Auditor - Ledger - Menendez fundraising... Newark Council on Ledger... Petillo's new job...

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The Auditor

Star-Ledger, Sunday, June 11, 2006

The spike in gas prices has hit New Jerseyans hard, and even the wealthy governor has had to adapt and conserve.

Gov. Jon Corzine has switched his two-car motorcade from SUVs to sedans. He can now be seen hopscotching from event to event in a Ford Crown Victoria instead of the GMC Suburbans or Dodge Dakotas favored by previous administrations.

"I ditched the SUV," Corzine said as he tucked his 6-foot-2 frame into his new ride after an event down the Shore last Monday. "I didn't feel like it was very wise of me to be saying to the public that 'we want you to be very attendant to moderating your use of gasoline' and then using an SUV."

As it turns out, Corzine won't erase the budget deficit with his economizing.

The Auditor checked the EPA mileage reports, which show a combined city/ highway mileage for the Dakota of 17 miles per gallon. It's 20 mpg for the Crown Victoria. If gas costs $2.88 per gallon, the switch would save the state $800 for every 15,000 miles the governor's motorcade travels.

Multi-tasking

Nobody throws a victory party like U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez.

At an East Brunswick hotel last Tuesday night, rank-and-file Democrats were crammed into an overheated ballroom to celebrate the candidate's primary victory over a little-known opponent named James Kelly. In the next room, Menendez was having a fundraiser. Party bigwigs schmoozed with 100 or so Menendez campaign contributors who got VIP treatment.

The election-night fundraiser -- something of an oddity, in the Auditor's experience -- included canapes, a souvenir photo and face time with Menendez, Corzine and party leaders.

Menendez campaign spokesman Brian Fallon declined to say how much tickets cost or how much cash was raised.

He also objected to suggestions that the money-grubbing was oddly timed.

"It was an opportunity for some folks to have the opportunity to be with him on an important night," he said. "It's a time when the senator's supporters are enthusiastic and energized."

Menendez has set a goal of raising $20 million for his campaign against Republican state Sen. Tom Kean Jr. As of mid- May, he had reported raising more than $6 million.

Free speech

A couple of Newark city council members last week went beyond their usual griping about The Star-Ledger, suggesting in a Wednesday night meeting that the city try to get the newspaper investigated by the feds.

The idea came up during a discussion about the paper's coverage of the council, including this year's elections, the sale of public land at cut-rate prices and the controversial attempt to use $80 million to create a new agency to dole out community grants.

Councilman Ras Baraka suggested asking the Federal Communications Commission to look into The Star-Ledger's role in local politics (even though the FCC has nothing to do with newspapers).

Councilwoman Bessie Walker had another idea: a class-action lawsuit on behalf of the people of Newark to get another newspaper to come into town.

Baraka and Walker clearly weren't totally serious. But they weren't smiling, either.

The City Hall crowd of about 20 people applauded.

Labor pains

State worker union leaders gunning for Sen. Stephen Sweeney tried to enlist the help of Senate President Richard Codey and came away with a half-victory.

They wanted Codey to remove Sweeney as chairman of the Labor Committee, to punish him for his aggressive campaign to reduce salaries and pensions of state workers by 15 percent this year.

"I told them I would not do that," Codey said. "I may not agree with him on everything, but he has a right to speak his mind. He has been a friend of labor, and a friend of mine. And I respect his opinion on this, though I disagree."

Codey did offer some consolation to Communication Workers District 1 political director Bob Master and vice president Chris Shelton during a meeting in his Trenton office on Thursday: He volunteered to keep Sweeney off the legislative task force that will examine the salaries and benefits of state workers this summer.

Sweeney, a Gloucester County Democrat and business official with the Ironworkers union, had asked Codey for a seat on the task force earlier in the week.

He was not pleased to hear the news.

"I cannot believe that the unions are going to dictate to the Senate president who goes on and who does not go on the task force," he said.

Master declined to comment, and Shelton could not be reached.

Soft landing

Last seen exiting his scandal- plagued medical school with a $600,000 golden parachute, former University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey president John Petillo has landed on both feet -- back in the health care business.

Petillo has joined a group of doctors and community leaders in Essex County working to take over money-losing Mountainside Hospital, which is currently owned by the Atlantic Healthcare System.

"He (Petillo) would be the CEO," said Richard Harries, a North Caldwell engineer and developer who is leading the community takeover effort. "He is a part of my executive board."

Petillo was forced out of his post by Corzine after a federal monitor was appointed to oversee the school's administration because of Medicaid fraud, mismanagement of finances and political favoritism in hiring and contracts.

Harries said the history doesn't bother him. "I find nothing wrong with Petillo," he said. "He's been with me for four months."

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