The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
>Christie says ‘day of reckoning’ has arrived for states facing budget gaps
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said U.S. states face a “day of reckoning” as they contend with looming budget deficits in the wake of the longest recession since the 1930s. (Dopp, Bloomberg)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-20/new-jersey-s-christie-says-day-of-reckoning-has-come-for-state-budgets.html
>Village of Ridgewood Last Minute Shopping Ideas
Arthur Groom & Co., Inc.
262 E. Ridgewood Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Phone: (201) 670-0300
Backyard Living
235 Franklin Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Phone: (201) 689-9111
Bookends
232 E. Ridgewood Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Phone: (201) 445-0726
ECCO & Village Tannery Shoes
125 E. Ridgewood Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Phone: (201) 444-2885
>Democrats Push for Internet Regulation
Democrats put heat on FCC commissioner on net neutrality vote
By Sara Jerome – 12/18/10 06:00 AM ET
The Democrats have a message for Democratic FCC Commissioner Michael Copps: Don’t screw things up on net neutrality.
Democrats allied with FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski are working to put public pressure on Copps as the net-neutrality vote draws near.
Genachowski needs Copps to vote for his plan during a commission meeting on Tuesday if the rules are to pass.
As a result, Democrats who support the plan are pushing this message in the media: If Copps doesn’t vote for Genachowski’s plan, the consequences will reverberate all the way up to the White House. They are arguing that the damage could even hurt President Obama.
>Garrett: All Congressional Staff Must Understand the Constitution
Introduces new House rule to require all congressional staffers to complete yearly training on the Constitution
WASHINGTON, December 17, 2010 – Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Founder and Chairman of the Congressional Constitution Caucus, yesterday introduced H. Res. 1772, a House rule resolution that would require congressional staff members to complete annual training on the Constitution.
“Members of Congress often consult their staff for advice about legislation and other official actions; consequently, I believe it’s important for congressional staff to have a firm understanding of the constitutional principles our country was founded upon,” said Garrett upon introducing the rule. “Having a training program dedicated to the Constitution would increase general awareness of the Constitution and thereby lead to a more constitutionally-sound manner of governing. Congress would better limit itself to enumerated powers if those who work on Capitol Hill are more familiar with what those specific powers are.”
Garrett’s House rule resolution has 25 original cosponsors and would require all staff to undergo mandatory training that is similar in format to the annual ethics training staffers are already required to complete. The Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties would be tasked with developing and managing the training.
>Village Council Schedules Special Public Meeting to Authorize Raises For Police Department
The Ridgewood Village Council will meet at 7:30 PM on Monday, December 20th in the Sydney V. Stoldt, Jr. Court Room for the exclusive purpose of introducing Ordinance #3275,
“Police Officers and Police Superiors Salary Ordinance.”
This meeting is open to the public and will be televised on Cablevision’s Channel 77.
>
Tuesday will usher in the first lunar eclipse during a winter solstice in 456 years
For the first time in 456 years this year’s winter solstice will coincide with a full lunar eclipse. This celestial eccentricity holds very special significance for the many that believe in the energy of the winter solstice. The solstice signifies the shortest day of the year often a time that is associated with the rebirth of the sun.
Wiccans often refer to it as “a ritual of transformation from darkness into light” offering an opportunity for personal transformation. The move from dark to light is seen as a rebirth .Some see great significance in the unique coupling of the masculine energy of the sun and the feminine energy of the moon.
Our own local expert says ,”It’s a time when the Sun is growing stronger and the light in increasing. It’s a good time to work on prosperity and abundance. Many Pagans hold all night vigils to welcome the return of the Sun.”
MORE : https://www.manhattanstyle.com/news/tuesday-will-usher-in-the-fist-lunar-eclipse-during-a-winter-solstice-in-456-years/
>NEW PLAYERS ALUMNI PRESENT “A CHRISTMAS CAROL”
The Holiday Classic with Musical Interludes
2nd Annual Benefit Performance
by New Players Company Alumni
Directed by Laurie Sales, RHS ’91
Monday, December 20
7:30 p.m.
Little Theatre at RHS
All Proceeds To Benefit the New Players Capital Campaign
For ticket information and order form:
https://www.rhsnewplayers.com/forms/AlumniChristmasCarol.pdf
>New Jersey Fiscal Crisis : N.J. Gov. Christie slows increase in debt burden
N.J. Gov. Christie slows increase in debt burden
Sunday, December 19, 2010
LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY DECEMBER 19, 2010, 9:37 AM
BY JOHN REITMEYER
STATE HO– USE BUREAU
New Jersey’s debt burden, which increased by nearly 700 percent during the last two decades, grew only 3 percent during the last budget year — something Governor Christie said did not happen by accident.
Under the administration of Governor Christie, New Jersey’s debt burden grew by 3 percent in the last budget year, but his frugality has also garnered scrutiny.
Christie, a Republican who preaches lower taxes and smaller government, froze state spending and approved new borrowing only for transportation infrastructure and school construction since taking office in January, according to a report released by the state Department of Treasury last week.
And the $1.25 billion added to the state’s bonded debt total between June 30, 2009, and June 30, 2010, had already been set in motion through capital programs approved before Christie came to Trenton last year.
But Christie’s frugal use of the state’s credit card barely made a dent in the state’s overall bonded debt burden of $37.7 billion thanks to the borrowing habits of prior governors, who left New Jersey residents with a per-capita debt load of $3,669 — good for 4th-highest among all states in the U.S.
MORE: https://www.northjersey.com/news/politics/112144479_Christie_slows_increase_in_debt_burden.html
>Stuck on Stupid : The Real Question Remains Why was Anyone dumb enough to invest in Xanadu?
Public pensions at risk: Xanadu losses show danger of volatile funds
Sunday, December 19, 2010
LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY DECEMBER 19, 2010, 9:56 AM
BY ANDREW TANGEL
THE RECORD
STAFF WRITER
Some $2 billion has been spent on Xanadu and much of it has gone to contractors, tradesmen and teams of politically connected professionals.
Public pensions in nine states lost a total of $600 million in high-risk private-equity funds that included the troubled Xanadu project, above.
But where did all that money come from?
The answer, to a large degree, is pension funds for police, firefighters and other public employees around the country.
Nine public pension systems from Alaska to Texas to New York poured nearly $1 billion into two private-equity funds that include Xanadu among their investments, according to pension records reviewed by The Record. Those pensions have seen their collective investments in these funds shrink to about $360 million, a decline of about 60 percent, according to the pensions’ records spanning the last year.
>House Star Robert Sean Leonard Remembers Ridgewood childhood as pretty idyllic
House Call: The Doctor is in the ‘House’
Robert Sean Leonard is not a doctor. He just plays one – superbly – on TV. The actor, who grew up in Ridgewood, co-stars on Fox’s long-running hit drama House as Dr. James Wilson…
MORE: https://www.northjersey.com/bergen/House_Call_The_Doctor_is_in-House.html
“It’s always tricky when people talk about their childhoods because you’re so tainted by nostalgia by the time you’re 40 that it’s difficult to remember anything with any kind of clarity or truth. But I remember my childhood in Ridgewood being bucolic, Oscar Hammerstein-like; riding my bike on the streets, utterly safe from every negative force on Earth. I remember Graydon Pool, and kickball games in the street until sunset. My memories of Ridgewood are pretty idyllic.”
MORE: https://www.northjersey.com/bergen/House_Call_The_Doctor_is_in-House.html
>Senator Loretta Weinberg : NJ Obamacare Vote on MONDAY
The full NJ Senate is scheduled to vote MONDAY to create the “New Jersey Health Care Reform Implementation Council” — the state agency which would implement Obamacare in New Jersey (S-2239). Read the Bill Read the Amendment which adds members including SEIU The bill is not yet posted on Mondays’ schedule, but we understand that leadership will post it for a vote, nonetheless.
S-2239 was sponsored by Senator Loretta Weinberg, Bergen County Democrat. It is co-sponsored by Ronald Rice, a Newark Democrat. It buys votes for the Democrats and moves us toward socialism. This bill would name 29 representatives of organizations (nominated by the organizations, mostly unions, including SEIU), for appointment by the governor. These people would form the “Health Care Reform Implementation Council” and would have broad authority to “plan for and coordinate the implementation of health care reform in NJ pursuant to Obamacare.” The council would “determine the decisions that are required to be made to effectuate the purposes of … federal health care reform,” and would take office and be empowered immediately after passage. WE DO NOT WANT THIS TO BECOME LAW!!
>The ABC’s of Malware
Malware (or MALicious softWARE) is defined as “software designed to infiltrate a computer system without the owner’s informed consent”. If you are looking to protect your computer system(s) from the various threats that can present themselves, you may want to first have a better understanding of what you are dealing with
For the full article click here.https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&view=bsp&ver=ohhl4rw8mbn4
____________________________________________________________
Here is what it looks like on my Blog:
https://jefric.com/blog/2010/03/22/the-abcs-of-malware-2
For other broad topic article or your blog, see: https://jefric.com/blog/category/general/
I think there are a number of topics that people would find interesting.
· Free Software – Really!
· Are You Still Using Windows XP with SP2 or Vista?
· What version of Windows are you running?
· What version of Microsoft Office do you use?
And a whole lot more…
_____________________________
_
Alan M Buckwalter
Microsoft Small Business Specialist
Jefric Consulting, LLC
alan@jefric.com
https://www.jefric.com
201.370.6430
917.837.3535
https://blog.jefric.com
https://www.twitter.com/jefricllic
>Concerned Residents of Ridgewood Update – June 30 2010
Thank you for your continued support of Concerned Ridgewood Residents in our efforts to address the changes in the Village of Ridgewood’s Master Plan.
Please be patient and confident in the knowledge that we have been meeting to strategize and explore all of our options, including possible legal challenges. As a result of mobilizing hundreds of people for last Monday’s meeting: media coverage broadcast our call for help throughout the Village and garnered even more support from residents all over town. Your support continues to be critical to maintain the momentum and the interest.
We need to be realistic about what our options are and this takes time to fully investigate. On the backs of every patient at Valley (through high health insurance premiums, co-pays and other out of pocket charges), Valley Health Inc. has very “deep pockets” to pay for legal resources. While Valley can call on its $350 million cash surplus, CRR needs to rely on donations from the community.
Therefore, if legal action is taken we need to be laser focused. You can help now by getting the word out that we need funds. In order to mount any legal challenges we must be well funded and well organized machine. Donations, large or small to CRR permit us to move forward with appropriate legal counsel.
In the meantime, once again, please be patient while we structure our response and challenge to the change in the Master Plan. Many people in good faith are working diligently on this. Additionally, to the many who responded to the email call for help researching, organizing and assisting: Thank you! Once more detailed plans are in place, people will be needed.
Finally, there has been a great deal of speculation and conversation about possible Village Council candidates. For the moment our attention must be focused on the most critical and timely issues. The filing deadline for the elections is in September so it is likely prudent to review any and all candidates after the filing date.
Once again, thank you for your tremendous efforts and your continued support!
CONCERNED RESIDENTS OF RIDGEWOOD
PO Box 150, Ridgewood NJ 07451
>Valley Renewal : Ridgewood Residents were BAMBOOZLED!
There will never be a redo. Ridgewood Residents were BAMBOOZLED! Ridgewood Residents have been DECEIVED! The original venue (for 6/21) of BFMS was moved to GWMS less than 2 business days before the meeting (afternoon Thursday 6/17). By this point the PB certainly should have coordinated the plan with the BOE/BFMS. How could there be such a serious breach of communication? Residents calling BFMS that afternoon (around 2pm)found no principal or administrator available to answer questions about this conflict. Multiple and differing excuses came for the PB and the BOE.
At first glance this could be construed as an honest conflict and so off to GWMS we will go. But let’s face it, on June 21 as people were planning to go to GWMS for the meeting an afternoon email, sent from the planning board, that no parking would be available near GWMS sent residents/ taxpayers scrambling to carpool. Meanwhile, Valley was already mobilizing employees to fill the auditorium.
Still let’s not be too cynical: some residents did arrive early and sat in the auditorium to save seats for friends and family. But they were kicked out by Joe Scala of GCA Services Group by order of Angelo DeSimone as authorized by the Planning Board. Scala, who was nasty to residents said he was ordered to secure the auditorium. Residents were forced to stand in the unsecured and sweltering vestibule as Valley Employees were herded in. The residents were being outnumbered quickly by out-of-town Valley employees. At one point a Village resident asked Scala which door would be opened for the public to enter the auditorium. She was told the door we (residents) were standing closest to would be opened as it was closest to the GWMS main doors. When the doors were finally opened it was those in front of where the Valley employees stood. The door by the residents remained locked and they began knocking asking someone to open the doors. A resident went in with the Valley group and opened it for her fellow resident/taxpayers. By this time half of the room was already filled by Valley. Meanwhile police from all over the county were mobilizing!
Cynical? Distrustful? Disbelieving? Suspicious? Don’t kid yourself there will be no redo. This was a concerted effort to suppress the Voices of the Villagers of Ridgewood.
>
The popular band Scuttlebutt, playing 70’s and 80’s rock & roll, led by local
musician & Ridgewood High graduate Jeff Neidig, will once again be performing at
the annual MacMurphy’s Independence Day party on July 5th at their outdoor stage in
the parking lot. Stop by for a great party scene with good music, people, and barbecue.
Music starts right after the parade.
Thanks – Scott & Eileen
