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Murphy Administration Hiring Practices Come Under Fire Again !

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, Senator Kristin Corrado (R-40) and Senator Steven Oroho (R-24) said the New Jersey Legislative Select Oversight Committee (LSOC) should fulfill its mission of investigating the numerous questionable hires that have been publicized across the administration of Governor Phil Murphy.

“When I first called for hearings into the hiring practices of the Murphy Administration, the article revealing the allegations made against Al Alvarez had not been published yet,” said Corrado, a vice-chair of the LSOC. “Within a short period of time, however, we had several examples of people who were hired by the Governor that raised serious concerns. While our committee was formed to investigate these hirings in total, we have focused to date almost exclusively on Alvarez’s employment. It’s imperative that we not overlook our larger mission and what we seek to accomplish to protect both our valued public employees and New Jersey taxpayers.”

Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso criticized the Schools Development Authority’s firing of 26 veteran employees and hiring of 38 new people, many of whom have personal relationships with Gov. Phil Murphy’s top staff.

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NEW JERSEY: QUALITY OF LIFE INDEX AT RECORD LOW

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

West Long Branch NJ, New Jersey residents’ views of the quality of life in their home state have tumbled to an all-time low. Currently, just half the public gives positive marks to the Garden State as a place to live. At the same time, the Monmouth University Poll also finds that residents’ opinions of their own local communities remain positive and have not changed much at all over the past year.

Just half of New Jersey residents say the state is either an excellent (11%) or good (39%) place to call home, while 32% say it is only fair and 17% rate it as poor. The current positive rating of 50% has dropped from the 54% result in last year’s Monmouth poll, marking an all-time low for this metric in New Jersey opinion polls going back to 1980.  Over the past decade, this rating has generally been in the mid-60s.  Prior to that, positive rating of the state was frequently in the 70s, even reaching as high as 84% in 1987.

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Somebody Had to Say it: Millions In Financial Aid For Illegal Immigrants Is Unfair To Those Who Do Things The Legal Way

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

VINELAND NJ, Republican candidate for state Senate in LD1, former Assemblyman Sam Fiocchi said today that recent news reports that New Jersey provided financial aid for more than 500 ‘undocumented immigrants’ to attend college is just one example of how sanctuary status hurts others.

“I, like many others living in our district, believe it is ridiculous the State provided over $1 million for those living here illegally to attend college,” Sam Fiocchi said, “Granted, many liberals and progressives will argue the students are ‘Dreamers,’ but what they’re really saying is these students, living in the country illegally, are being rewarded for the bad behavior of their parents.”

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New England Motor Freight Shuts Down NJ Loses 4,000 Jobs

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Elizabeth NJ, BANKRUPTCY filed in Newark NJ Court – New England Motor Freight Inc HEADQUARTERS IN ELIZABETH NJ CLOSES ITS DOORS – 4,000 JOBS LOST – NJ IS A JOB KILLER 

Ask Phil Murphy and Senator Menendez & Cory Booker what they did to try and help this company, besides raising taxes to the point of collapse. It’s no wonder Phil Murphy was begging  Jeff Bezos on his knees to bring the Amazon HQ to NJ. 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/trucker-new-england-motor-freight-files-for-bankruptcy-plans-to-shut-down-11549928566

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Murphy’s Poll Numbers Tank

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

TRENTON NJ,Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick (R-Union) released the following statement on Gov. Phil Murphy latest job approval rankings according to a Monmouth University poll:

“Polling shows the Murphy administration’s reckless spending and taxing is taking New Jersey in the wrong direction.  The public now realizes that the Murphy administration is not only raising taxes, even on the rain, but is trying to take over your communities.  Trenton is permitting thousands of high density housing units in our towns, supports taking over your local schools and wants more regulation on job creators.

The Murphy administration is getting its first dose of reality from the public in the Monmouth poll.  Until Trenton begins to address the needs of working people, Murphy’s poll numbers will nose dive.”

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Last Plea to Stem Apple Ridge Stormwater Pollution

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Derek Michalski GreenUSR,  Founder and Volunteer – (Upper & Saddle River, Ramapo and Pascack Valley Communities)

Upper Saddle River NJ, This will be my last public plea to you Honorable Ladies: Mayor Joanne Minichetti, Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi and Assemblywoman Lisa Swain on the subject of Pleasant Brook stormwater pollution.

Considering the perpetual environmental devastation that besets our community, please do the right thing and order Toll Brothers to honor the EPA settlement that Toll Brothers signed back in 2012. Since you and only you have the power to issue a Stop Work Order concerning construction at this work site to arrest further release of environmental toxins, please do so in order to prevent Toll Brothers from violating stormwater regulations.  Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi has been receiving extensive documentation over the course of the past year regarding this environmental condition and, this adverse environmental condition will go unabated if this Stop Work Order is not honored.  

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Governor Murphy and the Murphy Administration Urge Residents to Prepare for Latest Snow Storm

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, Governor Phil Murphy and the Murphy Administration are asking New Jersey residents to prepare for a winter storm that will affect the area tonight and throughout the day tomorrow. Colonel Patrick Callahan and the New Jersey State Police are preparing the State Emergency Operations Center, which will activate tonight in order to monitor the winter storm conditions expected to last through tomorrow.

The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) has been in contact with all 21 county emergency management offices, and members of the Emergency Response Bureau are working with their counties to address any storm-related needs. State emergency management partners have been notified and will continue to coordinate with NJOEM on any traffic and power concerns, and the New Jersey Department of Transportation is prepared and ready to respond to the storm with up to 2,500 plows and spreaders.

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NJDOT Advising Motorists to Plan Ahead for Upcoming Storm

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ,  New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials today issued a Winter Weather Congestion Alert and are implementing the Department’s Business Day Protocol for Tuesday, February 12, based on the forecast for expected snow and freezing rain this afternoon into tomorrow, which may result in difficult driving conditions.

The Department is advising motorists to plan ahead. Snow is expected this afternoon in South Jersey and along the Shore that could affect today’s evening commute in those areas. Overnight and through Tuesday, snow is expected statewide, turning to freezing rain in parts of the state, which may cause difficult driving conditions.

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Weinberg Reacts To Verniero Report: ‘Appears To Make More Of An Effort To Exonerate The Principals’

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ,  Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, the co-chair of the New Jersey Legislative Select Oversight Commitee, issued the following statement today in response to the Verniero Report:

“Unfortunately, this report falls short of the comprehensive investigation promised by the governor. It fails to meet any reasonable standard for an investigation into the serious allegations of sexual assault, the screening practices for hiring public employees, the failure to take responsibility by key officials, the continued failure to find out what went wrong and the reasons why no real actions were taken to address the plight of the alleged assault survivor.

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Senator Kristin Corrado: Gov. Murphy Shouldn’t Be Allowed to Sweep Hiring Scandal Under the Rug

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, Senator Kristin Corrado said Governor Phil Murphy should not be allowed to sweep a hiring scandal under the rug, with key questions unanswered and major discrepancies in the stories told by current and former staff in the Governor’s inner circle.

Sen. Kristin Corrado said Gov. Phil Murphy should not be allowed to sweep a hiring scandal under the rug, with key questions unanswered and major discrepancies in the stories told by current and former staff in the Governor’s inner circle. (SenateNJ.com)

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Assemblywomen Schepisi Not Buying Verniero Report Findings

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, in an astonishing turn of events an independent investigation by former State Supreme Court Justice Peter Verniero failed to find out who was responsible for hiring former Schools Development Authority chief of staff Al Alvarez.

Alvarez is at the center of rape allegations by former Murphy staffer State Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency chief of staff Katie Brennan alleged that Alvarez sexually assaulted her in April 2017, when Alvarez was in charge of Muslim and Latino outreach for Murphy’s campaign, for which Brennan would later volunteer.

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Senator Declan O’Scanlon condemns Governor Murphy’s minimum wage bill sighting widespread negative impact on New Jersey

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth) today condemned Governor Murphy’s signature of a bill which would rapidly raise the minimum wage to $15 and have widespread negative impacts for New Jersey.

“This law will have disastrous consequences for our business community and minimum wage workers. It simply goes too far too fast,” O’Scanlon stated. “I serve on the bipartisan manufacturing caucus and we heard from every single manufacturer that it was impossible for them to absorb this increase without losing jobs.”

“A hugely important component of this discussion is the effect on our budget. With the fiscal pronouncements that we have made, including the Senate President himself, how can we commit the State to a dramatic impact like the roughly half a billion dollar price tag of this increase? The is inconsistent with the Path to Progress suggestions for lower cost of government. We are digging ourselves deeper into a hole that we already don’t know how to get out of. How can we possibly look our taxpayers in the eye–already the most beleaguered in the nation–no matter how well-intentioned this might be?”

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Senator Anthony Bucco Warns Murphy’s Minimum Wage Law will lead to Layoffs and Automation

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, Senator Anthony Bucco said a law signed by Governor Phil Murphy today to raise the minimum wage in New Jersey from $8.85 to $15 per hour will force small business owners to make tough choices about staffing levels and the adoption of labor-replacing technologies.

“As a small business owner, I understand how difficult it is to maintain employees’ jobs and benefits when we’re constantly faced with new taxes and expensive mandates from the State,” said Bucco (R-25). “I have no doubt that the huge costs being forced on employers by Governor Murphy and the Democratic legislature will lead to reduced hours for workers, layoffs, and the faster adoption of automation technologies that already are driving workforce reductions in many industries.”

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NJ Plan to Expand Jet Fuel Tax Will Raise Fares Out of Newark Airport

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Newark NJ, Plan to Expand Jet Fuel Tax Bad for Business, Economy, Consumers

Legislation to expand jet fuel taxes imposed on commercial airlines in New Jersey will lead to higher airfare costs for consumers and businesses, and make New Jersey’s already challenging business tax climate even worse, according to the New Jersey Business & Industry Association.
The bill is scheduled for a vote in the Assembly today.

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Reader says “Legalized weed is just another way for the government to 1) get tax $$ and 2) keep the populace stupid”

POT-SMOKING-KID

Legalized weed is just another way for the government to 1) get tax $$ and 2) keep the populace stupid. If it were truly for medicinal purposes, you’d be able to get your medical provider to write a prescription and it would be paid for by insurance. Anyone see that happening anytime soon? I didn’t think so. Let’s wait and see how many DUIs, where the “I” is cannabis, start racking up before the dumbed-down citizens start complaining.