Trenton NJ, Governor Phil Murphy today conditionally vetoed Senate Bill No. 122, the Garden State Film and Digital Media Jobs Act, which provides corporation business tax and gross income tax credits for expenses incurred as part of the production of certain films and digital media content.
The bill is often referred to as the Reality TV Full Employment Act . The Governor wants a more diverse make up of New Jersey TV shows and to spread the wealth of TV production to more communities .
The question remains ,is not one The Real Housewives of New Jersey or Jersey shore enough for everyone , we guess not. Making New Jersey look like a garbage is big business . If we cant do anything right in New Jersey we can always make ourselves look like fools and make money off of it.
The Governor went on; “I want to thank the Legislature for passing the Garden State Film and Digital Media Jobs Act, which will help revitalize the film and media industries in New Jersey,” .“Filming movies and TV shows in New Jersey creates good-paying jobs, generates economic growth, and centers our state as a home for 21st-century growth industries.”
“This is why I’m eager to work with the Legislature to strengthen the legislation by adding incentives for diverse hiring in the film industry and extending eligibility for certain reality TV shows that invest in New Jersey’s economy and promote tourism to the Garden State.”
“A vibrant TV and film industry in New Jersey will create jobs, spur economic activity and bolster the State’s cultural identity,” said Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg. “I was happy to work with the Governor on this important legislation because we all recognize the value of the film industry to New Jersey, and I believe that his suggested changes will advance our shared goals of supporting and promoting an industry that is important to New Jersey.”
“The Governor has taken an excellent piece of legislation and made it even better,” said Michael Uslan, Chairman of the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission.
“Thousands of union members employed in the film and television industry work in New Jersey and this is the incentive program they have been hoping for,” said David Smith, Vice Chairman of the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission. “It allows them to work in their home state.”
Monmouth Poll – NEW JERSEY: State Rating Hits 38 Year Low as Quality of Life Views Ebb May 29, 2018 NEW JERSEY: STATE RATING HITS 38 YEAR LOW AS QUALITY OF LIFE VIEWS EBB Property taxes persist as public’s top concern
Ridgewood NJ, it seems while New Jersey residents major concern is high property taxes, yet they still voted for a candidate that promised to raise taxes. Residents are also happy with where they live yet feel that state wide the quality of life leaves much to be desired .
New Jerseyans’ views of their home state quality of life have dropped, due in part by a record low rating for the state as a place to live according to polling going back to 1980. The Monmouth University Poll finds that opinion of local communities has not dropped by as much, which has kept the Garden State Quality of Life Index score from completely tanking. The state issue that aggravates New Jerseyans the most is the highest-in-the-nation property tax burden, which has been at the top of the list of public grievances for the better part of a decade.
Currently, just over half of New Jersey residents say their state is either an excellent (15%) or good (39%) place to call home, while 29% rate it as only fair and 17% as poor. This 54% positive rating is statistically similar to the July 2015 result of 55% and the August 2011 result of 57%. However, it does mark a numerical low point for this metric in state opinion polls going back to 1980.
The top state concern mentioned by New Jerseyans is property taxes. Just under half (45%) name this issue as one of the most important facing the state right now. Those mentioning other taxes amount to 25% combined. Fewer residents mention education (16%), jobs (14%), the economy and cost of living in general (14%), transportation infrastructure (14%), or crime, guns, and drugs (12%) as being among the most pressing concerns facing New Jersey today. Property taxes have been the most common top-of-mind response to this question for at least ten years, with the only exception coming during the economic downturn when this concern shared the top spot with jobs in 2012 and was actually displaced by jobs as the number one issue in 2013.
“Unless you’ve had your head in the sand for the past ten years, you know that New Jersey’s onerous property tax burden is the single most cited reason for what ails the state. Trenton lawmakers have avoided tackling this problem for too long and we now see it eroding satisfaction with life in the Garden State as a whole. Given these results, it’s no surprise that more and more New Jerseyans are choosing to vote with their feet by simply moving out of the state,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.
Monmouth’s exclusive Garden State Quality of Life Index score now stands at +18, which is down from +25 in July 2017 and matches prior lows of +18 in July 2015 and September 2014. Over the past eight years, this index has ranged from the current low of +18 to a high of +31 (April 2012). Half of the index score comes from residents’ overall rating of the state as a place to live and the remaining half comes from four questions that ask residents to evaluate the quality of life in their local communities.
The quality of life index score took its biggest hit in the central part of the state, going from +35 last year to +18 currently in the Northern Shore (Monmouth, Ocean) and from +34 last year to +18 currently in the Route 1 Corridor (Mercer, Middlesex, Union). The affluent Central Hills area (Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset) retains the highest score at +34 (basically unchanged from +33 last year), while the Urban Core (Essex, Hudson) has the lowest at +8 (down from +18 last year).
“Even though New Jerseyans are starting to sour on the state as whole, views of their local communities remain more positive. This sentiment may help to keep people here for the time being but it doesn’t overcome the more fundamental statewide problems,” said Murray.
Just over 7-in-10 New Jerseyans rate their own town or city as an excellent (30%) or good (41%) place to live, with 20% rating it as only fair and 9% as poor. The current 71% positive rating is down from the numerical high of 77% recorded last year, but it is still in the mid-range of results for this question going back to polling since 1977. The percentage of Garden State residents who currently say they feel very safe in their own neighborhoods at night (65%) is also down from last year’s numerical high of 71%, but remains well above the all-time low of 42% recorded back in 1993.
The current poll registers relatively high ratings for local environmental quality at 73% positive – 29% excellent and 44% good, which is just slightly off last year’s mark of 76%. Ratings for the job local schools are doing stands at 60% positive – 24% excellent and 36% good – which is down from 65% in 2017, but is still within the normal range for this question’s results over the past decade.
The Garden State Quality of Life Index was created by the Monmouth University Polling Institute to serve as a resident-based indicator of the quality of life offered by the state of New Jersey. The index is based on five separate poll questions: overall opinion of the state as a place to live – which contributes half the index score – and ratings of one’s hometown, the performance of local schools, the quality of the local environment, and feelings of safety in one’s own neighborhood. The index can potentially range from -100 to +100.
Ridgewood NJ, shades of the Garden States future , Illinois is losing more citizens than nearly every other state, and according to reports, the biggest reason citizens are leaving is that they can no longer afford to live in the Land of Lincoln.
In Illinois like New Jersey , the major reason people leave is because the state is simply taxing them out of their homes, according to Chicago’s WGN TV.Illinois lost 33,703 citizens to outward migration last year. In 2016, the state lost another 37,508 people. A report by the Chicago Tribune also noted that Chicago has been a net loser of its citizens for the last three years running. And the surrounding county were also a net loser of its population.
Changes in federal tax law , have made it exceedingly expensive to live in high tax states like New Jersey .
Will Governor Murphy’s massive tax increases , and forced over development , be the straw to break the camels back and locally will the massive new $110 million school budget ,plus millions in school bond financing finally force the last tax payers to head for the hills ?
Will this years school year end with massive flight from town?
Ridgewood NJ, , In a new report, Moody’s Investors Service described New Jersey’s April income tax collections, which were down 1 percent from last year, as an outlier and “weaker than expected.” NJ Treasurer Elizabeth Muoio told the Assembly Budget Committee on Monday. “A reality check on the urgent need for new revenues.”
Both Democrat and Republican leadership in both houses of the state Legislature say they’re opposed to those tax hikes, and they’re now firmly in the position of having to come up with $1.5 billion in cash or slashing as much to keep the budget in balance.
The ugly reality is that increases taxes ill continue to erode the already shrunken tax base in New Jersey .
While the Murphy Administration has promised a wild spending spree with no visible budget cuts anywhere else and the pace of taxpayer exodus from New Jersey has quickened ,Holly Schepisi , New Jersey State Assemblywoman for District 39 , “While wanting to create programs such as free community college, expansion of financial programs and aid, raising salaries and providing retroactive pay increases may be laudable progressive goals of Governor Murphy, New Jersey is in a real financial crisis necessitating a combination of budget cuts, large scale reforms to our pension and health system and a restructuring of our entire tax code and school funding mechanisms. Our legislature must work in a bipartisan manner and have the intestinal fortitude to do what is needed in order for our State to become fiscally healthy. Then, and only then, should conversations regarding the Governor’s proposed increases in spending take place.”
Washington DC, according to the CDC ,about 1 in 59 eight -year-old children in 11 communities across the United States were identified as having autism in 2014, according to a report published today in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Surveillance Summary.
The data in this report come from CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network – a tracking system that provides estimates of the prevalence and characteristics of autism spectrum disorder among more than 300,000 8-year-old children. ADDM is the largest population-based program to monitor autism and the only autism tracking system that examines health and education records.
The latest estimate of 1.7 percent (1 in 59) is higher than the previous ADDM estimate released in 2016, which found a prevalence of 1.5 percent or 1 in 68 children. Some of the change in prevalence could be due to improved autism identification in minority populations – although autism is still more likely to be identified in white children than in black or Hispanic children. This identification is important, because children identified early with autism and connected to services are more likely to reach their fullest potential.
“Autism prevalence among black and Hispanic children is approaching that of white children,” said Stuart Shapira, M.D., Ph.D., associate director for science at CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. “The higher number of black and Hispanic children now being identified with autism could be due to more effective outreach in minority communities and increased efforts to have all children screened for autism so they can get the services they need.”
The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network estimates are combined from 11 communities within Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. The 11 communities surveyed in this report represent about 8 percent of 8-year-old children in the United States.
Estimates of autism varied widely among the 11 communities in this report, although five reported similar estimates of 1.3 percent to 1.4 percent. The highest prevalence estimate of 2.9 percent came from a community in New Jersey. Some of the regional differences in autism prevalence estimates among the 11 communities might be due to differences in how autism is being diagnosed and documented.
More work needed to identify autism early in life
The data demonstrate that more work needs to be done to identify children with autism at a younger age and refer them to early intervention:
Fewer than half of the children identified in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network received their first autism diagnosis by the time they were 4 years old.
Although 85 percent of children with autism had concerns about their development noted in their health records by the time they were 3 years old, only 42 percent received a developmental evaluation by that age.
This lag between first concern and first evaluation may affect when children with autism can begin getting the services they need.
“Parents can track their child’s development and act early if there is a concern. Healthcare providers can acknowledge and help parents act on those concerns. And those who work with or on behalf of children can join forces to ensure that all children with autism get identified and connected to the services they need as early as possible,” said Dr. Shapira. “Together we can improve a child’s future.”
CDC’s efforts to track autism and promote early identification
The next ADDM report will add data for children who were 8 years old in 2016 and help us better understand whether autism prevalence is changing and whether improvements are being made in early identification of autism. The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network is not a representative sample of the United States, but is a detailed look at autism in these specific communities. For more information about CDC’s autism activities visit www.cdc.gov/Autism.
CDC’s Learn the Signs. Act Early program provides parents, childcare professionals, and healthcare providers free resources, in English and Spanish, for monitoring children’s development. The program offers parent-friendly, research-based milestone checklists for children as young as 2 months of age. CDC’s Milestone Tracker Mobile App can help parents track their child’s development and share the information with their healthcare providers. For more information visit www.cdc.gov/ActEarly.
Newark NJ, Officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 60 individuals throughout New Jersey during a 5-day public safety operation ending April 20.
The operation focused on individuals illegally present in the U.S. that had been convicted of serious criminal activity, to include sexual assault, child abuse, domestic violence, and Driving Under the Influence (DUI). Of those arrested, 80 percent were convicted criminals, more than 20 had been issued a final order of removal and failed to depart the United States, or had been previously removed from the United States and returned illegally. Several had prior felony convictions for serious or violent offenses, such as aggravated assault, child abuse, child sex crimes, and assault, or had past convictions for significant or multiple misdemeanors. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Marshals Service assisted ICE during this operation.
“The success of this operation is a direct result of the full commitment of the dedicated men and women of ICE.” said John Tsoukaris, field office director for ERO Newark. “We will continue to devote the full efforts of our agency to protecting citizens and enforcing federal immigration law despite challenges being pursued by politically motivated individuals.”
Arrests include:
In Passaic, a 24 year-old Mexican national, who has convictions of aggravated assault with bodily injury and domestic violence assault;
In Edgewater, a 32 year-old, Colombian national, who has convictions of domestic violence/aggravated assault, contempt – violate domestic violence restraining order, and possession of controlled dangerous substance;
In South Bound Brook, a 47 year-old previously removed Honduran national, who has convictions of felony forgery and hindering apprehension;
In Rockaway, a 38 year-old Jamaican national, who has convictions of child abuse and domestic violence assault;
In East Orange, a 51 year-old previously removed Guatemalan national, who has convictions of distribution of controlled substance and multiple domestic violence assaults;
In Lodi, a 54 year-old Italian national, and registered sexual offender, who has convictions of sexual assault of a minor, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, burglary and resisting arrest by force;
In West Long Branch, a 32 year-old El Salvadorian national with a warrant of removal, who has convictions of evading law enforcement officer causing serious bodily injury and pending charges of possession of marijuana;
Criminal histories of those arrested during the operation are as follows: DUI, domestic violence assault & abuse, child abuse, distribution of cds, sexual assault on a minor, harassment, burglary, possession of a weapon, aggravated assault, shoplifting, theft, forgery, larceny, eluding and illegal entry.
The arrestees include nationals from Brazil, China, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, and Ukraine.
ERO deportation officers made arrests throughout New Jersey, specifically in the counties of Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cumberland, Essex, Hudson, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset and Union.
ICE focuses its enforcement resources on individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security. However, ICE no longer exempts classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement. All of those in violation of immigration laws may be subject to immigration arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States.
Some of the individuals arrested during this operation may face federal criminal prosecution for illegal re-entry after deportation. The arrestees who are not being federally prosecuted will be processed administratively for removal from the United States. Those who have outstanding orders of deportation, or who returned to the United States illegally after being deported, are subject to immediate removal from the country. The remaining individuals are in ICE custody awaiting a hearing before an immigration judge.
Despite politically driven challenges that certain local jurisdictions have created, ICE remains committed to its public safety mission and will continue to seek out dangerous criminal aliens and other immigration violators. ICE seeks cooperation with all local law enforcement and elected officials when carrying out the enforcement of federal immigration law.
ICE deportation officers carry out targeted enforcement operations every day in locations around the country as part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to protect the nation, uphold public safety, and protect the integrity of our immigration laws and border controls. These operations involve existing, established Fugitive Operations Teams.
Prohibits children under age 12 from participating in tackle football.
An Act concerning youth athletics and supplementing Title 5 of the Revised Statutes and P.L.2010, c.94 (C.18A:40-41.1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section:
“Tackle football” means any practice or game of American football where physical contact is used to force opposing players to the ground.
“Youth sports team organization” means one or more sports teams organized pursuant to a nonprofit or similar charter or which are member teams in a league organized by or affiliated with a county or municipal recreation department.
b. A child under the age of 12 shall not be permitted to participate in tackle football offered by a youth sports team organization. A child under the age of 12 shall be eligible to participate in all other athletic activities offered by a youth sports team organization including, but not limited to, touch football or flag football.
2. a. As used in this section, “tackle football” means any practice or game of American football where physical contact is used to force opposing players to the ground.
b. A school district shall not permit a student under the age of 12 to participate in tackle football during interscholastic athletics, intramural athletics, a physical education program, or any other athletic activity offered to students.
3. Section 1 of this act shall take effect six months following the date of enactment and section 2 shall take effect in the first full school year following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill prohibits children under the age of 12 from participating in organized tackle football programs. Under the bill, children under the age of 12 will not be permitted to participate in tackle football offered by a youth sports team organization. Those children are eligible to participate in all other athletic activities offered by the youth sports team organization including, but not limited to, touch football or flag football.
The bill also provides that a school district may not permit a student under the age of 12 to participate in tackle football during interscholastic athletics, intramural athletics, a physical education program, or any athletic activity offered to students.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is caused by repetitive hits to the head sustained over a period of years. Athletes who begin playing contact sports at younger ages are at a greater risk for neurological impairment later in life, including CTE. Studies show that exposure to tackle football before the age of 12 is associated with a greater risk of neurological impairment than exposure to tackle football starting at or after the age of 12.
River Vale NJ, assemblywomen Holly Schepisi comments on the unfair nature of the school funding formula, “If anyone ever wants to know why I fight so hard to revamp how we fund our schools in New Jersey and why I do not believe that the current formulas are fair, here is a glimpse into the school funding numbers for River Vale and Hoboken, New Jersey. River Vale is neither a “rich” nor a “poor” community but is representative of many of the communities comprising New Jersey. The average home assessment in River Vale is approximately $550,000 and pays $13,894 in property taxes with almost 70 percent ($9,725.80) of that amount going straight to school funding. In comparison the average assessed home in Hoboken is approximately $519,000 and pays $8,035 in property taxes with only 24 percent ($1,928) of that amount going to school funding. River Vale has 1202 students and receives $550,193 or $457.73 per student per year in State Aid for its schools. Hoboken has 1,872 students and receives $10,468,870 or $5,592.35 per student per year in State Aid for its schools. Hoboken has the highest median household income in Hudson County of $114,381 and the highest concentration of millionaires in that County. If we want to talk about parity and fairness, our State’s policies need a lot of work.”
Ridgewood NJ, got a few mails by readers asking what does it really mean with the Governor declares a state of emergency? We found this on the New Jersey State Police Facebook page
So, what does a State of Emergency mean? Here are a few Q & A’s provided by the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management.
Q: What does a State of Emergency mean?
A: A State of Emergency means more for the police, fire and other public safety officials responding to the event than it does for the average person. New Jersey State law (N.J.S.A. App.A:9-37) allows the Governor and County and Local Emergency Management Coordinators to declare a State of Emergency during significant weather events and natural disasters. The emergency declaration is a tool used by the government officials who are managing the emergency. It allows State agencies to quickly respond to needs of citizens, reassign personnel, and deploy vehicles, trucks, and equipment to respond to the incident. A State of Emergency allows the government to act more quickly than it can during non-emergency times.
Q: What does this mean to me?
A: When a State of Emergency is issued, State and/or local Emergency Management officials will communicate with New Jersey’s citizens through traditional media outlets such as television, radio and newspapers, and through other information channels, such as the Internet or the Emergency Alert System. Citizens should pay close attention to news reports when a State of Emergency is announced.
At times, travel restrictions are part of a State of Emergency. This is typically done to allow snowplows to clear the roads. At other times government offices may be closed, or evacuations may be recommended. A State of Emergency permits government officials to recommend specific actions that citizens should take to insure the safety of their families and homes during the emergency. Each emergency is different, and different factors will impact the decisions made by State officials in response to the incident.
Note: In response to this nor’easter a commercial vehicle travel ban was implemented as of March 20, 2018 effective 8pm by New Jersey State Police. For more information check out https://www.facebook.com/READYNEWJERSEY/photos/a.176301939053879.48503.165525506798189/2077783765572344/?type=3&theater
Q: Do I have to stay home? Am I allowed to drive?
A: By declaring a State of Emergency, the Governor urges all nonessential personnel to stay off the roads so not to interfere with law enforcement and emergency responders. An emergency declaration does not mean motorists will be ticketed for merely being on the roads, and “essential” personnel is not defined by law.
If conditions were to worsen and driving needs to be restricted for public safety reasons, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management will alert the public using all available means, including, but not limited to: the Emergency Alert System, urgent press releases, DOT highway signs, social media and law enforcement advisories.
Large and small private businesses should make informed decisions about early closures, delayed openings, cancellations and closures based on current and impending weather conditions, emergency plans and policies of your organization, designation of essential employees, and restrictions on travel. If travel restrictions are put into place, it will limit whether or not employees can travel to your worksite.
Q: Are all State Offices closed during a State of Emergency?
A: The Governor’s declaration does not automatically close State Offices. Should it be necessary due to conditions experienced during the Emergency to scale back or close State Offices, the Governor will make an announcement to his/her Cabinet and through the media, similar to what is done during a snow storm.
Note: In response to this nor’easter all State Offices have been closed on March 21, 2018.
One more thing…..The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management does NOT make decisions about school closings. That includes colleges and universities. Those decisions are made by individual school districts.
Trenton NJ, this is from an article called , New Jersey’s Fiscal Train Wreck, Just ask Greece how well continually raising taxes and spending works.
by Daniel J. Mitchell, Daniel J. Mitchell is a Washington-based economist who specializes in fiscal policy, particularly tax reform, international tax competition, and the economic burden of government spending. He also serves on the editorial board of the Cayman Financial Review.
He starts with , here’s something especially amazing from a bit more than five decades in the past. New Jersey used to have no state income tax and no state sales tax.
Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you. The basket case of New Jersey used to be a mid-Atlantic version of New Hampshire. But once the sales tax was imposed in 1966 and the income tax was imposed in 1976, it’s been all downhill ever since.
An article in the City Journal helps explain the state’s fiscal decay.
Brendan Byrne, a Democratic former governor of the Garden State, …told mayors that the state would need a “large revenue package”… The heart of the package would be a new statewide income tax, which went into permanent effect in 1977. Byrne promised that the additional money would help relieve the high property-tax burden on New Jersey’s citizens… Four decades later, the plan has failed. …politicians and special interests don’t see new streams of tax revenue as a means to replace or eliminate an existing stream, but rather as a way of adding to the public coffers. (For those who entertain fantasies of a value-added tax replacing the federal income tax, take heed.) New Jersey’s income tax started with a top rate of about 2.5 percent; it’s now around 9 percent.
Needless to say, nothing politicians promised has happened.
Property taxes haven’t been reduced. They’ve gone up. The government schools haven’t improved. Instead, the test scores in the state are embarrassing. And debt hasn’t gone down. Red ink instead has skyrocketed.
And what’s amazing—and depressing—is that New Jersey politicians continue to make a bad situation worse. Here are some excerpts from a Bloomberg report.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy proposed taxing online-room booking, ride-sharing, marijuana, e-cigarettes and Internet transactions along with raising taxes on millionaires and retail sales to fund a record $37.4 billion budget that would boost spending on schools, pensions and mass transit. …Murphy, a Democrat…has promised additional spending on underfunded schools and transportation in a credit-battered state with an estimated $8.7 billion structural deficit for the fiscal year that starts July 1. …Murphy said Tuesday in his budget address to lawmakers, “A millionaire’s tax is the right thing to do—and now is the time to do it.” …The budget…would…restore the state’s sales tax to 7 percent from 6.625 percent… Murphy’s proposal would almost triple the direct state subsidy for New Jersey Transit, which has been plagued by safety and financial issues.
More taxes, more spending, followed by even more taxes and more spending.
I wonder if Greek taxpayers would want to tell their counterparts in New Jersey how that story ends.
Assuming, of course, there are any taxpayers left in the Garden State. There’s already been a big exodus of productive people who are tired of being treated like fatted calves.
And don’t forget that New Jersey taxpayers no longer have unlimited ability to deduct their state and local taxes on their federal tax return. So these tax hikes will hurt much more than past increases.
In any event, taxpayers better escape before they die.
Though I know one guy who won’t be leaving.
P.S. Anybody want to guess whether New Jersey collapses before California, Illinois, or Connecticut? They’re all in the process of committing slow-motion suicide.
Closter, NJ, also known as the “Hub of the Northern Valley,” has just welcomed Gary’s of Closter, to their town. Gary’s Wine & Marketplace began as a small wine shop in Madison, New Jersey in 1987 and has since grown to be one of the largest fine wine businesses in the New York metropolitan area.
Closter, New Jersey is the fifth location and offers the full Gary’s experience — fine wine, craft beer, small-batch spirits, hand-cut cheeses, gourmet delicatessen, barware, gifts and more! We hope you’ll visit Gary’s of Closter soon. Cheers and thank you!
When Gary (CEO & Owner Gary Fisch ) was working toward his B.S. from Rider College in Political Science, he didn’t yet know where life was going to take him. Gary fell in love with wine in his senior year of college while working with his father, a liquor salesman, and decided to become an expert. He educated himself at the Sommelier Institute in New Jersey and at several of Windows on the World’s wine courses. The secret to his success is a passionate love and broad knowledge of his product — and the skill to communicate that delight. That enthusiasm and intelligence served him well when he teamed up with his brother Mark in 1987 and opened his first store in Madison, New Jersey. Two moves later, Gary’s now has stores in Bernardsville, N.J.and on Route 23 North in Wayne N.J. Gary’s expertise has earned him national media attention as “The Wine Guy” on the TV Food Network show Bobby Flay Hot off the Grill. He has made guest appearances on CNN, New Jersey 12 and Bloomberg radio and television. In January 2009, he was profiled in New Jersey Monthly’s “Power Issue” as one of the 101 Most Influential People in the Garden State. Not bad for a guy who simply loves to share his enthusiasm for wine!
The Grand Opening, which is open to the public, is taking place on March 15-17th, and will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Closter’s Mayor John Glidden.
Gary’s of Closter
67 VerValen Street, Closter, NJ 07624
(In the Closter Plaza Shopping Center – Between Whole Foods Market & Starbucks)
Phone: (201) 297-5000
Trenton NJ, since the election of Phil Murphy New Jersey’s unemployment rate has continued to increase putting it now almost one full percentage point higher than the U.S. unemployment rate.
New Jersey’s economic growth has lagged behind the rest of the country for years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). But in late 2015, New Jersey’s unemployment rate started to improve. Governor Chris Christie applauded the state’s economic growth.
Last summer, though, the state’s unemployment rate increased again, sharply departing from the national trajectory. The rate increased for nearly four months before dipping slightly in January.
Now, New Jersey’s rate sits at 5.0 while the U.S. rate is 4.1. Critics of the Governor Murphy point out his push for massive tax increases may have already had the effect of increasing flight out of the state of jobs .
Trenton NJ, This week Governor Phil Murphy was involved with a series of announcements demonstrating he will be taking sides against residents and citizens and favoring illegals and criminals.
The Governor “Sanctuary Phil” Murphy campaigned on massive tax raises and turning New Jersey into a sanctuary state . This week he moved that agenda forward .
First on January 24th NJ Attorney General Grewal announced alongside Governor Phil Murphy that the NJ Office of the Attorney General will use all the tools it has to protect the rights of Dreamers so they can enjoy the American Dream and to ensure the safety and well-being of all New Jerseyans, regardless of their immigration status.
Then on the 26th ,NJ Attorney General Grewal spoke on his focus of restricting legal gun owners rights and New Jersey’s intention to tighten restrictions on handgun-carry permits to combat gun violence for a safer state, despite the fact that criminals don’t get gun permits.
Wayne, NJ, The New Jersey Organization For Economic Growth rejects the proposal by Gov. Phil Murphy to create a program to use taxpayer money to provide legal help to illegal immigrants and says it will mount a citizens petition campaign to oppose the governor’s plan.
The new governor wants to create yet another agency — the Office of Immigrant Protection. It would fall within the Department of Law and Public Safety and it would provide legal representation to illegals.
“It is a slap in the face of law abiding, hard working men and women in New Jersey – many of whom cannot afford legal services for themselves — to be forced to fund a government agency that gives free legal aid to non citizens,” said Joseph Caruso, the NJOEG chairman.
“The governor is pandering to the extreme element in his party that want to not only to make New Jersey a sanctuary state, but to give illegals driver’s licenses and free legal aid so they can fight federal immigration laws. This is beyond absurd,” added Alex Cucciniello the Executive Director of OEG.
According to the Federation for American Immigration reform, 372,000 people live in New Jersey illegally and they cost state taxpayers in excess of $2.1 billion dollars annually for health, schooling and incarceration services.
“Spending taxpayer money to help people who entered our country illegally to further evade the law is the wrong priority for New Jersey,” added Caruso. “The state is beset with many problems: high taxes, unmanageable public sector pension and benefits costs, the overregulation of businesses and the flight of talented Millennials. The administration should be focusing on those core issues.”
Caruso noted that the Murphy administration’s free legal aid proposal for people who entered the country illegally is a slap in the face for the state’s struggling legal residents.
More than 10.4 percent of the state’s residents, over 915,000 people currently live below the poverty line, according to talkpoverty.org and the U.S. Census Bureau. Over 5 percent of our citizens are unemployed and more startling, 11.1 percent of the state’s population suffered from hunger and food insecurity at some point during the year.
“The governor should be focusing on addressing the problems that already exist in New Jersey – he shouldn’t be creating new ones,” added Cucciniello.
“The governor wants to make New Jersey a sanctuary state, give illegal immigrants driver’s licenses and free legal counseling. The consequences of those initiatives will be to make New Jersey a magnet for many more illegal immigrants.
“And who will bear the cost of the governor’s absurd plans? The hardworking legal residents of this state, that’s who,” added Cucciniello.
Chairman Caruso announced that since the Murphy Administration intends to proceed with this insane agenda on tax payer funded programs for illegal aliens, the OEG will immediately begin a petition drive show Gov. Murphy and his administration that they are out of step with the rest of the state.
“We cannot allow the governor to fundamentally change the character and quality of life in our state without a response. We will seek the signatures of 915,000 New Jerseyans — the same number of people that live below the poverty line — to make it clear where the people of this state stand on this issue, I will fight for all of our citizens, especially those less fortunate, those living below the poverty line” said Caruso.
Those who wish to assist NJOEG in volunteering for the petition drive can email the organization at [email protected]. Those who can make a financial contribution to the effort please visit the NJOEG website at www.njoeg.com.
Ridgewood NJ, some bad new for New Jersey retirees according to a WalletHub Study, “Best & Worst States to Retire ” New jersey ranked 2nd worst. With almost 30 percent of all nonretired adults having no retirement savings or pension, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2018’s Best & Worst States to Retire.
To help retirees find a safe, enjoyable and wallet-friendly place to call home, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 41 key metrics. The data set ranges from adjusted cost of living to weather to quality of public hospitals.
The 5 Best States to Retire
1 Florida
2 Colorado
3 South Dakota
4 Iowa
5 Virginia
The 5 Worst States to Retire
45 West Virginia
46 Arkansas
47 Mississippi
48 Rhode Island
49 New Jersey
50 Kentucky
Best vs. Worst
Mississippi has the lowest adjusted cost-of-living index for retirees, 84.91, which is 2.2 times lower than in Hawaii, where it is highest at 185.73.
Louisiana has the lowest median annual cost of elderly housekeeping, $34,320, which is 1.9 times lower than in North Dakota, where it is highest at $63,972.
Alaska has the highest share of the population aged 65 and older still working, 23.01 percent, which is 1.8 times higher than in West Virginia, where it is lowest at 12.56 percent.
Florida has the highest share of the population aged 65 and older, 19.1 percent, which is two times higher than in Alaska, where it is lowest at 9.4 percent.
