Oyster Creek "Power Play"

New Jersey Monthly magazine has a good analysis of the Oyster Creek license renewal battle in its current issue. In an article titled "Power Play," no new ground is broken. But the author, Jeff Pillets, frames the issues well. And he correctly notes that the matter will ultimately be decided in the federal courts.
Recognizing the central role Gov. Corzine will have to play if the plant is to be shut down after its 40-year operating license expires in 2009, Pillets sought comment on the matter from Corzine. Corzine refused to be interviewed for the story. Here's the exchange between Corzine's press secretary, Anthony Coley, and Pillets.
"The governor is against a 20-year extension," Coley said.
But the NRC offers nothing less than a twenty-year extension.
"The governor is against a twenty-year extension," Coley said.
What about the state discharge permit for Oyster Creek - does Corzine support a renewal of that?
"The governor is against a twenty-year extension."
That waffling took place before the state announced plans last week to file a lawuit in federal court seeking a review of the potential impact a terrorist attack on Oyster Creek could have, and before the commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection, Lisa Jackson, told an audience Saturday that Oyster Creek would likely have to install large cooling towers - a major expense that could make owner-operator AmerGen think long and hard about keeping the plant open another 20 years.

Dina Matos McGreevey chooses low road, too

I've never had much nice to say about former Gov. James E. McGreevey, during and after his stint as the state's CEO. His tell-all book last year only confirmed what a lowlife he is.
Now, I'm starting to have my doubts about his wife, Dina Matos McGreevey, as well. She had a choice: She could have taken the high road and refused to go public with her version of the story, or she could fight back publicly. Sadly for daughter Jacqueline, 5, she did the latter.
Her forthcoming book, due out next week, is an indication that she, too, cares more about herself than she does about her little girl. Airing the dirty laundry in public - even if her husband fired the first shot - is despicable. Among the allegations in the book: that McGreevey was less than thrilled when he learned she was pregnant. Jacqueline will be real happy to read that when she grows up. Both of her parents' books should be real page-turners for her.
Sickening.

State to recycle garbage surcharge

State officials Tuesday marked the 20th anniversary of former Gov. Thomas Kean's signing of the mandatory recycling law. At one time, New Jersey was the leader in recycling, separating 67 percent of the glass, plastic, metal and paper that once ended up in landfills. By 2004, the last year for which information is available, the state was only recycling 34 percent of its trash. That puts New Jersey in the middle of the pack nationally.
Between 1987 and 1995, Ocean County ranked third in the state, recycling 72.5 percent of its refuse. In 2004, it recyled just 28.0 percent of its trash, ranking it 15th statewide. Monmouth County's recycling rate fell from 63.8 percent between 1987 and 1995 to 39.6 percent in 2004. It now ranks 5th statewide.
The state is hoping to get the rate over 50 percent again by reinstating a $3 surcharge on every ton of garbage collected by haulers that will be used to fund recycling programs. The surcharge was dropped in 1997.

Numbers that don't add up

It isn't easy trying to wrap your mind around some of the huge sums of money expended by government. The annual federal budget, for instance, is $2,500,000,000,000 It makes it that much harder to determine whether money is being spent wisely.
But some of the numbers hit you over the head. In New Jersey, for instance, the state wants to spend $120 million to build a new bridge connecting the Highlands and Sea Bright. The amount budgeted for 2008 -- $35.6 million -- is nearly 25 percent of the funding allocated by the state for all highway and bridge improvements in Monmouth County. To put that sum in perspective, it is only 20 percent less than the amount the state will spend to widen a 17-mile stretch of the Garden State Parkway south of Toms River. The Highlands bridge should be fixed, not completely rebuilt.
Here's another example that makes your jaw drop. A new high school under construction in New Brunswick, originally estimated to cost $97.9 million in 2003, is now expected to cost $187 million. By the time the cost overruns are tacked on, it will probably exceed one-fifth of a billion dollars. The high school has about 1,400 students.
A new elementary school being built in Neptune was expected to cost $42 million. That was before mold was discovered on sheathing used to wall off the building. The state says it will cost an additional $10 million to remediate it, which will involve tearing down the brick facade from most of the school, removing the insulation and sheathing, and then replacing everything.

Ten million dollars is the same amount New Jersey expects to spend on autism research this year. An estimated 12,000 to 18,000 people in this state have the disorder -- a number that continues to grow by leaps and bounds.

While Congress fiddles on immigration...

The continued failure of Congress to pass immigration reform legislation has forced states to try to fill the void. According to a new report from the National Conference of State Legislatures, states have introduced at least 1,169 immigrant-related bills this year - more than twice the number in all of 2006.

The bills cover topics ranging from benefits for illegal immigrants, documentation/ID requirements, drivers license privileges, law enforcement, health care and education, and employment.

"States can only do so much, said NCSL President Leticia Van de Putte, a state senator from Texas. "It's like we're trying to scale a 12-foot wall with a step stool. The federal government must fix and fund the problem - now."
Contact your congressman, ask them where they stand and tell them you want reform that reflects the majority sentiment of the American people.

Corzine crash totally preventable

After releasing the police report Tuesday on Gov. Corzine's accident, which stated the SUV he was traveling in was doing 91 mph just prior to the crash, State Police Superintendent Joseph Fuentes announced that a seven-member review panel consisting of six State Police officers and a member of the State Ethics Panel will determine whether the accident should be classified as preventable or non-preventable. Of course it was preventable. See today's editorial for our read on the matter.
In the hours and days after the accident, State Police blamed it on the driver of a red pickup truck. They said he had allegedly been driving erratically on the shoulder of the road, before veering into the right lane of the Parkway, causing another vehicle, a white pickup truck, to run into the governor's car.
But after reading the police report, there is little question that the governor's SUV was responsible for the crash. It was doing 91 mph in the left lane of the Parkway, which is just two lanes where the accident occurred. The white pickup truck had been in the left lane, not the right lane, as originally reported. It had to move into the right lane when it saw the SUV, with its flashing lights, bearing down on it. If the govenor's SUV had been doing the speed limit - or something close to it - the chain of events never would have occurred.
In addition to convening a review panel top-heavy with people who are answerable to the State Police superintendent - whose credibility was severely damaged by his original accounts of the accident - Fuentes has asked Attorney General Stuart Rabner to undertake "a critical review of the practices of our Executive Protection Unit with regard to vehicular transportation of those officials with state troopers as drivers." He shouldn't have to ask. Rabner should have begun his investigation as soon as he sensed that the account of the accident given by the State Police failed to pass the sniff test.
As for the review of the practices of the governor's "Executive Protection Unit" here are three suggestions that should be implemented immediately.
1. The governor and the troopers who accompany him should not be exempt from the laws of this state, including those governing use of seat belts and compliance with motor vehicle laws.
2. Troopers should be expected to adhere to posted speed limits in nonemergency situations.
3. Flashing lights should not be used in police or other emergency vehicles unless there is an emergency or legitimate law enforcement need.
Two final thoughts:
Anyone who provided false information about the circumstances surrounding the Corzine accident should be terminated.
Had it not been for the black box that recorded the speed of Corzine's SUV shortly before the crash, it's doubtful the truth about how fast the car was traveling would have ever been revealed.

State police report on Corzine accident

Today's editorial in the Press called for the release of the police accident report on the crash that left Gov. Corzine in critical condition. This afternoon, it was finally released. In case you haven't heard yet, Corzine's SUV was doing 91 mph.
Here's the state police account of the accident:

The following information is a synopsis from the ongoing accident
investigation: On April 12, 2007, at approximately 5:30 pm, the Governor's
motorcade, made up of two 2005 Chevy Suburbans, departed Atlantic City en
route to Drumthwacket via the Garden State Parkway.
The Governor was traveling in the first vehicle, which was driven by Trooper
Robert Rasinski. The vehicle's emergency lights were activated to clear
traffic ahead. Governor Corzine was unrestrained in the right front seat
and his aide, Samantha Gordon, was unrestrained in the left
rear seat. Trooper Rasinski was wearing his seatbelt. As the
motorcade progressed north on the Garden State Parkway into Galloway
Township, Atlantic County, it traveled in the left of two northbound lanes
and encountered two additional northbound vehicles. The first, a white 2003
Dodge Ram pickup truck, was operated by John M. Carrino, Jr.
of Glenwood, New Jersey and occupied by Matthew Cameron who was seated to
his right. His vehicle was in the left lane. In the right lane was a red
1991 Ford F150 pickup truck operated by Kenneth Potts of Little Egg Harbor,
New Jersey. As the Governor's detail approached the vehicles, both drivers
moved to their right. Mr. Pott's vehicle was slightly ahead of Mr.
Carrino's vehicle and moved to the right shoulder.
At the same time, Mr. Carrino's vehicle moved to the right lane, slightly
behind Mr. Pott's vehicle. As the Governor's vehicle approached Mr.
Carrino's vehicle, Mr. Potts encountered a roadway delineator (mile marker
signpost) near the right edge of the roadway and moved left to avoid it. Mr.
Carrino observed Potts' vehicle moving back toward the roadway and took
evasive action to his left, during which time the left rear of his truck
collided with the right front of the Governor's vehicle. This impact caused
Trooper Rasinski to lose control and travel toward the wooded center median.
Subsequent corrective steering to the right caused the Suburban to slide
clockwise from the paved roadway and shoulder into the western grass berm.
There it struck a milepost marker, and then impacted the end of the guide
rail. The rail hit immediately behind the left front wheel and penetrated
the vehicle's body, continuing through the front seat floorboard area. The
SUV abruptly rotated 180 degrees, before coming to rest with its back
portion on top of the guide rail. All occupants of the Suburban were
injured. Governor Corzine sustained the most serious injuries, being thrown
within the vehicle during the impact. Carrino's truck stopped near milepost
43.5 with no injury to its occupants. The Potts vehicle continued on. The
post-accident investigation response was the responsibility of the New
Jersey State Police Fatal Accident Investigation Unit, Crime Scene
Investigations, and Troop E Criminal
Investigations Office. The investigation included interviews of all
witnesses, examination of evidence including tire marks, vehicle damage
assessments, and information gleaned from the Crash Data Retrieval System
(so called black box). With regard to the speed of the Governor's vehicle,
all investigative data points to a speed of approximately 91 mph five
seconds before impact with the guide rail. The vehicle's speed at the time
of impact with the guide rail was approximately 30 mph.
Colonel Fuentes has asked that the State Police Motor Vehicle Accident and
Vehicular Pursuit Review Board convene as soon as possible to review the
accident report. The board is comprised of State Police experts in these
matters. It is standard procedure that all accidents or pursuits involving
State Police vehicles are forwarded to this board for review.
They will consider all factors and determine whether the accident should be
classified as preventable, or non-preventable. Should the accident be
deemed preventable, the review board may recommend training or disciplinary
actions. To ensure transparency and accountability, Colonel Fuentes asked
Attorney General Stuart Rabner to appoint an additional participant to the
review board. General Rabner has asked Kathleen Wiechnik of the State
Ethics Commission to serve in this capacity. New Jersey traffic laws require
the wearing of seatbelts for all occupants of front seats. It is the
driver's responsibility to ensure that all front seat occupants under the
age of 18 are properly restrained by
either seatbelts or child safety seats. Colonel Fuentes has also asked
the Attorney General to undertake a critical review of the practices of our
Executive Protection Unit (EPU) with regard to vehicular transportation of
those officials with state troopers as drivers. The Attorney General will
assemble an independent group to review the
current practices of EPU. In the aftermath of this serious accident,
the Colonel and Attorney General look forward to the development of policies
that will improve upon the "best practices" now in use
throughout the country.

WFAN without Imus

I turned on WFAN this morning to find out who would be filling in for Don Imus. It was Mike Francesa and Chris "Mad Dog" Russo, who will be doing their own afternoon sports show, as well as subbing for Imus, for the next two weeks. Much to my surprise, Charles McCord - Imus' "Straight Man" - also was on the air. I figured he'd be gone along with Imus out of loyalty to his longtime partner.
Francesa and Russo spent much of the show teeing off on Imus' friends and guests who refused to rush to his defense. The list is long. They rightly slammed "60 Minutes" for its repeat of an interview with Imus about 10 years ago in which his racist tendencies were exposed. The segment was introduced by Mike Wallace, a frequent guest on Imus. Wallace, whose employer, CBS, fired Imus, neglected to mention that, or the fact that many "60 Minutes" reporters appeared frequently on Imus' show. It was an embarrassing hatchet job.

State fesses up about Corzine and seat belt

The state finally conceded today that Gov. Corzine, seriously injured in an automobile accident last night, was not wearing a seat belt. It was widely known that Corzine often failed to buckle up. He said his size - he's 6-3 - made it uncomfortable for him to do so.
That demonstration of poor judgment may or may not result in a fine. But Corzine certainly has paid the price for it.
Don't be surprised if Corzine becomes the new poster child for the importance of wearing seat belts.

Where's the outrage from the powerful?

The controversy over the racist remarks by Don Imus has drawn a flood of traffic to the app.com forums section. Most of the responses have fallen into three categories: those saying Imus was wrong to say what he said, but too much has been made of it; those attacking the Rev. Al Sharpton for exploiting the situation for personal gain; and those who say there is a double standard when it comes to racist remarks - it's OK for blacks to make them, but not whites.
Only a handful of posters offered unqualified criticism of Imus and his show. Too many lightly dismissed the negative impact of a national radio talk-show - one who converses on the air daily with the nation's most powerful politicians and journalists - making racist remarks. For Imus, it wasn't an isolated incident. Racism, homophobia and sexism are regular features of the program. And this wasn't some two-bit small-market shock jock trying to make a name for himself.
It's unfortunate that someone with as little currency as the Rev. Al Sharpton is the one who got out on front of this story. It would have been nice if some other prominent black leader, or just one powerful journalist or politician who thinks tolerance and civility on the airwaves matters, had stepped forward first. Or, for that matter, at all. Their silence has been deafening.

What's in Gov. Corzine's e-mails to Katz?

Gov. Corzine has agreed to have an ethics review done to determine whether his relationship with union chief and former girlfriend Carla Katz may have affected contract negotiations with state workers.
At the same time, he rejected requests by several media outlets, including Gannett New Jersey, for copies of his e-mail correspondence with Katz while contract talks were under way. That decision will likely be challenged in court.
Corzine's chief counsel said Corzine did not discuss contract talks with Katz from his state e-mail account and that personal e-mail correspondence is not subject to the Open Public Records Act.
Corzine also has said any e-mail exchanges between he and Katz during the six-month contract negotations did not concern the bargaining process. And he continues to maintain that all ties with Katz were severed before he became governor.
Two questions: If all ties were severed, why did he continue to communicate with Katz via e-mail? And if none of the e-mail exchanges related to union-state matters, what were they chatting about? Don't expect the ethics panel to provide any answers.

Binge drinking claims another life

The recent death of the Rider University freshman who collapsed at a fraternity house after a night of binge drinking is certain to rekindle debate about what should be done to keep college kids from drinking themselves into stupors - or worse.
The responses range from banning alcohol (and drugs) entirely from college campuses to lowering the drinking age from 21, which some argue would only encourage more irresponsible drinking.
My feeling is that as long as the legal drinking age is 21, college presidents have an obligation to aggressively enforce it. That means banning it in dorms and fraternity/sorority houses and expelling students who violate the law. There's no justification for turning campuses into safe havens for alcohol abusers. And I have little tolerance for college presidents who turn their back on the problem, then intone about how tragic it was that excessive drinking claimed the life of one of their students.