The first candidate to interview, Nicole Richards, stressed that her background as a businesswoman would be integral to her work if she were appointed to the board.
Michael Zuckerman
The second candidate, Michael Zuckerman, explained that his experiences as the son of a board of education member give him insight into what the job requires.
Theresa C. Anzano
The third candidate, Theresa C. Anzano, pointed to things she disapproves of about the board, and gave an impassioned defense of local autonomy in regards to education.
Alexandra Harwin
The fourth candidate, Alexandra Harwin, explained that her experience as a civil rights attorney would help her to work out a solution with the teachers if appointed to the board.
Dana Costache
The fifth candidate, Dana Costache, a native of Romania, explained that she has become disillusioned with the college process that the United States offers, since some people with college degrees are being denied jobs for which they are qualified.
Jennie Smith Wilson
The sixth and final candidate, Jennie Smith Wilson, explained that she would rely on her numerous years of public service for help were she appointed to the board position. She is currently on the Zoning Board of Adjustment and a board member of the Ridgewood Education Foundation.
Danger ahead—that’s the warning from Carl Icahn in a video coming Tuesday.
The activist says low rates caused bubbles in art, real estate and high-yield bonds—with potentially dramatic consequences.
“It’s like giving somebody medicine and this medicine is being given and given and given and we don’t know what’s going to happen – you don’t know how bad it’s going to be. We do know when we did it a few years ago it caused a catastrophe, it caused ’08. Where do you draw the line?”
Pentagon: ‘We can’t control every situation that these fighters encounter’
BY: Adam Kredo
September 28, 2015 12:50 pm
U.S. defense officials have confirmed that military equipment issued by the United States to Syrian rebel fighters has been funneled to an al Qaeda offshoot, raising new questions about the ways in which the Obama administration is safeguarding U.S. arms in the war-torn Middle Eastern country.
A commander in the New Syrian Forces (NSF), a group being trained and equipped by the United States, was found to have distributed at least 25 percent of the force’s U.S.-provided hardware to the Nusra Front, a terrorist organization affiliated with al Qaeda.
The equipment, which included U.S.-issued ammunition and pick-up trucks, was “surrendered” to a Nusra Front affiliate in order to ensure that the rebel fighters could pass freely through territories controlled by the terrorist group, the Pentagon said.
A Syrian opposition commander who was leading a group of NSF recruits “self-reported to coalition forces that under threat from al Nusra, they surrendered six trucks and ammunition to a suspected al Nusra Front intermediary to secure safe passage after being told that unless he surrendered some of his NSF equipment, his unit would be ambushed en route to their new location,” according to Col. Patrick Ryder, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, who provided the Washington Free Beacon on Monday with a timeline of what took place.
“We will look at what we can do to prevent such a situation in the future, but given the complexity of the battlefield it is not possible to eliminate all risk,” Ryder added. “We are using all means at our disposal to look into what exactly happened and determine the appropriate response.”
The arms exchange occurred after a group of around 70 NSF graduates crossed into Syria on the morning of Sept. 20, according to the Pentagon.
Ridgewood Veterinary Hospital Dog Obedience Training Classes
Wouldn’t it be nice if your dog was well-behaved everywhere you go?
Does your dog pay attention to your normal commands when friends and relatives visit?
Is your pet easily controlled at the dog park?
Is your dog calm and relaxed around strangers and loud noises?
Beginner Puppy, Beginner Adult and Advanced Beginner Classes Offered in October at the Discounted Rate of $161.78 (includes tax) for 6 sessions with Coupon below!(Normally $202.23, includes tax). Call now – Space is Limited!
Beginner Puppy and Beginner Adult Classes teach the basic commands, how to socialize your dog, and how to use schedules to maintain behavioral wellness. The Beginner Puppy Class will be offered on Mondays for puppies age 3 months to 6 months, and the Beginner Adult Class will be offered on Fridays for ages 6 months and older. Read more about the program here.
The Advanced Beginner Class is offered to dogs that have taken a beginner class and have an understanding of the basic commands. Owners and their dogs will hone the skills learned in the Beginner Class, and also work on left and right turns, recalls with distractions, sits and downs with walk arounds, down from stand position, and stays with distractions. The Advanced Beginner class will be offered on Mondays for all ages after the Beginner Puppy Class.
The first class for Beginner Puppy is on Monday, October 5th from 6:30pm-7:30pm . The first class for Advanced Beginner is on Monday, October 5th from 7:40pm-8:40pm. The first class for Beginner Adult is on Friday, October 9th from 6:30pm-7:30pm.
Sign up now by calling 201-447-6000 today!
If your dog needs training, whether he is a puppy or an adult dog that never learned basic obedience, we can help to get your family off to the right start. We can also help if you have a dog that doesn’t learn as quickly as most, or forgot what he learned. Our goal is to help you build a relationship with your dog, to train your dog to give you his attention when needed for training and safety, and to teach your dog the foundation behaviors which are necessary for all future training and learning.
Too few Americans are working, too many jobs have been shipped overseas, and too many middle class families cannot make ends meet. This tax plan directly meets these challenges with four simple goals:
Tax relief for middle class Americans: In order to achieve the American dream, let people keep more money in their pockets and increase after-tax wages.
Simplify the tax code to reduce the headaches Americans face in preparing their taxes and let everyone keep more of their money.
Grow the American economy by discouraging corporate inversions, adding a huge number of new jobs, and making America globally competitive again.
Doesn’t add to our debt and deficit, which are already too large.
The Trump Tax Plan Achieves These Goals
If you are single and earn less than $25,000, or married and jointly earn less than $50,000, you will not owe any income tax. That removes nearly 75 million households – over 50% – from the income tax rolls. They get a new one page form to send the IRS saying, “I win,” those who would otherwise owe income taxes will save an average of nearly $1,000 each.
All other Americans will get a simpler tax code with four brackets – 0%, 10%, 20% and 25% – instead of the current seven. This new tax code eliminates the marriage penalty and the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) while providing the lowest tax rate since before World War II.
No business of any size, from a Fortune 500 to a mom and pop shop to a freelancer living job to job, will pay more than 15% of their business income in taxes. This lower rate makes corporate inversions unnecessary by making America’s tax rate one of the best in the world.
No family will have to pay the death tax. You earned and saved that money for your family, not the government. You paid taxes on it when you earned it.
The Trump Tax Plan Is Revenue Neutral
The Trump tax cuts are fully paid for by:
Reducing or eliminating most deductions and loopholes available to the very rich.
A one-time deemed repatriation of corporate cash held overseas at a significantly discounted 10% tax rate, followed by an end to the deferral of taxes on corporate income earned abroad.
Reducing or eliminating corporate loopholes that cater to special interests, as well as deductions made unnecessary or redundant by the new lower tax rate on corporations and business income. We will also phase in a reasonable cap on the deductibility of business interest expenses.
DETAILS OF DONALD J. TRUMP’S TAX PLAN
America needs a bold, simple and achievable plan based on conservative economic principles. This plan does that with needed tax relief for all Americans, especially the working poor and middle class, pro-growth tax reform for all sizes of businesses, and fiscally responsible steps to ensure this plan does not add to our enormous debt and deficit.
This plan simplifies the tax code by taking nearly 50% of current filers off the income tax rolls entirely and reducing the number of tax brackets from seven to four for everyone else. This plan also reduces or eliminates loopholes used by the very rich and special interests made unnecessary or redundant by the new lower tax rates on individuals and companies.
The Trump Tax Plan: A Simpler Tax Code For All Americans
When the income tax was first introduced, just one percent of Americans had to pay it. It was never intended as a tax most Americans would pay. The Trump plan eliminates the income tax for over 73 million households. 42 million households that currently file complex forms to determine they don’t owe any income taxes will now file a one page form saving them time, stress, uncertainty and an average of $110 in preparation costs. Over 31 million households get the same simplification and keep on average nearly $1,000 of their hard-earned money.
For those Americans who will still pay the income tax, the tax rates will go from the current seven brackets to four simpler, fairer brackets that eliminate the marriage penalty and the AMT while providing the lowest tax rate since before World War II:
Income Tax RateLong Term Cap Gains/ Dividends RateSingle FilersMarried FilersHeads of Household
0%0%$0 to $25,000$0 to $50,000$0 to $37,500
10%0%$25,001 to $50,000$50,001 to $100,000$37,501 to $75,000
20%15%$50,001 to $150,000$100,001 to $300,000$75,001 to $225,000
25%20%$150,001 and up$300,001 and up$225,001 and up
With this huge reduction in rates, many of the current exemptions and deductions will become unnecessary or redundant. Those within the 10% bracket will keep all or most of their current deductions. Those within the 20% bracket will keep more than half of their current deductions. Those within the 25% bracket will keep fewer deductions. Charitable giving and mortgage interest deductions will remain unchanged for all taxpayers.
Simplifying the tax code and cutting every American’s taxes will boost consumer spending, encourage savings and investment, and maximize economic growth.
Business Tax Reform To Encourage Jobs And Spur Economic Growth
Too many companies – from great American brands to innovative startups – are leaving America, either directly or through corporate inversions. The Democrats want to outlaw inversions, but that will never work. Companies leaving is not the disease, it is the symptom. Politicians in Washington have let America fall from the best corporate tax rate in the industrialized world in the 1980’s (thanks to Ronald Reagan) to the worst rate in the industrialized world. That is unacceptable. Under the Trump plan, America will compete with the world and win by cutting the corporate tax rate to 15%, taking our rate from one of the worst to one of the best.
This lower tax rate cannot be for big business alone; it needs to help the small businesses that are the true engine of our economy. Right now, freelancers, sole proprietors, unincorporated small businesses and pass-through entities are taxed at the high personal income tax rates. This treatment stifles small businesses. It also stifles tax reform because efforts to reduce loopholes and deductions available to the very rich and special interests end up hitting small businesses and job creators as well. The Trump plan addresses this challenge head on with a new business income tax rate within the personal income tax code that matches the 15% corporate tax rate to help these businesses, entrepreneurs and freelancers grow and prosper.
These lower rates will provide a tremendous stimulus for the economy – significant GDP growth, a huge number of new jobs and an increase in after-tax wages for workers.
The Trump Tax Plan Ends The Unfair Death Tax
The death tax punishes families for achieving the American dream. Therefore, the Trump plan eliminates the death tax.
The Trump Tax Plan Is Fiscally Responsible
The Trump tax cuts are fully paid for by:
Reducing or eliminating deductions and loopholes available to the very rich, starting by steepening the curve of the Personal Exemption Phaseout and the Pease Limitation on itemized deductions. The Trump plan also phases out the tax exemption on life insurance interest for high-income earners, ends the current tax treatment of carried interest for speculative partnerships that do not grow businesses or create jobs and are not risking their own capital, and reduces or eliminates other loopholes for the very rich and special interests. These reductions and eliminations will not harm the economy or hurt the middle class. Because the Trump plan introduces a new business income rate within the personal income tax code, they will not harm small businesses either.
A one-time deemed repatriation of corporate cash held overseas at a significantly discounted 10% tax rate. Since we are making America’s corporate tax rate globally competitive, it is only fair that corporations help make that move fiscally responsible. U.S.-owned corporations have as much as $2.5 trillion in cash sitting overseas. Some companies have been leaving cash overseas as a tax maneuver. Under this plan, they can bring their cash home and put it to work in America while benefitting from the newly-lowered corporate tax rate that is globally competitive and no longer requires parking cash overseas. Other companies have cash overseas for specific business units or activities. They can leave that cash overseas, but they will still have to pay the one-time repatriation fee.
An end to the deferral of taxes on corporate income earned abroad. Corporations will no longer be allowed to defer taxes on income earned abroad, but the foreign tax credit will remain in place because no company should face double taxation.
Reducing or eliminating some corporate loopholes that cater to special interests, as well as deductions made unnecessary or redundant by the new lower tax rate on corporations and business income. We will also phase in a reasonable cap on the deductibility of business interest expenses.
Christ Episcopal Church Announces Blessing of the Animals on October 3
September 28,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Blessing of the Animals
All are Welcome!
Ridgewood Nj, Christ Episcopal Church Announces Blessing of the Animals on October 3 . Families and children of all ages are invited to a Blessing of the Animals and celebration of the life and ministry of St. Frances of Assisi on Saturday October 3, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at Christ Episcopal Church in Ridgewood. Everyone is invited to bring their favorite pets: dogs, cats, goldfish, rabbits and even stuffed animals….any beloved creature, great or small.
A short service celebrating all animals will be followed by individual blessings of each animal. The service will be held at the outdoor altar, which is located by the entrance to the Nursery School on Franklin Avenue. In the event of rain, the service will take place inside the church. Refreshments will be served. There will also be some orphaned animals from the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge who are eligible for adoption. Please consider bringing a donation from the RBARI wish list found on their website: www.rbari.org to this event. Contact the church office at 201.652.2350 with any questions or visit www.christchurchridgewood.org. The church is located at 105 Cottage Place, at the corner of Franklin Avenue, in Ridgewood, NJ.
SEPTEMBER 28, 2015, 10:58 AM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015, 11:05 AM
BY SALVADOR RIZZO
STATE HOUSE BUREAU |
Governor Christie will not consider legislation to increase the state’s gas tax, unless it is paired with reductions to other taxes in New Jersey, he said Monday.
Christie did not say definitively which taxes should be cut, but he mentioned New Jersey’s estate tax and inheritance tax — noting that New Jersey and Maryland are the only states in the country that have both.
The dual “death taxes” are preventing New Jersey from being “competitive,” Christie said. A common complaint from state residents, he said, boils down to, “It’s not that I can’t afford to live here; I can’t afford to die here.
“Republicans should not be giving away any votes for an increase in the gas tax — none, zero — unless whatever is presented represents tax fairness for the people of New Jersey,” Christie said at a breakfast hosted by the New Jersey Commerce and Industry Association in Morris County.
Christie also made reference to the state income tax and “a number of other taxes that could stand some reducing,” giving few specifics.
SEPTEMBER 28, 2015 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015, 1:30 PM
BY BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The eighth Central Business District forum was held on Wednesday night with an emphasis on parking and concepts for a potential garage to be built at the Hudson Street lot.
The Village Council recently selected Desman Design Management to design a multi-level parking deck and present architectural renderings for a public review by residents and the governing body.
Desman will be working with S&L Architectural studio, which Desman Executive Vice President Tim Tracy said would help develop the “bones” of the garage, along with the aesthetics. Desman will also be working with Maser Consulting to assist with the site engineering and traffic studies. Tracy said Maser has previously been engaged with the village and is familiar with traffic flow and patterns.
Ideally, Tracy said, the new garage would bring a net increase of at least 300 spaces, giving the deck approximately 350-400 spaces in its final configuration.
The width of the Hudson Street lot is not ideal for a parking garage lot, but Desman is looking at other opportunities to “borrow” from existing infrastructure, such as building a cantilever over the sidewalk, to expand the footprint of the site. Although such a proposal could mean losing the on-street parking available on Hudson Street, it could potentially bump the total number of parking spots available even higher.
“We have a site that is somewhat geometrically challenged,” said Tracy. “We have properties adjoining three sides of this property and we need to respect those properties. Some of those properties rely on this current parking lot for access and egress and service vehicles. All of that will be considered.”
Ridgewood NJ, Earlier this month Rep Scott Garrett meet with 9/11 activist Jon Stewart to discuss the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, created to help fist responders and survivors of the 9/11 terror attacks.
Garrett had remarked on 9/11 ,” It has been 14 years since a horrific Tuesday morning in September forever changed the lives of every American. While the scars will always remain, we will never forget.
We will never forget those we lost. We will never forget those who ran into danger to help their fellow man and woman. We will never forget that evil forces still conspire to destroy our very way of life. And we will never forget those who sacrifice everything to defend our freedom.”
Garrett went on , “In the midst of chaos, in our hour of need, brave first responders saw the horrors of the September 11th terrorist attacks unfold before them, and they ran toward the danger to help their fellow man and woman. Today, they need us, and I’m proud to once again extend my gratitude to these heroes by urging my colleagues to support the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.
Thanks to Jon Stewart, a longtime advocate for this cause, my Congressional colleagues, and the 9/11 first responders who came to Washington, D.C. today to spread the word about this important legislation.
Two things are clear. One, the state’s worst problem, by far, is a growing budget shortfall that leaves it unable to fund the outsized pension promises made by politicians. Two, elected leaders won’t even start trying to address that problem until residents make them do so by demanding proposals, voicing their preferences and voting for those taking action. The Press of Atlantic City Read more
…they say 1. ‘it’s to provide high end apartments to seniors looking to downsize, 2. To re energize our town which is apparently viewed as deteriorating and 3. If you don’t let us do this we will put something on the properties which will be way worse than apartments. People say aren’t apartments better than what is there now? NO. Why do you think they have been barren properties for so long? Because they have been told they have the support of politicians to get this done for them. High density apartments is the most profitable option for developers. For decades developers have wanted to crack our Master Plan which has always been in tact to prevent such overdevelopment. The Village has been lucky to have politicians who were serving the citizens not developers….until now.
3 DAYS LEFT…..Email council to VOTE NO!Paul Aronsohn – paronsohn@ridgewoodnj.netAlbert Pucciarelli – apucciarelli@…
RIDGEWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Office of the Superintendent September 21, 2015
Board Meeting Report to Board: Opening of School
Opening of School
Cheryl Best, Alfredo Aguilar and I visited all the schools during the first day. In addition, K-12 administrators, Kim Turner, Robert Bell and Chris McCullough also visited each building. From all reports the opening of school went very smoothly. Buses actually ran pretty smoothly.
NOTE: This is subject to change as we determine new students and withdrawals.
Ridgewood’s senior population is 12%, 4 % is under the poverty level and could never afford one of these apartments. Majority of the rest of the senior population are living in houses where their mortgage is paid off so their expenses are taxes and maintenance. Average tax burden is around $15,000 per year. Apartments renting at $3,000-$4,000 per month (they’ll be “luxury apartments”), will costs seniors $36,000-$48,000 TO RENT. The argument that Ridgewood has to do this for the seniors is BS. It’s just a BS political sound bite HE glommed onto to justify his supporting the developers. ‘Doing it for the seniors’ who could argue with that, right. He would have used children as a sound bite but you know, that would be ridiculous. This is all about using Ridgewood to make the developers a ton of money and the paybacks for supporting it will be beneficial to their personal pursuits. Shame on all 3 of them.
Emptynesters in town like the privacy of their home.They do not want to hear their neighbor in an apartment .They can afford landscapers and snow removal so since the mortgage is paid for they can afford to make repairs as necessary.The Former NYC residents who moved here 10-20 years ago “for the schools” will move BACK to NYC to an apartment , since NYC has the museums etc that Ridgewood does Not. As a resident since 1969 I know plenty of old timers, their families, etc….not a single one h as considered moving to those proposed apartments. It’s either back to NYC, or to NYC or FL.
3 DAYS LEFT…..Email council to VOTE NO!Paul Aronsohn – paronsohn@ridgewoodnj.netAlbert Pucciarelli – apucciarelli@…
By Ed O’Keefe and Matea Gold September 27 at 3:07 PM
Jeb Bush is entering a critical phase of his Republican presidential campaign, with top donors warning that the former Florida governor needs to demonstrate growth in the polls over the next month or face serious defections among supporters.
The warnings, expressed by numerous senior GOP fundraisers in recent days, come as Bush and an allied super PAC are in the early stages of an aggressive television ad campaign that they believe will help erase doubts about his viability.
But Bush continues to battle against a steady decline in the polls, sinking to fifth place at just 7 percent in a national NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Sunday and similarly languishing in the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire.
The warnings from top donors come as Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s exit from the race refocused the battle within the GOP’s establishment wing as one between Bush and his former protege, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). Right now, the momentum appears to be behind Rubio, who has jumped ahead of Bush in most polls. At least a third of the bundlers who signed up to raise money for Walker have switched their allegiance to Rubio, while a smaller number have gone with Bush, according to people familiar with the discussions.
Bush is also facing fresh scrutiny for comments that critics say bear echoes of remarks Mitt Romney made during his 2012 GOP presidential bid, part of a pattern of awkward statements that have forced him or his campaign to clarify.
Rumors of Donald Trump’s demise may have been greatly exaggerated.
Ever since rival Carly Fiorina was widely perceived to have bested Trump at the second GOP debate in California on Sept. 16, media outlets have been lining up to suggest that the front-runner is waning.
Trump has hit back with characteristic vigor. But he has a point, independent observers say.
“The reality is that he does have a hold on some people and he doesn’t appear to be surrendering it,” said Mark Mellman, a veteran Democratic pollster who is also a columnist for The Hill.
Much of the negative media attention has been built around a single poll in the immediate aftermath of the debate, by CNN/ORC.
The survey showed the businessman’s support among Republican voters nationwide had declined by 8 percentage points since the last survey from the same source, less than two weeks before.
That was a sizable decline, to be sure — even though Trump still led his closest rival by 9 percentage points. But no other reputable poll since the debate has shown Trump falling by anything like that margin.
A survey from Fox News released earlier this week showed the businessman at 26 percent support nationally, an increase of 1 point since Fox’s last survey in mid-August. A Bloomberg poll gave him 21 percent — good enough for a 5-point lead over the field and an unchanged rating since the last poll from the financial news outlet at the beginning of August.
The picture is not substantially different in the crucial early states — and, in some cases, it is even better for Trump.
The Democratic-leaning firm Public Policy Polling (PPP) released a new survey from Iowa this week in which Trump polled at 24 percent — a 5-point rise over his showing in PPP’s previous poll of the Hawkeye State in the immediate aftermath of the first GOP debate on Aug. 6.
