HCDO Sheriff Schillari running with backing of Jersey City mayoral rivals

Incumbent Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari held his annual Christmas party tonight and both Jersey City Mayor Jerry Healy and downtown City Councilman Steve Fulop partook of the love in the room. Pizarro, PolitickerNJ

http://www.politickernj.com/61698/hcdo-sheriff-...

Booker helps Schaer raise $80,000

MOONACHIE – In a show of what he can do for Democrats regardless of whether or not he runs for governor, Newark Mayor Cory Booker stuck some oratorical power poses at Assemblyman Gary Schaer’s (D-36) fundraiser last night and helped Schaer rake in close to eighty grand. Pizarro, PolitickerNJ

http://www.politickernj.com/61689/booker-helps-...

Demonstrators hold candlelight vigil in support of letting Bush-era tax cuts expirs

Demonstrators in support of letting the Bush era tax cuts expire took part in candlelight vigils outside of six congressional offices earlier this week. PolitickerNJ

http://www.politickernj.com/61686/demonstrators...

Latest from The Back Room

Labor coalition raises money for Gill

Essex County Freeholder Brendan Gill had a breakfast fundraiser with labor on Wednesday, burnishing a broad coalition of hardhat support. PolitickerNJ

http://www.politickernj.com/back_room/labor-coa...

Latest from State Street Wire

Prieto introduces bill aimed at requiring lawmakers to approve lottery privatization

TRENTON – An Assembly lawmaker says any attempts to privatize the New Jersey State Lottery should first be vetted by the Legislature. Arco, State Street Wire

http://www.politickernj.com/61678/prieto-introd...

Sign up for a free trial of State Street Wire at http://www.politickernj.com/freetrial 

GOP may relent on Sandy aid

Republicans in Congress may not insist on spending cuts to pay for some of the billions in federal aid for Hurricane Sandy victims — a potential win for Eastern Seaboard Democrats who were fretting about that possibility. Politico

http://www.politico.com/story/2012/12/republica...

Mayor tells Rockland Electric: I’d fire you

Officials from several northern Bergen County towns vented Monday night about what they described as an utter lack of information from their public utility in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Sullivan, NJ.Com

http://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2012/12/mayo...

Christie says weight no bar to presidency

The Republican governor was asked about his weight problem during an interview with Barbara Walters for her “10 Most Fascinating People” special airing Wednesday night on ABC.

Walters tells the governor that that some people say he is too heavy to be president one day.Associated Press

http://nj1015.com/chris-christie-says-weight-no...

Springsteen talks of rebuilding Shore

NEW YORK — Sandy has come, but now it’s time to rebuild.

That was Bruce Springsteen’s message Wednesday night about the rebuilding of the Jersey Shore at the “12-12-12” superstorm Sandy relief concert at Madison Square Garden. Jordan, Asbury Park Press

http://www.app.com/article/20121212/NJENT/31212...

Pipe repair leaves treated sewage in Hudson River visible

Although few people have seen it, there is nothing new about millions of gallons of treated sewage gushing into the Weehawken Cove daily, officials say. Hack, Jersey Journal

http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index.ssf/2012/...

Questions surround UPS plan to move Paramus site to Woodland Park

It’s clear that United Parcel Service stands to receive more than $6 million in tax incentives for keeping nearly 1,000 jobs in New Jersey despite planning to close its Paramus data processing center. Most everything else remains a mystery. Fletcher, Record

http://www.northjersey.com/news/183231162.html

DRPA adopts smaller budget than in 2012

The Delaware River Port Authority broke with tradition Wednesday as its board adopted an annual budget significantly smaller than the previous year's spending plan. Nussbaum, Inquirer

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/2012121...

JCP&L parent admits not preparing for major storms

Eight months before Hurricane Sandy left more than 1 million customers of Jersey Central Power & Light without power, a top executive of its parent company told analysts during an earnings call, “there are literally events that I don’t think we should plan for.’’ Johnson, NJ Spotlight 

http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/12/12/12/jcp...

Long Branch residents complain of trash pile next door

A pile of household debris from Sandy's ruins in Long Branch, N.J., is drawing complaints from residents of an apartment complex next door. WNBC

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Long-Branc...

Burlco GOP freeholders outspent Dem challengers in losing campaign

Two Republican freeholders outspent their Democratic challengers by a margin of more than 6 to 1 during their failed attempt to hold onto their seats in county government. Levinson, Burlington County Times

http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/burlingto...

Opinion

Changes to competitive bidding rules would close loopholes

A plan under review in the state Senate would require competitive bidding for a wider range of public contracts. Trenton Times

http://www.nj.com/times-opinion/index.ssf/2012/...

Codey and Bayonne Bleeder get ready to rumble

What do the Bayonne Bleeder and Dick Codey have in common?

We can’t figure it out either, but Chuck Wepner, the guy who almost went the distance against Mohammed Ali in 1975 and inspired the movie “Rocky,” joins the former governor in Codey’s spoof video about his decision on whether he should run for the top seat in 2013. (Hat tip the The Record’s John Reitmeyer for turning us onto the video). Schoonejongen, Asbury Park Press

http://blogs.app.com/capitolquickies/2012/12/12...