Hannan Adely , Staff Writer6:09 p.m. EST November 16, 2016
New Jersey officials are considering a plan to raise salaries for school superintendents, in a move local leaders hope will keep the school chiefs from fleeing their jobs for more lucrative work.
Acting Education Commissioner Kimberley Harrington proposed changes Wednesday that would raise the maximum salary from $175,000 to $191,584 and allow for 2 percent raises in subsequent years.
Ridgewood NJ, Four 18th Street gang members from Bergen County, New Jersey, and Rockland County, New York, were charged today with various offenses arising from their armed robbery of a Hawthorne, New Jersey, bar and the violent carjacking of a taxi that took place shortly afterwards, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Wilbur Jonathan Barahona, 20, of Ridgewood, New Jersey, Guillermo Carillo-Iraheta, 19, of Suffern New York, Juan Chiliseo-Vega, 19, of Suffern, and Jostin Reyes, 21, of Waldwick, New Jersey, were charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, carjacking, use of a firearm during a crime of violence, and kidnapping. All four appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court.
Balmore Carillo-Iraheta, 19, of Suffern, and Oscar Avalos-Cortez, 22, of New City, New York, are also charged in the same complaint with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery. They had their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Falk on Nov. 1, 2016 and U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark on Nov. 10, 2016, respectively. All six defendants, with the exception of Avalos-Cortez, have been detained. Avalos-Cortez was released on a $150,000 unsecured bond.
According to the complaint:
On Dec. 25, 2016, Barahona, Guillermo Carillo-Iraheta, Chiliseo-Vega, Reyes, Balmore Carillo-Iraheta, and Avalos-Cortez robbed a bar at gunpoint in Hawthorne, New Jersey, while Avalos-Cortez operated the getaway vehicle.
Later that evening, Barahona, Guillermo Carillo-Iraheta, Chiliseo-Vega, and Reyes robbed a taxicab driver at gunpoint, hit the taxicab driver in the head with a beer bottle, and sliced his throat with a knife before leaving him on the side of the New York State Thruway near Woodbury, New York. The taxicab driver survived.
The kidnapping charge carries a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment. The carjacking charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 25 years in prison. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The charge of brandishing a weapon in connection with the carjacking offense carries a mandatory penalty of seven years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, as well as the Ridgewood and Hawthorne Police Departments, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen D. Stringer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
November 13,2016
Paramus NJ,The Valley Hospital/Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care will present a Medicare Open Enrollment event that’s open to the public on Wednesday, November 16, from 1 to 3 p.m., at the Dorothy B. Kraft Building on 15 Essex Road in Paramus, New Jersey. A state-trained and certified State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) Medicare Counselor from the Bergen County Division of Senior Services in Hackensack will be available to assist with Medicare Open Enrollment and answer questions related to Medicare, including the following: Medicare changes for 2017, differences between Medicare and HMO Medicare Advantage plans; 2017 prescription plans; benefits to choosing a Medicare plan versus a HMO Medicare Advantage plan; differences between Part A, B, C Medicare; out-of-pocket expenses; social security; and pharmaceutical assistance.
Those interested in attending should RSVP to Gail Johnson, Patient Financial Advocate at The Valley Hospital, at 201-634-5644 or [email protected]
Garrett’s major sin this election cycle was that he didn’t morph into something he wasn’t in response to recent waves of demands made by people living so-called “alternative” sexual lifestyles and by others, mostly young adults with a weak or misguided spiritual life or no connection at all to a traditionally organized religion, and who see themselves as social justice warriors engaging in the latest, greatest civil rights battle.
In fairness, how does an honest federal or state officeholder who believes in traditional Christian morality withstand such a well funded Alynskyite attack and win re-election? Particularly in northern New Jersey where so many brainwashed progressives are busy buying up almost all of the available housing stock.
Garrett should try to make peace with Trump and those early Trump supporters like Mike Doherty who resisted abandoning him when times became tough during the general election season. With any luck, Garrett, with his great experience, innate intelligence, and unshakably ethical approach to governing, will secure a prominent position in Trump’s administration and help him move forward with the many important policy imperatives they hold in common. As a country we could be looking at at least 16 straight years of sober and responsible Republican control of the executive branch if Trump and Pence play their cards right, keep their noses clean, and put on a clinic on real leadership, each of which can safely be predicted.
Trump won this race his way, rather than kowtowing to the republican establishment like Reagan did in choosing establishment mole George H. W. Bush as his vice-presidential running mate. This will pay big dividends. As long as Trump has reasonable success in obtaining long-needed tax reform and reviving our moribund economy he will be very well set up for re-election four years from now.
Job number one in terms of keeping liberals and progressives frustrated and rudderless for as long as possible should be for non-establishment patriots like Trump to fight hard to prevent them from credibly claiming that they have reoccupied the moral high ground. These phonies are constantly trying to portray themselves as our moral “betters” and their political opponents as the worst possible thing–hypocrites. Weak-kneed, wishy-washy republicans have been letting them get away with this nonsense in the media for decades now. With this huge victory by Trump, they have finally been exposed as morally bankrupt. Nothing chaps their asses worse than this kind of undeniable public humiliation. Normal, red-blooded Americans who were never brainwashed by sociopathic college professors are absolutely loving it.
Hopefully nobody gets killed in the next few days or weeks as the diasappointed SJWs indulge themselves in shameless riots (not protests) in the streets of our major cities and elsewhere. If someone does unfortunately die, Trump will probably take it very personally. No doubt he would call Obama and Clinton and their narrow-minded political operatives out directly and severely for their immoral unwillingness to maintain law and order while they transition out of power.
November 3,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, next Tuesday is Election Day! When you head to the polls, you will be asked to vote (yes or no) on two ballot questions. Should the ballot questions pass, our state constitution would be amended .
Question #1 (Expansion of Casino Gaming) Question #1 deals with the expansion of casino gaming to northern New Jersey. CIANJ testified in support of the measure as it made its way through the legislative process. We believe any initiative that invites new investment and the creation of new private sector jobs is good for New Jersey’s economy. Casino gaming also subsidizes other New Jersey industries, such as the horse racing industry, providing nearly 7,000 jobs – including veterinarians, farmers, horse trainers, race track employees, etc.- to New Jersey residents. To view background information and the question see here.
Question #2 (Dedication of Motor Fuels Taxes) Question #2 asks voters to approve an amendment to our constitution which would dedicate all revenues collected from the gas tax to transportation-related projects. As of November 1, the NJ tax on gasoline is 37.5 cents/gallon (44 cents/gallon for diesel). Should the question pass, the money collected could not be used for other purposes like balancing the state budget. The CIANJ agrees with this dedication and supports approval of the question. To view background information and the question see here.
The Ridgewood blog urges you to utilize the remaining time to familiarize yourself with the candidates, their positions, their policies and most importantly don’t forget to vote!
On top of that the real estate website Zillow looked at median property taxes across the U.S. last year and found that seven of the 10 counties with the highest property taxes ; Bergen, Essex, Passaic, Union, Morris, Hudson and Hunterdon are all in New Jersey. The remaining three were in New York State.
New Jersey has one of the most progressive income tax structures in the entire country. Income taxes start at 1.4 percent on earnings less than $20,000 and the top marginal tax rate hits 8.97 percent on income over $500,000.
Sales tax rate in New Jersey is 7 percent, which ties with Indiana, Mississippi, Rhode Island and Tennessee as the second highest in the USA.
Then there is corporate taxes according to the Tax Foundation, “New Jersey … is hampered by some of the highest property tax burdens in the country, is one of just two states to levy both an inheritance tax and an estate tax, and maintains some of the worst structured individual income taxes in the country,”
In state by state comparisons of state corporation income taxes collected per capita, New Jersey came in seventh highest at $265 per person.
November 2,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Vote NO on Question #2 on Election Day. By doing so, WE THE PEOPLE can push back the gas tax increase.
“New Jersey voters have a chance to force Trenton lawmakers to go back to the drawing board on Election Day by opposing a ballot referendum question that would allow New Jersey to amend its constitution to dedicate the revenue from the gas tax to fund the Transportation Trust Fund.”
The Ballot referendum question would allow New Jersey to amend its constitution to dedicate the revenue , that’s a euphemism a constitutional amendment to automatically raise your taxes every year!
Voting no on the measure would force lawmakers back to the bargaining table, according to Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, who spoke recently on NJ101.5’s Bill Spedia radio show.
“A vote for number two is a vote for the gas tax,” Guadagno said. ‘If you like the gas tax, then you’re going to like number two.'”
#VoteNoOnTwo
BY BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI
THE RECORD
JACKSON — The end has come for a long-celebrated tradition for Pennsylvania and New York drivers: Starting Tuesday, cheap gas in New Jersey is a thing of the past.
Cheap gas has long been the siren that lured drivers in neighboring states to New Jersey. And since residents there pay the highest property taxes in the nation, drivers have always seen the low fuel prices as one of the ways to keep down the cost of living in the nation’s most densely populated state.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/days-of-cheap-gas-coming-to-a-sad-end-in-new-jersey-1.1685132
Commissioner Martin Signs Administrative Order Designating Drought Warning for 14 Counties in Northern, Central and Northern Coastal New Jersey
October 22,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
DIRECTIVE ACTIVATES DEP AUTHORITY TO CLOSELY MANAGE WATER SUPPLIES; PUBLIC STRONGLY URGED TO REDUCE WATER USE
Ridgewood NJ, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin today placed 14 counties encompassing the northern, central and northern coastal areas of New Jersey under a drought warning due to ongoing precipitation deficits and deteriorating water-supply conditions, particularly storage levels in reservoirs.
Commissioner Martin signed an Administrative Order designating a drought warning for Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren counties.
This designation enables the DEP to more closely manage reservoir systems by directing water transfers among systems, controlling releases from reservoirs, and modifying the rate of flow in streams and rivers in order to balance ecological protection and needs of water suppliers.
The goal of the drought warning is to preserve and balance available water supplies in an effort to avert more serious water shortages in the future. The warning also elevates the need for residents and businesses in impacted counties to reduce their water use.
“The situation in our reservoir systems that serve some of the most densely populated regions of New Jersey is becoming more critical, with some systems dropping to half their capacity or less,” Commissioner Martin said. “Without knowing how much precipitation we are going to get over the fall and winter to replenish our water sources, it is vital that every resident and business step up efforts to voluntarily reduce water use in the hopes of averting a water emergency and mandatory restrictions.”
A drought watch calling for voluntary water conservation remains in effect for Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties. The designation of a watch formally urges residents of these counties to voluntarily conserve water.
The only counties not under a warning or watch are Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland, which have received near or above-normal rainfall over the past several months.
The decision to designate a drought warning comes a day after the DEP held a hearing to update water suppliers and the public. The warning is the first since November 2001, which subsequently became an emergency that was phased in by regions as drought conditions worsened. The emergency was phased out over the latter half of 2002 into early 2003.
The Administrative Order signed by Commissioner Martin establishes a formal process for the DEP to work with water suppliers in affected regions to ensure no single water supplier or region faces a significant shortfall should dry weather and high customer demand continue.
The DEP has been consulting with water suppliers for months to assess conditions and ensure they are fully aware of the situation and are ready to cooperate with the DEP.
“I want to thank water suppliers for working with the DEP to ensure the stability of our water supplies,” Commissioner Martin said. “At this point, we would need many periods of sustained precipitation over several months to return to normal. We are all in this together. Everyone must pitch in, whether taking simple steps to reduce water use within their homes and businesses or stopping watering of lawns and shrubs and letting them go dormant.”
Drought and abnormally dry conditions are affecting large portions of the nation, including California and a large swath of the nation from West Virginia into the Deep South and eastern Texas. Parts of Pennsylvania, most of New York State and all of New England are experiencing a range from abnormally dry conditions to extreme drought, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Drought Monitor.
The DEP utilizes indicators to gauge the impacts that a shortfall of precipitation has had on water supplies, including reservoir levels, stream flows, and levels in shallow groundwater sources, known as unconfined aquifers, which is important in the longer-term replenishment of streams and reservoirs.
The northern tier of the state, in particular, has been grappling with below-normal precipitation. In this area, precipitation deficits for the past 12 months are as much as 12.7 inches below normal.
Major reservoir systems are below their normal levels for this time of year, and will likely need transfers of water through interconnected infrastructure to balance storage.
Sussex and Warren counties rely primarily on groundwater and have been included in the warning because groundwater in this area is rated as extremely dry while precipitation and stream flows are rated as severely dry.
The southwestern part of the state – Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties – relies primarily on groundwater. Precipitation in this part of the state is rated as moderately dry while stream flows and groundwater are rated as severely dry.
In the southern coastal region of the state – Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland counties – rainfall is near or above normal. Still, stream flow is considered moderately dry. The DEP is continuing to monitor local conditions but at this time has not issued a drought watch or warning for these counties.
The DEP offers the following tips to reduce water use:
For more state water supply status information and to view the Administrative Order, visit: www.njdrought.org
For more detailed information on water conservation technologies and interesting facts, visit:
By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on October 20, 2016 at 5:58 PM, updated October 20, 2016 at 5:59 PM
Tolls on the Port Authority’s bridges and tunnels will not be increased to help fund construction of new Hudson River rail tunnels, officials said Thursday after approving a financing plan for the Gateway Project.
Authority officials will discuss revising the agency’s 10-year capital plan next month to include Gateway, building a new Port Authority Bus Terminal and replacing the aging Newark Airport Monorail, said John Degnan, the board chairman.
Both Foye and Degnan said revising the capital plan won’t include a toll hike. The last toll hike took place last December as part of an increase that was phased-in over five years.
“The two governors said the Port Authority will take the lead for a financing plan,” Degnan said. “We’re not accepting that the Port Authority will pick-up the entire (local share of costs).”
The federal government and both states have agreed to a 50-50 financing plan for Gateway, but New York and New Jersey officials said they would turn to the Port Authority for some of that funding and to create a development corporation to apply for financing.
By Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on October 19, 2016 at 9:00 AM, updated October 19, 2016 at 11:13 AM
As little as three years ago, an NJ.com story declared the “bad old days of the DMV” — long lines, rude employees and a bureaucracy from hell, were a thing of the past.
In 2002, then Gov. James E. McGreevey convened the “Fix DMV” commission, which delivered a report about how to deal with the Division of Motor Vehicles chronic problems of lines, long waits and inefficiencies. The Nov. 2002 report led to the creation of the current Motor Vehicle Commission.
Under the MVC, wait times and lines had gotten shorter. Even beleaguered Jersey drivers stuck up for the agency, saying that it was better than it used to be.
October 4,2016
Ridgewood NJ, The Valley Hospital has received a full, four-year accreditation from the American Society for Radiation Oncology’s (ASTRO) Accreditation Program for Excellence (APEx®). Valley’s cancer program holds the distinction of being the only one in New Jersey, and 1 of 7 in the country, to receive this accreditation.
APEx is an independent radiation oncology practice accreditation program based on 16 evidence-based standards of radiation oncology practice. These 16 standards are focused on five pillars of patient care: the process of care; the radiation oncology team; safety; quality management; and patient-centered care.
Accreditation through APEx is a rigorous, voluntary, multi-step process that can take up to one year to complete. To receive accreditation, Valley’s policies and procedures were reviewed using objective, verifiable expectations for performance in radiation oncology. Valley also demonstrated its commitment to high standards of safety, quality and patient-centered care through effective communication, coordinated treatment and engaging patients and their families as partners in care.
“We are pleased to receive APEx accreditation from ASTRO, the premier radiation oncology society in the world,” said Chad DeYoung, M.D., Co-Director of Radiation Oncology at Valley. “Evaluating our processes in relation to ASTRO’s high standards, including standards for safety and quality, validates our practices and recognizes the efforts of our radiation oncology team to deliver patient-centered radiation oncology care.”
“ASTRO is proud to recognize Valley for achieving APEx accreditation,” said ASTRO chair Bruce D. Minsky, M.D., FASTRO. “Valley has demonstrated a commitment to providing their patients with safe, high-quality radiation therapy services.”
Valley’s oncology program, which recently partnered with Mount Sinai Health System, provides comprehensive, patient-centered cancer care in northern New Jersey. Valley offers state-of-the-art treatment options for oncology patients, including advanced diagnostic technology, minimally invasive surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapies and radiation oncology, as well as a robust program of inpatient and outpatient supportive services, clinical trials and access to Mount Sinai’s renowned experts in the field of cancer care. For more information, visitwww.valleyhealthcancercenter.com.
picture Steven Sweeney and Vincent Prieto and the Trenton gang
September 29,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, It’s that time of the year again! The Rax Foundation released their 2017 State Business Tax Climate Index, which allows you to compare you state’s business tax burden across 5 major categories and taking into account over 100 variables. New Jersey ranked dead last in business tax climate . The report credits Trenton leadership with, “some of the worst-structured individual income taxes in the country.”
This year, the states at the top of the pack are Wyoming (1), South Dakota (2), Alaska (3), Florida (4), Nevada (5), Montana (6), New Hampshire (7), Indiana (8), Utah (9), and Oregon (10).
The states at the bottom of the pack include Louisiana (41), Maryland (42), Connecticut (43), Rhode Island (44), Ohio (45), Minnesota (46), Vermont (47), California (48), New York (49), and New Jersey (50).
According to the Tax Foundation ;the states in the bottom 10 tend to have a number of shortcomings in common: complex, non-neutral taxes with comparatively high rates. New Jersey, for example, is hampered by some of the highest property tax burdens in the country, is one of just two states to levy both an inheritance tax and an estate tax, and maintains some of the worst-structured individual income taxes in the country.
See how your state ranks on the map below or by clicking the button at the bottom of this email for the full report: https://taxfoundation.org/article/2017-state-business-tax-climate-index?mc_cid=8afd5cb450&mc_eid=c834f22e2e
By Claude Brodesser-Akner | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on September 27, 2016 at 1:42 PM
TRENTON — Lawmakers from both political parties are mulling whether New Jersey should legalize marijuana, but differ over whether it should be more leniently regulated and taxed like cigarettes, or more restrictively, like alcohol.
Late last week, Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll (R-Morris) introduced a bill (A4193) that legalizes marijuana, treating it and marijuana products in the same fashion as tobacco, which is sold only to those over 19 years of age.
Carroll’s bill would also provide for records expungement for certain past marijuana offenses.
By Brent Johnson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on September 26, 2016 at 6:45 AM, updated September 26, 2016 at 5:04 PM
TRENTON — If Donald Trump ends up winning the White House, he might want to send a thank-you note to New Jersey’s blueberry country.
Last month, with his presidential bid battered by controversies and low poll numbers, Trump revamped his staff and tapped a new campaign manager: veteran GOP strategist Kellyanne Conway, who has run her own Washington D.C. polling firm for two decades.
But really, the way Conway tells it, the road to all of this started three decades ago when she was growing up in south Jersey. Especially the eight summers she spent working on a blueberry farm in Hammonton.
