Do you have a right to resell your own stuff ? It could become illegal to resell your iPhone 4, car or family antiques
By Jennifer Waters, MarketWatch
CHICAGO (MarketWatch) — Tucked into the U.S. Supreme Court’s agenda this fall is a little-known case that could upend your ability to resell everything from your grandmother’s antique furniture to your iPhone 4.
At issue in Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons is the first-sale doctrine in copyright law, which allows you to buy and then sell things like electronics, books, artwork and furniture, as well as CDs and DVDs, without getting permission from the copyright holder of those products.
A Supreme Court case could limit the resale of goods made overseas but sold in America.
Under the doctrine, which the Supreme Court has recognized since 1908, you can resell your stuff without worry because the copyright holder only had control over the first sale.
Put simply, though Apple Inc. AAPL -0.88% has the copyright on the iPhone and Mark Owen has it on the book “No Easy Day,” you can still sell your copies to whomever you please whenever you want without retribution.
That’s being challenged now for products that are made abroad, and if the Supreme Court upholds an appellate court ruling, it would mean that the copyright holders of anything you own that has been made in China, Japan or Europe, for example, would have to give you permission to sell it.
“It means that it’s harder for consumers to buy used products and harder for them to sell them,” said Jonathan Band, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center, who filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of the American Library Association, the Association of College and Research Libraries and the Association for Research Libraries. “This has huge consumer impact on all consumer groups.”
Another likely result is that it would hit you financially because the copyright holder would now want a piece of that sale.
‘Smart’ traffic signals may ease traffic backups
Oct. 7, 2012, 12:11 p.m. EDT
The Record (Woodland Park, N.J.)
NORTH ARLINGTON, N.J. (AP) — Within a two-mile radius of where Schuyler Avenue and Belleville Turnpike intersect in North Arlington, drivers confront day-to-day traffic backups at stop lights and road-construction projects on roads built before World War II.
With bends and single-lane stretches, they are among the region’s busiest roadways, passing industrial zones, strip malls and apartments, leaving little room for widening or straightening to ease congestion.
To improve flow, Meadowlands region officials are turning to a new sort of traffic signal that can sense traffic jams, communicate with other “smart” traffic lights and automatically clear up congestion.
The project — called Meadowlands Adaptive Signal System for Traffic Reduction — an innovative network that includes cameras, computerized radios and sensors that will adjust the timing of traffic signals — began construction last year in Secaucus.
Once the system is up and running, it should cut travel time on historically congested roads and save on fuel consumption.
Job growth continues to sputter—this morning’s jobs report shows that 12.1 million Americans are still out of work.
Going against other economic indicators, the unemployment rate dropped to 7.8 percent. Economists are already looking into the drop, saying it seems to be a statistical fluke, because it doesn’t match up with the sluggish job creation and recent downward revision of GDP growth. Heritage’s J.D. Foster says:
One time out of a hundred, the true figure will be much different than the reported figure. One time out of a hundred for a monthly survey means about once every eight years. What seems to have occurred with the September household survey is the one time in a hundred. The last time the household survey showed such a huge jump in employment was in 1983 during the Reagan-era economic boom. Today’s economy does not look much like the Reagan boom.
The real story, then, from the more reliable employment survey is the economy created a paltry 114,000 jobs, leaving 12.1 million out in the cold. This story is getting old. And the economy has no good news to look forward to.
Congress has gone home until after the election. When it returns to Washington, the end of 2012 will be staring us in the face. In just a few short months, the largest tax increase in history will hit America. It sounds like hyperbole, and we only wish that were the case. It’s been dubbed Taxmageddon, because for millions of workers it will be an end-of-working pink slip scenario. But on January 1, a nearly $500 billion tax increase will slam the economy.
Not only will this mean individual tax increases—if you’re a middle-class family, your taxes will go up around $4,100—but the whole economy will also suffer. The Congressional Budget Office has said that unless Congress and the President act, we will be plunged into a new recession extending through 2013—when we haven’t even recovered from the previous one.
The irresponsible behavior of Congress and the President in bringing the nation to this state means a significant slowdown is already almost certain. Mounting uncertainty about what, if anything, Washington will do is rapidly draining the vitality out of the economy.
The facts are plain: The economy will shrink and unemployment will spike unless Congress acts to prevent Taxmageddon. If Congress and the President choose to continue to play politics with the economy, we stand to lose 1.6 million more jobs.
Why can’t we seem to recover from the most recent recession? According to a new report by Heritage’s Salim Furth, a select group of businesses isn’t hiring: start-ups.
“Even in recessions, start-up job creation has been a constant—until now,” Furth reports. “Employment at start-up companies has fallen for five years in a row, reaching unprecedented lows in 2010 and 2011.”
This is devastating because start-ups normally create the vast majority of the net new jobs in the economy, he says. Larger businesses do expand with new jobs, but significant job creation comes from new businesses. And it’s more difficult than ever to jump through all the government hoops to create a new business. The system is completely against job creation right now. As Furth says:
With new regulations and business requirements in health insurance, small-business finance, environment, energy, and tax compliance, not to mention the ever-expanding reach of state licensure boards, it is expensive to open a business.
Businesses, and those who would start businesses, are looking at looming tax hikes and new regulations and simply deciding it isn’t worth it. There are many new regulations coming soon, but the Administration has gone silent on what they will be. So employers can’t even prepare.
Repealing the heavily regulatory Dodd-Frank law and Obamacare, with its 18 new tax hikes, would remove major burdens on businesses and individuals. But that won’t happen before next year.
Our elected leaders can prevent Taxmageddon. It would be the best thing they could do for the economy, including job creation, in the short term. There is still time, though it is growing short.
Are big thumbs upping ad clicks?
Oct. 3, 2012, 7:30 a.m. EDT
Stubby fingers may be the reason many consumers end up checking out ads on smartphones and tablets.
Facebook FB +2.06% , Google GOOG +0.73% and other tech companies have puzzled over how to make advertising work on mobile devices. But it turns out that tablet and smartphone users, when reading news sites, are more likely to click on ads than those using computers, a new survey suggests.
Consumers don’t appear to be turned off by mobile ads, according to a survey of nearly 10,000 people by Pew Research Center and The Economist Group. Half of tablet and smartphone users notice ads when they’re getting news on their mobile device. Of that amount, roughly 15% click on ads. “People notice ads on mobile devices and may be even more likely to click on them than they are to click on other digital ads,” the report states. A recent Ad Age study, in stark contrast, found that less than 1% of people click on digital ads regardless of the viewing platform.
Anti-bullying events at N.J. schools – since 2011, it’s the law
At Moorestown’s South Valley Elementary School, third graders listened Wednesday to author Staci Schwartz read from her new book about a misbehaving goat named Billy who picks on other “kids.”
Earlier this week, in Washington Township, Bells Elementary students made new friends, worked on their manners, and helped out grown-ups.
In schools throughout the region, assemblies have been scheduled, posters made, and discussions held, all on a central theme: Bullying is out and respect in.
This is the second annual Week of Respect for New Jersey children. All public districts and charter schools are required to provide age-appropriate instruction aimed at preventing harassment, intimidation, and bullying.
The week is but one aspect of the state’s far-reaching Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights. Signed into law in early 2011 by Gov. Christie – not long after the suicide of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi, whose roommate used a webcam to watch him kiss another man – the measure has been called one of the strongest of its kind in the nation. (Giordano, The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Ribbon cutting at renovated Ridgewood Community Center at the Village Hall
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 3, 2012, 10:54 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Unlike relentless flood waters that engulfed the first floor at Village Hall one year ago, the rain subsided just in time for last Friday’s grand reopening of the Ridgewood Community Center.
A subdued ribbon-cutting ceremony and the first program inside the renovated Annie Zusy Youth Center marked the official unveiling of the municipal building’s new main level.
Flooding during Hurricane Irene caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to the entire first floor and temporarily displaced several village organizations that had regularly used the space.
“This area is the heart of the community in terms of activities. It was pretty devastating for the communities, especially for children and seniors, when the flooding destroyed this,” said Mayor Paul Aronsohn. “It’s nice that we can welcome them, and everyone, back here.”
An extensive, months-long rehabilitation project had been ongoing throughout the summer. The work included the installation of two types of waterproof concrete blocks inside the hallways and meeting rooms. Blocks were stacked more than 5 feet off the ground, exceeding the height of the former wallboards that were damaged during the flood.
The Village Council bonded $400,000 to cover the construction costs. This sum did not include the initial clean-up bill, which hovered around the $90,000 mark. Federal assistance from FEMA was expected to help fund the project.
Simulating the Economic Effects of Romney’s Tax Plan
Tax Foundation Runs the Numbers on Proposed Tax Reform Package
Washington, D.C., October 3, 2012—A new analysis of Mitt Romney’s tax reform package by the Tax Foundation has revealed that, given realistic assumptions about its long-term impact, the plan would result in rising wages and increased economic growth. Economic simulations run by Tax Foundation Senior Fellow Stephen Entin and Chief Economist William McBride also debunk charges that Romney’s planned tax cuts on high-income households would increase the tax burden on low- and middle-income households.
“While the debate over tax reform has been consumed with distributional issues, the economy continues to limp along in the worst recovery since the Great Depression,” said McBride. “To be sure, this economy faces headwinds that even an ideal tax code will not address, but pro-growth tax reform can provide substantial benefits.”
The Tax Foundation’s results indicate that by lowering tax rates on investment and labor, the Romney tax plan would grow the economy by 7.4 percent, the capital stock by almost 19 percent, wages by almost 5 percent, and hours worked by 3 percent. The benefits would be widely enjoyed, as every income group would experience at least a 7 percent increase in after-tax income. It would benefit the federal budget as well, in that fully 60 percent of the initial revenue loss from Romney’s plan would be recovered from taxing a larger economy.
Economists recognize that there is more to a tax cut than the immediate increase in wealth of the recipient. If investment taxes are lowered, investment increases, because investors expect to keep more of their after-tax returns, and more people become investors. If taxes on wages are lowered, more people work and more people work harder. The benefits from these things spill over beyond the immediate actors. Businesses invest in equipment and new hires, leading to more productive workers, higher wages, and ultimately satisfied customers.
Tax Foundation Fiscal Fact No. 330, “Simulating the Economic Effects of Romney’s Tax Plan” by Stephen Entin and William McBride is available online.
The Tax Foundation is a nonpartisan research organization that has monitored fiscal policy at the federal, state and local levels since 1937. To schedule an interview, please contact Richard Morrison, the Tax Foundation’s Manager of Communications, at 202-464-5102 or [email protected].
10 Questions for the First Presidential Debate
Amy Payne
October 3, 2012 at 9:05 am https://tinyurl.com/9xulw36
Tonight’s debate between President Barack Obama and former Governor Mitt Romney is supposed to focus on domestic policy, with a major concentration on the economy. Health care, the role of government, and philosophy of governing are also on the agenda. The Heritage Foundation’s policy experts have submitted 10 questions they would like to see asked in the debate.
1. In 2008, then-candidate Obama said, “Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase.” In reality, President Obama’s signature health care law contains 18 new or increased taxes and penalties that will cost taxpayers $836.3 billion over the next 10 years, many of which fall heavily on the middle class. In fact, almost 70 percent of those responsible for paying the fiercely debated individual mandate are below 400 percent of the federal poverty level. Should these tax increases be stopped to protect middle-class Americans from their damage? If yes, where would the money needed to help pay for Obamacare come from?
2. Millions of baby boomers are starting to retire, and spending on Social Security and Medicare as these programs are currently structured is simply unsustainable. What is your plan to solve the looming entitlement program spending crisis?
3. Medicare as we know it today is facing severe financing problems that are unsustainable and putting future generations’ Medicare benefits in jeopardy. Over the long term, Medicare has made $37 trillion worth of promises to seniors that it cannot keep and the hospital insurance trust fund will be empty by 2024. Worse, the President’s health care law will cut Medicare by $716 billion over the next 10 years to pay for new spending in Obamacare. As Medicare’s solvency hangs in the balance, what structural reforms, if any, are you willing to make to preserve Medicare for future generations?
4. Everyone talks about shoring up our battered American Dream. How would you define the American Dream and what do you think are the most serious threats to it?
5. The Health and Human Services Department recently rewrote the law governing welfare to weaken its work requirements. Meanwhile, the number of people relying on food stamps has doubled under the current Administration. Should all able-bodied recipients be required to work or prepare for work as a condition of receiving aid in public housing, food stamps, and cash assistance?
6. The federal government is currently spending much more than it has, and annual budget deficits over $1 trillion have become the norm. What is your plan to stem the tide of deficits and rising debt?
7. One of the few bright spots in America’s economy has been energy production, particularly on state and private lands. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), energy production decreased 13 percent on federal lands in fiscal year (FY) 2011 when compared to FY 2010. What would you do to reverse course on energy production on federal lands?
8. Congress—most notably the Senate, which hasn’t produced a budget in over three years—is sorely lacking in its basic responsibility of budgeting. What would you do to ensure the fundamental process of budgeting is restored?
9. President Obama has previously stated that, in the most important 5 percent of cases before the courts, it matters more what is in a judge’s heart (what has come to be known as his empathy standard) than what the rule of law requires. Is this the correct standard by which to evaluate judicial nominees? If not, what standard would you apply?
10. Former Attorney General of Mexico Victor Humberto Benítez Treviño estimated that approximately 300 Mexican citizens have been killed using Fast and Furious weapons in addition to U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. Should Eric Holder resign as Attorney General because of his failures related to Operation Fast and Furious, including his failure to properly supervise the operation? If not, why not?
Ridgewood Schools in a PR offensive
October 3, 2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Schools took a bit of heat in early September with the NJ Monthly survey showing Ridgewood High School drooped a whooping 8 places in their school ranking .
With in days Ridgewood Superintendent Daniel Fishbein gave a brief overview of comparative data from the recent NJ Monthly high school rankings. According to Dr.Fishbein Ridgewood High School (RHS) performed as well as, or better than, surrounding schools in Bergen County that were ranked higher by the magazine. https://theridgewoodblog.net/dr-fishbein-claims-drop-in-nj-monthly-school-rankings-due-to-the-fact-that-rhs-students-are-required-to-take-the-ap-tests/
Since then Ridgewood Schools have continued to garner media attention :
Greg Wu named 2012-2013 Ashby Award Winner , Ridgewood NJ, The 2012 winner of the coveted Ashby Award is Greg Wu, Assistant Principal/Grade Administrator at Benjamin Franklin Middle School https://theridgewoodblog.net/greg-wu-named-2012-2013-ashby-award-winner-3/
Willard is Named a National Blue Ribbon School ,September 11, 2012 ,Ridgewood NJ – Willard Elementary School has been named a 2012 National Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education. The announcement was made last week by the U. S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Willard is one of only 269 schools in the nation to receive the award. Willard earned the Blue Ribbon designation for its overall academic excellence, in the category of “Exemplary High Performing.” https://theridgewoodblog.net/willard-is-named-a-national-blue-ribbon-school/
Ridgewood Board of Ed won’t commit to a zero percent tax increase ,Wednesday September 12, 2012, 3:49 PM ,BY LAURA HERZOG,
The Ridgewood News. A zero percent tax increase will be considered, but will not be a firm goal for the 2013-2014 school year budget.https://www.northjersey.com/news/169513576_Ridgewood_Board_of_Ed_won_t_commit_to_a_zero_percent_tax_increase.html
RHS ATHLETIC TRAINER NICK NICHOLAIDES TO APPEAR ON THE ‘KATIE’ SHOW,RHS Athletic Trainer Nick Nicholaides, whose video on concussion awareness is garnering national attention, will appear on Katie Courac’s new show, “Katie,” this Friday, September 21 at 3 p.m. on Channel 7 (ABC). Also in the audience will be RHS student athlete Megan Donnelly.
Ridgewood enrollment numbers on the rise MONDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2012, 10:09 AM,BY LAURA HERZOG,THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
While school enrollment has substantially declined in many other public school districts, Ridgewood has been gaining students.According to data provided by the Board of Education (BOE), 52 more students are enrolled in Ridgewood this fall than were enrolled last year. The numbers also show that enrollment has steadily been on the rise in Ridgewood for more than 10 years. https://www.northjersey.com/news/170980391_Ridgewood_enrollment_numbers_on_the_rise.html
Ridgewood High School library upgrade campaign ramped up ,THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 20, 2012, 4:44 PM, BY LAURA HERZOG
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS .The Ridgewood High School (RHS) Home and School Association (HSA) will soon launch an aggressive fall fundraising campaign to pay for the transformation of the RHS library into a space better suited for 21st century learners. The renovation will potentially cost $850,000. https://www.northjersey.com/news/170564766_Ridgewood_High_School_library_upgrade_campaign_ramped_up.html
And yesterday we are told DR. FISHBEIN NAMED TOP SUPERINTENDENT IN NORTH JERSEY , 10.02.12: Superintendent of Schools Dr. Daniel Fishbein has been named top superintendent of the state’s northern region by his peer members of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators. Dr. Fishbein is now in the running for the New Jersey Superintendent of the year, which would make him eligible to be voted to the national title. https://www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us/
First Kudos for Willard, Dr Fishbien ,Greg Wu ,and Nick Nicholaides but one is lead to wonder ,what gives with the PR offensive ? pressure from Charter Schools , worries about the core curricula ? , big tax increase coming ? turf fields in flood zones getting you down ? Teachers prolonged contract discussions left some bad blood or is the BOE looking to buck the 2% cap? Or maybe Dr Fishbien is looking for a big raise ?
U.S. Consulate in Benghazi Bombed Twice in Run-Up to 9/11 Anniversary
Oct 2, 2012 4:45 AM EDT
Jihadists twice set off explosives at the consulate prior to the incident that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens, and announced threats on Facebook about escalating attacks on Western targets in the run-up to the 9/11 anniversary, according to whistleblowers reaching out to House Republicans.
In the five months leading up to this year’s 9/11 anniversary, there were two bombings on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi and increasing threats to and attacks on the Libyan nationals hired to provide security at the U.S. missions in Tripoli and Benghazi.
Details on these alleged incidents stem in part from the testimony of a handful of whistleblowers who approached the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in the days and weeks following the attack on the Benghazi consulate. The incidents are disclosed in a letter to be sent Tuesday to Hillary Clinton from Rep. Darrell Issa, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Rep. Jason Chaffetz, the chairman of the oversight committee’s subcommittee that deals with national security.
The State Department did not offer comment on the record last night.
Bigger Government, More Cronyism, Less Economic Freedom
Ryan OlsonSeptember 28, 2012 at 3:15 pm
Recent news about the Obama Administration’s divestitures from AIG and GM—in some cases at a loss of billions of dollars—stands as a reminder of the privilege and cronyism that permeates our economy.
As favoritism grows with the size of the government, economic freedom continues to be eroded by policies like bailouts, loan guarantees, and tax exemptions. Privilege has replaced the good public economic policies of freedom. The influence of a select few is eroding our economic values and introducing perverse incentives and inefficiencies that hurt our competitiveness.
This is what Matthew Mitchell of the Mercatus Center argued in a recent lecture at The Heritage Foundation. Drawing from prior research, Mitchell argues that cronyism—manifested in regulations, subsidies, bailouts, tax credits, monopolies, loan guarantees, non-competitive bidding, and protectionism—is becoming all too common in our public policy discourse:
[Economic] privileges limit the prospects for mutually beneficial exchange—the very essence of economic progress. They raise prices, lower quality, and discourage innovation…[padding] the pockets of the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of the poor and unknown.
Such privileges strike at the heart of our society’s values and affect every American. This allocation of certain privileges to certain groups also has dire consequences for our economy, hurting the American consumer by reducing competitiveness and raising prices.
The result has been declining economic freedom. According to the most recent Index of Economic Freedom, published by The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal, freedom from corruption in the United States has fallen by 5 percentage points over the previous year due to increasing levels of cronyism and corruption.
In order to get our economy back on track, policymakers should embrace free enterprise and reduce subsidies and regulations that act as government-sponsored protection for a select few. Everyone should have the right to compete in the marketplace on an equal basis.
America’s leaders need to represent all Americans, not just a privileged elite. Thus, we need policies that help all Americans, not just the ones who can afford lobbyists and large campaign donations.
‘Stupid’ doggie seat-belt bill won’t get Christie backing
Its about time some body said it
New Jersey’s cats and dogs won’t have to submit to seatbelt-like harnesses when they ride in the car so long as Chris Christie is governor.
Christie said he won’t sign a “stupid” proposal pending in the Legislature that would require motorists to secure the animals while in moving vehicles.
Democrats who control the Senate and General Assembly are wasting their time with the measure, said the first-term Republican confronting a shortfall in revenue and whose constituents face the highest residential property taxes in the nation and the worst unemployment rate in three decades.
“This will tell you everything you need to know about how New Jersey runs under the Democrats,” Christie, 50, said yesterday in his monthly “Ask the Governor” broadcast on Ewing-based WKXW-FM radio. “They’re actually spending their time on this.” (Young, Bloomberg)
55 percent of small business owners would not start company today, blame Obama
September 26, 2012 | 10:39 am
Fifty-five percent of small business owners and manufacturers would not have started their businesses in today’s economy, according to a new poll that also reports 69 percent say President Obama’s regulatory policies have hurt their businesses.
“There is far too much uncertainty, too many burdensome regulations and too few policymakers willing to put aside their egos and fulfill their responsibilities to the American people,” said Jay Timmons, president of the National Association of Manufacturers, which commissioned the poll along with the National Federation of Independent Businesses. “To fix this problem, we need immediate action on pro-growth tax and regulatory policies that put manufacturers in the United States in a position to compete and succeed in an ever-more competitive global economy.”
The poll reports another ominous statistic for job creation: “67 percent say there is too much uncertainty in the market today to expand, grow or hire new workers.” Why? Because “President Obama’s Executive Branch and regulatory policies have hurt American small businesses and manufacturers,” according to 69 percent of the business owners surveyed.
Here are the key findings in the poll, as highlighted by NAM:
67 percent say there is too much uncertainty in the market today to expand, grow or hire new workers.
69 percent of small business owners and manufacturers say President Obama’s Executive Branch and regulatory policies have hurt American small businesses and manufacturers.
55 percent say they would not start a business today given what they know now and in the current environment.
54 percent say other countries like China and India are more supportive of their small businesses and manufacturers than the United States.
Assemblyman Angel Fuentes calls for adding social media to school curriculum
Assemblyman Angel Fuentes (D-5) of Camden, wants schools to teach students how to properly use social media.
On Tuesday, he introduced legislation to include social media as part of the school’s core technology curriculum for students in grades 6 through 8, starting in the 2013-14 school year. (Hassan, State Street Wire)
Twenty of 107 school choice districts are in one New Jersey county
Published: Monday, September 24, 2012, 11:06 PM
By Renée Kiriluk-Hill/Hunterdon Democrat
Nearly 20% of the 107 New Jersey districts accepting applications from out-of-district students under the school choice program are in Hunterdon County. They range from the state’s smallest elementary school, Stockton, to the county’s largest school, Hunterdon Central High.
Under the program, first piloted in 2000 and opened up when Gov. Chris Christie two years ago signed into law the Interdistrict School Choice Program, the state pays each choice student’s tuition and that child’s home district pays or provides transportation valued up to $884, within 20 miles of a student’s home. Beyond that a parent is responsible for transportation.
In 2010 there were 15 schools statewide in the program. The following year there were 2,131 students enrolled in 71 choice districts. This year the number of districts only increased by two but enrollment jumped to 3,356 and Christie sought an additional $14.2 million to support program.
