Blue Jersey News Round-up Friday, March 9

reprinted with permission of Blue Jersey

by: DBK

How\’d you all enjoy International Women\’s Day yesterday?

As of this morning, the winning lottery ticket for the Mega Millions lottery that was purchased in Woodbine, New Jersey still has not been turned in for the prize. The winning numbers were 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42…just kidding. The Lost fans among you will get that. The real winning numbers are 16, 22, 29, 39, 42 and Mega Ball 20. And I need a new car.

Legislation creating sales-tax exemptions for gym and golf-club memberships and parking at municipal, county, or higher-education facilities stalled Thursday in the governor\’s office. Governor Corzine would prefer that only non-profit clubs be exempted (e.g., YMCAs).

A bipartisan commission that supervises the Office of Legislative Services released the following statement regarding a federal subpoena issued to the OLS:

\”Based on the briefing that the Legislative Services Commission has just received, the commission now has a sense that the Office of Legislative Services has acted properly and fully complied with all of its obligations.\”

Sources say that the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey has narrowed its search for a new president for the scandal-ridden school to one person, but hasn\’t made him an offer yet. William F. Owen Jr., chancellor of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, is the man. His last, remaining competitor decided not to seek the job any further.

Daylight Savings Time is early this year. Turn your clocks ahead on Sunday (at 2AM if you are a stickler for precision). If you work in the software industry and deal with MicroSoft, you should have tested their Daylight Savings Time patch by now. If you haven\’t, you\’d better get moving.

Even town council politics can be dirty as sin, so take this as a cautionary tale:

A budget motel clerk said Thursday that former Atlantic City Council President Craig Callaway rented the room in mid-November where City Councilman Gene Robinson said video of him receiving oral sex was filmed Nov. 13.

The video, which also shows Robinson giving the woman money, was then allegedly used in an attempt to blackmail Robinson, 65, into resigning from council.

That lead was so well-written, all I had to do was quote it. Nice. Oh, and for an extra twist, Robinson is a minister with Second Baptist Church in Atlantic City. This whole story is so creepy, I need to take a break to wash my eyes with vinegar. Read the whole thing to see what I mean. In a related story (as I see it), the Atlantic City Council eliminated the five thousand dollars in its budget that funded its ethics board, which is supposed to enforce the council\’s ethics rules. The irony is washing in like waves over the dunes.

American Idol fans voted Point Pleasant\’s Antonella Barba off the show last night. Ms Barba has a nice voice, but as good as she is, it would be dishonest to praise her above her merits just because she\’s a Jersey Girl. Several of the other people on the show are just much better singers. Sorry. No disrespect intended. To her great credit, she handled the nonsense that surrounded her appearance on the show with poise. She has talent, though.

Governor Corzine\’s political enemies are still at pains to make something from nothing by continuing to demand answers about the governor\’s relationship with union leader Carla Katz. The gov\’s response is that his private life is private. Since I do so love editorializing in these news roundups (it\’s what I do; it\’s who I am), I have to ask: what do the governor\’s enemies trying to say he\’s doing? Cutting deals to give stuff away to the union because his ex-girlfriend is a union leader? \”They used to date three years ago. They must be doing something bad together.\” Seriously, can we all please stop paying attention to the most juvenile garbage and use that energy for real issues? Is that too much to ask? If someone has evidence of wrong-doing, then out with it or shut up already. We are now pushing two years of listening to speculation about this and nobody has found a single instance of anything shady. Do you get the feeling that this is just political nonsense?

So what\’s on your mind in the great state of New Jersey today?

DBK :: News Roundup, Friday, March 9, 2007

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