The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
By Scott Mele, Tektite Industries
Tektite IndustriesScott Mele is president of Tektite Industries in Trenton.
For 29 years, Tektite Industries has been proud to build a business in New Jersey and help carry the torch for manufacturing in our state’s capital city. I can remember when we first started producing LED lighting and strobes, we had two products. It was here in Trenton that we saw our business grow to more than 100 products.
Continue reading Another Manufacturer Set to Leave New Jersey
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Trenton NJ, Any public employee or elected official who is convicted of committing a sex offense while on the job would be required to forfeit their state pension, under legislation sponsored by Senator Kristin Corrado. The bill, A-3766/S-2595 cleared the New Jersey Senate on May 30, 2019 and now heads to the Governor’s desk for final approval.
“Anyone who has the audacity to use their taxpayer-funded position of power to assault a coworker doesn’t deserve a state pension,” Senator Corrado (R-40) said. “Public service is about helping people and making the state you work for a better, safer place for all. Anyone who commits a crime that is contrary to that mission, whether it’s an ethics violation or a sex offense, shouldn’t be paid by the state for life. We need to confront this crisis head-on and ensure that people know there are real consequences for committing crimes in the workplace.”
Continue reading New Bill Requires Public Employees Convicted of Sex Offenses to Forfeit Pensions
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Trenton NJ, Please read this Bloomberg News article
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-24/migration-s-biggest-loser-is-connecticut-as-florida-profits
As the wealthy leave New Jersey for states with much lower tax burdens, it will be our middle class and the working poor who will make up the difference in higher property tax bills. New Jerseyans already pay the highest property taxes in the country, not to mention we pay among the highest income and corporate taxes as well. Even millennials can’t afford to live here anymore.
Continue reading Sweeney: More New Jerseyans leaving for Florida because of out-of-control taxes
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Trenton NJ, Today is National Pork Roll Day, which is odd since it’s only available regionally in NJ, parts of PA, and some very lucky areas in FL and other states where stores bring it in. If you know what it is and get to enjoy it, you are so very lucky.
Continue reading Today is National Pork Roll Day
Facts matter. Our retired public sector employees already draw $12 billion plus a year just in pension checks… not even including their “pay as you go” premium healthcare benefits until age 65. The pension checks alone equate to 33.6% of the actual 2018 NJ state budget. When the pension fu de go insolvent as forecast by 2027, NJ taxpayers will be in the hook for these pension & healthcare payments. Sweeney knows this and is telling the truth. The unions and their full-time lawyers just continue to lie and muddy the waters like the bloated piggies they are.
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Trenton NJ, Senate President Sweeney introduced a sweeping bill package aimed at slashing the high cost of government in New Jersey originating from the recent Path to Progress report. In response to the continued attacks by New Jersey public work leaders, particularly the leader of CWA, Hetty Rosenstein, the President of the New Jersey Building and Construction Trades Council, William Mullen, released the following statement.
Continue reading NJ BUILDING TRADES PRESIDENT BLASTS CWA LEADER FOR MISREPRESENTING PATH TO PROGRESS EFFORT
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Trenton NJ, Senate President Steve Sweeney issued the following statement in response to Governor Phil Murphy’s latest millionaire’s tax proposal:
“The unexpected surge in revenues the Governor is now claiming is the surge the Legislature expected when we imposed a 2.5 percent surcharge on the millionaire and billionaire corporations that benefited directly from the Republican Congress’ tax cut. It is the Corporation Business Tax surcharge we imposed that has been coming in far over the Administration’s revenue projections – just as the Legislature said it would.
Continue reading Sweeney Bashes Murphy’s Latest Millionaire’s Tax Proposal As A Fiscal Charade: ‘For This Governor, The Millionaire’s Tax Is Just A Talking Point’
file photo by Boyd Loving
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Wayne NJ, Assemblyman Kevin J. Rooney warned the state’s economy is in danger without meaningful spending cuts after attending Gov. Phil Murphy’s invitation-only budget roundtable for Passaic County elected officials.
Continue reading Assemblyman Warns Murphy’s Runaway Spending Assures Even Higher Taxes for Weary New Jerseyans
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Trenton NJ, In an effort to examine the impact of the Economic Development Authority’s business incentive programs, Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean and Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick are requesting legislative hearings by a bipartisan committee.
“We truly believe that there has been over the years a well-intentioned and bipartisan effort to raise up our struggling cities, like Camden, and there is no better way than by helping them to grow their own local economies,” said Kean (R-Union). “We agree that every government program deserves scrutiny and that tax incentives should be evaluated as to their continued effectiveness. The way in which we encourage and invest in our businesses needs to be as dynamic as the emerging industries we hope will make New Jersey their long-term home.”
Continue reading GOP Leaders Call for Legislative Hearings on Business Incentive Programs
” Not only have our small town local leaders failed on the development front. The State has us screwed because they can override local towns if developers sue and get state judges to force development on us. You will also see that the State has a complex web of incentives where it tries to get certain kinds of development. Aside from the obvious, such as tax breaks to build or set up business in a blighted area like Paterson, they have a mind numbing number of other programs and incentives. Stupid things such as trying to incentivize building within walking distances to transit hubs because it is perceived of as good for the environment are part of why we see buildings going up next to train tracks (see the huge apartment building in Waldwick?) So it does matter that our State legislature has been pursuing an agenda for decades.
see here=
https://njgin.state.nj.us/OIT_BusinessMap2/ “
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Trenton NJ, Governor Phil Murphy today signed legislation that will allow terminally ill New Jersey adults to end their lives peacefully, with dignity, and at their own discretion. The bill, which was sponsored by Assemblyman John Burzichelli and Senator Nick Scutari, makes New Jersey the eighth state to allow such end-of-life decisions with the assistance of medical professionals.
“Allowing residents with terminal illnesses to make end-of-life choices for themselves is the right thing to do,” said Governor Murphy. “By signing this bill today, we are providing terminally ill patients and their families with the humanity, dignity, and respect that they so richly deserve at the most difficult times any of us will face. I commend Assemblyman Burzichelli for steering us down this long, difficult road, and thank the Legislature for its courage in tackling this challenging issue.”
Continue reading Governor Murphy Signs Legislation to Permit Killing Terminal Ill in New Jersey
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NEWARK NJ, One of the largest health care fraud schemes investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and prosecuted by the Department of Justice resulted in charges against 24 defendants – seven of whom were charged in the District of New Jersey – including the CEOs, COOs and others associated with five telemedicine companies, the owners of dozens of durable medical equipment (DME) companies and three licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud schemes involving more than $1.2 billion in loss, as well as the execution of over 80 search warrants in 17 federal districts. In addition, the Center for Medicare Services, Center for Program Integrity (CMS/CPI) announced today that it took adverse administrative action against 130 DME companies that had submitted over $1.7 billion in claims and were paid over $900 million.
Continue reading Seven Charged In Massive Health Care Fraud Scheme in New Jersey that Targeted the Elderly
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Jersey City NJ, The suspect accused of killing a jogger in a Jersey City park is from Honduras and is illegally in the U.S . It is being reported that he has been deported twice before in 2003 and 2004, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.Jorge Rios, 33, was arrested and charged with her killing at Lincoln Park and is currently in the Hudson County jail and will face a judge Thursday.
In November New Jersey issued new ‘SANCTUARY STATE’ rules for cops and illegal immigration :
https://www.nj.gov/oag/dcj/agguide/directives/ag-directive-2018-6.pdf
Continue reading NJ Sanctuary Status Claims Another Victim ?
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Trenton NJ, State Senator Ronald Rice (D) Dist. 28, gave a presentation on the dangers of legalizing recreational marijuana at the NJ Conservative GOP meeting on Thursday, March 25.
NJ Conservative GOP President Paul Danielczyk congratulated Senator Rice on his successful efforts in getting the NJ Senate vote tabled on Monday. Senator Rice said that he will continue to educate the public and fight future votes to legalize recreational marijuana. Danielczyk pledged that the NJ Conservative GOP will support him in his opposition.
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Trenton NJ, The 25-member Economic and Fiscal Policy Workgroup, comprised of economists and tax experts under the bipartisan leadership of Senate Budget Chair Paul Sarlo, Senator Steve Oroho and Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald in the main recommended the following:
Continue reading The 25-member Economic and Fiscal Policy Workgroup Recommendations
