Posted on 4 Comments

Poll: Republican Voters Overwhelmingly Want Members to Remove Boehner as Speaker

boehner-angry-AP

Poll: Republican Voters Overwhelmingly Want Members to Remove Boehner as Speaker

by Matthew Boyle2 Jan 2015Washington, DC188

Republican voters nationwide overwhelmingly want their House representative to elect somebody other than Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) as Speaker of the House, a new poll from Pat Caddell’s organization Caddell Associates shows.

A whopping 60 percent of voters who voted for Republicans in the last election either definitely or probably want their member of Congress to elect someone other than Boehner on Jan. 6, when Congress convenes, according to the poll. The voters were asked: “As you may know the new Congress will select its leaders in January. If it were up to you, would you elect John Boehner to continue as Speaker of the House or would you elect someone new?”

In response to that question, 34 percent of the GOP voters surveyed said they definitely want someone other than Boehner and 26 percent said they probably want someone other than Boehner. Only 11 percent said they definitely want to keep Boehner and an additional 15 percent said they probably want Boehner to stay. So the poll says some 60 percent of GOP voters want Boehner gone, while just 25 percent want him to stay. Fifteen percent in the poll either don’t know, or are undecided on Boehner’s future.

In addition to that condemnation of Boehner, 64 percent of the GOP voters surveyed either strongly or somewhat agree that Boehner, as Speaker of the House, has been “ineffective in opposing President Obama’s agenda.” Only 24 percent either somewhat or strongly disagree. Twelve percent didn’t know.

https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/01/02/poll-republican-voters-overwhelmingly-want-members-to-remove-boehner-as-speaker/

Posted on 5 Comments

Village of Ridgewood Council and Board Meetings

DSCF6113

file photo Boyd Loving

Village of Ridgewood Council and Board Meetings

01/06/15 7:30PM Planning Board Public Meeting
01/07/15 7:30PM Village Council Public Work Session
01/13/15 7:30PM Board of Adjustment Public Meeting
01/14/15 8:00PM Village Council Public Meeting
01/20/15 7:30PM Planning Board Public Meeting
01/27/15 7:30PM Board of Adjustment Work Session
01/28/15 7:30PM Village Council Public Work Session

Chemistry.com

Posted on 11 Comments

Ridgewood will pay the price if zoning changes are approved

Clock_Ridgewood_theridgewopodblog.net_-164

Ridgewood will pay the price if zoning changes are approved

January 2, 2015

Village stands to pay the price

To the Editor:

If the Ridgewood Planning Board grants the proposed zoning changes to allow for higher density buildings in the Central Business District, that would be a financial bonanza. But for whom?

If one answered the developers, he/she is correct. More allowed units per property increases scale and return on capital. With the approval, even before the developers dig an ounce of dirt, the land they own will be worth quite a bit more. The developers could even flip the plots for a profit.

In the world of commerce, one of few things could happen when there is financial windfall. The best case is the virtuous win-win. If what the developers build, on net, benefits the town in terms of life and finances, that would be win-win.

Another possibility, the darker alternative, is that the case becomes a zero-sum game. In such an instance, there will be a clear winner and the winnings are transferred from a losing counterparty.

By allowing for higher density buildings in downtown, Ridgewood risks increased traffic congestion and fewer available public parking per resident. Moreover, Ridgewood faces potential crowding at its schools, which impacts the quality of education and drains the town’s budget. As for benefits, there is none convincing as any increased tax revenues are unlikely to be enough to pay for additional infrastructure and resources necessary to accommodate the gap up in the number of residents.

If the Planning Board passes the zoning changes, there will be a clear winner: the developers. On the flip side, Ridgewood will be the loser as it will have to pay the price to enrich the few developers whose core objective is to exploit attractive rental cap rates at historically favorable funding. So why does the Planning Board think the proposed zoning change is a good idea? Why are select members of the board open to granting a financial bonanza to the developers at the town’s expense?

Steve Kim

Ridgewood

https://www.northjersey.com/mobile/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/letter-to-the-editor-ridgewood-will-pay-the-price-if-zoning-changes-are-approved-1.1184844

 

Posted on 5 Comments

New Jersey ranks 48th in return on taxes

Cory Booker, Robert Menendez

New Jersey ranks 48th in return on taxes

JANUARY 2, 2015, 11:19 PM    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015, 11:25 PM
BY HERB JACKSON
RECORD COLUMNIST |
THE RECORD

New Jersey residents and businesses paid nearly $37 billion more in federal taxes than the government sent back to the state in 2013, the second-biggest deficit in the country, new data compiled by a non-profit group show.

Another way of looking at the numbers: For every $1 paid to the Internal Revenue Service, the state got back only 68 cents in federal largess, ranking the state 48th in the nation.

It’s a picture New Jersey has seen before. And it’s not going to change anytime soon, many analysts say.

The reason has much to do with the relative wealth of New Jerseyans, compared with their counterparts in other states, officials say; the federal tax system imposes higher rates on larger incomes, and the federal social-service network directs much of its money to programs for the poor, creating the gap.

“It’s true New Jersey pays more than it gets back per person, but if you look at states at the other end of the spectrum, such as Mississippi, which is one of the most poverty-stricken, it’s much better to be in New Jersey’s position,” said Lindsay Koshgarian, the research director for the National Priorities Project, which published the latest data.

Mississippi received $4.89 in federal spending for every $1 it paid in taxes, the highest rate of any state, The Record’s analysis of the group’s data found.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/new-jersey-ranks-48th-in-return-on-taxes-1.1185373

Posted on 3 Comments

Obama Sanctions North Korea For Sony Hack Which Was Perpetrated By Disgruntled Former Employee

wpmo0yjtqkqouezunn7o

Obama Sanctions North Korea For Sony Hack Which Was Perpetrated By Disgruntled Former Employee

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 01/02/2015 14:09 -0500

US foreign policy just jumped the shark: a few days after both the FBI and the US State department were humiliated when it was revealed that it wasn’t North Korea but a disgruntled, laid off Sony employee that was responsible for the “hack”, and when the best possible course of action would have been to simply let this latest embarrassing incident fade from memory, moments ago Obama – currently not working out next to a rainbow or flashing his support of “Shaka” –  just signed his first executive order of 2015, imposing even more sanctions against North Korea.

From Bloomberg:

President Obama signs order imposing additional sanctions on North Korea in response to country’s “efforts to undermine U.S. cyber-security and intimidate U.S. businesses and artists exercising their right of freedom of speech,” according to Treasury Dept statement.

Sanctions target 3 entities, 10 individuals

Including North Korea’s intelligence agency, arms dealer, North Korea’s representatives in Namibia, Sudan, Iran, Syria, China

“Even as the FBI continues its investigation into the cyber-attack against Sony Pictures Entertainment, these steps underscore that we will employ a broad set of tools to defend U.S. businesses and citizens, and to respond to attempts to undermine our values or threaten the national security of the United States,” Treasury Sec. Lew says in statement

That this action is so stupid no amount of commentary would possibly do it justice is quite clear, which is why we patiently await North Korean TV to escalate its comedic feud with the “monkey in a tropical jungle.”

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-01-02/obama-sanctions-north-korea-sony-hack-which-was-perpetrated-disgruntled-former-emplo

Posted on Leave a comment

10TH ANNUAL RHS ALUMNI ART SHOW IS OPEN

13-14 Alumni Art Show

10TH ANNUAL RHS ALUMNI ART SHOW IS OPEN

Ridgewood NJ, The RHS Department of Fine & Applied Arts is hosting the tenth annual Alumni Art Show, of work created after graduating from RHS. The show is mounted in the Carroll Art Gallery, Room 137, through January 9, 2015.  An artists’ reception wil be held on Thursday, January 8 at 7:30 p.m.  All students, alumni, friends, family and staff are invited to the reception as well as to view the exhibition during school hours.
Questions may be directed to the Department of Fine & Applied Arts at 201-670-2800, ext. 20542, or email the department in care of [email protected].

Event information and other news is continually updated on the Arts at Ridgewood Public Schools’ Twitter profile: @Arts_at_RPS and Facebook account page, www.facebook.com/TheArtsatRPS.

Chemistry.com

Posted on Leave a comment

Ridgewood schools continue Community Outreach series

imgres

Ridgewood schools continue Community Outreach series

JANUARY 2, 2015    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

The Ridgewood Public Schools will partner with the Ridgewood Public Library to present the next program in its Community Outreach Program series. The program, a panel discussion on “Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Gender Issues,” will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13 in the Benjamin Franklin Middle School Auditorium.

The program is free and open to the adult public.

The panelists will discuss the social pressures and challenges that impact the behavior of boys and girls, and the distinction between problematic and “normal” teen behavior.

Panelists include professionals Jamie Ciofalo, owner/founder of Power Educational Consultants; Maggie DiPasquale, founder of Modern Mentor Program, Emme Endeavors; Kate MacHugh, expert on girl bullying, author and professional speaker; and Andrew Yeager, certified school psychologist and founding member/coordinator of the Bergen County Association of Student Assistance Professionals.

The Community Outreach Program was developed for parents and guardians by the district’s Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/outreach-series-continues-jan-13-1.1184853

Posted on Leave a comment

The lottery of life :Where to be born in 2013

B6Ti2urIEAEg5iv

The lottery of life :Where to be born in 2013
Nov 21st 2012

In 1988, we ranked America as the best place to be born. In 2013, things had changed

Warren Buffett, probably the world’s most successful investor, has said that anything good that happened to him could be traced back to the fact that he was born in the right country, the United States, at the right time (1930). A quarter of a century ago, when The World in 1988 light-heartedly ranked 50 countries according to where would be the best place to be born in 1988, America indeed came top. But which country will be the best for a baby born in 2013?

To answer this, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a sister company of The Economist, has this time turned deadly serious. It earnestly attempts to measure which country will provide the best opportunities for a healthy, safe and prosperous life in the years ahead.

Its quality-of-life index links the results of subjective life-satisfaction surveys—how happy people say they are—to objective determinants of the quality of life across countries. Being rich helps more than anything else, but it is not all that counts; things like crime, trust in public institutions and the health of family life matter too. In all, the index takes 11 statistically significant indicators into account. They are a mixed bunch: some are fixed factors, such as geography; others change only very slowly over time (demography, many social and cultural characteristics); and some factors depend on policies and the state of the world economy.

A forward-looking element comes into play, too. Although many of the drivers of the quality of life are slow-changing, for this ranking some variables, such as income per head, need to be forecast. We use the EIU’s economic forecasts to 2030, which is roughly when children born in 2013 will reach adulthood.

https://www.economist.com/news/21566430-where-be-born-2013-lottery-life

Posted on Leave a comment

Village of Ridgewood Seeks Graydon Concession Refreshment Services for 2015

graydon-opening-day-2010-small

Village of Ridgewood Seeks Graydon Concession Refreshment Services for 2015

Notice: RFP- Graydon Concession Refreshment Services 2015

Request for Proposals

Request for proposals will be received by the Village of Ridgewood’s Department of Parks and Recreation, up to 4:00 p.m. prevailing time on Wednesday, January 28, 2015, at The Stable, 259 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450, for the following:

CONCESSION REFRESHMENT SERVICES – 2015 THE WATER’S EDGE CAFÉ, GRAYDON POOL

Proposal instructions may be obtained from the Department of Parks and Recreation, 259 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m., telephone 201-670-5560, by

Email request to [email protected]. Prospective professional responders requesting proposal documents be mailed to them shall be responsible for providing their own postage/delivery service remuneration.

Prices quoted must be net and exclusive of all Federal, State and Local Sales and Excise Taxes. Proposals may be submitted prior to the due date in person or by mail, addressed to the Department of Parks and Recreation. The Village assumes no responsibility for loss or non-delivery of any proposal sent to it prior to the proposal opening.

Each proposal must be enclosed in a sealed envelope with the name of the responder thereon and endorsed, “Concession Refreshment Services 2015 – The Water’s Edge Café, Graydon Pool”.

All professional service responders are required to comply with the requirements of N.J.S.A. 52:32-44 (Business Registration of Public Contractors), N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 17:27 et seq. (Contract Compliance and Equal Employment Opportunities in Public Contracts).

The Village of Ridgewood reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any informalities or to accept a proposal which, in its judgment best serves the interest of the Village. No proposal may be withdrawn for a period of sixty-days (60) after the date and time set for the opening of bids.

“Professional Responders are required to comply with the requirements of P.L.1975, C. 127. (NJAC 17:27) regarding Affirmative Action, and Executive Order No. 11246 regarding equal employment opportunity, as amended”.

Click Here for RFP document

Posted on 6 Comments

N.J. minimum wage goes up today

help_wanted_theridgewoodblog.net_

N.J. minimum wage goes up today

Trenton — New Jersey’s lowest wage earners will get a little extra change in their pockets at the end of today’s shift, while business owners will have to shell out a little more.

The state’s minimum wage, which Wednesday was $8.25 an hour, is now $8.38 due to an automatic adjustment. (Friedman/NJ.com)

https://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/01/nj_minimum_wage_goes_up_today.html#incart_river

Posted on 6 Comments

Harding Pharmacy & Liquors Auction

Harding_theridgewoodblog.net_

Harding Pharmacy & Liquors Auction

Ridgewood NJ, All of those glowing tributes to Myron Lesh as he closed Harding Pharmacy & Liquors, now it turns out he owed a lot of money?  Anyone Know that this is all about?

https://www.ajwillnerauctions.com/auctions/contents-pharmacy-liquor-store

https://www.ajwillnerauctions.com/auctions/ridgewood-nj-d-liquor-license

Posted on 7 Comments

Ridgewood parking changes aimed at opening up more spots

unnamed-21

Ridgewood parking changes aimed at opening up more spots

DECEMBER 26, 2014    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2014, 12:31 AM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Ridgewood’s not taking its New Year’s parking resolutions lightly.

Come Jan. 1, new changes are officially going into effect.

Every 12-hour meter in the downtown lots, with the exception of the train station lot, will be recalibrated to a three-hour time limit from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The new rate for the lots will be 50 cents an hour, not 25 cents. Also, repeat parking in the same space will be even more strictly enforced than it is now (meaning, more tickets).

The goal?

To open up parking spaces for shoppers.

A special half-hour public meeting was held on Monday night to enact the final changes.

According to Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld, the official recalibration of the meters will be done around Jan. 2 and 3.

After this point, she said, all meters in downtown Ridgewood will be three-hour meters, with two exceptions: 15-minute meters and meters in the train station’s Station Plaza lot, which will remain 12-hour meters.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/changes-aimed-at-opening-up-spots-1.1181432

Posted on Leave a comment

Ridgewood parking lot is no longer in the dark

imgres-6

Ridgewood parking lot is no longer in the dark

DECEMBER 29, 2014    LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2014, 9:29 AM
BY JODI WEINBERGER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Print

The village is no longer in the dark about why PSE&G had stopped supplying power to the North Walnut Street parking lot.

Lights in the North Walnut Street parking lot have been turned on again after weeks of confusion as to why the electricity had been shut off in the area.

Village employees replaced the bulbs in four street lights last week, again illuminating the lot after dark, after their billing issues with the energy utility company had been fixed.

Since November, the metered municipal parking lot has been without street lights, which PSE&G said was due to an error in their account information.

“The electric service to the meter box that serves the parking lot on North Walnut Street was originally disconnected because the account for the meter was listed as an ‘unknown account,’ which would make billing difficult,” said Deann Muzikar, a spokeswoman for PSE&G. Muzikar said the meter has since been put in the village’s name and electric service has been restored.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/lights-at-walnut-st-lot-in-ridgewood-are-back-on-1.1182818

Posted on 18 Comments

Tedesco moves to merge Bergen County Police with Sheriff’s Office

k9

Tedesco moves to merge Bergen County Police with Sheriff’s Office

January 1, 2015, 12:43 PM    Last updated: Thursday, January 1, 2015, 2:11 PM
By JOHN C. ENSSLIN
staff writer |
The Record

In one of his first acts after being sworn in early Thursday, Bergen County Executive James Tedesco signed an agreement that lays the groundwork to combine the County Police into the Sheriff’s Office.

The agreement — subject to approval by the freeholders — would fold the 103-member County Police force as a bureau within the Sheriff’s office.

It also sets an eventual goal of reducing the County Police through attrition and without layoffs to a core group of 49 sworn officers under the Sheriff’s command.

The 31-page memo, co-signed by Sheriff Michael Saudino and County Prosecutor John Molinelli, marks a significant turning point after more than five years of conflicting studies and intense political debate over how to consolidate county law enforcement.

“I believe this is the right thing to do for the people of Bergen County,” Tedesco said moments after signing the document at a ceremony in the freeholder caucus room.

Tedesco, a former Democratic freeholder, campaigned hard for the consolidation, arguing that it will save taxpayers between $90 million to $200 million over the next 25 years.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/tedesco-moves-to-merge-bergen-county-police-with-sheriff-s-office-1.1184663