Author: James

MOTHER OF SEAL: ‘I BELIEVE THAT OBAMA MURDERED MY SON’

A father and a mother used the word “murder.” A brother said he won’t second-guess decisions made in the heat of battle.

The families of three Americans killed in the Sept. 11 U.S. consulate attack in Benghazi, Libya, are offering widely different reactions to recent reports that U.S. personnel issued several requests for help that were turned down.

Patricia Smith, the mother of slain State Department employee Sean Patrick Smith, is now blaming President Barack Obama for her son’s death.

“I believe that Obama murdered my son,” she said Thursday from the living room of her Clairemont home. “I firmly believe this.”

Patricia Smith, who voted for Obama in 2008 at the insistence of her son, said reporting by Fox News is the basis for much of her belief that Obama is ultimately responsible for her son’s death. She said Sean, who went to Mission Bay High School but lived abroad, was a fervent supporter of the president.

Smith’s view echoes that of Charles Woods, father of Tyrone Woods, the 41-year-old former Navy SEAL from Imperial Beach who died fighting in Benghazi.

https://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/nov/02/tp-families-differ-on-us-response/

Ridgewood Art Institute is Open for Classes!

Power has been restored at the Ridgewood Art Institute.

We hope everyone is safe. Thoughts and prayers go out to all affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Stay safe and hope to see everyone soon!

Ed Broussard’s Monday Morning Figure Drawing Class, and John Henderson’s Monday Night Sketch Group are both canceled this week, and will resume on Nov 12th.

Please confirm your class status with your teacher.

FEMA PUBLIC ASSISTANCE – FOR ALL 21 COUNTIES

Please note: Public Assistance Program funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
Governor Christie Announces FEMA Public Assistance Approved for All 21 New Jersey Counties

Trenton, NJ – Governor Chris Christie today announced that the federal government has extended public assistance to all 21 counties in New Jersey as a result of the impact of Hurricane Sandy, extending public assistance now to all 11 New Jersey counties not previously approved. This additional assistance comes in the aftermath of the historic hurricane, while joint Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDA) continue to take place in these 11 counties to determine eligibility for individual assistance.

Public Assistance Program funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

Individuals impacted by Hurricane Sandy in the 10 counties previously approved for both public and individual assistance are encouraged to register with FEMA. Those counties include: Atlantic, Bergen, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset and Union counties. Eligibility allows New Jerseyans to apply for different types of assistance, including temporary housing, repair, replacement or other needs such as Disaster Unemployment Assistance, and Small Business Administration disaster loans.

Register by phone at 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585 for those with hearing or speech impairments. Specialists are standing by at the toll-free numbers seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, until further notice. Help in languages other than English is available. Or you can register online at https://www.disasterassistance.gov/. You can also apply through a web-enabled mobile device or smartphone by visiting https://m.fema.gov/ and following the link to “apply online for federal assistance.”

Find Gas (DOT) Org 

Sandy has left her damage and everyone is scrambling to fuel up. Use our locator below to find a gas station and stay updated on the most recent gas news. Please spread the word!

Report LocationsHelp keep our information accurate by clicking “Report Updates” on a location below to update the wait time, status and other details. You can also help add locations by sending the name, location and status of a gas station via:

Twitter: Tweet with hashtags #findgas or #findgasorg
Facebook: Post to our Facebook page

https://www.findgas.org/

Christie temporarily suspends Bergen blue laws
November 4,2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, In an unusual move, to give Bergen residents an extra day to pick up supplies and clothing after the deadly and devastating storm, Governor Christie,suspended the county’s Blue Laws on Sunday.

Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan had called on the Governor Saturday to temporarily suspend the county’s blue laws to help residents who were still reeling from the effects of the super storm Sandy.

“We are in the midst of an extraordinary crisis as the result of hurricane/tropical storm Sandy. Bergen County is suffering,” Donovan wrote in a letter to Paul B. Matey, the deputy chief counsel for the Governor’s Office.( https://www.northjersey.com/news/Bergen_executive_Kathleen_Donovan_appeals_to_the_state_to_suspend_blue_laws_during_storm_recovery.html )

Blue laws restrict what can be sold and what stores can be open on Sunday . Despite there seemingly antiquated nature they remain extremely popular by an overwhelming majority of Bergen County residents.

Hurricane Sandy Updates – Nov 4, 2012 3PM – From the Mayor Paul Aronsohn

Statement from Mayor Paul Aronsohn

Restoring power to Ridgewood has and remains our number priority in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. We fully recognize the hardship being faced by many Ridgewood families and are doing everything possible to mitigate it.

The storm did considerable damage to Ridgewood. Immediately following the hurricane, it was estimated that over 70% of the Village was without power. That included Valley Hospital and the Ridgewood Water Company. (Both have since been restored.)

Yesterday, PSEG estimated that about 55% of Ridgewood remained without power. Today, the utility estimates that approximately 66% of the Village has no power.

The disparity in PSEG’s numbers (increasing from yesterday) speaks to two very unfortunate facts. One is the extent of the damage to Ridgewood. One is the often confusing information coming from PSEG over the past week.

Please be assured that we are doing everything possible to restore power. We have been in regular contact with County and State leaders. We have been in regular contact with PSEG’s regional and state management. And our tree crews have done everything possible from their end to facilitate access to PSEG workers. But PSEG — and only PSEG — has the physical ability to restore power.

Going forward, we will continue to focus on this issue fully and completely. Restoring power to Ridgewood residents is our number one priority.

Please feel free to email me ([email protected]) or call my cell (201.213.1811) with any questions.

How Bad Does He Have To Be?

A few months ago, I was visiting a good friend of mine, when his niece stopped by. She’s about 23 years old, and like most younger voters, she got swept up in the “Hope and Change” hooey in 2008 and voted for Barack Obama. So when my friend saw her in August, he asked her for whom she was going to vote this time.

She hesitated and shifted in her chair, glancing from him to me. “Well….I…I…haven’t really decided yet,” she stammered. Aha! If she were telling the truth, then we had a real undecided voter in front of us. Imagine the luck! My friend then very calmly posed a very simple question to her:

“How bad does he have to be?”

“What?” she asked. My friend continued:

“How bad does he have to be for you to deny him a second term? How bad does he have to be for you to fire him? You’re the one with power to do that. Seriously: how bad does he have to be?”

His niece was rendered speechless. She couldn’t answer. There was no answer.

And in that moment, I realized that his simple question perfectly framed the referendum on Barack Obama. How bad does he have to be?

Under Obama, we have experienced:
* Unprecedented, bankrupting spending
* $6 Trillion added to the national debt, bringing is to an unfathomable $16.2 trillion and counting
* Annual trillion dollar-plus deficits
* 23 million+ people out of work, stopped looking for work, or underemployed
* An unemployment rate higher today than it was when he entered office
* Anemic economic growth
* A record 47 million people on food stamps
* 15 million people living in poverty
* Highly unpopular socialized medicine that is already breaking the bank
* A gunwalking program across an international border that put guns in the hands of the Mexican drug cartels, which were then used to shoot dead two American heroes, Border Agent Brian Terry and ICE Agent Jaime Zapata
* Destructive class warfare and unprecedented divisions among race, class, gender, and age lines
* A foreign policy in collapse and embroiled in a web of lies: the rise of the Islamists across the Middle East; four dead Americans, including a U.S. Ambassador; al Qaeda resurgent across the Middle East and North Africa; Russia and China running wild; Iran ever-closer to a nuclear weapon; allies dissed; and enemies emboldened.

(I could go on, but the internet only has so much space.)

This is a record of catastrophic failure. Of course, Obama’s objective has been to expand government as big and as fast as possible, in order to expand the number of people dependent on government as fast as possible, in order to create a permanent Democrat voting majority. So while us NORMAL Americans look at the Obama record and see total disaster, he and his fellow leftist kooks see a wild success.

But for any NORMAL American, this is a record of freedom-crushing government power and economic misery, poverty, and destruction. No sane person should be voting for four more years of this—and worse.

If you are still undecided at this late hour, ask yourself one question:

How bad does he have to be?

Why should New Jerseyans elect Joe Kyrillos to the U.S. Senate?

The answer is simple: He will represent us and our state, unlike Robert Menendez, who has been in Congress too long, so long he has forgotten why he is there.

A prime example of Menendez’s disregard for his constituents is his behavior before the vote on the Affordable Care Act. Despite being urged by voters to hold town hall meetings, he held not one. When voters called his office in mid-August 2010, they were told Menendez hadn’t set his summer schedule yet. It was mid-August, and while other congressmen and women were explaining this contentious piece of legislation, Menendez was nowhere to be found.

When pressed, a Newark office staffer said Menendez had held “interactive meetings.” There was no answer as to why someone who requested town halls had not been advised about the “interactivity.”

The staffer also said the senator planned to meet with constituents before the vote. I’m still waiting.

Needless to say, Menendez, as always, voted the party line. To my knowledge, he never once met directly with his concerned, anxious constituents about a bill that will affect one of the most important concerns of their lives – health care.

Kyrillos’ record as a New Jersey state senator shows how dedicated he is to the people who have sent him to Trenton since 1988. The proof is in his re-election history: Kyrillos has earned 60 percent of the vote and higher each time he asked voters whether he deserves another term.

Conversely, a lime test on Menendez’s performance exists in the ranking of states in terms of how much federal taxes their residents spent vs. how much the state received in federal dollars. New Jersey ranks third from the bottom.

That’s why on Nov. 6, everyone in New Jersey must tell Kyrillos that we need him in the U.S. Senate because we deserve the kind of honest, sincere and dependable representation he provides.

As for Carole Marks’ Oct. 18 Commentary: There is one simple answer to the many “points” she attempts to make, all of which are based on Democratic spin, lies and/or not fact. The answer: money. Obama has no plan to cut the deficit, which so many Dems claim is “not a problem.” Try telling that to your mortgage holder. We are in this mess because of too many years of politicians telling us what we want to hear – and/or get – without being able to pay for it. We need Romney to begin our way back to fiscal stability and national strength.

Ann Powers
Stafford Township

Why I Am Voting For Scott Garrett
Bader George Qarmout
Friday, November 2, 2012 • 3:39pm

https://thealternativepress.com/articles/why-i-am-voting-for-scott-garrett

Editor,

As most of New Jersey is still coping with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, we are only days away from the most significant election of our lifetime. I pray that all of our family, friends and neighbors are safe and help each other. We are a great state in the greatest nation on earth and we will overcome and grow stronger.

Elections are always important, but in a couple of days the upcoming election is most significant because of the drastic difference between the candidates and the direction they wish to take this country in. It is important to help send not only Mitt Romney to Washington but also Joe Kyrillos and Scott Garrett because we need to make sure to keep the majority in the House and to take the gavel away from Harry Reed in the Senate.

People should know that we will have 2 ballot questions on November 6th. The first question asks if voters want to barrow 750 million dollars to fund construction on college campuses.  The second question asks voters if judges should pay more towards their benefits. I recommend voters to vote NO on question 1 and yes on question 2. As a state and a nation we are broke and cannot afford more debt and everyone should help and judges are no exception.

In the 5th district’s congressional race, I am voting for Scott Garrett because Congressman Garret has a proven record of fiscal responsibility. Garrett has also voted against the Nation Defense Authorization Act to protect American’s Constitutional rights. Congressman Garrett has repeatedly stood up to the liberal social and financial agenda. Mitt Romney will need Congressman Garrett in the House to pass the needed measures to recovery and repeal ObamaCare.

Scott Garrett and Mitt Romney will not only take office in January but will also take responsibility for that office. We had 4 years of blaming, absenteeism, and incompetence from the current administration, we now deserve leadership that would not have ignored and looked the other way while the U.S. Embassy gets attacked and our ambassador and Americans killed.

We deserve better only if we get out and vote for better. Please vote Romney, Garret, Kyrillos and  NO on Question 1 and Yes on Question 2.

God has already abundantly blessed this great nation, now it is up to us, we the people to take responsibility for God’s blessings and the great nation that our parents gave us.

Thank you,

Bader George Qarmout
https://thealternativepress.com/articles/why-i-am-voting-for-scott-garrett

More than 500 economists, 5 Nobel laureates back Romney’s economic strategy

More than 500 economists — including five Nobel laureates — have endorsed Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s economic plan as the right choice for jobs creation and economic growth.

The pro-Romney group “Economists for Romney” announced Monday that its statement of support for the former Massachusetts governor’s economic plan now has 526 signatories, up from 400 a week ago.

“We enthusiastically endorse Governor Mitt Romney’s economic plan to create jobs and restore economic growth while returning America to its tradition of economic freedom,” Economists for Romney’s statement of support reads, proclaiming Romney’s plan as based on “proven principles” to restrain the federal government and expand opportunities in the private sector.

The 526 economists — including Nobel laureates Gary Becker, Robert Lucas, Robert Mundell, Edward Prescott, and Myron Scholes — point to six facets of Romney’s economic approach that they see as beneficial to future economic success.

Reduce marginal tax rates on business and wage incomes and broaden the tax base to increase investment, jobs, and living standards.
End the exploding federal debt by controlling the growth of spending so federal spending does not exceed 20 percent of the economy.
Restructure regulation to end “too big to fail,” improve credit availability to entrepreneurs and small businesses, and increase regulatory accountability, and ensure that all regulations pass rigorous benefit-cost tests.
Improve our Social Security and Medicare programs by reducing their growth to sustainable levels, ensuring their viability over the long term, and protecting those in or near retirement.
Reform our healthcare system to harness market forces and thereby reduce costs and increase quality, empowering patients and doctors, rather than the federal bureaucracy.
Promote energy policies that increase domestic production, enlarge the use of all western hemisphere resources, encourage the use of new technologies, end wasteful subsidies, and rely more on market forces and less on government planners.

Seven of the signatories are from Harvard University and five from Columbia University — two of President Barack Obama’s alma maters.

The economists’ statement of support pillories Obama’s economic record, claiming that his expansion of the federal government has resulted in “anemic economic recovery and high unemployment,” which will continue if his future plans are implemented.

https://dailycaller.com/2012/08/20/more-than-500-economists-5-nobel-laureates-back-romneys-economic-strategy/