the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, The New Jersey Business & Industry Association is urging two legislative committees today to vote against a proposed $300 million health insurance tax that would increase costs for businesses, nonprofits and ultimately all employees who pay a portion of their healthcare premiums.
Continue reading New New Jersey 2.75% Excise Tax to Cost Consumers Millions
“Is it the case that some New Jerseyans wished to see our population decrease, starting with the old, and that they took advantage of the Coronavirus situation to deliberately create a killing field in our long-term care facilities?
Decimated: A Roman legion that had a tenth of its men killed in a particular battle was said to have been “decimated,” an indication that the cost in a given conflict in terms of combatant casualties was especially high.
The elderly in our long-term care facilities were literally decimated during the height of this pandemic. And it is still ongoing.
Senator Penacchio is right. We should investigate thoroughly. If we find any intentional wrongdoing, we should not refrain from dragging it out into the light. The same goes for grossly negligent decisions or actions that lead to deaths, of course. But the most important result would be to identify and prosecute high-level decision makers in government or in the hospital administrator or larger healthcare management community who intentionally targeted our elderly (or who cynically targeted those who suffer from comorbidity such as obesity or diabetes, and due to poverty or for cultural reasons tend to rely on hospital emergency rooms for primary health care treatment) for premature death due to a deranged ideological bent verging on modern-day eugenicism.
Don’t think we don’t have people among us who would act this way if they had the chance and believed they could get away with it. We absolutely do.”
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Middletown NJ, Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger (R-Monmouth) is speaking out against a recent bill seeking to impose a new “health tax” throughout New Jersey. This legislation comes at a time when businesses, residents, low-income families, and countless others are severely struggling to make ends meet in the wake of crushing financial waves due to the COVID-19 pandemic:
Continue reading Democrats Introduce New “Health Tax” bill for New Jersey Residents
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, Governor Murphy today advised individuals traveling to New Jersey from additional states with significant community spread of COVID-19 to quarantine for a 14-day period from the time of last contact within the identified state. The updated advisory includes 10 additional states – Alaska, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Virginia, and Washington – with Minnesota removed from the list. The travel advisory applies to any person arriving from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents or a state with a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.
Continue reading Updated Quarantine Advisory Issued for Individuals Traveling to New Jersey
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Bellmawr NJ, Ian Smith and Frank Trumbetti appeared before a judge on Monday and the judge ruled that they can continue to keep their doors open.
The owners of a Bellmawr gym who were in violation of Gov. Phil Murphy’s executive order to remain closed had first closed in March under a statewide emergency order, the gym opened without permission on May 18 and then padlocked by the state on May 22 under a court order.
photo by B. L.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Oakland NJ, why go to the beech when you can spend the day at NJMVC. We know the view of the dumpster is not as impressive as the view of the Atlantic ocean , but hey no sharks . So if you have to head up to Oakland MVC we suggest you bring a picnic basket and a good book .
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, As the US school year rapidly approaches, federal, state, and local government officials are working to develop and implement plans to resume classes. Proposals range from full-time, in-person classes to online/remote classes only, including a myriad of hybrid options in between. Much of the uncertainty and debate revolves around the direct risk to children and the role they play in community transmission. It is generally understood that children are at lower risk for severe COVID-19 disease and death than adults—although, certainly not zero risk—but it is much less clear how easily children transmit the infection to others, including adults or other high-risk individuals at home or in the community.
Continue reading Parents Weigh Return to In Person Classes , Remote Learning and Home Schooling
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, joined by Republican Senators Joe Pennacchio, Anthony M. Bucco, Steve Oroho, Kristin Corrado and Michael Testa, issued the following statement in response to coverage in The Star-Ledger questioning why the Legislature has failed to act on important hearings to investigate the State’s pandemic preparedness.
Continue reading Murphy Administration Delays Investigation in COVID19 Response
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, once again Governor Phil Murphy has told New Jersey residents , “if you don’t like his policies leave.” During a press conference on Friday, Murphy snapped at reporters questioning his slow reopening of the state and poor handling of the pandemic, saying, “If you don’t like our leadership here, why don’t you go down to Georgia and see how that feels.”
Continue reading Governor Murphy Says if you Don’t like it Leave and People are in Droves
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, With the U.S. gaining 4.8 million jobs in June and the national unemployment rate at 11.1% compared to the nearly historic high of 14.7% at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, WalletHub today released updated rankings for the States Whose Unemployment Rates Are Bouncing Back Most, along with accompanying videos and audio files, to illustrate which areas of the country have had the best recovery so far.
Continue reading New Jersey has the 2nd Worst Unemployment Rate Recovery
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
The Randolph Tennis Center held what organizers called the “Reopen Businesses and Restore Livelihoods Rally.” Dozens gathered to hear speakers ask Gov. Phil Murphy to lift restrictions on businesses in order to help owners provide for their families during the pandemic. Under Governor Murphy’s prosecuting the knucklehead executive orders , Gurbir Grewal, the state Attorney General offered some some guidance.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, When Gov. Phil Murphy closed all the schools in New Jersey due to the coronavirus pandemic, distance learning was implemented to make sure the educational process could continue. Now that New Jersey has flattened the curve, school districts across the state are working diligently to ensure a safe and healthy reopening in the fall.
Continue reading School Districts should have Immunity from COVID-19 Lawsuits
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, In a strong stance against the bonding legislation passed by the Senate today, Senator Dawn Addiego issued the following statement:
“Asking New Jersey taxpayers to solely shoulder what equates to a 35 year tax increase without the transparency that accompanies a public referendum is the absolute wrong way to approach this crisis. We are all in this pandemic together. Solving the budget challenges brought on by it should be no different. This is a pivotal moment that will impact the lives of New Jersey families for generations – they deserve an opportunity to vote on it.”
Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
TRENTON NJ, Governor Phil Murphy signed into law the “New Jersey COVID-19 Emergency Bond Act,” which authorizes the state to borrow up to $9.9 billion to address the unprecedented fiscal crisis that has arisen as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.“The passage of this legislation is an important step in New Jersey’s recovery from the economic ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Governor Murphy said. “While this is by no means a silver bullet, the ability to responsibly borrow is essential to meeting our fiscal needs in the coming year.”
Continue reading Legislator Gives Murphy Administration a $10 Billion Blank Check
