Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi , “Under this absolutely inane proposal it would cost a resident of Northern New Jersey $26 in tolls just to drive into midtown Manhattan and return home. When will these politicians understand that we are being taxed out of the region?”
Will you pay more to travel to parts of Manhattan?
Joseph Spector, Albany Bureau Chief Published 12:34 p.m. ET Aug. 14, 2017 | Updated 3:20 p.m. ET Aug. 14, 2017
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday, June 29, 2017, discusses reforms he plans for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which has struggled with growing problems on its subways and trains.Joseph Spector, Albany Bureau
ALBANY – Commuters or visitors to Manhattan may have to pay more in tolls — depending on the route and the time of day.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is warming to the once moribund proposal to install congestion pricing in New York City, a move that would impact the suburbs and upstate travelers.
Cuomo said the proposal, which he is developing, would aim to alleviate traffic in the city and raise revenue to pay for long-term repairs to the troubled Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Ridgewood NJ, A major leak of hydraulic fluid from a Village of Ridgewood street sweeper required the services of Ridgewood Fire department personnel on Monday morning, 08/14. The leak occurred on the street adjacent to 210 Greenway Road, Ridgewood. FD personnel from Engine Company #31 and Rescue Company #42 applied absorbent materials to the roadway; Ridgewood Police provided traffic control during the incident. No injuries were reported.
Psst: You might pay less for health care if you put away your insurance card.
Like most of us, you probably think your insurance policy gives you access to better prices. But that’s not always true.
How do you find out? It takes a little bit of work. But when you’re done, you’ll know more about health care and insurance – whether you’re an individual looking for a simple blood test or a sore-throat visit, or whether you’re an employer trying to beat back health costs.
And with the confusion in Washington over the future of health care in this country, we will all need to take ownership of issues we previously left to the insurer and the doctor.
Here’s an example: A person in California was asked to pay $1,850 for an MRI. Because he has a high deductible, he asked the office manager and she said if he agreed not to report the transaction to his insurance company, he could have the MRI for $580.
Maybe you’re booking your awesome Labor Day vacation. Or you finally got a reply to an email you’ve been waiting for, with package tracking information for a gadget you ordered online. You’re cool to send payment to your Airbnb host, or to follow the link in the “shipping info” email… right?
Well, not so fast. Some scams that have cropped up recently actually mean that if you’re not 100% sure you’re actually booking with a legitimate Airbnb host — or responding to a trustworthy email or text — you could be putting your identity and your computer security at risk. Fraudster trickslike fake student loan relief offersor fake tech support scams have been a problem for awhile, but summer is an extra busy time for scammers, with consumer complaints about new tricks on the rise.
That means it’s especially vital for you to be really careful right now — and part of that is knowing of the newest traps that scam artists are setting to get you to give up personal information, cash or worse.
To help you out, here are five of the newest scams that you’ll want to be sure to avoid in 2017 — ranked from kinda sneaky to downright dastardly.
PARAMUS, N.J. — Health officials in New Jersey are warning pet owners about a deadly disease that is passed through rats.
Veterinarians in the state say they have seen a rise in the number of dogs who have contracted leptospirosis this year. The disease — known in some parts of the world as mud fever or swamp fever — is a bacterial infection that is transmitted through rat urine. Health officials say dogs may be exposed to the infection after lapping up puddle water.
CBS New York reports that at least three dogs died and two others were sickened by the disease in northern New Jersey.
The Blue Pearl Veterinary Hospital in Paramus has recently treated five dogs; three of them died. It was too late for antibiotics and the animals suffered organ failure, WCBS 880 reported.
The infection can also be hazardous for humans if they come into contact with rat urine. A Bronx man died from leptospirosis in February and two others became ill. But the New Jersey Health Department says there are currently no known human cases of leptospirosis in the state.
The Empty Suit (BOOKER)must have spent too much time in the “Choom Wagon”. To have the Feds get in the pot business for tax reasons as the country further stupifys itself is insane. The latest buzz is about an opioid crisis and the government wants to sue the drug manufacturers. If they could collect taxes on heroin, would they whistle a different tune?
Recently President Donald J. Trump Directed the Administration to Use All Appropriate Authority to Respond to Opioid Emergency. Building upon the recommendations in the interim report from the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, President Donald J. Trump has instructed his Administration to use all appropriate emergency and other authorities to respond to the crisis caused by the opioid epidemic.
An Open Letter to the Planning Board with cc to the Village Council and others:
Dear Mr. Joel, Planning Board Members, and Planning Board Professional Staff:
First let me state that I am not an attorney, let alone one with expertise in municipal law. And so, the views and opinions I express in this email are those of a layman. But a layman who has lived in Ridgewood for 48 years and one who cares deeply about our community. I should also state that I am a big supporter of building a garage on the Hudson St. site.
I understand that the Village Planner has been directed by the Village Council “to conduct a study for Redevelopment of the Hudson Street Municipal Parking Lot, allowing the Village more options moving forward with garage construction plans that could potentially save significant taxpayer dollars and build time.” I find the rationale for the directive to be misleading and incomplete.
According to an email I received from Mr. Matt Rogers, Village attorney, “The Local Redevelopment and Housing Law permits municipalities to consider property(ies) within its borders for redevelopment if the property meets certain criteria. The Statute was designed to promote the rehabilitation and/or the reconstruction of properties that have long gone without attention, particularly in commercial locations or areas. There is a process prescribed by the Statute that must be followed in order to take advantage of the statute’s benefits, which allows the municipality to avoid the public bidding process and negotiate directly with one or any entities that the municipality wants to consider for the project in mind. The Council can start the process by requesting the a (sic) study be performed by the Planner to determine if the property, in this case the Hudson Street parking lot, meets the criteria of the Statute. If it does and the process is completed, then the Village can negotiate directly with any contractor it so wishes. As you know, there has already been a presentation from PIKE at a Council meeting, where it became apparent that they can both provide a design and build the garage. The thought is that by utilizing the statute, the Village can avoid the time it takes to bid out design and then bid out to find a contractor to build the design. Additionally, it is the hope that by directly negotiating with the a (sic) contractor, the Village can also save money on the cost for several reasons. It will hopefully work and provide those benefits. If not, then the bidding process can always be utilized.”
There is no way the Hudson St. parking lot can be considered “long gone without attention.” It is obvious to me that this approach is being used by the Mayor to allow her to short circuit the process for her to be able to use Pike Construction, her chosen option. I don’t believe the Planning Board should allow itself to serve as an enabler.
As I mentioned earlier I am a big believer in the need to build a garage on the Hudson St. site. I supported the thorough, detailed, and transparent work the previous Council had undertaken in that regard, and was most disappointed when their plans were thwarted.
In contrast, for the past year the current Village Council has been totally opaque in its activities re the garage, excepting for a snippet here or there by the Mayor. I listened to the Village Council Meeting of 2017AUG02 and I was shocked to see that Councilmen Voigt and Walsh were totally out of the loop. My understanding is that the Mayor has limited her deliberations to Councilmen Hache and Sedon, and two Village Staff Members, the Village Manager and the CFO.
I personally do not like the Pike design. I find their design to be esthetically unattractive, and frankly insulting to the beautiful architecture we value in Ridgewood. As I mentioned in a Village Council meeting, the only thing lacking from the design is a neon sign that says “Welcome to Newark Airport.”
Before you expend any energy, resources, and public funds in carrying out the Mayor’s directive, I believe you should ask the Mayor to first undertake a transparent process that would fully and openly inform the Ridgewood Residents of her plans.
FYI, I understand the Mayor has recently written the Council concerning Parking Garage Options. I tried to OPRA a copy but was refused on account of its being “deliberative.” I will do all that I can to obtain a copy. We live in America not Soviet Russia!
Ridgewood NJ, Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino and the Division of Consumer Affairs are urging seniors to avoid becoming the victims of phone fraud schemes and are providing a number of educational tools to help with the effort.
The Division offers brochures online to help consumers identify scams and avoid them. Its latest brochure, Fighting Phone Fraud, also gives information on the federal Do Not Call Registry and how to sign up, along with ways to block robocallers.
The message of the brochures is simple: If you think the call you are receiving is a scam, it probably is.
“Technology has made it easier for disreputable companies and criminals to prey on senior citizens with a simple phone call, often bullying or cajoling people to part with their money. These types of scams are despicable,” said Attorney General Porrino. “We want to arm seniors with information to help them avoid becoming victims and also aid regulatory agencies and law enforcement to stop illegal activity before others are hurt.”
New Jersey law also prohibits telemarketers who have not registered with the Division of Consumer Affairs from calling any New Jersey resident, regardless of whether the resident is on the national Do Not Call Registry or not. Violations of that law can lead to a $10,000 fine for a first offense and up to $20,000 for each subsequent offense.
“There are ways to punish scam autodialer calls in New Jersey, and we urge people who are being subjected to repeated calls to report these efforts to the Division of Consumer Affairs, said Steve Lee, Director of the Division. “Consumers should not engage these callers, but they should make sure to report the phone numbers.”
Those who wish to file a complaint can submit it online.
The scams outlined by the Division in its materials are varied, but all seek either personal information or money. Here are some examples:
A person posing as an agent of the Internal Revenue Service demands money for back taxes.
A person posing as a relative calls, saying he or she is in serious trouble and asks you to send money in order to help.
A person posing as a representative of your electric, gas or water service says that you owe it money and that if it’s not paid now, your service will be shut off.
A caller says he or she is getting in touch on behalf of Medicare or Medicaid and is seeking personal information because you need a new card.
The advice for all of these is the same. Do not give money. Do not give personal information. Hang up immediately.
In order to limit robocalling and scam calling, consumers first should make sure their phone numbers, both land line and cell, are on the federal Do Not Call Registry, which can be done by phone at 888-382-1222 or online at www.donotcall.gov. Unwanted sales calls also can be reported at this line.
Unfortunately, robocallers and scammers will still call. Third-party services may be able to limit these calls. Information on those services can be obtained at www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/stop-unwanted-calls-texts-and-faxes#call-blocking-resources.
Consumers should also know that spam and autodialer text messages are illegal as well. If you are getting unsolicited offers for free merchandise or services via text, do not respond. Instead, report these messages by filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (complaints.donotcall.gov) or the Federal Communications Commission (consumercomplaints.fcc.gov).
In addition, if your wireless provider is AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint or Bell, you can report offending texts by copying and pasting the original text and forwarding it to 7726, free of charge.
Even if one were to wave a magic wand and make these business-friendly changes, it’s way too late. NJ is operating in a state of virtual bankruptcy and servicing its debt is beyond anything changes like these could address. The world is changing, and location is no longer an issue. Businesses can be anywhere now and will always seek the lowest possible cost in terms of employees and real estate. It’s hard keeping anything in the USA, even in its lowest cost areas, when these businesses (or really competing businesses) can operate in places in China, the Philippines, India, etc. If NJ didn’t have such a massive debt load, it could probably ride this transition for many years, but we do have it, and the can is only kickable for so long until financial reality kicks in.
NJ Transit has quite a few rank-and-file employees who earned more than $75,000 each in overtime in 2016. In some cases, they take home a bigger paycheck than their boss.
One police sergeant took home a total of $229.575, more than NJ Transit’s police chief, who earned $162,273 or the $208,988 made by the executive director last year.
Why is overtime so high?
Unforeseen events play a large role in dictating how much overtime is needed, said Penny Bassett, an NJ Transit spokeswoman.
During a recent incident where a truck that was too high hit a rail bridge in Pennsauken, track inspectors and crews were dispatched to make immediate repairs to make conditions safe for customers and the general public, she said. In that incident, service was restored sooner than officials predicted.
In other cases, use of planned overtime is a management tool, she said. Sometimes, overtime is cheaper than the cost of salary and benefits of hiring a new employee.
NJ Transit officials said the agency has lost employees to other commuter railroads, which has resulted in using overtime to cover those vacancies. Last November, Executive Director Steven Santoro said the agency has seen a 5 to 10 percent decline in the number of maintenance employees in the last few years.
Drawing for Young People – ages 8 to 17 (East Studio)All levels are welcome. Students will learn basic techniques of line, shape, proportion, perspective and shading while working from a variety of still-life objects and the human face. Instruction will be tailored to each student. Fee: $185 supplies purchased: $35
Learn How to Draw-People, Landscapes & Still Life -ages 9 to 17 (East Studio) All levels will discover the basics of drawing with exercises that are designed to be fun and easy to comprehend. Each session will focus on a different subject – everyday objects, people, landscapes and perspective while working in pencil, charcoal and pen & ink. Fee: $185 supplies purchased: $35
Oil Painting for Young People – ages 8 to 17 (West Studio)Great for beginner and serious young artists. High School students, create a piece for your college admissions art portfolio. Traditional art instruction in a fun encouraging environment. New & returning students welcome! Fee: $185 supplies for the week: $25
Oil Painting for Young People – ages 8 to 17 (East Studio)
Your child will learn the basic techniques of oil painting and will create still life and landscape paintings to completion. They will learn concepts such as massing in, color and value. Fee: $185 supplies for the week: $25
Ridgewood NJ, the YWCA Fall Session Registration begins Monday August 14.
Group Fitness Swim Lessons Senior Wellness
Children’s Dance Tiger Sharks Water Polo
Our fall schedule is filled with fun and fitness for all ages!
Session 1: Sept. 5 – Oct. 28, 2017
For class & registration info, call Membership at 201-444-5600 ext. 400 or visit www.ywcabergencounty.org
Ridgewood NJ,Bruce Campbell Star of Evil Dead Franchise and New York Times Bestselling Author, will sign his new book: Hail to the Chin, Monday, August 14th @6:00pm.
Appearing authors will only autograph books purchased at Bookends and must have valid Bookends Receipt.
Availability & pricing for all autographed books subject to change.
First In Line Certificate use is the the discretion of Bookends. Blackout dates may apply.
Bookends cannot guarantee that the books that are Autographed will always be First Printings.
Autographed books purchased at Bookends are non-returnable.
While we try to ensure that all customers coming to Bookends’ signings will meet authors and get their books signed, we cannot guarantee that all attendees will meet the author or that all books will be signed. We cannot control inclement weather, author travel schedules or authors who leave prematurely.
Bookends, 211 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450 201-445-0726
Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) all do not pay interns but support the minimum wage photo of Cory Booker by Boyd Loving
By Jonathon Trugman
August 12, 2017 | 10:53pm
One of the most valuable things a college student can do is complement his or her education with a summer internship.
Across America, kids from all schools and backgrounds compete for these experiences and résumé-building opportunities.
For many, it is their first real job and a chance make a little money. It could also be their first experience in a professional work environment.
You wouldn’t know it, but one of the least rewarding places to intern over the summer is on Capitol Hill.
Jeff Hunt is the vice president of public policy at Colorado Christian University.
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., has introduced the Marijuana Justice Act in an effort to legalize marijuana across the nation. This is the furthest-reaching legalization effort to date and marks another sad moment in our nation’s embrace of a drug that will have generational consequences.
Our country is facing a drug epidemic. Legalizing recreational marijuana will do nothing that Booker expects. We heard many of these same promises in 2012 when Colorado legalized recreational marijuana.
