Opinion

The 2009 New Jersey State Budget  is not the stunning tribute to sound fiscal policy The Trenton insiders  would have you believe, but just a shallow campaign scam that reeks of political showmanship, while failing to address the state’s dire financial woes.

Another fiscal-cutting measure still lies on the Governor's desk -- it's the one that reduces spending by way of statutory tweaks to the state's negotiated union contracts with public employees. 

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?

Did anyone notice that The New York Times completely overlooked the $32.9 billion budget adopted by the state legislature on Monday?

Despite its run-up to the grand event, nary a mention could be found on its inside pages or in the Metro section.

With all the picketing, legal saber-rattling, TV and radio ads, and political arm-twisting over the proposed pension changes, how's the average Jersey Joe and Jane supposed to stay in the know?

This is "inside baseball" at its best. So it's important the daily newspapers distill the facts for readers.

Credit The Record for its Sunday series which went a long way towards reminding us how the State got into this hole -- while sorting out what's now at the heart of the current pension reform controversy.

With all the picketing, legal saber-rattling, TV and radio ads, and political arm-twisting over the proposed pension changes, how's the average Jersey Joe and Jane supposed to stay in the know?

This is "inside baseball" at its best. So it's important the daily newspapers distill the facts for readers.

Credit The Record for its Sunday series which went a long way towards reminding us how the State got into this hole -- while sorting out what's now at the heart of the current pension reform controversy.