The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
>Christie, Democrats to talk of regional Police force
Gov. Chris Christie, Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney and Camden County officials will convene next week to discuss a possible regionalized police department that could be the catalyst for unprecedented consolidation across New Jersey. (Roh, Courier-Post)
>Christie targets health benefits without bargaining
Gov. Christie said Wednesday that he would not negotiate health benefits for public workers through collective bargaining and instead would try to change the law to increase contributions toward health premiums. (Katz, The Philadelphia Inquirer)
https://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/118152179.html
>Valley Hospital deploy’s streaming video to help families bond with newborn babies
N.J. hospitals deploy streaming video to help families bond with newborn babies
By LINDY WASHBURN/The Record
RIDGEWOOD — In the neonatal intensive care unit at The Valley Hospital, 2 1/2-pound Sydney Grace Brock lies in her isolette, oxygen flowing from a tiny tube into her perfect nostrils, a miniature catheter pumping protein and electrolytes into her right arm.
Eighteen miles away, gathered round a computer at International Tool and Manufacturing Inc., are her father, grandparents and great-uncle.
Streaming online on the computer screen at the family-owned precision machine shop in Fairfield: baby Sydney, born Feb. 20, 10 weeks early.
https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/03/nj_hospitals_deploy_streaming.html
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faugh a ballagh The Irish Brigade (an infantry brigade, consisting predominantly of Irish Americans, that served in the Union Army in the American Civil War) was known in part for its famous war cry – “faugh a ballagh”, which is an anglicization of the Irish phrase, fág an bealach, meaning “clear the way!”
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Tom Watson
Wednesday, March 30 @ 7:00pm
Former PGA Champion will sign his new book: The Timeless Swing. Books available March 29th
211 East Ridgewood Ave. Ridgewood, NJ 07450 Tel: (201)445-0726 www.book-ends.com
>PUBLIC IS INVITED TO RHS WINTER GUARD PERFORMANCE
The Ridgewood High School Winter Guard Proudly Presents Its 2011 Production: Starry Night
Thursday, March 17
7-7:30 p.m.
RHS Gym I
Come see the Winter Guard’s elegant and lyrical interpretation of Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, as they culminate a highly successful season. They have earned second place awards in their local competitions and placed in the top five of their class at Winter Guard International regionals. Don’t miss this opportunity to see these talented and dedicated young women perform!
>Congress and the Administration are looking into scaling back or eliminating the Mortgage Interest Deduction
Congress and the Administration are looking into scaling back or eliminating the Mortgage Interest Deduction. The consequences would be devastating to the recovering housing market and the tens of millions of home owners who benefit from the deduction.
The House recently introduced a resolution to retain the mortgage interest deduction and I hope that you’ll help spread awareness about it on The Ridgewood Blog. We created https://SaveMyMID.org to support this initiative and I’ve also created a useful site for bloggers and journalists to borrow resources from:
https://savemymid.info
>Medicare and Medicaid Made $70 Billion in ‘Improper Payments’ Last Year—More Than All Spending by Homeland Security and State Departments Combined
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
By Terence P. Jeffrey
(CNSNews.com) – The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services—the federal health-care agency that is a key bureaucracy in implementing Obamacare—made at least $70.5 billion in “improper payments” last year.
These improper federal health-care payments amounted to more than the combined total of $68.3 billion spent by the entire Homeland Security and the State departments last year, which spent $44.5 billion and $23.8 billion respectively according to the White House Office of Management and Budget.
https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/medicare-and-medicaid-made-70-billion-im
>Village moves to a merit based pay system
the Staff of the Ridgewood blog
The Village council put into effect a merit based pay system this week putting management, non-union and supervisor’s salaries on merit based system rather than the customary 4 percent automatic pay raises .
This new pay increase method more closely matches the private sector, and has attracted interest from other municipalities looking to learn how the Village put this new merit based system in place. .
The lone dissenting opinion on the council came from Paul Aronsohn who publicly expressed concerns about giving any raises while the Village had laid off so many last year.
Although sources tell us that Aronsohn who ‘s pro union views are no secret to anyone is setting himself up for a move up in the state Democratic machine and supporting any merit based pay system for state workers would run contrary to his goals.
Several residents also voiced skepticism over granting any raises to anyone in theses difficult economic times especially when the primary focus should be to rain in all the run a way spending in the Village.
>Hearing sheds little light on how schools get on the SDA short list
The Assembly’s education committee yesterday held a hearing to try to clarify how the Christie administration chose the school construction projects it will advance in the next year. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/11/0315/2343/
>Study: Christie’s pension reforms fall short
An actuarial report on Gov. Chris Christie’s pension reform proposal shows that funds for both teachers and state workers will dip precipitously if there are no changes to the system. (Method, Gannett)
>Basil & Thyme Grand Opening March 18th
Basil & Thyme
Fri, March 18, 2011
Time: 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: Basil & Thyme, 14 Oak St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Event Description
Basil & Thyme would like to announce our Grand Opening March 18th. Please come down and join us for a wonderful day.
>A look at the year that was in Ridgewood
Thursday, December 30, 2010
COMPILED BY JOYCE VENEZIA SUSS
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
For The Ridgewood News
A look back at the news for 2010 in Ridgewood uncovers a variety of issues and incidents, including more pedestrians struck by vehicles in downtown crosswalks; financial struggles as the village copes with a struggling economy; the ongoing debate over The Valley Hospital Renewal; Internet-related issues in village schools; and the deaths of some well-known village residents.
Large crowds gathered during Ridgewood Planning Board hearings concerning The Valley Hospital’s ‘Renewal.’ The board approved amendments to the master plan in June.
Here is a recap of the top stories in The Ridgewood News from each month in 2010:
more: https://www.northjersey.com/news/politics/112670404_A_look_at_the_year_that_was.html
>111th Congress Added More Debt Than First 100 Congresses Combined: $10,429 Per Person in U.S.
Monday, December 27, 2010
By Terence P. Jeffrey
(CNSNews.com) – The federal government has accumulated more new debt–$3.22 trillion ($3,220,103,625,307.29)—during the tenure of the 111th Congress than it did during the first 100 Congresses combined, according to official debt figures published by the U.S. Treasury.
That equals $10,429.64 in new debt for each and every one of the 308,745,538 people counted in the United States by the 2010 Census.
more:https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/111th-congress-added-more-debt-first-100
>Bergen Democrats give themselves pay raises as they leave office
Bergen County restores McNerney’s pay cut
Friday, December 24, 2010
BY RICHARD COWEN
THE RECORD
STAFF WRITER
Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney took a $10,000 pay cut during his reelection campaign, all part of a pledge to share the “sacrifice” as county workers were being laid off and pressured to accept furloughs.
McNerney lost the election. But earlier this month, he got his $10,000 back.
Just weeks before he was due to leave office, the county increased McNerney’s salary on Dec. 14 back to its original $134,617. McNerney said he didn’t know about it until a reporter called him Thursday.
MORE: https://www.northjersey.com/news/politics/112418269_County_restores_McNerney_pay_cut.html
