Ridgewood Real Estate : Local real estate conditions are changing
October 21,2012
Michael Fidanza
Ridgewood NJ, Local real estate conditions are changing and your Market Insider provides valuable, up-to-date information about the communities important to you.
Market Area: 07450 Listing Price $922,430 Listing Price Trend + 0.05% Sold Price $776,670 Sold Price Trend + 2.83%
Just a fraction of what’s happening…
Buying or selling a home involves many factors. Stay on top of current community trends by viewing these listing and sale prices, demographics, school performance, area comparisons, and more. Of course, you can always call or email for help understanding what this information really means for you.
As always, thank you for your time and feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.The Nuber Team ,Keller Williams Village Square Realty , Office phone: 201.445.4300 x 307
Cell / Text: 201.248.6605 , Email: [email protected], Website: YourNorthJerseyHome.com
Reminder: Irene Habernickel Family Park Dedication – Today Sunday, October 21 at 3PM
IRENE HABERNICKEL FAMILY PARK
OPENING AND DEDICATION
Join Mayor Paul Aronsohn and the Ridgewood Village Council, as we dedicate and celebrate the opening of our newest park, The Irene Habernickel Family Park, located at 1037 Hillcrest Road, on Sunday, October 21st.
Sponsored by the Ridgewood Department of Parks and Recreation, the event will begin with a ribbon cutting ceremony scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Festivities will include a nature scavenger hunt, guided walking tours by the Ridgewood Wildscape Association and a special photography exhibit and book signing by Doug Goodell and Jim Wright, authors of “Duck Enough to Fly”. In addition participants can enjoy live music and refreshments. Adults may take home a tree sapling while children can choose a pumpkin donated by Ridgewood Press.
Rain or shine, stop by to celebrate this newly developed 10-acre park which will provide a natural wildlife setting and an area for passive and active recreational needs for generations to come.
Please contact the Department of Parks and Recreation with any questions or if special accommodations are needed at 201-670-5560.
Barack Obama and the Crisis of Liberalism
Julia Shaw
October 19, 2012 at 10:30 am
Barack Obama calls himself a “progressive” or “liberal,” and we should take him at his word. He had the distinction of being the most liberal member of the United States Senate when he ran for President in 2008. The title had been conferred by National Journal, an inside-the-Beltway watchdog that annually assigns Senators (and Congressmen) an ideological rank based on their votes on economic, social, and foreign policy issues.
But what does it mean anymore to be a liberal?
Charles R. Kesler reveals the answer in his latest First Principles Essay, “Barack Obama and the Crisis of Liberalism.”
Modern liberalism, he argues, spread across the country in three powerful waves, interrupted by wars and by rather haphazard reactions to its excesses. Each wave of liberalism featured a different aspect of it—call them, for short, political liberalism, economic liberalism, and cultural liberalism—and each deposited on our shores a distinctive type of politics—the politics of progress, the politics of entitlements, and the politics of meaning.
These waves were so powerful that the 20th century can be described as the liberal century. But there’s another complicating factor: Liberalism is in crisis.
This kind of crisis is probably not their favorite kind—an emergency that presents an opportunity to enlarge government—but one that will find liberalism at a crossroads, a turning point. Liberalism can’t go on as it is, not for very long. According to Kesler, it faces difficulties both philosophical and fiscal that will compel it either to go out of business or to become something quite different from what it has been.
What will it mean to be a liberal then?
JUST SOLD! 279 Prospect Street Ridgewood NJ
Michael Fidanza
Oct 15 (4 days ago)
Are you looking to sell your home? Thinking about it but not sure with all of the uncertainty in the market? Let Marilyn and me guide you through this process. We’ll help you every step of the way!
Contact me now for a free consultation to determine the value of your home and find out the advantages of working with The Nuber Team.
The Office Bar & Grill Hosts 7th Annual Bike Show to benefit the Tomorrow’s Childrens Fund
The Office Beer Bar & Grill invites you to the 7th Annual Ridgewood Fall Motorcylcle Classic to benefit Tomorrow’s Childrens Fund, TCF on Sunday, October 28, 2012 from 1-4pm.
6 years ago, The Office Beer Bar & Grill teamed up with Bergen Harley Davidson, small businesses and members of the community to build awareness for TCF.
Chestnut St, Ridgewood, NJ will be closed off to traffic to welcome the entire community to come and support TCF and enjoy the motorcycles, music, food and fun.
Dad’s Night Band will entertain you with music, T-shirts sold with proceeds going to the charity.
For more information call Hew Cohen, General Manager of The Office Beer Bar & Grill at 201-652-1070.
New Jersey case may upend home loan discrimination rules
The remaining structures form a patchwork amid vacant lots, where once there were row upon row of houses built for New Jersey’s returning World War II veterans and their growing families.
Some boarded-up homes have red signs tacked on the front saying “Owned by Mount Holly Township — NO TRESPASSING.” Others have signs, in the style of a real estate agent’s, that say “This House NOT For Sale.”
A fight between the government and residents of what remains of Mount Holly Gardens has now reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which may decide in the next several weeks whether to take up a case with nationwide implications for the housing industry. The court deferred action on the case today.
Civil rights advocates are battling the industry over whether the 1968 Fair Housing Act authorizes discrimination suits even without allegations of intentional bias. Lower courts have said suits can claim that a government policy or company lending practice has a discriminatory effect, known as “disparate impact,” even if that wasn’t the intent. (Doughety, Stohr and Dopp, Bloomberg)
In South Jersey, manufacturing inches up, but jobs still falling
Manufacturing activity at South Jersey firms expanded in October after five straight months of contraction, though employment in the industry fell to its lowest point in three years, an economist said.
The latest Business Outlook survey today released by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia indicated nearly 30 percent of manufacturers saw business activity increase through Oct. 16, outpacing the 23 percent reporting a decline.
But Michael Trebing, an economic analyst for the bank, said “the fact that orders and shipments have not changed much suggest things are still somewhat flat.” (Eder, NJBIZ)
Hillary Clinton trashes women whiners
By KEVIN ROBILLARD | 10/18/12 1:58 PM EDT Updated: 10/18/12 5:23 PM EDT
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says in a new interview that she can’t stand “whining” by women who are unhappy with the work and family choices they’ve made in life and complain that they have no options.
Clinton, in the interview with Marie Claire, was discussing Anne-Marie Slaughter, a former director of policy planning at the State Department who left in 2011. This summer, Slaughter wrote a much-discussed cover story in the Atlantic — “Why Women Still Can’t Have It all” — about leaving her job because of the difficulty of balancing her work at State with the needs of her two teenage boys.
Former director of NJ Division of Taxation sentenced
Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa announced that the former Director of the New Jersey Division of Taxation and an Assistant Deputy Director were sentenced today for accepting lavish gifts from a collections company, OSI Collections Services Inc., while continuing to take action on the company’s contracts with the state to collect unpaid taxes. The two men were found guilty of official misconduct in July following a bench trial. (Staff, PolitickerNJ)
NY Governor Andrew Como Reacts harshly to State Business Tax Climate Index
October 18, 2012
Joseph Henchman
As you know, last week we released our 2013 State Business Tax Climate Index, our annual comparison of state tax structures. The Index looks at over 100 variables to reduce many complex considerations to an easy-to-use ranking, providing a road map to improving each state’s business tax climate.
This year’s Index has already received wide attention, including statements made by the Governors of Florida, Illinois, Maine (“We are moving in the right direction and I am pleased to see it”), Michigan, New Jersey (“The fact that we moved from 50th to 49th is a testimony that we’re moving in the right direction. We’re not staying put.”), New York, and Wyoming (Gov. Mead AND the Mayor of Cheyenne).
This may be my understatement of the week, but New York Governor Andrew Cuomo certainly noticed our report, in which his state fell from 49th best tax system in the country (2nd worst) to last place. A key aide of his was sent out to the media to attack the Tax Foundation, questioning our methodology and accusing us of anti-New York bias:
He accused the foundation of writing its report ranking New York dead last in the country in business tax climate “based on ideology and not facts.”
“They basically took data and manipulated them to fit their world view,” he charged. “They support a flax tax, not the progressive tax we have.” He questioned why property taxes, which he claims burdens businesses even more than the corporate taxes, wasn’t weighed more heavily in the report.
For the record, New York was treated no differently than any other state in our methodology. The explanation is rather simple: New York scores poorly because it has poorly structured taxes with high rates and narrow bases. The state’s economic success is thanks to a legacy of a once-great business climate and good public services and opportunities. But New York’s taxes are now high and unfriendly. It’s not an ideological statement, it’s a fact.
Business leaders split the difference, noting that our insights were realistic and helpful but praising Cuomo for some recent achievements (which, to his credit, include some positive changes that have yet to take hold). The media also came to our defense, backing our findings and getting Cuomo to admit to his extensive past citation of our work.
The New York Daily News in particular took the Governor to task:
Cuomo — who has made genuine efforts to slay the Vampire State — could have taken these harsh grades as evidence that the job is far from finished.
Unfortunately, he chose instead to bash the messenger.
Lashing out in an interview on Talk 1300 radio in Albany, Cuomo aide Larry Schwartz dismissed the Tax Foundation as a “right-wing think tank” and charged that its report was “based on ideology and not facts.”
“They basically took data and manipulated them to fit their world view,” Schwartz said.
One problem with this complaint is that Cuomo himself has approvingly cited the Tax Foundation’s research in the past — including in his first State of the State speech last year, when he declared: “We have the worst business tax climate in the nation, period.”
The foundation’s ideology and formula-driven methodology have not changed significantly since then. What’s different is that now it’s Cuomo’s record under attack — not George Pataki’s or Eliot Spitzer’s or David Paterson’s.
The Buffalo News cited other examples of the Governor rejecting unfavorable facts:
In his first booklet released during his 2010 campaign promoting his positions on various policy ideas, Cuomo, on page 35, cited a Tax Foundation report about New York’s high property taxes.
The governor also dismissed the latest media report, this time in the New York Times today, about the state’s relatively high unemployment rates. “There are a number of ways to count the numbers,” he said of the various aspects of unemployment and job creation reports put out by the federal government.
The Rochester Democrat: waved aside the “carping” and said the Governor must do more:
The widely respected think tank ranked New York dead last among the 50 states in terms of cumulative tax burden on businesses — property, sales, income, unemployment-insurance and corporate income taxes.
Cuomo officials carped about the foundation’s methodology, but the fact remains: There is much to be done to improve New York’s business and tax climates.
And, last but not least, the New York Times emphasized our non-partisan nature:
Last week, the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan research group, ranked New York last among the 50 states for its business climate, while the conservative Cato Institute gave Mr. Cuomo a “D” grade in assessing his tax and spending record.
In a radio interview last week, Governor Cuomo’s top aide, Lawrence S. Schwartz, said the reports were “more based on ideology and not facts,” adding that the groups “took a bunch of data sets and manipulated them to fit their worldview.”
Needless to say, it’s been a busy week for us, especially dealing with New York media, including the always-colorful New York Post (“Tax hell makes NY dead last for biz”). The Index also got major citations from the Associated Press, CNN Money, ABC News, the Wall Street Journal, the Seattle Times, the Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Detroit News, the Orange County Register, the New Jersey Star-Ledger, CNET, State Tax Notes, and scores of local papers, radio and TV stations.
Each year, the Index is downloaded over 500,000 times and referenced in hundreds of media reports. The most recent version has already been downloaded by 1,004 state legislators, including 13 state Speakers. The report’s analysis is incorporated in state tax reform efforts year-round.
Even Gov. Cuomo has gotten constructive with it already, admitting that New York has “more work to do.” As his tax study commission begins undertaking a comprehensive review of New York’s tax system, we of course are happy to provide constructive suggestions for improvement (as we are this year in over a dozen states). No hard feelings, Governor?
My sincerest thanks to you for supporting our work to bring this information to policymakers, business leaders, and taxpayers. The pressure of rankings, along with our research and advice, will improve many state tax systems in the year ahead.
President Obama’s Taxpayer-Backed Green Energy Failures
Ashe Schow
October 18, 2012 at 8:25 am(64)
It is no secret that President Obama’s and green-energy supporters’ (from both parties) foray into venture capitalism has not gone well. But the extent of its failure has been largely ignored by the press. Sure, single instances garner attention as they happen, but they ignore past failures in order to make it seem like a rare case.
The truth is that the problem is widespread. The government’s picking winners and losers in the energy market has cost taxpayers billions of dollars, and the rate of failure, cronyism, and corruption at the companies receiving the subsidies is substantial. The fact that some companies are not under financial duress does not make the policy a success. It simply means that our taxpayer dollars subsidized companies that would’ve found the financial support in the private market.
So far, 36 companies that have received federal support from taxpayers are faltering — either having gone bankrupt or laying off workers or heading for bankruptcy. This list includes only those companies that received federal money from the Obama Administration’s Department of Energy and other agencies. The amount of money indicated does not reflect how much was actually received or spent but how much was offered. The amount also does not include other state, local, and federal tax credits and subsidies, which push the amount of money these companies have received from taxpayers even higher.
The complete list of faltering or bankrupt green-energy companies:
Evergreen Solar ($24 million)*
SpectraWatt ($500,000)*
Solyndra ($535 million)*
Beacon Power ($69 million)*
AES’s subsidiary Eastern Energy ($17.1 million)
Nevada Geothermal ($98.5 million)
SunPower ($1.5 billion)
First Solar ($1.46 billion)
Babcock and Brown ($178 million)
EnerDel’s subsidiary Ener1 ($118.5 million)*
Amonix ($5.9 million)
National Renewable Energy Lab ($200 million)
Fisker Automotive ($528 million)
Abound Solar ($374 million)*
A123 Systems ($279 million)*
Willard and Kelsey Solar Group ($6 million)
Johnson Controls ($299 million)
Schneider Electric ($86 million)
Brightsource ($1.6 billion)
ECOtality ($126.2 million)
Raser Technologies ($33 million)*
Energy Conversion Devices ($13.3 million)*
Mountain Plaza, Inc. ($2 million)*
Olsen’s Crop Service and Olsen’s Mills Acquisition Company ($10 million)*
Range Fuels ($80 million)*
Thompson River Power ($6.4 million)*
Stirling Energy Systems ($7 million)*
LSP Energy ($2.1 billion)*
UniSolar ($100 million)*
Azure Dynamics ($120 million)*
GreenVolts ($500,000)
Vestas ($50 million)
LG Chem’s subsidiary Compact Power ($150 million)
Nordic Windpower ($16 million)*
Navistar ($10 million)
Satcon ($3 million)*
*Denotes companies that have filed for bankruptcy.
The problem begins with the issue of government picking winners and losers in the first place. Venture capitalist firms exist for this very reason, and they choose what to invest in by looking at companies’ business models and deciding if they are worthy. When the government plays venture capitalist, it tends to reward companies that are connected to the policymakers themselves or because it sounds nice to “invest” in green energy.
The 2009 stimulus set aside $80 billion to subsidize politically preferred energy projects. Since that time, 1,900 investigations have been opened to look into stimulus waste, fraud, and abuse (although not all are linked to the green-energy funds), and nearly 600 convictions have been made. Of that $80 billion in clean energy loans, grants, and tax credits, at least 10 percent has gone to companies that have since either gone bankrupt or are circling the drain.
UPDATE: Some of the companies on this list received money from government agencies other than or in addition to the Department of Energy. We are updating the numbers to reflect the most accurate figures available.
FOOD POLICE: GOP sees food fight as kids trash USDA fruit, vegetable guidelines
By Pete Kasperowicz – 10/19/12 03:04 PM ET
House Republicans say new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines aimed at forcing students to eat fruits and vegetables are a failure because students across the country are simply tossing the healthy fare into the trash.
“[T]here remains great concern with the amount of food waste generated at school cafeterias, much of it brought on by requiring students to take fruits and vegetables rather than simply offer them,” Reps. John Kline (R-Minn.), Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) and Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) told USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack in a letter sent Thursday.
“This is a waste of federal, state and local funds and is contrary to the law’s goal of feeding as many low-income and hungry children as possible,” they said. “Once again, we are aware USDA has attempted to address this situation by allowing greater choice in reimbursable meals, but students should not have to take additional food if they have no intention of eating it.”
Republicans have been criticizing USDA school lunch guidelines for the last few months, in particular USDA rules that set maximum-calorie guidelines for all meals subsidized by taxpayers. Last month, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) introduced the No Hungry Kids Act, which would repeal these calorie restrictions.
Funding for handicapped accessible ramp approved in Ridgewood
FRIDAY OCTOBER 19, 2012, 1:57 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
After a lengthy discussion among Village Council members, the village opted to appropriate $95,000 for the construction of a new handicapped accessible ramp at Graydon Pool.
A county Community Development Block Grant for $55,000 will shoulder a portion of the cost for the proposed ramp, while the village will pick up the remainder of the price tag, with a maximum expenditure of $40,000.
The council voted 3-1 on Wednesday to approve the use of funds for the ramp, with Councilman Tom Riche casting the lone dissenting vote. But it was Councilwoman Bernadette Walsh who offered the biggest resistance, saying that she was uncomfortable approving the money with the ramp’s final design still unknown.
The village’s engineering department has been working on several renderings of two ramp designs that are based on the advice and recommendations of Jennifer Perry, an Americans with Disabilities Act specialist at the United Spinal Association. Perry toured Graydon Pool with members of the Ridgewood professional staff last month.
Unemployment rate drops despite N.J.’s shrinking public payroll
New Jersey’s private-sector employers added 1,100 jobs in September, while the state’s unemployment rate dropped by 0.1 percent, but public-sector employment dropped by 2,300, more than offsetting the private-sector gains, the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development announced.
According to today’s announcement, total employment fell by 1,200, while the August employment gain was revised downward by 3,000 jobs, from 5,300 to 2,300. The unemployment rate is now 9.8 percent. (Kitchenman, NJBIZ)
Survey: 40 Percent Of Americans Have $500 Or Less In Savings
October 19, 2012 12:30 PM
By John Ostapkovich
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A survey of about 1,100 Americans finds that more than 4-in-10 respondents admit they don’t have more than $500 in readily accessible savings.
The survey is a kind of departure for CreditDonkey.com, a website that compares credit card deals. Not respondents all were poor. Some had big houses, big mortgages or 401(k)s, but still no more than five Benjamins to rub together right now.
Jill Michal, president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, reacts to the lack of liquid assets.
