A zero percent tax increase may or may not be the aim of the Ridgewood Board of Education (BOE) for next year.
TUESDAY JULY 24, 2012, 10:49 AM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
A zero percent tax increase may or may not be the aim of the Ridgewood Board of Education (BOE) for next year. It’s all in the wording the BOE adopts for its 2013-2014 goals.
At last Monday’s public meeting, BOE members expressed uncertainty about how they wanted to phrase their new goals: Committing to a zero percent tax increase or focusing on the services students would need without setting a specific financial goal. The consensus was they all want to provide a quality education to students.
BOE member Jim Morgan, however, said a zero percent tax increase is feasible for a school board that has a $90 million budget to work with. It’s better to start thinking with a frugal mindset, he argued during the meeting.
“It’s got to be started now before the budget really starts to be looked at for the 2013-2014 school year,” he said. Delivering a quality education “within the budget” was possible, he said, because there are “other ways of delivering goods and services” that should be considered.
Nearly one in 10 employers to drop health coverage
About one in 10 employers plan to drop health coverage when key provisions of the new health care law kick in less than two years from now, according to a survey to be released Tuesday by the consulting company Deloitte.
Nine percent of companies said they expect to stop offering coverage to their workers in the next one to three years, the Wall Street Journal reported. Around 81 percent said they would continue providing benefits and 10 percent said they weren’t sure.
The companies, though, said a lot will depend on how future provisions of the law unfold, since most of the key parts are scheduled to take effect in 2014. One in three respondents said they could stop offering coverage if the law requires them to provide more generous benefits than they do now, if a tax on high-cost plans takes effect in 2018 as scheduled or if they decide it would be cheaper for them to pay the penalty for not providing insurance.
While small business don’t face fines for failing to offer coverage, companies with 50 or more full time employees face a penalty starting at $2,000 per worker.
Woodcliff Lake Police arrest pair accused of stealing handbags and wallets from pools
TUESDAY JULY 24, 2012, 1:07 PM
BY KIMBERLY REDMOND
STAFF WRITER
PASCACK VALLEY COMMUNITY LIFE
A 21-year-old Park Ridge man and a 21-year-old Wyckoff woman were arrested for allegedly stealing handbags and wallets that were left unattended at swim clubs in Hillsdale, Park Ridge, Ridgewood and Woodcliff Lake, according to police.
Police in the four towns launched a joint investigation after receiving several reports of thefts over the past two weeks at Stony Brook Swim Club in Hillsdale, Park Ridge Pool in Park Ridge, Graydon Pool in Ridgewood and Old Mill Pool in Woodcliff Lake, according to Woodcliff Lake Police Sgt. Matt Miller.
As a result of the investigation, police arrested Scott Nelson and Marissa Molta on Monday, July 23 and charged them with theft, receiving stolen property and trafficking personal identity information, he said
What it is: The state Department of Education last week released a 23-page checklist for all new charter covering academic, financial and other operations. The framework sets standards on everything from how well students must fare on state tests to financial data on how much debt a school is carrying.
What it means: The Christie administration has continued to revise its accountability standards for charter schools as it faced increasing pressure from critics and local school districts. The new framework was announced at the same time that the administration cleared the way for another nine charter schools to open in the fall, including two that will provide a mix of online and in-person instruction. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
If the polls are any indication, it hasn’t worked, but the Obama campaign spent big money over the past month attacking Mitt Romney for what they apparently believe is the worst sin imaginable: He is rich.
And as we know now (not that it was a big surprise), President Obama’s disdain for those who have earned substantial wealth runs deep. He doesn’t like you having all that money (unless you contribute it to his campaign), and he really doesn’t like you taking credit for having earned it. That’s why he said the following:
“Look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. You didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something — there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there.
“If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn’t get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet.”
As far as Obama is concerned, anyone who is successful got that way because of the system, by which he means the government. Democrats sometimes refer to the rich as “the winners in life’s lottery,” which is to say they merely got lucky in a game of chance – and that’s why they need to fork over so much of their wealth in taxes, so Democrats can “spread the wealth around” to all those other smart, hardworking people, who just didn’t happen to win life’s lottery.
What a load of crap. To listen to these people, you’d think being rich was the worst thing anyone could do.
Well I’ve got news for them: Being rich is cool. Not only that, but when someone has become rich, others should endeavor to learn as much as they can about how he or she did it, instead of resenting it and dismissing it as merely lucking out because of all the help the government provided.
The best example I can give you is my dad. He started his adult life in the 1940 with nothing but the clothes on his back. At one point he worked three jobs at the same time. I suppose wealth is relative to everyone’s situation, but my dad had a goal of getting rich as he defined it – and he achieved his goal.
Did the government deserve any credit for his success? When he walked off that small dirt farm in Tennessee, the road wasn’t even paved. I’m not saying there were no government functions that worked well and benefited him. Of course there were. But they were the same ones that benefited everybody else. My dad achieved his particular goals because of his particular dedication, his good plan and his hard work. And yes, he was perfectly within his rights to be proud of himself for being so smart and working so hard.
And let’s be honest: It was true then, and it’s even truer today, that when you get rich you largely do it in spite of the government – its rules, its regulations, its confiscatory tax policies . . . and now the tendency of certain leaders to assail you for your success.
The coolest thing about rich people is that, in order to get rich, you have to make your skill and your capital work for other people. Instead of ripping Bain Capital for its success, the Obama Administration and the media should study what Bain did and how it did it. Bain created thousands of jobs – many more on a net basis than it eliminated via strategic layoffs – because it made smart business decisions and built successful enterprises.
I’ll take that any day over what Obama does, which is to flush money down the toilet in the form of stimulus that doesn’t stimulate, “green energy” investments that lead straight to bankruptcy and tax and regulatory policies that stifle capital formation and entrepreneurial innovation.
Mitt Romney got rich because he is smart and he works hard. That makes him pretty darn cool in my book. Those of you who resent the rich, get over it and study how they did it. Along the way, you’ll discover that the rich not only pay most of the taxes, but in all likelihood they pay your paycheck too.
And you’d better study them while you can, because there’s no telling how many of them will be left once Obama gets finished with them.
N.J. Dept. of Ed. releases guide on town spending on public schooling
Taxpayers who want to know how much their home towns spend on public schooling can find that information in a guide released today by the state Department of Education.
The data used to create the 2012 Taxpayer’s Guide to Education Spending was first reported by The Star-Ledger in June, when the state released statistics on spending, test scores, enrollment and more for every school in the state. (Calefati, The Star-Ledger)
2012 WIBIT 50 METER SPLASH, Wednesday, July 25th (rain date 7/26) at 5:30 p.m. at
Graydon Pool – Co-sponsored by Commercial Recreation Specialists
All participants who have passed the Deep Water Test are welcome to join. Register individually or as part of a 5-man team and vie for 1st prize, a $100 gift card for the team, team picture and bragging rights. 2nd and 3rd prizes are $50 gift cards per team. The fee to participate is $25 per team prior to June 20th; $30 thereafter.
Individuals may register for $6 per person. All participants must provide a signed waiver and posess a Graydon Pool membership or purchase a daily pass.
Register in person or by mail: The Stable, 259 N. Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ. Telephone 201-670-5560 with questions. Download the registration form
Donovan Administration Consolidates Properties and Combines Operations
Bergen County Executive Kathleen A. Donovan announced that her administration has begun implementing a facilities consolidation plan that will save taxpayers money on unneeded buildings, return properties to the municipal tax rolls and will create a new home for the county police at a savings of $46 million over what the previous county administration had proposed for the law enforcement agency.
The Donovan administration is moving the police department from its current home on Zabriskie Street in Hackensack to what was formerly the county health department building on East Ridgewood Avenue in Paramus.
According to county administrator Ed Trawinski, the Zabriskie Street property will be sold to developers and put back on the city’s tax rolls. The county public works building, which is behind the county police headquarters, will be moved to the mosquito control department building, also in Paramus. The health department is being relocated to the county administration building.
Trawinski said a facilities survey by the Donovan administration demonstrated that the county administration building was using about only 70 percent of its available space. “Relocating the health department and some other personnel to the county administration building makes financial sense,” said the administrator.
Trawinski said the moves are the result of plan implemented by the Donovan administration last year in which an inventory of county buildings was taken and a determination was made on how best to use the county’s properties.
“What we found was that the county had too many building and too much space and that we could consolidate operations and save money,” said Trawinski.
Moving the county police and the DPW out of Zabriskie Street has been a long sought goal of past administrations. The area floods often, but because of its proximity to Route 4, it is a desirable redevelopment location. The County actively worked with Hackensack City officials, who in turn rezoned the property for mixed use development.
PREVIOUS $47 MILLION PLAN
In 2005 the administration of former County Executive Dennis McNerney backed a plan to buy the former Goldberg Slipper Factory near East Broadway in Hackensack, raze the building and build a new police headquarters on the site. At the time, that plan was estimated to cost at least $47 million.
Donovan said the current plan to renovate the health department building will cost about $1 million and that the sale of the Zabriskie Street property will bring in an additional $6 million to $7 million in revenue to the county.
“We are accomplishing the same goal as the previous administration tried to achieve, but we are doing it for $46 million less,” said the County Executive Donovan.
Donovan said the overall concept of taking inventory of county buildings and matching it to space needs is a simple business approach to county government.
“We are applying basic business principles to running county government: what we don’t need, we will sell and the result will be a more efficient operation because more personnel and more departments will be centralized,” added Donovan, “And the sold properties will be added to the tax rolls in the communities.”
“The bottom line is that we are delivering the same services for less money and relieving the tax burden on county residents”
GETTING DPW OUT OF A FLOOD PLAN
County Public Works Department Director Joseph Crifasi said moving the public works garage out of a flood zone Hackensack to Paramus will help save equipment and allow the DPW to respond more easily to needs throughout the county.
“The Public Works department needs to be able to respond in times of emergency, we can’t do that very easily if the department’s yard is flooded,” said Crifasi. “Secondly, Paramus offers us a more centralized location from which to operate, and we are relocating to land the County already owns.”
In other news, the County announced that it recently sold $33.3 million worth of bond anticipation notes at an interest rate of less than two-tenths of one percent.
Donovan said the incredibly low interest rate on the bonds is testament to county’s fiscal strength. “The county has a triple A bond rating and two straight years of without a budget increase. That is an impressive record in these economic times when many government entities are facing financial crises.”
Work funded by the bond includes improvements to the county jail, the vocational high school, the community college and various parks and golf courses.
Obama Proposes Federal Paychecks for Local Teachers
Lindsey Burke and Jason RichwineJuly 19, 2012 at 9:57 am
This week, President Obama proposed a new $1 billion federal program that would establish a “Master Teacher Corps” in 100 locations across the country.
This is not the first time the Administration has proposed subsidizing teacher salaries, but it is the first proposal that would give federal-issued paychecks directly to local teachers.
Each site designated by the new program would have 50 corps teachers, designated as such based on “demonstrated effectiveness in teaching one or more STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] subjects” and their “contributions to the continuous improvement of teaching and learning.”
According to the White House, decisions about what qualifies teacher effectiveness would be made locally or regionally, but compensation—up to $20,000 in bonus money per teacher—would be provided by federal tax dollars.
This national teacher corps is part of an effort, the Obama Administration stated, to move American students from the middle to the top of international STEM achievement.
For policymakers looking for a quick fix to our education problems, federal money cannot buy teacher quality. The only robust and reliable predictor of a teacher’s effectiveness is his or her past performance in the classroom. Licenses, certifications, advanced degrees, and hours of professional development have little to no impact on what students actually learn from their teachers. Paying for more of these qualifications would not lead to better student outcomes.
But even if the “Master Teacher Corps” program does reward objective classroom performance—it is unclear how teacher effectiveness will be defined—the new money will come on top of the existing teacher contracts that often have gym teachers on the same pay scale as STEM teachers.
More federal dollars for teachers will either exacerbate our existing irrational teacher pay system or—at best—postpone fundamental reforms at the local level.
Snow removal idea iced for now in Ridgewood
MONDAY JULY 23, 2012, 1:10 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
A proposal from Ridgewood public works officials prompted cool thoughts in the midst of a summer heat wave, but some council members want to put the idea on ice.
The preliminary discussion to change Ridgewood’s snow and ice removal policy was met with resistance after several members of the council took issue with the proposed amendments.
The Ridgewood Engineering Department presented its ideas to Village Manager Ken Gabbert, who reviewed the proposed changes at last week’s work session. The department recommended the following: a stiffer penalty for individuals and store owners who violate the snow removal policy; specifying the officials and departments that have authority to enforce the policy; and establishing a maximum height of 16 inches for snow mounds piled between the curb and sidewalk.
According to Gabbert, the changes have been proposed to “strengthen” the snow removal ordinance and increase safety and enforcement.
\New Jersey a long way from recovery, report shows
The jump in New Jersey’s unemployment rate last month to 9.6 percent — the farthest the state has been above the national average in 30 years — is just the latest in a series of sobering statistics on the state’s economy and budget.
The 0.4 percent increase from May’s unemployment rate put New Jersey 1.4 percent higher than the national average of 8.2 percent, although the bad news was offset somewhat by a gain of 9,900 jobs during the month. But more troubling news came out of the State Budget Crisis Task Force report issued last week by a blue-ribbon panel of economists. It warned that New Jersey and other state governments faced looming fiscal crises in the years ahead that will require new revenues or draconian cuts. (Magyar, NJ Spotlight)
Traffic Alert 7/23/12 Reminder from the Ridgewood Police Department
West Glen Ave will be closed between North Monroe Street and Fairview Ave in Midland Park starting at 8:00 am today until late afternoon. This will continue on a daily basis for the rest of this week while a sewer tie in project is underway in Midland Park at the Ridgewood border. Detours are in place.
Retail strong in N.J., but vacancy rate shows slight uptick
Occupancy at malls and outlet centers remains the strongest among northern New Jersey retail properties, outpacing smaller shopping centers and freestanding stores, according to analysts at the CoStar Group.
In its midyear market report, the commercial real estate research firm found conditions to be mostly flat for the region. During the second quarter, the total amount of occupied space decreased slightly by about 330,000 square feet, with vacancy rising from 6.6 to 6.8 percent. (Burd, NJBIZ)
PUBLIC HEARING CONCERNING THE PROPOSED CONSOLIDATION OF THE BERGEN COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT INTO THE BERGEN COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT
MONDAY, JULY 23, 5 PM
NJ Tea Party Coalition
Eagle Forum of New Jersey
Carolee Adams, State President
MONDAY, JULY 23, 5 PM, ONE BERGEN COUNTY PLAZA, 5TH FLOOR, HACKENSACK, NEW JERSEY
OR CONTACT OUR 7 BERGEN COUNTY FREEHOLDERS
(CONTACT INFORMATION AT END)
The Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders will convene a second public hearing concerning the proposed consolidation of the Bergen County Police Department into the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office. Savings could amount to $17.7 Million by the third year of implementation. The first public hearing was aborted due to a protest regarding an unrelated matter. It has been reported that some Freeholders may seek to punt the decision to a “non-binding” public referendum this November.
Background:
In May 2011, the Bergen County Prosecutor ordered an independent, professional study of the subject officially titled: “The Bergen County Law Enforcement Consolidation Study.” The Study cost $623,000 and was paid by forfeiture funds/seized criminal funds from the Prosecutor’s Office. The Study offered 3 options, compacted here:
1.Reduce the size of the County Police
2.Initial reduction of the County Police, followed by a second reduction prior to a transfer of the remaining personnel, functions, etc. to the Sheriff’s Department
3. Eventual elimination of the County Police with a transfer of its key functions to the Sheriff’s Department to save $17.0 – $17.7 million per year by the third year of its implementation.
Here is the link to this 190+ page study by Guidepost Solutions LLC:
Highly politicized within the Republican Party, itself, Bergen County Executive, Kathleen Donovan, who considered the elimination of the County Police as ill advised, formed her own task force, commonly known as the Creamer Taskforce, to counter the proposal. Its members, such as J. Fletcher Creamer, contractor; Maura DeNicola, Freeholder; Jeffrey Bader, Woodcliff Lake Councilman, issued its own 35-page report.
SOME CONSIDERATIONS
-Bergen County is one of only 2 NJ counties (Union is the other) with a county police.
-Over the past 20 years, Essex and Hudson counties have eliminated their county police and Middlesex dropped its parks’ police department.
-Reportedly, the bulk of the 2010 County Police calls for service occurred in Hackensack, Paramus, Teaneck, Englewood, and Mahwah – all representing relatively large police departments. In effect, the majority of Bergen County municipalities required minimal assistance, most local police departments patrol county roads in their communities, and numerous police chiefs interviewed for the study concluded that the County Police routine patrol function was not a primary benefit offered by the agency.
-The county patrols county parks and county facilities.
-It is suggested that critical public safety functions of the county police including, but not limited to SWAT; K-9; and Bomb Squad, can be effectively accomplished with consolidation into the Sheriff’s Department within a year.
SOME CONCERNS:
SAFETY-ALWAYS. In light of the horrific tragedy in Aurora, Colorado, and added public anxiety, continued public safety must ever be assured. In Aurora, the key law enforcement agencies involved are: local police; county Sheriff’s Department; and the FBI.
The Guidepost Study clearly states that this consolidation can be accomplished without jeopardizing public safety. The emphasis of the consolidation is to save on duplication in two areas: the patrol function with local towns and command structure.
INFORMED PUBLIC
If the Board of Freeholders decides to place this on a “non-binding” referendum in November, will the majority of the public be sufficiently informed to knowledgeably vote? This writer invested 40 hours to become better aware of the county’s role in law and public safety including the initial Guidepost Study presentation; the first public hearing; 16 hours covering 3 days of budget hearings of the County Police; the Prosecutor’s office; and the Sheriff’s Department* where I was the only member of the public to attend; and local public/private meetings and conversations. Shouldn’t the freeholders have all the information they need to vote NOW on the consolidation?
If the Board of Freeholders places this on a non-binding referendum, and the public passes it, will the current Freeholder Board act immediately to implement, or wait until a new Freeholder Board takes effect in 2013 despite changes that could occur post the November election?
FINANCIAL
Will the bulk of the $17+ million savings be returned to the taxpayers/municipalities after all the costs of the merger are deducted? If no, where will the funds be used?
CONCLUSION
It is important to develop your own informed opinion about this proposal. Also, discuss with your local Mayor and Council and encourage a representative to attend the hearing and contact the Freeholder Board, too. While Bergen County municipalities are concerned about a “cap”, the savings provided by the consolidation will help to safely and prudently meet local budgets and reduce taxation.
Importantly, the Sheriff has offered the Bergen County Police Chief a role of Chief within the consolidation. Further, due to approximately 70 upcoming retirements, it has been suggested no jobs will be lost.
When I attended the aforementioned Bergen County law and safety budget hearings, I was immensely impressed with the *presentation by the Sheriff’s Department. It ranked with some of the finest corporate budget presentations I have attended in the past. Top notch. Sheriff Saudino’s control of overtime, expense control, and knowledge of law enforcement appear outstanding. With that, I believe a consolidation into the Sheriff’s Department will not only be cost effective, but professional and with the utmost of safety awareness and implementation. And, as taxpayers, we must ensure that such an impression continues over time.
I join with State Senator Gerald Cardinale and Freeholder Candidate Peg Watkins to support this common sense consolidation. I believe our safety will be well upheld and continue to be modernized. Personally, I am an ardent advocate of law and order on all levels and fully respect, admire, and support the men and women in uniform who bravely and professionally provide for our safety and peace. I trust the resolution of this issue will be exemplary: safety wise, fiscally responsible, honorable, and reached within a similar peaceful environment that such law and order engenders.
WRITE/CALL/E-MAIL/FAX YOUR OPINION
BERGEN COUNTY BOARD OF CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS
ONE BERGEN COUNTY PLAZA, HACKENSACK, NJ 07601-7076
(Fax remains the same for all: 201.336.6290)
John D. Mitchell, Chairman – 201.336.6277 jmitchell@co.bergen.nj.us
John A. Felice, Vice Chairman – 201.336.6275 jfelice@co.bergen.nj.us
Maura R. DeNicola – 201.336.6276 mdenicola@co.bergen.nj.us
John Driscoll, Jr. – 201.336.6281 jdriscoll@co.bergen.nj.us
David L. Ganz – 201.336.6280 davidlganz@co.bergen.nj.us
Robert G. Hermansen – 201.336.6278 rghermansen@co.bergen.nj.us
Christie signs bill that will lead to private provider expansion
Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill today that’s expected to lead to an expansion in services for addiction treatment providers.
The bill, S-881, allows more drug offenders to be placed in treatment programs rather than being incarcerated. It also establishes a pilot program in two counties that would mandate nonviolent drug offenders be placed in treatment programs.
Over the next five years, the state is planning to expand the mandatory services throughout the state, a priority of Christie’s.
“This is going to be a big challenge for the private treatment folks, who will have to step up and expand,” Christie said at press conference at the Rescue Mission of Trenton, a nonprofit treatment provider. (Kitchenman, NJBIZ)
