Bob Torricelli

Among the nearly 1 million residents of Bergen County, approximately 0.4 percent are on the county payroll. But that figure jumps precipitously -- to more than 40 percent -- for one group of Bergen residents in particular: Democratic municipal chairs loyal to Bergen County Democratic Organization chairman Joseph Ferriero. That means that the 70 Democratic municipal chairs and five legislative district leaders in the county are more than 100 times more likely to hold government jobs than the average Bergen County resident.

Joe Ferriero has always maintained that he doesn't control the awarding of government jobs and contracts. But last October, when Republicans accused him of enticing Lyndhurst Mayor Rich DiLascio to switch parties with a $20,000 a year county contract (which was awarded and later withdrawn), Ferriero admitted the obvious -- perhaps accidentally -- to Scott Fallon at The Record: "We chose not to award a contract to him because we didn't want the feeling of impropriety."

Though Ferriero holds no elected position in Bergen County government, he controls how taxpayer resources are allocated. The best-case scenario in such an arrangement is an unaccountable, truly benevolent boss who legitimately looks out for the best interests of county residents. But when Ferriero decides how and when to allocate government resources, the top determining factors are not competency or efficiency, but rather which choice will help him further amass money, consolidate power and ultimately steer contracts to the law firm where he is a partner. No attempt was made to hide this from his bio on the firm's website: "Mr. Ferriero has been appointed by various municipalities throughout New Jersey as Borough Attorney, Special Labor Counsel, Special Litigation Counsel, and Environmental Counsel, and has served as Tax Appeal Counsel to various municipalities and corporate clients as well."

Perhaps the most egregious example of Ferriero's abuse of taxpayer money dates back to November, 2004. Again, it was The Record that reported: "A county police officer racked up more than $1,000 in overtime while chauffeuring Bergen County Democratic boss Joseph Ferriero to Yankees games and to an Atlantic City casino, Police Department records show."

If The Record keeps this up, in a few years it'll be Ferriero penning the update to former U.S. Sen. Bob Torricelli's premature death notice for the Bergen County paper, which in 2006 was awarded the prestigious IRE Medal for investigative journalism.

Governor Jon Corzine’s 2009 re-election campaign war chest got a little bigger this weekend after an estimated 100 people attended a fundraiser at the Hunterdon County home of former U.S. Senator Bob Torricelli. Among the guests: South Jersey Democratic leader George Norcross, who arrived by helicopter.

More from PolitickerNJ.com:
Round One: Torricelli on The (Bergen) Record
Round Two: Doblin takes on Torricelli

Alfred Doblin, the editorial page editor and columnist for The Record, was offended by former U.S. Sen. Bob Torricelli's PolitickerNJ.com Op-Ed that sharply criticized his newspaper.

"Being lectured on meanness by the likes of Bob Torricelli is akin to Amy Winehouse leading a rehab retreat for substance abusers," Doblin wrote.  CLICK HERE TO READ DOBLIN'S COLUMN

Former U.S. Sen. Bob Torricelli says The Record is dead
The Record announced yesterday that it was closing its Hackensack offices and "reinventing"itself. It was actually announcing its own death without the benefit of the Obit page.

It reminded me of the death of an aging uncle. You felt badly because of the loss but you remembered all of the times that he kicked the dog and yelled at the kids.

It's a death march that started long ago. A generation ago, the Record was the Bible for suburban living in Bergen County. Every local football game, road closing and store opening filled its pages. It was "A Friend of the People it Serves". Somewhere it all fell apart.

It's easy to dismiss its death as an evitable result of changes in technology. The Internet will eventually destroy most newspapers but the looming death of the Record is still ahead of its time. Bergen County has among the best demographics in the United States. Incomes are high, educational levels are good and there's a real sense of local community. Available advertising from retailers may be the best in the nation.

It has everything that the Ledger, Inquirer and a dozen other papers lack. They'll survive another decade or two while the Record will be gone in a matter of a few years. Why?

South Jersey Democrats are in no great rush to designate a candidate for the first district congressional seat Rob Andrews gave up to campaign for the United States Senate – and they don’t have to be.  Placeholder Camille Andrews, the winner of the Democratic primary for the seat her husband has held for eighteen years, is under no obligation to drop out – and she could wait until very early in October to withdraw (note Angelo’s Law, the Supreme Court ruling that allowed Democrats to nominate Frank Lautenberg when Bob Torricelli dropped out of the race five weeks before the 2002 general election).  That gives Rep. Andrews quite a while to decide if he wants to return to the House, or who George Norcross wants to send to Congress.

Joe Pennacchio's campaign has released internal polling numbers showing a dead heat in the race for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in next week's primary election.  Pennacchio and Dick Zimmer are tied at 20%, with Murray Sabrin at 4%, according to a Pennacchio poll conducted by Neighborhood Research.  But the poll shows Pennacchio making strong gains over the last two weeks, when Zimmer led 23%-7%, with 4% for Sabrin.  "Zimmer's prior lead was a function of superior name ID," says pollster Rick Shaftan.  "Once voters learn of Zimmer's loss to (Bob) Torricelli, his inability to win back his old house seat and his decision to side with Clinton on illegal aliens, gun control and abortion his support collapses."

Ivan Zapien will leave his post as Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Robert Menendez to accept a position in the private sector.  He will be replaced by Danny O’Brien, who served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Joseph Biden and as Political Director of Biden’s presidential campaign.  O’Brien served as Chief of Staff to U.S.  Senator Robert Torricelli, and was Co-Director of gubernatorial candidate James E. McGreevey’s coordinated campaign in 2001.