New Jersey News roundup

Much like the infamous pork project such as the "bridge to nowhere," a fourth tunnel between NJ and Manhattan will not receive federal funding and will become a non-starter this political season. The reason? Too much pork. Aparently, with the GOP hemorrhaging money out of the federal treasury, the ecomomy is suddenly in the toilet. Go figure. So no pork -- and no bridge into NYC -- for now. Sen. Lautenberg says give it a year and let's try again to get that bridge tunnel.

One hundred and one homocides in Newark. And counting. One more murder in the state's largest city and it will be a new record.

How much time will Democratic powerbroker John Lynch serve in the clink? Maybe a little, maybe a lot. We'll know soon.

Whoever says the Labor Movement is loosing its way must have missed the big rally in Trenton last week. According to the NYTimes, that rally -- which drew 15,000 people -- was bigtime national news. It was also a warning to legislators: "Come November, we remember."

If you think homelessness is an inner-city thing, think again. The Philly Inky has a good piece about being homeless in the NJ 'burbs.

The Courier Post warns that democratic infighting threatens to jeopardize the progress being made torwards propTax reform. This came as a surprise to me since I was sure that nothing was being done.

With gays and lesbians in PA facing a more hostile political climate, might we see more of them fleeing Philly en masse to repopulate hamlets in South Jersey like Collingswood and Haddonfield? Steven Goldstein: "My organization is going to be marketing New Jersey as a place for gay and lesbian couples in Philadelphia to move because out laws are so much better." For my sake, let's home some of the gay vote comes to nj-3 as well, it would surely be a good omen to flip this district blue in 'o8. Rich Sexton are you listening?

The fabric of South Jersey politics is decidedly less colorful with the passing of Kenny Gewertz. This is the guy who is widely credited with transforming wide swathes of Gloucester from a sleepy rural area into a thriving suburb. You may also remember the story a few years back when he hired a chopper to buzz a GOP picnic event in South Jersey. Aparently with papercups and provisions flying all over the place, the republicans were running to and fro convinced that an invasion was at hand. Hey, I told you he was a colorful type!