Here is an interesting turn of events that merits some exposure. Newspapers and journalists sometimes call themselves objective or suggest they are independent of the subjects they cover.
The Star-Ledger, for example, claims to hold itself to a high level of ethics and intergrity. In fact, the Ledger is a partner in Union County government corruption either willingly in as a result of manipulation, and it is being noticed.

Tina Renna wrote a column published online at http://countywatchers.blogspot.com/ titled: The Star-Ledger has a stunning reversal in policy.

"When the New Jersey State Attorney General's office served subpoenas at the Union County Improvement Authority where the Director is the Union County Democrat chairman Charlotte De Filippo just weeks before the general election in 2007, the Star-Ledger chose to suppress the news claiming it is their policy not to interfere with local elections," she wrote, adding, "DeFilippo had been served with subpoenas in September and October..."
"In direct contrast to that policy on Friday, May 30, 2008 just 4 days prior to the Primary Election, and today May 31 just 3 days prior to the Primary Election, in which Elizabeth Board of Education board member president, Armando DaSilva, an outspoken opponent of Elizabeth Mayor Bollwage and the Union County Democrat Committee is running for City council, the Star-Ledger chose to break a story and continue by publishing another story the following day about the Corzine Administration sending a team of inspectors to the Elizabeth school district that week after auditors alleged they have found far-reaching spending abuses. Lucille Davy, the state’s Education Commissioner whose husband James was in Governor James McGreevey’s cabinet and currently has a no-bid county consulting contract, issued the subpoena on behalf of the state Board of Education," scribed Renna. "Quoted in today’s Ledger article is Kirk Nelson, general counsel for the Elizabeth board 'The politicization of the state Board of Education is frightening on the weekend before a municipal election.'"

Renna might be taken to task for run on sentences, but she makes a valid point.
Either a news black out serves to keep elections honest or the public is able to discern the meaning of politically-charged allegations loosed on the eve of balloting.

You cannot have it both ways and still claim to be independent.

Then the Star-Ledger took one step more in the direction of openly taking sides. In a precedent setting move, the Voice of New Jersey failed to publish a story about the hotly contested Elizabeth mayoral election. Nothing. Nada. Zip, Zilch.

In what can only be described as an extention of Mayor J. Christian Bollwage's "No news is good news" philosophy, the state's largest daily newspaper completely ignored the campaign of challenger Edward Bryant Koon, the first black Democrat to mount a serious attempt at becoming mayor.

The council candidate who was sullied by the politically-inspired subpoena, DaSilva, never got a paragraph describing his herculean door to door effort.
Former Councilman Sammy Rodriguez, pursuing a return to public office 20 years after his unsucccessful challenge to the previous mayor, was also ignored by the Ledger.
Democrat George O'Grady, who won a closely contested ward council race in 2006 only to have the victory stolen by political bosses who riggest the election, did not get a brief mention because the Ledger failed to publish even an abbreviated missive about the candidates mounting a challenge to political insiders whose corruption is manifest.

Mayor Bollwage was sued by the ACLU after he went around destroying copies of a newspaper published by his political adversaries and now a former newspaper publisher says Bollwage inspired a criminal conspiracy to deprive him of taxpayer revenue.

If this sort of behavior is accomodated by the state's largest newspaper, how much freedom of the press is left? Is the Ledger undermining its future by sacrificing integrity?

Vladimir Putin erased political opponents and other critics of the government from Russian news and political talk shows. Political humor has been exiled from television.

Senior government officials in Russia and Union County deny the existence of government infringements on the press, but the Ledger is going to find it harder to explain why they missed two stories that had a direct bearing on two different elections while running one that had a substantial credibility gaps.

Bollwage belongs in jail instead of City Hall

by James J. Devine



I have known Chris Bollwage since my childhood. We grew up in the North End of Elizabeth. His father was a mailman and before mine died, he had been a reporter at the Daily Journal and director of the city's industrial commission.



As an adult, I worked closely with Bollwage in city politics. I helped him become a city councilman and encouraged him to run for mayor. I thought he was my friend.



Chris Bollwage is a person with deep and wide character flaws. He is fundamentally dishonest. Bollwage's inadequacies and fears have compelled him to act in a manner unfitting any public official.I have heard him use the words 'spooks' to describe black people and 'spics' for Latinos.



As mayor, Bollwage traded favors from government with those who gave him campaign contributions,cash and travel, accommodations or even sexual rewards. Instead of using his office to serve the public that elected him, Bollwage evolved into a Jim McGreevey politician.



I could not provide law enforcement officials with proof sufficient to assure a conviction, but that does not absolve my inaction. Bollwage kept cops among his closest allies and allowed corruption to plague the Elizabeth police force. It’s hard to prove bribery, official misconduct or any other crime of public trust. You see the results, however.



When Mayor Bollwage turned against me, he initiated a criminal conspiracy to inflict political retribution by stopping my business from earning government money. When my newspaper reported that half of Bollwage's council candidates lost the 2006 primary elections, the mayor insisted that political bosses cut off the News Record, New Jersey's oldest weekly newspaper, from all revenue by county government sources.



Now, first of all, it is a crime to withhold public money as a form of political revenge, so Bollwage was demanding that some of Union County's most well-known and respected people participate in a criminal act.

Second, many of those involved -- Sen. Ray Lesniak, Charlotte Defilippo, Sheriff Ralph Froehlich and others -- knew me as a friend.

Bollwage was asking them to commit a crime to hurt a friend.

Finally, the ideas 'liberty of expression' and 'freedom of the press' are subjects at the very heart of democracy.Bollwage was asking people to hurt a friend by committing a crime that violated the core values of America.

That's what they did -- Lesniak, Defilippo, Froehlich -- all of them.



This contributed to the destruction of my business. It almost killed New Jersey's oldest weekly newspaper, which was saved by an inexperienced but brave new publisher, Lisa McCormick.



The unfair application of power is evil. This abuse of power is a crime against not only me or today's taxpayers, but against the concepts of freedom that make America great. These crimes by Chris Bollwage may be overlooked or punished by the voters, but your choice will influence the lives of your children. As Americans, it is our duty to struggle for a better nation.



I do not expect to run for any office but I can help worthy candidates achieve their goals and fulfill the sanctity of this democratic republic. Ray Lesniak has declared that he is a power broker and he calls me an 'extortionist.' The truth is that on Dec. 20, 2006, when he asked if I "wanted to talk" about Bollwage, I replied: "There is nothing to talk about."



There may be no negotiation on principle, regardless of the cost. Instead of bargaining with corrupt powerful officials, I would seek to remove them from the elected positions that empower them. Maybe my economic status could have been restored, but that is worth far less than my freedom and many times less than the right of my children to be free men.



People who only value money may not understand why I refuse to trade, but if you value integrity the simple truth plainly makes sense.



Now it is up to you to vote. As a Democrat, I am staking my faith on you. I trust that you will do the right thing, because anything else would be wrong.



Power brokers like Ray Lesniak and those who do their bidding -- from Jim McGreevey to Chris Bollwage -- can only be exposed. The power to stop them rests in your hands and your ballot.



You can stop Bollwage by voting in Tuesday’s primary election.



Bollwage and Lesniak say I am bad, but I admit my errors and beg your forgiveness.

Meanwhile they show no regret or remorse. I lost some money, which led to being put in jail for failing to pay alimony and getting evicted from my apartment.

These indignities are far less a price to pay for freedom than many others have paid.

I will get back on my feet, but am telling you what kind of people hold power in the Union County Democratic Party so that you can react.



I am asking you to end the corrupt reign of Chris Bollwage, a perverted thief with no values, no morality and no conscience. I am also asking you to forgive me for going along with political bosses who promoted unqualified or otherwise flawed politicians. Whether I was kept unaware or mere deluded myself, I should have known better and fought. I have made my statement and I stand by every word. I shall willingly submit to any examination to evaluate my accuracy, honesty and sincerity.



I have met the person running against Mayor Bollwage on June 3.

Edward Bryant Koon is a senior detention officer who has served to protect and rehabilitate juvenile offenders in our county for 23 years.

I advise you to place your confidence in him, along with former Councilman Sammy Rodriguez, Armando DaSilva and George O'Grady by voting Column D in the June 3 Democratic primary election.



If these Column D candidates are not Democrats you can trust, they still can be no worse than crooks you have in there now.