>Demonstrators Plan to Occupy Retailers on Black Friday Published: Tuesday, 22 Nov 2011 | 12:27 PM ET Text Size By: Cadie Thompson Producer, CNBC.com
Some demonstrators are planning to occupy retailers on Black Friday to protest “the business that are in the pockets of Wall Street.”
Organizers are encouraging consumers to either occupy or boycott retailers that are publicly traded, according to the Stop Black Friday website : https://www.stopblackfriday.com/
The goal of the movement is to impact the profits of major corporations this holiday season.
>I really think it’s time for the Village to enter serious discussions about receiving either fees, PILOTs or both going forward from Valley
Once the Council’s vote is formally done next week and becomes official, I really think it’s time for the Village to enter serious discussions about receiving either fees, PILOTs or both going forward from Valley, so that it pays for more of all the Village resources it already uses even in its CURRENT size and configuration.
Ms. Meyers has indicated NOW she wants to have a “conversation”. And these things need to be important components of that conversation.
Like most here (and contrary to very dubious “surveys”), I was never against Valley, but certainly was against the proposed plan.
I’m confident something more reasonable for the site could be done, that better balances what Valley feels it needs with Ridgewood’s interests as the host community.
And whatever revised plan is proposed, getting Valley to start paying something more toward its fair share for all it uses needs to be part of that discussion and plan.
>Valley’s Board of Directors should consider “asking” Meyers for her resignation, along with that of other top admin.
Valley’s Board of Directors should consider “asking” Meyers for her resignation, along with that of other top admin. Meyers and her mgmt group have damaged the good name of Valley Hospital with their employees, within the Ridgewood Community, throughout Bergen County and State-wide. In my own corporate experience this should not and would not be tolerated. Interesting that someone who spoke on behalf of Valley last night made the point that Valley is already financial decline. There should be an immediate management shake-up at Valley.
Another point is there should be an investigation into Valley’s non-profit status since they’ve identified the town-wide survey as a “community outreach” towards their non-profit tax exemption.
Finally, I could not be more proud of our Village Council! We all tend to complain when something gets bungled but these meetings were conducted in a professional and considerate manner. Council members asked smart questions that elicited information vital to the future of Ridgewood. As elected officials they truly represented the people of the Village! Thank you to each of our Council members and Have a Very Happy Thanksgiving!
It is amazing that Paul Ahronson can raise a stink about Gabbert when Paul is the only councilman to receive over $30,000 in free health care benefits…
Why doesn’t someone ask Paul Ahronson at the next meeting why he doesn’t forego this tax payer draining perk like the rest of the Council who work for free.
>Egypt’s Secret Police Renames Itself “Homeland Security” Notorious human rights abusers draw inspiration from US authorities Paul Joseph Watson Infowars.com Monday, November 21, 2011
Egypt’s infamous state security apparatus, notorious for spying on political activists and torturing dissidents, has renamed itself “homeland security,” presumably in homage to its American namesake, which has also been used as a tool of political repression.
As part of the re-branding of dictatorship in Egypt, the same security force implicated in the imprisonment and torture of anti-Mubarak activists is busy reorganizing itself while maintaining intimidation and spying campaigns targeted against parliamentary candidates by bugging phone calls and harassing prominent critics of the ruling military regime’s bloody crackdown on protesters.
“After some initial moves to purge the security forces, attempts at systemic reform were halted, say analysts and political observers. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior, the 100,000-strong state security service has been renamed homeland security and personnel moved around,” the Financial Times reports today (emphasis mine).
Leaf and brush will continue to be picked up according to the schedule in the Village Calendar. Village crews will be performing this task throughout the day.
>Village Seeking Volunteers to Serve on Library Board and Parks, Recreation, and Convervation Board
The Village Council is looking for residents who are interested in volunteering to serve on the Library Board of Trustees and the Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Board.
The Library Board of Trustees is the governing board for the Ridgewood Public Library and its employees. The Board of Trustees works with the community to establish Library policy. They also secure funds to carry on services to the public, and set goals and objectives.
The Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Board recommends rules for use and monitors recreation facilities. The Board coordinates community recreation programs and develops and updates the long-range Master Plan for recreation in the Village.
All interested residents should fill out a Citizen Volunteer Leadership form (found on the Village website under “Forms”), and send it along with a cover letter indicating on which board or committee the resident wishes to serve, and a biography or resume to:
Mayor Keith Killion Village of Ridgewood 131 North Maple Ave. Ridgewood, NJ 07451
>Reader Reminds Residents to report all solicitors
There is an important article in the Bergen Record today about burglaries. MOST occcur when someone knocks on the door, and when nobody answers, they kick it in. I always call the Police to report a solicitors, and many of the officers act as though its not a big deal. Well it IS a big deal because these are the tactics used by burglars! I once had to explain this to an officer who was clearly upset that he had to respond to this type of call for service. I told him ‘don’t expect to make detective rank’ since he was so CLUELESS. Whether its some restauranter, landscaper, house cleaner or whatever putting flyers on your door or mailbox..CALL the police and report them. THANKS
I don’t know half of it, I know all of it. I was on the inside, I worked at Cottage Place, for DeSimone. They know who I am, and most of the district knows who I am. I will, and would gladly show my contract, and how they put spins on things to force you out, but since I am involved in a law suit with the BOE, i cannot. Not, only would I be happy to show it to the Blog, I fully intend to show it the Record, so all of Bergen County can see what they truly are, and what they are capable of. And the other thing you don’t know what you are talking about the re-organization, you justify firing an African American man that worked there for 18 years, and a man with Special Needs?
And the re-organization, as you call it, as all the people in the district, and especially Cottage place know, was just a way for DeSimone to get rid of staff members that he couldn’t control, and hire all his friends. Lorenz got stuck with them, thats probably why he was arguing with them. And you proved my point, there is no disagreeing with the BOE. So don’t tell me I don’t know half of it, I know ALL of it, and lots more. They probably tortured poor Lorenz until he had enough.
And DeSimone is the boss at Cottage, and everyone knows it, so unless you actually worked there, and witnessed what really happened, I suggest you tell your “insiders” that they don’t know of what they speak of. Oh, and BTW, please show me those minutes, me and lots of others would be happy to see them.
At www.cato-at-liberty.org, Wally Olson sums up the accomplishments of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Helping the disabled feels so right and necessary that it is hard for the public to understand why we libertarians view the ADA:
“as a coercive and fabulously expensive government venture into what ought to be private decision-making.” But Olson lays out some good reasons:
“in recent months a New Jersey jury ordered a rheumatologist [3] to pay $400,000 for not providing a deaf patient with a sign language interpreter at his own expense… a federal appeals court ruled that [5] the nation’s paper currency unfairly discriminates against the disabled and must be redesigned (thus taking a different view from the National Federation of the Blind, which doesn’t think there’s a problem); a police dispatcher won a settlement [6] in her lawsuit saying she was unfairly discriminated against because of her narcolepsy (tendency to fall asleep at inappropriate times…”
Few public officials dare fight back. It is political suicide.
You have no idea what Jack may have went through, or what they are capable of. What, did Jack dare to speak out or disagree with them , and all their friends and relatives they hire? They hire friends and relatives at enormous salaries, while they cut program after program for our kids. One example, they made the Board Secretary the Boss over the receptionist (another BS job DeSimone invented) why? because she’s a friend, and when administrators get a raise, she gets a raise. Instead of 10 vacation days a year, she now gets 22 a year. My other favorite is when DeSimone invented a job for a man to take job descriptions for HIS staff at 600/day. Paid out over 30,000. It was rumored he was Desimone’s son’s father in law. Keep paying all those taxes, they know a lot of people, and the Board Members go along with everything, and Fishbein owes DeSimone because he hired him. Governor Christie are you listening?
>Other towns nearby – even with larger populations – pay less for the same functions we pay more for here
I don’t know much about Aronsohn, many on this blog say he has another agenda, but I don’t know about that.
What I do know is that mistakes of the past aren’t nearly as impt as not making them over and over again. At least he objects – often the only one– and is “put down” by the others – for what reasons I have no idea.
Many of the top VH officials are paid much higher than their counterparts in other nearby towns of similar size. That can be shown by lookups using public databases.
Other towns nearby – even with larger populations – pay less for the same functions we pay more for here.
Whether similar mistakes were made in the past doesn’t mean nearly as much as stopping this practice going forward.
Is the job of Clerk (as one example) here really so much more challenging than the same job in Mahwah or Paramus that it justifies paying $110,640 while Mahwah paid $67,940 and Paramus paid $62,000 for that same position?
Same question re Tax Collector, who here was paid $103,344 – while Mahwah paid $67,436 and Paramus paid $82,420. Is that job really so much more complex here to justify the big diff in pay?
Those are just 2 examples – many more can be found easily.
If you analyze more top positions and compare them, you wind up with a very large savings to taxpayers that other towns are able to achieve for providing the same services and functions– because they pay the top officials less than we do here.
So, why can’t we do that too? With the money saved, you could have funds to hire more people to get out and do all the needed work, couldn’t you?
Population of both Mahwah and Paramus per 2010 census data is just slightly higher then Ridgewood’s population. Mahwah:25,890 Paramus: 26,342 Ridgewood: 24,958.
Note: numbers from 2010 and sourced from: https://php.app.com/NJpublicemployees11/search.php Numbers do not include perks, pensions, bonuses, overtime and any other benefits, per that link.
Interesting quote from Dec 8 2010 Village Council meeting where officials from other towns were objecting to Ridgewood Water rate increase is below. Perhaps this is just an error in the minutes, but they ARE the “official” minutes. Supposedly the Clerk reviews them and the Council approves them prior to being published. (link for full minutes:) https://www.ridgewoodnj.net/minutes/PUBLIC12.810.htm
QUOTE FROM MINUTES: Councilman Riche thanked everyone for their comments and emphasized that he understands the hardships facing all residents, not only in Ridgewood but in neighboring towns as well. He stated that everyone is doing less with more. END QUOTE
Yeah, over at VH that last sentence seems to be all too true. At least Riche seems to have recognized it – IF the minutes are right. Now, why not do something to change it?
Some homeowners learn to live with and are even proud of odd spaces like an old bomb shelters, walk-in hearth or even an outhouse. By Kathleen Lynn The Record (Hackensack N.J
HACKENSACK, N.J. — There are certain spaces that homebuyers crave, like giant kitchens and expansive walk-in closets.
And then there are the spaces that turn up unexpectedly, especially in some older homes — spots like bomb shelters, smokehouses and outhouses.
These can open a window into history, giving a fresh sense of how people once lived. The bomb shelter recalls a time when Americans feared nuclear attacks from the Soviet Union, and imagined how to survive in a scorched landscape. The smokehouse tells of a time when Americans didn’t buy their meat at the supermarket, but butchered it and smoked it to preserve it.
> Obama Nominee for Social Security Board Favors Rationing Health Care 4:17 PM, NOV 15, 2011 • BY JEFFREY H. ANDERSON
Is it just a coincidence that the people that President Obama nominates to fill high-level governmental posts tend to favor government-directed health care rationing? Last year, Obama nominated Donald Berwick to head Medicare and Medicaid. Now he’s nominated Henry J. Aaron to head the Social Security Advisory Board.
Berwick, to whom Obama issued a dubious recess appointment to circumvent the usual Senate confirmation, has become notorious for statements like, “The decision is not whether or not we will ration care — the decision is whether we will ration with our eyes open” — and, in progressive-speak, “The social budget is limited.”
11/15/117:30PMPlanning Board Public MeetingAvailable 11/22/117:30PMBoard of Adjustment Public Meeting – CANCELLED 11/22/118:00PMVillage Council Special Public Meeting – Valley Expansion 11/29/117:00PMVillage Council Special Public Meeting – Valley Expansion 12/06/117:30PMPlanning Board Public Meeting 12/13/117:30PMBoard of Adjustment Public Meeting 12/14/118:00PMVillage Council Public Meeting
