christie and trump

Gov. Chris Christie and his buddy, Donald Trump, share a disdain for the press. Christie is now taking his revenge.

(Justin Sullivan | Getty Images)

You can tell when the old boys in Trenton are doing something dastardly, just by the timing. If it's awful, they move fast, before the stink can travel far.

So it is with this week's attempt to kill jobs in the newspaper industry, on the bogus promise of saving money for local taxpayers.

Gov. Chris Christie, a vindictive soul who has made no secret of his hatred for the free press, is pushing it hard. And Democratic leaders, always ready to make a deal, even a craven one, are going along with it.

The purpose of this bill, when you cut through the clutter, is to weaken the press, to defang the watchdogs who expose their bad behavior.

If you want to give state and local politicians free reign to do their dirty business in the dark, this bill is a Godsend. If you want to hasten the decline of the press in the era of Donald Trump, this one is for you. Be ready to rely more on fake news posted on Facebook.

First, full disclosure: The bill would damage the Star-Ledger and its sister papers, likely forcing another round of layoffs. This time, we are in the crosshairs. Statewide, 200 to 300 journalists would lose their jobs, and some papers would no doubt fold. Factor that in as you see fit.

But let's look at the merits, straight up.

This bill is pitched as a way for local governments to save money by posting legal advertisements on their own web sites, and not in local newspapers. But it would force local governments to fortify their web sites against hacking, and hire staff to process, format and track all the ads, a job now done by the newspapers.

So how much would it save, in the end? Probably nothing. The last time the boys in the back room tried to pull this stunt, in 2011, the Legislature's own research arm said it might not save a dime - and could even increase local costs. That may explain why no other state has done this.

And what about the digital divide? Local governments are required to post legal ads because voters have a right to know when a public contract goes up for bid, or a local business seeks permission to expand, or a foreclosed property goes up for sale.

Don't the elderly and the poor have that same right? Fresh data from the Pew Research Center shows a 33-point gap in internet use between young and old, a 35-point gap between college graduates and high schools dropouts, and a 21-point gap between the rich and poor. This bill, in effect, creates two classes of citizenship.

And because this is New Jersey, let's carefully consider the weapon this bill would place in the hands of a sleazy politician. It's not just that they would be able to hire family members while no one is watching, or vote themselves a raise.

It would give them new leverage to pressure the press. Under this bill, a mayor could threaten to pull the legal ads from the local paper preparing to print a damaging story.

Imagine the pressure on the publisher of a local paper that is barely surviving in today's market. The temptation would be to yield, to protect the staff and their families. And if you don't think New Jersey pols would play that rough, you haven't been paying attention. It is a sure thing.

That's the evil genius behind this bill. It would wipe out hundreds of watchdogs, and give the worst politicians a new way to fight those left standing. We are supposed to believe that would save taxpayers money?

If it were really about savings, this push would have come from the League of Municipalities. But Mike Cerra, its assistant executive director, said that while the League welcomes the move it had nothing to do with this push. "I can't say really where the push is from," he says.

We can. This is the work of a bruised governor who is reviled by most citizens of the state. He blames that on the press -- not on the scandals, the lies, and the undeniable failure of his leadership. This is his revenge.

"Who else would dream this up but somebody with that kind of evil mind?" asks Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck).

Hearings are set for Thursday. Don't bother calling the governor's office; he's lost. But if you want to stop him, please call your local legislator, along with Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester) at (856) 251-9801, and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson) at (201) 770-1303.

This one is headed for approval unless people stand up and object. We have just a few days left.

More: Recent Star-Ledger editorials.

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