Please allow me to start this week's column with a couple of updates to recent columns.

Pressure on Congressman LoBiondo to debate Democratic candidate Cassandra Shober produced a response from the LoBiondo campaign, according to a recent Press of Atlantic City article. LoBiondo's spokesman said that Shober was not a serious candidate, implying that it would be a waste of time for the congressman to debate.

While there’s no question that Shober is a major underdog, it is not the LoBiondo campaign's role to decide who is qualified to run against him. The losers are the voters of the 2nd Congressional District who do not have the chance to see the candidates in person. Let the voters decide who is qualified to represent us in Congress.

 There still are 40 days left before Election Day – plenty of time to set up some debates.

 The local paper also discussed the opening of a police substation on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, which is nice, since we want to protect our tourists and visitors as best we can. But the police department also announced plans to open substations in Back Maryland and Stanley Holmes, something this column has urged Atlantic City to do. Let’s hope that the police department follows through on its plans.

 Not that increased police presence is a panacea. A substation would not have prevented the death of an infant, although hopefully the number of random bullets whizzing by should be lower.

 Poverty, drugs, guns, and a lack of education, among other things, require the whole community to come together, not just for a day or a cookout, but for as long as it takes to turn things around.

Speaking about Atlantic City, last week the city had a "Langford Moment." A Langford Moment refers to Mayor Langford asking that his salary be raised when the city was in a budget crisis. This time it was City Council buying three more cars for council members, even though the city is in yet another budget crisis.

It’s not a question of how many dollars are involved. Compared to the millions Atlantic City has to pay back due to tax appeals by the casinos, another $60,000 is peanuts.  But council's actions send the wrong message to the non-casino taxpayers of Atlantic City, many of whom are struggling to get by and hang on to their homes. It seems to me that no City Council person or mayor or other highly paid staff member should be given a car to use exclusively. There should be a motor pool where vehicles are signed out as needed. Atlantic City has cut down on cell phone usage; there is no reason why it can't save the taxpayers some money on city cars.

 Want to do some yoga on the beach and raise money for a good cause?  On Oct. 7 the folks from Body in Balance and our local Parkinson's support group will be raising awareness and funds for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, with a Yoga for Parkinson's Day. All donations will be matched by the Brin/Wojcicki Challenge, a dollar-for-dollar fundraising match by Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, and his wife Anne Wojcicki, co-founder of 23andMe. Registration is $15 in advance, $20 at the door and includes a T-shirt and water bottle.

 Check-in and registration Oct. 7 is at the Dizzy Dolphin Bar, at the Atlantic Club Casino Hotel, from noon to 2:15 p.m.

Modules offered include gentle and energetic yoga on the beach and chair yoga on the boardwalk. Complementary services include reflexology, reiki and chair massage. Additionally, professional beach photography of random and posed events of the day will be available for sale online. Parking is free.  Call (609) 365-8499 for more information.

 Fighting Parkinson's disease and raising funds for the Michael J. Fox Foundation is not a left-wing or right-wing project; Parkinson's, like other diseases, does not discriminate, as those of us who live with it every day can attest.

Norm Cohen is executive director of the Coalition for Peace and Justice and a coordinator for the UNPLUG Salem Campaign. Learn more at www.coalitionforpeaceandjustice.org  and www.unplugsalem.org.  He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (609) 335-8176.