Category: Uncategorized

>As Far as I know the sidewalks are your responsibility.

As Far as I know (here a long time) the sidewalks are your responsibility.

Yet over in HHK, we know many people who got new sidewalks and curbs a few years ago at no cost to them at all, the town paid for the work completely. I checked with many people we know and they confirmed that as fact.

Maybe they got a grant or something- or maybe their officials knew something ours didn’t (I don’t know).

Again, where most of the money seems to go is on paying many higher ups at VH signif. more than their counterparts are paid for same jobs in sim. size nearby towns (by pop.) like Mahwah and Paramus. And now.. even bonuses for many already highly paid VH top people, too. Yet the real work does not get done – no money.

It’s not just sidewalks, the Village has been pushing things back on the taxpayer for a while now. Other examples include the part of sewer pipe under the street that goes to your house (not just what’s under your yard).

Also, many trees that were orig. planted by the Village but on the house side of the sidewalk as opposed to between sidewalk and curb. Apparently these were made yours retroactively some years ago, even if you could prove the Village planted them in 1st place.

Yet we pay very high taxes- even the muni part. And obviously the town is still a real mess from last storm.

If we simply paid at levels more comparable to what other towns pay for the higher-ups, we’d sure save some serious money.

And the answer to most anything over at VH always seems to be “sorry, no money” – whether it’s curbs, walks, storm drains or most anything.

But the leaves in the streets, I really think it has become time to stop that whole thing. Even years when we did not have storms like this year, very often many streets around town have been dangerous from all the huge piles in them.

Few obey the “7days before” rule anyhow and it’s not enforced. Also, the pickup schedules get changed, like this year – often from necessity.

So, stop the leaves in the street altogether. People can bag them and put at the curb. Or you can gather them and take to Recycling if you want. Or you can compost in your yard. Or if you have a landscaper you can arrange whatever you want with them.
All these are very simple and viable alternatives.

Putting leaves in the street just creates big hazards. Also in many spots they then just blow down the street into everyone’s yards – even if those folks spent hours picking theirs up, they now have yours to deal with, over and over.

As I’ve posted before, a long time ago it was “tradition” here to BURN your leaves. So many people were careless that many fires resulted, and so that got changed.

It’s time to change putting leaves in streets now, too.

Last week, we almost got hit by a car pulling onto Glen from a side street- it was a low sports car and apparently could not see around a huge leaf pile someone put at a corner. Our car was heading down Glen from M/Park at the time. Close call- nearly plowed right into us.

Just one example, you can experience many more on many streets here.

It’s a problem with a pretty simple solution– just stop the practice and enforce it — at least on the busier streets. Less cost to taxpayers, more time for what crews we do have to focus on the many other things needing work, too.

It would need to be enforced with fines with some teeth, not a wink or slap on the wrist.

And though I don’t like having to see that be done, if it isn’t, people will just keep on creating the problem, sadly to say. The fines would need to be substantial enough to encourage compliance. After all, people are creating a hazard in the street when they do this.

Plus, your neighbors will appreciate your not creating skyscrapers that just blow into their yards over and over again, too.

>Valley Renewal: We were very dismayed with how Valley management handled this whole process

My family has been here a long time and has been very supportive of Valley in the past, through many expansions.

However, we did not support this plan and have said so many times.

We were also very dismayed with how Valley mgmt handled this whole process, to say the least.

For a long time Valley represented a high standard of being both a good community resource as well as a good citizen.

It’s not that way now. The way Valley management handled all this process proves that. So does how they handled everything regarding Pascack re-opening, and so does all the money and effort they spend trying to attract patients from areas very far away from this one.

Also, they have stressed the need for all single patient rooms. And sure, I agree with that – in concept- for many reasons.

But there are some downsides to that too. Apparently ONLY if you build NEW buildings is this a requirement. If you renovate (or “renew”) it is NOT. And most hospitals in NJ do not have ONLY private rooms.

Why is this impt? Well, my small business has been looking at new insurance plans and we have many proposals for diff plans and carriers.

ALL of them state that they will pay ONLY for semi-private rooms. That means if only private rooms can be had, the patient is responsible for the upcharge, which can be sizable.

At first I thought, “can’t be right”, but looking around online, it DOES seem to be right.

Also pretty sure Medicare (and thus most wraparound M/care coverage) works the same way – only pays for semi private.

I’m no expert on this though– if someone here knows more, please share with the rest of us.

If this is how it works, then we get all the “side effects” and costs of hosting Valley, but if we need to use Valley as a patient, even with good insurance, we would have to pay extra because of that private room upcharge.

Wow. That’s really being a community resource, huh?

Again, pls weigh in if you know more – I very much hope this is NOT how it works, but from what I’ve read, seems to be.

Also checked the NJ Direct Employee benefit handbook at link below and it says same thing re semi-private versus private. Muni employees, teachers, etc are apparently covered by this.

https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/pensions/epbam/exhibits/handbook/njdirectbk.pdf

The recent numbers I saw for such upcharges (from semi to private) were high. Those won’t be going down either.

Yet if Valley renovates without building all new, then there is no such “mandate” for private rooms. Seems to shed a little more light on what is perhaps the real agenda in all this.

In any case, I too have a much different opinion of Valley’s management now than our family used to. Rather than being upfront and engaging and involving the community so all could really work together to find a solution that everyone could live with, they handled this much differently, and likely will continue to do so.

And all the while they fought Pascack re-opening bitterly.

They also expect Ridgewood to pay all the costs of hosting “renewed” Valley — and yet right now way less than 10% of Valley’s patients come from Ridgewood – and they are actively marketing Valley as far away as New England and PA.

If they build anything like this plan, it looks like they would have a facility that only the very wealthy can use – since insurance won’t pay for private rooms – unless you can fight the carrier and truly demonstrate medical necessity.

If you’ve ever had a claim denied with a health insurer, you know real well how difficult it is to get such a decision reversed.

Thanks a lot Valley mgmt. Shouldn’t you want to modernize in a way that lets you market to the largest possible share of those in THIS area – in ways that those customers’ insurance will cover?

>The bridge is in trouble because the BOE — its owners — deferred necessary maintenance.


Let’s not spin this as a good thing. The bridge is in trouble because the BOE — its owners — deferred necessary maintenance. By this argument, if the BOE stops maintaining the High School building itself maybe it will fall down and we can get a new one. It’s only money, after all.

Charlie Reilly’s comments are worth examining:

“Recently resigned trustee Charlie Reilly spoke up as a member of the public to defend the decision to delay bridge repairs in favor of other capital improvements from a budgetary standpoint.

“To say that expenditures on this bridge could have been done, and that we had the resources to do it, is completely fallacious,” he said, adding that the bond referendum vote would likely have not passed if bridge repairs were incorporated.”

So the BOE, knowing that the bridge had serious structural issues as documented in the 2009 engineering report, hid that fact during the bonding process. Reilly’s comment that expenditures could have been done is itself fallacious. The BOE had $48M to work with. Do we seriously think fixing or rebuilding the bridge would have caused the bond not to pass? 

These are apologies after the fact. The BOE knew the situation, deliberately did nothing, and now we have a much larger bill to pay.

Rebuilding this bridge will cost hundreds of thousands.


 

>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.

https://www.cnbc.com/id/45402815

>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!

>Paul Aronsohn: Free Healthcare?


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).

https://www.infowars.com/egypts-secret-police-renames-itself-homeland-security/

>Village Leaf and Brush Pick Up Schedule

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.

November 21 – 23 – Area D

November 28 – Dec 2 – Area A

December 5- 9 – Area B

December 12 – 14 – Area C

December 15 – 16 – Area D

>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

.

>Nepotism runs supreme at Cottage Place 

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.

>The ADA: Another Popular Bad Law

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.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/on-air/stossel/blog/2010/07/27/the-ada-another-popular-bad-law

>If the BOE wants you out, you are out. 

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?