Rivera-Soto Says He'll Abstain Only When The Court Is Divided Due To The ‘Voices’ In His Head

January 14th, 2010: Rivera-Soto Says He'll Abstain Only When The Court Is Divided Due To The ‘Voices’ In His Head

Justice Roberto Rivera-Soto has modified his pledge to abstain from voting on opinions in protest of Appellate Division Judge Edwin Stern's temporary assignment to the state Supreme Court.

What has made him change his position on the issue?

"…a particularly sober, thoughtful, measured and ultimately persuasive analysis stands out, a voice that has triggered additional reflection on the course I earlier charted,” explained Justice Rivera-Soto. So, it was the ‘voice’ in his head that made him change his mind.

“Actually, there were seven voices. And the vote was 4-2, with one abstention,” continued the Justice who was nominated by Governor James E. McGreevey in 2004.

Henceforth, he'll only abstain when and if Stern's vote makes a difference. Essentially, when the Court is divided — he said Wednesday in a dissenting opinion in a land use case, Hopewell Valley Citizens Group v. Berwind Property Group Development Co.

“Also, when we are in a month with a R in it. And when there is a full-moon, and when a horse named for a Shakespearean character wins the third race at Monmouth Park,” added Rivera-Soto.

"When a justice's decision is based on hearing voices, it's time to go," said state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, “Although I do understand the voice in his head that abstained.”

Sen. Dick Codey added, “I must admit I underestimated Justice Rivera-Soto. I thought he could not make his tenure on the court any more bizarre or shameful. Today he proved me wrong…”

In related news, Rivera-Soto decided that he won't seek renomination, and said in a statement to Governor Christie, “Although the rewards of public service and, in particular, service on the court are many, it is time for me to return to my first and true professional love: the practice of law.”

Gubernatorial Spokesman Michael Drewniak issued a one-word response to Rivera-Soto: “Duh!

Governor's plan to help Gannett Layoffs: "Create less news...a government about 'nothing'."

January 13th 2011:
Governor announces plan to deal with Gannett Newspapers Announced Layoff Plans:
"We plan to create less news. This will become a government about 'nothing'."

The Gannett Company, owners of the largest newspaper chain in the nation, announced staff layoffs in three daily New Jersey newspapers. The Gannett Company includes the Courier News in Somerville, the Home News Tribune of East Brunswick and the Daily Record in Morris County. Ninety-nine staffers at the papers will have to apply for 53 remaining positions which amounts to the elimination of approximately half the editorial staff. Gannett has sought assistance from the Math Department at Rutgers to determine exactly "what percentage of 99 is 53."

The Gannett Company, seeking assistance from the governor's office and the people of New Jersey, issued a request through the New Jersey Business Action Center for the governor to issue an Executive Order requiring "elected officials around the state to do less, maintain a lower rate of activity by at least 50%, and do 'less with less'."

The mayor of a small central New Jersey town, who wish to remain anonymous, said, "For years they've been asking us to do more with less; for a while we had to do less with more; and now they're asking us to do less with less-it's all getting very confusing."

"If we can count on cooperation of New Jersey's state senators, assemblyman, mayors, and locally elected officials to create less news by doing less in their communities, we can ride the wave of this recession by using fewer reporters to report the less news created," said George H. White, Executive Director of the New Jersey Press Association.

Both Gov. Christie and Senate President Steve Sweeney were ready to do their part: "... I am ready to do less about the financial problems facing New Jersey small towns and create less news," said the governor in a statement issued by spokesman Michael Drewniak.

"I am also ready to continue abstaining on important issues coming before the state Senate in order to create less news," said Senate President Sweeney. "Working together we can do less and less, so as to help the New Jersey newspaper industry to survive this recession."

In other news, JWoww of MTV's "Jersey Shore" (real name Jenni Farley) filed an Order To Show Cause in court in a bid to stop her former lover and manager from cashing in on nude pictures he had taken of her.

"I'd hate for such photos to destroy my pristine image," said JWoww.

Only God Knows for Sure.

Apparently, political adversity in New Jersey gives you religion ----whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat.

Take Republican Jim Treffinger, for instance.

The former Essex County Executive was all set to run for the Senate against Senator Bob Torricelli, when BAM! –he was sentenced to federal prison on corruption charges.

According to the Star-Ledger – “Treffinger, 57, was a rising star in Republican politics and the favorite to win his party's nomination for a U.S. Senate seat when federal authorities raided his Newark office in 2002. The former Fulbright scholar and popular Verona mayor dropped out of the race four days later. He ultimately admitted he put two campaign staffers on the county payroll and obstructed the federal probe.”

Then, he had an epiphany and got religion. He will graduate with a degree in divinity in 2009 from the Princeton Theological Seminar. "When you lose a lot of things, you have a whole re-evaluation of what is the meaning of your life," said Treffinger.

And, of course, there’s former Democratic governor Jim McGreevey. Last spring, McGreevey started down the path to become an Episcopal priest and was accepted into a three-year seminary Master of Divinity program at Manhattan's General Theological Seminary.

Now, if you’re a former TV star from Saturday Night Live who played a character whose gender was somewhat undecipherable, you become an atheist. In her solo show, “Letting Go of God,” Julia Sweeney traces her journey away from religious faith to becoming an atheist.

As far as I know, Sweeney has never held office in New Jersey nor does she have plans to.