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Document: Wildstein discussed bridge with officer

By WTOP Staff

GEOFF MULVIHILL
Associated Press

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — As thousands of commuters were stuck in traffic on the George Washington Bridge during lane closures apparently ordered by Republican Gov. Chris Christie’s aides as political payback, a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police lieutenant with ties to Christie was eating breakfast with the executive who ordered the closures.

Lt. Thomas Michaels gave David Wildstein a tour of the traffic around Fort Lee on Sept. 9, 2013. But he told lawyers for the legislative panel investigating the scandal that he didn’t discuss anything “substantive concerning the lane closures” with Wildstein while eating breakfast with him that morning beyond Wildstein’s account that it was for a traffic study, according to a summary of the conversation obtained by The Associated Press.

Michaels told investigators that Wildstein had called him the week before and asked him what would happen if three lanes were reduced to one, but he said he didn’t have any direct knowledge about why the lanes were changed and that he found out about the plan to change them the night before. Michaels told investigators that Wildstein asked him to monitor traffic conditions and that he texted him with updates.

A lawyer representing Michaels didn’t immediately return a call for comment.

Christie spokesman Kevin Roberts referred to a statement issued earlier this year in which he said Christie never had conversations with Michaels about the bridge, which connects Fort Lee and New York City. Christie, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, has called the lane closings “inexplicably stupid” but said he didn’t know about them beforehand.

Michaels and Wildstein both grew up in Livingston with Christie, and Michaels had coached Christie’s son’s hockey team. Michaels’ brother, Jeff, was a campaign adviser for Christie in 2009. He told them he had only occasional interactions with Christie at the hockey rink and didn’t otherwise talk with him.

Police officers on the bridge said they warned superiors about the hazardous conditions created and were told not to talk about it on their radios, according to the summary provided by their lawyer to the legislative panel investigating the scandal.

Attorney Dan Bibb, who works for the police officers’ union, relayed information from 11 officers, including three who said they were told about the traffic change by Michaels and say he told them not to move the traffic cones blocking the lanes.

Bibb told the legislative panel’s investigators that one of the officers, Steve Pisciotta, used his police radio to report hazardous conditions being caused by the severe traffic and was told to “shut up” by Deputy Inspector Darcy Licorish. Bibb said Pisciotta told him that Michaels and a sergeant visited him “to tell him that his radio communication had been inappropriate.”

Licorish told the investigators that he first found out about the lane closures the weekend before and that he attempted to argue against them because of the traffic it would create. His statement to the investigators came 11 days before Bibb’s.

A lawyer representing Licorish didn’t immediately return phone calls seeking comment on Wednesday.

Investigators are looking into who approved closing the lanes in Fort Lee, causing four days of massive traffic jams, apparently to punish its mayor, Mark Sokolich, a Democrat who didn’t support Christie for re-election. The lane closures came weeks after Christie’s then-deputy chief of staff, Bridget Kelly, sent a message to Wildstein: “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.”

Wildstein graduated from Livingston High School a year before Christie and was hired in 2010 at the Port Authority by Christie’s top appointee there, deputy executive director Bill Baroni.

In January, Wildstein appeared before the legislative committee investigating the lane closures but declined to answer any questions. Kelly, who was fired in January, also refused to cooperate with the legislative committee.

The Record was the first to report on the document Bibb provided.

___

Associated Press writer Jill Colvin contributed to this report from Mexico City.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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