The Rules are for Everyone else : Politicians Seek to Carry Guns while residents are denied
Bergen Senator Seeks Gun Carry Permits for Judges and Legislators
Veteran Senator Gerald Cardinale (R-39) wants New Jersey to allow legislators, as well as judges at the superior and municipal court levels, to obtain permits to carry handguns provided they complete at least eight hours of firearm safety training. Max Pizarro, PolitickerNJ Read more
BY PAUL BERGER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Some Bergen County politicians reacted with surprise earlier this month when the Federal Aviation Administration announced it was moving a busy flight path to Teterboro Airport, apparently at the last minute.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/panel-told-bergen-towns-of-flight-path-changes-last-year-1.1531123
Voters in dark on key details of casino expansion referendum
When New Jerseyans decide in November whether to approve two new casinos in the northern part of the state, they’ll likely have only a vague notion of what they’re voting on. Wayne Parry, Associated Press Read more
BY SCOTT FALLON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
A toxic chemical that recently raised concerns throughout the region when it was found near the Wanaque Reservoir has been detected in several smaller drinking water supplies that serve more than a dozen North Jersey towns.
Test results compiled by the federal government in the past three years show 1,4-dioxane, a probable carcinogen, in Fair Lawn, Garfield, Pompton Lakes and several other towns that rely heavily on wells. It has also been found in almost 80 other water systems in every part of the state, from Shore towns to Highlands communities.
Environmental officials say there is no imminent health threat from the levels of 1,4-dioxane that were detected, but there is still no clear consensus on how much of the chemical can be in drinking water before it makes anyone ill. The federal government has yet to develop a national standard for the chemical in water supplies. New Jersey does not yet have one. And the standards established in other states vary wildly.
Those whose drinking water has 1,4-dioxane are left with little information or guidance about whether it is dangerous.
“We need direction based on good science,” said Ken Garrison, the borough engineer for Fair Lawn, which supplies water to 32,000 residents. “It’s difficult for a water supplier to do anything without getting guidance from the regulators.”
The findings in North Jersey range from a barely traceable amount in Park Ridge to a sample almost 30 times greater taken from some of Fair Lawn’s wells that are in a Superfund site.
While the amounts of 1,4-dioxane found in North Jersey are incredibly small — the highest recording of 3.24 micrograms per liter in Fair Lawn is equivalent to three drops of water in an Olympic-sized swimming pool — they are important to regulators in setting baselines that determine how much exposure creates a health threat.
Unlike arsenic, PCBs and other dangerous substances that scientists have studied for decades, 1,4-dioxane belongs to a group of chemicals the Environmental Protection Agency classifies as an “unregulated contaminant” because the agency doesn’t have enough data to determine all of its health implications and its prevalence in water supplies.
The chemical, 1,4-dioxane, is a clear, man-made substance used in paint strippers, degreasers and varnishes. It is also created unintentionally when mixing certain chemicals. It blends with water very easily and is difficult to remove.
Drinking 1,4-dixoane can cause liver and kidney damage and is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen” by the U.S. Department of Health. In 2010, the EPA determined that 1,4-dioxane is more likely to cause cancer than previously thought: Cancer could occur in one person out of 1 million exposed to 0.35 milligrams per liter of the chemical over a lifetime.
The chemical made news recently after it was discovered in groundwater at the Ringwood Superfund site in the Ramapo Mountains, where Ford Motor Co. dumped tons of paint sludge almost 50 years ago. Although that groundwater is in the watershed that supplies the Wanaque Reservoir, 1,4-dioxane has not been detected in the reservoir, which serves up to 3 million people.
But it has been found in water systems that serve Fair Lawn, Garfield, Pompton Lakes, Oakland, Ramsey, Park Ridge, Elmwood Park, Ridgewood, Wallington, Hawthorne, Mahwah and other towns that receive most of their water from wells, according to an analysis of EPA data by The Record.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
434 AM EDT SUN MAR 20 2016
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN
CONNECTICUT…NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY AND SOUTHEAST NEW YORK.
.DAY ONE…TODAY AND TONIGHT.
A LIGHT SNOWFALL EVENT IS FORECAST TONIGHT WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES
OF ACCUMULATION. THIS WILL RESULT IN SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS.
BY JOHN SEASLY AND MATTHEW MCGRATH
STAFF WRITERS |
THE RECORD
BERGENFIELD — An 11-year-old boy discovered the bodies of his parents late Saturday morning, after what authorities suspect was a murder and suicide, Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir Grewal said.
The deaths, which took place at 268 West Clinton Ave., are being investigated as a case of domestic violence, Grewal said during a brief news conference at the scene late Saturday afternoon.
The boy — who like his parents was not identified by authorities pending notification of other family members — alerted a neighbor that his parents weren’t breathing Saturday morning and the neighbor placed a call to 911 about 10:21 a.m., Grewal said.
file photo
BY BRETT CARROLL
STAFF WRITER |
PASCACK VALLEY COMMUNITY LIFE
Elderly residents around Pascack Valley can eat well thanks to the efforts of their local “Meals on Wheels” program, a service that delivers food to their doorsteps.
Meals on Wheels is a national organization that delivers food to elderly citizens who cannot drive to get food on their own. It is one of the oldest national food programs and there are chapters across every state.
The Westwood House, the senior living facility in the borough, is the Meals on Wheels chapter for Pascack Valley, and Jeanne Martin is the woman who runs and operates the program.
“I’ve been doing this for 11 years now,” Martin said during a delivery run the morning of Tuesday, March 8. “I was at Pascack Valley Hospital doing [Meals for Wheels] until it closed. I’ve been here for 8 years now.”
Most of the program is paid for through private grants and subsidies from the government, she said.
New Jersey Congressman Scott Garrett accompanied her that day for his biannual checkup on programs in New Jersey.
He was pleased to see the dedication and enthusiasm of Martin, and applauded the benefits of the program.
“This is a program that is helping a lot of people,” the Garrett said “There are so many people in this area that need this. I’m glad we have people like Jeanne who want to help and serve.”
file photo
March 17, 2016
New Rutgers-Eagleton poll found that 56 percent of New Jerseyians oppose a gas tax hike.
Ridgewood NJ, Chanel 12 news reports that a new poll conducted by Rutgers-Eagleton Poll found that more than half of New Jersey residents are opposed to a gas tax increase. However, many of New Jersey’s lawmakers say that raising the gas tax is likely to happen.
New Jersey’s transportation fund is set to run out of money in June and the state’s legislators have not yet introduced a way to replenish the fund. Many have mentioned a gas tax hike as a way to increase revenue.
According to lawmakers ,the transportation fund pays more than a billion dollars each year for maintenance and repairs. Lawmakers have until June 30 to renew the fund.
Many political experts say that introducing the hike would be a politically unpopular proposal.
Trenton= dumb as a box of rocks
we had to repeat this Trenton , Ridgewood , they are just not listening
By Matt Friedman | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
TRENTON — New Jersey’s state government would seek to better understand why companies are leaving the state under legislation approved by a Senate panel today.
The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee voted 10-0 to approve the bill, which would require the state’s labor commissioner conduct a written survey of any major company that’s either moving out of state or laying off a large number of employees.
The legislation comes in the wake of Mercedes-Benz decision to vacate its Bergen County headquarters and take 1,000 jobs with it to the outskirts of Atlanta, citing the South’s lower cost of doing business.
Mar 17, 2016
Ridgewood NJ, Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05), a senior member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following statement after the House Budget Committee passed his amendment to encourage House leadership to find $30 billion in cuts in future fiscal bills. Garrett’s amendment was the only amendment that was adopted by the committee. The budget was ultimately reported out of committee with Garrett’s support.
“During the House Budget Committee markup, almost every one of my colleagues recognized that our national debt is approaching $20 trillion and we need to act now. That’s why I’m pleased that my colleagues on the committee and Speaker Ryan were supportive of my amendment to make sure that the House will vote on additional spending cuts. It’s an uphill battle, but these are the fights the American people are expecting us to have, and I’m proud to be at the forefront of this serious debate.”
March 17,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood
Oakland Nj, On Tuesday, March 22 the Bergen County Municipal Alliance Program is hosting Hidden In Plain Sight, an interactive awareness event for parents, community members, educators, and caretakers to learn about where their children may be stashing their drugs and to discuss current trends. There will be a dynamic presentation by Tim Shoemaker, a Q&A with experts in the field, resource tables and a prescription drug drop box to dispose of unwanted or unused prescription medications, no questions asked. Due to the nature of this event all attendees must be 18 years or older. This is a county-wide event; registration is required by contacting Jamie England ([email protected] or 201-634-2757), or by visiting www.bergenhealth.org. The event will be held at Indian Hills High School, 97 Yawpo Ave., Oakland from 7-9 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Click here for the flyer.
A judge on Tuesday shot down former Bergen County Democratic Party leader Joseph A. Ferriero’s bid to remain free while he appeals his federal corruption conviction, setting the stage for his surrender on Thursday to begin serving a nearly three-year prison sentence. Peter J. Sampson, The Record Read more
Oftentimes we miss opportunities in Trenton. Today New Jersey faces several major economic issues including pension funding and our transportation trust fund which is running out of money. Our only options to make the State fiscally sound are to 1. Increase revenues, 2. Cut spending and/or 3. Raise taxes. We are currently the highest taxed state in the nation and raising taxes is not a smart option. We have the potential to bring in additional revenue through expansion of casino gaming but as currently drafted NONE of that money will be able to be used to stabilize our pension system or to pay for our crumbling infrastructure costs. Instead, the legislature has handcuffed itself and is ensuring that taxes will rise again in the future. What are we doing? Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi
According to Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi, SCR1, a constitutional amendment that would allow casino expansion outside of Atlantic City must be reshaped in order for additional casinos to be a worthwhile addition to New Jersey. Alyana Alfaro, PolitickerNJ Read more
BY JIM NORMAN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The settlement of a prolonged contract dispute between NJ Transit and unions representing 4,200 of the railroad’s employees was reached only after provisions were made for recent retirees to receive retroactive pay increases, a published report said Sunday.
The unions had threatened to strike after five years of working without a contract, but on Friday night the two sides reached a tentative deal to avoid a shutdown of the commuter rail lines between North Jersey and New York City.
March 13,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Joshua S. Gottheimer is a lawyer, speechwriter, and public policy adviser. He has been active within the Democratic Party as a speechwriter for Bill Clinton and an advisor for the presidential campaigns of Wesley Clark, John Kerry, and Hillary Clinton. He is currently running for the United States House of Representatives in New Jersey’s 5th congressional district.
The New York Times called Gottheimer a “Protégé of Clintons” saying , “few can claim as direct a connection to the former secretary of state as Mr. Gottheimer, who began his career as a young speechwriter in the Clinton White House and advised Mrs. Clinton’s 2008 campaign. Mr. Clinton and Chelsea Clinton have already quietly appeared at a Manhattan fund-raiser in late October, where Ms. Clinton introduced Mr. Gottheimer as something of a family member.” https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/26/nyregion/protege-of-hillary-and-bill-clintons-targets-us-congressional-seat.html
On February 8th the FBI disclosed in a federal court filing, that it is looking into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server. On March 2nd the Justice Department granted immunity to a former State Department staffer, who worked on Hillary Clinton’s private email server, as part of a criminal investigation into the possible mishandling of classified information, according to a senior law enforcement official.
While the Ridgewood blog has already reported that Gottheimer is being funded by Wall Street interests looking to expand the current “too big to fail” policies and make Wall Street and Corporate bailouts even more frequent something Garret is vehemently opposed too. The NYT again reported ,”Mr. Gottheimer reported raising around $1 million for his campaign through September. A review of his filings found that about one dollar in six came directly from fellow alumni of the Clinton White House and campaigns — many of whom are scattered across powerful companies like Time Warner Inc., Bloomberg L.P. and Goldman Sachs — or from major donors and employees of consulting firms tied closely to the Clintons. “https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/26/nyregion/protege-of-hillary-and-bill-clintons-targets-us-congressional-seat.html
And all this before any mention of the Clinton foundation ,which the National Review called an , ” elaborate slush fund, includes numerous donors and even one-time board members with dodgy backgrounds, shady dealings, and even criminal convictions that should repel rather than lure a once and perhaps future president of the United States. Peter Schweizer’s meticulously researched new best-seller Clinton Cash” (complete with 635 endnotes) delineates this ultimate power couple’s sordid circle. https://www.nationalreview.com/article/419791/clinton-foundation-reeks-crooks-thieves-and-hoods-deroy-murdock
