Tag: Phil Murphy

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Opposition to Dems’ Redistricting Scheme to Rig Elections Holds Strong

Phill Murphy -Sara Medina del Castillo

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, TOMORROW, Thursday, Dec. 13, New Jersey Democrats will hold public hearings on a constitutional amendment that would disenfranchise millions of voters. The legislation, SCR-43, would make cataclysmic changes to New Jersey’s legislative redistricting process. 

The Assembly and State Senate hearings will both be held at 11 a.m. in Committee Room 11 and Committee Room 4, respectively, in the Statehouse Annex, making it cumbersome for the many who are opposed to testify on the record.

Not a single expert witness or group testified in favor of SCR-43 during a Nov. 26, 2018 committee hearing on the constitutional amendment.

In the weeks that have followed, dozens of nonpartisan election experts, editorial writers, and advocates from across the political spectrum have joined the chorus of opposition to this effort to disenfranchise our democracy.

Here’s what else they’re saying….

“This has been a classic throw something out in the proverbial backrooms. It’s completely unacceptable,” Governor Phil Murphy (Insider NJ, Nov. 27, 2018)

“It’s the most undemocratic solution possible,” he said. “It’s bizarre. You have supporters of the bill being incredibly disingenuous about giving voters greater choice.” – Patrick Murray Monmouth University Polling Institute (NJ Spotlight, Dec. 12, 2018)

“This has the potential to undermine our voting rights. The result could favor one party over the other.” – Jeanne LoCicero, ACLU of New Jersey. (NJ Spotlight, Dec. 12, 2018)

“What Democrats in Trenton really want is a permanent majority, and they’re trying to rig the state Constitution to provide it,” Wall Street Journal Editorial Board (Dec. 3, 2018)

“This is undemocratic. Voters should be choosing their politicians — not the other way around.” – Helen Kioukis, the League of Women Voters of New Jersey (Nov. 26, 2018)

“Such a map would create an artificial, evenly-distributed advantage for the majority party. This would drastically reduce the number of seats for the minority party in a way most New Jerseyans would consider to be unfair,” Brian Williams, Princeton University Gerrymandering Project (Nov. 26, 2018)

“By focusing on partisanship and treating communities of interest, and communities of color in particular, as an afterthought, the proposed constitutional amendment is an unacceptable step backwards for New Jersey. We will not go back. Passage of this proposal will virtually ensure the voting power of communities of color will be diluted for decades to come. We successfully opposed this ill-conceived measure before, and we are doing so again today,” Richard Smith, the New Jersey Chapter of the NAACP. (Joint Statement, Nov. 27, 2018)

“It is at best an unproved assumption, and at worst a mistaken one, that voters always vote for the same party’s candidate whether for President or for State Assemblyman. Especially in New Jersey, where state legislative elections are not held in the same year as federal elections, uncritically imposing the results of one election on the process for an entirely different election is ‘mixing apples and oranges.’ As a general matter, requiring that districts be drawn on order to favor one political party, or even both major political parties, is contrary to sound redistricting practice, and enables partisan gerrymandering.” – Ronald K. Chen, Center for Law and Justice (Letter to Sen. Paul Sarlo, Nov. 23, 2018)

“SCR43 would constitutionalize a redistricting process for New Jersey that elevates partisanship over people, and prioritizes ‘competition’ over protecting the ability of communities of color to elect their candidates of choice. We cannot support this proposal. And we urge everyone who cares about the protection of our democracy’s ability to put people first—not partisanship—to join us in opposing SCR43.” – Ryan P. Haygood, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice Institute (Joint Statement, Nov. 27, 2018)

“Attempting to mandate political outcomes is not the best way to reform redistricting—and, in fact, could open the door to gerrymandering.” Yurij Rudensky, Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law (Joint Statement, Nov. 27, 2018)

“It is very difficult to see this as anything but a naked power grab by Democrats… This is not what Democracy is supposed to look like. The process is fatally flawed.. This doesn’t help create faith in government; it creates more distrust. ” – David Pringle, Clean Water Action (Nov. 26, 2018)

“So, what are state Senate Democrats doing now? They want voters to amend the state Constitution so that the independent commission would have to follow new rules that clearly favor Democrats. It’s a shameless stunt, and like all shameless stunts, they are rushing this through the Legislature at the last minute to short-circuit any discussion of the merits. On Monday, with Senate President Steve Sweeney cracking the whip, the budget committee approved the maneuver after a brief and superficial hearing before a mostly empty chamber. It was one of those Trenton moments that make you want to take a hot shower to wash away the stink.” Columnist Tom Moran as published in The Star-Ledger op-ed: “Stop the shameless power grab by N.J. Democrats” (Nov. 28, 2018)

“Promoting competition shouldn’t start with a virtual guarantee that 75 percent of the districts will be noncompetitive,” Asbury Park Press Editorial Board (Nov. 25, 2018)

“The way most people use the word “competitive” — if they are at all conversant in conversational English — and the way the sponsors of the proposed changes define the word “competitive” are worlds apart. Heck, they aren’t even in the same dictionary. […] They know you wouldn’t vote for the type of system they want if they described it honestly.” Patrick Murray, Monmouth University Polling Institute, as published in his Nov. 25 NJ.com op-ed, “Top N.J. pollster: Beware, Dems want you to vote for their redistricting scheme.”

“The constitutional amendment is worded in such a way as to pull the wool over voters’ eyes. This is Democrats being overly greedy for no good reason. It’s almost certain that they will do well with the next map and there are less egregious ways to prioritize the fairness metric. This just further erodes public trust in government for little actual gain.” – Patrick Murray, Monmouth University Polling Institute Director (Politico, Nov. 19, 2018)

Recently in the News…

12/12/2018 on NJ Spotlight: “Opposition Lines Up as NJ Dems Keep Going With Vexed Redistricting Measure”“New Jersey Democrats are going ahead with two public hearings tomorrow on a measure to change the way the state draws its legislative district boundaries, a proposal that to date no independent group — and even some that typically back Democrats — considers better or fairer than the current system.”

12/12/2018 in New Jersey Globe: “47 Groups Sign Letter Opposing Redistricting Amendment”
“The New Jersey League of Women Voters and 46 other groups, including a large number of liberal ones, on Wednesday sent New Jersey legislators a letter asking them to vote against the redistricting constitutional amendment being pushed by Democratic leaders in the legislature. “We urge you to stand up for democracy and for the people of New Jersey and vote “no” on these proposals that would lay the foundation for the extreme gerrymandering of New Jersey’s 40 legislative districts,” the groups said in the letter. “The manipulation of district boundary lines to favor one political party over another has no place in our State Constitution. New Jersey voters deserve a fair process and fair maps.”

12/9/2018 on NJ.com: “All you need to know about that controversial, fast-tracked plan that could give N.J. Dems even more power”
“Many liberal-leaning groups have spoken out. About a dozen activists held a news conference in Newark on Wednesday to lobby against the proposal — many of whom helped flip four Republican U.S. House seats last month. “We refuse to sit by and watch the Democratic party bosses further consolidate their power to have the ultimate leverage when it comes time to whip important votes,” said Sue Altman of South Jersey Progressive Women for Change. Yurji Rudensky of the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law suggested this could “open the door to gerrymandering.”

12/1/2018 in The Philadelphia Inquirer: “To combat gerrymandering, N.J. Democrats propose drawing maps to entrench their power”
“Bucking a national trend toward fighting gerrymandering by removing partisan politics from the process of drawing political maps, New Jersey Democrats are seeking to amend the state constitution in a way that would entrench their power in Trenton. The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from good-government groups, civil rights groups, and redistricting experts who warn it would allow Democrats to unfairly draw the state’s legislative districts in their favor. A group led by prominent national Democratic figures called it ‘a major step in the wrong direction.’”

11/27/2018 on NJ.com: “After the legal weed drama came a classic Jersey power fight featuring, yes, backroom deals”
“Critics warn it would ensure Democrats keep control of the state Legislature for decades. A slightly watered-down version of the proposal advanced out of a state Senate committee Monday night, fast-tracked on the first day after Thanksgiving weekend. But not before Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy defied members of his own party by voicing opposition to it earlier in the day. Not before lawmakers made multiple changes in backroom meetings (yep, there really is a back room) and continued to make alterations even after some votes were tallied. Not before Republicans, academics, and advocates continued to cry foul. And not before a woman in the crowd yelled that Democrats should be “ashamed” of themselves. In other words, it was one of those classic nights for Jersey power politics.”

11/27/2018 in Politico NJ Playbook:
“After a five-hour hearing and a two-hour break — when the once-packed committee room was nearly empty — the Senate budget committee took up and passed a redistricting amendment that would virtually ensure Democratic dominance for decades to come… Note that even though Democratic legislative leadership is pushing this , a vast array of groups — from Republicans to academics to even liberal organization like the Working Families Alliance, which three years ago pushed for a redistricting amendment — are against it. And even the way Democrats advanced it through committee was controversial.”

11/27/2018 on NJ Spotlight: “DEMOCRATS PUSH CONTROVERSIAL REDISTRICTING OVERHAUL, CRITICS PUSH BACK”“The proposal was approved at the end of a marathon hearing during which critics wondered at the wisdom of such a proposal, particularly at this time. Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, questioned whether it was wise for lawmakers to advance the proposal in an era when the public is already deeply divided along partisan lines and as public trust in government is ‘pretty fragile at this point in time.’ But the strongest criticism came from Helen Kioukis, a program associate with the League of Women Voters, who labeled the proposed changes “undemocratic.” The hearing also contained a bizarre moment when some lawmakers’ votes were allowed to be recorded ahead of time despite a series of last-minute amendments being made; the lawmakers had apparently already left the State House.”

11/26/2018 on NJ.com: “N.J. Democrats have all kinds of power these days. This new plan of theirs could give them more.”
“Two sources with knowledge of the situation said top Democratic lawmakers are trying to diminish the role of Democratic State Committee Chairman John Currie, a Murphy ally. State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, has frequently locked horns with both the chairman and the governor. The sources — who asked for anonymity to discuss sensitive matters — said a plan to displace Currie as chairman went nowhere and the restricting proposal surfaced as another avenue to kneecap him.”

Additionally, on Dec. 11, 2018, the following 50 groups submitted letters to State legislators announcing their united opposition:

Action Together New Jersey
Allied for the American Promise
American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey
American Promise
Better Angels – Summit Chapter
BlueWaveNJ
Clean Water Action
Democracy for America, Essex County
Environment New Jersey
Faith in New Jersey
Food & Water Watch
Good Government Coalition of New Jersey (GGCNJ)
Housing and Community Development Network of NJ
Indivisible Cranbury
Indivisible Lambertville/New Hope
JOLT Ridgewood
League of Women Voters of New Jersey
Lutheran Episcopal Advocacy Ministry NJ
MomsRising
National Association of Social Workers – NJ Chapter
National Council of Jewish Women, Essex County Section
National Organization for Women of New Jersey
National Organization for Women – Northern New Jersey
Network for Responsible Public Policy
New Jersey Citizen Action
New Jersey Highlands American Promise Association
New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
New Jersey State Industrial Union Council
New Jersey Policy Perspective
New Jersey Work Environment Council
New Jersey Working Families Alliance
NJ Badass Teachers Association
NJ7 Forward
Our Revolution Essex County NJ
Our United Revolution New Jersey
Pinelands Preservation Alliance
Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey
Reform Jewish Voice of New Jersey
RepresentUs/Central New Jersey
Salvation and Social Justice
Seniors for a Democratic Society
South Jersey Women for Progressive Change
STAND Central New Jersey
TriCounty NJ Chapter of American Promise
Unitarian Universalist FaithAction NJ
Westfield 20/20
Women for Progress

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O’Scanlon: Over-Brining NJ Roads is a Large-Scale Waste of Taxpayer Funds

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth) released the following statement addressing numerous recent incidents of unwarranted brining of State roadways.

“The lack of government response and preparedness for the first winter storm of the season was clearly a failure,” Senator O’Scanlon said. “Although it was somewhat ameliorated by the moving target forecast, there’s no question we should have been better-prepared, and more on top of the treacherous situation as it evolved.

“However, the answer for that failure is NOT to waste obscene amounts of taxpayer money by over-brining roads, every time the temperature dips below 40 degrees.

“Now, whenever you go outside on a chilly day, you see government trucks dumping thousands of dollars of resources unnecessarily onto the roads. Increasing the use of brine wastes funds and exacerbates our already deteriorated roadways. It could also adversely impact the environment by increasing salinity. Over-brining could also potentially cause lead to leach into our waterways. Taxpayers are rightfully baffled and furious.

“The administration’s response to their shortcomings during the November snowstorm should be to reevaluate their preparedness and response levels in order to ensure appropriate mobilization during an actual winter storm event. They are now swinging in the other direction: from lack of response, to wasting taxpayer money to avoid another public relations nightmare.

“We understand that there will always be unfair blame and burden placed on government during storms. It’s only fair to concede that. There are things government can and should be able to control; and then there are tricky things, like the weather. I get it. But this rapid depletion of our stock of winter resources – we all remember when we actually ran out of salt a number of years ago – and the subsequent waste of our budget money isn’t an acceptable response.

“I sincerely hope the administration reevaluates immediately, by putting the proper winter weather mitigation protocols in place, and stopping this absurd waste of resources and taxpayer funds.

“I have faith that the professionals at the Department of Transportation are aware of the mistakes that were made during the previous failure, and should be ready to balance our needs going forward. It now appears public relations decisions may be overruling professional ones. I’m asking Governor Murphy to take a step back and work with our DOT officials to strike a healthy balance here,” O’Scanlon concluded.

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Readers Point Out the Obvious About Ridgewood and New Jersey Taxes

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file photo by Boyd Loving

“With the declining tax base, who is going to pay for all of these excessive salaries and benefits (platinum health care, very generous pension & unused sick leave payouts) negotiated in bad faith by the public sector unions ?”

“States with lower state & local taxes make much more sense for businesses to invest given the SALT deduction limits of $10,000 on their employees hurt them in high tax states like NJ.”

“The average residential property tax in Ridgewood is actually now $18,000 as of 2018/19 tax year… just as state & local tax deductions are limited to $10,000. What are the BOE and Village Council doing to help Ridgewood families keep food on their tables and gas in their cars given higher commuter pass costs, tolls, higher parking permit fees, higher Graydon and tennis pass fees, etc? And where are the vaunted schools & Village services those taxes are paying for ? In the tank.”

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Conagra Brands Moves Jobs Out of New Jersey

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Parsippany NJ, Conagra Brands, the food giant that purchased Parsippany-based Pinnacle Foods for nearly $11 billion in October, is the second company in as many weeks looking for greener pastures . The company is closing a pair of Pinnacle facilities, according to a federal WARN notice — potentially costing 500 people their jobs.

Conagra, Chicago-based maker of products such as Healthy Choice and Orville Redenbacher’s, said in two separate notifications that it is closing office facilities at 399 Jefferson Road in Parsippany and 121 Woodcrest Road in Cherry Hill. The Parsippany property had served as headquarters for Pinnacle, maker of brands such as Duncan Hines, Vlasic and Birds Eye.

WARN Notice :  offers protection to workers, their families and communities by requiring employers to provide notice 60 days in advance of covered plant closings and covered mass layoffs. This notice must be provided to either affected workers or their representatives (e.g., a labor union); to the State dislocated worker unit; and to the appropriate unit of local government.

Conagra Brands, Inc.  Parsippany  Date 03/22/2019   layoffs 308
Conagra Brands, Inc.  Cherry Hill  Date 05/24/2019    layoffs 196

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Census confirms: 63 percent of ‘non-citizens’ on welfare, 4.6 million households

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Ridgewood NJ, Census confirms: 63 percent of ‘non-citizens’ on welfare, 4.6 million households. A majority of “non-citizens,” including those with legal green card rights, are tapping into welfare programs set up to help poor and ailing Americans, a Census Bureau finding that bolsters President Trump’s concern about illegal immigrants costing the nation.

In a new analysis of the latest numbers, from 2014, 63 percent of non-citizens are using a welfare program, and it grows to 70 percent for those here 10 years or more, confirming another concern that once immigrants tap into welfare, they don’t get off it.

The numbers are huge. The report said that there are 4,684,784 million non-citizen households receiving welfare.

The above scenario is unsustainable . Some would call it an economic time bomb that will cripple local, state, and federal agencies as the numbers of illegals on welfare inevitably grows unless the country’s political leaders follow President Trump’s lead and help to create a safe, sound, and far more reasonable immigration policy that must first and foremost start with securing America’s borders.

According to the American Immigration Council , New Jersey hosts 500,000 undocumented immigrants comprised 24 percent of the immigrant population and 5.4 percent of the total state population in 2014.
604,615 people in New Jersey, including 204,946 born in the United States, lived with at least one undocumented family member between 2010 and 2014.
During the same period, 1 in 11 children in the state was a U.S. citizen living with at least one undocumented family member (180,580 children in total).

The crux of the argument on immigration is the significance of legal vs Illegal immigrants .  The media and most politicians continue to ignore this very vital fact . Unfortunately much of the data is comingled .

Undocumented immigrants comprised 7.9 percent of the New Jersey’s workforce in 2014.

Undocumented immigrants in New Jersey paid an estimated $587.4 million in state and local taxes in 2014. Their contribution would rise to $661.1 million if they could receive legal status. In 2012 New Jersey total Tax Revenue: $27,456,175,000. 


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ICE arrests 105 in New Jersey operation targeting criminal aliens and public safety threats

ICE criminal alien arrest RICHARD DREW AP

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

NEWARK NJ,  Four individuals in the country illegally who have Interpol warrants based on crimes they committed in their home countries were among 105 foreign nationals taken into custody during a five-day operation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last week in New Jersey.  The operation, which was spearheaded by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), targeted at-large criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants and other immigration violators and was supported by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) New Jersey Field Office.

Of those arrested during the operation, 80 percent had prior criminal convictions and/or pending criminal charges.“These outstanding results, which were made possible by our officers and law enforcement partners, highlight the tremendous commitment that ICE ERO has to public safety throughout the state,” said John Tsoukaris, Field Office Director of ERO Newark. “Our focus has been and will continue to be on arrests of illegal aliens who have been convicted of serious crimes or those who pose a threat to public safety.”          

These individuals will go through removal proceedings before an Immigration Judge or for those under a final order of removal, arrangements will be made to remove them from the U.S.  

The individuals arrested throughout New Jersey were nationals of Brazil (6), Canada (1), Colombia (1), Costa Rica (1), Cuba (2), Dominican Republic (10), Ecuador (4), Egypt (1), El Salvador (8), Guatemala (13), Honduras (7), Jamaica (4), Korea (2), Mexico (28), Peru (4), Philippines (1), Poland (1), Russia (1), Serbia (1), Slovakia (2), Spain (1), Taiwan (1), Trinidad (1), and Venezuela (4).

These individuals were arrested in the following counties in New Jersey: Atlantic (1), Bergen (4), Burlington (1), Camden (1), Essex (6), Gloucester (2), Hudson (24), Hunterdon (1), Mercer (12), Middlesex (10), Monmouth (14), Morris (3), Ocean (2), Passaic (11), Somerset (1), and Union (10). Also, two (2) individuals were arrested in New York. They range from age 18 to 65 years old and most were previously convicted of a variety of offenses. Some of the convictions included sexual assault on a minor, child abuse, possession of narcotics, distribution of narcotics, extortion, DUI, fraud, domestic violence, theft, possession of a weapon, robbery, promoting prostitution, aggravated assault, resisting arrest, endangering the welfare of a child, credit card fraud, insurance fraud, shoplifting and illegal reentry.

Among those arrested during this operation include:

  • In Palisades Park, a 59-year-old Korean national, who has an Interpol warrant to serve his sentence for the crime of indecent acts by compulsion causing bodily injury;
  • In Palisades Park, a 44-year-old Korean national, who has an Interpol warrant to serve his sentence for the crime of distribution of psychotropic drugs;
  • In West New York, a 34-year-old Ecuadorian national, who has an Interpol warrant for the crime of fraud;
  • In Paterson, a 54-year-old Russian national, who has an Interpol warrant for the crime of large scale fraud;
  • In Union City, a 35-year-old Ecuadorian national, who has a conviction of forcible touching on a child;
  • In Jersey City, a 35-year-old Venezuelan national, who has a conviction of distribution of narcotics;
  • In Union City, a 52-year-old Mexican national, who has a conviction of promoting prostitution with a child.
  • In New Brunswick, a 34-year-old Honduran national, who has a conviction of Endangering the Welfare of a Child;
  • In Bayonne, a 43-year-old Canadian national, who has a conviction of distribution of narcotics on school grounds;
  • In Jamesburg, a 25-year-old previously deported Guatemalan national, who was arrested for aggravated assault and possession of a weapon. An ICE detainer was lodged with Middlesex County Jail but they refused to honor the ICE detainer and released the subject;
  • In Toms River, a 28-year-old Egyptian national, who has three convictions for possession and distribution of narcotics;
  • In Jersey City, a 41-year-old Taiwanese national, who has convictions for extortion and bank fraud;
  • In Atlantic City, a 38-year-old Cuban national, who has a conviction for aggravated criminal sexual contact;
  • In New Brunswick, a 48-year-old Jamaican national, who has convictions for conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of a weapon;
  • In Freehold a 28-year-old El Salvadorian national, who is a member of MS-13;
  • In New Brunswick, a 19-year-old Mexican national, who is a member of the 18th street gang;
  • In Newark, a 31-year-old Mexican national, who is a member of the Surenos-13th street gang;

This operation was pre-planned and not as a result of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Directive last week limiting local and state law enforcement cooperation with ICE. ICE will of necessity have to conduct additional enforcement operations, if local police departments and county jails do not refer criminals and gang members they encounter to ICE for review and possible arrest on immigration violations.

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RECENT BURGLARIES IN THE VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog 

Ridgewood NJ, Since turning back the clocks, there have been some home burglaries in the Village.  These typically haveoccurred during the hours of 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., when it is dark and no one is home.  There have also been burglaries from vehicles parked indriveways. 

Please be aware that Public Safety is the Village of Ridgewood’s #1 priority, and our Police Department is giving their full attention touncover every detail and piece of information, so that they can identify those involved in the burglaries.  In addition, there are extra Policepatrols on the streets.  If you are aware of a burglary which has occurred near your home, and have home security cameras or a Ring doorbellcamera, please contact the Ridgewood Police Department, at 201-652-3900, and let them know.  The videos obtained from these cameras will assistthe Ridgewood Police Department in their investigation.

Here are some helpful tips to be used to protect your home and vehicles from burglaries:

  1. Lock doors and windows (house and cars).  Remove your fobs from your cars and bring them into your house.
  2. Routinely check that home security/safety systems are working properly. 
  3. Promptly clear property/driveway of newspapers. 
  4. Promptly empty mailbox, clear delivered packages and register for delivery notifications. 
  5. DO NOT post real-time information on Facebook/Instagram/social media including:
    • a. Real-time photos and/or livestream from vacation, parties, concerts, theater, sports events, dining out and food images, etc. DOING SO PUBLICLY BROADCASTS THAT YOU’RE NOT HOME!
    • b. Real-time Information about work commute, work location, shopping, etc.  
  6. CAUTION: do not accept Facebook/social media friend requests without confirming the authenticity of the individual making the request – LOOK, THINK & RESEARCH before accepting. 
  7. NOTE:  Many members of local Ridgewood Facebook groups are not from Ridgewood
  8. NEVER HESITATE: IMMEDIATELY report suspicious vehicles, persons, and activity to the RIDGEWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT – remember for an emergency dial 911 and always have the RPD non-emergency number handy 201-652-3900
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Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi Shares Her Thoughts on How the System Failed Katie Brennan

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi’s  interview with David Cruz and NJTV today on how the system failed Katie Brennan.

“The most important take-away thus far is how many times the system failed her,” said Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi. “So here you have a situation where it wasn’t an allegation of, ‘Hey, someone was mean to me on the campaign trail.’ It was, ‘I was sexually assaulted by this person who’s now in charge of personnel decisions and nobody ever took a step to investigate.’”
Schepisi says what she heard was a lack of clarity on whether protocols for follow up were even in place. And that made it possible for someone who had a “curious lack of curiosity” to simply pass the buck.

“It just became a convenient ‘not it,’ ‘hot potato’ type of thing to say, well, you don’t fall specifically into a particular set of rules right now, so we’re not going to do anything on this,” she added.

https://www.njtvonline.org/…/lawmakers-already-mulling-pol…/

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New Jersey Business & Industry Association’s 60th Annual Business Outlook Survey : New Jersey continues to be perceived as being non-competitive with other states

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file photo by Boyd Loving

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Expectations are high for increased profits, sales and wages in 2019 following a successful 2018 for many New Jersey businesses, according to results found in the New Jersey Business & Industry Association’s 60th Annual Business Outlook Survey.But the survey, released today, also finds a much more guarded outlook for New Jersey’s economy on the whole. In addition to a marginal increase of business owners who will look to offset a $15 minimum wage with raised prices, reduced staff or hours, or an increase in automation, there was a sizable decline from last year in respondents expecting New Jersey’s economy to perform better in the first six months of 2019. Similarly, while 83 percent of members rated the performance of the U.S. economy as excellent or good, only 40 percent rated New Jersey’s economy in the same categories.

Continue reading New Jersey Business & Industry Association’s 60th Annual Business Outlook Survey : New Jersey continues to be perceived as being non-competitive with other states

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Murphy Plays the Fool on Brennan Rape Testimony

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton N J, Governor Phil Murphy continues to play , “I knew nothing card”  as to why he hired an accused rapists ? The Murphy Administration has been rocked by a series of high profile blinders hiring career criminals to the ethically challenged.

The New Jersey Select Oversight Committee kicked off its investigation into the Murphy administration’s hiring practices with the testimony of Kate Brennan .

Brennan in chronological order related what did – and did not – happen after she said she was raped by Al Alvarez in Jersey City in the early morning hours of April 8, 2017. Both had been involved with what was then Murphy’s election campaign for governor.

Continue reading Murphy Plays the Fool on Brennan Rape Testimony

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Phil Murphy : “I put forward a strong economic plan that will put us ahead of the curve as present and future corporate decisions are planned, and I look forward to working with all stakeholders to see it implemented.”

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, Statement from Governor Murphy on Honeywell:
“As part of Honeywell’s global restructuring, the company has committed to keeping the vast majority of its existing New Jersey workforce in state. Though we’re never happy when any jobs leave our state, we appreciate their continued commitment and confidence in New Jersey. By maintaining such a strong foothold here, Honeywell is reaffirming their commitment to being a part of New Jersey’s future. That speaks volumes to our state’s strength, resilience, and value proposition.

“I put forward a strong economic plan that will put us ahead of the curve as present and future corporate decisions are planned, and I look forward to working with all stakeholders to see it implemented.”

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Reader says , “It’s no secret that NJ taxes were oppressing residents and businesses for a while now “

Phill Murphy -Sara Medina del Castillo

I’m not a Murphy fan, by far, but if Honeywell just got a $40 mil tax credit, then why splitting after less than 4 years? It’s no secret that NJ taxes were oppressing residents and businesses for a while now. The big loss is opportunity for skilled positions leaving and headed 600 miles south. The influx of unskilled illegals now the Murph has declared us a sanctuary state simultaneously with the weed business is an abomination.

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Reader says , ” I’d respect him more if he just said hey, I was appointed by a left-wing-loon that wants to make NJ a sanctuary state”

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It’s pretty bad when the Attorney General lies to the public.
I’d respect him more if he just said hey, I was appointed by a left-wing-loon that wants to make NJ a sanctuary state and this what he wants, instead of the make believe reason “we want all residents to feel safe interacting with state and local police officers”

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NJ Lost Honeywell’s HQ Because of Murphy’s Anti-Business Agenda

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Trenton NJ, Senators Joe Pennacchio (R-26) and Anthony Bucco (R-25) released the following statement in regards to today’s reports that Honeywell, a Morris Plains-based company, is moving its global headquarters to North Carolina.

Sens. Joe Pennacchio and Anthony Bucco said Gov. Murphy’s bad-for-business policies are driving companies like Honeywell out of state. (Wikimedia)
Morris Plains is a municipality within Senator Pennacchio’s Legislative District.

Continue reading NJ Lost Honeywell’s HQ Because of Murphy’s Anti-Business Agenda

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Honeywell Plans to Flee New Jersey

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Morris Plains NJ, Just over three years after getting a $40 million tax credit to stay in New Jersey in 2015 Honeywell International Inc. is now fleeing the Garden State in a move to low tax and far more business friendly North Carolina.

In what can only be described as a major blow for the state ,Honeywell has joined the growing list of companies that has decided to leave New Jersey and its anti business high tax ways . The move is expected to result in 700 to 800 jobs for North Carolina . Honeywell is ranked 77 on the Fortune 500 list of the largest U.S.-based companies.