The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce had the pleasure of celebrating with Ridgewood Dental Associates on their ribbon cutting ceremony of their brand new beautiful office with their team of Doctor’s and family members and friends including Village of Ridgewood Mayor Ramon Hache and Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali.
file photo by Boyd Loving
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, As a correction to the 2019 calendar, Shred Day in Ridgewood will take place on Saturday, April 13, NOT ON APRIL 6th, as stated in the calendar. It will take place at the Graydon Pool Parking Lot from 9:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M., Rain or Shine. Residents will be able to watch their documents on camera as they are securely shredded by Information Destruction Systems, which will then be recycled by Atlantic Coast Fibers. Limit of five 5 file-size boxes per vehicle. Free to all Ridgewood residents and businesses only. Place items for shredding in a paper bag or a cardboard box. No plastic bags will be allowed.
photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook
staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, A FedEx delivery van collided with a Jeep at the intersection of Grove Street and South Van Dien Avenue, Ridgewood on Monday afternoon, 03/25. Following impact, the Jeep completely rolled over and subsequently landed upright. It’s lone occupant, an adult female driver, sustained a minor hand injury and was transported by a Ridgewood EMS ambulance to The Valley Hospital. The FedEx delivery driver was not injured, and his vehicle suffered cosmetic damage only. The Jeep was totaled; it was removed from the scene by a flatbed tow truck. Ridgewood Police and Ridgewood Fire Department also responded to the incident.
By Tony Russo, CIANJ President
Ridgewood NJ, There has been a lot of discussion recently on raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Governor Murphy would like to see $15 an hour this year but the Legislature introduced a bill which would phase in the increase over several years. The reason given for increasing the minimum wage is the high cost of living in New Jersey.
What is missing from the current discussion are the reasons why New Jersey has such a high cost of living. The major reasons for such a high cost of living are the taxes and fees paid by New Jersey’s residents and businesses. Property taxes, sales taxes, fuel taxes, income taxes, the corporate business tax — New Jersey is a heavily taxed state. Also absent from the discussion is why $15 an hour would somehow make New Jersey affordable.
Government needs to appreciate that most private sector jobs in New Jersey are with small businesses. These business owners take on risks daily as competition is fierce. Most work hard to make ends meet but unfortunately some do not survive.
Employees are a business’ number one resource and keeping good talent is a top priority. An hourly wage is just one part of how a business compensates employees. Many offer fringe benefits including paid time off, healthcare insurance, 401(k) contributions, short- and long-term disability, bonuses and life insurance. When the Legislature focuses on only the hourly rate and not the total compensation paid, it is not reflective of the total amount spent by employers.
More importantly, Trenton lawmakers should not look toward the private sector to make New Jersey affordable but rather look inward to reduce the size of government and make New Jersey a business-friendly State. New investment will create new jobs, more competition and innovation which in turn will improve the quality of life of residents as well as increasing the coffers of the state government. This would reduce the current pressure on New Jersey’s existing businesses.
A government wage mandate on the private sector is the wrong approach and will only lead to higher prices and job losses, ultimately hurting the very people they are trying to help. Finally, New Jersey voters already weighed in on this matter in 2013 when they approved an amendment to the state constitution tying any increases to the minimum wage to the Consumer Price Index or CPI.By Tony Russo, CIANJ President
file photo by Boyd Loving
“I have mailed checks for years from inside the post office
first class mail slot with no issues.
there is no security in there from 730am thru 10 am opening of clerks gates .Homeless are in there sleeping and warming up early mornings …they are lost souls but really town and federal government .l am on Ridgewood avenue each morning from645 7 am..it’s a GHOST TOWN
ZERO POLICE OR anyone but commuters waiting for a bus
walking up to make a train .
it’s dark in the early morning …easy pickins..”
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, There are a number of upcoming events in the Village, to welcome in the holiday season.
Santa will be in Memorial Park at Van Neste Square on December 15th from Noon to 3:00 p.m. and on December 22nd from Noon to 2:00 p.m.
The celebration of Hanukkah continues through December 9th at the Menorah, located on the corner of Memorial Park at Van Neste Square and East Ridgewood Avenue
The Ridgewood Blog Festivus December 23rd . Stay tuned to the Ridgewood blog for all the great Festivus traditions including
“Airing of Grievances” . The Ridgewood blog will publish “Grievances ” for the entire day of December 23rd.
December 24 and 25, 2018 – All Village offices are closed in observance of the Christmas holiday. The Police Department on the second floor of Village Hall, will be open on this holiday.
December 31, 2018 – All Village offices will be open regular hours, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
January 1, 2019 – All Village offices will be closed in observance of the New Year’s holiday. There will be nosanitation or recycling pick up and the Recycling Center will also be closed on this day. The Police Department, on the second floor of VillageHall, will be open on this holiday.
Ridgewood NJ, The owner of a store front business establishment on East Ridgewood Avenue in Ridgewood inadvertently tripped his hold-up/panic alarm, and then failed to provide the correct “all clear” password to his central station alarm provider early Thursday afternoon, 09/17.
Photo by BERNIE WALSH
Troop 1326 members Ruby, Celeste, Katie, Erin and leader Bernie Walsh pose by the wrought iron gate made by Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low in Savannah, Ga.
Ridgewood Girl Scouts return with trainload of goods for storm victims
MONDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2012, 10:09 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Through charity, goodwill or service, every Girl Scout at some point in their career has felt a family connection between individual troops.
A group of Ridgewood girls experienced the sisterly bond between scouts this past weekend after traveling to Savannah, Ga., for an annual conference. There, the local scouts, who were part of a large contingent from northern New Jersey, teamed with the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia to collect much-needed supplies for victims of Hurricane Sandy.
Knowing that a group from New Jersey was headed to the conference, the young ladies from Georgia started the collection even before their counterparts arrived. The Savannah scouts requested and received hundreds of donations, ranging from batteries and blankets to clothing and trash bags.
Upon learning of and seeing the other scouts’ efforts, the 122 members of the North Jersey delegation, including 11 girls from Ridgewood and their three scout leaders, were floored.
>Cash-Strapped Bergen, N.J. To Fight Snow With ‘Pickle Juice’
Salt-Water Concoction Costs Just 7 Cents A Gallon
BERGENFIELD, N.J. (CBS 2) — Bergen County’s 230 plows and salting vehicles are at the ready for Wednesday’s snowfall, especially with their newest weapon for melting snow quickly — a briny mixture of salt and water that resembles pickle juice.
“We actually pre-spray the properties, the sidewalks, the parking lots as a preventative before the snow is uncontrollable,” Bergen County Public Works Director Joe Crifasi told CBS 2′s Magee Hickey.
The brine costs just 7 cents a gallon compared to $63 a ton for salt. Bergen County has already used up $3 million of its $4 million snow budge
https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/01/25/cash-strapped-bergen-n-j-to-fight-snow-with-pickle-juice/
>Christie says Camden layoffs illustrate benefits woes
Gov. Christie pointed Monday to last week’s layoffs of hundreds of city workers in Camden as an illustration of the need for widespread pension and benefits reform for public employees. (Katz, The Philadelphia Inquirer)
>On school choice, Christie should go back to the future
Our governor has declared this “School Choice Week.”
Here’s my choice: Let’s have the state stop building schools.
I think I speak for every taxpayer in New Jersey when I say that — not to mention every investor on Wall Street. (Mulshine, The Star-Ledger)
https://blog.nj.com/njv_paul_mulshine/2011/01/on_school_choice_christie_shou.html
>JOBS: Gov. Christie to launch campaign encouraging Illinois businesses to relocate to N.J.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s administration thinks there’s business to be had — from Illinois.
The governor is launching an ad campaign encouraging businesses in Illinois to relocate to the Garden State. (The Associated Press)
https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/01/gov_christie_to_launch_campaig.html
>Gov. Chris Christie: Message of reform well received
Message of reform well received
Gov. Chris Christie brought his reform message to this tiny blue collar, majority African-American borough on Monday upon a dare from Mayor Michael Blunt. It was a gamble worth making … the Republican governor appeared to win converts. (Roh, Courier-Post)
https://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20110125/NEWS03/110125007/Message-of-reform-well-received
>Christie vetoes COAH bill
Gov. Christie on Monday afternoon conditionally vetoed affordable housing legislation, saying it fails to reform how such housing is provided. (Mooney, PolitickerNJ)
https://www.politickernj.com/44338/christie-vetos-coah-bill
>Three SEIU Locals–Including Chicago Chapter–Waived From Obamacare Requirement
Monday, January 24, 2011
By Fred Lucas
(CNSNews.com) – Three local chapters of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), whose political action committee spent $27 million supporting Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, have received temporary waivers from a provision in the Obamacare law.
The three SEIU chapters include the Local 25 in Obama’s hometown of Chicago.
The waivers allow health insurance plans to limit how much they will spend on a policy holder’s medical coverage for a given year. Under the new health care law, however, such annual limits are phased out by the year 2014. (Under HHS regulations, annual limits can be no less than $750,000 for 2011, no less than $1.25 million in 2012 and no less than $2 million in 2013.)
https://cnsnews.com/news/article/seiu-locals-including-chicago-chapter-wa
