>Valley Renewal: dinner to speak on their behalf ?
PJ, I got my hands on this email from a friend, isn’t it interesting how the people attempting to expand their hospital are bribing others to speak on their behalf by buying them dinner? Someone needs to point out this serious conflict of interest at the meeting.
Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2011 09:19 Subject: RRV News Update
We have received this invitation from The Valley Hospital for a special event that is being hosted next Tuesday in Ridgewood. All RRV members are invited.
Please join Audrey Meyers, President and CEO of The Valley Hospital, for a special event to thank supporters of The Valley Renewal.
When: Tuesday, November 22 Where: Park West Tavern 30 Oak St., Ridgewood Time: 6:00 – 7:30 pm RSVP: 201-291- 6330 by Friday, November 18 Refreshments and hors d’oeuvres will be served.
Immediately following our celebration, please join Audrey at Ridgewood High School for what may be the Village Council’s final public comment meeting on Renewal. Your attendance at this meeting is critically important!
The Christie administration pushed back on Democrats’ efforts to revive a tax surcharge on New Jersey’s wealthiest residents by releasing data Monday indicating that higher taxes help drive top income earners out of the state.
Charles Steindel, the Treasury Department’s chief economist, said a survey of national economic data showed that higher taxes caused an out-migration among residents earning more than $125,000 a year, including small-business owners. The number who leave is modest, he acknowledged, but the effect occurs every year, so the result is cumulative.
“There is a relationship between the state’s tax rates relative to the rest of the nation and the net amount of out-migration of both people and income from the state,” Steindel said. “The higher the tax rate the state has, generally the more people it will lose every year.” (Delli Santi, The Associated Press)
>Chris Christie job growth plan draft accepted by NJ planners
Gov. Chris Christie’s blueprint for New Jersey economic and building growth picked up steam Monday when state planners accepted his administration’s draft State Strategic Job Growth Plan, though critics panned the document for what they said were weak protections of the state’s natural resources.
The action taken at the meeting of the State Planning Commission is part of a lengthy process to adopt a final plan.
The Republican governor rolled out the draft plan Oct. 19, saying it was a sorely needed update on the 2001 state plan. Similar documents have been drawn up dating back 25 years. (Jordan, Gannett)
>Courts Gone Wild: New Jersey has almost forgotten what it was like to live in a state governed by laws, rather than men.
Senator Doherty has really been taking his Fair School Funding show on the road in a big way. Last night, I learned that Ridgewood is about the fiftieth municipality he’s visited so far in an effort explain his fair school funding plan.
Most residents, voters, and taxpayers not steeped in the fine points of municipal law in New Jersey are probably not aware of the extent to which the Supreme Court has been blatantly legislating from the bench. In fact, the Supreme Court has been usurping the power of the New Jersey legislature for so long, and with so little effective criticism, that almost the whole body of lawyers in this state can be considered complicit.
New Jersey’s two law schools, Rutgers School of Law|Newark and Seton Hall Law School are not immune from criticism either. The professors in these schools know that the Supreme Court has overstepped its authority. Nevertheless, because they agree politically with the policies, they refuse to say what they know.
Really–politically (if not economically) speaking, it’s as if we live in North Korea. The populace of New Jersey has almost forgotten over the course of two generations what it was like to live in a state governed by laws, rather than men. The New Jersey Supreme Court has no right to mangle or reinvent our state constitution for its political purposes!
Don’t forget that the Supreme Court’s “Mount Laurel Doctrine” is based on its having found in the New Jersey state constitution a right to affordable housing. The fact that no such right exists in the Constitution was no impediment to the Supreme Court inventing and enforcing it.
The current school funding problem is the child of similar misbehavior on the part of the New Jersey Supreme Court, dating back at least to 1985, when the NJ Supreme Court issued its first ‘Abbott’ decision. In that decision, the court ruled that to satisfy the New Jersey Constitution, the State must assure urban children an education enabling them to compete with their suburban peers. The weak-kneed response by the New Jersey legislature to this Abbott decision, and to the some twenty further Abbott decisions that the Supreme Court has issued since, has been to simply raise state-backed per-pupil spending on urban children through the roof while allowing state-backed per-pupil spending on suburban children to dwindle almost to nothing in school districts like Ridgewood.
Not that the New Jersey Supreme Court would ever agree, because it is so full of itself it can’t bear to be criticized, but the school funding formula that is used now is clearly unconstitutional. It mandates hugely unequal spending.
By contrast, Doherty’s plan to equalize state-backed per-pupil spending is clearly constitutional. It is also easy to explain. Best of all, it is eminently fair. Ridgewood’s VC and Board of Ed should both pass resolutions in support of it
>Garrett Applauds Supreme Court Decision to Rule on Constitutionality of ObamaCare
WASHINGTON, DC, November 14, 2011 – Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Founder and Chairman of the Congressional Constitution Caucus, today issued the following statement after the Supreme Court announced it intends to review the constitutionality of ObamaCare:
“Since the passage of this job-killing piece of legislation, I have remained steadfast in my view that ObamaCare isn’t just bad public policy, it’s unconstitutional. The individual mandate represents an unprecedented power-grab by the federal government that undermines the vision our Founding Fathers had for this country. Should this provision be upheld, there would be virtually no limit on Washington’s power to micromanage the lives of American citizens. Rulings in Florida and Virginia have already found the individual mandate to be unconstitutional. I am confident the Supreme Court will follow suit to safeguard our individual liberties and reaffirm the Founders’ vision for America.”
Garrett has long been an outspoken critic of the federal health care law, particularly the individual mandate. On the opening day of the 112th Congress, Garrett re-introduced H.R. 21, the Reclaiming Individual Liberty Act, which would repeal the individual mandate portion of the federal health care law on the grounds that it is unconstitutional.
The Burlington County Board of Freeholders is exploring privatization options for its Buttonwood Hospital, citing rising costs.
The freeholders have been subsidizing the annual operating costs with taxpayer dollars the past seven years because of lower Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements for its long-term care and psychiatric patients.
Last week, the Freeholders authorized a shared services agreement with the Burlington County Bridge Commission for assistance in exploring future options after recently receiving a consultant’s report on hospital finances. The commission has improvement authority power and also coordinates a shared services forum for the county and its municipalities, including refinancing capital debt. (Comegno, Gannett)
>Doherty and Kyrillos let each other know where they stand vis a vis 2012 as Little surfaces
More than several heads turned in the Senate Republican caucus room yesterday when state Sen. Joe Kyrillos, (R-13), Middletown, huddled with state Sen. Mike Doherty, (R-23), Oxford.
People understood the implications of their quiet conservation.
Having each enjoyed a walkover election on Tuesday night, now their focus was on the next contest: U.S. Senate 2012.
In conferring about the future, the renegade conservative Doherty and Gov. Chris Christie kitchen cabinet member Kyrillos each received the impression the other intends to run for the right to challenge U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, (D-NJ), according to sources. (Pizarro, PolitickerNJ)
Mike Assad, a Republican school board member in Absecon Township, has launched a bid for Congress in hopes of unseating nine-term U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, (R-2nd).
Assad, 24, says he is challenging LoBiondo, because the incumbent is not serving the people of South Jersey, but instead has sold them out in favor of union bosses.
“Congressman LoBiondo has supported legislation that would kill jobs and continuously refuses to support measures that would create jobs,” Assad said, noting LoBiondo’s opposition to free and open markets and his support of Cap and Trade and Card Check,” Assad said in a release announcing his candidacy. “Time and time again, Congressman LoBiondo has traded the best interests of our country for the support of union bosses,” Assad said. “I am running against Congressman LoBiondo in the Republican primary because South Jersey deserves principled leadership. I will support legislation that will create jobs, reduce our nation’s debt, and reform our broken tax system.” (Isherwood, PolitickerNJ)
11/15/117:30PMPlanning Board Public MeetingAvailable 11/22/117:30PMBoard of Adjustment Public Meeting – CANCELLED 11/22/118:00PMVillage Council Special Public Meeting – Valley Expansion 11/29/117:00PMVillage Council Special Public Meeting – Valley Expansion 12/06/117:30PMPlanning Board Public Meeting 12/13/117:30PMBoard of Adjustment Public Meeting 12/14/118:00PMVillage Council Public Meeting
>Zuccoti Park: A right to mooch ? the Staff of the Ridgewood blog
Just shy of the second month anniversary of the “Occupy Wall Street ” movement “protesters” were awaken from their sleep by New York’s Finest asking them to vacate Zuccotti Park the public park that had become there home.
In a through back to the 1960’s the group initially tapped in to the angst of the economic downturn and the cronyism of the last ten years ,but began to lose traction when it began to appear they were looking to imposes social change through the adaption of you guested it, socialism . The lack of originality and lack of a focused message lead the OWS as it is now called to quickly to devolve to both another tourist destination and 24/7 tryouts for reality TV.
The group managed to muster frequent disturbances in public places and at public events ,but as time wore on Zuccotti Park seemed to attract more and more crime ,drug dealing ,security threats and lack of proper sanitation.. I mean after all we a government that thinks a 5 years old is a threat to national security and needs to be strip searched at the airport so its hard not to see how authorities would begin to fear the worst of the “protesters” .
Threats as well as random acts of violence and disruptions left the public asking why only the rights of the protesters seemed to count and the rights of businesses and families living in the area were not being protected. The group seemed to be a favorite of the media and politicians looking to evade responsibility for there own failures of judgement.
The “protesters” image was also hurt by by the enormous amount of IPAD’s and IPHONE’s in use leaving the impression that the group was nothing but a mix of spoiled brats and professional “protesters”. This was born out when links to ACORN were discovered as well as ties to the Obama administration were suggested . Left wing celebrity visits as well as the groups ability to raise seemingly large amounts of money effortlessly also began to hurt the groups PR. The slick professionalism of the website and various other support left people out side the movement increasingly skeptical.
Finally the Mayor who up till now had seemed ineffectual called for there removal saying that the first amendment does not support building a tent city on private property. The decision was spurred on when the city realized that the “protest” was costing more that it was bringing in in tourist dollars and other revenue . New York being the place where money is always first finally acted to defend itself and asked the “protesters” to leave.
With over 200 arrested ,the group was forcible removed and left marauding the streets of lower Manhattan .”Protesters” manged to get a TRO against NYC but most legal experts suggest its time to move on.
Kourtney & Khloe Kardashian, Wednesday, November 16th @ 5:30pm Stars of the Hit show, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Kourtney & Khloe Kardashian, will sign ther new book: Dollhouse. Books available Nov. 15th. IT IS RECOMMENDED TO COME AND BUY THE BOOK THE DAY BEFORE AT BOOKENDS, NOV. 15TH , AS SUPPLIES ARE LIMITED. AS ALWAYS, BOOKS MUST BE PURCHASED FROM BOOKENDS WITH VALID RECEIPT. Sorry No Phone orders
Appearing authors will only autograph books purchased at Bookends and must have valid Bookends Receipt.Availability & pricing for all autographed books subject to change.Bookends cannot guarantee that the books that are Autographed will always be First Printings.
Autographed books purchased at Bookends are non-returnable.Please call the store for details.
Bookends, 211 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 201-445-0726
>Ridgewood officials will cut ribbon at renovated Ridge School.
MONDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2011, 1:33 PM THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15 to mark the completion of the bond referendum projects at Ridge School in Ridgewood.
The ceremony will feature remarks by officials including Ridgewood Board of Education President Michele Lenhard, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Daniel Fishbein, and Ridge School Principal Jean Schoenlank. A reception sponsored by the Ridge Home-School Association will follow.
MONDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2011, 4:40 PM THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Ridgewood’s UP3 (Unlimited Prepaid Parking Permit) pass, which will allow residents, commuters and shoppers to have unlimited parking privileges at all village parking lots, will go on sale on Friday.
The annual pass, which will take effect on Dec. 15, will cost $650 and run through 2012. It will be in the form of a hang tag to be displayed from a vehicle’s rearview mirror.
The permit is available to both residents and non-residents and is valid at all village parking lots with the exception of the train station lot, where a commuter parking permit will also be required. That permit is free for residents.
>NYPD raiders roust OWS rabble * 1,000 cops boot Zuccotti mob * Arrests as ‘anarchists’ resist By FRANK ROSARIO, ERIN CALABRESE and LARRY CELONA Last Updated: 6:28 AM, November 15, 2011 Posted: 3:37 AM, November 15, 2011
The NYPD arrested 70 protesters as they moved in on Zuccotti Park early this morning and began clearing out the thousands of Occupy Wall Street protesters who had taken over the space for nearly two months.
More than 1,000 cops marched on the lower Manhattan encampment shortly before 1 a.m. and handed out fliers ordering demonstrators to get out and remove their personal property.
The cops were followed by Sanitation workers, one of whom was overheard saying, “We¶re gonna disinfect the hell out of this place.”
The fliers read, “The city has determined that the continued occupation of Zuccotti Park poses an increasing health and fire safety hazard to those camped in the park, the city¶s first responders, and to the surrounding community. “You are required to immediately remove all property, including tents, sleeping bags and tarps.
Many New Jersey communities are trying to find ways to reduce expenses in these tough economic times. As part of that trend, Mercer County is saving taxpayers’ money by doing its own bridge repairs.
After six bridges in Mercer County were damaged by Hurricane Irene, some of the engineering and construction work to repair the spans is being done in house, according to Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes.
“We don’t need to go out and bid for the bond money. We don’t have to go out and get outside engineers in here to take a look at it both before and after they start construction,” Hughes said. “I think we’re able to do it faster. We’re able to do it directly to our specifications.” (Gregory, Newsworks)
