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>Both Houses look to make New Jersey More business Friendly

Both houses pass Back to Work bills

Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) celebrated the passage of about 20 bills designed to create jobs and economic development throughout New Jersey, their self-described “Back to Work NJ” initiative. (Staff, PolitickerNJ)

https://www.politickernj.com/43950/both-houses-pass-back-work-nj-bills

>Ridgewood Planning Board creates an AH-1 zone specifically for property at 234 South Broad St

Ridgewood drafts COAH ordinance
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
BY MICHAEL SEDON
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Staff Writer

Despite the state’s current efforts to abolish the New Jersey Council On Affordable Housing (COAH), the agency is still forcing planners and planning boards to submit ordinances that make towns comply with its regulations.

At a Ridgewood Planning Board meeting on Tuesday night, Village Planner Blais Brancheau introduced a 30-page draft ordinance that implements the final part of the village’s affordable housing element and fair share plan with a focus on the South Broad Street area and a property owned by West Bergen Mental Health (WBMH).

The village created an AH-1 zone specifically for property at 234 South Broad St., which is the location of a group home operated by WBMH, according to village zoning maps. The AH-1 zone is surrounded by a R-3 residential zone. The council initially voted down an expansion of the group home, but the issue resurfaced a year later when a threat from WBMH to bring a developer’s lawsuit to the village for not allowing its group home expansion caused the council to revote and approve the proposal.

MORE FROM MICHAEL SEDON :https://www.northjersey.com/news/112961034_Ridgewood_drafts_COAH_ordinance.html

>PSEG Warns Energy Tax to Subsidize Power Plants (A3442) Will Cost New Jersey Residents and Businesses

Will lead state down a road of proven failure, result in lost jobs, new customer surcharges and undermine efforts to conserve energy

(January 6, 2011 – Trenton, NJ) – PSEG today announced its strong opposition to legislation (A3442) that will subsidize the construction of new power plants through guaranteed long-term payments.

“This is essentially an energy tax that will cost New Jersey residential and business customers more than a billion dollars,” said Anne Hoskins, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Sustainability, PSEG.

“Customers have been put through this before with disastrous results for customers,” Hoskins warned. In the 1970’s, government required New Jersey’s utilities to enter into long-term contracts with power generators and set prices and production targets for the energy industry. That resulted in billions of dollars in excess payments by consumers. Over the next six years, PSE&G customers alone will pay more than $1 billion for the remaining costs of these long-term contracts. Atlantic City Electric recently received approval to raise its customers’ bills by roughly five percent to recover the costs of its out-of-market contracts.
“The resulting customer surcharges will have long-term impacts,” Hoskins said. “Subsidies are a slippery slope and will drive away other non-subsidized private investment in New Jersey.

“This bill is trying to fix a problem that does not exist,” added Hoskins. Since 2007, New Jersey’s wholesale electric markets have spurred significant investment in new generation, environmental retrofits, upgrades on existing generation, and investments to reduce electric usage through demand response.

“These investments totaled billions of dollars — all made at the risk of private investors, not customers. PSEG alone has invested approximately $1.5 billion in generating plants in New Jersey since 2007,” Hoskins said.

“It is best when investors, not government, determine when new generation is needed, where it is built, what technology to use and what price to pay for it,” said Hoskins.
“Supporters of A3442 hope to create jobs, but real jobs will be lost in the process,” said Hoskins. “Subsidized generation will replace non-subsidized generation and threaten hundreds of existing jobs.”

>Public hearings set on reapportionment of New Jersey’s Congressional districts

New Jersey’s Republican and Democratic party leaders have agreed on the dates for four public hearings by the Apportionment Commission on reapportionment of the state’s Congressional districts. (Hester, New Jersey Newsroom)

https://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/state/public-hearings-set-on-reapportionment-of-new-jerseys-congressional-districts

>N.J. Legislature to vote on bills designed to stimulate economy

The New Jersey Senate and Assembly are scheduled to vote on more than a dozen bills designed to jump-start the state’s economy by encouraging job growth and creating a friendlier climate for businesses. (The Associated Press)

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/01/nj_legislature_to_vote_on_bill.html

>N.J. considers corporate tax break

New Jersey lawmakers will vote Thursday on adopting a corporate tax break that is intended to reward multistate businesses that hire and expand in the state but that would cost millions of dollars in lost revenue. (Rao, The Philadelphia Inquirer)

https://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/nj/20110106_N_J__considers_corporate_tax_break.html#ixzz1AFdmFrdH

>State Supreme Court indicates it has school funding role

Court indicates it has school funding role

State Supreme Court justices on Wednesday indicated they were sympathetic to officials facing New Jersey’s financial problems, but otherwise strongly suggested that the court has a role in determining funding for local schools. (Method, Courier-Post)

https://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20110106/NEWS01/101060335/Court-indicates-it-has-school-funding-role

>Last minute COAH amendments under wraps

Last-minute amendments to the affordable housing legislation may postpone Thursday’s scheduled vote in the Senate, according to the bill’s sponsor. (Carroll, PolitickerNJ)

https://www.politickernj.com/43889/last-minute-coah-amendments-under-wraps

>Webber resigns as state GOP chairman; Raia has governor’s backing to succeed him

Personally selected by Chris Christie for the job, Jay Webber tonight announced his resignation as Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee, five months before the finish line and effective immediately. (Pizarro, PolitickerNJ)

https://www.politickernj.com/43890/webber-resigns-state-gop-chairman

>Congressman Scott Garrett: Constitutional Citation Rule Needs Teeth to be Effective

Garrett: Constitutional Citation Rule Needs Teeth to be Effective
Offers amendment to rules package enhance constitutional citation rule

WASHINGTON, January 4, 2011 – The House Republican Conference today held an organizational meeting to consider amendments to the Rules of the House of Representatives for the 112th Congress. During consideration, Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) offered an amendment to clarify and enhance the proposed House rule that would require all bills to be accompanied by a statement citing the specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the proposed law.

“While I appreciate the Republican leadership for following through on the promise we made in the Pledge to America, I believe the proposed House rule requiring that all bills cite the Constitution needs to have real teeth to in order to be effective,” said Garrett. “In other words,” Garrett continued, “we have to make sure we are fostering an actual debate on the constitutionality of legislation without letting Members of the House off the hook by using the vague, and often times abused, ‘common defense,’ ‘general welfare,’ and ‘necessary and proper’ clauses of the Constitution. In order to truly cultivate a robust debate on the constitutionality of legislation, I believe all legislation must cite an enumerated power of the constitution in the actual bill text.”

Garrett’s amendments to the constitutional citation rule would have required the text of all bills and amendments to contain a statement appropriately citing a specific power granted to Congress in the Constitution. The “common defense,” “general welfare,” and “necessary and proper” clauses of Section 8, Article I of the Constitution would not be considered appropriate Constitutional citations. If a bill or amendment failed to comply, it would be subject to a point of order that could not be waived by the Rules Committee. As a result, each side would have 10 minutes of debate followed by a vote on whether or not to table the point of order and move to consideration of the bill or amendment.

>Job Opportunity at Yansi Fugel!!!

We are currently seeking Full Time or Part Time Wardrobe Consultant.
Job Requirements:
-Women’s apparel retail experience, a must
-Provide outstanding customer service
-Self starter, self motivator and a team player
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Please No Phone Calls.. E-mail us your resume at [email protected]

Yansi Fugel Flagship Store
66 East Ridgewood Avenue
Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450

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Harlem Wizards vs. Ridgewood All-Stars Tickets are Now on Sale.
Fundraiser Event is Friday, January 28th, 2011.

Order now for this annual event, sponsored by the Federated HSA. For more information and order form (PDF format) click here:

https://www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/923620/File/Harlem%20Wizards/Wizards_Order_Form_2011.pdf?sessionid=00b360faaf897a1136a112a332da855a

>Student charged in connection with fire at Ridgewood High School
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY JANUARY 5, 2011, 4:49 PM
BY KELLY EBBELS
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Staff Writer

A 16-year-old Ridgewood High School (RHS) student was arrested Wednesday and charged with two counts of arson in connection with a fire Tuesday afternoon in the boys bathroom of the school’s north science wing, according to a spokesperson with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.

Students were evacuated from Ridgewood High School after a fire was reported in a boys bathroom on the second floor of the north science wing.

The student, whose name was not released because he is a juvenile, is alleged to have started a fire just after 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 4 by using a “Zippo style lighter” to ignite toilet paper in a stall’s dispenser, according to the BCPO report. The arrest followed an investigation by detectives with the BCPO’s Arson Squad along with detectives from the Ridgewood Police Department.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/112886119_Fire_reported_at_Ridgewood_High_School.html

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Expressing Elvis – Jan 8 Celebrating Elvis Presley’s Birthday in Poetry and Song

Ridgewood, NJ – January 8, 2011-“Elvis Presley is Alive and Well on Lincoln Avenue in Fair Lawn, New Jersey….” So reads the title of a poem by Maria Mazziotti Gillan.

On that same road but a little farther north — in Ridgewood — Elvis will be coming back. He will be alive and well — in poetry and song.

Since you may have wondered what to do after the New Year’s hoopla has quieted down, and after all the bowl games have been played, why not come out to get your own Elvis on?

Poets, we are sure that everyone has an Elvis poem or two. In honor of Elvis Presley’s birthday, why not join poets Maria Mazziotti Gillan, Laura Boss, James Gwyn, and others as they share their poems that include Elvis.

The event is on January 8, 2011, from 1-4 pm at Ridgewood Christian Reformed Church, 271 Lincoln Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ. Plenty of free parking. A large space to accommodate all manner of bards and balladeers. Express Elvis in verse or in any variety of expression. Come on out to listen or to participate. Tune up your guitar. Dust off your jumpsuit. It will be a memorable afternoon. It’s free. All are welcome.

UPDATE: Just thought you might like to know about a great new addition to this Saturday’s line-up.  Not only poetry, song, but food as well!   We’re excited to announce that Chef Jesse Jones(winner of Bergen County’s Ultimate Chef Competition, 2010).  He will be contributing his culinary talents and unique style of Southern Cuisine to present a tasting of Elvis Presley’s favorite foods.  Yes, we will be serving fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches!

Note to Poets: If you’d like to participate, please submit your intent to James Gwyn at [email protected] by Dec. 31st so he can get a reading list together. (In other words, RSVP.)

Note to Singers: Acoustic, please. There are some mics, but best to bring your own. (Also, please RSVP.)

Note to Impersonators: Calling El Vez. Is he still playing in town?

https://njpoetspoetry.blogspot.com/2010/12/expressing-elvis-jan-8.html