Month: September 2011

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PSE&G Hurricane Irene Update: Sep. 1, 2011 at 5:30 a.m.

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PSE&G Hurricane Irene Update: Sep. 1, 2011 at 5:30 a.m.

— Outage update: About 15,000 PSE&G customers remain impacted by Hurricane Irene, down from 33,000 as of last evening
— Estimated restoration: By Friday midnight for remaining customers in Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Passaic, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Mercer counties. By Sunday for last remaining customers in central NJ counties of Union, Middlesex and Somerset, where power restoration has been hampered by severe flooding.
 — Worst storm in the company’s history impacted more than one-third of the utility’s 2.2 million electric customers.
— PSE&G has 6,000 employees supporting the restoration effort, including crews from Wisconsin, West Virginia, Florida, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. The crews are working around the clock.
— Flooding is also affecting gas service in counties such as Somerset and Passaic.
— Next update will be approx. 5:30 a.m. on Sept. 1.
FLOODED BASEMENTS
Flooded basements can pose a genuine safety risk. Customers should be cautious:
If they lose electricity and their basement is flooded, notify PSE&G (1-800-436-PSEG (7734) and call their municipality for direction and assistance in pumping water out of their basements. Stay away from the breaker box if it’s in a flooded basement. And don’t go into a flooded basement if energized wires are present.
If water is rising to the height of any gas appliance, the gas supply to the appliance should be turned off. If customers are unable to do so, they should contact PSE&G or their local police or fire department for assistance. To restore gas service to appliances call PSE&G (1-800-436-7734) and have the appliances checked for safety and restored to proper operation.
Customers should call PSE&G (1-800-436-PSEG (7734) immediately if they smell gas.
GENERATORS
Customers who use portable electric generators should carefully read and follow the manual that came with it. Be sure your generator is UL-approved, installed by a licensed electrician and inspected by your local electrical inspector. There must be a way to physically disconnect your generator from utility lines. Customers who improperly install, operate or maintain a generator are responsible for any injury or damage suffered by themselves, their neighbors or utility workers.
To report a power outage, call PSE&G’s Customer Service line: 1-800-436-PSEG (7734).

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>N.J. public employee unions file suit to overturn state changes in pension and health benefits

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N.J. public employee unions file suit to overturn state changes in pension and health benefits

New Jersey public employee unions and individual active and retired members on Wednesday filed suit in federal court against the recently enacted pension and health benefit overhaul that affects 50,000 state and local public workers.

The lawsuit charges the state violated the federal and state constitutions by suspending cost of living adjustments for at least 30 years, failing to make full payments into the pension system for the last decade, and handing the administration of the benefits system to committees.

The plaintiffs include the New Jersey Education Association, the statewide teachers’ union, and the Communications Workers of America, the state’s largest public employee’s union, as well as police and firefighter unions.

“This lawsuit is about basic fairness and justice,” NJEA President Barbara Keshishian said. “Governor Christie and the Legislature passed a law which illegally takes away benefits that school employees and others have already earned through their service to the people of New Jersey.  (Hester, New Jersey Newsroom)

https://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/state/nj-public-employee-unions-sue-to-overturn-state-changes-in-pension-and-health-benefits
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>Stocks Log Worst Aug. in 10 Years; Dow Up for 2011

>Stocks Log Worst Aug. in 10 Years; Dow Up for 2011
Published: Wednesday, 31 Aug 2011 | 4:27 PM ET Text Size
By: JeeYeon Park

Stocks finished higher in volatile trading Wednesday to mark a four-day rally, but despite the recent gains, all three major indexes still logged their worst month since last May.

The major averages also logged their worst August in 10 years.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/44340676

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>Obama Calls for Extension of Gas Tax to Fund Highway Construction, Repair

>Obama Calls for Extension of Gas Tax to Fund Highway Construction, Repair
Published August 31, 2011
FoxNews.com

President Obama called on Congress Wednesday to pass a transportation funding bill that includes an extension of the federal gas tax, claiming the move would protect about 1 million jobs.

At issue is the renewal of a transportation spending bill that expires Sept. 30. The president, speaking in the Rose Garden, said a failure to pass the bill by that date would result in the government losing needed money and construction workers losing needed “That’s just not acceptable. It’s inexcusable,” he said.
Though the president describes the proposal as a transportation bill, its key component is the federal gas tax, which has been 18.4 cents per gallon for nearly two decades. The money is used to fund road construction and repair, as well as other projects — the tax costs Americans an average of $100 a year.

Read more: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/08/31/obama-calls-for-extension-gas-tax-to-fund-highway-construction-repair/#ixzz1WebAJdGq