They rally around the family … with a pocketful of regs

If you know that reference, you’ve probably listened to Rage Against The Machine play songs like “Bulls on Parade” or “Fight the Power.”The band railed against problems of the time and called for social justice and outrage and gained fame with its social activism.Guitarist Tom Morello, who attended Harvard, was scheduled to attend the recent Long Beach Harbor Commission meeting to protest the

N.J. toll increases will only shift debt

New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine recently released a draft of his plan to increase tolls on the state’s three major toll roads to refinance other forms of state debt. It will require legislative approval to proceed.Corzine intends to increase tolls by 50 percent every four years from 2010 to 2022 on the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, and Atlantic City Expressway.What people need to know is

Blacklist

In the fall, National Public Radio aired an official guide to the U.S. blacklists. It pointed out that nearly 100 years ago, President Woodrow Wilson described embargoes as a “peaceful, silent, deadly remedy.” He was talking about economic sanctions as a foreign policy tool.Blacklisting is still used by our government as a tool to suppress or make people stop what they are doing.The government

Heroes among us

Truckers daily perform a difficult and absolutely necessary job for low pay and even less public thanks. You know all too well that “truck driver” is a slur in some mouths.So I always look forward to the annual Goodyear Highway Hero announcements, which recognize often incredibly courageous drivers who, just minding their business, suddenly find themselves racing into peril to aid complete

From farm to fork – not forklift

Covering the food safety beat here at Land Line, I pretty much “see it all” when it comes to all the gory details surrounding food recalls and what can and does happen when someone contracts a foodborne illness after eating bad food.In the last week or so, I am sure many of you have watched graphic footage on the news and the Internet of workers abusing sick and injured cattle at a California

They look like Giants

I have a confession to make. I’m not a real big fan of football. I don’t know team statistics, who is the best defensive lineman, or how many yards it took to complete the last quarterback sneak. I do, however, know the loyalty many fans have for their favorite teams, so I have learned to tread lightly when it comes to voicing opinions.Being leased to a New Jersey-based carrier, I was in for the

Let the games begin

Election season is upon us, and a few flicks through the cable news channels later, it seems like it’s forced on us much like wall-to-wall Britney Spears coverage.But beyond the shallow 24-hour coverage of one candidate snubbing another, the multitude of debates is allowing for real issues to make their way into this year’s presidential campaign – the kind of issues that don’t always make it into