Officials Rebel Against Port Authority Plan To End Overnight PATH Train Service

Nighttime workers and nightlife fans in New Jersey will soon have no way to get home from Manhattan if the Port Authority gets its way. Via the Jersey Journal:

Several Hudson County officials will join forces with other officials tomorrow to call on the Port Authority to to cancel its proposal to eliminate the overnight PATH service. The press conference, which will include federal, state, and local elected officials, is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Grove Street PATH Station in Jersey City.

A slew of officials are scheduled to attend, including Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, U.S. Rep. Albio Sires, Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer, Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, North Bergen Mayor and state Sen. Nick Sacco, Union City Mayor and state Sen. Brian Stack, and state Sen. Sandra Cunningham.

In a report released over the holidays -- and signed off on by Govs. Chris Christie of New Jersey and Andrew Cuomo of New York -- the Port Authority proposes to eliminate PATH service 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. weeknights as a cost-savings measure. It would also affect hundreds of thousands more people if weekend overnight service were also eliminated, according to a press release. The PATH connects New York City with Jersey City, Newark, Harrison and Hoboken.

Jersey City residents have already suffered through two years of restricted service out of the World Trade Center station due to Hurricane Sandy-related repairs.

NOTE: For those wondering, a cab from downtown Manhattan to Newark will run you about $100 after you add in tolls and tip. It's about $40-$50 to Jersey City.

Seen In Hoboken

Hoboken, New Jersey, which is just across the Hudson River from the West Village, remains heavily flooded and 90% of its residents may not see power restored for another week. Last night the National Guard began distributing food and water.

Tempers flared Wednesday at a staging area outside City Hall, where a man screamed at emergency officials about why food and water had not been delivered to residents just a few blocks away. The man, who would not give his name, said he blew up an air mattress to float over to the staging area. City officials defended their response. "The dimension and scope of this situation is enormous," Public Safety Director Jon Tooke said. "You have emergency operations at all levels — from local to federal — spread too thin across the city and the state, but we're working on it." Tooke said the estimated 20,000 people still stranded in their homes were being encouraged to shelter in place, and that high-water vehicles would get supplies to them. He said people with medical and other special needs were being taken out by trucks. Two churches were serving as shelters. Public housing, senior projects and private residences were all affected. Mayor Dawn Zimmer said senior citizens were the most distressed and eager to get more supplies.

Arrested: All Of New Jersey

Feds Arrest Half Of Jersey

Some strange is going on across the river in Jersey. This morning the feds made a massive corruption sweep and arrested the mayors of Hoboken and Secaucus, the deputy mayor of Jersey City, a state Assemblyman, several rabbis, and other politicians.

Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano has been arrested by the FBI as part of a wide-reaching investigation that is swooping up dozens of people, including other politicians and rabbis, according the WNBC-TV, Hudson County Now is reporting. Jersey Journal file photoHoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano, seen here with his wife and daughter at his inauguration July 1, has been arrested by the FBI, according to a TV report. The IRS is also involved, according to the report. "It appears to be a corruption related investigation but justice department and FBI spokesmen would not commenting on the details this morning,'' the report says. "Arrests and searches are underway across Jersey City, Secaucus and numerous Hudson and Bergen county locations. "In past years, New Jersey has seen more than 100 corruption-related arrests of public officials. No word on the specific charges against those being rounded up today. A press conference is expected later today.'' Others reportedly arrested are Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell and Deputy Jersey City Mayor Leona Baldini.

The mayor of Hoboken only took office three weeks ago, so he must work fast.

Mayhem At NJ St. Patrick's Day Parade

Remember, it's the gay pride parades that are out of control displays of bacchanalia unsuitable for firemen and the righteous. Here's how the St. Patrick's Day parade in Hoboken, New Jersey went yesterday:

People urinating from rooftops. TVs and bottles thrown from windows. More than 80 injuries, and reports of at least one couple having sex in plain view. Public Safety Director Bill Bergin said today that he's had it: He wants to cancel the parade. "It's just gotten out of hand. Somebody someday is going to get killed, and I want to stop it before that" he said. Bergin said he respects the St. Patrick's Day Parade tradition -- his father, in fact, was once honored at the annual event -- but that the day is no longer about that. "On Washingtion Street, bottles were thrown onto the people below. A girl and a guy were performing sex in a window when the parade was going by. One person spit in the face of a fireman. There were young, young girls that were blind drunk standing in the middle of the streets, so drunk that they didn't know where they were," he said.

Remember this story when the wingnuts publish their annual cries of outrage about gay pride.