Monday Morning News Roundup
By Jon Whiten • May 31st, 2010 • Category: Blog- A Quick Note: JCI‘s offices are closed today for the holiday, so don’t expect much action on the site. We’ll be back in full swing tomorrow.
- City Offices Closed, No Street Sweeping Today: Remember, city offices are also closed for the holiday, and alternate side parking rules are not being enforced. Garbage pickup will continue as normal this evening.
- Webb-Washington to Seek New Trial: Former Ward F City Council candidate LaVern Webb-Washington has filed notice that she will seek a new trial on federal corruption charges, due to a recent ruling by a federal judge that threw out similar charges against Lou and Ron Manzo.
- Mainor’s New Organization: Freshman Assemblyman Charles Mainor is building a new civic and political organization with many influential black — and non-black — residents. “We want to tackle those issues that confront us — that need to be addressed,” Mainor tells the Insider. “Ideas and help should come from not just the black community. This is why this organization will welcome anyone with ideas. I don’t care if they are black, white or purple.” It’s been rumored that Mainor is considering a run at the mayor’s office in 2013, though he denies the rumor to the Insider.
- Fulop Reflects on the Past Year: Ward E councilman Steven Fulop discusses the tumultuous year that’s passed since he was re-elected last May with the Reporter. “The city, under the Healy administration, could have seen changes in government to make it run better,” he says. “With the July 23 corruption scandal, with Governor Christie cutting state aid, and the people coming to the council meetings, the city could have made the necessary cuts in government, but that didn’t happen, which is disappointing.”
- Body Thought to be Carjacking Victim Found: A South Jersey farmer made a grisly discovery early Sunday that led investigators to what they believe is the body of Martin Caballero, the 47-year-old Hudson County resident missing since May 21 after he was allegedly carjacked outside an Atlantic City casino. Caballero was a manager at the Jersey City Stop & Shop on Central Avenue.
- Click It or Ticket: The Hudson County Sheriff’s Office says it has issued nearly 400 tickets during the first five days of the statewide Click It or Ticket campaign to enforce seat belt use and educate drivers on the dangers of failure to use them.
- Cartoonists Descend on JC: The National Cartoonists Society’s 64th Annual Reuben Awards dinner was held Saturday night at the Hyatt Regency Jersey City in New Jersey. Here’s the full list of winners.
- JC Man Accused of Running Prostitution Ring: Police have arrested a 42-year-old Jersey City man accused of running a large-scale prostitution organization throughout Bergen and Rockland counties.
In Statewide News:
- Budget Clock is Ticking: Gov. Christie and state lawmakers have just one month remaining to come to a budget agreement, and the deal is “far from sealed,” according to the Record. If the spending plan isn’t approved by July 1, state government will shut down for the second time since 2006. However, the AP reports that both sides expect to have a deal done in time.
- Fighting Distracted Driving: Despite New Jersey’s tough laws against using cellphones and other devices while driving, legislators and law enforcement officials concede they have a long way to go to change behaviors.
- The Tea Partiers and the Primary: The Record‘s Herb Jackson says the conservative tea party movement is the “wild card” in next week’s Congressional primaries.
- Credit Checks and Job Hunting: Two state legislators have introduced bills that would make it illegal in most cases for an employer to inquire about a job applicant’s credit history. The legislation is opposed by a leading business trade group, which says it would restrict an employer’s autonomy.
- Seniors Worried About Rebate Cuts: New Jersey’s senior citizens are speaking out about the massive pending cuts to the state’s property tax rebate program.
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Jon Whiten is the founding editor of the Jersey City Independent; he now works for a public-policy nonprofit in Trenton.
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