>NJ government workers rush to retirement
With Governor Chris Christie proposing dramatic reforms for the public pension system, far more New Jersey government workers are filing retirement papers. (Gregory, WHYY)
https://whyy.org/cms/news/government-politics/2010/09/15/nj-government-workers-rush-to-retirement/45766
>State Government: A Crisis in Management
Since his first day in office, Governor Christie has repeatedly attacked the compensation of public sector employees. Like a well trained sniper, Governor Christie has successfully picked off individuals with “egregious” and “bloated” salaries. Through these actions, Governor Christie has drawn a line in the sand relative to public employee compensation……nobody in state government should earn more than its Chief Executive Officer. (Lisa Ginther, guest columnist, PolitckerNJ)
https://www.politickernj.com/state-government-crisis-management
>
A Cupcake to fight Childhood Cancer
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Go4theGoal wants to help in the fight! Before the age of 20, one in every 330 Americans develop cancer and every school day 46 young people are diagnosed, hoping to become a survivor. Today, because of collaborative research, 78% of childhood cancer patients overall will survive. Yet, there is still more work to be done to improve the cure rates for all pediatric cancer types and to pioneer new treatments with fewer long-term side effects.
Go 4 the Goal,(https://go4thegoal.org/ ) is a foundation that’s teaming up with local businesses to spread awareness and raise money for cancer research in honor of September’s National Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month.
Cupcakes by Carousel,(https://cupcakesbycarousel.com/ ) of Ridgewood, NJ is one of the local businesses partnering with Go4theGoal to raise money to find a cure. For the month of September, they will be donating 100% of all the profits of the cupcakes designed by Blake and Mikey, two Bergen County children currently fighting cancer. We’d love to spread the word by having more people stop by Cupcakes by Carousel (192 East Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ— next to the movie theater) on Sunday, September 18th and 19th from 11am to 3pm—plus ALL SEPTEMBER LONG! Both kids will also be outside the shop selling their tasty creations at the Ridgewood Street Fair.
>Scott Rasmussen and Douglas Schoen: One nation under revolt
By: Scott Rasmussen and Douglas Schoen
Op-Ed Contributors
September 14, 2010
Pollster Scott Rasmussen and political consultant Douglas Schoen argue in their book released Tuesday that the Tea Party movement will elect senators, representatives, governors, and maybe even someday a president.
First of a three-part series, excerpted from “Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System”
The Tea Party movement has become one of the most powerful and extraordinary movements in recent American political history.
It is as popular as both the Democratic and Republican parties. It is potentially strong enough to elect senators, governors and congressmen. It may even be strong enough to elect the next president of the United States — time will tell.
But the Tea Party movement has been one of the most derided and minimized and, frankly, most disrespected movements in American history. Yet, despite being systematically ignored, belittled, marginalized, and ostracized by political, academic, and media elites, the Tea Party movement has grown stronger and stronger.
The extraordinary turnout on April 15, 2010, at rallies across the country speaks volumes to the strength, power, and influence of the Tea Party movement, with more than 750 protests held across the country, demonstrating a level of activism and enthusiasm that is both unprecedented and arguably unique in recent American political history.
Survey data collected at about this time bears out the same point. In mid-April 2010, a Rasmussen Reports survey in which nearly one quarter (24 percent) of the electorate self-identified as being members in the Tea Party movement — up from 16 percent a month earlier.
And a mid-April 2010 CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey showed that 10 percent of Americans say they have actively supported the Tea Party movement: Gone to a rally, contributed money, or taken specific steps to support the movement.
Even a New York Times/CBS News poll showed that close to one in five Americans call themselves supporters of the Tea Party movement.
Read more at the Washington Examiner: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/One-nation-under-revolt-859047-102901454.html#ixzz0zglFUDl1
>Annual Fall Luncheon of the League of Women Voters Presents State Senator Loretta Weinberg ; “Transparency in Government”
“Transparency in Government” is the subject of a talk by State Senator Loretta Weinberg at the Annual Fall Luncheon of the League of Women Voters of Ridgewood. All Bergen County residents are urged to attend.
Senator Weinberg has been instrumental in reducing the costs of copies under the Open Public Records Act, and is cosponsor of the modernization of the Open Public Meetings Act. It is vital that every citizen know what leads to decisions made by their elected and appointed officials. With the advent of tweeting, texting, we must know that all the requirements of public transparency are met. It has been 20 years since this law was renewed.
When: Wednesday, Sept. 29, 12 noon-3PM
Where: Old Paramus Reformed Church, E. Glen Ave., Ridgewood
Cost: $25 for an excellent lunch
Please send reservations to: League of Women Voters of Ridgewood, PO Box 79, Ridgewood 07451
Please reserve by Sept. 20.
>Bergen County Executive Race : McNerney said that, despite the indictment, it is inappropriate to describe the BCIA as “scandal-plagued.”
Bergen County Exec McNerney defends finance agency at senior picnic
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Last updated: Tuesday September 14, 2010, 6:39 PM
BY MICHAEL GARTLAND
The Record
STAFF WRITER
Senior citizens gathered Tuesday for food and politics at the annual Bergen County Senior Picnic in Paramus, where the county’s funding agency was the hottest topic not on a grill.
About 2,500 seniors attended the event at Van Saun County Park, chowing down on sandwiches, cookies and political rhetoric, not to mention the various pens, stickers and other campaign items distributed by candidates and their aides.
Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney gave a heated response when asked about the Bergen County Improvement Authority’s $450 million debt and the indictment of Ronald O’Malley, its former chairman.
McNerney said that, despite the indictment, it is inappropriate to describe the BCIA as “scandal-plagued.”
“It’s not scandal-plagued,” he insisted. “I did the right thing for the taxpayers … I’m doing good public policy.”
He also said that the agency’s debt is conduit debt for which municipalities, not the county, are responsible for paying off.
>Keep teachers off school boards
Is it wrong, or rather, a conflict, for a fifth grade teacher to also serve as a paid municipal councilman?
Yes. So says one of the planks of Gov. Chris Christie’s ethics proposal.
But how about if that same teacher sits as an unpaid member of the local board of education?
There’s nothing wrong with that at all, at least according to the proposal the governor unveiled last week.
Does he have it backwards? (Snowflack, Daily Record)
>Christie to propose major changes to NJ employee pensions, health benefits
TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie today will propose cuts in pension payments for state and local government workers and teachers, along with dramatically higher employee health benefit payments, according to two administration sources. The proposed reforms will also end annual cost-of-living pension increases for all state and local retirees, the sources said. (Method, Asbury Park Press)
>BOE SEEKS VOLUNTEER FOR FIELDS COMMITTEE
The Board of Education is looking for a volunteer to serve as Member-At-Large on the joint Village-BOE Fields Committee. The Fields Committee meets monthly to discuss the use, scheduling and upkeep of the athletic fields which are owned and maintained by the Village and the Board of Ed. Meetings are generally held the first Wednesday of the month at 7:00 AM at the Ed Center. Any community member who would like to volunteer should contact Board Secretary Angelo DeSimone at [email protected]
. Any questions about the Fields Committee can be directed to Laurie Goodman, BOE Liaison to the committee, [email protected]
.
>Village Council Elections : Oliver Train In short
I am putting documentation and website together now. It will up by the end of the week.
In short though:
Valley Hospital – I am against changing the master plan to the extent that Vally wants. The Hospital does need to modernize (and probably expand somewhat), but what they are asking for is not appropriate for the neighborhood.
The Hospital also needs to address the additional burden their expansion will place on taxpayers – expanded use of services, traffic, property values, COAH, it’s endless…
Turf Fields- Certainly nice to have, but we should not have spent the money to do it now. Steven’s field is particularly concerning to me. It has survived a rainstorm or two…how many more can it take?
NJ Transit – putting aside my positive bias towards all things train for a second – I think we need to wait and see on this one. The shuttle bus is certainly a problem for the taxi guy, but I think it will be a positive for many businesses – parking free foot traffic is a good thing. Who pays for it when the grant expires is the question though.
One concern I do have is the possibility of increased crime. I’ve heard that towns with Midtown direct, or other “enhanced” services tend to be easier to escape from, which makes them targets.
Graydon – I am against making changes to Gradyon. I do think that there has to be a filtration solution and we should investigate that, and I do think that the actual boundaries within the swimming area could be changed to make it easier to monitor.
Building a new pool is fine, as long as it does not end up placing an additional tax burden on residents. The Y or the Tennis club should be encouraged to step up here.
Oliver Train
[email protected]
>
Ridgewood Knights of Columbus Makes Donation to the Adler Aphasia Center
Ridgewood-NJ-September 13, 2010: The Ridgewood Knights of Columbus Council #1736 made a $250 donation to the Adler Aphasia Center of Maywood. Aphasia is a language disorder that impairs the expression of spoken language, reading, and writing. It occurs most often from a stroke or brain injury. This frustrating condition affects a person’s ability to communicate, but does not affect his or her intellect.
The Adler Aphasia Center is a resource for people with Aphasia, their caregivers, and the community. “Through our innovative group programming, we provide a therapeutic environment that promotes successful living with Aphasia, creating opportunities for social connection and breaking down barriers to communication”, said Karen Tucker, Executive Director of the Center.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, and the leading cause of serious, long-term disability.1 “Strokes and brain injury have a devastating effect on the entire family. The Adler Center is one of only a few such facilities in the entire country, and we wanted to do whatever we could to help out”, said Richard Hrvatin of the Ridgewood Knights council.
For more information on the Adler Aphasia Center, go to www.adleraphasiacenter.org, or call (201) 368-8585.
1 Source: www.strokecenter.org/patients/stats.htm
>Gov. Chris Christie signs order to eliminate 60 boards, commissions
TRENTON — In 2002, when New Jersey’s motor vehicle agency was “in crisis,” the state created a commission to help overhaul an agency plagued by poor customer service and poor security. (Fleisher, Statehouse Bureau)
https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/gov_chris_christie_signs_order.html
>N.Y.-N.J. tunnel project halted on cost overruns
N.J. halts new work on $8.7B N.Y.-N.J. tunnel project due to budget issues
New Jersey is temporarily shutting down all new work and suspending additional contract bids on an $8.7 billion railway tunnel to New York because federal officials say the project may go as much as a billion dollars over budget — money New Jersey doesn’t have. (Sherman, Star-Ledger)
https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/nj_halts_new_work_on_87b_ny-nj.html
>Gov. Christie signs bill allowing N.J. residents to send children to public schools in other towns
Published: Sunday, September 12, 2010, 9:00 AM
September 12, 2010, 4:06 PM
Jessica Calefati/The Star-Ledger
https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/gov_christie_signs_bill_allowi.html
TRENTON — Parents dissatisfied with the quality of their local public schools can now send their children to classrooms beyond district boundaries — in some cases at taxpayer expense.
Sponsored by Assembly Democrats Mila Jasey, Joan Voss and Paul Moriarty, a new law allows up to 10 percent of a district’s students to attend any other public school in the state whose enrollment is not at capacity. If more than 10 percent of a district’s students seek enrollment in new schools, it’s unclear what criteria that district would use to select which students are allowed to leave.
The bill also requires home districts to provide and pay for students’ transportation to new schools up to 20 miles away, a significant financial responsibility the bill’s sponsors did not negate.
“No doubt, some students who find themselves stifled at their current school would prosper in a neighboring school district,” said Voss (D-Bergen). “But we also need to be fair and mindful of the necessity to balance the needs of students with costs ultimately borne by taxpayers.”
https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/gov_christie_signs_bill_allowi.html
>Village Council Elections : Lou Lembo “careful planning” and “mutual agreement”
https://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/102601674_Letter__Lembo_running_for_council_seat.html
“Lembo running for council seat
To the editor:
On Nov. 2, I will be on the ballot for the open council seat in Ridgewood. I have lived in Ridgewood for over 60 years, with family members serving over 90 years, and I feel the time has come to do my part to preserve our village. I will keep an eye on the future so that everyone can continue to call Ridgewood home.
We are facing many issues, but I feel with careful planning and mutual agreement we can lead our village in a positive direction.
There are several big-ticket items we face; I feel that every issue must be thoroughly investigated before any decisions are made.
Together we can make a difference.
Lou Lembo
Ridgewood”
