New Jersey lost its richest resident late last year when billionaire David Tepper decamped to the tax friendly climes of Florida.
Tepper registered to vote in Florida last October, listing his residence as a Miami Beach condominium, and followed up in December by filing a court document declaring that he is now a resident of the state. He also carried out a business reorganization on Jan. 1 that relocated his Appaloosa Management from New Jersey to Florida, which is free of personal income and estate taxes.
The move could save Tepper hundreds of millions of dollars in state taxes several years from now. Florida has been pitching itself as a warm-weather tax haven to hedge fund managers in the Northeast, some of whom face a 2017 deadline to pay taxes on billions of dollars in performance fees that they had kept offshore for years. A Florida residence could offer partial relief to New York and New Jersey money managers who face the prospect of surrendering at least half of the deferred money to federal, state and local taxes.
“Anyone who has a large deferral coming due in 2017” is thinking about ways of reducing the tax hit, said Anthony Tuths, a tax attorney in the New York office of Withum who advises alternative investment funds. “What is easier than packing up your house in New York City and moving down to Miami?”
As winter draws to a close this coming weekend, work crews are fanning out across the state this week to begin repairing roads damaged by winter weather. This year’s goal for the annual road repair campaign is to fill a quarter million potholes, about 70,000 more than usual, said acting state transportation commissioner Richard Hammer.
Our Mayor has moved onto his own agenda..exclusively and Ridgewood is on the chopping block. Sleazy, self-centered government and years of scheming and plotting by some of our fellow residents has led our village down this dark hole. Ridgewood use to be a great town, under great stewardship for most of its history, until Aronsohn plotted and schemed to get the wrong people on the planning board and council. Collectively what is occurring right now will forever change the Village. A few will benefit from these sell outs, particularly Aronsohn in his bid for senator next year. All of this sleazy sellout of our village is what’s going to drive the good people away over the next decade, the decline will occur, and so the very thing you say you love you will have destroyed.
This is a shocking development on a couple of levels. First that Valley can sue us asserting that the needs of the region justify (in their estimation) such a profoundly negative impact on the town. Second, that Ridgewood can allow a Valley insider to negotiate a settlement when she had sworn an oath to represent the Village. It really is time for a citizens’ revolt at Village Hall since the Council majority are clearly using their remaining months in office to put their personal agendas in place. Shameful.
In Ridgewood ,Some can’t see the forest for the trees
To the editor:
Maybe some members of the Ridgewood Town Council along with Chris Rutishauser, Village Engineer and Tim Cronin, Director of Parks and Recreation, “Can’t” see the forest for the trees.”
I live on the East Side of Ridgewood and have been fighting passionately, along with many of my neighbors, to protect the large number of healthy trees in the small forest that encompasses the Schedler Property along West Saddle River Road. One of our key arguments for not building a 90-foot baseball field on this Schedler Property, is that it will require the clear cutting of these large healthy trees that beautify and protect our neighborhood and especially protect us from the noise pollution of Route 17.
I just finished reading an article in the March 11 edition of the Ridgewood News, entitled, “Presenters to reinforce value of trees.” I immediately said to myself, how can these be some of the same individuals that are not only ready but also willing to clear cut the trees from the Schedler property in order to build a huge baseball field? Why are these same people not fighting to protect the trees that are so important to the citizens who live on the East Side of Ridgewood is very disturbing to me and I am sure my neighbors?
This article in the Ridgewood News reinforces so many of the arguments that we have all been stating before for the Village Council, asking them not to clear-cut this property to build a 90-foot field. The clear cutting of these trees for such a large field will have a devastating effect not only on our neighborhood, but in the end all of the neighborhoods of Ridgewood.
Everyone who lives in this great Village of Ridgewood should read this article. You will then see why we must all join together to fight and protect all of the trees that have taken so many years to grow. These trees surround our Village and are very important to the health, safety and quality of life of all Ridgewood residents.
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
RIDGEWOOD – The village’s planning board met Wednesday night in the hopes of coming to decisions in regards to pressing matters currently before the board such as Valley Hospital and the village’s affordable housing obligations.
After taking a look at Governor Christie’s new budget proposal, Fitch Ratings affirmed New Jersey’s “A” credit rating Thursday instead of issuing another downgrade.
But Fitch analysts warned that pension costs are rising rapidly while Christie and lawmakers are unable to find common ground on New Jersey’s biggest financial problems.
BY MARY JO LAYTON AND LINDY WASHBURN
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD
Governor Christie is expected on Friday to call for legislation creating a two-year moratorium on efforts by municipalities to get property tax payments from non-profit hospitals – more than a dozen lawsuits have already been filed – as well as a blue-ribbon panel to study the issue.
About 450 people in the United States have been infected with the Zika virus, the White House’s top health official told The Hill on Thursday.
The figure, which includes Puerto Rico and the continental U.S., shows an increase of about 90 cases from the department’s latest Zika report about one week ago. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expected to release updated data later Thursday afternoon.
Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Sylvia Mathews Burwell has put her department into overdrive to halt the spread.
Recently, HHS has focused on outreach to the thousands of college students who will visit Zika-infected destinations on spring break. A total of 69 countries, most in Central or South America, have reported cases of Zika, according to the World Health Organization.
Oakland Nj, On Tuesday, March 22 the Bergen County Municipal Alliance Program is hosting Hidden In Plain Sight, an interactive awareness event for parents, community members, educators, and caretakers to learn about where their children may be stashing their drugs and to discuss current trends. There will be a dynamic presentation by Tim Shoemaker, a Q&A with experts in the field, resource tables and a prescription drug drop box to dispose of unwanted or unused prescription medications, no questions asked. Due to the nature of this event all attendees must be 18 years or older. This is a county-wide event; registration is required by contacting Jamie England ([email protected] or 201-634-2757), or by visiting www.bergenhealth.org. The event will be held at Indian Hills High School, 97 Yawpo Ave., Oakland from 7-9 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Click here for the flyer.
Ridgewood Nj, Moms and dads determined to raise children who love to learn and who respect others might do well to skip the latest parenting guides and turn instead to Socrates and Confucius.
They and other great thinkers who lived hundreds or thousands of years ago still offer surprisingly relevant advice that one generation can pass on to the next.
“The search for knowledge and how to lead a meaningful life is nothing new,” says Dean Chavooshian, author of The Pursuit of Wisdom(www.thepursuitofwisdom.net), which explores more than 80 great thinkers in philosophy, religion and science.
“If parents introduce children to these ideas from the past, they will have a better understanding of how to live, think and make decisions in the world today.”
Of course, skeptical young people might doubt that anyone who predates the Internet has much to offer in the 21st century.
They are wrong, Chavooshian says.
“These ideas are relevant whether people are wearing togas or jeans,” he says, “and they have practical applications that can help all of us.”
Examples of everyday advice these extraordinary minds left us include:
• Ask questions to understand other viewpoints. When people hear an opinion that differs from their own – whether it’s about politics, religion or the merits of a favorite entertainer – their immediate reaction is to argue for their side. But Socrates’ favorite method for weighing the validity of someone’s argument was not to counter with his own arguments. Instead, he posed questions. Lots and lots of questions – hoping to lead to a broader understanding of issues. • Treat others well. Good manners aren’t just empty gestures you reluctantly agree to because your grandmother expects it. Roughly 2,500 years ago, Confucius stressed the importance of paying attention to rules about politeness and decorum. How you treat others really does make a difference in how they treat you. Confucius’ disciples marveled that he made his point “by being cordial, frank, courteous, temperate, (and) deferential.” • Nurture your curiosity. The world is filled with endless topics to study. You should never stop learning. Chavooshian suggests young people look to Leonardo da Vinci for inspiration. “He was fascinated by just about everything,” Chavooshian says. Da Vinci’s journal pages were practically an encyclopedia of conceptual inventions and observations in the fields of architecture, engineering, astronomy, zoology, biology, geology and hydraulics. Somehow, he also found time to paint “The Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper.”
“We all have a hunger to unravel the mysteries of life,” Chavooshian says. “But it’s important to remember that you don’t have to start from square one. A lot of wonderful thinkers have already laid an excellent foundation for us.”
About Dean Chavooshian
Dean Chavooshian is author of The Pursuit of Wisdom(www.thepursuitofwisdom.net). After earning a degree in Theology/Philosophy, Chavooshian received a Master’s Degree in Architecture and over 30 years worked with prominent New York architectural firms and international real estate developers.
Ridgewood NJ, Years ago, Donald Trump endorsed a series of books for his university written by experts in the financial sector, including one titled, “Trump University Asset Protection 101.”
With his meteoric rise in politics as a truly one-of-a-kind candidate, controversy is bubbling around the former reality-TV star’s past business dealings, including his university, with thousands of former students claiming the courses they took had no value.
“The world has had its fill of Trump, yet it seems to want more,” says attorney Hillel Presser of the Presser Law Firm, P.A., which specializes in comprehensive domestic and international Asset Protection.
“Love him or hate him, there could be at least one great takeaway from Trump’s media storm: maybe it’ll encourage some to look more closely at their financial vulnerabilities.”
Helping educate the average person on asset protection is why Presser wrote “Financial Self-Defense” (www.assetprotectionattorneys.com). He says there are several reasons people should take steps to safeguard whatever wealth they have.
• The world is a minefield of threats to your hard-earned money.Lawsuits, which can be unpredictable, often drive people to asset protection – and for good reason. The tort system in the United States is the most expensive in the industrial world, accounting for 2.2 percent of the gross domestic product. The annual cost of litigation in the U.S. is $867.4 billion. And don’t assume your good behavior will always protect you. Consider the school teacher defending a $5 million lawsuit because she dismissed a student caught cheating on an exam. • You don’t have to be wealthy to benefit from financial self-defense. Wealth is relative. If an old car and a small bank account are all you have financially, it still makes sense to protect them. Hard-working folks across the country are worried about creditor problems or lawsuits, and what little they have is precious to them. There are cost-effective ways for them protect their money. • Liability insurance doesn’t always protect you. Liability insurance is important, but it’s just a starting point. Most lawsuits and other financial claims aren’t insured, or your insurance company may deny you coverage on your claim because of an exclusion. You need more than insurance, which covers few financial catastrophes. You need a full, robust self-defense plan.
“I wouldn’t have thought that a presidential election could possibly highlight the importance of asset protection, but here we are,” Presser says. “These are interesting times.”
About Hillel L. Presser, Esq., MBA
Hillel L. Presser’s firm, The Presser Law Firm, P.A., represents individuals and businesses in establishing comprehensive asset protection plans. He is a former adjunct faculty member for law at Lynn University and offers complimentary copies of his book “Financial Self-Defense” throughwww.assetprotectionattorneys.com.
The PARCC tests are scheduled to be administered in Ridgewood starting in April. Given that Governor Christie has clearly stated that the Common Core State Standards have been eliminated in New Jersey, and given the fact that the PARCC exams test close adherence to the Common Core State Standards, it is hard to understand how the New Jersey Department of Education could possibly expect any thinking person to permit his child to sit for these exams.
et out your green! It’s St. Patrick’s Day. USA TODAY Network explains the origins of some of the Irish holiday’s traditions.
1. Who was St. Patrick?
St. Patrick — brace yourself — was not actually Irish. Patrick was a nobleman born in about 400 A.D. in Britain and kidnapped by Irish pirates at the age of 16, said Philip Freeman, author of St. Patrick of Ireland: A Biography.
Patrick was born into a religious family, but was an atheist early in his life. However, he rediscovered his faith while enslaved in Ireland, Freeman told USA TODAY Network.
After 17 years as a slave, St. Patrick escaped Ireland and found his way home, but returned to Ireland as a missionary.
“He said he was ready to die in Ireland in order to make his mission successful,” Freeman said.
It’s unclear if St. Patrick did in fact die in Ireland, but March 17 is widely believed to be the day of his death, according to Freeman.
2. Green River in Chicago is a family affair:
Another unique tradition that has grown in popularity every year is the annual dyeing of the Chicago River for St. Patrick’s Day.
The ranks of retired public officials who collect more than $100,000 a year from New Jersey pensions have more than doubled in the past five years, according to an NJ Spotlight analysis of state Treasury data. Mark Lagerkvist, NJSpotlight Read more
A state commission looking at the issue of college affordability is likely to recommend that high school seniors graduate with at least a semester of community college credits, the panel’s chairman said Wednesday.
The students could continue on at community college before heading off to a four-year school – a strategy that could reduce the cost of a baccalaureate degree from a state college by more than half to around $20,000, said Fred Keating, the chairman of the commission and president of Rowan College at Gloucester.
