The Jersey City Independent"

- The city might ask for a 5 percent budget cut from the Jersey City Police Department in its FY2010 budget. Of course, we just saw the FY2009 budget — introduced seven months late — so this isn’t likely to be an issue for some time. City Council president Mariano Vega says that if economic conditions don’t improve, the city should ask all departments for 5 percent cuts. Don’t let the lead of this story fool you, either — the number of cops “on the streets” and walking their beats, which a number of community leaders have been calling for, isn’t necessarily tied into the overall number of JCPD officers. It’s as much an institutional culture issue as it is a numbers game, folks. In related news, the government began accepting applications yesterday for its Hiring Recovery Program, which makes available $1 billion for police departments across the country as part of the federal stimulus package signed into law last month.

- Hudson County freeholder Bill O’Dea is calling on the county prosecutor’s office to interview inmates who were present when Joann Figueroa died last July in the county jail. Figueroa’s family has complained that the county hasn’t given them any information about the death.

- The city has some earmarks in the federal spending bill signed last week by President Obama, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense, including $571,000 for Christ Hospital to upgrade its emergency room and $237,500 to revitalize an unidentified former brownfield site. Read the full text of the bill here.

- The apparent suicide of a 27-year-old man shut down the Journal Square PATH station for a while yesterday and snarled PATH service along two lines.

- Bail has been set at $10,000 for the Jersey City man charged with making threats this weekend involving nuclear weapons. As a condition of his bail, the man must also undergo a psychological evaluation.

- U.S. Rep. Albio Sires, who represents much of Jersey City as the congressman from the 13th district, says he “would consider” running for lieutenant governor along with Gov. Corzine if he were to be asked.

- A. Harry Moore student Bryan Villa, who suffers from Duchene Muscular Dystrophy, recently won a national award from the Council for Exceptional Children for his graphic design skills.

- The 17th Annual Phagwah Parade and Festival took place Saturday in Lincoln Park.

In statewide news:

- The state legislature has passed a controversial bill that will allow private contractors more authority to oversee and perform toxic waste cleanups. Environmental groups oppose the bill, saying it will weaken oversight and noting that these contractors might have conflicts of interest, since they’ll be paid by developers and many have ties to industry. But the cash-strapped Department of Environmental Protection argues that the change is necessary to eliminate a backlog of more than 20,000 toxic sites across the state.

- The legislature unanimously approved a pilot program yesterday to fast-track public school certification in the areas of math and science, in part to allow former corporate employees enter the teaching field.

- Gov. Corzine is inviting New Jerseyans to share thoughts on his budget with him on his Facebook page.

- The state Board of Public Utilities’ New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program is offering new incentives to reduce the cost of a home assessment by more than 50 percent. If eligible, homeowners can also receive up to $1,000 of free air sealing to reduce energy costs under the program.

- NJ municipalities received $210 million from AIG via the federal government’s bailout between Sept. 16 and Dec. 31 of last year.

- Nearly nine of 10 CFOs of NJ companies participating in a survey by the Alloy Silverstein Group think the media’s coverage of the economy is contributing to the recession, and 65 percent think bad financial news is over-reported.

- The state Senate has approved a bill that will bring more transparency to county parties by requiring county clerks to maintain membership lists for Republican and Democratic county committees. It now goes to the Assembly.