Rutgers Considering Outsourcing Ticket Sales

Rutgers, the state university of New Jersey, is considering outsourcing the ticket sales for it's sporting events. The university has had preliminary talks with the Aspire Group an Atlanta based firm that aggressively pursues alumni and parents to try to sell tickets. The plan would cost the school nothing up front as Aspire Group would take a percentage of the ticket sales as payment. Aspire Group performed this same service for Georgia Tech in football and men's basketball where it was able to increase ticket sales by more than $2 million in 18 months. They kept 35% of the ticket sales as payment.
 I hope Rutgers thinks long and hard about signing a deal like Georgia Tech did. Winning in college sports drives ticket sales, not someone strongarming someone into buying tickets. When the football team had some success for a couple years the stadium was sold out, as soon as the team's performance slipped so did ticket sales. Win and they will come.
 I also wonder why they don't allow some of their business students to try to increase sales before they turn over 35% of their ticket sales. Establish some intern positions and let the young, brilliant minds of Rutgers own to work on it. Either way it all starts and ends with winning.

Can Snooki Really Be That Stupid?

In one of the funniest moments ever on MTV's Jersey Shore, we got to see how stupid Snooki really is. Mike "The Situation" was already on the phone when Snooki and her partner in crime Deena asked to use the phone to call a cab. They were planning to go to Jenkinson's in Point Pleasant, but he had other plans. He told the cab company to take the girls to Times Square as a surprise.
 The cab arrived and headed immediately for the Garden State Parkway which should of been their first clue, since they could have been at Jenk's in the time it took to get to the Parkway. It didn't occur to either of them that something was wrong until they were in Sayreville, and even then the cab driver still took them to the Tunnel, before they turned around and headed back.
 The most amazing thing about all this is they weren't even drunk, just stupid. I have to admit this was one of the funniest pranks I have ever seen, but he did have the advantage of picking on Snooki and Deena.

NJ College President Perks Revealed Amid Tuition Hike

A quite extensive list of perks has been revealed for the President of Brookdale Community College, where a 8.2% tuition hike looms. The President, Peter F. Burnham, who has held the post for 20 years receives an annual salary of $216,000 plus much, much more. He gets a country club membership, a $1500 a month housing allowance and a new vechicle which suits his needs. That vechicle is currently a 2010 Ford Expedition purchased for $42,815. The perks don't stop there, he also receives $40,000 a year in tuition reimbursement for his two children in college. This alone amounts to $267,676 the college has paid to other private colleges on his behalf so far. To top it all off, he also receives an annual bonus of between $10,000 and $15,000.
 I understand being the President of any college cannot be an easy job, however the compensation does seem to be a little excessive. Someone who makes over $200,000 a year shouldn't need a housing allowance or a car, especially when the institution he runs is asking for a more than 8% tuition increase. I don't fault him for taking what was offered, but it would be nice to see him make some concessions now that it has come to light. The bigger problem is who allowed it to get this bad in the first place. I'm sure with some more investigation we will learn he isn't the only one receiving perks like this. It's just a shame parents who are struggling to send their kids to school are the ones asked to foot the bill. 

Were You Robbed At Newark Airport By A Screener?

A former TSA officer at Newark International Airport admitted today to stealing up to $30,000 from travelers. Al Raimi would most often target non-english speaking females traveling with Air India, often netting between $200 and $400 per shift. He also admitted to splitting his "take" with his supervisor, Michael Arato, to keep quiet.
 While it's bad enough to have your stuff stolen when you travel how about the real problem here, security. If someone is willing to risk their job to steal a couple hundred dollars what would they do for a few thousand. Let a gun or knife through? How about a bomb? It truly is scary these people may be our last defense when it comes to safe travel.

Explain NJ To Your Kids

Check out this book about our great state designed for kids. Pretty cool and inexpensive, especially if it explains our great state to them. Do me a favor, once they figure it out let them explain it to me. I'm still waiting for Jersey for Dummies to be published.

Camden Exporting Crime To Neighboring Towns

Chances are if you've read a paper or watched the news on television, you have heard all about the police cuts in Camden. You may have said those poor cops or thank goodness I don't live there, but not given it much further thought. Something I don't hear anyone mentioning is how a crime wave in Camden could very well spill over into neighboring towns. I go into this topic further in my article  Camden NJ police cuts to hurt neighboring towns. So if you live any where nearby you might want to check it out.

Jerseyan Has Great Daytona Weekend

While the big story for the rest of the racing world this weekend was Trevor Bayne's surprising Daytona 500 win, another individual had a great weekend and he's a Jerseyan.
 Bruce Cook was the winning crew chief on the Tony Stewart driven Chevrolet out of the Kevin Harvick Inc. stable in the Nationwide race, and the crew chief on the second place truck driven by Elliot Sadler in Friday's Camping World Truck Series race. A last lap pass bt Michael Waltrip is all that stopped him from winning both races.
 Bruce's roots in racing run deep in NJ. He was a former competitor in the street stock ranks at Flemington Speedway after it was paved. Not only did he drive but he won also, not an easy accomplishment in that division. The street stocks at Flemington more closely resembled a Winston Cup car back then than any low buck racer most tracks called street stocks. The cars would often approach 100mph on the 5/8 mile track, in fact many were faster than the Craftsman Trucks when they raced at Flemington.
 Surely Bruce has taken that knowledge on to bigger and better things with KHI. Let's all wish him more luck as he builds a great career. Another one from JERZEEBABY!

Rutgers Shocks The College Basketball World

Rutgers, the state university of New Jersey, pulled off a shocking upset last night in college basketball. The Scarlet Knights defeated 10th ranked Villanova by one point on of all things a four point play. Jonathan Mitchelll was fouled as he converted a three point basket and then hit the free throw to put his team up by one. With only 0.08 left on the clock Villanova was unable to get off a shot, and the court was rushed by Ritgers fans.
 While the win last night may have been shocking, the play of Rutgers was not. New coach Mike Rice not only has this team playing hard, but smart. This may not be the most talented team of Scarlet Knights, but it is definitely the best coached in recent memory. With a highly regarding recruiting class coming in next year, the program finally seems to be headed in the right direction.

NJ Senator Wants To Repeal Cable Tax For Low Income

A NJ Senator, Shirley Turner, now wants to repeal a cable television tax aimed at helping low income individuals after it was revealed the money was collected but never distributed. I first told you of this tax in my previous blog post Tax Money To Pay Cable Bills Are You Kidding Me?.
 So let me get this right our elected officials take the time to get a tax passed to help pay for cable television. Then no one developes a plan to distribute the money. No one checks where the money is going. Chris Christie sees it sitting there and uses it to help fill the budget gap. Now a Senator is spending her time to get the tax repealed. No wonder nothing ever gets done, and when it does it doesn't help those intended anyway.
 Not only in JERZEEBABY!

Camden Votes Down Tax Increase That Would Bring Cops Back

The Camden City Council, on Tuesday, voted down a proposed 23% property tax increase. Those in favor said the increase would bring back to work up to 47 police officers and 13 firefighters who were recently laid off.
 Seems the whole proposal was riding on the possibility of bringing back the laid off officers, however, it did not guarantee it. The city council probably saw this as a publicity stunt to get the measure passed knowing those laid off would probably not be rehired. They obviously know, also, that the residents of Camden, one of the poorest towns in NJ, simply cannot afford such an increase. Tax increases are not the answer. The city needs new rateables, new business, new ideas, and most of all new leadership.

Get Married At The Aquarium

Want a unique place to get married? You or your fiance love aqauriums? If you answered yes to either of those questions or just want to explore all your options as a bride-to-be then you may just want to attend the Bridal Open House at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden NJ. The event is February 17 from 6PM to 8PM, and is free to you and one guest. Registration is required at Adventure Aquarium or by calling 1-856-365-3300.

Incredible Doggy Day Care Deal

If you have a dog and have ever had to put them in a kennel while you traveled or for any other reason then you know how expensive it can be. The site NJDailyDeal.com , of which I'm a great fan, has a great deal today for you and your pet. You can get 10 full days of doggy day care, normally priced at $215, for $99 at Camp Bow Wow in Middlesex. They even have webcams where you can monitor your dog while you are away. The deal, however, is only good today.

The Top 10 Burgers In New Jersey

NJ Monthly Magazine, in their February edition has compiled a list of the top ten burgers in NJ as judged by their panel. Is your favorite on the list? Check out the results below:
1) Next Door in Montclair
2)Christophers in New Brunswick at the Heldrich Hotel
3)Stage Left in New Brunswick
4)Rocky Hill Inn in Rocky Hill
The rest are as follows in no particular order
 Lucky Bones in Cape May, Burger Deluxe in Wayne, Vincetown Diner in Vincetown, Copeland in Morristown, The Iron Horse in Westwood, and Frankies Bar & Grill in Point Pleasant.
 You can check out the whole article in this month's issue of NJ Monthly which also has a feature on where to find the best sliders in NJ. This issue is a must if you are a burger lover like me.

Buy Her A New Kitchen For Valentines Day

Still looking for that perfect Valentines Day present? How about a new kitchen? You might want to take her to the Garden State Home Show in Somerset, NJ this weekend. It runs Friday thru Sunday and has seminars as well as exhibits. For more information check out MacEvents or call 1-800-332-3976

CD Costs New Jersey Town $17,000

When a Bridgewater man was charged $5 for a compact disc of a council meeting he argued he should only have to pay for the cost of the cd, about 96 cents. The New Jersey Government Record Council ruled in his favor, which ended up costing the town more than $17,000 in legal fees. They also had to refund the man's $4.04.
 This case shows more than any the lack of common sense and right at all costs attitude people in government seem to display on a regular basis. C'mon give the man the cd, do you really thing you're gonna be flooded with requests just because they are free?
 It also shows how far someone from NJ will go if they feel they are wronged. Only in JERZEEBABY!

Moon Rocks Worth $5 Million Missing In NJ

Moon rocks from the Apollo 17 mission that were delivered to the Governor's office in 1976 have gone missing. The rocks worth $5 million were on loan to be displayed, however, no one seems to know their whereabouts. They may have been used in displays that were never returned or just simply misplaced. The NJ State Police are looking into the matter.
 Moon rocks on loan to other states have also been misplaced and then found in garages or up for auction. So check your garage, your attic, and maybe your yard, and if you find them please contact Nasa. We wouldn't want to give them back to the Governor's office, Christie would probably just sell them.

NJ Grandmother Wins KTU's Live Free For A Year Contest

Lilliana Mendez, a Weehawkin grandmother, won radio station KTU's Live Free For A Year contest. Her key opened the door to the luxury, two bedroom, waterfront apartment in Newport where she will live for the next year rent free. The apartment has a view of downtown Jersey City and NY's financial district. The win comes just in time as her coop had just been put up for sale.
 The grandmother works at Macys in Herald Square and says this will allow her to sell her car. Does this woman realize it's only for a year, and just how short a year is? By the time she moves in, gets new furniture, and really starts to feel comfortable it will be time to leave. I think she should keep her car, she may just have to live in it in a year.

Tax Money To Pay Cable Bills, Are You Serious?

I don't know why I'm surprised about another story of where our tax dollars were meant to go, but to pay cable television bills? In 2006 Gov. Corzine signed a law which created a new tax on cable television companies. The money collected from the tax was to be used to help low income residents pay their cable bills. In typical political fashion the law was passed, but a way to distribute the money was never devised. The money sat unused until Gov. Christie put it toward the budget gap the state was facing. The total collected was $9.2 million.
 There are many problems with this story. The first being, if you can't afford to have cable then don't subscribe. What's next we tax the alcohol companies to help those that can't afford their beer or whiskey? I would be all for a law making it mandatory for cable television companies to provide their basic services for free to anyone who is disabled or has a really low income. However, why should we help someone pay for HBO or Showtime when some of us who are not low income choose not to have that expense ourselves.
 Secondly, how many taxes do we not know about, that the money never gets spent where it was supposed to go? Are there taxes to help the elderly or school children where the money has never been distributed? Who is watching where the money that is collected goes?
 Finally, while I'm not totally ok with our governor just taking money from where it was taxed to be spent to fill the budget gap, my bigger problem is with those that sponsored the tax. Why didn't they follow through to make sure the money was properly distributed? Just seems like more politicians acting just to get votes and improve self image, not really wanting to help anyone.
 If you want to read this story yourself check out NJNews

Enrique Iglesias Tweets About Anti-Bullying Song By NJ School Kids

The Long Branch Middle School choir is achieving some fame this week after posting a music video to YouTube on Wednesday. The NJ children did a remake of Enrique Iglesias's song "I Like It" with anti-bullying lyrics. Soon after the video was posted the singer was tweeting and telling his fans on Facebook to check it out. Soon the song had over 12,000 hits. You can hear it by clicking Anti-Bullying Song

NJ Gov.Chris Christie Meets With Mayors Regarding Public Safety

Chris Christie, held a meeting today with the mayors of Camden, Newark, and Trenton to discuss better ways to provide publc safety on a county wide level. All three cities have significant crime problems and budgets which do not support the number of police needed. This is thought to be the first step toward urging neighboring towns to start sharing services.
 A lack of police officers does not only result in higher crime but also a negative view toward these cities in general. I wrote about how this could specifically affect Camden at  Camden Police Cuts Big Mistake  check it out.

Are You The Next Great Baker?

Applications are now being taken by the TLC Network for the second season of the Next Great Baker. The show offers a chance to work for Buddy Valestro at Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, NJ, $50,000, and a new car. Pretty ironic considering there is no place to park in Hoboken.
  If you feel like you have what it takes then click on  Next Great Baker  and good luck!

Show Your New Jersey Pride With This Shirt

Available at the JERZEEBABY Store for a limited time. While there check out the other great NJ related items.

Cop Struck By DUI Woman Named Tequila

A Jersey City police officer suffered a severe concussion when he was struck by a woman on Monday. The woman, ironically named Tequila Robinson, struck the officer at 5:59PM with her car in which she also had her 7 year old daughter who wasn't in a car seat. She was charged with multiple offenses including dui.
 I'm not making excuses for her, but who names their child Tequila? What are her brother and sister's name Jack Daniels and Southern Comfort?

Fire Destroys East Brunswick Mall

An early morning fire has destroyed an East Brunswick strip mall located in front of the Brunswick Square Mall on route 18. The mall was home to a bicycle shop, nail salon, and more. PSE&G and fire crews are still on the scene and as a result the Barnes and Noble store has been unable to open for business.

Spanish Food Half Price

The deal of the day at NJ Best Buys is $20 worth of food at the Little Spain Restaurant in Fords, NJ for only $10. Even if this deal doesn't appeal to you, this is a great site for offers of up 90% off restaurants and other stores. Check it out.

Atlantic City Boat Show This Weekend

With all this horrible winter weather we've been having, maybe it's the perfect time to go to a boat show. Lucky for us in JERZEEBABY, there is one this weekend. The Atlantic City Boat Show runs from Feb 2 to Feb 6 at the Atantic City Convention Center. Tickets are just $12 for adults and children under 15 are admitted free with a paying adult. The show will also be giving away two boats, although should you win you may want to trade it for a snowblower.

Ice Already Causing Problems in NJ

The ice that greeted most of us this morning, doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. In fact it is predicted to get worse for tonight and tomorrow. The effects of the storm are already causing major problems. More than 8,100 customers of Atlantic City Electric are already without power, and more than 600 flights at Newark Airport have been cancelled.
 The strange thing about all this is we are actually having better weather than Dallas, Texas the site of this weekend's Super Bowl. They are dealing with ice too, temperatures no higher than 20, and the closing of their airport.
 At least we are used to dealing with this stuff in JERZEEBABY!

Cake Boss Baker Dies

Sal Picinich, a 63 year old baker at Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, NJ, has passed away after a battle with cancer. He worked at the bakery for 45 years and appeared on the hit show Cake Boss filmed there. He left the show in 2009 to deal with his illness, but returned this summer to accept an employee of the century award as the bakery celebrated it's 100th anniversary. He is survived by a wife and two sons.
 My condolences go out not just to his immediate family, but to those at the bakery too. This is the one reality show that really, really seems like a family to me. More so than even those about families. Hope they honor him with a great dessert to carry on his name.