Stile: Corzine anti-corruption push likely to backfire
Governor Corzine is putting the squeeze on recently handcuffed Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez to step down. It isn’t working. Instead, Monday’s executive order, aimed primarily at Suarez’s back, prompted another Democrat, Steven Fulop, to step in front of City Hall in Jersey City on Tuesday night to put the squeeze on Corzine. (Stile, The Record)
http://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/political_stile/Corzines_corruption_push_likely_to_backfire.html
Corzine to sign bill limiting handgun purchases today
Gov. Jon Corzine today will sign legislation that prohibits individuals from purchasing more than one handgun within a 30-day period. (The Star-Ledger)
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/08/corzine_to_sign_bill_limiting.html
There’s nothing like Hudson County politics
In 1927, the great physicist Werner Heisenberg described a set of interactions among subatomic particles that has come to be known as the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. (Mulshine, The Star-Ledger)
http://blog.nj.com/njv_paul_mulshine/2009/08/jersey_city_and_corruption.html
N.J. auditors find lack of oversight, transparency in handling of federal stimulus funds
State auditors have found troubling lapses in oversight and transparency among local and county government agencies awarded millions of dollars through the federal stimulus program designed to kick-start the ailing economy. (Margolin, The Star-Ledger)
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/08/nj_auditors_find_lack_of_overs.html
Hillside police officer pleads guilty to bilking homeless program
A Hillside police officer today pleaded guilty to stealing funds from a program designed to prevent homelessness, Attorney General Anne Milgram announced. (Megerian, The Star-Ledger)
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/08/hillside_police_officer_pleads.html
N.J. corruption scandal takes centerstage in governor’s race
A long-brewing battle over ethics swept to the forefront of the governor’s race today, as Gov. Jon Corzine and challenger Chris Christie accused each other of hypocrisy in their reactions to New Jersey’s corruption scandal. (Heininger and Graber, The Star-Ledger)
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/08/nj_corruption_scandal_takes_ce.html
PSE&G to spend nearly $1.2B to clean up former gas plant sites
PSE&G expects to spend nearly $1.2 billion to clean up 38 sites contaminated with toxic pollution left over from an era when towns in New Jersey illuminated their streets by gaslight. (O’Neill, The Record)
http://www.northjersey.com/news/PSEG_to_spend_nearly_12B_to_clean_up_former_gas_plant_sites.html
New Jersey senators in Sotomayor’s corner
U.S. Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Bob Menendez, D-N.J., spoke out Wednesday in support of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, whose confirmation vote is expected today. Lautenberg spoke on the Senate floor. (The Record)
http://www.northjersey.com/news/New_Jersey_senators_in_Sotomayors_corner.html
Surveys signal more post-office closings in N.J.
Besides the 677 branches that the U.S. Postal Service has targeted for closing, including three in South Jersey, five others here could be shuttered by January. (Hefler, Inquirer)
NJ auditors worry about stimulus oversight
Auditors in New Jersey are raising concerns about the oversight of how federal stimulus money will be spent. (AP)
Petition planned to get N.J. mayor to resign
The head of the Republican Party in Ridgefield, Bergen County, says he plans to file a petition to recall embattled Mayor Anthony Suarez. (The Inquirer)
Engineers to set road, park work in East Greenwich
The township committee has approved two engineering contracts for the next phase of the Borrelli Boulevard reconstruction project and the new entrance to the Thompson Family Park. (Counihan, Gloucester County Times)
http://www.nj.com/gloucester/index.ssf?/base/news-13/124953991578940.xml&coll=8
Atlantic City Council approves public safety director on first reading
The city’s police department and its Chief John J. Mooney received a verbal beating at Wednesday night’s City Council meeting, but Mooney insists his department will have the last word. (Spahr, Press of Atlantic City)
Former Atlantic City attorney indicted in improper land buys
A state grand jury indicted a former city attorney and his business partner on official misconduct charges Wednesday for allegedly using his public job to buy underpriced city real estate. (Clark, Press of Atlantic City)
N.J. found starved of mass transit
New Jersey’s suburban counties, which had the biggest population and job growth, lack the mass transit to move those people even though the miles traveled by people on transit statewide doubled compared with miles traveled by car in a 10-year-period starting in 1997, a transit advocacy group found. (Higgs, Asbury Park Press)
State nixes Hanover Park Regional’s $205G buyout for schools chief
The Hanover Park Regional High School Board of Education was poised to buy out former superintendent Paul Arilotta with $205,079 to end his contract two years early, but state Education Commissioner Lucille Davy rejected the agreement, calling it “excessive.” (Bruno, Asbury Park Press)
Graffiti gives travelers dim view of Linden
Every time the fence at Nobel Equipment and Rental along Routes 1 and 9 is repainted white to cover the graffiti, the markings return within about a week. (Russell, Courier News)
Dowd named leader of C-P
Tim Dowd, a veteran publisher with a deep background in advertising, has been named president and publisher of the Courier-Post. (Smith, Courier-Post)
http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20090806/NEWS01/908060350
Charter schools approved in Winslow, Florence
The state Department of Education has approved six new charter schools to open in September, including what will be the first two nonurban schools in the tri-county area. (Rothschild, Courier-Post)
http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20090806/NEWS01/908060345
RSC to give back Van Pelt donation
The Republican State Committee (RSC) will return a donation it received from the election fund of arrested former Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt (R-Ocean Twp), spokesman Kevin Roberts said. (Friedman, PolitickerNJ)
http://www.politickernj.com/matt-friedman/32068/rsc-give-back-van-pelt-donation
