Fight erupts on use of NJ open space money
Just four months after voters in New Jersey overwhelmingly decided to put tens of millions of dollars into the state’s open space program, conservationists are accusing the governor of raiding the fund. (Fallon/The Bergen Record)
https://www.northjersey.com/
Reader says Councilwoman Knudsen is entitled to exercise her own judgment
The decision to “recuse” by an elected official is one that is arrived at: 1) by that elected official (i.e., nobody gives an order that another must follow); 2) on a case-by-case basis (i.e., no categorical prohibitions to participation, or recusal “precedent” based on past practice (read: Killion); 3) as a result of a fact-based analysis (i.e.., the details matter and must be considered); 4) in accordance with a pre-determined standard (no making it up as we go along); 5) considering whether the appearance of a conflict would bring scandal even if no actual conflict exists or is likely to arise; but also 6) being careful not to recuse too readily (i.e., not necessarily at the drop of a hat, or in response to the first ‘hint’ of a conflict) lest the electorate be improperly and improvidently deprived of the thoughtful services of their chosen representative (i.e., this is no mere ‘employee’ of the Village).
Councilwoman Knudsen is entitled to exercise her own judgment on this issue, free from either unsolicited heavy-handed advice (pre-recusal) or uncivil and hypocritical scorn (after declining to recuse, if that’s what she decides) from any of her Village Council colleagues.
Scott Walker on Jeb Bush: We need a name from the future, not the past
By Nick Gass
3/13/15 12:25 PM EDT
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker alternately praised and took swipes at his likely presidential rivals during an interview with the Tampa Bay Times on Friday in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Asked about Republican establishment support for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Walker said the “next up” mentality has not worked with candidates like Bob Dole in 1996, John McCain in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012, and it won’t cut it against Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.
“Jeb’s a good man. You’re not going to hear me speak ill” of him, Walker said, noting that Bush called him two days before announcing his leadership PAC. “I just think voters are going to look at this and say, ‘If we’re running against Hillary Clinton, we’ll need a name from the future – not a name from the past – to win.’ “
Walker acknowledged Bush’s fundraising advantage as well.
Walker tests his message in New Hampshire
By Jesse Byrnes
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a likely 2016 Republican presidential contender, tested his message of “growth, reform and safety” in New Hampshire on Saturday with a speech at a grassroots workshop in Concord.
In his first trip to the second-in-the-nation presidential nominating state since 2012, Walker donned a sweater he said he bought for a buck from Kohl’s, a big retailer founded in his home state, and cast himself as an executive willing to roll up his sleeves to streamline government and protect the homeland.
Walker kicked off his speech by touting his close geography growing up near fellow Republican Wisconsin natives Reince Priebus, Republican National Committee chairman, and Rep. Paul Ryan, recalling that he and Ryan “both flipped hamburgers as kids at McDonald’s.”
Walker’s speech relied on familiar themes, touting reforms during his tenure in Wisconsin to argue that success should be measured “by how many people who are no longer dependent on the government.”
He also suggested his two sons could take off a semester of college to campaign with him, should he run.
Fielding a question on whether he would abolish the federal income tax, Walker said the idea “sounds pretty interesting” but stopped short of giving it his endorsement, emphasizing cuts in other areas of the government.
Presented with a blue baseball cap from a pro-gun member of the audience asking about foreign policy, Walker immediately strapped the hat on his head and threw up an air rifle pose, grinning.
Walker said the biggest national security threat facing the U.S. was” radical Islamic terrorism.”
“I am not proposing to engage full-scale boots on the ground, but I’m not taking that off the table,” he said.
https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/235736-walker-tests-his-message-in-new-hampshire
painting by renowned French Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir was snapped up at a U.S. flea market for less than $50, according to The Potomack Company, an auctioneer.
Antique Appraisal Event Old Paramus Church
Antique Appraisal Event Saturday, March 28, 1-4 PM Back by popular demand! Do you watch Antiques Roadshow? Have you ever wondered about the value of an antique or collectible in your home? Here’s an opportunity to have it appraised! Jon Felz, a certified appraiser, will be present to speak about and appraise each of your treasured items. A fee of $5 per item will be charged. Limit 2 items per person. Seating is limited. Doors open at 12:30. John Felz has 30 years of appraisal experience and has worked at many estate sales and auctions in the region. He is certified by the New England Appraisers Assn. and has appeared on Antiques Roadshow. Refreshments will be available for purchase. All proceeds will go to Old Paramus Church, 660 East Glen Ave., Ridgewood. There is ample free parking in the church parking lot. The appraisal event will take place in the Education Building. Please call the office at 201 444-5933 for more information, Monday through Friday, 9:30 to 1:30 or visit the church website, www.oldparamus.org.
Opening Day Baseball Parade and Family Fun Day – April 18
Saturday, April 18th at 9am the Baseball Parade starts at Wilsey Square and marches to Veteran’s Field for Opening Ceremonies and a day of fun filled activities – Food Trucks, Vendor pavilion, music, inflatables, instruction clinics, sports demos, wiffleball tournament, carnival games and RHS vs Westwood HS Game.
More info – [email protected]
Click Here for flyer
Another Illustration That Tolerance Does Not Extend to Faithful Catholics
By: Msgr. Charles Pope
In another show of selective tolerance from the cultural radicals, there comes the following story, as related in Crisis Magazine. Here are some excerpts from the article:
In their zeal to protect students from any comments or opinions that may hurt their feelings, many professors [in this case at Marquette University] have created “safe spaces” in their classrooms—controlling all conversations in an effort to ensure that no one is ever offended …[Professor Cheryl Abbate] made it clear that the classroom was not a [place for students doubting] the value of same-sex “marriage.” Such conversations had to be held in secret so as not to offend others … One student in the class decided to pursue this issue with Abbate after class … The student said: “I have to be completely honest with you, I don’t agree with gay marriage …” Professor Abbate replied: “Ok, there are some opinions that are not appropriate, that are harmful.”
When the student replied: “If I choose to challenge this, it’s my right as an American citizen,” Abbate responded: “Well, actually you don’t have a right in this class … to make homophobic comments, racist comments, sexist comments … I can tell you right now, in this class homophobic comments, racist comments and sexist comments will not be tolerated. If you don’t like that you are more than free to drop this class.”
In the “safe space” Abbate has created, homosexual students have the right not to be offended … But, where does that leave faithful Catholic students? Is there a safe space for them? … For Abbate, it is uncontroversial to have a safe-space policy that is only safe for those who agree with her about the value of same-sex “marriage.”
In December, Marquette relieved Professor John McAdams of his teaching and other faculty duties for blogging about the Abbate incident. According to McAdams, the student involved in the confrontation with Abbate talked with him about the incident, and McAdams took to his blog, Marquette Warrior, [N.B. Professor Abbate] had also written of the incident on her blog but was not disciplined for bringing the matter to light … [The full article is here: Crisis Magazine online: Catholicism is Considered Unsafe at Marquette]
Welcome to “tolerance” as defined by secular radicals. In their lexicon, “tolerance” is “your right, actually, your obligation to agree with me.” “Live and let live” means, “you have the right to live only where Isay and under the terms I set.” “Bigotry” applies only those speaking out against the classes they say are oppressed. “Phobes” (as in homophobes) are those who oppose their agenda. “Hate” only exists against the classes they say are “protected” and that they have defined as “oppressed.” Apparently, it is not possible for religious or social conservatives to be the object of hate, since hate only comes from social conservatives. Or so it would seem from their behavior and policies. And very few will question them on this due to the support of secular media and to the pressure to be politically correct.
Pope Benedict spoke frequently of the “tyranny of relativism.” Essentially, this means that when a culture decides there is no fundamental basis of truth (whether from Scripture or Natural Law), the result is that there is no real basis for discussion or resolution of issues. Thus, who “wins the day” is based not on reason but on who shouts the loudest and/or who has the most power, money, or political influence
Why Math geeks are so excited about March 14, 2015, at 9:26:53
BY Rebecca Jacobson March 13, 2015 at 5:26 PM EDT
It’s a most auspicious holiday for math lovers. Saturday, March 14, 2015 is Pi Day, a celebration of the irrational number that describes the ratio of a circle’s diameter to its circumference. Pi is approximately 3.141592653, but it continues at random to infinity. No matter how many numbers after the decimal place you use, the only way to get it exactly is to use the symbol pi.
Pi Day is a holiday for math (and pie) enthusiasts to celebrate their love of numbers. And this year marks a once-in-a-century occurrence. At 9:26:53 a.m. the date and time will read 3.14.15 9:26:53. That’s 10 digits of pi.
It’s odd for something out of math to become so popular, David Blatner, author of “The Joy of Pi” told the NewsHour in 2013. But there’s something special about pi that people connect with, he said.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/happy-pi-day-how-are-you-celeb
Why Pi Matters
By Steven Strogatz
Every March 14th, mathematicians like me are prodded out of our burrows like Punxsutawney Phil on Groundhog Day, blinking and bewildered by all the fuss. Yes, it’s Pi Day again. And not just any Pi Day. They’re calling this the Pi Day of the century: 3.14.15. Pi to five digits. A once-in-a-lifetime thing.
I’m dreading it. No hope of solving any equations that day, what with the pie-eating contests, the bickering over the merits of pi versus tau (pi times two), and the throwdowns over who can recite more digits of pi. Just stay off the streets at 9:26:53, when the time will approximate pi to ten places: 3.141592653.
https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/pi-day-why-pi-matters
new kind of science
Fed orders Bank of America to revise dividend, buyback plans
MARCH 11, 2015 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015, 4:38 PM
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS |
WIRE SERVICE
WASHINGTON – The Federal Reserve is ordering Bank of America to revise its plans for increasing dividends or buying back stock, saying there are gaps in its risk planning.
The Fed announced the decision Wednesday as part of its “stress tests” – an annual check-up of the nation’s biggest financial institutions. This year, 31 banks were tested to determine if they have large enough capital buffers to keep lending through another financial crisis and severe economic downturn.
State Department challenges Clinton claim that emails to officials ‘immediately’ saved
Published March 14, 2015
FoxNews.com
A State Department spokeswoman said Friday that the department did not start automatically archiving emails from senior officials until February of this year — raising questions about Hillary Clinton’s claim that her emails were “immediately” saved whenever she corresponded with colleagues.
The former secretary of state made that assertion during her press conference earlier this week — and in a lengthy statement put out by her office — as she defended her exclusive use of personal email. Clinton downplayed concerns that official emails could have been lost by suggesting anytime she emailed anyone with a “.gov” address, that email would be stored for posterity.
“The vast majority of my work emails went to government employees at their government addresses, which meant they were captured and preserved immediately on the system at the State Department,” she said Tuesday.
But department spokeswoman Jen Psaki made clear on Friday that this was not the way the system worked.
She said the department only started automatically archiving emails for other senior officials in February.
“They have long been planning to do this. It’s just something that it took some time to put in place,” Psaki said, adding that they’ll “continue to … take steps forward.”
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/03/13/state-department-challenges-clinton-claim-that-emails-to-officials-immediately/
Reader says Council Women Kundsen is the only one raising the issue that the agenda must be published in advance of the meeting, regardless of whether it is to be an open or closed one
How do you know what was on the agenda unless you are Knudsen or one of the other Council members? Knudsen seems to be the only one raising an issue here, so has Knudsen betrayed the Council’s closed door agenda by disclosing non-public information here on the Ridgewood blog about a closed session?”
11:27am, read the law!
The capitalized passage below shows that the agenda must be published in advance of the meeting, regardless of whether it is to be an open or closed one.
——-
OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT
(current through May 31, 2011)
N.J.S.A. 10:4-6. Short title
This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Senator Byron M. Baer Open Public Meetings Act.”
—-
N.J.S.A. 10:4-7. Legislative findings and declaration
The Legislature finds and declares that the right of the public to be present at all meetings of public bodies, and to witness in full detail all phases of the deliberation, policy formulation, and decision making of public bodies, is vital to the enhancement and proper functioning of the democratic process; that secrecy in public affairs undermines the faith of the public in government and the public’s effectiveness in fulfilling its role in a democratic society, and hereby declares it to be the public policy of this State to insure the right of its citizens to have adequate advance notice of and the right to attend all meetings of public bodies at which any business affecting the public is discussed or acted upon in any way except only in those circumstances where otherwise the public interest would be clearly endangered or the personal privacy or guaranteed rights of individuals would be clearly in danger of unwarranted invasion.
—-
The Legislature further declares it to be the public policy of this State to insure that the aforesaid rights are implemented pursuant to the provisions of this act so that no confusion, misconstructions or misinterpretations may thwart the purposes hereof.
The Legislature, therefore, declares that it is the understanding and the intention of the Legislature that in order to be covered by the provisions of this act a public body must be organized by law and be collectively empowered as a multi-member voting body to spend public funds or affect persons’ rights; that, therefore, informal or purely advisory bodies with no effective authority are not covered, nor are groupings composed of a public official with subordinates or advisors, who are not empowered to act by vote such as a mayor or the Governor meeting with department heads or cabinet members, that specific exemptions are provided for the Judiciary, parole bodies, the State Commission of Investigation, the Apportionment Commission and political party organization; that to be covered by the provisions of this act a meeting must be open to all the public body’s members, and the members present must intend to discuss or act on the public body’s business; and therefore, typical partisan caucus meetings and chance encounters of members of public bodies are neither covered by the provisions of this act, nor are they intended to be so covered.
—-
N.J.S.A. 10:4-8. Definitions
As used in this act:
—-
…
—-
b. “Meeting” means and includes any gathering whether corporeal or by means of communication equipment, which is attended by, or open to, all of the members of a public body, held with the intent, on the part of the members of the body present, to discuss or act as a unit upon the specific public business of that body. Meeting does not mean or include any such gathering (1) attended by less than an effective majority of the members of a public body, or (2) attended by or open to all the members of three or more similar public bodies at a convention or similar gathering.
—
c. “Public business” means and includes all matters which relate in any way, directly or indirectly, to the performance of the public body’s functions or the conduct of its business.
—
d. “Adequate notice” means written advance notice of at least 48 hours, giving the time, date, location AND, TO THE EXTENT KNOWN, THE AGENDA OF ANY REGULAR, SPECIAL OR RESCHEDULED MEETING, which notice shall accurately state whether formal action may or may not be taken and which shall be (1) prominently posted in at least one public place reserved for such or similar announcements, (2) mailed, telephoned, telegrammed, or hand delivered to at least two newspapers which newspapers shall be designated by the public body to receive such notices because they have the greatest likelihood of informing the public within the area of jurisdiction of the public body of such meetings, one of which shall be the official newspaper, where any such has been designated by the public body or if the public body has failed to so designate, where any has been designated by the governing body of the political subdivision whose geographic boundaries are coextensive with that of the public body and (3) filed with the clerk of the municipality when the public body’s geographic boundaries are coextensive with that of a single municipality, with the clerk of the county when the public body’s geographic boundaries are coextensive with that of a single county, and with the Secretary of State if the public body has Statewide jurisdiction. For any other public body the filing shall be with the clerk or chief administrative officer of such other public body and each municipal or county clerk of each municipality or county encompassed within the jurisdiction of such public body. Where annual notice or revisions thereof in compliance with section 13 of this act [FN1] set forth the location of any meeting, no further notice shall be required for such meeting.
Reader says The Mayor and his team have a major credibility problem
The Mayor and his team have a major credibility problem. Regardless of whatever accomplishments they tout from now until the next election, they cannot escape their past and ongoing mishandling of Village matters. They are arrogant and vindictive and even when they try to hold laughable forums on civility, they inadvertently violate the Sunshine Laws. They’ve been caught in secret meetings developers, they have been caught accepting free tickets to fundraisers, they have publicly humiliated both their political adversaries and any resident that has dared to voice a contrary opinion. None of them has the guts to address any of these particular issues publicly yet they all seem to post here anonymously to advance their personal agendas to try to defend the indefensible.
It’s unfortunate that our town’s elected leadership acts the way these 3 have. At this point, anything that any of them proposes should rightfully be looked at skeptically as none them can be taken at their word. Both individually and as a trio, this group bas failed miserably at gaining the public trust.
Bob Braun Reports that Pearson Is Spying on Social Media of Students Taking PARCC Tests
By dianeravitch
March 13, 2015
[Note from Diane: The link now says, “This Account Has Been Suspended.” I am not sure what this means. Some think his site crashed because of so many people trying to open it at the same time. Perhaps it will be back up soon. I hear it is posted on Bob Braun’s Facebook page. Read the comments below for that link.]
Bob Braun, an investigative reporter in New Jersey for the past 50 years, has learned that Pearson is spying on the social media accounts of students taking the PARCC tests.
Bob Braun writes:
Pearson, the multinational testing and publishing company, is spying on the social media posts of students–including those from New Jersey–while the children are taking their PARCC, statewide tests, this site has learned exclusively. The state education department is cooperating with this spying and has asked at least one school district to discipline students who may have said something inappropriate about the tests.
This website discovered the unauthorized and hidden spying thanks to educators who informed it of the practice–a practice happening throughout the state and apparently throughout the country. The spying–or “monitoring,” to use Pearson’s word–was confirmed at one school district–the Watchung Hills Regional High School district in Warren by its superintendent, Elizabeth Jewett.
Jewett sent out an e-mail–posted here– to her colleagues expressing concern about the unauthorized spying on students. She said parents are upset and added that she thought Pearson’s behavior would contribute to the growing “opt out” movement.
Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) Calls FCC Release of Depression-Era Net Neutrality Regulations regulatory overreach and job-killing
Mar 12, 2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
WESTFIELD, N.J. — Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07), New Jersey’s only Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee, commented on the Federal Communications Commission’s release of its Depression-era rules to regulate the Internet.
In January Lance stated ,the obvious to everyone except the Obama administration, “The Internet is a medium that continues to experience tremendous technological growth and today’s action by the D.C. Circuit Court striking down the FCC’s efforts to regulate the Internet protects consumers, increases competition and encourages new investment and innovation in broadband. As a member of the House Communications and Technology Subcommittee I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that the FCC does not overstep its authority on the issue of network neutrality.”
Lance continued his attack on Net Neutrality in February , “The Federal Communications Commission has voted in favor of a net neutrality plan that is the most dramatic government intervention in the Internet in two decades. The FCC’s proposal to regulate the Internet will hurt consumers and discourage new investment and innovation in broadband. It is Congress, not an unelected federal commission, that is tasked with modernizing our Nation’s telecommunications laws and today’s action is a blatant overstep of authority that threatens to stifle one of the Nation’s most important economic engines.”
The FCC’s Release of the Net Neutrality regs on Thursday, Rep. Leonard Lance (NJ-07), seized on the opportunity to condemn what he views as “Depression-era” rules.“The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has finally released its sweeping proposal following weeks of secrecy and stonewalling. The American People now have an opportunity to read the FCC’s 300-plus page plan to regulate the Internet as a utility — a plan I believe will hurt consumers, discourage new investment and innovation in broadband, and lead to billions of dollars in new fees and taxes. That’s why I have joined many of my colleagues on the House Communications and Technology Subcommittee and introduced H.R. 1212, the Internet Freedom Act, that will put the brakes on this FCC overreach and protect our innovators from these job-killing regulations.”
Gregory Dymshits, a full-time research biologist, teaches a genetics lesson at a special school for advanced science and math students. (Photo: Jim Ketsdever/KRT/Newscom)
Concerns Grow About Common Core Standards
Brittany Corona/ March 12, 2015
“If you came to college with only an Algebra II background and you wanted to major in a STEM area, you have a 1/50 chance— a 2 percent chance— of ever obtaining a degree in STEM… This level of preparation is simply insufficient,” said Milgram.
According to Education Week, teachers also are struggling with how to teach to the Common Core math standards.
“Each standard has so many ideas built into it, you really have to sit down and think through all the implications of that,” said math teacher Bobson Wong. “I could easily make each of these courses a two-year course.”
And recently, reports surfaced that the Common Core architects left what some consider holes in the standards.
Richard A. Askey, a professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and former member of the math standards’ feedback group, later noticed an omission of a geometry standard in Common Core. In fact, according to Education Week, Askey said “the process toward the end was so hurried that an entire high school standard was left out of the final draft.”
“There’s no formal mechanism in place for a wholesale review of the common core, but it’s likely that states will—as they always have—review their standards at times and decide whether they need to be altered,” the Education Week article said.
When Common Core was created in 2009 by Achieve Inc., with oversight from the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, its adoption immediately was tied to federal incentives through billions in competitive grants and waivers from provisions in the No Child Left Behind law.
By 2010, 46 states had signed on to the standards and agreed to implement them fully by this school year. Over the last two years, states have begun to realize the costs of quickly signing on to Common Core. By 2015, 15 of the original 46 states that agreed to Common Core have made efforts to withdraw from the standards and aligned tests. Four exited the standards completely—Indiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Louisiana.
The haste of Common Core’s adoption is felt across the nation—but the extent is not yet realized. The alignment of college entrance exams, such as the SAT and ACT, and advanced placement courses cause concern over the “voluntary” nature of the standards.
Yet, there is still hope. Many states are putting forth measures to reclaim autonomy over their standards and are beginning to practice competitive federalism, thoughtfully considering their state standards, Common Core and other state standards to make a set of standards and tests that are best for their students’ college or career readiness.
