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Jeff Sessions: House Border Bill Is a ‘Surrender To a Lawless President’

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Jeff Sessions: House Border Bill Is a ‘Surrender To a Lawless President’

The Obama Administration has openly declared its plan to implement a unilateral executive amnesty for 5–6 million more illegal immigrants. This unlawful amnesty—urged on by congressional Democrats—would include work permits, taking jobs directly from millions of struggling American citizens.

Any action Congress might consider to address the current border crisis would be futile should the President go forward with these lawless actions. Congress must speak out and fight against them. It must use its spending power to stop the President’s executive amnesty.

That the House leaders’ border package includes no language on executive actions is surrender to a lawless President. And it is a submission to the subordination of congressional power.

After years of falling wages and rising joblessness, American workers are pleading for someone to hear them. How can it be that our President is brazenly advertising that he will nullify and strip away American workers’ immigration protections, and their own elected leaders will not rise to their defense? Or to the defense of our laws and our Constitutional order?

There are other grave concerns with the Granger package as well: because it does not fix our asylum rules and loopholes, the end result of the additional judges and hearings will be more illegal immigrants gaining asylum and access to U.S. welfare. It is a plan for expedited asylum, not expedited removal.

Nor will this package make our rogue President actively enforce anything, coming nowhere close to the kinds of reasonable enforcement activities needed to restore the interior application of our immigration laws.

And finally, a package that is silent on blocking amnesty creates an opportunity for Senate Democrats to add elements of their party’s open borders and mass immigration agenda.

This legislation is unworthy of support.

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Ridgewood Tobacco Owners Receive Coveted Davidoff’s Golden Band Award for “Industry Service”

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Ridgewood Tobacco Owners Receive Coveted Davidoff’s Golden Band Award for “Industry Service”

Congratulations to our very own Gary Kolesaire for being presented with Davidoff’s Golden Band Award for “Industry Service”. This award was presented to Gary in Las Vegas at the Davidoff Golden Band Awards Dinner on July 21. Thank you Gary for all your hard work and for your constant love of our industry.

 

Ridgewood Tobacco Shop
10 Chestnut St, Ridgewood, NJ 07450(201) 447-2204

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Home prices in region rise, but slower than national pace

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Home prices in region rise, but slower than national pace

JULY 29, 2014    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JULY 29, 2014, 12:06 PM
BY KATHLEEN LYNN
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

Home prices in the region rose 4.8 percent in May over a year earlier, slower than the 9.3 percent national increase, the S&P/Case-Shiller home price index said Tuesday. Nationally, housing values continue to rebound after the deepest real estate bust in decades, but not as quickly as last year.

“Home prices rose at their slowest pace since February of last year,” says David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices. “Housing has been turning in mixed economic numbers in the last few months. Prices and sales of existing homes have shown improvement, while construction and sales of new homes continue to lag.”

Both nationally and in the New York metropolitan area, which includes North Jersey, the housing bust wiped out a decade’s worth of gains; single-family home values are now at the same level they were in summer 2004. Values in the region are about 20 percent below their peaks in mid-2006, while values nationally are about 18 percent below that peak.

In Bergen County, single-family home prices ticked down 0.3 percent in May from a year earlier, to a median $450,000. In Passaic, prices dropped 2.6 percent, to a median $285,000. These numbers are from the New Jersey Association of Realtors and are affected by the mix of properties sold in a given month. Case-Shiller does not break out price data by county but is considered a reliable measure because it measures the value of the same properties over time.

Home values in the region have not rebounded as strongly as national numbers because they didn’t fall as far during the housing bust. In addition, while the worst of the foreclosure crisis has passed in most of the nation, New Jersey is still dealing with distressed properties going through the process. Foreclosed properties tend to sell at a significant discount.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/home-prices-in-region-rise-but-slower-than-national-pace-1.1058756#sthash.55TEZ6GK.dpuf

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Homeownership falls to 19-year low amid credit crunch

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Homeownership falls to 19-year low amid credit crunch

JULY 29, 2014    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JULY 29, 2014, 10:46 AM
THE RECORD

Bloomberg News

The homeownership rate in the U.S. fell to a 19-year low as rising prices and tight credit kept many first-time buyers out of the property market.

The share of Americans who own their homes was 64.7 percent in the second quarter, down from 64.8 percent in the previous three months, the Census Bureau said in a report today. The rate matched the level in the second quarter of 1995.

Housing has become less affordable and more difficult to finance for entry-level buyers, even as mortgage rates have held close to record lows. First-time purchasers accounted for 28 percent of all sales of previously owned homes in June, compared with about 40 percent historically, according to the National Association of Realtors.

“The first-time buyers are the ones who would be the net addition to homeownership,” Millan Mulraine, deputy head of U.S. research and strategy at TD Securities USA LLC in New York, said in an interview. “Those people, who are generally college grads or the ones who just got married, are not owning homes like they used to. Credit is tighter, they’re laden with student loans and their incomes are lower than they used to be.”

U.S. home prices increased 9.3 percent in the 12 months through May, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city index released today.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/business/homeownership-falls-to-19-year-low-amid-credit-crunch-1.1058881#sthash.Bd6PPonX.dpuf

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Boehner: Impeachment a Dem ‘scam’

House Speaker Boehner Holds Weekly Briefing

Boehner: Impeachment a Dem ‘scam’

By Cristina Marcos – 07/29/14 10:50 AM EDT

The idea that Republicans would impeach President Obama is a “scam” perpetuated by Democrats, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Tuesday.

He accused Democrats of hyperbolizing talk of impeaching President Obama to boost their fundraising and turn out their base.

“It’s all a scam started by Democrats at the White House,” Boehner said at the weekly House GOP leadership press conference.

“This whole talk about impeachment is coming from the president’s own staff and coming from Democrats on Capitol Hill. Why? Because they’re trying to rally their own people to give money and show up in this year’s elections,” Boehner said.

Boehner said the GOP does not intend to begin impeachment proceedings against Obama.  

“We have no plans to impeach the president. We have no future plans,” Boehner said.

The comments went farther that Boehner has previously gone in knocking down an

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/213650-boehner-impeachment-a-dem-scam#ixzz38s7XZ2ZW

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Reader Says Booker turned out to be a massive disappointment.

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Reader Says Booker turned out to be a massive disappointment.

Newark, run by Sharpe James, was the Zimbabwe of America. Despite what seemed like massive obstacles, this bright and seemingly inteligent man took on the James machine and finally took over. Hope for Newark, right? Not so fast. The unthinkable happened and Newark’s terrible statistics actually got worse. Then, we entered an alternate universe. Booker’s abysmal performance as Mayor was completely ignored, and he was picked up on the national radar, heading for bigger and brighter things. The man is an empty suit with a good media personality.

We get the policians we deserve.

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Readers say lets not blame everything on parking

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Readers say lets not blame everything on parking 

Yes it make me sad also to see so many stores empty but let not blame it all on parking. How the failing economy. Bad business plan . Internet sales and greed of the landlords. 

Does anyone else think the very limited store hours of most of the Village merchants is significant detriment to shopping here , sorry folks I still have a job and there are many merchants I have never seen open ?
And what about the Chamber ,shouldn’t they be promoting the Village instead of spending their time coming up with schemes to get at tax payer money ?

Yes some of the same landlords that want more building. We the residents pay the majority of property taxes not the landlords. Its funny you see many stores empty but not many building for sale. Why is that?

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Reader says Building more apartments in town can provide a financial incentive to families to move to Ridgewood solely for the school system

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Reader says Building more apartments in town can provide a financial incentive to families to move to Ridgewood solely for the school system

I suppose Ridgewood residents are supposed to read this and decide that Ridgewood should have lots of apartments in town. If keeping empty nesters in around were the only factor at work in Ridgewood, I’d be all for building lots of apartments.

Towns like Ridgewood have to weigh other factors however. Most important is the impact on schools. Is there a study out that would show for example what percentage of families with school age children rent versus own?

As far as I know there is only anecdotal data for Ridgewood. It would be interesting to see how this percentage has changed for Ridgewood in recent years. Ridgewood taxes make it prohibitive for many to live here but renters can avoid some of the tax burden and still get access to the Ridgewood Public School system. Building more apartments in town can provide a financial incentive to families to move to Ridgewood solely for the school system.

I’ve not seen or heard any discussion of the tax structure of the proposed apartment complexes in town. One can assume that if the developers thought that their projects would bring measurable economic benefit to Ridgewood, they would have presented some sort of forecast by now. Their silence to this point is somewhat deafening.

It’s also time to have a more realistic discussion about what percentage of the proposed new apartments will be occupied by families with school aged children so that the town can make its own assessment of the economic impact.

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Real Estate Agent Marilyn Nuber Shares her feelings on Senior and Empty Nester Housing

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Real Estate Agent Marilyn Nuber Shares her feelings on Senior and Empty Nester Housing 

“My husband warned me that this argument may be construed to suggest a feeling about whether or not I was pro or con for the development. I have been approached by many people asking me how I feel about it and I am undecided. I empathize with Ridgewood residents who object to overcrowding in our schools. If anything you can restrict the prospective Tenants to being 19 or over. Ridgewood definitely needs housing for Senior citizens I agree. In all fairness our new home is not “less than optimal.” We love our new home. We moved because out taxes are now half of what they were and we are free of outside maintenance. We waited till our son was 24 and settled on his own. If Ridgewood had a newer development like where we bought we would have definitely stayed in town. We most likely would have been willing to pay higher taxes too for the convenience of being close to work,train and all that we love about Ridgewood. That said there is nothing that exists in Ridgewood at the same price point and the same attributes that we desired.”

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West Nile returns to North Jersey, with new concern

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West Nile returns to North Jersey, with new concern

JULY 28, 2014, 7:19 PM    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JULY 29, 2014, 12:38 AM
BY LINDY WASHBURN
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

Mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus have begun breeding in puddles and standing water around North Jersey, but state health officials say they also are concerned about the arrival of another mosquito-borne illness this year from travelers who have visited the Caribbean.

Mosquito pools in Bergen, Passaic, Hudson and eight other counties already have tested positive for West Nile, which last year killed two people and sickened 10 others in New Jersey, according to the state Health Department.

No human cases have been reported in the state yet, said Donna Leusner, a department spokeswoman. But the peak season for West Nile starts Friday and runs through October.
“Residents should be careful to protect themselves,” said Dr. Arturo Brito, a deputy state health commissioner. He advised using insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and long pants when outdoors, repairing holes in screens for windows and doors, and eliminating areas of standing water where mosquitoes can breed.

Now, West Nile has been joined by a second emerging mosquito-borne threat called chikungunya, which first arrived in the Caribbean only last year.

Chikungunya — a word from an African language that refers to the bent-over posture brought on by 
the joint pain it causes — can result in symptoms that last for months.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/west-nile-returns-to-north-jersey-with-new-concern-1.1058652#sthash.sDuLy0Wx.dpuf

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HACKER BREACHED NOAA SATELLITE DATA FROM CONTRACTOR’S PC

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HACKER BREACHED NOAA SATELLITE DATA FROM CONTRACTOR’S PC
By Aliya SternsteinJuly 28, 2014

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite data was stolen from a contractor’s personal computer last year, but the agency could not investigate the incident because the employee refused to turn over the PC, according to a new inspector general report.

This is but one of the “significant security deficiencies” that pose a threat to NOAA’s critical missions, the report states.

Other weaknesses include unauthorized smartphone use on key systems and thousands of software vulnerabilities.

The July 15 report made public on Friday concentrates on information-technology security problems at NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service. NOAA is part of the Commerce Department.

During the 2013 incident, “an attacker exfiltrated data from a NESDIS system to a suspicious external IP address via the remote connection established with a personal computer,” wrote Allen Crawley, Commerce’s assistant IG for systems acquisition and IT security, referring to a dodgy computer address.

NOAA determined the PC likely was infected with malware, but it was prevented from examining further because “the owner of the personal computer, even though a NESDIS contractor, did not give NOAA permission to perform forensic activities on the personal computer,” Crawley said.

The inspector general cited this case as an example of why it’s a bad idea — and a violation of Commerce policy — for any personnel to access NOAA information systems using personal computers. In response to a draft report, NOAA officials noted the system in question was not a “high-impact” system.

https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2014/07/hacker-breached-noaa-satellite-data-contractors-pc/89771/

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Illegal immigrants protest outside White House, with little fear of repercussions

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Illegal immigrants protest outside White House, with little fear of repercussions

Published July 28, 2014
FoxNews.com

Illegal immigrant demonstrators were protesting outside the White House on Monday – but don’t expect America’s immigration officers to intervene.

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement official indicated that even if the protesters end up getting arrested by D.C. police, they’d have to be serious criminals for ICE to get involved.

“Unless the individuals meet ICE’s enforcement priorities, it’s unlikely that the agency would get involved in the case,” the official told FoxNews.com.

Under a policy that’s been in effect for several years, ICE focuses deportation mostly on serious criminals and – in some cases — those caught in the act of crossing the border. The agency prioritizes deportation for felons, repeat offenders, gang members and others with a serious criminal record. But the agency largely gives a pass to other undocumented residents.

This is why illegal immigrant activists can protest outside the White House without worrying too much about ICE.  

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/07/28/illegal-immigrants-protest-outside-white-house-with-little-fear-repercussions/

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Rear end collision on Linwood Avenue sends one to HUMC

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Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving
Rear end collision on Linwood Avenue sends one to HUMC
July 28th ,2014
Boyd A. Loving
6:59 PM

A front seat passenger of a black Toyota Camry was transported by ambulance to Hackensack University Medical Center after being injured in a rear end crash on Linwood Avenue, Ridgewood just before 6 PM on Monday, 07/28.  The driver of the other vehicle involved, a black Cadillac, complained of chest pains but refused medical assistance.  Both vehicles were able to be driven from the scene.  Ridgewood PD, FD, and EMS all responded.  Injuries to the victim were reported to be non-life threatening.

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Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving

Esurance

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Shock Poll Bell Closes Bookers lead to 7pts and leads with Independents

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Shock Poll Bell Closes Bookers lead to 7pts and leads with Independents
July 28,2014
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The New York Times and CBS News released a poll yesterday that shows Jeff Bell within striking distance of incumbent Cory Booker, who is ahead by just 50 to 43 percentage points. Even more interesting Bell is leading among independent voters by eight points. You can read about all the Senate polls taken here:https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/28/upshot/republicans-senate-chances-rise-slightly-to-60-percent-.html?rref=upshot

The stunning result follows the first poll of likely voters taken by Rasmussen in early June, which had Bell down 13 points and tied with independents. What’s remarkable is that Jeff Bell’s midsummer polling surge has come with no advertising or any other mass voter contact.

It seems New Jersey voters are simply dissatisfied with the job that Cory Booker’s done in Washington and are looking to replace him with someone who has a different approach to the job.

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