Editorial Note: We hate to..ahem..kick a guy when he’s down, but the launch of ObamaCare online has been such a spectacular fail, we are savoring the opportunity to gloat. Who isn’t tempted in Tea Party ranks to utter, “Told ya so” when we hear people complain about being dropped from their health insurance company? I mean, really, who saw this coming? They called us crazy. Well, who’s crazy now?
Here’s a good gloat from Gary North – The Tea Party Economist, October 28, 2013
In what is one of the greatest examples of crony capitalism of my adult life, the main company that produced the incomparable failure known as www.healthcare.gov turns out to have gained its share of the $678 million contract without facing competitive bids. That’s right. There were other companies that submitted bids, but those bids were not considered, or so initial reports indicate. Why no bids? We are not told.
This kind of thing goes on all the time, but usually it is never discovered. But the website was rolled out as the prime example of President Obama’s signature program, which bears his name unofficially: ObamaCare. This program was going to be the deliverance long awaited for by 15 million Americans who did not have healthcare coverage.
It went online, and it was dead on arrival: a corpse of government medicine. It died so spectacularly that it became front-page news around the world. It is such a total failure that there is a kind of magnificence about it. Millions of people tried to get in. Millions of people could not get in.
Now Congress is conducting an investigation of how this happened, and it turns out, that it happened because it was a sweetheart deal from the get-go.
The man who is in charge of the company became an Obama supporter in 2012, I can hardly blame him. His ship came in.
Unfortunately, the ship has just sunk in full public view. It is like the capsized cruise ship on its side off the coast of an Italian island in 2012. The site is there, dead in the water, for the whole world to see.
More of the story here: https://www.garynorth.com/public/11712.cfm
Bergen Freeholder GOP candidates share views with The Record’s editorial board
Monday October 7, 2013, 9:55 PM
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITER
The Record
Bergen County’s three Republican freeholders disagree on some major issues confronting county government, including police consolidation and pay-to-play reform.
Those differences emerged repeatedly during a wide-ranging 90-minute interview Wednesday with The Record’s editorial board. Maura DeNicola favors tighter restrictions on what contractors can contribute to county candidates while John Felice and John Mitchell say the county’s current pay-to-play law is adequate and a good compromise.
Mark was shown where he made a mistake in stating in a footnote that delegates from Vermont belatedly attended the constitutional convention in Philadelphia in 1787. In reality, Vermont was not even a state until 1791. Before that it was a disputed territory between New Hampshire and New York. So Vermonters were not asked to nor were they qualified to attend the Philadelphia convention. He gave his challenger no credit for reading his book carefully and bringing this non-trivial mistake to his attention. He then refused to sign the book on the page where the footnote appeared and showed distinct signs of impatience and annoyance when he opened the front of the book and began to sign it.
At this point, Mark was challenged about Cruz’s eligiblity. But the challenge did not happen as Mark said it did. The challenger asked this: “Under what possible definition of the term natural-born Citizen does your friend Ted Cruz qualify to be president?” At this same time the challenger placed an annotated copy of an earlier TheRidgewoodBlog posting repeating CNN’s recent article questioning Cruz’s eligibility, and was pointing at the document. After cursing at the challenger , Mark replied: “I never said he was a natural-born Citizen.”, upon which his challenger said: “But you must be a natural-born Citizen to be President!”. Mark then said: “No you don’t!”, and the challenger said “Yes, you do. Read the Constitution.” Levin was showing no signs of changing his tune. The challenger then turned around and left the booksigning. There was no time during any of this dialogue for Mark to ruminate on the challenger’s motivations or talk about Canada or Cruz’s mother or anything like what he said on his Radio program
Readers asks Why is Heather A. Mailander capable enough to fill in but not to actually be appointed to the position
Why is she capable enough to fill in but not to actually be appointed to the position. Another woman running a dept and not being recognized. She is better than Gabbert and Ten Hoeve
Heather Mailander would make an excellent choice for Village Manager. She is highly capable, has a tremendous work ethic, she knows the town and she well respected and liked by both Village employees and residents. Most importantly she has good common sense………..which is in short supply in Village Hall.
Reader says time to end Mayor’s Monthly Column in the Ridgewood News
Seriously, whether you like our mayor or don’t, Boyd has a very good point. Why should the newspaper provide a forum for Mayor Aronsohn to highlight the accomplishments while ignoring the major problems? This is a non-partisan government, so there cannot be an official reply from those opposed to the leader’s views on things. But we do know that at least one letter in which Mayor Aronsohn was not being portrayed favorably was squelched by the newspaper…….and this was due to the mayor himself interfering.
I wish the Mayor would man-up and address all the issues that have been controversial and have not been resolved. For example……what ever happened to the Graydon Ramp? For example…….what is the resolution on the Christie fundraiser (even The Record wrote an editorial blasting the council’s attendance at this event). For example…..why was a personnel matter (Mr. Riche) discussed in open session when there is a strict policy that individuals are to be discussed in closed session? Lines of people jumped up to protest his actions on this, yet no apology or explanation ever came from him. I am betting that the Hope Street poles will be the same thing, never any official follow-up from him because the outcome is not good.
He sweeps controversy under the carpet and we never get a final report on these matters. The Mayor’s Column in the newspaper enables him to continue to do this, by painting a rosy picture with absolutely no space allocated to controversies and problems.
Readers share thoughts on Boyd Lovings Ridgewood News letter to the Editor
A year is enough of that self-serving blather. Sick of seeing his face on the editorial page, co-opting space needed for letters to the editor. All published series stop eventually. The time has come.
Agree with Boyd. This is a blatant billboard for the mayor and it should not be allowed. Can we have an anti-mayor corner column, in which all the problems he has caused can be highlighted?????
Mayor Paul Aronsohn and the Ridgewood “New Prefect Together” Hey Ed. Yes Paul. Only print the good stuff about me. Ok Paul just don’t cancel the legal advertisement because without the advertisement from the village and valley hospital the Ridgewood News would be down the tubes and I would have to get a job at the Patch. Hey Paul. Yes Ed. Do you have any connections at the Patch? Matter of fact I do Ed.
The Ridgewood News All-Suburban Girls Golf Teams
Friday August 2, 2013, 8:39 AM
BY GREG TARTAGLIA
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
The Ridgewood News
Villagers continue to headline the elite unit in 2013, with three Ridgewood High School golfers and Ridgewood resident Victoria Paulsen of Immaculate Heart making the grade. Ramsey placed two golfers and Paramus one among the two seniors, four juniors and one sophomore on the first team….
In light of concerns voiced by some residents regarding Ridgewood Mayor Paul Aronsohn’s recent interactions with your editorial staff (“Our letters policy,” The Ridgewood News, July 26, page A6), I am prompted to ask whether you should continue publication of Mr. Aronsohn’s monthly “Mayor’s Corner” column.
file photo of PJ Blogger reading the Ridgewood News
Follow Up Re: The Ridgewood News Letter to the Editor
James J. Foytlin
The Ridgewood Blog
Ridgewood, New Jersey
Dear Mr. Foytlin:
I am writing as a follow up to North Jersey Media Group’s (NJMG) June 28, 2013 letter posted on The Ridgewood Blog in response to several comments left by blog readers concerning a letter submitted by a resident for publication in the Letters to the Editor section of The Ridgewood News. It is kindly requested that you post this letter on the blog as well.
It is my understanding that some were disappointed with NJMG’s June 28, 2013 letter because it was not as forthcoming with details as those interested in this matter would have liked. However, as you likely know, New Jersey has a very strong shield law that is designed to safeguard the newsgathering process and allow our reporters to do their job to the fullest ability. Information obtained by reporters in the course of their professional activities, including discussions with their sources, is privileged. NJMG must be cautious with the information it discloses so as not to unintentionally waive this most important safeguard.
NJMG recognizes that some will likely decry this explanation as a way to simply dodge the underlying issues. However, such complaints are shortsighted. The shield law is designed to protect the free flow of information to the press. If the information obtained and the sources consulted in connection with news articles and editorials, such as letters to the editor, are subject to disclosure at the demand of the public, then the willingness to provide information to reporters will quickly evaporate and have a detrimental effect on the amount and quality of information available to the public at large.
However, in light of the fact that Mayor Aronsohn has already identified himself as having contacted The Ridgewood News and without waiving the right to any otherwise privileged information, NJMG would like to state the following:
· The Ridgewood News was never asked by the Mayor or anyone else in person or by any other means to withdraw, hold, pull or not to publish the resident’s letter;
· As he himself stated, Mayor Aronsohn contacted The Ridgewood News after a June council meeting to confirm what had already been discussed openly during that public meeting covered by our reporter; to wit, that there was a discrepancy between the letter writer’s statement regarding the village attorney’s advice and what the village attorney’s actual advice was with respect to handling matters in open or closed session.
The Ridgewood News was obligated to hold the resident’s letter until the facts could be confirmed. While The Ridgewood News does not fact check every letter to the editor, the newspaper would have been remiss by publishing information that it actually knew was not entirely accurate. Indeed, our courts have held news media liable for publishing letters to the editor that contain inaccurate statements.
As a further point of clarification, the resident was never advised that the letter would be printed in The Ridgewood News in the days immediately following the submission. Rather, newspaper staff contacted the resident for the purpose of confirming the authorship of the submission. The decision to print any news or opinion letters in The Ridgewood News rests in the sole discretion of NJMG and is further subject to space limitations in the newspaper.
In accordance with the privilege afforded The Ridgewood News under the shield law to safeguard its newsgathering activities and editorial process, NJMG is unable to make its editorial staff available for further inquiry, including personal meetings, to discuss this matter.
Finally, to the extent that any individual or entity has impliedly suggested or explicitly stated that The Ridgewood News succumbed to any pressure from the Mayor or any other public or private figure with respect to publication of the resident’s letter, NJMG unequivocally denies the accusation and the actual facts support that position.
We appreciate the community’s interest in our reporting and for bringing these concerns to The Ridgewood News’ attention.
Sincerely,
ROBERT D. THOMPSON
—————————————————–
Robert D. Thompson, Esq.
Corporate Attorney
North Jersey Media Group Inc.
1 Garret Mountain Plaza
P.O. Box 471
Woodland Park, NJ 07424
T: (973) 569-7685
F: (973) 569-7268
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Readers Not Buying North Jersey Media Group denial that letter to editor pulled
Letters to the editor are signed and by their nature (like editorials and op-ed pieces) represent opinion. Any reader who identifies a factual error or wants to argue a point can write a follow-up letter; this happens routinely in every publication. Dialog and debate are good.
It is not the editor’s role to make sure that all statements in a letter to the editor are accurate as it is in an article or editorial. In most newspapers the top editor would never see letters to the editor before publication at all.
More fact checking in Ridgewood News articles, which are frequently full of errors that could easily have been checked, would be most welcome. But letters to the editor? No.
Ridgewood NJ , In the Record’s recent editorial Failure to disconnect even the far left leaning Bergen Record had to admit ,”were the Village Council and the municipal administration? No one knew for at least 14 years that a council or Planning Board member had improper contracts with the town?
And as a readers so eloquently said ,”So let me get this straight, Mayor Aronsohn who voted for letting Riche do the work is now saying it was illegal. Then why did he vote YES! He was the one who gave approval NOT Riche. It’s like a cop tells me I can buy some pot and then arrests me for smoking it!
The Record: Failure to disconnect
Friday, June 7, 2013
The Record
A COUNCIL member should not do business with the municipal government he represents. That principle is not hard to grasp.
But for some inexplicable reason, it was not followed in Ridgewood, where Councilman Thomas Riche has had a long-standing business relationship with the village through his telecommunications firm, Extel Communications.
Appeals court affirms decision to reduce Ridgewood firefighter’s award to $500,000 from $3.5M
Wednesday May 1, 2013, 12:29 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
The Record
RIDGEWOOD — A panel of appellate court judges agreed the village only has to pay one of its firefighters half-a-million dollars — far less than the $3.5 million a jury awarded him in 2012 for emotional distress.
The decision, issued Tuesday, upholds a Superior Court judge’s May 2, 2012 ruling, reducing Kevin Reilly’s damages to $500,000.
School district faces financial challenges
Friday, April 12, 2013
The Ridgewood News
School district faces financial challenges
Jim Morgan
Ridgewood
To the editor:
Ridgewood’s annual school election is next Tuesday, April 16. Ridgewood is unique in that we are one of approximately 40 school districts that still submit its budget to the voters for approval. Dr. Fishbein and the members of the Board have attended 13 public forums around the village to explain and answer questions about the budget.
