>Since Obamacare’s Passage, Millions Have Lost Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance 4:42 PM, Nov 11, 2011 • By JEFFREY H. ANDERSON
Throughout the Obamacare debate, President Obama repeatedly promised, “If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan.” Now, Gallup reports that from the first quarter of 2010 (when Obama signed Obamacare into law) to the third quarter of this year, 2 percent of American adults lost their employer sponsored health insurance. In other words, about 4.5 million Americans lost their employer-sponsored insurance over a span of just 18 months.
>White House Email: ‘Coming Storm’ Over Solyndra ‘And Other Inside DOE Deals’
By MATTHEW MOSK Nov. 11, 2011
New internal White House emails reveal that a scathing critique of Energy Secretary Steven Chu by a former Obama political advisor was widely circulated at the highest levels of the administration.
The Feb. 25, 2011 email that sparked the deliberations landed on West Wing desks just as the solar energy firm Solyndra was starting to show outward signs of financial trouble. It was sent by Dan Carol, a former Obama campaign staffer and clean energy advocate who was described by Obama’s then-Chief of Staff Pete Rouse as someone whose views “reflect the President’s general philosophy on energy policy.”
>A Gold Rush of Subsidies in Clean Energy Search By ERIC LIPTON and CLIFFORD KRAUSS Published: November 11, 2011
WASHINGTON — Halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, on a former cattle ranch and gypsum mine, NRG Energy is building an engineering marvel: a compound of nearly a million solar panels that will produce enough electricity to power about 100,000 homes.
The project is also a marvel in another, less obvious way: Taxpayers and ratepayers are providing subsidies worth almost as much as the entire $1.6 billion cost of the project. Similar subsidy packages have been given to 15 other solar- and wind-power electric plants since 2009.
The government support — which includes loan guarantees, cash grants and contracts that require electric customers to pay higher rates — largely eliminated the risk to the private investors and almost guaranteed them large profits for years to come. The beneficiaries include financial firms like Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, conglomerates like General Electric, utilities like Exelon and NRG — even Google.
>Ahead of expected Christie proposals, NJEA unveils school reform plan at annual Atlantic City convention
The New Jersey Education Association has a new message for Gov. Chris Christie, the man who has relentlessly hammered the teachers union over the past year for opposing his education policy proposals.
“When it comes to education reform, educators are taking the lead,” NJEA President Barbara Keshishian said today at the union’s annual convention in Atlantic City.
This week, for the first time since Christie took office and made education reform a top priority, the union released its own comprehensive set of reform proposals, such as increasing students’ access to high-quality preschools and making it harder for teachers to earn tenure. (Calefati, The Star-Ledger)
>At $15 million, virtual charter causes a real case of sticker shock
With two virtual charter schools approved in New Jersey and a third proposed, legislators and advocates are pressing the state to bring its laws up to date with the technology.
The latest development involves questions as to how the schools are to be funded — and by how much, given the potential savings in brick-and-mortar costs.
The district of Teaneck would like to see both questions resolved ASAP. It received notice from the state this week that it should set aside more than $15 million to pay for up to 1,000 students who would attend the proposed Garden State Virtual Charter School housed in that community. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
Village of Ridgewood Veteran’s Day Ceremony 2011 In Photographs Boyd Loving
The official 2011 Village of Ridgewood Veteran’s Day Ceremony was held at Graydon Park on Friday, November 11th. Keynote speakers were Ridgewood Councilman Stephen Wellinghorst and Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan.
>An Apple for the Teacher? Perhaps, But Not for Teacher Unions
The Huffington Post now reports that Steve Jobs was quite harsh with Barack Obama when the two met last year in San Francisco. “You’re headed for a one-term presidency,” Jobs bluntly warned the nation’s chief executive.
The story comes from Walter Isaacson’s forthcoming book on the revered Apple CEO, a copy of which the Huffington Post recently acquired. Other revelations include Jobs’ belief that Obama’s administration failed to understand or appreciate how private industry really works. Jobs “seemed to have transformed from a liberal into a conservative,” according to the Huffington Post.
In his discussion with Obama, Jobs was gravely concerned over the state of the nation’s schools, which he felt were “crippled by union work rules.” He favored empowering principals with the authority to hire and fire based on merit, as well as longer school hours and a longer school year. Jobs said, however, these kinds of reforms would never materialize “until the teachers unions were broken.”
While these views might seem uncharacteristic of a man widely regarded as a liberal, education issues have increasingly united reform-minded individuals across the political spectrum (witness the rise of Democrats for Education Reform). And this wasn’t the first time Jobs endorsed bold measures in the realm of K-12 education.
In a 1995 interview with the Smithsonian Institution, Jobs fingered the unions as the #1 barrier to meaningful reform: “The unions are the worst thing that ever happened to education because it’s not a meritocracy. It turns into a bureaucracy, which is exactly what has happened.”
>Gov. Christie approves measure paving way for more charter schools
Legislation signed today by Gov. Chris Christie will allow private schools in struggling districts to become charter schools.
“Charter schools, if done correctly, can be a vital part in improving our public education system and ensuring quality education for our children,” said Assemblyman Albert Coutinho (D-Essex), one of the bill’s sponsors. “By removing some of the obstacles to creating charter schools, we’ll be opening the door to a better future for many children while ensuring the proper oversight is in place for a quality education.” (Megerian, The Star-Ledger)
New Jersey is ignoring all sorts of resources that could be converted to renewable fuels to power vehicles or run power plants, ranging from yard waste, to trash in garbage dumps, to livestock manure, to name just a few.
At least that is what a special panel advising the Christie administration suggested, recommending the state target resources to develop public and private partnerships to build renewable biomass facilities to produce electricity or fuel in the next two to three years. (Johnson, NJ Spotlight)
>Ridgewood council reaches consensus on ADA ramp at The Stable
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2011 STAFF WRITER THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
After years of talk and some strife between council members, the village will move forward with accessibility improvements to The Stable and Kasschau Band Shell – with a few “what-if’s” still in the plan.
An Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant access ramp and door will soon be installed at The Stable using Community Development grant funds.
Council members – with the exception of Deputy Mayor Tom Riche, who was absent – came to an uneasy consensus last week and decided to move ahead with building an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant access ramp and door for The Stable, and voted to approve the measures at this week’s meeting.
The current facility is non-compliant, and the ramp will lead to the front of the recreation building; a new automatic door will later be installed at its side. The floor of the Kasschau Band Shell will also be redone with concrete.
West Bergen Tea Party November Calendar of Events West Bergen Tea Party November 8: Meeting Cancelled – Election Day November 22: Meeting Cancelled – Thanksgiving Ridgewood Glen Rock Tea Party November 14, 7:00 pm at The Stable, 259 North Maple Avenue Ridgewood (see attached for details) Franklin Lakes Tea Party November 15, 7:00 pm at the Franklin Lakes Ambulance Bldg, Park at lot at Pulis and Franklin Avenues (see attached for details) Be sure to mark our Holiday Bash on your calendar! 7 pm, Tuesday, December 13 at the Larkin House More Information: 201 891-5918 conservative_caucus@verizon.net www.westbergenteaparty.com
Teaching hospitals are adding primary care residencies, but despite best efforts New Jersey still faces a looming shortage of primary care physicians By Beth Fitzgerald,
In an attempt to ease New Jersey’s shortage of primary care doctors, the state’s teaching hospitals are increasing the number of residencies they offer in that discipline.
It’s a necessary effort. But with fewer than 20 new positions all told, it’s nowhere near to making a dent in the 1,500 primary care physicians needed in the state by 2014. That’s when 600,000 currently uninsured New Jerseyans will be eligible for government-subsidized coverage under the Affordable Care Act — and will start looking for doctors.
The ACA itself it helping with the problem. A five-year, $10.5 million grant is funding primary care residencies at Cooper University Hospital, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. And a $795,000 five-year grant to the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University will help ensure new students will begin their training by serving one day a week in the school’s primary care clinic.
>UPDATE FOR COLLECTION OF TREE BRANCHES – November 10
The Village is continuing to collect tree branches that have fallen as a result of the October 29th snow storm from the curb. We are proceeding in accordance with the published leaf collection schedule. Since the amount of brush is excessive, the schedule may need to be adjusted accordingly. Please refer to this site and Channel 77 for updates. When placing branches at the curb please do not block streets or sidewalks. If possible, separate leaves from tree branches or place leaves in paper biodegradable bags. In order to help the process move forward please cut branches into lengths no longer than 4 feet to allow the pick up to be performed quicker. You may also bring leaves and branches to the recycling center located at 205 E. Glen Ave. Monday through Saturday, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The Center will be closed on Friday, November 11th in observance of Veterans Day.
We are currently in Area B. If we have been on your street please do not place any further debris out until 7 days prior to your next scheduled pick up date. Once the crews have completed their collection of tree branches on all Village streets you will be required to revert back to disposal guidelines. Branches must be no longer than 4 feet in length, 2 inches in diameter, bundled and tied. All other material must be disposed of privately..
>Ridgewood council introduces new water rate hike Thursday November 10, 2011, 3:01 PM BY KELLY EBBELS STAFF WRITER The Ridgewood News
Despite a class-action lawsuit pending against Ridgewood Water, the utility may raise its rates by 5 percent next year.
The increase would exceed a 3 percent limit imposed by village codes, and would bring the total rate increase for customers in Ridgewood, Wyckoff, Glen Rock and Midland Park to 31 percent over the past three years.
Information revealed during the proceedings of the lawsuit filed by the Township of Wyckoff on behalf of the other neighboring towns should throw into question the validity of such rate increases, according to Joseph Fiorenzo, a former mayor of Wyckoff and the attorney representing his town, Midland Park and Glen Rock in the case.
N.J. home-schooled students to be eligible for high school sports
Home-schooled students will be eligible to play high school sports under a new policy announced Wednesday by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.
In addition, the NJSIAA announced that students who leave their home district to attend one of the state’s new choice schools will be subject to the same transfer rules as other students.
NJSIAA executive director Steve Timko said the new policies were needed because of “a kind of a gray area” that existed with home-schooled students and choice schools. (Anastasia, The Philadelphia Inquirer)
