>Property tax burden may force many MORE to leave N.J
Property tax burden may force many to leave N.J
For a growing number of families, getting by is getting tougher.
New Jersey’s property tax burden is forcing many to think about getting out by either moving to a smaller house or leaving the state. (Mikle, Asbury Park Press)
https://www.app.com/article/20101209/NEWS/101208112/Property-tax-burden-may-force-many-to-leave-N-J-
>N.J. Gov. Christie criticizes NJEA reform proposal on tenured teachers
Gov. Chris Christie came out swinging Wednesday against tenure reform proposals made by the state’s largest teachers union. (Gibson, The Star-Ledger)
https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/12/nj_gov_christie_criticizes_nje.html
>Are Ridgewood Schools a place where some of the kids in Ridgewood get the idea that they can freely criticize and bully others
I can see where some of the kids in Ridgewood get the idea that they can freely criticize and bully others.
You should examine his/her own cruel attacks and why he/she feels comfortable making fun of a teen on this blog. We are talking about a child here – 16 years old. You should not post hurtful opinions about him to make your point. Get help before your kids adopt your insensitive mind. Really? You did not like his choice of Halloween Costume? Grow up.
Sadly this post reveals, once again, there are bullies, who call themselves teachers, right here in Ridgewood! I wish Matt would out the teacher(s) that participated in the taunts against him. Past posts on this blog have openly discussed the names of bullies who are being paid big dollars to teach our kids! How can anyone expect kids to reject bullying when over and over teachers lead the charge.
Out the teacher bullies and fire them. The same teachers are complained about every year for the bullying tactics they use against our kids! I hope Matt Zimmer reads this and I hope he names the teacher(s)!
>N.J. workforce is third most-bloated in country with 19K excess state workers, study says
Published: Thursday, September 23, 2010, 12:04 PM Updated: Thursday, September 23, 2010, 1:21 PM
Lisa Fleisher/Statehouse Bureau
TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie wants to cut 1,300 workers from New Jersey state departments this year. But an analysis released this week by the chairman of Columbia University’s political science department suggests there’s far more fat to trim from all corners of state government.
Using a statistical model, the study said New Jersey’s state work force is bloated by at least 12 percent — or 19,000 workers — for a state with its characteristics, third-highest in the nation. It said the state has about $497 million in excess payroll.
“While (Christie’s) proposal has stirred up strong, organized opposition, our results suggest that if anything it is quite modest,” according to the study, which concludes New Jersey “stands out as the strongest candidate” among high-population states for pay cuts and layoffs.
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New federal regulations have forced Ridgewood’s Traffic and Signal Department to replace every street sign in the village.
I don’t have the time to count the number of street signs in the village and I don’t have a bead on how much they cost to produce. One thing I do know is that to change every street sign in a 5 square mile village because the Feds say you have to is moronic.
Rutishauser doubles down and gives the trip-n-fall lawyers fodder by saying we may be sued if the street names do not include lower case letters and an accident occurs.
We may not feel the effects of Obamacare for years, but I drive by street signs every day that will be thrown in the trash because the Feds said so.
Michael
New federal regulations have forced Ridgewood’s Traffic and Signal Department to replace every street sign in the village.
MICHAEL SEDON/THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
https://www.northjersey.com/news/103690794_Watching_out_for_signs.html
Jim O’Connell, a 30-year employee with the Traffic and Signal Department, stands in the department’s shop. Street signs used to be labeled with the name of the road in all capital letters. The new regulations, however, require street names to be printed with a capital first letter and the rest of the name in lowercase. Under the new regulations, for example, MAPLE AVE. is now Maple Ave. on the street sign.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/103690794_Watching_out_for_signs.html
>the Ridgewood blog Editors Note : when we saw this article we thought it was written 30 years ago
NJ schools fail to prepare future workers
Saturday, September 25, 2010
BY HUGH R. MORLEY
The Record
STAFF WRITER
https://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen/103772604_Schools_urged_to_better_prepare_future_workers.htm
EAST RUTHERFORD — New Jersey’s school system is failing to prepare people for the workforce, a panel of college-level educators told a workforce summit Friday.
Students come out of high school lacking in basic skills and an understanding of how to hold down a job, and are unaware of the demands of the workplace, said the educators at the summit, organized by the Meadowlands Regional Chamber.
Richard Garcia, a vice president at Lakeland Bank in Oak Ridge and chairman of the state’s Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, said only about one-third of the applicants seeking a teller position at his bank — which pays about $10 to $15 an hour — pass the math test on their first try.
“We are graduating students that can’t read, can’t write and can’t put a sentence together,” he said. “Then they go to a bank and apply for a job and they want to earn $100,000. They can’t pass the basic math test.”
The comments came in a wide-ranging five-hour discussion at the summit, the chamber’s first, which drew about 60 educators, government workforce development administrators and business representatives.
Jim Kirkos, the chamber president and chief executive officer, said the idea of the summit grew out of the organization’s belief that creating a better-trained and educated workforce is crucial to economic development.
“I want us to set the bar as high as possible,” Kirkos told the gathering, before he suggested they set a goal of “achieving the most educated workforce in the nation” – the subtitle of the conference.
Yet several speakers said the educational community would need to work far more closely with the business world to make headway toward that goal.
full story :
https://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen/103772604_Schools_urged_to_better_prepare_future_workers.htm
>Rep Scott Garrett : Uncertainty , Our Greatest Obstacle
With summer now in our rearview mirror, perhaps now would be a good time to reflect on President Obama’s “Recovery Summer.” According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 49 of 50 states have lost jobs since the Democrats passed their stimulus bill in February 2009. In New Jersey, the Obama administration projected that the stimulus would create 100,000 new jobs through December 2010. In actuality, the real change in jobs for New Jersey through August 2010 resulted in a net loss of 89,500 jobs.
What’s been the cause of all this job loss? One of the major reasons is business uncertainty. American businesses do not have the certainty they need to grow their businesses and create jobs for Americans. Faced with looming tax hikes to pay for ObamaCare to the distinct possibility that Democrats will allow the Bush tax cuts to expire in January, businesses can’t be certain they’ll have enough money to keep their doors open – much less hire employees.
The high levels of government spending and deficits, along with political uncertainty over the Democrats’ policies is creating a hostile business environment that discourages financial institutions from lending and small business owners from investing, expanding, and hiring new workers. Unsure of what costly mandates are coming from Washington next, businesses are hunkering down in the near term instead of moving forward with business growth plans.
When it comes down to it, businesses can maneuver, adapt and survive in a free market economy as long they are certain about the future. Right now, no one knows what the future will hold for the business community. President Obama can keep trying to convince Americans that his policies are working, or he can start embracing policies that actually work.
One of the ways to create the certainty needed to grow our economy is to do what members of both parties have been asking for – have an up or down vote on extending the Bush-era tax cuts. Speaker Pelosi and President Obama have expressed their desire to reach out to Republicans to find common ground; this is their chance. Over 30 Democrats in Congress have implored the Democrat leadership to bring this tax-cut extension to the House floor but there has been no response.
Job creation is paramount and no one can afford a massive tax hike right now. Mandates and regulations are squeezing the life out of businesses of all sizes while unemployed Americans are suffering. It is time for the government to act responsibly and bring certainty back to our economy.
Rep. Scott Garrett
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The Cooperative Nursery School of Ridgewood to Hold its 33rd Fabulous Fall Festival on October 2, 2010
The Cooperative Nursery School of Ridgewood (aka “The Co-op”) is preparing for its 33rd Fabulous Fall Festival on October 2nd (rain date October 9th) at Graydon Pool in Ridgewood. This event is the school’s biggest fundraiser. This year there will be games, pony rides, a petting zoo, inflatables, crafts for the kids including sand art and pumpkin painting and face painting. Music will be provided by a local band, some of its members are co-op alumni. There will be over 50 vendors selling jewelry, toy, handmade items and holiday gifts. Food vendors will be on hand and there will also be a bake sale. Come out and support this Ridgewood tradition and have a fun day with your family.
For more information on the event, please call or email the school at (201) 447-6232 or [email protected].
A nonsectarian school, The Co-op also offers morning and afternoon classes for 2, 3 and 4-year-olds, as well as Mommy & Me classes and Kindergarten enrichment. Setting the school apart from other nursery schools, The Co-op is organized and run by the parents, which enables the parents to actively participate in their child’s early learning experience. Music, physical education, field trips, indoor and outdoor play time and an in-house library are just a few of the experiences to which the children are exposed as supplements to the daily education plans.
>Acting-Gov. Kim Guadagno signs order to establish bi-partisan Red Tape Review Commission
Acting Gov. Kim Guadagno signed an executive order Thursday that makes permanent a consulting groupå designed to weed out red tape and government waste. (Fletcher, Statehouse Bureau)
>Bergen County financing agency makes mockery of pay-to-play reform
Nearly $10,000 went to sticking Bergen County-owned horses with acupuncture needles while the Bergen County Improvement Authority stuck taxpayers with the bill. (Stile, The Record)
>N.J. towns’ payments to pension system to rise an average of 22 percent
TRENTON — Local governments will have to pay an average of 22 percent more toward the state’s pension system next year, a bill that will put further pressure on municipal budgets and property taxpayers. (Method, Statehouse Bureau)
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Valley Renewal: Welcome to VALLEYWOOD
Agreed: Just VOTE WELLINGHORST
I see TrainWreck has some friends at Tarvin? Goody for you
9:10 comment- looking for a legacy, right on! maybe even a wing, at Audrey’s Medical Center? Which should renew within it’s current structure or expand in Paramus instead of a neighborhood!
9:23 comment- Bucket #6, has been added and it’s for the current plans to be placed 6 feet under. Valley needs to restructure within it’s current boundaries and elevation. Dirty deals after 30 years of NO should not prevail now or ever. Town vote now please!
In no way is this East vs West either! WE have intelligent voters throughout this town who know the blight this will cause ALL OF US. This filthy rich, non-profit, non taxpaying Hospital will bring this town to it’s knees. I now hear Valley just started paying for water? What the ….
We can’t afford new town signs:
Welcome to VALLEYWOOD:
“where a dirty few ruined an entire town and neighborhood”
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N.J. ranks 5th in nation for most out-of-state migration, data shows
Friday, September 17, 2010, 7:53 AM Updated: Monday, September 20, 2010, 1:27 PM
Leslie Kwoh/The Star-Ledger
https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/nj_ranks_5th_in_nation_for_mos.html
More people moved out of New Jersey than all but four other states between 2000 to 2008, underscoring broader demographic shifts and, some say, a decline in the state’s attractiveness.
Even with a constant influx of newcomers, the Garden State had a net loss of nearly 304,000 residents over the eight-year-period, who took combined annual incomes of $12.3 billion with them to other states, according to figures accessed through a database launched today by the Tax Foundation, a policy research group in Washington, D.C. that advocates for lower taxes.
The data confirms residents are leaving for states like Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and the Carolinas faster than they are being replaced — a phenomenon that economists attribute to factors such as climate, high taxes and a lack of job opportunities.
“People are being pulled out, and they’re being pushed out,” said Joseph Seneca, a Rutgers University economics professor who studies migration. “They’re pulled because of retirement and climate reasons. They’re pushed by taxes and costs and — through this decade — a relative lack of economic opportunities in terms of job growth.”
View full sizeNew Jersey trails only New York, California, Illinois and Michigan for outmigration, according to the database, which tracks domestic movement by tax returns filed with the Internal Revenue Service. The number of residents moving were calculated based on tax exemptions, and incomes were adjusted for inflation
Full story:
https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/nj_ranks_5th_in_nation_for_mos.html
>Donovan Proposes Major Reform to Protect Taxpayers from Official Corruption
Thursday, September 23, 2010
PLEDGES TO TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBLITY FOR GOVERNMENT ACTIONS
Kathleen A. Donovan, Republican candidate for County Executive, said today that she will bring accountability to all county independent agencies including the notorious Bergen County Improvement Authority by taking full responsibility for their actions. Ms. Donovan contrasted this to incumbent Dennis McNerney who, in her words, has “knowingly or incompetently allowed these agencies to run wild and unchecked during his eight years in office.”
Ms. Donovan said that the first step to bringing the independent agencies and authorities under control will be to change their governance and require that she or her designee serve as a voting, ex-officio member of each board. Ms. Donovan said that her presence (or that of a designated senior member of her administration) “will make us responsible for the actions of the boards.” Adding, “in a Donovan administration there is no way that the BCIA or any other agency will increase its debt from $15 million to $450 million, spend tens of millions on consulting contracts to political cronies and allow spending to go unchecked. We will be accountable and responsible.”
Referring to McNerney’s appointment of a long time Democrat contributor to “investigate” the BCIA, Ms. Donovan said, “You don’t protect taxpayers by appointing a political crony to review or investigate the actions of a runaway agency after the proverbial horse has left the barn and the damage is done. Taxpayers can only be protected by public officials who take full responsibility. That’s a major difference between McNerney and me. He hides out while his political allies disregard prudency and plunder for the benefit of their pay to play cronies. I’m a proactive leader who takes her oath to protect taxpayers seriously.”
Ms. Donovan noted that during her tenure as County Clerk she has saved each Bergen County family more than $300 through management efficiencies. She compared this to McNerney who during his eight years in office has increased government spending by over $34 million while overall county debt has spiraled to over $1 Billion, an increase of over $600 million during McNerney’s tenure. “While I am putting money back in the taxpayers’ pockets, Dennis is taking it out…tenfold”, said Donovan.
Ms. Donovan noted that in addition to ongoing federal investigations of the BCIA, the Board of Trustees of Bergen Academies, appointed by McNerney, has also come under strong rebuke by the State Department of Education.
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REWARDS CARD SPECIALS
Sept 23, 2010
This week we’re starting a “new video feature” the cheese of the week and other interesting items from the Cheese Shop. First efforts can be a little interesting as we get the kinks out. We’ll be listing these efforts and other news about the store on our face book page facebook/supercellars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WGMp2148o8
Cheese of the week….check out the video
Pleasant Ridge Reserve…America’s most decorated cheese!
Deals that continue…….
————————————————————————————————-
20% OFF
Any One Pound Piece
Of Fresh Cut Cheese!
Buy “one pound” or more of any one cheese and receive a 20% discount on that piece!
(can’t combine with any other offers, sale items, baskets, or special order platters)
the Ridgewood blog
