When Gov. Chris Christie says New Jersey is withdrawing from a cap-and-trade greenhouse gas program, he means it.
That’s how the Republican governor explained his veto Friday of a bill advanced by Democrats requiring the state to remain in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Christie wrote in his veto message that the legislation was “a political response to my administration’s announcement on May 26, 2011 that the state withdraw from RGGI.”
Christie also repeated his reasons for bailing out of the 10-state program, which caps carbon dioxide emissions from electric power plants and charges the plants for the emissions they produce. (Jordan, Gannett)
The potential operators of American Dream Meadowlands — the project formerly known as Xanadu — are seeking to raise as much as $1 billion in public financing and tax breaks this fall, with the goal of resuming construction of the $3.8 billion project by the end of the year.
Kurt Hagen, a senior vice president for Mall of America, said Monday that while the plan may remind some North Jerseyans of the failed EnCap project just a few miles to the south, there is a critical distinction between the two projects.
“This is not public funding, it’s public financing,” Hagen said. “I know there were a lot of mistakes made in that [EnCap] project, and no one will want to make that mistake again. That’s a good thing, from the public’s standpoint.” (Brennan, The Record)
>Long Island Winery Selling 9/11-Themed Merlot And Chardonnay
Plans To Donate Between 6 & 10 Percent Of Proceeds To Victims’ Families
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — The sale of 9/11-themed alcohol by a Long Island winery is likely to raise some eyebrows and draw ire despite some monetary benefit to charity.
Lieb Family Cellars of Mattituck says it has produced the 9/11 Memorial Commemorative Chardonnay and 9/11 Memorial Commemorative Merlot to mark to the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the opening of the 9/11 Memorial.
The company says it has 247 cases of the Chardonnay and 251 cases of the Merlot and that each will sell for $19.11 per bottle if purchased directly through the winery.
>Ian Linker Republican Senate Candidate Calls For Major Changes In NJ Schools
Monday, August 22, 2011
By Ian Linker
School funding is a significant issue in New Jersey. The question is: How can lawmakers in Trenton most equitably distribute income tax revenue so that students get the best education for the money.
The current formula is needs-based so the cities and towns with lower per capita income receive significantly more state money per student than municipalities with higher per capita income. Thus, the resulting distribution of funds is skewed in favor of lower income school systems.
The current formula is undoubtedly flawed. What we need is a school funding system that resembles the legislation sponsored and widely touted by state Sen. Michael Doherty (R – 23), in which the amount a local school system receives from Trenton would be proportional, i.e., the same, per student regardless of the per capita income of the recipient system and importantly would remove the judiciary from the school funding process through constitutional amendment. While this sounds great on paper, it preserves the system that has failed our children in that it protects the bureaucracy by keeping state funds in municipality hands and continues to deprive parents of their freedom to send their children to the best-performing schools. The legislation also does not address the need to reform how education is delivered to students in New Jersey or the need to eliminate waste and inefficiency in the system.
>Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce: New Member Mixer
Thu, August 25, 2011
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Ridgewood Chiropractic, 172 Franklin Ave., Suite 4A
You are cordially invited to the New Member Mixer event, a real end-of-summer treat.
This is an opportunity to meet new Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce members, as well as other successful business men and women on the Board of Directors. Additionally, we expect there to be members of the Ridgewood Village Council attending the mixer to meet and greet over light refreshments and coffee.
Come to the mixer and learn more about everything the Chamber has to offer, whether it’s helping to build your business or becoming more involved in the business community.
This event is certainly a great opportunity that new members won’t want to miss!
Location:
Ridgewood Chiropractic
172 Franklin Avenue, Suite 4A
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Date:
Thursday, August 25th, at 6:00 pm
Parking:
Behind the building, Stop & Shop parking lot, across the street
Yansi Fugel located at 66 E. Ridgewood Ave is currently looking for a wardrobe consultant. Full time and Part time positions are available. Candidates must have 2-5 years of retail sales experience.
Please stop by or submit your resume at Yansi Fugel or email [email protected]
New Jersey state agencies will soon be featuring and promoting “Jersey Fresh” products in their eateries.
Gov. Chris Christie recently signed bipartisan legislation that requires the agencies — whenever possible — to provide enhanced visibility and accessibility to “Jersey Fresh” and “Jersey Grown” products they serve.
Proponents say it will benefit farmers and help boost sales of food products made with Garden State produce.
“There is a great interest in buying local and supporting our farmers,” said Douglas H. Fisher, New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture. “State agency food concession patrons do not have to go far to get high quality, healthy Jersey Fresh produce and other state agricultural products.” (Shipkowski, The Associated Press)
NY Fed president sees hope for N.J.’s economic recovery
New Jersey’s economy has gotten a pretty bad rap in the past few months.
First, S&P downgraded its rating on the state’s bonds, citing high debt levels and an underfunded pension system. Then, Moody’s joined in, pointing to a sluggish recovery, rising costs and lack of a clear financial strategy. Fitch followed suit Wednesday, apparently unswayed by the newly-minted state budget. (Kwoh, That Star-Ledger)
The Abbott school experiment is a colossal failure
The Abbott school experiment is a colossal failure because it is based on the theory that throwing money at a problem fixes it. Problems facing urban schools are cultural and socio-economic. When people in power face up to that, we can make progress.
There’s not a lot of political profiles in courage because it is easier to toss tax money or make excuses than to say until underlying causes are dealt with, it won’t get any better, just more expensive with more kids’ lives wasted. A few politicians do get it. (Ingle, Gannett)
I am not a fan of 12% raises for public servants , but where was all this “outrage ” during the Village Hall Fiasco?
The public was told it would be $2 million and six months . 5 years and $9 million later the “TAJ” as it is called was born a monument to the egomania and incompetence at the Village Hall.
The finally tally was over $9 million ,for that piece of junk that virtually floods every time it rains ! The job was so badly handled that the drainage pipes under verts field were never even touched,which was the whole point of the renovation to begin with!
Milestone : New Jersey Appellate Court judges agreed that the state does not have to spend money it does not have.
When we weren’t looking, a panel of New Jersey Appellate Court judges got it right! On July 12, a three-judge panel issued a decision that upheld a state agency’s right to reduce benefits because of the state’s financial situation. In other words, Judges Philip Carchman, Ronald Graves and Carmen Messano agreed that the state does not have to spend money it does not have. What a novel concept. I wonder if that type of sanity will ever make its way to the New Jersey Supreme Court. (LaRossa, PolitickerNJ)
The new developers of a massive New Jersey amusement and retail project say they are looking for tax breaks and other public assistance worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
The stalled $3.8-billion project—formerly known as Xanadu and since renamed American Dream at Meadowlands—has bedeviled two previous teams of developers over eight years. The partially-constructed project now stands stalled.
Now, its new developers, Canada-based Triple Five, are looking to restart it with the help of three forms of tax-free financing that could raise as much as $800 million, the developers say. The financing deals would rely on bond sales tied to future revenues at the development.
Triple Five—which built the Mall of America in Minnesota—says it would use the funds to significantly enlarge the already huge project and make it a major tourist destination, complete with an indoor water park and an indoor ski slope. (Brown, The Wall Street Jounal)
>I strongly beleive that the discussion of the Manager’s raise is something that needs to continue
Many seem to believe that because the majority voted in favor of a resolution, that any legislator who disagrees, should be silent. “That’s the system at work”. I have to disagree with you. Arohnson speaking out on the issue was the correct thing to do. There are a lot of questions that still need to be answered before this issue is put to bed. First, the Manager’s increase was up on the agenda on Tuesday as a Consent item. which was intended to eliminate any public discussion. Therefore, the public had no idea what was coming. The few regular attendee who were there,voiced their displeasure.
The VC Council meeting are open to the public and even the minutes of their closed session should be available. Second, obviously there had been previous discussions among the Councilmembers, which the public was not previed to. I’m curious as to the origin of the increase: Did the Village Manger come to the VC and say “I want a raise” or, though its highly unlikely, did one or more members of the VC go to the Village Manager and say “You’re doing a great job, you deserve a raise”? In either case, who negotiated the amount of the increase and why was it retroactive? What is the justification, if any, for paying the Village Manager more than the Governor? Really, a 12% increase! Third, was the Manager’s raise ever part of the “incentive” bonus pool for the non-union employees? If so, was it taken out of the pool, by the VC, to avoid any public discussion? Fourth, was the $20,000 raise meant to relace the amount that the Village Manager gave up, when the Village hired a new CFO?
Finally,the public is entitled to much more specific explantions from the individual Council Members as to why they voted as they did. I’m not satisfied with the broad statements that the Village Manager saved hundreds of thousands of dollars or that he’s doing a great job. Unfortunately, I don’t think either statement is true.
As a further reply. I think the tone from Deputy Mayor Riche is clearly intended to be intimidating. Many of us have viewed this behavior on his part and our deeply troubled by it.
I strongly beleive that the discussion of the Manager’s raise is something that needs to continue. That several VC members, say that the public should accept what they did until the next election, raises serious doubts that what they did can ever be justified. Elected officals are accountable for their actions throughout their terms. If a Councilperson does not want to justify his or her actions, he or she should be recalled and relaced by someone who does. THAT’S THE WAY THE SYSTEM SHOULD WORK!
>President Obama : “After 40 fund-raisers, I think I’ve earned a vacation.”
Ron
Last week, there was controversy over Obama taking a vacation. Ordinarily, considering the grueling hours a President works to serve the people, I wouldn’t give a second thought to it. But this is what Obama said, quote: “After 40 fund-raisers, I think I’ve earned a vacation.” So, abandoning his duties in Washington, he travelled around raising money for himself, to finance his re-election campaign, more than a year in advance of the election, and tired himself out so badly, eating all those dinners at other people’s expense, and shaking down, I mean shaking hands, with all those supporters, that he needed to compound his dereliction of duty, by continuing his hiatus from work with a vacation.
I can hear his words now, if – God forbid – he wins re-election. I’m so tired, from 40 fund-raisers to build my Presidential Library, that I’ve earned a vacation to recover. This man is the poster child for arrogance. If you don’t believe it, consider how stupid he thinks the American people are. He goes on an extended bus tour (on a Canadian-made bus) to the primary states to stump for Democratic candidates at taxpayers expense. This is illegal for a sitting President to do, so he calls it a tour to be in touch with the people – not a campaign tour. Well, I can call a mule a jack-ass, but it’s not the same thing. No other President has ever gotten the free passes Obama gets. It’s time to end his free ride in 2012.
