>Tenure testimony reveals a troubled—and troubling—system
The tiny number of tenure cases filed in New Jersey is no secret: only 33 cases against schoolteachers last year, 42 the year before, 35 the year before that. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/10/1209/2230/
>New Jersey Fiscal problems unlikely to ease soon
Government budget cuts this year have turned into tax hikes for most homeowners. And residents will see fewer services for their tax dollars. (Mikle, Gannett)
https://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20101210/NEWS01/12100344/Fiscal-problems-unlikely-to-ease-soon
>New Jersey debt tops $32 billion
New Jersey, one of the most indebted states in the country, saw its debt grow by $1.3 billion last year to $32.8 billion — not including billions more owed for unemployment benefits, public-worker pensions and health care. (Fleisher, The Wall Street Journal)
https://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2010/12/09/new-jerseys-debt-tops-32-billion/
>Gov. Chris Christie details arbitration agreement
Gov. Chris Christie stood with the legislative leadership today and an announced a deal on arbitration reform. (Carroll, PolitickerNJ)
https://www.politickernj.com/43390/gov-details-arbitration-agreement
>Most Americans Say They’re Worse Off Since Obama Took Office, Poll Shows
More than 50 percent of Americans say they are worse off now than they were two years ago when President Barack Obama took office, and two-thirds believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, a Bloomberg National Poll shows.
more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-09/most-americans-say-they-re-worse-off-under-obama-poll-shows.html
>Pelosi and House Democrats Reject President Push for Tax Increases
Pelosi pledges to win changes as House Dems reject tax deal
By Mike Lillis and Russell Berman
12/09/10 03:20 PM ET
The House Democratic Caucus on Thursday rejected the tax deal negotiated between the White House and Senate Republicans.
The non-binding vote of the caucus held during a closed-door meeting puts tremendous pressure on House leaders to win changes to a proposal the White House has presented as a “take it or leave it” package.
MORE: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/132885-house-dems-vote-to-reject-tax-cut-deal-
>J.D. Power and Associates Reports:The Valley Hospital Recognized for Providing Outstanding Inpatient Experience.
Only Hospital to be Recognized For an Eighth Consecutive Year.
The Valley Hospital, located in Ridgewood, N.J., has been recognized for service excellence for an eighth consecutive time under the J.D. Power and Associates Distinguished Hospital Program.SM This distinction acknowledges a strong commitment by The Valley Hospital to provide “An Outstanding Inpatient Experience.”
The Valley Hospital is the only hospital to receive this designation for eight consecutive years, and was the first in the tri-state area to receive this recognition.
“In achieving this distinction for an eighth year, the nurses, physicians, technicians, and support staff and administrators at The Valley Hospital have demonstrated a deep passion for delivering excellence in patient experience,” said John Clark, director of provider programs at J.D. Power and Associates. “This recognition places The Valley Hospital among an elite group of hospitals that exhibit operational excellence, while simultaneously creating a unique caring, healing environment for patients. This is a tremendous achievement that everyone within the hospital and the community it serves should celebrate.”
The service excellence distinction was determined by surveying recently discharged patients about their perceptions of their hospital visit and comparing the results to the national benchmarks established in the annual J.D. Power and Associates National Hospital Service Performance Study.SM
more: https://www.valleyhealth.com/valley_newsdesc.aspx?newsid=980
>
Winterfest kicks off on Saturday
Friday, December 10, 2010
BY MICHAEL SEDON
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood Guild hopes a new holiday tradition will start this weekend with its Winterfest in the Central Business District.
The event will begin with a performance by Art of Motion at 1 p.m. Saturday.
“The fun starts right in front of Van Neste Park at the central stair case,” said Guild President Tony Damiano, owner of Mango Jam in Ridgewood. “We are serving complimentary hot chocolate from Yum Yum Café and complimentary cookies from Pattycakes and Maur, and last but not least, at the clock we have photographer Mike Kortoci doing photos of the children.”
https://www.northjersey.com/community/clubs/events/111649884_Winterfest_kicks_off_with_events_planned_for_Saturday.html
>Sheila Brogan’s recent letter fighting against the Superintendent’s salary cap is a prime example of why taxes will always be excessive in Ridgewood
It’s a shame that Ridgewood doesn’t seem to value singles, empty nesters and seniors who may not want the bulk of their tax dollars paying for education and fields and lights and mistakes. As someone else here said, the town needs this demographic. A town populated only with families with children places even greater demands on over-crowded schools, that apparently can only be solved by spending more money.
The premise of the last school bond referendum was that the state of NJ was going to provide a one time grant, and if we didn’t pass the budget immediately we would lose it. Well, we lost it anyway because the BOE was uninformed and didn’t bother to consider that the grant was coming on the heels of an election and might not be guaranteed. So they scared the voters into passing the referendum, received no money from the state after all, which was the basis of their argument to begin with. I don’t know how the shortfall was made up but I’m sure it came out of our pockets somehow.
Sheila Brogan’s recent letter fighting against the Superintendent’s salary cap is a prime example of why taxes will always be excessive in Ridgewood. The mentality is spend, spend, spend, and even if there is a mandate telling us not to spend, the BOE will find a way to spend anyway. Before the BOE goes full speed ahead fighting against this mandate, maybe they should find out whether the taxpayers support it or not. Personally I think it’s not unreasonable to cut some of these salaries and in this economy with so many people out of work, I’m sure jobs won’t be hard to fill if necessary. In spite of the BOE’s ability to spend without limit in the past, the Superintendent’s position has still been a revolving door for many years, including two failed hires (one didn’t finish his contract, the other resigned before he even started), several “acting” superintendents, not to mention the search firms and consultants retained to assist them in these searches, multiple times. Talk about a monumental waste of money. The bulk of the budget and therefore taxes goes to educaton salaries, and Ridgewood, unlike Glen Rock, was unable to negotiate even a temporary freeze on teacher’s salaries, let alone a reduction of salaries or benefits, thereby again losing state dollars. They are woefully ineffective when it comes to saving money. It’s just not in their vocabulary because to them, money equals excellence.
If people want to see a change in Ridgewood then we have to stop automatically reelecting incumbents, and remember that Newark is a prime example of the fact that money doesn’t necessarily guarantee great schools.
>The Village Council voted 3-2 at a meeting Wednesday to increase water rates by 5 percent in Ridgewood and neighboring towns serviced by the utility.
Ridgewood council approves water rate increase
Thursday, December 9, 2010
BY MICHAEL SEDON
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Staff Writer
The Village Council voted 3-2 at a meeting Wednesday to increase water rates by 5 percent in Ridgewood and neighboring towns serviced by the utility.
more;https://www.northjersey.com/news/111617319_Residents__request_for_hearing_on_field_lights_gets_new_life.html?c=y&page=1
Glen Rock Mayor John van Keuren speaks at a Village Council meeting on water rate increases.
Officials from those towns – Glen Rock, Midland Park and Wyckoff – pushed back, claiming that the 5 percent increase set for 2011, on top of a 21 percent increase in 2010, is unjustified.
At the opening of the public hearing on the rate increase, Wyckoff Township Attorney Robert Landel explained that the Ridgewood council found itself in a “unique” position, as water utilities normally go before a state Board of Public Utilities (BPU), which approves any rate increases. He explained that the council, in essence, acted as a BPU and had a “fiduciary duty” to make “proper decisions” for residents in the neighboring municipalities, as well as Ridgewood’s residents
more: https://www.northjersey.com/news/111617319_Residents__request_for_hearing_on_field_lights_gets_new_life.html?c=y&page=1
>Ridgewood field lights controversy continues
Thursday, December 9, 2010
BY KELLY EBBELS
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Staff Writer
https://www.northjersey.com/news/111617319_Residents__request_for_hearing_on_field_lights_gets_new_life.html?c=y&page=1
The Ridgewood Planning Board approved a resolution Tuesday night to “invite and encourage” the district’s Board of Education (BOE) to sit for a new hearing on the installation and use of 11 high-powered lights at Ridgewood High School’s (RHS) athletic fields.
The resolution passed despite Board Attorney Gail Price’s legal opinion, presented that night, that the planning board had fulfilled its duties to hold a courtesy review of the lights installation in early October. The BOE also unanimously voted Monday night to not voluntarily come before the planning board for a new review.
Jim Morgan and Tom Kossoff, both neighbors of RHS who spoke during the meeting to explain their case against the BOE’s actions, expressed praise for the planning board’s decision.
“It’s an example of what good government and respected elected officials can do when faced with a conflict among neighbors,” Morgan said
more:https://www.northjersey.com/news/111617319_Residents__request_for_hearing_on_field_lights_gets_new_life.html?c=y&page=1
>Taxes are out of control. When my last child graduates I am going to sell my house. Hopefully someone else will want to pay the taxes on it. People think that the high taxes correlate with a good school system.
There have been 5 homes in my neighborhood that have sold in the last year. All empty nesters replaced by families with kids. I would think that that just continues the school budget and overcrowding situation. Towns should realize that there is value in keeping senior citizens around. These are people who pay property taxes for 25 – 30 years and can’t afford to stay when they are retired.
I would be willing to stay and pay for a few more years if I knew that my taxes would be stabilized in retirement. I paid Ridgewood taxes before I had children and I would continue to pay after.
All towns need a mix of residents to make the budget work.
>NJEA’s proposal not reform
It took only a day for Gov. Christie to catch up to those of us who laughed out loud at the NJEA’s idea of teacher tenure reform. He said the only change the NJEA was making to tenure reform was having an arbitrator decide if a teacher should be dismissed instead of a judge. (Ingle, Asbury Park Press)
https://blogs.app.com/politicspatrol/2010/12/09/njeas-proposal-not-reform/
>Revaluations hit NJ’s elderly, middle class hardest
Ask Richard F. Potts about property taxes and he will tell you that the Jersey Shore is becoming unaffordable for the middle class. (Mikle, Asbury Park Press)
https://www.app.com/article/20101209/NEWS/312090001/Revaluations-hit-NJ-s-elderly-middle-class-hardest
>Poll: 2 of 3 say property taxes create a hardship
Property tax bills that pump $25 billion into the coffers of school districts and local government create an economic hardship for two of every three New Jersey residents, a recent poll found. (Schnaars, Asbury Park Press)
https://www.app.com/article/20101209/NEWS03/12090312/Poll-2-of-3-say-property-taxes-create-a-hardship
