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Hudson County metropolis: Vega v. Roque is the biggest game in town – right nowThe star of this big, gaudy, double chandelier send-up in the Venetian was U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who heralded West New York Silverio “Sal” Vega as a towering local figure whom the people better see fit to re-elect in what many insiders figure will be the most interesting local May race of the cycle. (Pizarro, PolitickerNJ)
http://www.politickernj.com/45999/hudson-county-metropolis-vega-v-roque-only-game-town-right-now
Gov on Manzo: “Do you really believe he’s sleeping on a cot in Paterson?”
Gov. Chris Christie today doubled down on his rejection of North Jersey District
http://www.politickernj.com/45980/gov-manzo-do-you-really-believe-hes-sleeping-cot-paterson
Christie rejects union’s health care offer
Some 40,000 state workers would pay roughly triple the amount they already pay for health insurance, according to a proposal advanced by the state’s largest employees union but rejected by Gov. Chris Christie. (Method, Courier-Post)
Christie’s Atlantic City revival halt to 30% casino plunge
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is bucking voter skepticism and pushing ahead with his plan to revive the Atlantic City gambling resort, where casino revenue has plunged the most since the first one opened in 1978. (Dopp, Bloomberg)
In New Jersey, a new playbook for union negotiations
For the first time, the largest state employees union is pitching its plan for a health-care proposal through the media, directly to taxpayers. (Katz, The Philadelphia Inquirer)
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/118224114.html
Shared services: Rightsizing New Jersey
Squeezed by a new 2 percent spending cap, state aid cuts and property taxpayers who want to keep the same level of services, local officials across New Jersey for the first time are seriously considering sharing core services such as police and fire protection and even merging municipalities. (Magyar, NJ Spotlight)
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/11/0318/0156/
South Jersey Assembly members back Senate shared services plan
Two South Jersey Democrats have introduced a bill accompanying a Senate proposal that pushes towns to share services. (DeMarco, The Record)
Exec proposes track takeover
New York real estate executive Jeff Gural has submitted a proposal to Governor Christie to take over management of The Meadowlands Racetrack, according to the leader of the state’s harness racing industry. (Brennan, The Record)
http://www.northjersey.com/news/politics/118222914_Exec_proposes_track_takeover.html
U.S. group: Authorities should have shut down tour bus company before fatal N.J. Turnpike crash
Authorities should have taken action against a company that owned the bus involved in Monday night’s fatal crash on the New Jersey Turnpike because of its poor driver-safety record, the head of a bus company trade association said today. (Haydon, Tbe Star-Ledger)
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/03/us_group_authorities_should_ha.html
Legislators balk at retiree costs
A private insurer’s $500-a-month health plan for retirees is unfairly burdening New Jersey school districts that pay the tab, Republican lawmakers said Thursday. (Young, North Jersey Media Group)
http://www.northjersey.com/news/state/politics/118221644_Legislators_balk_at_retiree_costs.html
Lawmaker wants New Jersey to forgo portion of Atlantic City room tax on midweek booking
People attending midweek conventions in Atlantic City could get a big break on their room tax if a Republican state lawmaker’s plan succeeds. (Fletcher, Press of Atlantic City)
Spent nuclear rods in N.J. raising health questions
The revelation that burning rods of spent nuclear fuel in Japan could create a radioactive cloud more dangerous than a reactor meltdown has focused concerns on the millions of pounds of used but intensely radioactive nuclear fuel stored along the Delaware River. (Montgomery, Gannett)
The search is on for Newark’s next super
On the same day Gov. Chris Christie came to a local Newark school to publicly promote his agenda for New Jersey’s largest district, an ad hoc group of noted city and school leaders met more quietly yesterday to begin reviewing the administration’s candidates to lead the embattled system. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/11/0318/0131/
Indicted former authority chairman chosen to lead Upper Saddle River Planning-Zoning Board
The former chairman of the Bergen County Improvement Authority, who was indicted last year on mortgage fraud charges, was appointed to lead the borough’s newly combined Planning-Zoning Board on Thursday night. (Firschein, The Record)
Some of Camden’s laid-off police, firefighters to return to work
Camden officials announced Thursday that some of the police officers and firefighters who were axed in January because of a budget crisis will be back in uniform effective April 1 — without federal help and without increasing taxes. (Murray, Gannett)
Opinion
Generation Y loves Brendan Byrne
My political activity in these beginning years of my senior citizenhood involves consulting, media, and academia. This semester, I am teaching a new graduate political science course, “New Jersey Politics” at Monmouth University. (Steinberg, PolitickerNJ)
http://www.politickernj.com/alan-steinberg/45997/generation-y-loves-brendan-byrne
Activist rips state on medical marijuana inaction
Here’s a video of progressive political activist Jay Lassiter telling state officials that “you can’t get your act together” on medical marijuana regulations. (Schoonejongen, Asbury Park Press)
School plan worked on paper, but not with people
The Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School is located in Lincoln Park, a block of old homes left over from Newark’s beer baron days. (Whitlow, The Star-Ledger)
http://blog.nj.com/njv_joan_whitlow/2011/03/school_plan_worked_on_paper_bu.html
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