> GOP hopefuls have been thoroughly queried on a laundry list of issues Yet, the man they hope to defeat next November has rarely been asked by news reporters about many of these issues. By Richard Benedetto – December 30, 2011
Over the past five months, the Republican presidential candidates participated in 13 debates where they fielded dozens of penetrating questions on every major issue facing the nation, and some not so major.
The nationally televised and/or Internet-streamed forums each drew an average of 5 million to 6 million viewers, along with breathless wall-to-wall coverage, commentary and criticism from the news media, radio and TV talk shows, Internet blogs and partisan websites.
Indeed, the GOP hopefuls have been thoroughly queried on a laundry list of issues ranging from immigration problems to the faltering economy, Iran’s nuclear program to trade deficits with China, the intricacies of climate change to strategies to combat terrorism, exploding government regulations to skyrocketing public debt, plus some uncomfortable questions about their pasts and their personal lives.
Yet, during all that time, the man they hope to defeat next November has rarely been asked by news reporters about many of these issues. Since August, President Obama has held only one formal White House news conference. That came on Oct. 6, nearly three months ago. It lasted 74 minutes, shorter than any single Republican debate, and the president was asked 17 questions, most of them softballs on the economy and his latest legislative proposals to create jobs.
$89 million dollar budget : I’m Voting NO for the following reasons. I’m Voting NO for the following reasons.
From today’s BOE Newsline, I see that there is 1.4% increase in teacher’s salary. So rather than allow some of the other teachers to stay by forgoing a raise, the teachers who are left are still getting one while other teachers are left go. That’s for the kids, of course.
Also in today’s BOE Newsline, I see there is a 21.5% raise in employee benefits. The teachers refuse to chip in just 1.5% of their salary for benefits. If the average teacher’s salary is $65,000 a year, we are looking for $975 a year for full medical, dental and vision. (Come on, who gets free vision anymore?) However, those same teachers are very willing to pay an average of $720 a year for union dues. These are their priorities, not our tax dollars, not our kids.
Readers Allege bullying epidemic at B F Middle School while administrators do little or nothing
the Ridgewood blog recieved so many of these coments they could not be ignored:
Hey here’s a little story from last year that will give you a clue about how Mr. Orsini handles a child’s repeated cries for help from him regarding another child who had been relentlessly bullying her at school (not on line).
$89 million school budget : a “NO” vote does not “send a message” to anyone. I don’t disagree with the sentiments expressed here. Unfortunately, some people don’t seem to understand the implications of this vote.
First, a “NO” vote does not “send a message” to anyone. It does not have an impact on teachers benefits or their raises for next year. It simply means that the budget will get turned over to the Village Council (who know NOTHING about the school’s needs or situations) to determine the amount of the tax for next year. They can assign ANY tax rate they want. They can increase the budget and raise taxes more, or they can cut the budget and limit the taxes. They are accountable to NO ONE on this issue. The most likely outcome is that they cut the budget more and reduce taxes, which will result in further teacher cuts…unfortunately, they will be the newer and more enthusiastic teachers, who most of us would prefer to have teaching our children. I, for one, do not want Annie Z or Keith K making any decisions about my children’s education.
Over the past few weeks, Governor Christie and the media have made a big deal about some recently-released data. It showed that statewide, over the past 10 years, enrollment in New Jersey schools has grown 3%, while staffing in NJ schools has grown 14%. The Governor and others used these statistics to back-up the claim that there has been a “hiring spree” in our schools and that today there is “plenty of room to cut.” I would totally agree on a statewide level.
Valley “Renewal” more than doubles the size of the medical center Valley’s revised plan is called workable Tuesday, May 4, 2010 BY MARY JO LAYTON The Record STAFF WRITER
The Valley Hospital’s proposed expansion , but the latest building plan is a good compromise, experts hired by Ridgewood testified Monday.
Village Planner Blais Brancheau said the plan, which adds three beds to the 451-bed hospital “does not intensify operations. The overall policy is to keep the intensity of use as it is roughly today,” he said.
HOLY COW ARE CRONK-DOWD TRYING TO BUY RIDGEWOOD VOTE Papers just posted with the New Jersey Campaign Financing and Lobbying Disclosure – NJ Election Enforcement Commission on candidate spending for the Village of Ridgewood Council election indicate that Committee to Elect Cronk and Dowd have spent over $6,654. and have a total receipts of $9,750.
Ron Emrich, Preservation NJ director, said in Trenton, “The endangered historic sites program spotlights irreplaceable historic, architectural, cultural and archeological resources in New Jersey that are in imminent danger of being lost. The act of listing these resources acknowledges their importance to the heritage of New Jersey and draws attention to the predicaments that endanger their survival and the survival of all historic resources throughout our state.
Councilwoman Anne Zusy Undergoes Rehabilitation at Local Nursing Home
In a statement read by her son Alexander Ortiz during Monday evening’s Village Council meeting, Councilwoman Anne Zusy reported that she is a patient in a local rehabilitation center.
The reason for Ms. Zusy’s admission to a rehabilitation center was not disclosed during her remarks.
In addition to her elected position as a member of the Village Council, Ms. Zusy also serves in an appointed position as a full member of the Ridgewood Planning Board.
Ridgewood Sports: LAX Parents claim Coach Pounds punished the team by losing on purpose
Many RHS lax parents angry at coach Pounds. #6 Ridgewood played the #11 team in the states and lost. The coach refused to start his senior goalie (would not give a reason). He passed over all the other goalies in the program and started his inexperienced freshman son – IN THE STATE PLAYOFF!!! We were missing 3 sophomores but in this game it would not have mattered. It was easily winnable.
N.J. taxpayers question school administrators’ pay
Lately, when Cheryl Gismonde logs onto her Facebook account, she often finds messages that veer wildly from the usual array of restaurant recommendations and photos of other people’s children. A recent post from one of her friends reads: “Burlington County has 39 school districts!! So let’s figure the average Super makes $150K, maybe an assistant at $100K, and a Business Administrator at $90K. That’s approx. $13 million and some of these Supers have districts with just 2-3 schools. Entirely too much $$ wasted on positions that arent hands-on with the ki. . .ds.” (Osborne, Inquirer)
State Troopers Look to Ring the Register this Memorial Day Weekend ,Drive Carefully Troopers writing more tickets on NJ toll roads The Associated Press
State troopers are writing more tickets on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway.
State Police figures show tickets for all motor-vehicle violations increased 61 percent on the parkway last month, compared to April 2009. It was up 45 percent on the turnpike for the same period.
Kathleen A. Donovan : “Time to close NJ Sports Authority and save taxpayers millions” “Time to close NJ Sports Authority and save taxpayers millions” Says Donovan.
May 28, 2010
Kathleen A. Donovan, Republican candidate for Bergen County Executive, today called on Governor Christie to cancel the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority’s purchase of Personal Seat Licenses (PSL’s) and season tickets for the New York Giants and New York Jets. According to Ms. Donovan, “This latest slap at New Jersey taxpayers is proof positive that the Authority has clearly outlived its usefulness and should be put out of its misery.
Graydon Pool : “it was the biggest opening day crowd in 5 or 6 years”
The staff stopped counting at 1200 people on Saturday, June 5. Pool manager Steve Diamond said it was the biggest opening day crowd in 5 or 6 years.
Open for business: Last weekend Graydon had its biggest opening day in 5 or 6 years, said pool manager Steve Diamond. What a great community gathering place!
Readers Sound off Chairman Nicholson disrespect and condescension towards Ridgewood residents CHRIS RUTISHA– USER – Village Engineer rips down posters at Planning Board public meeting on June 14
A lecture in civility was offered by Chairman Nicholson as he called the June 14th Planning Board H-Zone meeting to order. Yet, just moments before the meeting was called to order informational posters, neatly placed on the walls of the Benjamin Franklin Middle School, were violently ripped down by a Village Employee. The posters were crumbled and stuffed into garbage pails.
Valley Renewal: Readers Question Motivations Two questions arise, (1) what has Ridgewood to lose if the Planning Board does not approve Valley’s Expansionist plans, (2) what have the individual members of the planning board to loose if the plan is not approved?
Village Council: And The Band Played On . . . And The Band Played On . . .
Despite Worker Layoffs, Village Council Will Hold Elaborate After Reorganization Meeting Event
The Fly has just learned that Village Council members and their invited guests will convene at Gen Sushi, 15 East Ridgewood Avenue, for an “after reorganization meeting” luncheon on Thursday, July 1st.
Valley Renewal: Sleazy Tactic Mar H-Zone Vote As if the last-minute change of venue wasn’t bad enough to jerk residents around…now the village says parking will be unavailable. This from the Record:
“Parking will be extremely limited tonight at the middle school where the Ridgewood Planning Board is voting on Valley Hospital’s expansion plans.
The Planning Board secretary announced this afternoon that the village just discovered that parking will not be available at the large church lot across from George Washington Middle School.
>the Village of Ridgewood Looking Back on 2010 Part 1
MONDAY, JANUARY 04, 2010
$48 million dollar Referendum :Cautiously Optimistic?
It seems that Ms. Goodman is right to be cautious about whether Ridgewood will ever see the $10 million dollars in matching funds from the state of NJ for our turf fields. We have it from a good source that Governor Corzine has refused to sign off on any school referendums. Which means that Ridgewood’s recently passed $48 million dollar bond referendum is in limbo awaiting the approval of incoming Governor Christie. Who, by the way, has made it abundantly clear that he is going to cut state spending.
Controversial Rector Announces Plan to “Part Ways” with Christ Episcopal Church
The Reverend S. Elizabeth Searle of Christ Episcopal Church Ridgewood, whose management style reportedly caused the mass resignation of nine Vestry members this past October, publicly announced her plan to “part ways” with Christ Church shortly.
The Ridgewood Blog’s coverage of the turmoil at Christ Church was criticized by several current and former parishioners, and an official from the Episcopal Diocese of Newark, as being an “inappropriate public intrusion on a very private matter.”
Ridgewood police sergeant charged with stealing PBA money
Thursday, January 14, 2010 BY EVONNE COUTROS AND MARLENE NAANES The Record Staff Writers
RIDGEWOOD — A village police sergeant is accused of stealing $65,000 from the local Police Benevolent Association, police said Thursday.
Sgt. William Hemmer, 40, of Sussex, was arrested Thursday morning after he turned himself in at police headquarters and was charged with theft by deception and official misconduct, Ridgewood police said in a statement. He was released on his own recognizance, Detective Capt. John Ward said.
The Plot Thickens : Ridgewood’s downtown voted Bergen’s best
The question is: Are these papers being truly objective or are the articles an attempt to placate the Village Council and bring an end to the antagonism between it and the President of the Chamber of Commerce, who happens to be the son in law of the owner of the North Jersey Media Group? If the answer is the latter, then we can only look to the Blogs for any kind of truth about what goes on in the Village!
Doubling parking meter rates in Ridgewood did not double revenues, but other factors may have played a role in how the parking utility netted $34,000 in additional income over a five-month period, compared to the same time frame in 2008.
The Ridgewood News, through an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request, obtained parking utility revenue figures for the months from August to December 2008, when rates were 25 cents an hour to park at all meters in the village, and August to December 2009, when the Village Council changed the rates to 50 cents an hour.
Parking in Graydon South Lot Will Now Cost $425 Per School Year
The time honored tradition of Ridgewood High School students being able to park for free in the Graydon South lot will soon come to an unceremonious end.
Students may thank Village Council members for this bit of bad news. Council members are still seeking to plug major gaps in the municipal budget by squeezing revenue from every possible source; an increase in permit parking fees is one of those sources.
The Ridgewood Board of Education (BOE) announces layoffs necessary Ridgewood announces school layoffs Tuesday, March 9, 2010 BY DOLORES ALFIERI The Ridgewood News STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood Board of Education (BOE) announced that layoffs in the village’s schools will be necessary to manage the 2010/2011 budget. At its meeting last night, the BOE outlined the reduction in school administration and salaries. A district-wide meeting was called Monday afternoon to inform teachers and administrators of cuts that seem all but inevitable.
Village Council Election: Readers Still Question the Use of RPP email List
…using an email list from the Village of Ridgewood(rpp) to further one’s personal gain (getting petition signatures for public office) should be more than likely to be considered as an unethical matter.
If ethics play any part in submitting the required number of petitions in order to run for a seat on the council, those that were acquired by unethical means and submitted, justly should be thrown out (considered as null and void).
WHAT BOIL WATER ADVISORY? “Funny thing, tonite after dinner I got a call from Bergen county stating the ‘boil water order’ had been lifted. The joke is on me since I never got the call to boil water in the first place and I drank 4 glasses today. Per the Village website, it did not affect us. Who do I beleive? Hopefuly I wont get the ‘tourista’.”
Kenneth A. Gabbert :March 22nd the Village gave notices to employees holding positions that in the 2010 budget will be eliminated Informational Statement Village of Ridgewood, March 23, 2010 Contact: Kenneth A. Gabbert, Village Manager
The Unions representing Village employees have been most cooperative under a rather difficult financial process, as the Village faced nearly a one million dollar shortfall in the proposed 2010 Budget.
In January 2010, the Village Finance Committee met with Union representatives and detailed the need to extend contracts one year with no pay increase this year.
Ridgewood Teachers: I’m sorry but your crocodile tears no longer move me
I raised money for you. I wrote letters for you. I voted for every budget for the first 13 years I lived here. I listened to you complain and how you were ready to walk out until you got double what I made that year – but still supported you. I went to games, music performances, plays, exhibits (and still do). I donated to the REF. How do you repay me and my family? By ignoring that we were tired of your complaining and wanting all the assurances that us commoners are not afforded in our careers.
The Ridgewood Police Department is accepting applications for anyone interested in becoming a School Crossing Guard. Posts are a minimum of two (2) hours a day. Work may even be available during times when school is closed (winter/summer breaks). Please contact the Ridgewood Police Records Room at (201) 251-4531 for blank applications and questions. The Village of Ridgewood is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
>Happy New Year : Once again we ask , New Years Resolutions anyone? PJ, So do we really make New Years Resolutions as future goals we want to accomplish or do we simply make New Years Resolutions to make us feel better about all the things we haven’t done that we should ? For instance ;instead of facing the fact that we are FAT we make a resolution to loose wait in the future eat healthier or exercise regularly ?
>The Tale of Two Communities: Hackensack and Ridgewood
The Village of Ridgewood and the city of Hackensack both lie in Northern New Jersey, within easy commuting distance of New York City. While both locations started life as rural communities, their paths to their current environment were quite different. Ridgewood today is still a suburban village of predominantly single family homes, whereas Hackensack has become an urban city, hosting the largest hospital in the region as well as some significant government agencies.
>Surplus of N.J. tax revenue may be byproduct of income shifting to avoid federal tax hike Chris Megerian/Statehouse Bureau
TRENTON — New Jersey tax revenue is outpacing projections by 3.8 percent in the first five months of the fiscal year, the Treasury said yesterday. However, there are signs that even though residents are earning more, they’re not spending their wages.
The income tax brought in the most money, and delivered revenue 12.7 percent over projections. But sales tax dipped 1.4 percent below projections, a concern for state Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff.
“At the risk of sounding overly pessimistic, I’m concerned that sales taxes are down at the same time that income taxes are up,” Sidamon-Eristoff said in a statement. “This may signal that income taxes aren’t rising solely because of an improved economy.” He said the boost in income tax revenue may be inflated by wealthy residents trying to shift income from 2011 to 2010 to circumvent any potential increase in federal income taxes. For example, some companies have awarded bonuses early
>Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno : high property taxes discourage businesses from locating in New Jersey
N.J. Lt. Governor urges action on tax relief
Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno urged 200 New Jersey business people Tuesday to press the Legislature for more property tax relief, arguing that high property taxes discourage businesses from locating in New Jersey. (Lynn, The Record)
New Jerseyans are likely to see their property taxes rise by more than 2 percent next year despite a levy cap that takes effect Jan. 1, the leader of the state Senate said Tuesday. (The Associated Press)
>Law Makers call for investigation of steroid use by New Jersey law enforcement officers and firefighters
Report has lawmakers calling for probes, testing
Citing the misuse of tax dollars and a potential danger to the public, state lawmakers yesterday pushed for an investigation and legislative action following revelations of steroid use by hundreds of New Jersey law enforcement officers and firefighters. (Britain and Mueller, The Star-Ledger)
>N.J. Assembly passes affordable-housing changes, bill would abolish the state Council on Affordable Housing
N.J. Assembly passes affordable-housing changes
A proposal to overhaul New Jersey’s controversial affordable-housing rules won approval Monday by the Assembly, 43-32.
The bill, which might be considered next week in the Senate, would abolish the state Council on Affordable Housing and strike a 2.5 percent fee on nonresidential development to subsidize low-cost housing. (Rao, The Philadelphia Inquirer)
>Fearing more conservative backlash the New Jersey Republican State Committee abruptly canceled a long scheduled meeting
With State Republicans fearing more conservative backlash the New Jersey Republican State Committee abruptly canceled a long scheduled meeting Hyatt Regency in Princeton last night, less than 24 hours before it was scheduled to convene.
Chairman Jay Webber sent an e-mail to committee members informing them that the next meeting of the New Jersey Republican State Committee will not take place until after the New Year. https://conservativenewjersey.com/rsc-abruptly-cancels-meeting
>Obama’s Health-Care Law Ruled Unconstitutional Over Insurance Requirement
The Obama administration’s requirement that most citizens maintain minimum health coverage as part of a broad overhaul of the industry is unconstitutional, a federal judge ruled, striking down the linchpin of the plan.
U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson in Richmond, Virginia, today said that the requirement in President Barack Obama’s health-care legislation goes beyond Congress’s powers to regulate interstate commerce. While severing the coverage mandate, which is set to become effective in 2014, Hudson didn’t address other provisions such as expanding Medicaid.
“At its core, this dispute is not simply about regulating the business of insurance — or crafting a scheme of universal health insurance coverage — it’s about an individual’s right to choose to participate,” wrote Hudson, who was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2002.
MORE : https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-13/u-s-health-care-law-requirement-thrown-out-by-judge.html
New Jersey Senate Democrats are pushing ahead with a challenge to the Christie administration’s rules for the state’s new medical marijuana program, despite a supposedly bipartisan compromise the governor announced earlier this month. (Fleisher, The Wall Street Journal)
>Proposed parent-trigger bill adds school vouchers to available options
A Republican-backed bill that would give parents unprecedented rights to remake low-performing schools would offer them three options: replace the school’s staff, convert the school to a charter, or request vouchers to attend other public or private schools. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
Warning: Undefined array key "sfsi_riaIcon_order" in /home/eagle1522/public_html/theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/plugins/ultimate-social-media-icons/libs/controllers/sfsi_frontpopUp.php on line 165
Warning: Undefined array key "sfsi_inhaIcon_order" in /home/eagle1522/public_html/theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/plugins/ultimate-social-media-icons/libs/controllers/sfsi_frontpopUp.php on line 166
Warning: Undefined array key "sfsi_mastodonIcon_order" in /home/eagle1522/public_html/theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/plugins/ultimate-social-media-icons/libs/controllers/sfsi_frontpopUp.php on line 177
