Category: Bergen County

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Garrett votes to ensure U.S. banks never finance airplane sales to Iran

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July 15,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05), Chairman of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government-Sponsored Enterprises, today voted for three pieces of legislation before the Financial Services Committee to stop the sale of U.S. aircrafts to Iran from entities like Boeing.

“It’s crazy for the Obama Administration to allow U.S. companies to sell airplanes to the largest state sponsor of terror in the world, Iran, and it’s even crazier to allow the U.S. financial system to finance these transactions or use taxpayer dollars to back these deals,” said Garrett. “Since the president is willing to put the needs of Iran before our national security, and entities such as Boeing and the Export-Import Bank are more concerned about profits than stopping terrorists, Congress must put an immediate stop to this dangerous idea. The legislation before the Financial Services Committee today will ensure that taxpayer money and the U.S. financial system is never used to assist an Iranian regime that wants to destroy the United States and its allies.”

Legislation before the committee:

H.R. 5729, Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from licensing the export of commercial aircraft to Iran.
H.R. 5711, Prohibits the Secretary of the Treasury from authorizing transactions by U.S. financial institutions in connection with these sales.
H.R. 5715, Ensures that no taxpayer dollars will back these sales in the form of Ex-Im financing by codifying and strengthening a current prohibition on Ex-Im support for Iran contained in annual appropriations language and closing a loophole that could allow for indirect Ex-Im financing of aircraft deals with Iran through third-party leasing companies.

Background:

By authorizing aircraft sales to the ayatollahs, the Obama Administration would materially aid what its own State Department calls the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism. Just last month, Iran Air flew “known weapons resupply routes to Syria” three times. This is the very airline President Obama wants to receive new Boeing airplanes. Additionally, neither the Treasury Department nor Boeing has provided assurances that Iran Air will not transfer planes to other airlines.

Under current law, Ex-Im may indirectly finance planes being exported to Iran, particularly by providing support to aircraft leasing companies. This is a loophole that Congress must close. When selling the nuclear deal, the Obama Administration has explicitly stated that Iran will not have access to the U.S. financial system. Any authorization of U.S. financing for aircraft exports would show that the Administration has been misleading the public.

Garrett has been an outspoken critic of the Ex-Im bank and the Iran nuclear deal.

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Sarlo-Oroho: A Must to Save New Jersey’s Economy

tr0601harris 9 KURDZUK

 

The crisis facing New Jersey’s economy is severe and results from three continuing deteriorating conditions. The Transportation Trust Fund is broke, resulting in the suspension of projects needed to prevent the total deterioration of New Jersey’s road and bridge infrastructure. The income tax structure is a factor causing middle class senior citizen retirees to depart for the income tax-free state of Florida, thus diminishing New Jersey’s retail consumer base. Finally, the state’s high estate tax is causing the Garden State to hemorrhage wealth, as affluent taxpayers leave, eviscerating the state’s income tax base. Alan Steinberg, PolitickerNJ Read more

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HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING

weather_alert

URGENT – WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
336 AM EDT THU JUL 14 2016

…HOT AND VERY HUMID TODAY…

…HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT
THIS EVENING…

* HEAT INDEX VALUES…UP TO 102 DUE TO TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER
90S…AND DEWPOINTS IN THE LOWER 70S.

* TIMING…THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.

* IMPACTS…THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL INCREASE THE RISK FOR
HEAT RELATED HEALTH ISSUES…ESPECIALLY FOR THE ELDERLY…
THOSE WITH CHRONIC HEALTH PROBLEMS SUCH AS LUNG AND HEART
DISEASE…THOSE WORKING OUTDOORS…AND OTHER HEAT SENSITIVE
GROUPS OF PEOPLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A HEAT ADVISORY MEANS THAT A PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES IS
EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY
WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE
POSSIBLE. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS…STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED
ROOM…STAY OUT OF THE SUN…AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND
NEIGHBORS.

TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. WHEN
POSSIBLE…RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR
EVENING. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT
STROKE. WEAR LIGHTWEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN POSSIBLE
AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.

TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND
HEALTH ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT REST BREAKS
IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE OVERCOME BY
HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION. HEAT STROKE
IS AN EMERGENCY…CALL 9 1 1.

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Garrett votes to protect Americans from unlawful search and seizure

Scott Garrett
July 14,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) issued the following statement after he voted “no” on H.R. 5606, the Sharing is Strength Act.

“The so-called Sharing is Strength Act has nothing to do with terrorism and has everything to do with the government having the ability to attain personal financial information from the American people, even if it has no connection with terrorism. This bill falls well short in providing the necessary constitutional safeguards to protect innocent people from unlawful searches and seizures, therefore I could not support it.”

“Additionally, this bill skipped the normal legislative process that should include committee hearings, a time for Members of Congress to offer amendments, and debate on the House floor. The American people deserve transparency and an open process from the People’s House, and they deserve to know that their constitutional rights are being protected.”

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Pokémon Go Is a Government Surveillance Psyop Conspiracy

Pokémon Go

Ashley Feinberg
Yesterday 3:00pm

Less than a week after Pokémon Go’s launch, our streets are already filled with packs of phone-wielding, Weedle-catching zombies. They’re robbingour teens, filling our churches with sinners, and tricking our children into exercising. But worst of all, Pokémon Go is turning us all into an army of narcs in service of the coming New World Order.

Allow me to explain.

More like Privacy Poli-See Everything

Lots of apps have sketchy privacy policies, that’s nothing new. But the first set of alarms go off as soon as you realize that Pokémon Go’s policy does seem a bit more liberal than most, because not only are you giving Pokémon Go access to your location and camera, you’re also giving it full access to your Google account (assuming you use that to sign in).

There’s one section of the privacy policy in particular that seems to be getting the conspiracy theorists of the world up in arms and which Reddit user Homer_Simpson_Doh calls “very Orwellian”:

https://blackbag.gawker.com/pokemon-go-is-a-government-surveillance-psyop-conspirac-1783461240?utm_campaign=socialflow_gawker_facebook&utm_source=gawker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

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CONSUMERS OBLIVIOUS TO DATA SECURITY RISKS: FIVE DANGEROUS MISCONCEPTIONS WHEN SHARING OUR PERSONAL DATA

metadata
July 12,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Many consumers are exposing themselves to risk by not understanding how data security works

The five biggest myths around personal data security are explained by security specialists Eckoh

Ridgewood NJ, Consumers have little understanding of the complexities surrounding the security of their personal data and are falling prey to a host of myths that could put them at risk according to leading data specialists Eckoh, headquartered in Phoenix and Hemel Hempstead, UK.

Relying on these misconceptions can lead people to fail to take adequate precautions and expose valuable personal data to hackers and criminals.

Eckoh, specialists in managing secure payment systems and implementing contact centre technologies have drawn up a list of the five most common data security myths.

Cameron Ross, Director of Payments Strategy, Eckoh said: “We find that many people are concerned about keeping their data secure but aren’t always sure of the best way to do it. There are lots of common myths when it comes to dealing with contact centres, some of which are a long way from the reality.”

1. Call recording is purely for training purposes
“This is primarily about protecting both the customer and the call agent. Call recording prevents the customer from making claims that the wrong order was taken as any discrepancies can be checked. Looking at it the other way, ‘Pause and resume’ systems can be used to manipulate the customer into giving away additional details ‘off the record’ or to allow agents to be rude to the customer without leaving any evidence.”

2. Speaking my payment details directly over the phone is the most secure method
“Many people believe that when they give details over the phone it is completely secure, however both ends of the line are at risk from others listening in. Additionally, there are all sorts of situations where details are written down on Post-it Notes or scraps of paper. This is often due to ignorance rather than any sinister motivation, for example, popping off to check stock levels or to ask a question on behalf of the customer. This is particularly an issue in those organisations with multiple departments operating in silos.”

3. People who process my payments are security screened
“This is just not the case. Call centre workers can be some of the lowest paid workers and many temp workers are on short-term contracts. The high churn rate means that there is no point in investing huge amounts into security checks. This is not to say that breaches of this nature are common but there is definitely a misconception around this issue.”

4. The only person my details are exposed to is the contact agent
“In actual fact, it is likely that anybody in the ordering system will be able to access these details. Databases where your details are held are often accessible to a large number of people within the organisation. We have found that details are stored in widely accessible areas in more than 5% of the contact centres we have dealt with. In some cases, we have even seen customer card numbers being used as order numbers – meaning a license to print labels with your card data on!”

5. When I give my personal details to a company, I am trusting only them with my security
“Most of the time, the organisation you are dealing with is the one that looks after your data. You make decisions about whether to trust them based on various factors such as your own experience or their reputation. There are exceptions. Aggregator services such as hotel or travel booking sites will take payment and personal info and pass it on to third parties via batch files. This sensitive data (belonging to multiple customers all in one neat bundle) is open to attack from criminals whilst in transit. Again, with the appropriate security measures this does not have to be an issue but customers need to consider who is actually looking after their sensitive data.”

Eckoh plc is global provider of secure payment products and customer contact solutions, working with organisations in over 10 countries around the world.

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So who is Really financing Josh Gottheimer’s Campaign more Saudi wife beaters ,and disgraced ex-congressmen inquiring minds want to know ?

Joshua S

Josh Gottheimer’s Q2 FEC Report

July 12,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, In advance of the release of Democratic candidate Josh Gottheimer’s second quarter Federal Election Commission report, the Ridgewood blog has a few questions that we think the media should be asking but will not about who is funding his campaign?

More Saudi wife beaters ,disgraced ex congressmen inquiring minds want to know ?

What percentage of his donors are in-state versus out-of-state?
What percentage of his donors are actually from New Jersey’s Fifth District?
Last year, The New York Times highlighted that one in six dollars Gottheimer raised came directly from the Clinton network. Is this still the case? Or is it even higher?

Voters in New Jersey’s Fifth District have a right to know who is funding Josh Gottheimer’s attempt to buy this congressional seat – and the New Jersey media has a responsibility to ask tough questions.

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TTF Work Stoppage Draws Criticism as Some Call for Compromise Bill

garber_square_roadwork_theridgewoodblog

file photo by Boyd Loving

As negotiations over how to fund the Transportation Trust Fund with a gas tax continue to stall, Governor Chris Christie’s decision to halt all repairs and construction until lawmakers reach a consensus is drawing criticism from Democrats and advocacy groups. The state Assembly and Senate failed to reach a compromise between two bills at the end of June. JT Aregood, PolitickerNJ Read more

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N.J. lost $18B in a decade due to outmigration, NJBIA report says

New_Jersey_State_Senator_Stephen_Sweeney

By Andrew George, February 11, 2016 at 1:25 PM

The New Jersey Business & Industry Association released a report Thursday indicating that the outmigration of some 2 million New Jersey residents cost the state approximately $18 billion in net adjusted gross income in the years between 2004 and 2013.

“The $18 billion we lost during the years we studied had a significant economic impact on the state,” NJBIA CEO and President Michele Siekerka said. “During that period, we lost $8.4 billion in household spending, $11.4 billion in economic output, 75,000 jobs and $4 billion in total lost labor income.”

The study found that the majority of New Jersey residents leaving the state are migrating to Pennsylvania. New York was the second-most-popular destination for those relocating from the Garden State, showcasing that, while people are leaving in search of lower taxes, they also want to maintain a relatively close proximity to family and friends.

“This pattern underscores New Jersey’s need to stay competitive with its neighbors and those other states vying for our residents and businesses,” Siekerka said.

And it’s not just retirees, either. According to the report, millennials, which it defined as those between the ages of 18 and 34, are leaving New Jersey in the highest numbers.

 

https://www.njbiz.com/article/20160211/NJBIZ01/160219938/nj-lost-18b-in-a-decade-due-to-outmigration-njbia-report-says

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Ethos Fitness and Spa For Women

Ethos Fitness and Spa For Women, Spa, health and wellness

July 8,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Midland Park NJ, Ethos Fitness and Spa For Women is exclusively designed for women’s fitness and is the favorite fitness and spa escape for moms in Bergen County! It has a perfect blend of group exercise, personal training, Pilates and Spin classes in addition to wellness programs. As for the spa, they offer an entire portfolio of services for both men and women—and it’s open to non-members. They also offer youth programs for young girls– so grab your daughters – and YES, they have childcare!

Complimentary Childcare Hours Effective June 22nd:
Mon-Fri: 830am-130pm
Mon-Thurs: 5pm-8pm
Sat/Sun: 830am-130pm

85 Godwin Ave

Midland Park, NJ

(201) 251-4500

 

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Why so many domestic killings this year in Bergen County this year?

Ridgewood_Police_theridgewoodblog

July 8,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, the Deaths of former Ridgewood Deputy Mayor and wife are called suicide . Earlier this week
Police brought three Carlstadt children to safety over a backyard fence after their father shot and killed their mother on the front lawn of their home before killing himself.

These two incidents are just two more in a string of area domestic killings this year in Bergen County.
On June 1, a 53-year-old Fair Lawn man shot his elderly parents dead, started a fire and turned the gun on himself .In March, a 44-year-old Bergenfield man shot and killed his 36-year-old wife and then himself .Back in late January, authorities charged a 45-year-old North Arlington man with beating his 47-year-old wife to death with a hammer .

Different circumstances for sure but authorities continue to look for clues that could make these episodes more predictable.
Experts normally attribute domestic killings to many causes ,“Prior domestic violence is by far the number-one risk factor in these cases,however unemployment was a significant risk factor for murder-suicide but only when combined with a history of domestic violence.

“In a seminar titled Men Who Murder Their Families: What the Research Tells Us, an expert panel discussed a recent spike in news reports of “familicide” cases. Panelists included Jacquelyn C. Campbell of Johns Hopkins University, author David Adams, and Richard Gelles of the University of Pennsylvania. Campbell, Anna D. Wolf Chair and professor at JHU’s School of Nursing, discussed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Violent Death Reporting System. Of the 408 homicidesuicide cases, most perpetrators were men (91 percent) and most used a gun (88 percent).

A 12-city study that Campbell conducted of these cases found that intimatepartner violence had previously occurred in 70 percent of them. Interestingly, only 25 percent of prior domestic violence appeared in the arrest records, according to Campbell. Researchers uncovered much of the prior domestic violence through interviews with family and friends of the homicide victims.

“Prior domestic violence is by far the number-one risk factor in these cases,” Campbell said. She also explained that most people who commit murder-suicide are non-Hispanic white males who kill their mates or former mates. Prior domestic violence is the greatest risk factor in these cases. Access to a gun is a significant risk factor, as are threats with a weapon, a stepchild in the home or estrangement. However, a past criminal history is not a reliable or significant predictor in murder-suicide. In the aftermath of a family murder followed by a suicide, communities, police, researchers and others search for explanations. In difficult financial times, it may be natural to look for economic influences, especially when the killer has recently lost a job or has enormous financial problems.

Campbell found that unemployment was a significant risk factor for murder-suicide but only when combined with a history of domestic violence. In other words, it was not a risk factor in and of itself but was something that tipped the scale following previous abuse. (https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/230412.pdf )”

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In Major Turn In Banking Regulation House Passes Garrett Amendment to End Too-Big-To-Fail

bank-of-america_theridgewoodblog

July 8,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the House passed Rep. Scott Garrett’s (NJ-05) amendment to the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill.  The amendment would prevent the Secretary of the Treasury and the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, both voting members of Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), from designating any additional nonbank companies as Systemically Important Financial Institutions (SIFIs).

“American taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook to bail out big banks, Wall Street, and any other financial institution that the government decides is too-big-to-fail,” said Garrett. “

As the FSOC designates both banks and non-banks as ‘systemically important,’ it essentially puts the government’s stamp of approval for taxpayer bailouts into federal law. I’m pleased that my colleagues took a stand today to protect the wallets of millions of hardworking Americans who make their financial decisions around kitchen tables instead of Wall Street board rooms.”

Additional Information

 During the 2008 crisis, the taxpayers were forced to spend billions of dollars to bail out financial institutions that were considered too big to fail.  The Dodd-Frank Act codified the government’s ability to designate specific banking firms as too-big-to-fail, and gave FSOC the ability to designate additional non-banks as well.

Rep. Garrett is Chairman of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government-Sponsored Enterprises. He is the sponsor of the Bailout Prevention Act and theFinancial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) Transparency and Accountability Act.

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The Home of Former Ridgewood Deputy Searched by Police

Ridgewood_Police_theridgewoodblog

file photo by Boyd Loving

July 7,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood

Westwood NJ, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s criminal investigation unit and a large contingent of police were conducting an investigation Thursday afternoon at the home of former Westwood council member and former Former Ridgewood Deputy Mayor Robert W. Miller, who pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges earlier this year. Authorities say the home is the scene of an “active investigation “. Miller served as a a Ridgewood councilman from 1996 to 1998.

Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal confirmed that the deaths of former Westwood and Ridgewood Councilman Bob Miller and his wife, Aecha, were apparent suicides.

Public records list Robert and Aecha Miller as the owners of the home at 430 Kinderkamack Rd., where the investigation was taking place.  Neighbors reported seeing the couple over the weekend and that Robert Miller may have been wearing what appeared to be an ankle bracelet monitor.

In February Robert Miller, 67, pleaded guilty to federal charges, confessing that he sold phony massage therapy training certificates to women who worked as prostitutes at more than two dozen massage parlors in New Jersey. Miller resigned from public office in 2015 after seven years of service.

Neighbors told the Bergen Record that he noticed that Westwood police and Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office detectives were at the house at 1:30 p.m. and were still conducting an investigation at 3:45 p.m.