Is anyone else outraged?

How many of you out there working in the private sector (otherwise known as "the real world") have 100 percent of your health insurance costs paid by your employer, and will get the same deal after you retire?

State employees have got it pretty good. That's a ridiculous understatement, and that's the #1 reason taxes in New Jersey are among the highest in the country. The biggest costs for most businesses, including the state, are people costs, salaries and benefits.

This year, Gov. Corzine asked state workers to "give something back" (in other words, take 98.5 percent from taxpayers instead of 100 percent) in the form of contributing 1.5 percent toward the cost of their health insurance.

Great. Well, it's a start. That small amount - because of the out-of-control bureaucracy we have in New Jersey - will save taxpayers an estimated $100 million a year.

But, wait.

Gov. Corzine couldn't do that to his old gal pal. What horrible working conditions! What a hardship! Carla can't take that back to the union.

Enter the loophole. Yesterday the governor signed a change to the health care contribution deal that will allow any current or retired state worker to get out of paying the 1.5 percent if they agree to enroll in a vaguely defined "health program" that focuses on getting people to "live healthier," such as quitting smoking, exercising and joining a health club.

So, guess what?

We could be giving back some to all of that $100 million in savings, depending on how many state workers agree to do a few pushups each morning.

Only in New Jersey.

Doug Palmer, TV star

Agree or disagree with Doug Palmer's record as Trenton mayor or his political agenda, Trentonians couldn't help but be proud earlier this week as he ... and our city ... basked in the national spotlight that comes with being elected president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Palmer's week in Los Angeles included two major national television appearances, and it was an interesting example of the difference in substance between public television and your typical late-night network fare.

On the Tavis Smiley show Monday night, Palmer appeared with Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and discussed Palmer's 10-point agenda as the new president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. They talked about race, poverty, the environment, the 2008 presidential election and the relationship between the federal government and America's cities.

Tuesday night's appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (you know, the guy with the Scottish accent who comes on after Dave Letterman) couldn't have been more different. The president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors is an atypical guest for this kind of show, which usually focuses on celebrity and pop culture. Palmer's brief appearance consisted of him talking in the most general terms about Trenton (remember, we were key to beating the British in the Revolutionary War, and remember, "Trenton Makes, the World Takes") and the mandatory jokes about New Jersey when Palmer mentioned that "the enviornment" was one of his priorities.

Overall, it was the first of hopefully many opportunities during Palmer's tenure over the next year in which the city of Trenton was portrayed in a positive light in the national media.

Satisfied or not with his job as mayor, it's not some fluke that he rose to the position he found himself in this past week.

Doug Palmer is handling the national spotlight very well, and it's going to do wonders for Trenton's image.

Do as I say, not as I do, Part 2

Days after Gov. Jon Corzine nearly got himself killed by not wearing his seatbelt when the state trooper driving his SUV crashed near Atlantic City, the New Jersey State Police launched a major crackdown on drivers who don't wear their seatbelts.

Now just days after the state trooper who was driving Corzine was allowed back on the job, despite being blamed for the 90-plus-mile-an-hour crash, state troopers are launching a major crackdown on speeders:

One wonders if they'll dare to pull over and ticket a speeding gubernatorial motorcade? Well, of course not.

TRENTON (AP) - Motorists who exceed the speed limit can expect to get a ticket in seven north Jersey towns this summer.
Starting July 4, police will target motorists who treat the speed limit as a suggestion and not the law.
"Obey the Signs or Pay the Fines" grants will pay for about 80 hours of overtime in participating police departments. Instead of warnings, speeders will receive tickets ranging from $85 to $260 and points against their licenses.
Four counties that launched the program last year issued nearly 6,400 tickets during the one-month period.
Some police departments in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex and Warren counties are participating this year

Doug Palmer on national TV Monday night

This just in ...
Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer wil appear Monday night on the Tavis Smiley Show, which airs on PBS. It airs at 11:30 p.m. on WHYY Channel 12 in the Trenton area.
Palmer is in Los Angeles, where he is being sworn in as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
It will be extremly interesting to see how he uses this national platform to help Trenton

Palmer in national spotlight as violence makes news again in Trenton

It was supposed to be Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer's weekend to shine.

But while he was basking in the limelight of being sworn in as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and rubbing shoulders in Los Angeles with the likes of presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Bill Richardson, back home some all-too-typical problems were plaguing his city.

Palmer's coronation as a spokesman for the nation's cities would have made front page news in The Trentonian today, but instead the city was hit with its 14th murder. Another possibly gang-related death. This time, in broad daylight.

And more troubling to some, violence was even hitting a Trenton neighborhood that typically is an oasis from the rest of the city's problems. A shooting in the Mill Hill section of the city has merchants on edge.

As he rubs shoulders with some of the most powerful politicians in the country, what does Palmer have to say about the problems back home?

And perhaps more importantly, what can Palmer's newly important status do to help him fix some of those problems?

When's the last time you heard Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Bill Richardson or even Jon Corzine make news calling attention to the plight of small, troubled urban cities such as Trenton or Camden? Or offering some real solutions.

They're in a position to bring the resources of the state and federal governments to Trenton to help.

Maybe Palmer's rise to prominence and all that out-of-town hobnobbing with the rich and powerful can be used to get some help for the city.

Names and Faces

A new feature was unveiled in The Trentonian's Sunday edition last week.

"Names and Faces" will include community news about people.

The first installment last week included a list of winners in the annual Mayor's Awards program in Trenton, Italian-American scholarships, local students graduating from college and local businesses announcing promotions.

We want to hear about and share the achievements of you, your children and your employees.

Send announcements (photos are welcome, too!) to Features Editor Scott Frost at sfrost@trentonian.com.

And check out "Names and Faces" in tomorrow's Sunday Trentonian.

New features editor ready to "Go"

Veteran reporter Scott Frost has been promoted to features editor at The Trentonian.

And one of Scott's first big projects is our weekly "Go" entertainment section, which is published each Thursday as a pullout section of The Trentonian.

Scott's "On the Beat" local music column has been appearing in "Go" since its inception. Now that he's in charge of the whole thing, goals include packing more local features into the section and branching out to a wider range of entertainment topics.

Today's issue is the first under Scott's leadership, and already one can see his influence. In addition to cover stories on the nationally popular bands Ween and Bad Brains performing at Asbury Park this weekend, this week's "Go" section features articles on boxing, an all-night arts festival in Trenton and even a story about a guy who serves as chef to drag racers.

As he jumps into his new role, Scott would love to hear your thoughts on the "Go" section, The Trentonian or the local music and entertainment scene. He can be reached at sfrost@trentonian.com.

New Web site unveiled

Notice something different when you logged on to http://www.trentonian.com/ today?

The newspaper quietly unveiled an all-new Web site Tuesday afternoon. It features a streamlined, cleaner look, easier-to-find categories and more content.

But it's just the start of a major shift at the paper to providing you more news, sooner and in more dynamic and interactive formats.

Check back for news about the launch of new blogs by Trentonian newsroom staff, and the introduction of video coverage of local news and sports.

And coming soon, The Trentonian's "ePaper" will offer a digital subscription via our Web site to the exact layout of news, sports and advertising pages you would see in the print edition of the paper. It will also feature audio playback of stories, and the ability to receive individual stories or the entire newspaper as a podcast!

New Sunday comic strip

Readers of the Sunday Trentonian may have noticed a new comic strip.

We're proud to have added "Maintaining" by Nate Creekmore.

The Nashville Tennessean featured Creekmore in an article that read: "With dry and sometimes sly wit, he has dealt with everything from stereotypes and interracial dating (when Marcus shows up for dinner with his white girlfriend's parents, they serve him watermelon and fried chicken) to evolution and racial slurs. The strip made waves on campus when it debuted in the school paper, The Babbler. Some called him racist. Some called him enlightened. Either way, he kept them wondering what his characters would say next."

Is anyone else outraged?

How many of you out there working in the private sector (otherwise known as "the real world") have 100 percent of your health insurance costs paid by your employer, and will get the same deal after you retire?

State employees have got it pretty good. That's a ridiculous understatement, and that's the #1 reason taxes in New Jersey are among the highest in the country. The biggest costs for most businesses, including the state, are people costs, salaries and benefits.

This year, Gov. Corzine asked state workers to "give something back" (in other words, take 98.5 percent from taxpayers instead of 100 percent) in the form of contributing 1.5 percent toward the cost of their health insurance.

Great. Well, it's a start. That small amount - because of the out-of-control bureaucracy we have in New Jersey - will save taxpayers an estimated $100 million a year.

But, wait.

Gov. Corzine couldn't do that to his old gal pal. What horrible working conditions! What a hardship! Carla can't take that back to the union.

Enter the loophole. Yesterday the governor signed a change to the health care contribution deal that will allow any current or retired state worker to get out of paying the 1.5 percent if they agree to enroll in a vaguely defined "health program" that focuses on getting people to "live healthier," such as quitting smoking, exercising and joining a health club.

So, guess what?

We could be giving back some to all of that $100 million in savings, depending on how many state workers agree to do a few pushups each morning.

Only in New Jersey.

Doug Palmer, TV star

Agree or disagree with Doug Palmer's record as Trenton mayor or his political agenda, Trentonians couldn't help but be proud earlier this week as he ... and our city ... basked in the national spotlight that comes with being elected president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Palmer's week in Los Angeles included two major national television appearances, and it was an interesting example of the difference in substance between public television and your typical late-night network fare.

On the Tavis Smiley show Monday night, Palmer appeared with Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and discussed Palmer's 10-point agenda as the new president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. They talked about race, poverty, the environment, the 2008 presidential election and the relationship between the federal government and America's cities.

Tuesday night's appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (you know, the guy with the Scottish accent who comes on after Dave Letterman) couldn't have been more different. The president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors is an atypical guest for this kind of show, which usually focuses on celebrity and pop culture. Palmer's brief appearance consisted of him talking in the most general terms about Trenton (remember, we were key to beating the British in the Revolutionary War, and remember, "Trenton Makes, the World Takes") and the mandatory jokes about New Jersey when Palmer mentioned that "the enviornment" was one of his priorities.

Overall, it was the first of hopefully many opportunities during Palmer's tenure over the next year in which the city of Trenton was portrayed in a positive light in the national media.

Satisfied or not with his job as mayor, it's not some fluke that he rose to the position he found himself in this past week.

Doug Palmer is handling the national spotlight very well, and it's going to do wonders for Trenton's image.

Do as I say, not as I do, Part 2

Days after Gov. Jon Corzine nearly got himself killed by not wearing his seatbelt when the state trooper driving his SUV crashed near Atlantic City, the New Jersey State Police launched a major crackdown on drivers who don't wear their seatbelts.

Now just days after the state trooper who was driving Corzine was allowed back on the job, despite being blamed for the 90-plus-mile-an-hour crash, state troopers are launching a major crackdown on speeders:

One wonders if they'll dare to pull over and ticket a speeding gubernatorial motorcade? Well, of course not.

TRENTON (AP) - Motorists who exceed the speed limit can expect to get a ticket in seven north Jersey towns this summer.
Starting July 4, police will target motorists who treat the speed limit as a suggestion and not the law.
"Obey the Signs or Pay the Fines" grants will pay for about 80 hours of overtime in participating police departments. Instead of warnings, speeders will receive tickets ranging from $85 to $260 and points against their licenses.
Four counties that launched the program last year issued nearly 6,400 tickets during the one-month period.
Some police departments in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex and Warren counties are participating this year

Doug Palmer on national TV Monday night

This just in ...
Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer wil appear Monday night on the Tavis Smiley Show, which airs on PBS. It airs at 11:30 p.m. on WHYY Channel 12 in the Trenton area.
Palmer is in Los Angeles, where he is being sworn in as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
It will be extremly interesting to see how he uses this national platform to help Trenton

Palmer in national spotlight as violence makes news again in Trenton

It was supposed to be Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer's weekend to shine.

But while he was basking in the limelight of being sworn in as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and rubbing shoulders in Los Angeles with the likes of presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Bill Richardson, back home some all-too-typical problems were plaguing his city.

Palmer's coronation as a spokesman for the nation's cities would have made front page news in The Trentonian today, but instead the city was hit with its 14th murder. Another possibly gang-related death. This time, in broad daylight.

And more troubling to some, violence was even hitting a Trenton neighborhood that typically is an oasis from the rest of the city's problems. A shooting in the Mill Hill section of the city has merchants on edge.

As he rubs shoulders with some of the most powerful politicians in the country, what does Palmer have to say about the problems back home?

And perhaps more importantly, what can Palmer's newly important status do to help him fix some of those problems?

When's the last time you heard Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Bill Richardson or even Jon Corzine make news calling attention to the plight of small, troubled urban cities such as Trenton or Camden? Or offering some real solutions.

They're in a position to bring the resources of the state and federal governments to Trenton to help.

Maybe Palmer's rise to prominence and all that out-of-town hobnobbing with the rich and powerful can be used to get some help for the city.

Names and Faces

A new feature was unveiled in The Trentonian's Sunday edition last week.

"Names and Faces" will include community news about people.

The first installment last week included a list of winners in the annual Mayor's Awards program in Trenton, Italian-American scholarships, local students graduating from college and local businesses announcing promotions.

We want to hear about and share the achievements of you, your children and your employees.

Send announcements (photos are welcome, too!) to Features Editor Scott Frost at sfrost@trentonian.com.

And check out "Names and Faces" in tomorrow's Sunday Trentonian.

New features editor ready to "Go"

Veteran reporter Scott Frost has been promoted to features editor at The Trentonian.

And one of Scott's first big projects is our weekly "Go" entertainment section, which is published each Thursday as a pullout section of The Trentonian.

Scott's "On the Beat" local music column has been appearing in "Go" since its inception. Now that he's in charge of the whole thing, goals include packing more local features into the section and branching out to a wider range of entertainment topics.

Today's issue is the first under Scott's leadership, and already one can see his influence. In addition to cover stories on the nationally popular bands Ween and Bad Brains performing at Asbury Park this weekend, this week's "Go" section features articles on boxing, an all-night arts festival in Trenton and even a story about a guy who serves as chef to drag racers.

As he jumps into his new role, Scott would love to hear your thoughts on the "Go" section, The Trentonian or the local music and entertainment scene. He can be reached at sfrost@trentonian.com.

New Web site unveiled

Notice something different when you logged on to http://www.trentonian.com/ today?

The newspaper quietly unveiled an all-new Web site Tuesday afternoon. It features a streamlined, cleaner look, easier-to-find categories and more content.

But it's just the start of a major shift at the paper to providing you more news, sooner and in more dynamic and interactive formats.

Check back for news about the launch of new blogs by Trentonian newsroom staff, and the introduction of video coverage of local news and sports.

And coming soon, The Trentonian's "ePaper" will offer a digital subscription via our Web site to the exact layout of news, sports and advertising pages you would see in the print edition of the paper. It will also feature audio playback of stories, and the ability to receive individual stories or the entire newspaper as a podcast!

New Sunday comic strip

Readers of the Sunday Trentonian may have noticed a new comic strip.

We're proud to have added "Maintaining" by Nate Creekmore.

The Nashville Tennessean featured Creekmore in an article that read: "With dry and sometimes sly wit, he has dealt with everything from stereotypes and interracial dating (when Marcus shows up for dinner with his white girlfriend's parents, they serve him watermelon and fried chicken) to evolution and racial slurs. The strip made waves on campus when it debuted in the school paper, The Babbler. Some called him racist. Some called him enlightened. Either way, he kept them wondering what his characters would say next."