Media, Weather Experts Confirm NJ Transit Failed To Heed Flood Warnings

The Star Ledger conducted its own investigation into how NJ Transit managed to flood a third of its rail fleet (more than 300 rail cars and locomotives) by staging them in their Kearny and Hoboken yards.

Despite protestations by NJ Transit chief Jim Weinstein claiming that he didn't have warnings indicating that both locations would flood, The Ledger and other weather experts said that they

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Why Corruption Persists

Yesterday, Trenton Mayor Tony Mack and six others were arrested in a corruption bust by federal prosecutors. Today comes word that one of those six was caught on a wiretap describing his actions as "good corruption."

Yes, you read that right.

They didn't think anything of engaging in criminal acts, and considered corruption to be part and parcel of their doing their work.Joseph “JoJo”

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Trenton NJ Mayor Tony Mack, 6 Others Arrested In Federal Corruption Probe

Trenton New Jersey Mayor Tony Mack and six others have been arrested in connection with an ongoing federal corruption probe. The Trenton Democrat has been under investigation for the past several months, and the FBI had previously issued search warrants on the mayor's office, personal residence, and several locations of relatives to Mack. Joseph "JoJo" Giorgianni, a top campaign contributor, and

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FBI Investigation of Trenton Mayor Mack Continues

Last week, I noted that the FBI was carrying out searches of Trenton Mayor Tony Mack, a Democrat. Those searches included stops at his home, office, and his brother. At the time, the FBI wasn't saying what they were looking for.

Today, they've announced that they're looking into bribery, fraud, extortion and money laundering charges. Federal authorities also are investigating vendor contracts

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Trenton's Mayor Under FBI Investigation

Yesterday, reports indicated that the FBI searched the home of Trenton Mayor Tony Mack and two other locations. Mack has denied any wrongdoing and no once has been charged in the expanding federal probe.

“We have not violated the public trust in any way, nor have I violated any of my public duties, and I have no further comment on this matter,” Mack said in a brief statement, before decline to

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Gov. Christie Seems Fine With Feds Managing New Jersey's Health Exchanges

So much for states' rights in Gov. Christie's eyes - he's open to the idea of letting the feds run the NJ health exchange. Gov. Chris Christie said he is exploring letting the federal government set up the state health insurance exchange required by the federal health care overhaul to allow individuals to buy coverage.

He also said he is not sure that New Jersey needs to expand Medicaid under

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New Jersey's Legislature Takes Up Tax Relief In Special Session

Gov. Chris Christie addressed the state legislature in Trenton this afternoon and called on them to enact tax relief along the lines of the proposal he first offered earlier this year.

Senate Democrats countered that they provided tax relief to the tune of $183 million only if the state met the Governor's revenue projections. The contingency is a sound policy choice, but that isn't stopping

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New Jersey Bipartisan Budget Idiocy Abounds

NJ politics and you - screwed up together. The OLS issues a budget notice finding that the state will end with a deficit of more than $600 million, and yet Gov. Christie (a Republican) and State Senate President Stephen Sweeney (Democrat) are pushing ahead with a compromise tax cut plan that the two hashed out that will cost even more money and requires one-shot borrowing from the state's nearly

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Gov. Christie Wont Scale Back Tax Cuts Even As Deficit Mounts

The New Jersey budget is required to be balanced pursuant to the State Constitution. How it gets to that point is up to the Governor and the legislature.

Gov. Chris Christie is determined to make good on his plan to cut income taxes, even though the latest budget projections are showing a much larger deficit than anyone had expected. It's now up to $668 million, which would normally call for a

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Cory Booker and Chris Christie Show Off Their Comedy Chops

Every once in a while it's nice to see politicians not taking themselves too seriously and to have some fun with each other. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Newark Mayor Cory Booker put together this video as part of the NJ Press Association Dinner festivities. There's some sly references to Booker's heroic actions of saving neighbors from a fire and a few Seinfeld references as well.

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New Jersey Revenues Coming In $300 Million Below Projections

The New Jersey Department of Treasury announced that revenues were coming in about $300 million below projections, which isn't nearly as bad as the Office of Legislative Services estimates, but it still puts a crimp on Gov. Chris Christie's plans for tax relief. He’s also banking on a huge economic upswing during the budget year that begins on July 1, using that growth to support his “Jersey

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New Jersey Moving Ahead On Proposals To Revamp Drug Incarcerations

Governor Chris Christie had been calling for a revamping of the state's drug incarceration laws because the criminal justice system simply couldn't afford the costs associated with the incarceration of so many people. He proffered an alternative - drug courts combined with drug treatment in lieu of incarceration and it's something that the state Assembly has taken up.The Assembly's Judiciary

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New Jersey Budget Projects Will Hamper Gov. Christie's Chances To Keep Promised Tax Cuts

As I've been warning for quite some time, budget projections have been far too rosy and assuming growth when one should take a far more conservative outlook on the figures.

By assuming growth in excess of what one should reasonably expect, you set up the potential for budget deficits and that's precisely the situation that Gov. Chris Christie is facing in New Jersey. He offered up a more rosy

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Model Legislation

Some of New Jersey's recent legislation enacted by Gov. Christie tracks model legislation written up by the conservative group ALEC. The response to the article was that the NJ legislators and Christie's office denied any use of the model language, but I find that farfetched. It's far more than coincidental that the language tracks so closely.

The New Jersey example is hardly alone though. I

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Now Is Time For New Jersey To Purchase Properties Along Route 17 Corridor

Route 17 through Bergen County is one of the busiest corridors in the state, and traffic congestion is a constant companion to drivers on the stretch between Route 4 in Paramus at the Garden State Plaza and Essex Street in Hackensack. While the rest of Route 17 is a three lane divided highway with paved shoulders leading to businesses, this particular stretch is only two lanes wide, and in some

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New Jersey Should Finally Pass Fluoride Bill

New Jersey has long lagged the rest of the region in municipalities that fluoridate the water supplies. Misinformation is one of the reasons - the fact that junk science is driving the opposition is costing New Jersey residents' public health.

The costs for fluoridation are a fraction of the dental health costs. It's far cheaper to fluoridate the water than to deal with the costs of cavities and

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Gov. Christie Issues Budget Recommendations

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has issued his budget recommendations for the upcoming fiscal year, and he's increased spending by nearly $2 billion dollars to $32.1 billion. The full text of his speech is here, but I think we're heading for a repeat of problems.

There's a little bit of something for every group, including increased spending for education and the first portion of his proposed

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New Jersey Senate Passes Gay Marriage Legislation; Hurdles Remain

New Jersey's State Senate has passed its version of a gay marriage legislation package that largely mirrors the language used in passing the New York version that was enacted into law last year.

The main difference between New York and New Jersey's situation is that Gov. Andrew Cuomo was a prime mover in getting the gay marriage legislation passed in New York and was willing to provide political

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Gov. Christie Gets Foot-In-Mouth Disease Over Gay Marriage Comments

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has foot in mouth disorder in trying to 'clarify' remarks:

In a Statehouse press conference today, he expanded on the statement: “The political climate in the South didn’t give them the option to have a referendum back then,” he said, adding later: “They wished they would have had the option, but the political climate did not permit it, meaning they would not

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Gov. Christie Outmaneuvers Democrats on Gay Marriage Proposals

Just after Democrats introduced bills legalizing gay marriage in the New Jersey legislature that are a mirror image of the language used in New York, Governor Chris Christie signaled his intention to veto any such legislation and instead said that he would put the matter up for a referendum.

Christie pulled the rug out from under Democrats who were hoping to put the onus on the governor. Instead

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