>Colony Capital is expected to give up the $2 billion Xanadu project in New Jersey
Developers to Pass Xanadu Project On to Creditors
A group led by Colony Capital is expected to give up the $2 billion Xanadu project in New Jersey to its creditors in the collapse of one of the most high-profile retail developments of the real-estate boom, according to people familiar with the matter. (Pruitt, Wei, WSJ)
https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703748904575412002911389406.html
>you guys are missing the point…the unspoken long range plan is to get this built….then quietly buy up more properties around the hospital….then 15 years down the road after all the constuction is completed and they have again outgrown the buildings that they just finished…they will propose expanding the H zone, since they already own all the adjacent properties…
I will lay odds that is what they are thinking….
>There are and have been a bunch of obvious ways to save money that nobody wants to touch because they are too politically sensitive:
1. Increase class sizes by 10-20%. I had class sizes of 25-30 kids in the 60s and 70s.
2. Redistrict instead of expanding Ridge and Willard. It’s absurd tht we are spending a big chunk of the bond issue to expand those two schools when we just needed to shift the boundary lines a few blocks and put more kids into underutilized Orchard.
3. Take a hard line in the upcoming teacher negotiations. Demand higher teacher contributions for medical and other benefits. Initiate a differentiated wage scale under which we can pay lower-skilled positions, such as gym teachers, less than tougher-to-replace positions such as math and science teachers. Don’t cave when the teachers threaten to strike. The pain of a short strike will be worth the long-term savings generated for the taxpayers.
4. Figure out ways to save money on special ed, which is now over 20% of the BOE budget. It is an ultra-sensitive topic, but is the biggest line item in the budget after teacher wages and benefits.
>Ridgewood schools will receive close to $1 million from the federal government as part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Teaching American History Grants program. Ridgewood will receive the largest portion of the funding with a total of $999,479.
The five year program is to “fill in the gaps” in areas where teachers have had minimal exposure to historical content.
The federal funding assists Local Education Associations partners with relevant entities to help teachers develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of U.S. history, resulting in improved student comprehension.
the Staff of the Ridgewood blog
>Rutgers public-private compensation study flawed
Employer costs for employee compensation, September 2009
Total employer compensation costs for civilian workers, which include private industry and state and local government workers, averaged $29.40 per hour worked in September 2009.
Total employer compensation costs for private industry workers averaged $27.49 per hour worked in September 2009. State and local government employers spent an average of $39.83 per hour worked for total employee compensation in September 2009.
Health benefit employer costs were $4.43 per hour worked for state and local government and $2.01 in private industry.
Paid leave, including vacation, holiday, sick and personal leave, cost $3.05 per hour worked for state and local government and $1.86 in private industry.
Retirement and savings costs, which include both defined benefit and defined contribution plans, were $3.23 per hour worked for state and local government employers and 94 cents for private employers.
These data are from the National Compensation Survey’s Employment Cost Trends program. To learn more about employer costs for employee wages, salaries and benefits, see “Employer Costs for Employee Compensation — September 2009” (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL 09-1501.
https://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/21/private-vs-public-sector-pay/
https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2009/ted_20091214.htm
>I’m conflicted about this.
I like having a hospital that is really good near my house. If my kids get hurt or something else happens, we don’t have to go far away.
I don’t like the size of the proposed hospital or the way the Planning Board made their decision.
Can’t there be a happy medium? Can’t we get an up-to-date hospital that isn’t so huge? Could a possibility be that Valley reduces the number of rooms on site since they claim that there are so many open hospital beds in Bergen County?
I think this is a honest question that if sufficiently addressed might get a lot of the protestors against the expansion to change sides.
Just a thought.
-Thed.
>Ridgewood homes are being devalued by high property taxes.
Ridgewood homes are being devalued by high property taxes. I agree with you that the Ridgewood voters have approved budgets in the past, however, this year they did not support the budget but had it shoved in their faces just the same.
Each and every time the BOE has asked the taxpayers to approve a budget it was with the threat of losing services benefitting our children. Basically our kids are always being held hostage by the BOE and we are bartering for their release. While I am confident the Public Information Officer, another sweet BOE deal, could put a slick spin on this: the fact remains a bigger and bigger piece of the pie is going to teacher, admin, staffing salaries and benefits. Less and less is going to the classroom and parents are supplying/paying for everything from workbooks the toilet paper!
8 of 9 years tax increases were rubberstamped. that’s part of the problem. people are only finally looking at what’s going on behind the scenes. we’re paying “professionals” to manage the affairs of the town and they are failing miserable. the one year when people were finally pushed to the brink and rejected it, nothing happened. the 100k cut is a a slap in the face to the voters. but the BOE has no problem spending $48m if the bond passes by 50 votes. funny how that works.
btw i’m not comparing a teachers job to someone at starbucks, i’m comparing it to an office-type job. believe me, there are plenty of people with good educations etc. toiling away for less money/benefits. teachers may have a tough job but it doesn’t mean they’re worth what they’re getting. open it up to the free market. get rid of the f’n union.
i’m sure the schools would still be quite good if the salaries were lower. first of all, where would our teachers go? there are no other schools hiring for the same reasons R’wood is not hiring. secondly,there are plenty of good teachers getting laid off from catholic schools etc. which are closing who by the way would love to make anywhere near what R’wood teachers make.
don’t give me the scare tactic of the town going to shit if we don’t pay up. i’ve heard it before and we’re all sick of it. i’ve got several kids in the schools and i’m more worried about saving for their futures than i am to pay your fucking medical insurance.
thed
>Missouri voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a federal mandate to purchase health insurance, rebuking President Barack Obama’s administration and giving Republicans their first political victory in a national campaign to overturn the controversial health care law passed by Congress in March.
“The citizens of the Show-Me State don’t want Washington involved in their health care decisions,” said Sen. Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, one of the sponsors of the legislation that put Proposition C on the August ballot. She credited a grass-roots campaign involving Tea Party and patriot groups with building support for the anti-Washington proposition.
With most of the vote counted, Proposition C was winning by a ratio of nearly 3 to 1. The measure, which seeks to exempt Missouri from the insurance mandate in the new health care law, includes a provision that would change how insurance companies that go out of business in Missouri liquidate their assets.
>Bergen County Executive race: “The residents now understand how corrupt the Democratic Party here is.”
GOP looking for sweep in Bergen County
Almost as important as the Bergen County Executive race, three seats – along with majority control – on the county freeholder board are for the taking in November…
…Yudin downplayed any negative impact the governor might have in Bergen County. “The Blue Laws are not an issue anymore,” he said. “The residents now understand how corrupt the Democratic Party here is.”
(Carroll, PolitickerNJ)
https://www.politickernj.com/gop-looking-sweep-bergen-county
>New Jersey Voters Want Spending Cuts Over Higher Taxes Following Budget Deal
New Jersey voters support lower spending over higher taxes by almost three to one after the state passed a budget which cuts funds for welfare, mental health and in-home nursing care, a survey shows. (Baribeau, Bloomberg)
>Last night the Ridgewood Planning Board voted to memorialize changes in the master plan that allowed The Valley Hospital to double in size, an issue that has divided the community for sometime. If there is to be an appeal it needs to be filed with 45 days of the memorialization.
The controversial changes, would allow Valley to increase in size to 1.17 million square feet and to add a new huge 94-foot-tall building just 40 feet from the property line of Benjamin Franklin Middle School. Residents who oppose the project fear that the project will bring years of construction creating additional traffic, potentially dangerous conditions for the children who attend Benjamin Franklin Middle School, and lower property values in the area.
Valley is planning to eliminate several antiquated buildings and replace them with brand new state of the art construction.State law now requires single-patient rooms. According to Valley the space is needed for more enhanced and modern technology to continue providing optimal care for it’s patients.
the Ridgewood blog Staff
>Ridgewood Country Club : Mickelson Says He’s Played Inconsistently While Seeking No. 1 Golf Ranking
By Mason Levinson – Aug 3, 2010 2:31 PM EDT
Phil Mickelson said he’s not sure how he’ll play this week as he continues his quest to become the top-ranked golfer in the world for the first time in his career.
“I don’t know exactly where my game is,” Mickelson said at a news conference at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, New Jersey, to promote the Barclays, the U.S. PGA Tour’s first playoff event. “I didn’t play well in Europe. I’ve had two weeks off, so I haven’t really played great golf in six or seven weeks.”
Mickelson, who is No. 2 behind Tiger Woods in the Official World Golf Rankings, will be paired with Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy in two days for the opening round of the World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. Woods is paired with England’s Lee Westwood, who is ranked third.
A win by Mickelson would move him to No. 1 and end Woods’s record 270 straight events atop the rankings. He’s led for a total of 612 weeks. Mickelson also can overtake Woods by finishing as low as fourth at Firestone, though that would also depend on how Woods and Westwood fare.
Westwood will become No. 1 if he wins and Woods finishes anywhere worse than a two-way tie for second. If Westwood finishes alone in second, he’ll also move atop the rankings if Mickelson does not win and Woods finishes outside the top nine.
full article:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-03/mickelson-says-he-s-played-inconsistent-while-seeking-no-1-golf-ranking.html
>Entitlement Mentality Prevalent in Public Employees
I think there is an entitlement mentality prevalent in public employees. They conveniently forget about their benefits packages. Most of them could not cut it in the private sector where your performance and attendance is strictly monitored.
And in the current economy, some employers are really exploiting their staff. They know we can’t just walk out the door as jobs are few and far between. There is also a lot of cronyism, wrath for anyone who might be a “ratebuster” and nepotism in the public sector. Heck they are only accountable to the taxpayers and our voices are largely ignored!
>The Forget Me Not Foundation Announces Inaugural Fundraiser: “An Evening To Remember”
Non-Profit to establish support network for pregnancy loss, increase educational programs for the medical community, and raise infant death awareness.
July 30, 2010 – RIDGEWOOD, NJ – The Forget Me Not Foundation is proud to present “An Evening to Remember” on Monday, October 4, 2010 at The Woman’s Club of Ridgewood. “An Evening to Remember” is a tasting event showcasing Bergen County’s finest restaurants and caterers. In addition, there will be a chance auction of many exciting prizes with all proceeds benefiting The Forget Me Not Foundation. Tickets to the event can be purchased on the foundation’s website: https://www.fmnfoundation.com.
The Forget Me Not Foundation is a recently established non-profit organization that is dedicated to supporting families suffering from pregnancy loss or infant death, and educating the medical community about the emotional needs of such families.
“When dealing with the loss of a child, parents can feel very alone in their grief even when surrounded by loving friends and family,” said Dave Barry co-founder of the Forget Me Not Foundation. “The Forget Me Not Foundation will create a support network for parents suffering through similar tragic circumstances and provide educational support for the medical community on how to best serve these families during an extraordinarily difficult time in their lives.”
“An Evening to Remember represents a chance for the community to support a worthy cause while enjoying an evening of great food and fun,” continued Barry. “Our concept of the fundraiser is a celebration of life, and we are very excited about the generous participation of the surrounding restaurants, caterers and merchants. We would like to extend an invitation to the general public, especially to those affected by newborn or pregnancy loss to what promises to be an enjoyable night out.”
The Forget Me Not Foundation was established in memory of Emma Grace Barry, a beautiful baby girl born still on August 11, 2009. Emma was lost to a nuchal cord accident at 35+5 weeks gestation. Founders Dave and Melissa Barry are determined to celebrate Emma’s life by helping families suffering through the death of a baby.
The funds raised by the foundation support educational programs for the medical community and provide supportive materials to families affected by pregnancy and newborn loss at Hackensack University Medical Center.
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