>Ridgewood Public Schools : Employee Contributions toward medical benefits
NOW ON THE WEBSITE: INFORMATION ON EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS MEDICAL BENEFITS
Information is now available on the impact on full-time employees’ net pay as a result of the 2011 law, and the law’s effect on employee contribution towards premiums for health and dental benefits.
As hard as the consultants argue otherwise, this November’s contest in the Legislature’s District 38 is about one name that is not on the ballot — Governor Christie.
Yes, technically the two legislative slates will be led by incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Gordon of Fair Lawn, and Republican challenger John Driscoll of Paramus, the Bergen County freeholder director. (Stile, The Record)
Utilities say they can help state cut power consumption, boost reliance on renewables
If New Jersey is going to meet its goals to reduce energy consumption and increase its reliance on solar power and other renewable energy sources, it is clear that the state’s utilities want to be part of the effort.
In their first public comments on the state’s revised Energy Master Plan, several gas and electric utilities embraced its overarching goals — reducing energy costs, promoting a diverse balance of generating sources, and striving to attain the 22.5 percent goal of having electricity produced from renewables by the turn of the next decade. (Johnson, NJ Spotlight)
$500 million deal at Port Newark may bring 800 jobs
With New Jersey’s unemployment rate outpacing the nation, Gov. Chris Christie visited Port Newark on Wednesday to tout a $500 million deal that could lead to 800 new jobs.
The deal with Port Newark Container Terminal, made in June, calls for a 20-year extension of the terminal’s existing lease through 2050, subject to PNCT’s investment of $500 million. (DeFalco, The Associated Press)
> Debt Ceiling: No Chance of US default POLITICAL ECONOMY 19 MAY 2011 15:00
By Warren Mosler
Republican Senator Pat Toomey is now making the point that with debt payment an executive priority, and with tax receipts more than sufficient for interest payments, not raising the debt ceiling will not mean default, instead it will mean other federal spending will get cut, which he pronounced analogous to a partial government shut down. While this has always been factually correct, it is only very recently that this has become the lead response from the Republicans, in direct response to warnings by the Democrats of a US default.
With the Democrats being exposed as factually wrong and guilty of at least innocent fear mongering, their entire negotiating position is weakened by both the facts and their reduced credibility in general. So I have to conclude the end result will be dramatic spending cuts, no tax increases, a large reduction in long term aggregate demand, and most likely reductions in short term aggregate demand as well.
According to sources the fly has learned that it seems our favorite High School Principal will soon be home alone . His lovely wife and children will return to sweet home Alabama .
No there are no cracks in the domestic bliss , just the yearning for sunnier skies and straighter fairways leaving our fearless principal to continue to move forward despite all odds on a number of fronts for the new school year.
House girds for a showdown with Senate over debt-limit rise
After finding $65 billion in new spending cuts Wednesday, House Republican leaders braced for a floor showdown Thursday on their bill to raise the government’s borrowing limit by $900 billion while cutting even more than that from future spending.
And an intense closed-door meeting early Wednesday also seemed to win back many wavering Republicans, as party leaders warned of dire consequences should their bill fail, and also promised repeated votes on a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution.
Developer abandons 205 Lotte Rd. leaves it in Blighted Condition
Seven years ago Suresh Sharma of Ho Ho Kus razed the house on the corner of Lotte Rd. and Lincoln Ave. better known as 205 Lotte Rd. Since that time he has maintained a construction site that has become a blight on our neighborhood.
Several years ago a group of neighbors went before the Mayor and Council to seek a solution, which never materialized. Today a partially constructed house with a rotting plywood frame occupies the garbage-strewed lot. A bunch of rebars is seen among the trees; piles of gravel remain untouched for months, and a porta potty is present for workers who never appear but is often used by passing drivers.
This disgraceful site has aversely affected our property values, robs the Village of Ridgewood of valuable tax dollars, and is a thumb in the eye of everyone in the neighborhood.
That’s why I have decided to try to do something. I have prepared photo posters of the site and intend to present them to the Mayor and Council. I will prepare a letter signed by all who support this effort and send it to Mr. Sharma. And finally I will attempt to have an article published in the local newspapers about Mr. Sharma’s construction site.
I hope you can support this effort. Any and all suggestions are appreciated. Please contact me at 255 Lotte Rd. Ridgewood, N.J., 201-410-6025, [email protected].
>The Debt Ceiling: Just the Facts Garrett discusses the ongoing debate to raise the debt ceiling on CNN.
Each year, Congress is tasked with the job of establishing a budgetary framework to dictate how the federal government will spend its money. When the decision is made to spend more than the amount we take in, we have to finance the excess spending by accruing debt that must later be paid off.
Over the course of history, borrowing by the federal government has been a common practice. Many presidential administrations have run deficits and many have added substantially to the national debt. Additionally, many Congresses have raised the debt ceiling before. In fact, since 1962, Congress has voted 74 separate times to raise the debt ceiling.
Given our country’s penchant for taking on more debt, one has to wonder why it is so difficult to do it again this time. Why all the sudden is Congress so opposed to extending the borrowing limit when they’ve done it so many times before? The answer becomes much clearer when we consider a few facts.
In 1980, the national debt represented just over 40% of the nation’s entire economy. Today, this figure has grown to represent 100% of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) and our debt is projected to double the size of our economy by 2035. Since 1960, total government spending at all levels has risen from 27% to 37% of GDP and is set to reach 50% by 2038 under the current projections.
Our nation’s entitlement programs are becoming so large – and will consume such a significant portion of our finances – that it will be impossible for us to fund other areas of our government without borrowing substantially from the rest of the world at very high interest rates.
As you can see, while past administrations and Congresses have had the luxury of extending the borrowing limit with relatively little consequences to the overall economy, I think we can all agree that we’ve reached a moment of reckoning. If we do nothing, if we choose to put off the tough decision for another day, we are at risk of becoming the next Greece.
So the question remains: How do we move forward?
There are many competing proposals that are floating around that can become complicated and confusing for everyone following at home. The approach that I and many House and Senate Republicans have put forth would cut government spending by $111 billion next year and place enforceable caps on discretionary spending levels going forward. And to avoid this issue in the future, it would require Congress to pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution in exchange for raising the debt ceiling to the level requested by the president. This plan would seek to tackle the deficit through spending restraints, not tax increases.
The competing proposals are very different in nature, but ultimately have the same end goal in mind, which is to restore the prosperity of our great nation. I respect my colleagues across the aisle and understand their motivations for supporting the approach they’ve endorsed. These are certainly tough choices that will affect many Americans and will make unfortunate cuts to some popular programs.
As Vice Chairman of the House Budget Committee, I can assure you that these cuts are not being made as a function of protecting “special interests” or targeting helpless victims. Instead, these are being made in response to a 50-year trend of fiscal irresponsibility and excess spending that forced us to this point. This is exactly the kind of discipline and honesty we need right now in Washington to avoid even harsher predicaments in the future.
>RECENT POLL: LINKER AND NEW JERSEYANS AGREE – BOB MENENDEZ’S LIBERAL AGENDA BAD FOR N.J. AND BAD FOR AMERICA
(Ridgewood, NJ): A poll from Public Policy Polling released Tuesday July 19, 2011, shows New Jerseyans are overall strongly dissatisfied with how Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) is representing the Garden State. The poll finds Menendez “with an approval rating mired in the 30s.”
Conservative Republican U.S. Senate candidate from New Jersey Ian Linker spoke candidly about what the recent poll means for him and New Jersey in a statement released Thursday:
“Menendez’s high disapproval numbers in this recent poll are a manifestation of the complaints I hear every day from New Jerseyans. Voters are disgusted with Menendez’s job killing tax and spend agenda, his willingness to give amnesty to illegal immigrants, and his overall ineffective representation of the people of New Jersey. The end of Bob Menendez’s Senate career will not come soon enough.”
Linker continued, “In 2012, the people of the Garden State have a real choice: principled solutions that will restore America’s greatness or more of the same failed liberal policies that pile up mountains of debt and kick our problems down the road.”
N.J. State Council on the Arts awards more than $15.8 million to nearly 800 arts organizations
The state Council on the Arts has awarded $15.8 million in state and federal funding to nearly 800 arts organizations, programs, projects and artists in the 21 counties, the agency announced on Tuesday.
The council’s 2011-12 awards were distributed through several programs including $13.9 million in 196 matching grants to organizations and $1.8 million in 28 co-sponsored initiatives that support state and regional partnerships which attempt to advance arts education, showcase New Jersey artists, increase access to the arts for people with disabilities, foster arts in community development, and promote the arts statewide.
N.J. Council on the Arts forced to make cuts across-the-board to save Newark Museum
The New Jersey State Council on the Arts was forced to play the role of King Solomon today, making across-the-board cuts to the majority of its traditional grantees so it could award money to help save a new applicant, the Newark Museum.
One of the state’s cultural gems, the museum was given $1 million to help stave off the crisis created when it lost the $2 million it usually receives from the Legislature. (McGlone, The Star-Ledger)
Drill baby Drill : Christie gas plan, drilling debated
The formal debate over Gov. Chris Christie’s push to rely more on natural gas as part of New Jersey’s future energy policy was launched Tuesday at a public hearing attended by hundreds of environmentalists, power company officials and members of the public.
Administration officials said New Jersey’s energy pricing stands to improve from the state’s proximity to abundant Marcellus Shale gas reserves in northern and western Pennsylvania. But the drilling process has raised safety and environmental concerns. (Jordan, Gannett)
>Ridgewood council approves salary contracts for management, non-union staff
TUESDAY, JULY 26, 2011 BY KELLY EBBELS STAFF WRITER THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Ridgewood’s managerial and non-union staff – with the exception of the village manager and police chief – will no longer receive automatic raises, but will be eligible for incentive bonuses based on performance evaluations.
The Village Council voted to approve the changes at a meeting this month by approving two ordinances – one for managerial staff and the other for non-union staff.
Councilman Paul Aronsohn voted against the proposal, contending that incentive bonuses don’t make sense in a time of financial belt tightening.
Christie blasts critics of new judge Sohail Mohammed
A lawyer who defended Muslims detained after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was sworn in as a New Jersey Superior Court judge on Tuesday, as Gov. Chris Christie called those who criticized his nomination ignorant.
The appointment of , 47 years old, angered some conservatives, who said they were concerned about the influence of Sharia law, an Islamic code of law. (Fleisher, The Wall Street Journal)
