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New Jersey loses 7600 jobs in May

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

ewood NJ, New Jersey employers pulled back hiring in May and are growing more pessimistic about their outlook, a series of reports released this week shows.

The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development reported Thursday that New Jersey lost 7,600 jobs in May. Its unemployment rate dipped to 3.8 percent — the lowest level since April 2001. But the jobless rate’s decline was due in part because fewer people were in the labor force.

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Governor Murphy ,Who?

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison,  A third of all adults in the Garden State don’t know the name of the current governor. The most recent survey from the Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll finds that 67 percent say they know who the current governor is, with 33 percent who do not.

“Although politicians like to think everyone knows who they are, the good people of New Jersey are not unlike others across the country. A recent national survey finds that a third of all Americans can’t name their governor. So, as much as Governor Murphy may be disappointed, apparently he’s in good company,” said Krista Jenkins, professor of government and director of the FDU Poll.

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NJGOP Chairman Doug Steinhardt Takes a Stand for Legal Gun Owners

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, this week, the Assembly Judiciary Committee voted on a set of new bills that would add new restrictions on purchasing and owning firearms in New Jersey. NJGOP Chairman Doug Steinhardt, standing up for legal gun owners, released the following statement:

“It’s time that New Jersey Republicans stop worrying about who they might offend and start standing up for what they believe in.  That includes protecting the rights of New Jersey’s legal gun owners.

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NJ Democrats Devolve into Civil War

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, Democrat Governor Phil Murphy’s growing discord with his own party continues to drag down his administration in New Jersey.

Politico is reporting that Murphy’s conflict with South New Jersey Democrat Party boss George Norcross “has turned into an open civil war” with Murphy launching “an unprecedented public attack on Norcross” by opening an inquiry into state tax incentive programs. This comes as Norcross has savaged Murphy in the press, calling him “politically incompetent” and a “liar” who thinks he is “the King of England.”

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NJEA: New Jersey’s Political Machine

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Who is funding New Direction New Jersey, the dark money group supporting Governor Murphy’s agenda? 

No surprise: it’s New Jersey’s most powerful special interest, the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA).  This $2.5 million in surreptitious spending is just one example of how the NJEA obscures its political activities from the public and even its own members.  There are many others.

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Reader says , “public pension funds will be insolvent by 2027… which means NJ taxpayers have unlimited liability carrying the $12B per year”

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“NJ already has the highest combined, state, local, and corporate tax rates in the United States… and the public pension funds will be insolvent by 2027… which means NJ taxpayers have unlimited liability carrying the $12B per year paid out to retired public sector workers, plus their PAYGO (pay as you go) platinum health insurance… Ponzi scheme where the math doesn’t work when private sector employers are leaving and aren’t investing in the state. NJ also has net migration which only worsens the Ponzi scheme. Public sector unions only care about squeezing more blood from a shrinking stone. Greedy pigs “

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 “Same for CA, IL, etc, but When the state sends out $12bn a year already in annual pension checks (or 1/3 of our current annual NJ state budget), we have an unlimited pension liability in perpetuity once the public sector pension funds go insolvent by 2027… and that’s not even including “pay-as-you-go” (PAYGO) platinum healthcare insurance… the math doesn’t work. States like NJ, CA, IL, etc will have to explore bankruptcy filings to protect them from all of these excessive liability claims! “

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“The question needs to be asked: If we’re continuing to overtax our residents and businesses during an economic upswing, what will happen during an eventual economic downturn?

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NJBIA Statement on State Revenue Announcements

New Jersey Business & Industry Association President and CEO Michele N.Siekerka, Esq. today issued the following statement on state revenue announcements by the state Office of Legislative Services and Treasury.

“The state tax collections announced today are encouraging, but not necessarily surprising considering the strength of the national economy, coupled with a Corporate Business Tax rate increase last year that is now second highest in the nation and is bringing in record receipts for the state.
“What is surprising, in light of this windfall, is the continued call for even more taxation as part of the FY 2020 budget proposal. Clearly, this additional revenue is more justification to not increase the Gross Income Tax rate on those making over $1 million, as proposed, as it will further hurt our competitiveness in the region.

Continue reading “The question needs to be asked: If we’re continuing to overtax our residents and businesses during an economic upswing, what will happen during an eventual economic downturn?
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AG Grewal Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Twenty Generic Drug Companies, Alleging Price Fixing

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ,  Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced today that New Jersey and a coalition of 43 other States have filed a lawsuit accusing 20 generic drug companies of conspiring to artificially inflate the prices of over one hundred generic drugs, in violation of federal and state antitrust and consumer protection laws.

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Fox Shows Up At NJ State Police Recruiting Office

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West Trenton NJ, Last week, NJ State Troopers assigned to the New Jersey State Police Museum and Learning Center spied an unusual visitor.

It’s common for prospective candidates seeking a career as a Jersey Trooper to meet with members of our Recruiting Unit to discuss career opportunities.

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Time to Increase Penalties for Voter Fraud

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Hoboken NJ, Thompson Statement on Cash Bribery Voter Fraud Scheme

Senator Sam Thompson (R-12) released the following statement in response to news of a fifth person implicated in a vote-by-mail bribery scheme in Hoboken:

“This most recent conviction represents yet another example of the intentional abuse of our vote-by-mail system.

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Somerset County Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for International Arms Trafficking

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, A Somerset County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for illegally exporting from the United States a wide array of weapons, including assault rifles, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Pedro Vergara, 55, of Branchburg, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to an information charging him with one count of smuggling firearms from the United States. Judge Shipp imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.

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NJ STATE TROOPER ARRESTED ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGE

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

TRENTON NJ, A New Jersey state trooper was arrested today for allegedly engaging in a sexually explicit email exchange with an adult woman about a prepubescent girl, during which the trooper and the woman allegedly exchanged sexually explicit photos, including a photo of the young girl.

Trooper Jeffrey Reitz, 47, of Williamstown, N.J., was arrested today on a charge of third-degree possession of child pornography.  Reitz was held in custody pending a first appearance in court.  Reitz, who is assigned to the Commercial Carrier Safety Inspection Unit, has been suspended by the New Jersey State Police.

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New Jersey Could be Devastated by Irresponsible Recreational Marijuana Laws

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

NEWARK NJ, Ronald L. Rice, State Senator of New Jersey’s 28th District, centered in one of the state’s urban areas most vulnerable to the impact of recreational marijuana legalization, today issued the following statement on the ill-conceived strategy of tie-barring three pieces of marijuana legislation:

I once again seek to be the voice of reason in this nonsensical legislative wrangling of pivotal marijuana legislation.  I do so because we are at the crossroads of a decision that will change the face of New Jersey forever.  We are not talking about Colorado or another state with a vast expanse of open land.  Our state has the densest population per square mile in the nation.  It sits between two major metropolitan centers, is streaked with high speed turnpikes and parkways and carpeted with urban areas and their suburbs where families could be devastated by irresponsible recreational marijuana laws.

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Two Men Wanted in Connection to the Spring Hill Wildfire

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Spring Hill NJ, The New Jersey State Police is seeking the public’s assistance with identifying two men wanted in connection to the Spring Hill wildfire in Burlington County.

Detectives believe that the two men pictured below may have information about the fire that began on March 30 and consumed more than 11,000 acres of forest in Washington and Woodland Townships.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Sergeant First Class Shaun Georgeson of Tuckerton Station at 609-296-3132.

Anonymous tips are welcome.

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New Jersey Could become the Prime Beneficiary of Trump Administration’s Proposed Illegal Immigration Policy

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, the Murphy administration may get what it wished for ,President Donald Trump said on Friday he was considering sending illegal immigrants in the country to so-called sanctuary cities. Frustrated by rising numbers of undocumented immigrants arriving at the southern border and a failure to get Congress to fully fund a U.S.-Mexico border wall, Trump taunted Democrats by dangling the possibility of an influx of illegal immigrants into their communities.

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