Category: Trenton

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N.J. Dem lawmakers try to force Christie’s resignation, but we have a better idea everyone in Trenton should forced to resign

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Lets face it the State is run like crap, roads arnt paved , bridges are falling down, pension go unfunded and yet we suffer the highest taxes in the land 
Its time for everyone involved in state government to just step down TRENTON — Democratic state lawmakers will soon introduce legislation that would force Gov. Chris Christie to resign from office because he is running for president, NJ Advance Media has learned.State Sens. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) and Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), who are expected to co-sponsor the bill, said they are fed up with Christie’s frequent absences from New Jersey this year in the run-up to last week’s announcement that he’s running for the White House. The bill would require Christie and any future governor to resign in order to run for president.

“He’s not doing the state any good by spending the bulk of his time out of state,” Lesniak said. “And even when he’s in-state, he’s focusing on what he has to do to get elected president — which often runs contrary to what he ought to do for the state.”

https://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/07/fed_up_with_christies_2016_absences_dem_lawmakers.html

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Ouch New Jersey: The least liked state in America

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file photo Boyd Loving
Wow we really suck 

New Jersey is the only state which Americans tend to have an unfavorable opinion of

As America prepares to celebrate its 239th birthday this Saturday, YouGov compiled a ‘State of the States’, asking Americans how they feel about each and every state that forms our country.

This research shows that New Jersey is the only state in the country which people tend to have a negative opinion of. 40% of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of New Jersey while 30% have a favorable opinion of the state, giving the state a net favorability rating of -10%. In contrast, Alabama, the second least popular state in the country, has a net favorability rating of +8%, as 39% of Americans have a favorable view of Alabama and 31% have an unfavorable opinion. After Alabama the least popular states are Illinois (+9%), Mississippi (+9%) and Indiana (+12%).

Hawaii is the most popular state in the union with a net favorability rating of +56%, with 67% of Americans having a favorable view of the state and only 11% having an unfavorable opinion. Hawaii is followed by Montana (+43%), Wyoming (+42%), Alaska (+42%) and Maine (+42%).

https://today.yougov.com/news/2015/07/01/new-jersey-least-liked-state-america/

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Testicle-munching fish species found in Swedes Lake in South Jersey

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A man and his son caught a strange species in Swedes Lake in South Jersey that turned out to be a rare Amazonian fish known in South America as the “Nutcracker,” according to reports.

The pacu is native to the Amazon
By David Lawler, Washington

9:08PM BST 24 Jun 2015

A species of fish best-known for attacking human testicles has apparently invaded America.

A father and son were fishing in New Jersey when they got a bite from an unfamiliar fish with a startling array of near-human teeth. It was a pacu, a relative of the piranha that is native to the Amazon.

The pacu has accumulated some colourful nicknames – nutcracker, ball cutter – and a sighting in Sweden in 2013 led to a warning for male swimmers to keep their trunks on.

This time the catch came not in Sweden but in Swede’s Lake, a man-made body of water near Philadelphia. Fortunately for Ron Rossi, this particular fish went for the bait.

Mr Rossi knew as soon as he “scooped” the fish that he had “never seen anything like” it. He originally thought he had caught a piranha.

Henrik Carl, a Danish fish expert, said that was a common mistake.

“They are almost identical to the piranha, you couldn’t even tell from the outside,” he explained after the Scandinavian pacu sighting. “It’s just that they have different teeth. Flatter and stronger, perfect for crushing.”

“The pacu is not normally dangerous to people but it has quite a serious bite, there have been incidents in other countries, such as Papua New Guinea where some men have had their testicles bitten off,” Mr Carl said.

The freshwater fish can grow up to 90 centimetres and weigh up to 25 kilograms.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11697491/Testicle-munching-fish-species-found-in-US-lake.html

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State government tax revenue is only 5 percent above its pre-recession level

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The financial state of states: The truth may scare you

State government tax revenue is only 5 percent above its pre-recession level.

Eric Rosenbaum | @erprose

State finances across the U.S. have been described as stable but slow growing. Six years into the post-recession economic recovery, that statement may be accurate, but the full truth may be more troubling.

A handful of states are caught in a real pension fix. A few statehouse budget battles in recent months have been notable for their heightened drama—Kansas, where huge tax cuts backfired on Gov. Sam Brownback; and Louisiana, where a member of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s own party referred to his budget plan as “money laundering.”

But it’s not the extremes that have state budget experts concerned. More states have been unable to complete budgets so far this year than is typical, and the situation points to long-term spending problems—from K–12 education to Medicaid and infrastructure—that will persist.

“The picture is more gloomy than stable, and state fiscal conditions might be better described as stagnant,” said Lucy Dadayan, senior policy analyst at the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government.

 

https://www.cnbc.com/id/102773569

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Tired of high taxes? Maybe it’s time to move

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file photo by Boyd Loving

CNBC data analysis shows outbound flow from high-tax states.

John W. Schoen | @johnwschoen

Everyone complains about taxes. But millions of American households apparently are doing something about it: Picking up and moving.

A CNBC analysis of tax data and figures provided by two major national moving companies shows that states with the highest per-capita taxes, for the most part, are also seeing the biggest net migration out of those states.

Take Connecticut, for example.

Earlier this week, the Nutmeg State’s legislature approved a collection of new taxes to close a two-year, $40 billion budget to help pay the multibillion-dollar tab to repair and replace the state’s dilapidated roads and bridges. The package includes a 50-cent-per-pack hike in cigarette taxes and a bump in tax rates on corporations and the state’s wealthiest earners.

The budget battle drew heated debate, along with threats from large employers like General Electric, which issued a rare statement that it might consider moving its Fairfield headquarters.

Republican opponents warned that the tax hikes would likely drive residents to flee to lower-tax states. One legislator suggested that a local moving-and-storage company up for sale should do a booming business moving households from the state.

“I think the best buy in Connecticut right now is a business for sale in Westport,” Michael A. McLachlan, R-Danbury, told the AP earlier this month as the debate wore on. “For $650,000, a sharp investor can get up and increase this business into a mega moving company, because that’s what people are going to be doing, starting today.”

https://www.cnbc.com/id/102748599

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Proposed Law in New Jersey Would Keep the Walking Dead From Driving

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The “walking dead” are aiming higher—and in New Jersey, it appears they have been driving.

But on Thursday, NJ.com reports, the state’s Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee released a bill to put an end to the behavior.

This legislative move follows a state audit in March that revealed the Motor Vehicle Commission had issued official documents, such as licenses, to more than 300 people who were already deceased. The proposed law would require that the Commission cross-check their records with the Social Security Administration databases to avoid issuing significant legal documents to anyone no longer alive.  (Zorthian/TIME)

https://time.com/3927259/new-jersey-law-proposed-dead-drivers/

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Look for the Union Label: AFL-CIO releases its general election endorsements

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More than 600 delegates representing 1,000 labor unions and 1 million members of the New Jersey State AFL-CIO convened at Caesars Atlantic City June 16 & 17, 2015, to participate in the endorsement process for one New Jersey Senate seat, 80 state Assembly seats and for a slate of 48 rank-and-file union members seeking public offices at every level of government.  (Pizarro/PolitickerNJ)

AFL-CIO releases its general election endorsements | New Jersey News, Politics, Opinion, and Analysis

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Democrat Senate president “Benito” Sweeney looks to stem protests outside his home

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June 18, 2015 7:39 AM
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

WEST DEPTFORD NJ,  Protests outside the home of New Jersey’s state Senate president Stephen Sweeney could be outlawed by a newly proposed ordinance.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports the West Deptford Township Committee introduced an ordinance Wednesday to overhaul its loitering ordinance and regulate picketing in residential areas.

The measure would ban picketing that’s targeted at and within 100 feet of a house in the Gloucester County town. Picketing beyond that point would be limited to no more than 10 people for one hour every two weeks.

Sweeneys home has recently been the target of 2nd Amendment activist who staged two protests at Democratic Sen. Stephen Sweeney’s home.

Officials in West Deptford say the ordinance was introduced because of protests requiring police, but they haven’t mentioned Sweeney.Critics has blasted the measure as a blatant attack on free speech and typical New Jersey politicians playing favorites and protecting their own .

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Politics, lobbying canceled out early support for medical-billing reform in Trenton

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JUNE 14, 2015, 11:24 PM    LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2015, 11:32 PM
BY LINDY WASHBURN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

To the Democratic lawmakers who worked for months on a measure to protect patients from surprise medical bills and solve the problem of New Jersey’s uncontrolled out-of-network health care costs, it looked like momentum and public support were building.

They’d heard from all sides — hospitals, physicians, insurers and consumers — starting last fall at three public hearings. They worked over the winter with health-policy experts to produce a bill. After its introduction last month, they listened to feedback for eight hours on the day before a holiday weekend. They revised the measure in an effort to address concerns.

But last week, the Democratic sponsors couldn’t even get their bill voted out of committee in the state Senate when they failed to get the support of members of their own party. A hearing scheduled for today before an Assembly committee has been scuttled. Any action before fall is unlikely.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/politics-lobbying-canceled-out-early-support-for-medical-billing-reform-in-trenton-1.1355764

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Assembly Republicans say Democrats, not Christie, to blame for N.J. economy

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TRENTON — Facing a difficult battle to take control of the lower house of the state Legislature in November, state Assembly Republicans defended Gov. Chris Christie’s stewardship of New Jersey’s economy on Thursday.

“Some people want to blame the governor. The governor has been the only thing between your wallet and the state Assembly Democrats, period,” Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick (R-Union) said at a press conference Thursday in front of the Statehouse, standing with several members of his caucus and a couple non-incumbent candidates.

“He’s vetoed or blocked all of the tax-raising attempts by the Democrats,” Bramnick said.

Democrats hold a 48-32 majority in the Assembly, and have been in command of the lower house since 2002. With just a few competitive Assembly races expected in November, most who pay attention to state elections give Republicans little chance of taking control.

Christie, a Republican, has an approval rating in the 30s in New Jersey as he travels around the country preparing for a widely expected run for president.

Federal data released Wednesday showed that New Jersey’s economy was one of the slowest growing in the nation in 2014.

https://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/06/assembly_republicans_say_democrats_not_christie_to.html

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New Jersey uses ‘one-shot’ budget-balancing maneuvers: study

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(Reuters) – Many U.S. states balance their budgets by using short-term techniques to make it appear spending does not exceed revenue, according to a report released on Monday that singled out New Jersey for using these budget-balancing maneuvers.

The report by public policy nonprofit Volcker Alliance, founded by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, said New Jersey has produced a balanced budget by shifting resources intended for other programs to its general fund and increased borrowing. Governor Chris Christie is a potential Republican presidential contender in 2016.  (DiNapoli/Reuters)

https://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20150608_Reuters_Report_KBN0OO1VH_New_Jersey_uses__one_shot__budget_balancing_maneuvers__study.html#KFISVtdE8OQweFX0.99

 

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Why New Jersey Doesn’t Let You Pump Your Own Gas

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Lawmakers in New Jersey and Oregon are considering bills that would finally give drivers in those states the option to pump their own gas. But why was that practice banned in the first place?

Let’s start with the case in New Jersey. The Garden State’s ban on self-service gas stations, which are allowed in 48 states, began in 1949 when the New Jersey Legislature passed the Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act. That law, enacted over concerns about the safety of consumers pumping petroleum themselves, was later followed by many other states. However, almost every state has since overturned their self-serve bans. (Kell/TIME)

https://time.com/3882801/new-jersey-gas/

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Will N.J. gas pumps go do-it-yourself?

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Will N.J. gas pumps go do-it-yourself?

MAY 17, 2015, 11:14 PM    LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2015, 11:20 PM
BY RICHARD NEWMAN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Gas station owners who have wielded enough clout in Trenton to keep self-serve gasoline out of New Jersey for 66 years recently reversed their position on the issue, and that could mean the days of full-service-only gas stations, one of the singular features of the Garden State, are numbered.

“Our position is different than it was 30 years ago,” Sal Risalvato, executive director of the New Jersey Gasoline C-Store Automotive Association, an independent gas owners group, said last week. The competitive landscape is different now, he explained, because the small owners’ Big Oil rivals don’t own the gas stations anymore.

The seismic shift by the gas station owners is one of several significant developments that may bring self-serve pumps to New Jersey and end a ban that originated in Bergen County. Gas-station owners in New Jersey have come under increased scrutiny from regulators over underpaid workers. And how transactions are made at the pump is likely to be altered as credit or debit cards are embedded with computer chips. While Governor Christie has been silent on the issue of self-serve recently, two area legislators have introduced a bill to end the prohibition.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/will-n-j-gas-pumps-go-do-it-yourself-1.1336652

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Tax Freedom Day arrives in New Jersey, but it’s not good news

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photo by ArtChick

After crunching the numbers, the Tax Foundation has determined today marks Tax Freedom Day in the Garden State — the day when many New Jersey residents have finally earned enough money to pay all of their taxes for the year.

New Jersey and Connecticut have the latest Tax Freedom days of any state in

the nation. (Matthau/NJ101.5)

Tax Freedom Day arrived in New Jersey

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Sweeney’s proposal ‘like a bad horror movie’, Bucco says

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TRENTON — For Assemblyman Anthony Bucco (R-25), yesterday’s press conference in Trenton was like watching a “bad horror movie.”

Reacting to Senate President Steve Sweeney’s announcement that he plans to push for another millionaire’s tax in this year’s budget, Bucco said today that the state doesn’t “need a proposal that hurts our already struggling economy.” Republicans in general have scoffed at the idea of instituting a tax levied on the state’s top income earners, saying it would drive business from the state. (Brush/PolitickerNJ)

Sweeney’s proposal ‘like a bad horror movie’, Bucco says | New Jersey News, Politics, Opinion, and Analysis