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- Christie’s Proposed Budget Unveiled: Gov. Christie unveiled a Fiscal Year 2011 budget that relies almost entirely on spending cuts to close a deficit he asserts is approaching $11 billion. Among other things, Christie is calling for the layoffs of 1,300 state workers, closings of state psychiatric institutions, an $820 million cut in aid to public schools and nearly a half-billion dollars less in aid to towns and cities. He also wants to suspend until May 2011 the popular property-tax rebate program, breaking one of his own campaign promises. Officials around Hudson County are worried that the budget will mean tax hikes and service cuts locally in the short term. The picture is equally bleak for local schools, which are anticipating actual aid figures to be released today. Even without the reduction in state aid, Jersey City public schools could lose 200 to 250 employees due to budget cuts. “Everything is on the table right now,” Superintendent Charles Epps tells the Journal. To see the budget in brief proposal, click here.

- Immigration Detainees, Now in Hudson, Further Isolated: Immigration detainees who were transferred to the Hudson County jail from NYC last month are upset about alleged poor health care, confiscation of legal documents and mistreatment by guards at the jail, and they are threatening a hunger strike. The detainees are also upset over a 800-plus percent increase in the cost of a call to New York — to more than 89 cents a minute — because under Hudson County’s phone contract, calls to New York are considered long distance.

- Harsh Winter Brings Potholes: Potholes “seem to be everywhere,” according to the Journal. The city still has $70,000 available to fill potholes this year.

- Azucar Chef Beats Flay: Celebrity chef Bobby Flay challenged Nick Vazquez of Washington Boulevard’s Azucar to a Cuban sandwich throwdown for Flay’s Food Network show. On the show, which aired last week, Vazquez won — he says the sandwich has been in high demand ever since.

- Marketing Firm Chooses JC for East Coast Outpost: Marketing Werks, the nation’s largest independent experiential marketing firm, has opened a corporate office on Montgomery Street to serve its east coast clients and function as a regional operations center.

- The Short Parade: Jersey City’s annual One-Block St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held today on York Street beginning at 3:30 pm.

Today’s Best Bets:

- Rita Moreno, one of only several artists to win all four of America’s major entertainment awards — the Oscar, the Tony, the Emmy, and the Grammy — will be at HCCC tonight (6 pm) for the last of three installments in the college’s annual community lecture series, themed this year as “Reaching New Heights.” And for you St. Patrick’s Day revelers, the Ed Saultz Trio will play a show at O’Haras Downtown tonight (10 pm).

In Statewide News:

- Menendez Recall Can Go Forward: A New Jersey appeals court has ruled that a conservative tea party group should have the right to try to throw U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez out of office, but also said the group may have to wait for a final decision by a higher court before proceeding.