>U.S. Senator Robert Menendez Congratulates New Ridgewood Firefighters By Mel Fabrikant Wednesday, July 20, 2011, 05:36 PM EDT
Three new hires were made possible with a SAFER grant; a federal funding program that allows for the hiring of first responders.
Three new firefighters were sworn-in to the Ridgewood Fire Department. These new hires were made possible by the FEMA Safety for Adequate Fire and Emergency (SAFER) program, which has provided over $56 million in federal funding for towns throughout New Jersey that were successful in competing for this grant. In Ridgewood, this translates to funding of $349,031.
THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2011 PASCACK VALLEY COMMUNITY LIFE Woodcliff Lake
The Ridgewood Public Library is offering guest memberships to residents of Woodcliff Lake.
Family memberships are available at the gold and silver levels, with both memberships offering access to the library’s collection of over 190,000 books and media and research databases.
The gold membership provides additional benefits such as access to the library’s children, teen and adult cultural, educational and entertainment programs. It also provides discounts on computer classes.
>Ron Paul: “We Will Default Because The Debt Is Unsustainable”
“When a country is indebted to the degree that we’re indebted, the country always defaults. We will default because the debt is unsustainable,” Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) said on the House floor today.
“If we don’t understand this, this default will not be because we don’t send out the checks. We will send out the checks. It will be defaulted on because people will get their money back, or they will get their Social Security checks and it won’t buy anything.”
>Some Latin American presidents mock U.S. for debt woes By Brian Winter
SAO PAULO, July 20 (Reuters) – After three decades spent battling their own debt crises and getting constantly lectured about them by Uncle Sam, many Latin Americans are watching the countdown to a possible default in Washington with a mix of schadenfraude and fear of what a collapse might mean for them.
For everybody from presidents on down to street vendors, seeing U.S. politicians argue over where to make painful budget cuts has also been a reminder that those days are over in Latin America. For now, at least, as most of the region enjoys an era of economic prosperity and comparatively tiny deficits.
>Scott Garrett : End of the Line: Our Last Chance for Spending Sanity By Rep. Scott Garrett July 19, 2011
Here we are, just days from a defining moment for this Congress and our nation as a whole – raising the amount of money the United States government can continue to borrow. Rarely in life do we have retrospective vision on failed policies as well as foresight to see an imminent disaster. It is equally rare to be handed an opportunity to correct those problems and make decisions, even if they are not popular, that will affect every future generation of Americans.
Of course, we all know President Obama is asking Congress for another blank check to borrow and spend as he wishes. We also know – from the comical budget he presented to Congress earlier this year – the president is not at all serious about addressing the reality of our $14 trillion national debt and the $188 million that we add to it every hour.
A lot has been said about the catastrophic consequences of not raising the debt limit. I agree, the debt ceiling must be raised, but I firmly believe that failing to immediately address federal spending presents the same risk to our country as failing to raise the debt ceiling. It is crucial that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle understand this is a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Maintaining good credit means more than raising your credit card limit.
I have yet to hear a convincing argument that can explain how taking money away from businesses and corporations as they begin to turn a profit creates jobs. With unemployment locked in above 9% nationally, it is amazing to think that anyone would even offer raising taxes as a feasible solution.
Every dollar the federal government takes out of the American economy is a dollar that cannot be used by American companies and entrepreneurs to create jobs and grow the economy. That is why I will not vote for a debt ceiling increase that involves any tax increases on any segment of the American population. Period.
My colleagues and I in the Republican Study Committee (RSC) have proposed a “Cut, Cap and Balance” solution to end our spending addiction and pay off our nation’s debt. This three-pronged approach would both rein in spending now and ensure we never end up with $14 trillion in debt ever again.
Here’s how it works:
The first step is making discretionary and mandatory spending reductions that would cut the deficit in half next year. This includes evaluating every aspect of the federal government, including entitlement programs.
The second step is setting enforceable caps to align federal spending with average revenues at 18% of GDP. This includes enforcing automatic spending reductions if the caps are breached in any given year.
Finally, the last step is passing a balanced budget amendment to the United States Constitution. Congress’s past failure to produce balanced budgets is a major cause of the fiscal crisis facing the country. It is past time that Congress accepts a limit on its runaway spending so that the federal government can join the 49 states that already govern with some form of a balanced budget.
Of course, it will not be easy to convince my colleagues to support this plan. It involves making difficult decisions and confronting years of irresponsible behavior dating back to before many of us began to serve. Real solutions are not necessarily easy solutions. But given the dangerous condition of our nation’s fiscal health, and the long-standing desire to leave our country in a better state for the next generation, we must recognize that tough choices will be necessary.
No one wants to clean up someone else’s mess, but our constituents sent us to Washington to make difficult decisions. At the end of the day, every Member of Congress will be faced with the question: “What did you do to preserve economic freedom for future generations?
>Ridgewood supermarkets now face fines for stray shopping carts.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2011 BY JOSEPH CRAMER STAFF WRITER THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Village Council members voted unanimously to fine supermarkets if their shopping carts stray across Ridgewood, based on residents’ concerns over what they deem a growing public safety issue.
The ordinance requires that all shopping carts picked up around the Central Business District (CBD) and elsewhere by Village staff will carry a $25 fee per cart. The new measure, passed by council members on July 13, is a reaction to the stores’ lack of compliance with previous requests by Village officials to manage the problem of delinquent property, according to Mayor Keith Killion.
“If there was compliance, and if the stores did pick up the carriages, we wouldn’t be at this point,” he said.
Managers from two local supermarkets, Evie Ascencio from Super Stop & Shop on Franklin Avenue and Vince Gramaglia from Kings on Maple Avenue, spoke up in protest during the public hearing of the ordinance, collectively saying that they are doing all that they can to correct the problem.
Offshore wind developers appear to be moving toward a consensus on how the state should finance the building of wind farms off the Jersey coast, but it could be at least three to five years before wind turbines start churning out power.
In a meeting at the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) offices in Trenton, developers, power suppliers and utility executives yesterday debated the details of how the wind farms would earn offshore renewable energy credits (ORECs) for the electricity their wind turbines generate. (Johnson, NJ Spotlight)
>Decision makers for Ford effecting Ken Smith Lincoln Mercury
The following are the decision makers on a national and regional level for Ford: Mr. Allen Mulally President and CEO Ford Motor Company 1 American Rd., Dearborn, MI 48126 Mr. William Clay Ford, Jr. Executive Chairman Ford Motor Company 1 American Rd. Dearborn, MI 48126 Mr. Jim Splendore Regional Sales Manager Ford Motor Company, New York Region 1 International Blvd., Suite 1100 Mahwah, NJ 07495 Phone:201 512-7601 Email:[email protected]
Audit finds Port Authority could have saved $22M yearly, service contracts lack oversight
In a rare rebuke of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey by another public entity, an audit by the New York State Comptroller’s office found the bi-state agency lacked documentation to justify hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts with outside vendors for cleaning, trash hauling, maintenance and other miscellaneous services.
The audit, made public yesterday, also found the Port Authority failed to show that it periodically reassessed service contracts and may have missed opportunities to save millions of dollars. (Strunsky, The Star-Ledger)
N.J. Senator Donald Norcross says he was not pressured to resign from labor union
The head of one of the biggest labor unions in New Jersey will be leaving on Labor Day, but he says he’s not being pressured. State Sen. Donald Norcross plans to retire as head of the Southern New Jersey Central Labor Council on Labor Day weekend.
Norcross, 52, from Camden, told The Philadelphia Inquirer that his decision had nothing to do with the union members’ unhappiness with his support of the pension and health care reform bills. His well-known brother George has long supported public-sector reform of health care and pension benefits. (Holt, New Jersey Newsroom)
Sen. Robert Menendez not a sure bet to win reelection, poll says
U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) won’t be coasting to re-election in 2012, according to a poll released yesterday. The question, political observers say, is whether Republicans can field a strong enough candidate to take him out.
Public Policy Polling, a North Carolina-based firm with Democratic ties, says Menendez has a 37 percent job approval rating, with less support among independents. Republicans dislike him more than Democrats like him, the poll said. (Megerian, The Star-Ledger)
NJ gov, education reformer to announce partnership
Gov. Chris Christie travels to Paterson on Wednesday to announce a new partnership with education advocate Geoffrey Canada.
Canada is the education reformer who founded Harlem Children’s Zone, a community-based nonprofit that strives to improve the quality of life for children and families. The HCZ Project includes in-school, after-school, social-service, health and community-building programs. (The Associated Press)
(July 19, 2011 – Newark, NJ) – As hot and humid weather once again grips the region, PSE&G has taken steps to meet the expected high demand for electricity. The state’s largest utility is monitoring weather conditions and the impact on its delivery system. Although PSE&G expects to have no problem delivering the additional power, utility crews are at the ready to respond to service interruptions should they occur. The company has been advised by PJM, the regional grid operator, that power supplies are expected to be adequate to meet the increased demand. PJM has not issued any request to cut back on power.
Customers can take the following steps to stay comfortable and conserve in heat situations:
• Turn off everything you’re not using, including TVs and computers. • If health conditions permit, raise your air conditioner to 78 degrees. You can save 3 to 5 percent on air conditioning costs for each degree you raise the thermostat. • Also use fans to circulate air. Portable and ceiling fans use a tenth of the electricity of an air conditioner and can make 78 degrees feel cooler than it actually is. • Close blinds, shades and draperies facing the sun to block summer light and help fans and air conditioners cool more efficiently. • Close doors leading to uncooled parts of your home. If you have central air conditioning, close off vents to unused rooms. • Check to ensure that no furniture or other obstacles are blocking ducts or fans, which will enable cooled air to circulate more frequently. • Cook and use other heat-generating appliances in the early morning and late evening hours whenever possible. To view demonstrations of how to save energy in your home, visit PSEG’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/psegvideo
For more energy saving tips and to conduct a free online home energy analysis, visit www.pseg.com/saveenergy. Click onto the “At Home with Energy Star” video podcast.
NJTPC has been reporting on this issue since January. You can see now two timely articles which are directly linked to tonight’s mortgage presentation. This is only the tip of the iceberg which may affect you and your home if you have not already have your satisfied Note and Deed. Remember even though these articles refer to people in forclosure, the fraud affects us all…even those who are paying their mortgages on time, all the time.
This AP article “;Mortgage ‘robo-signing’ goes on” was picked up by The Record today, it is in the financial section of the local paper (page L-8) https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jI_EF7qz7vNyWCmFzMtkz_Sd4Kzw?docId=43fce0b102784f29b024eec0696d3b4d
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