Top IRS official will invoke 5th Amendment
By Richard Simon and Joseph Tanfani
May 21, 2013, 1:17 p.m.
WASHINGTON — A top IRS official in the division that reviews nonprofit groups will invoke the 5th Amendment and refuse to answer questions before a House committee investigating the agency’s improper screening of conservative nonprofit groups.
Lois Lerner, the head of the exempt organizations division of the IRS, won’t answer questions about what she knew about the improper screening — or why she didn’t disclose it to Congress, according to a letter from her defense lawyer, William W. Taylor III. Lerner was scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday.
“She has not committed any crime or made any misrepresentation but under the circumstances she has no choice but to take this course,” said a letter by Taylor to committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Vista). The letter, sent Monday, was obtained Tuesday by the Los Angeles Times.
State grants to help improve aesthetics in Ridgewood
Monday May 20, 2013, 10:07 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
Two recently obtained grants amounting to nearly $200,000 will assist the Village of Ridgewood as it embarks on various beautification and improvement projects this year.
Of the total $87 million of local aid awarded to New Jersey municipalities this month by the state and Gov. Christie, the village will take home $150,000. The funds, available through the state’s Municipal Aid program, were granted to Ridgewood to offset the costs of repaving jobs on South Van Dien Avenue.
“These grants enable municipalities to stretch their resources and advance important roadway projects and other safety and quality-of-life improvements that benefit all who share the road, including pedestrians and bicyclists,” NJ Department of Transportation Commissioner James Simpson said in a news release. “The Christie administration supports the Local Aid program because it helps relieve pressure on local property taxpayers.”
Menendez, NJ Brewer Discuss “Small BREW Act” During American Craft Beer Week
May 16, 2013
Washington, DC – Today, during American Craft Beer Week, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) met with members of the Brewers Association, including Gene Muller, founder and general manager of New Jersey’s Flying Fish Brewing Company.
Among the topics discussed was the recently introduced “Small BREW Act” (S. 917, The Small Brewer Reinvestment and Expanding Workforce Act). This legislation, of which Senator Menendez is an original co-sponsor, would fuel regional economies by reducing the excise tax on each barrel of beer brewed by small brewers.
“It isn’t every day a Senator gets to talk about beer on the job, but it makes sense when you consider small brewers’ ability to create jobs and propel our economy. For all that they do, I tip a figurative pint to the outstanding small brewers I met with today,” said Sen. Menendez. “In New Jersey, small brewers like Gene Muller and his Flying Fish Brewing Company not only produce some great brews, they help the New Jersey economy. I’m glad to have met this Somerdale success story. He is just one reason why we need to pass the Small BREW Act, and help cut small brewers’ tax burden so they can put more people to work and bring more artisan brews to the marketplace.”
“Small brewers have reenergized the nation’s beer culture by combining creativity, personality and a healthy dose of fun. But that doesn’t mean what we do isn’t serious business,” said Gene Muller, founder and general manager of the Flying Fish Brewing Company of Somerdale, New Jersey. “Senator Menendez and his colleagues understand that behind every American craft brewer’s label is a small business creating jobs, fueling the economy and needing government’s help–not its hassles. That’s why I appreciate Sen. Menendez and his colleagues for sponsoring the Small BREW Act and for giving us the chance to discuss the needs of our businesses. This kind of support will help small brewers like me do everything we can to keep America moving forward.”
Under current law, brewers generally pay an $18 excise tax on each barrel brewed. Small brewers, currently defined as those that brew fewer than 2 million barrels of beer a year, pay a reduced excise tax of $7 per barrel for the first 60,000 barrels of beer they brew each year. The Small BREW Act would reduce the excise tax applicable to brewers producing up to 6 million barrels per year to just $3.50 on the first 60,000 barrels and $16 on additional barrels below 2 million per year.
An economic impact study by Dr. John Friedman at Harvard University found that the bill would generate $183.1 million in economic activity in the first year and almost $1.04 billion over five years and would also create nearly 5,230 jobs in just the first year. New Jersey is home to 31 craft brewers, with at least 28 more in the planning stages.
The small brewer threshold and tax rate were established in 1976 and have never been updated. Since then, the annual production of America’s largest brewery increased from 45 million barrels to 105 million barrels. Raising the ceiling that defines small breweries from 2 million barrels to 6 million barrels more accurately reflects the intent of the original differentiation between large and small brewers in the U.S.
American Craft Beer Week, May 13-19, is a celebration of America’s small and independent craft brewers and their contributions to America’s communities and our economy..
Judge’s deadline for Valley Hospital creeps up
Monday May 20, 2013, 2:40 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
The Valley Hospital expansion plan public hearing process is moving forward “one session at a time” despite the mounting urgency to complete it before the end of June, according to Ridgewood Planning Board Chairman Charles Nalbantian.
Detailed presentations and spirited debate and conversation between the applicant and board members during the most recent Planning Board meetings, coupled with existing scheduling conflicts, have slowed the fluid pace established in early March. When Valley representatives first met with the Planning Board on March 11, all parties had hoped to meet a Superior Court directive that the hospital’s public hearing conclude before July 1.
While reviewing Valley’s remaining witnesses and schedule last month, project attorney Jonathan Drill expressed skepticism that the hearing would wrap up in time.
Ex-congressman Former Rep. Andy Maguire exploring a run to unseat Garrett
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
BY HERB JACKSON
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT
The Record
Former Rep. Andy Maguire is hoping to make a comeback next year, when he’ll be 75 years old, to retake the House seat he lost more than three decades ago.
A spokesman said he still considers it exploratory, but Maguire, of Ridgewood, has filed paperwork and is raising money to seek the Democratic nomination to challenge Rep. Scott Garrett, a six-term Republican from Sussex County, in the 5th Congressional District.
A Maguire-Garrett race would pit an old-school liberal, whose work after Congress included helping farmers in the developing world and trying to limit carbon emissions, against a leader in the House GOP’s movement toward a more conservative agenda who believes in strict application of the U.S. Constitution’s limits on federal power.
Garrett, 59, has easily won six terms, most recently in November by a 12-point margin.
Democrats note, however, that Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez also carried the district on the same ballot.
Climate slowdown means extreme rates of warming ‘not as likely’
By Matt McGrath Environment correspondent, BBC News
Since 1998, there has been an unexplained “standstill” in the heating of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Writing in Nature Geoscience, the researchers say this will reduce predicted warming in the coming decades.
But long-term, the expected temperature rises will not alter significantly.
“The most extreme projections are looking less likely than before”
Dr Alexander Otto University of Oxford
The slowdown in the expected rate of global warming has been studied for several years now. Earlier this year, the UK Met Office lowered their five-year temperature forecast.
But this new paper gives the clearest picture yet of how any slowdown is likely to affect temperatures in both the short-term and long-term.
An international team of researchers looked at how the last decade would impact long-term, equilibrium climate sensitivity and the shorter term climate response.
Smoking ban gets green light in Ridgewood
Monday May 20, 2013, 10:07 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
It’s official: Smoking is now banned in all parks, playgrounds and sports fields owned or leased by the Village of Ridgewood.
After several months of discussion and scratching a handful of drafts, the Village Council finalized and unanimously approved its smoke-free parks plan last Wednesday.
As part of the initiative, Ridgewood will receive more than 70 signs declaring areas as smoke free. The signs are provided by the Center for Prevention and Counseling (CPC) through a state Department of Health grant at no cost to municipalities that adopt a smoking ban proposal.
NJ’s COAH money grab is latest raid on property taxes
It’s a classic case of “Catch 22.”
As they wait for state approvals for committing affordable housing funds, municipal officials throughout New Jersey find themselves fending off state attempts to take that money — because it’s not being spent
A Change in Tone for the Village
May 20,2013
the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, three recent letters to the editor posted in the Ridgewood News may be signaling a change of tone for the Village .
All three were noticeable in the absence of heaping praise for the irresponsible spending and outlandish promises that usually make headlines in this town .
So what gives ,Ridgewood is no longer a safe heaven for left wing loons , like the mad bomber or supporters of New Jersey’s Democratic machine politics . Maybe the grip of Hudson County is soiling the upscale nature of the Village and degrading residents self image ?
No , its seems more like the reality of the continued negative impacts of Big Government or Government knows best policies are hurting more and more people . It is one thing to read about it in the paper its anther to see your neighbors go down the tubes .
It seems the tax payer is feeling far less generous and growing weary of the we know best shut up and pay attitude .
A plan by the state’s largest power company to upgrade a major portion of New Jersey’s power grid would reduce storm-induced blackouts by 39 percent and save customers from hundreds of millions of dollars in losses, according to the utility.
Public Service Electric and Gas said its $3.9 billion Energy Strong proposal would be worth the money because customers would avoid the kinds of financial losses incurred after Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene and other recent weather events.
Legendary Coach of the Chicago Bulls and LA. Lakers, Phil Jackson Wednesday at Bookends
Ridgewood NJ, Wednesday, May 22nd @ 6:30pm ,Legendary Coach of the Chicago Bulls and LA. Lakers, Phil Jackson, will sign his new book: Eleven Rings
Book available May 21st
Appearing authors will only autograph books purchased at Bookends and must have valid Bookends Receipt. Availability & pricing for all autographed books subject to change.
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 insure 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
New fire engine is great, but why is the government paying for it?
Friday, May 17, 2013
The Ridgewood News
New fire engine is great, but why is the government paying for it?
To the Editor:
I read with interest your recent article, “Senator warns of sequester’s impact” (The Ridgewood News; May 10: page A1).
Sen. Menendez was in town to help unveil a new fire engine, which was largely paid for by the federal government. At a press conference with Menendez as the keynote speaker, village officials applauded the fire department and other agencies for obtaining $800,000 in federal funds over the past three years. Officials praised the fire department for searching for “alternate revenue sources” and for their grant writing success.
Protecting Federal Tax Information: A Message From The IRS
Data security breaches and information losses make the headlines and nightly newscasts.
The public is extremely sensitive about the vulnerability of their confidential data.
They have serious and very legitimate worries about identity theft.
When leading businesses and well-respected public agencies lose personal data about their customers and employees, whether by theft, accident, or negligence, it does more than make the news.
It’s an event that undermines the public’s confidence in institutions they trusted.
Because of the job you perform, you’re probably accustomed to working with confidential records and other personal information.
You also have access to and work with federal tax information.
That federal tax information is an important asset on which both you and your employer rely.
Like you, I work with federal tax information, or FTI, as it’s known.
To safeguard sensitive personal and financial information about taxpayers, FTI is protected by law.
That law imposes important obligations on you, just as it does on me and all other IRS employees.
This presentation is designed to give you information you need to know about federal tax information and the laws that protect it.
This material may not be news to you.
You may have heard it before, perhaps even many times before.
While the content may not be new, it is timely, and it’s certainly relevant.
What you’re going to hear will help you to confidently work with federal tax data, knowing what it is and how to protect it.
The very fact that you’re working with FTI is evidence that we trust you and that your employer has a culture of confidentiality with rigorous safeguards in place to prevent data loss and misuse.
The legal provisions that allow IRS to disclose FTI to your employer also obliges it and each of its employees to protect it.
The disclosure basics I’ll share with you in this presentation may be found in greater detail in the “IRS Disclosure Awareness Pocket Guide.”
Publication 1075 is also an excellent source of information about federal tax information and how to protect it.
Both are available at irs.gov.
The law I’ve been referring to is found in the Internal Revenue Code, or Title 26 of the United States Code.
Code section 6103 contains a general prohibition against the disclosure of federal tax returns and return information.
This prohibition applies to you as someone having access to FTI.
The law limits your access to FTI and your disclosure of that information to certain circumstances specified in the law.
As examples, section 6103(d) is the specific point in the law that permits the IRS to disclose FTI to state and some city tax agencies for use in tax administration.
Section 6103(i) allows disclosure of FTI to the Department of Justice and others for the investigation and potential prosecution of non-tax federal crimes.
A section of the same law allows us to disclose FTI to the taxpayer and their authorized representatives, while other sections provide for disclosure of certain information to agencies for specified purposes.
The code provisions that govern disclosure of FTI to you and your employer are important because if it administers other programs, FTI can only be used for matters authorized by statute.
To have a sound understanding of your obligations, you need to know just exactly what you can and cannot disclose.
On a more basic level, it’s also important to understand just exactly what the word “disclosure” means.
The law itself is the source for the definition of “return,” “return information,” and “disclosure.”
While the definition of a return may seem obvious, let’s go over what it means under the law, which tells us that…
A return means any tax or information return, estimated tax declaration, or refund claim, including amendments, supplements, supporting schedules, attachments or lists, required by or permitted under the Code, which is filed with the IRS by, on behalf of, or with respect to any person.
Examples of returns include forms filed on paper or electronically, such as Forms 1040, 941, 1099, 1120, and W-2.
“Return information” is defined by law and is very broad in scope.
It includes the taxpayer’s name, mailing address, and identification number, including social security number or employer identification number; any information extracted from a return, including names of dependents or the location of a business; information on whether a return was, is being, or will be examined or subject to other investigation or processing; information contained on transcripts of accounts; the fact that a return was filed or examined; investigation or collection history; or tax balance due information.
Your employer may receive returns and return information electronically or on paper.
But it’s important to know that, regardless of format, FTI is confidential.
Which brings us to the third important definition we need to cover, and that is “disclosure,” which the law defines as…
…making a return or return information known to any person in any manner.
We know you want to do the right thing, and that’s why we’re here.
We want to make sure that you are fully aware of your responsibilities and the potentially serious repercussions of ignoring those responsibilities.
Knowingly and willfully disclosing FTI to someone not authorized to receive it or willfully accessing tax data without a business need to do so, known as UNAX, are both criminal offenses subject to penalties.
Internal Revenue Code section 7213 specifies that willful unauthorized disclosure of returns or return information by an employee — whether federal or state — former employee, or contractor employee is a felony.
The penalty can be a fine of up to $5,000 or up to five years in jail or both, plus the costs of prosecution.
Under IRC section 7213A, willful unauthorized access or inspection — UNAX — of taxpayer records by an employee is a misdemeanor.
This applies to both paper documents and computerized information.
Violators can be subject to a fine of up to $1,000 and up to one year in prison.
In addition to criminal penalties, civil remedies may also be pursued by any taxpayer whose return or return information has been knowingly or negligently inspected or disclosed in violation of section 6103.
Section 7431 allows a taxpayer to institute action in district court for civil damages.
If the court finds there has been an unauthorized inspection or disclosure of FTI, the taxpayer may receive damages of $1,000 for each act of unauthorized access or disclosure or the actual damages sustained, if greater, plus punitive damages and costs of the action.
And that’s where it really gets expensive.
Protect FTI by following the tips available in the “Disclosure Awareness Pocket Guide.”
Publication 1075 is the definitive source for safeguard standards and procedures required to protect federal tax information.
A number of IRS resources are available to help you access, work with, and protect FTI.
IRS Safeguards staff is responsible for periodic reviews for compliance with these data protection requirements and for receiving and approving certain reports required by law.
IRS Data Services works with agencies in use of the DIFSLA extracts.
The IRS Governmental Liaison keeps the lines of communication and cooperation open and active with state and some city tax agencies and some federal ones, as well.
The IRS Disclosure Office answers your questions and concerns about access to FTI.
We’re here to help you when you need to check it out before you give it out.
Obama’s Scandals Reveal the True Face of Government
Power and force are the name of the game.
Steven Greenhut | May 17, 2013
The Obama administration has gotten itself into a fix between its contradictory stories about the Benghazi incident, reports of the IRS targeting conservative groups, and the Justice Department’s grabbing of phone records from AP reporters. There are few things more fun to watch than arrogant political leaders — folks who spend their lives bossing everyone around — getting a comeuppance.
My favorite take wasn’t from any serious commentator but from comedian Jon Stewart, who noticed that the president routinely claims ignorance about embarrassing events by saying that he learned of them while watching the news: “I wouldn’t be surprised if President Obama learned Osama bin Laden had been killed when he saw himself announcing it on television.”
I take a bipartisan approach to Washington, DC’s political scandals and find myself savoring them all, regardless of the party that is in control of the White House. Any sane person would conclude that all administrations and bureaucracies essentially are corrupt given that they thrive on the exertion of power of other people. We know about the corrupting influence of power, and DC has become like ancient Rome that way. It’s a magnet for those seeking favor, money, or a big title administering some pointless program.
Customers encouraged to review new timetables
May 16, 2013
NEWARK, NJ — NJ TRANSIT today announced that new rail timetables will take effect Sunday, June 2, reflecting adjustments made to accommodate Amtrak’s long-term tie replacement project on the Northeast Corridor. The project will require Amtrak to take one of four tracks out of service on a portion of the line, affecting both weekday and weekend train schedules.
Next month, Amtrak, which owns and maintains the Northeast Corridor, will continue a railroad tie replacement project that began earlier this year, advancing the work to areas where station stops are located. Their crews will begin working on Track 4, the local outbound (to Trenton) track, which will be taken out of service for several months between New Brunswick and Metuchen.
“While we have worked very closely with Amtrak to minimize the impact to Northeast Corridor customers, the reduced track capacity is similar to taking a lane out of service on a busy superhighway,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director James Weinstein. “Some customers will experience changes in their departure times and longer trip times—however, the work Amtrak is performing now will benefit customers in the long term.”
In order to minimize congestion and reduce delays from the tie replacement project, NJ TRANSIT designed the new Northeast Corridor schedule to make the most of the remaining three tracks, keeping one track in each direction open for local service while using the remaining track for express service in the peak direction.
The new schedule will show slightly longer trip times for trains to/from Trenton, adjustments to departure times, and a reduction in the total number of train stops through the work zone during non-peak hours in an effort to mitigate congestion and minimize delays.
Among the impacts:
Customers traveling to or from the “middle zone” (New Brunswick, Edison and Metuchen stations) will be most affected by the project because only three tracks will be available. NJ TRANSIT has worked with Amtrak to minimize disruption for customers traveling in the peak direction (to Newark/New York in the morning and to Trenton in the afternoon). Peak‐direction customers will not see a significant reduction in the number of trains, but trip times will be extended. Customers traveling in the “reverse peak” direction (toward Trenton in the morning or toward Newark/New York in the afternoon) will have fewer trains due to limited track capacity.
With Track 4 out of service, trains will not be able to reach the platform at New Brunswick, Edison and Metuchen stations. At these stations only, Amtrak will install special platform bridges, enabling customers to board/alight trains on the adjacent “express” track at the same height as the regular platform. Customers boarding at these stations must not stand or wait on the platform bridges until directed by a uniformed crew member. The platform bridges will line up with the end doors of most cars, but center doors (and “quarter‐point” doors near the stairs on multilevel cars) will not be used. Customers detraining at New Brunswick, Edison and Metuchen are advised to use end doors only and to listen for announcements from train crews.
Customers traveling to/from stations in the outer and inner zones—that is, stations from Jersey Avenue west and Metropark east—will not see a significant reduction in service. Some departure times will be adjusted, so customers are advised to review timetables carefully.
Amtrak estimates that Track 4 will be out of service for several months, but a more exact projection will not be known until the work begins. When the work on Track 4 is complete, Amtrak will move to Track 1, the inbound local track, to replace ties in the same area between New Brunswick and Metuchen. A new timetable will be issued when Track 4 is returned to service and Track 1 is taken out of service. Overall, the tie replacement project will continue into the fall.
In addition, the reduced track capacity will limit NJ TRANSIT’s ability to work around operational problems (e.g. a disabled train or switch problem), and delays from these types of issues could be longer as a result.
New timetables will be available on www.njtransit.com starting on Friday, May 24, with printed copies available on trains and in stations shortly thereafter. NJ TRANSIT encourages customers to carefully review the new schedule to determine how these changes will affect their commute.
Detailed updates about the tie replacement project will be posted on njtransit.com, as well as on NJ TRANSIT’s Facebook and Twitter feeds. Customers are encouraged to sign up for My Transit alerts to receive up-to-the-minute service information about their specific trip to their PDA, cell phone or email. Current My Transit subscribers are reminded to update their alert preferences to reflect the new train numbers effective with the June 2 timetable change.
