Reader : Developers have no interest in keeping Ridgewood the lovely town it is
The developers have no interest in keeping Ridgewood the lovely town it is. They want to maximize their profits and run away. If they buy a piece of property knowing that it must be rezoned to be profitable and the town is against it, that really should be their tough luck.
What use are zoning laws and master plans if all the developers are able to get around them? I personally can’t believe that anyone who could afford a luxury condo would want to live next to a commuter train line!
Go to the Planning Board meeting Wednesday, January 23, 4th floor Village Hall at 7:30 and voice your opinion. These developers are telling the board everything they want to hear instead of the truth. The board must hear from the citizens and how they feel. Time is of the essence. They will be voting soon. Don’t sit back and do nothing.
Readers Respond to Tiger Team Report : The real issue is health care and no one wants to attack the problem at the top.
The village is not broke it has a 98% collected tax levy. I call your attention to the tiger team report where they ( the team ) suggests replacing regular police officers with class 2 specials so that less money goes to the officers and more goes to the town coffers who gets hurt here ? certainly no one other than the police officer.
The “team” doesn’t explain those costs are not overtime but a separate contractor rate paid for by the contractor not out of taxpayer coffers. You stated in your post employees are receiving excessive compensation, by whose standards, a self heralded group of resident who have a problem with how much public employees make?
The real issue is health care and no one wants to attack the problem at the top. Try regulating how much health care companies can charge, but no it’s easier to come after the working man and reduce his benefits or making him contribute more out of his compensation.
Options for controlling your kids’ cellphone use
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
BY MARY DIDUCH
STAFF WRITER
The Record
Children are getting their first cellphones and smartphones at younger ages, raising concerns among parents about their security.
Many parents would like to inspect their kids’ devices at the end of each day, yet want to maintain their children’s sense of responsibility. Parents now can install applications – from both wireless providers and third parties — to control and monitor how, when and how long their kids use their phones.
While wireless providers provide a host of bundled applications to ensure phone safety, safe driving, proper phone usage and spending limits, here is a breakdown of some other options on the market:
Readers Continue to Respond to the Tiger Team Report :The village council should act quickly to implement these suggestions
The report makes it pretty clear that the village is broke and taxes will continue to go up at an unacceptable rate. It doesn’t strike me that the report is “trying to hurt” village workers, at all. I think the report even states that the employees are not to blame for the agreements between the village and the unions. But, the contract obligations are obviously the biggest expense. And, according to the data shown in the report, some village employee groups are receiving excessive compensation, which has compounded through multiple increases year after year.
To ignore this would lead to ineffective solutions. That has been the problem in the past. I am sure the union leadership will fight any change. However, the report claims that starting salaries are higher and the pay schedules and bonuses proposed in the report look pretty attractive (the merit bonuses are up to $15,000 per year). If an employee making $100,000 gets just a $7,500 merit bonus, that is the same as a $7.5% increase for the year…that is more than any contract increase that would ever be approved and it is in the employee’s control. The only employees who may not like the changes are those, who don’t think they will qualify for merit bonuses, which is exactly how the system should work.
I think these suggestions are great. Hopefully, the village council acts quickly to implement them.
Driver of Mercedes Injured After Hitting Tree
January 22,2013
Boyd A. Loving
2:42 AM
Ridgewood NJ, The driver of a Mercedes Benz station wagon was slightly injured after losing control of her vehicle and striking a tree at the intersection of East Ridgewood Avenue and Liberty Street just after 1:30 AM on Tuesday.
No passengers were in the vehicle at the time of the accident, and no summonses were issued. Assisting Ridgewood PD at the scene were members of the Ridgewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
The accident victim complained of moderate pain as a result of steering wheel impact to her chest; the vehicle’s air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was removed from the scene by tow truck.
Question: How do I claim an educational expense on my return?
Answer:
You may be able to deduct qualified work-related education expenses as an itemized deduction.
If you are an employee,
•The deduction is treated as a miscellaneous deduction on Schedule A (Form 1040) (PDF), Itemized Deductions;
•The deduction is subject to the 2 percent of AGI floor; and
•You need to complete Form 2106 (PDF), Employee Business Expenses, Form 2106-EZ (PDF), Unreimbursed Employee Business Expenses, or Form 8917 (PDF), Tuition and Fees Deduction.
If you are a self-employed individual.you claim the deduction on one of the following forms:
•Form 1040 Schedule C (PDF), Profit or Loss From Business.
•Form 1040, Schedule C-EZ (PDF), Net Profit From Business.
•Form 1040, Schedule F (PDF), Profit or Loss From Farming.
Alternatives to educational expense deductions, such as the Lifetime Learning Credit and the American Opportunity Tax Credit, as discussed in Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education, Chapters 2 and 3, should also be considered. You need to complete Form 8863 (PDF), Education Credits, to claim these credits.
The Valley Hospital’s Distress Management Thermometer Offers a Valuable Screening Tool for Psychosocial Cancer Care
January 16, 2013
Ridgewood NJ, Research has shown that distress can compromise the recovery process for a patient diagnosed with cancer. It can interfere with a patient’s ability to cope with the rigors of cancer therapy, lessen motivation to complete treatment, and even impact on the body’s ability to effectively fight disease.
For someone undergoing cancer treatment and recover, stress can be caused by a variety of factors, including the diagnosis itself, concerns about how the cancer will be perceived by friends and family, how treatment and recovery will impact the ability to work, anxiety about treatment plans, and worries about medical bills.
In its ongoing mission to provide oncology patients with the highest quality cancer care, The Valley Hospital‘s Blumenthal Cancer Center, located in Paramus, N.J., has incorporated psychosocial distress screening into its routine treatment plan for patients diagnosed with cancer. Prior to beginning treatment, patients are asked to complete a brief questionnaire — called the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Management Thermometer — that is designed to identify any distress they are experiencing in key areas of their lives. Patients rate the degree of overall distress they are currently experiencing from 0 to 10, with 0 being the lowest and 10 being the highest. In addition, they are asked to check off any particular problem areas in their lives that may be contributing to their stress, including family issues, financial considerations, and physical and/or emotional concerns.
The questionnaire is then evaluated by hospital staff trained to identify areas that may indicate a need for psychosocial intervention. Patients are reevaluated at regular intervals throughout their course of treatment.
According to Valley Hospital Oncology Social Worker, Veronica Dalcero, “The Distress Management Thermometer is an important tool for addressing the physical and psychological side effects of cancer and its treatment protocols that patients may not readily recognize when starting treatment. By addressing stress factors that could negatively impact on effective treatment and potential outcomes we can more effectively treat the whole person.”
The Distress Management Thermometer is currently being implemented in the Departments of Radiation, Chemotherapy and Infusion Therapy.
To find out more about the programs and services offered at Valley’s Blumenthal Cancer Center, please visit www.ValleyHealth.com/Oncology.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE : STRONG COLD FRONT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
412 AM EST SUN JAN 20 2013
A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE REGION LATE THIS MORNING. THE
PASSAGE OF THE FRONT WILL BE MARKED BY A WINDSHIFT FROM GUSTY
SOUTHWEST WINDS TO A PERIOD OF STRONG WESTERLY WINDS. WINDS OF 20
TO 30 MPH AND GUSTS OF 40 TO 45 MPH ARE EXPECTED IN THE WAKE OF
THE FRONTAL PASSAGE LATE THIS MORNING INTO EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON…WITH A FEW GUSTS TO 50 MPH POSSIBLE.
WINDS THIS STRONG ARE CAPABLE OF DOWNING A FEW SMALL TREE LIMBS
AND BRANCHES…POSSIBLY CAUSING ISOLATED POWER OUTAGES. DRIVING
CAN ALSO BE DIFFICULT…ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES.
Married Couples Set to Pay Extra-Large Tax Hike
Friday, 18 Jan 2013 11:01 AM
It pays to be single — that is, when it comes to high earners’ tax bills.
U.S. taxpayers with income of more than $200,000 a year will see federal tax rates rise this year on wages and investments. Tax increases will pinch married couples faster than individuals, especially if both spouses work and have capital gains and dividend income, said Joseph Perry, partner-in-charge of tax and business services at the accounting firm Marcum LLP.
In the law passed by Congress Jan. 1, multiple thresholds for higher rates kick in for married couples only $50,000 above where they hit for singles. Married taxpayers with income of at least $300,000 also face limits on the value of deductions and personal exemptions that were reinstated for 2013.
“If they’re sending a message, it’s not to be married,” Perry said of U.S. tax policy. “People who are married, working, earning two good salaries, are being penalized.”
The budget deal struck by Congress and new taxes stemming from the 2010 healthcare law are exacerbating the long-established marriage penalty for high earners. The added bite will affect taxes they pay for 2013, and not the current filing season that starts this month.
Accountants and wealth advisers are recommending that high earners start planning and strategizing about how they recognize income from investments or when they take deductions.
Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com https://www.moneynews.com/StreetTalk/Married-Couples-Tax-Hike/2013/01/18/id/472066#ixzz2IQjXk0hq
West New York proposes US flag ban
January 18, 2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood Nj, the Hudson County town of West New York is considering a widespread sign regulation that would include banning American flags from being flown.West New York sits next to Union City with is US Senator Bob Menendez’s home town.
The West New York Board of Commissioners have a draft ordinance for “General Sign Regulations”. Among the prohibited signs under the proposal would be “Flags, banners and pennants.”
The proposed ordinance was first read at a West New York Council meeting on Wednesday with the final vote on the proposal to be held on Feb. 20 at a 7 p.m..Proponents say the ordinance would also ban signs affixed to the exterior of a window or glass, neon signs framing windows, and window and door signs that exceed 15% of the glass area.
While the State ,County and Federal Government continue to operate in denial over finances the Ridgewood “Tiger Team” takes a hard look
Tiger Team: Additional Sobering Facts about Village Finances
January 18,2013
1) According to Village management, the Village has a current liability of approximately $7MM of accumulated leave (e.g. sick days). But the Village has only reserved $436,641 for this liability, representing more than a $6.5 million shortfall.
2) Ridgewood employees receive 15 sick days per year (considerably more than the average U.S. employee). Unused days may be accumulated at current pay levels until retirement, at which time retirees may elect to take half the accumulated days off with pay (up to 3-6 months, depending on department) or receive an equivalent lump sum payment at the much higher pre-retirement compensation level. The allowed sick days are in addition to generous vacation days.
3) The Village’s medical benefits cover children of employees/retirees into their late 20s or beyond.
4) The number of public retirees in NJ receiving over $100,000 in pension payments increased 28% in 2011, including 6 retirees from Ridgewood Village departments receiving over $634,000 per year (an average of over $105,000 each), excluding health benefits, according to New Jersey Watchdog.org.
5) According to an October 26, 2012 Wall Street Journal article, “the median full-time U.S. worker received 2.6 weeks (13 days) of vacation last year.” The starting vacation benefit for Ridgewood employees is 12-13 days, depending on department, which can grow up to a maximum of 31 days (over 6 weeks), excluding compensatory time off, sick days, and other forms of paid leave.
6) Qualified retirees are eligible for pension (65% of compensation prior to retirement) and medical benefits (at no cost) for life. Upon death, the pension and benefits accrue to the retirees spouse for his or her life.
7) In 2010, Ridgewood ranked 3rd highest in Bergen County in employees making more than $100,000 with 70 employees. This represents 24.4% of the Village workforce compared to our neighboring communities of Glen Rock at 12.6%, Midland Park at 2%, Ho-Ho-Kus at 1.6% and Westwood at 2.6%. Ridgewood is a dramatic outlier in this respect.
8) Ridgewood is only one of four municipalities in Bergen County with a full-time Fire Department and 67% of Firefighters (28/42) have base salaries over $100,000 (2011). The median for Ridgewood was $118,290.
9) 80% of Ridgewood Police (33/41) have base salaries over $100,000 (2011). The median for Ridgewood was $128,239.
10) In 2009, there were 68 Police Chiefs, 76 School Superintendents and 70 Borough Clerks in Bergen County. The total payroll for these three positions ALONE in Bergen County totaled over $30 million.
Federal Welfare Spending to Skyrocket 80 Percent in Next Decade
8:27 AM, Jan 15, 2013 • By DANIEL HALPER
Federal welfare spending will skyrocket 80 percent over the next decade, according to new analysis by the minority side of the Senate Budget Committee. Here’s a chart, provided by the committee, detailing the growth in spending:
This chart displays projected federal spending on federal welfare programs over the next ten years, based on data from the Congressional Research Service and Congressional Budget Office,” the Republican side of the Senate Budget Committee explains. “These figures do not count state contributions to federal welfare programs (primarily on low-income health assistance) which brought total welfare spending in FY2011 to more than $1 trillion – dwarfing any other budget item including Medicare and Social Security, and totaling enough to mail every household in poverty a check for 60k each year.”
Readying for Sandy, NJ Transit erred in modeling storm
By Ryan McNeill and Janet Roberts
NEW YORK | Fri Jan 11, 2013 10:12pm EST
(Reuters) – New Jersey Transit incorrectly used federal government software that otherwise could have warned officials against a disastrous decision to leave hundreds of millions of dollars worth of equipment in a low-lying rail yard before Superstorm Sandy struck, a Reuters examination has found.
The agency based its decision, at least in part, on software provided by the National Weather Service that allows users to simulate an approaching hurricane and show areas vulnerable to flooding from storm surge, according to Sandy-related forecast documents obtained by Reuters from New Jersey Transit. Exactly how the agency used the software is unclear because the agency declined to answer any specific questions.
Reuters asked for the documents that New Jersey Transit relied upon in deciding to leave the trains at its Meadows Maintenance Complex in Kearny, New Jersey. Among the documents was a screen-shot of storm prediction software that indicated the user had the storm traveling northeast, away from the New York area, while moving at the wrong speed.
As a result, the software predicted surges that were about half the levels actually forecast – errors that underestimated the threat to the Meadows complex.
New Jersey Transit takes issue with the findings. But a Reuters analysis shows that had the software been used to produce surge estimates similar to forecasts, agency leaders could have seen a different picture. The result would have pointed to potential inundation of a large portion of the rail yard, mirroring the flooding that ultimately occurred.
Other metro railroads in the region moved their rolling stock to rail lines and yards on higher ground.
Banker Associates PC Joins Flackman, Goodman & Potter, P.A., CPA’s
January 11,2012
Ridgewood NJ, The accounting firm Flackman, Goodman & Potter, P.A., CPAs (FGP) is proud tp announce that Banker Assoicates PC, a Tenafly based accounting firm, has joined their team effective January 1, 2013 and Michael Banker, CPA has been admitted as Partner.
“The addition of Michael Banker and his staff will add significant talent into our dedicated team of professionals. Talent has driven the success of FGP and the addition of Banker allows a deeper pool of expertise and resources in the issues which confront our clients” said Jim Madormo, CPA, the firm’s managing partner.
