It’s not often a congressional seat opens up in New Jersey – so you would think that all editorial eyes would be focused on any and all campaign story angles in the open districts – especially the hometown dailies. 

So when the 3rd District (Burlington-Ocean-Camden) campaigns closed their fundraising books for the 2nd quarter and candidates started reporting cash-on-hand, it should have made some news.

Show us the money!

Twenty months ago The Daily Record's Bob Ingle gave the SCI an "A+" for its report titled "Taxpayers Beware" which detailed how "hidden perks greatly inflated the value of school superintendents' compensation" (The Daily Record, 10/16/06).

Sound familiar? The SCI devoted 165 pages to the taxpayer abuses -- a key section focused exclusively on superintendents' "severance package/buyouts". It exposed seven districts where departing supers had pocketed hundreds of thousands of dollars -- including some in the poorest districts in the state.

So why did the SCI report and the ongoing sweetheart-deals-at-taxpayers-expense all but disappear from the headlines until recently?

Another fiscal-cutting measure still lies on the Governor's desk -- it's the one that reduces spending by way of statutory tweaks to the state's negotiated union contracts with public employees. 

Did anyone notice that The New York Times completely overlooked the $32.9 billion budget adopted by the state legislature on Monday?

Despite its run-up to the grand event, nary a mention could be found on its inside pages or in the Metro section.

With all the picketing, legal saber-rattling, TV and radio ads, and political arm-twisting over the proposed pension changes, how's the average Jersey Joe and Jane supposed to stay in the know?

This is "inside baseball" at its best. So it's important the daily newspapers distill the facts for readers.

Credit The Record for its Sunday series which went a long way towards reminding us how the State got into this hole -- while sorting out what's now at the heart of the current pension reform controversy.

With all the picketing, legal saber-rattling, TV and radio ads, and political arm-twisting over the proposed pension changes, how's the average Jersey Joe and Jane supposed to stay in the know?

This is "inside baseball" at its best. So it's important the daily newspapers distill the facts for readers.

Credit The Record for its Sunday series which went a long way towards reminding us how the State got into this hole -- while sorting out what's now at the heart of the current pension reform controversy.

Someone from South Carolina once told me Jersey style politics reminded her of the deep South – that is, about 80 years ago when political bosses used to run the roost.

In the final days of her candidacy, Hillary Clinton tried to make the argument that her candidacy had a better shot of patching together the 270 electoral votes needed to win the keys to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue than her opponent Barack Obama. 

Despite the fact that Real Clear Politics reported Clinton leading in the popular vote and she won 6 of the last 9 primary contests, the press gave little credence to her proposition, including our own media outlets.

If you’re a betting person, you probably can’t resist speculating about who will really be the Democrat challenger in the 1st Congressional District this fall. 

After all, Rob Andrews indicated he would not seek to reclaim his seat if his last minute US Senate primary bid was unsuccessful.   And his wife, Camille, was reportedly only running as a temporary placeholder on the ballot until party leaders had time to select a replacement nominee.

Once the dust settles after the state's second primary on Tuesday, the budget countdown should begin in earnest by the media.

The Senate rules now require that a budget resolution be filed in committee at least 14 calendar days before a House vote. That leaves only two weeks after Tuesday's election.