Four-term Union County Freeholder Chester Holmes announced his retirement today, marking an end to 49 years in the public sector as a police officer, councilman and freeholder. (O’Connor, Star-Ledger)
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/fourterm_union_county_freehold.html
Ex-Branchburg GOP treasurer sentenced for stealing $10K from committee
A former treasurer of the Branchburg Republican Committee was sentenced today to six months home confinement and three years probation for stealing $10,000 from the organization. (Ryan, Star-Ledger)
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/exbranchburg_gop_treasurer_sen.html
Jersey City Council introduces measures to move JCIA and DPW to Linden Avenue site
The Jersey City Council unanimously introduced several measures tonight that would allow the city to move the Jersey City Incinerator Authority and the Department of Public Works to a 17.6 acre site located on Linden Avenue adjacent to I-78 that currently house an empty warehouse. The measures also approve the purchase or condemnation of a portion of the PJP landfill site in the shadow of the Pulaski Skyway to make way for a 30-acre public park. (Clark, Jersey Journal)
http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2009/03/jersey_city_council_xxx_moving.html
Hoboken mayor wins billboard battle, takes heat in political war
Hoboken Mayor Dave Roberts pulled out the political big guns yesterday to get a billboard he deemed offensive taken down. But today he's taking heat, not compliments, from political foes bringing up familiar attacks. (Jersey Journal)
http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2009/03/jersey_city_council_xxx_moving.html
Once more into the breach Healy himself opened
Here we go again! Will Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy's "Beach Blanket Bingo" with Bradley Beach police officers eventually come back to bite him or will he manage to reverse his public relations image and convince voters that he is the victim? (Jersey Journal)
http://www.nj.com/columns/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/columns-0/123796230332300.xml&coll=3
Paterson's Great Falls nears national park status
A national park may emerge from a small patch of lush oasis just 15 miles from Manhattan in northeastern New Jersey's industrial mecca. The U.S. house passed a bill today that designates Paterson's Great Falls as a national park. It goes to President Obama, who is expected to sign it as early as next week. (AP)
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/bill_designating_patersons_gre.html
