>$1B messtimate,Port Authority goofs on WTC cost budget
By JENNIFER FERMINO Transit Reporter Last Updated: 4:11 AM, February 10, 2012
The Port Authority brain trust that orchestrated last year’s toll hikes failed to include a billion dollars in their accounting of World Trade Center costs — and no one at the agency yesterday could explain why.
The blooper was uncovered in an independent audit released Tuesday that found the PA will fork over $7.7 billion to pay for the construction of the World Trade Center.
That’s a $1.7 billion increase from the last cost estimate in 2008.
At the agency’s monthly board meeting yesterday, red-faced officials admitted costs like moving tenants into 1 World Trade Center were not accounted for — despite being necessary to complete the job.
“Ridgewood school district hopes to reopen bridge.” Reader says better to replace bridge than fix it
A couple of points from this article that should be noted.
1) It has long been obvious to anyone and everyone who has had a conversation with an administrator or a BOE member about the bridge that they want no part of replacing it. They are scared to death that they will be forced to replace it and what the potential costs could be. (Can’t say I blame them.) Remember that when you try to digest their concerns about “ramps” becoming “dams.” That bridge is already a dam directly in the path of the river and greatly contributes to the flooding on Vets, Stevens and the RHS Field. “Ramps” would be outside the path of the river and would only become “dams” after the river has already flooded. That is a big difference. To try and argue that they are the same is ludicrous and indicative of how far they are reaching to ensure they do not have to pay to replace the bridge. It would also be very easy to build ramps that allowed flood water to run under them in the case of a major flood.
2) Allowing Angelo to be the person discussing things with the DEP is one more way to try and ensure that nothing gets done with the bridge. His job is to say “no,” especially when it comes to spending money. How do you think we ended up with the fake cupola on top of the HS? He thought no one would notice and the BOE could save some bucks. Thankfully it didn’t work out that way. He should not be involved in any of this until a decision is made and costs need to be evaluated. There should be a committee of people working with our elected state representatives to find out exactly what could be done to replace that bridge. The discussions should include; potential grants for flood relief, streamlined fast tracked approvals and guidance from the state and county and viable options that could be done quickly and cost effectively.
3) The fact that the current “Specs” demand (taking Angelo’s word which is very risky) that there be 84′ of ramps on both sides in order to raise a simple pedestrian bridge over a small stream shows just how out of touch Trenton and government as a whole has become. Governor Christie has pledged to bring common sense back to environmental restrictions. If we really want to address the bridge and the resulting flooding it would probably be good if we reached out to Christie’s office and got some direction on who we should be talking to at the DEP and get them to the site and find out what kind of options we have. There are always options when you refuse to take “no” as the answer the first time you ask. I am sure there is another way to build a small pedestrian bridge without constructing 168 feet of ramps for a 15 foot wide stream.
If we don’t get the DEP to the site and find out a way to replace that bridge we’re going to be paying $50,000 a clip to clean and renovate the fields every time we get a significant flood and then we are still going to have to pay to have it replaced because it is going to continue to erode and deteriorate no matter what the BOE thinks. We should spend the bare minimum on the bridge to get it re-opened for the short term and we should start immediately working on getting a plan together to replace it or we’re going to have the same conversations in another couple of years when the bridge needs yet again more repairs.
> ““the Telephone Pole Solar Panel Rip-Off”” : Readers comment
Ellie Gruber , just had to comment on this story:
There are numerous errors of commission and omission in the blog.
1. NJ has better sun than Germany but German panels are producing year round- (better in the summer but even in the winter as long as they are not totally snow covered).. PV panels work well in low sun conditions- they do not need direct summer sunlight in order to produce energy. NJ has about 15-20% more sun than Germany on an annual basis
2. The structure and costs of the NJ solar program and the German program are very different. Germany has been more aggressive for longer than NJ and has more capacity on a per capita basis. Germany has been able to reduce peak usage in their grid and reduce peak energy costs by hundreds of millions of dollars.
3. As opposed to fossil fuel technologies, the cost of installing solar is dropping- last year prices were 30% less than 2009. The NJ solar progeam is making solar more competitive with fossil fuels while cleaning the air and providing jobs for thousands of NJ residents.
>New Jersey’s Top Two Youth Volunteers Selected in 17th Annual National Awards Program Montville and Montclair Students Earn $1,000 Awards, Engraved Medallions and Trip to Nation’s Capital
TRENTON, N.J., Feb 07, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — –Honors Also Bestowed on Youth Volunteers in Neptune, Pitman, Clinton, Randolph, Brigantine and Ridgewood
Stephanie Jennis, 16, of Montville and Giovanna Boyle, 13, of Montclair today were named New Jersey’s top two youth volunteers for 2012 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. Stephanie was nominated by Montville Township High School in Montville, and Giovanna was nominated by Glenfield Middle School in Montclair. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its 17th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).
Stephanie, a sophomore at Montville Township High School, helped her family start a nonprofit organization that has raised more than $500,000 over the past nine years to fund programs that promote the inclusion of children with disabilities in schools and communities. She then launched a project called “Include ME!,” to promote inclusion not only for kids with disabilities, but for others who feel ostracized as well. “My brother, Jacob, has multiple disabilities and has always been my source of inspiration,” said Stephanie. After focusing on children with disabilities through her family’s charity and through her own project initially, she realized that there are other children who feel unaccepted and isolated by their peers. “My purpose for ‘Include ME!’ has grown from including children with disabilities toward uniting all children in an effort to terminate bullying and promote acceptance of diversity across all platforms,” she said.
Working with 25 students that she recruited from five communities, Stephanie made presentations to legislators, education officials, businesses and other organizations. The group also prepared programs for school assemblies to promote inclusion, as well as to encourage students to become leaders in the movement. In addition, Stephanie and her fellow volunteers sold T-shirts and sponsored a walkathon and a 5k race to raise $40,000, which will help expand Stephanie’s program across the state. “My vision is to make ‘Include ME!’ a national campaign where all children can feel they belong,” she said.
Giovanna, an eighth-grader at Glenfield Middle School, worked with her mother and two other adults to create a charitable organization that connects privileged young people in her town with poor kids in Brazil. After traveling with her mother to Brazil in 2004, Giovanna wanted to do something to improve the lives of the children she had met in two fishing villages. “I made friends with some of the Brazilians and thought how great it would be if all my friends in Montclair could be friends with them, too,” she said. Since it would be difficult for them to actually meet, Giovanna proposed setting up pen-pal relationships to exchange letters, drawings and photos.
She and her mother registered 25 children in each village and paired them with 50 kids in Montclair. Over the past seven years, the pen-pals have formed deep friendships and gained an understanding of a different way of life, Giovanna said. Some of the U.S. students have also contributed financially to their pen-pals’ educations. Giovanna travels to Brazil every summer to teach the village children songs, games, dances, arts and crafts and English. At home in Montclair, she raises money for her charity, translates letters, and leads pen-pal workshops. “It’s important that those with abundance share with those who have very little,” said Giovanna. “If kids can do this globally, forming friendships and alliances, understanding and loving rather than fearing, we stand a much better chance of world peace.”
As State Honorees, Stephanie and Giovanna each will receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion, and an all-expense-paid trip in early May to Washington, D.C., where they will join the top two honorees from each of the other states and the District of Columbia for several days of national recognition events. Ten of them will be named America’s top youth volunteers for 2012 at that time.
Distinguished Finalists
In addition, the program judges recognized six other New Jersey students as Distinguished Finalists for their impressive community service activities. Each will receive an engraved bronze medallion:
Andrew Bauer, 18, of Neptune, N.J., a senior at Neptune High School, raised more than $12,000 in grants and donations to create and direct a film to help educate fellow students about proper financial management. Andrew, who secured help from CNBC and U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., has shown his film not only at his school but on local access channels, to other schools and groups and to the Congressional Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade.
Katelyn Eystad, 15, of Pitman, N.J., a freshman at Pitman High School, was only 12 years old when she opened “Angels of God Clothing Closet,” which provided free clothes to those in need. Katelyn, who chose to give back after the community helped her family overcome a house fire, organizes clothing drives to stock the store, works with local agencies to identify those in need, and recruits volunteers to help run the store.
Anne Kuster, 17, of Clinton, N.J., a senior at North Huntington High School in Annandale, raised nearly $145,000 to fund the material and installation costs of solar panels for nine homes being built for low-income families through Habitat for Humanity. Anne solicited donations from companies throughout New Jersey and secured a sponsorship from the Electrical Union, and her solar project is now being considered for all Habitat homes built in the future.
Carly Levin, 17, of Randolph, N.J., a senior at Randolph High School, is a passionate advocate on behalf of those with fibrous dysplasia, a tumorous bone disease that struck Carly when she was 13 years old. Since then, she has raised $5,000 for research and is helping others cope as the co-administrator of a Facebook support group for young people affected by the disease.
Joseph Mandes, 17, of Brigantine, N.J., a volunteer with the United Way of Atlantic County and a junior at Atlantic City High School, founded the “Kids for South Jersey Cancer Fund” when he was 13 years old and has since helped to raise more than $28,000 to support the South Jersey Cancer Fund. Joseph, whose volunteer work is in honor of his “Poppy” who died from cancer, has recruited 75 volunteers to raise funds by hosting bake sales, coin drops and beach runs.
Victoria Pan, 17, of Ridgewood, N.J., a senior at Ridgewood High School, created “Students Saving Energy,” a collaborative network that helps student environmental clubs across the U.S. make the connections and secure the support they need for sustainability projects. Victoria created a website, Facebook group and group email account, coordinated with local and national environmental groups, and helped organize an in-person meeting for network participants.
“Through their selfless acts of service, these award recipients have greatly improved the lives of others,” said Prudential Chairman and CEO John Strangfeld. “We hope their stories and their dedication inspire other young people to do the same.”
“We are so pleased to celebrate these student volunteers,” said JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director of NASSP. “It’s important to highlight them as powerful examples of how young people can make a difference.”
2 different career paths define Christie N.J. Supreme Court nominees
One nominee has logged long hours in the courtroom, and the other has rarely appeared before a judge. One has a $3.5 million real estate portfolio, while the other owns less than $1 million worth of property.
Those are just a couple of the distinctions between the two attorneys nominated by Gov. Chris Christie to serve on the state Supreme Court detailed in questionnaires submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The documents, obtained by The Star-Ledger, offered a glimpse into the different backgrounds of Phillip Kwon, 44, of Closter, and Bruce Harris, 61, the mayor of Chatham borough. If confirmed, Harris would be the first openly gay justice on the court, and Kwon the first Asian-American. (Baxter and Spoto, The Star-Ledger)
While I am finishing up part 5 of the series “the Telephone Pole Solar Panel Rip-Off”, I want to bring to everyone’s attention some interesting information that is being compiled on the operation of solar panels by Germany. The reason it should be of interest is because many in the state use Germany as a blueprint for New Jersey’s solar panel program.
Since the 1980’s the Green Party in Germany has pushed the country to invest enormous amounts of money in “Green” power projects. Because of this the installed solar cell base is 1.1 million power systems and is rated at 25 gigawatts. That might sound impressive until you convert is to megawatts and realize that it is 25,000 megawatts. That is about the same amount of electricity, if all of the cells are producing at the same time what would be produced by 25 average coal fired or nuclear powered generating plants.
To get this 25,000 megawatts Germany has paid a tremendous price. They have invested over 100 billion Euros to install these units and just recently the return on investment in the form of electricity from this expenditure was: ZERO.
Of course you will not read about this in the New York Times, Washington Post or on NBC, ABC or CBS since it does not support the green energy myth they have been pushing. You will though find out about these problems if you are an investor researching various companies in the alternative energy fields.
I was reading an article entitled Dark Clouds Threaten German Clean Energy Ambitions: Global Implications by John Peterson, an American living in Switzerland. This one quote really hit home:
“For weeks now, the 1.1 million solar power systems in Germany have generated almost no electricity.”
Because of this Germany has had to import electricity from France and Czech Republic. 100 billion Euros spent and they still have to import energy to heat and light their homes. Could this be the future of New Jersey? Well, some people want it that way and are willing to lie to us in order to make it so.
Writing at EcoOutfitters.net, Dawn Allcot compares Germany and New Jersey then makes this statement:
There’s a simple answer, and the proof is in the power. (So to speak…) Germany is currently the world’s leader in solar energy production. Last year, the country’s solar plants produced more than 13,000mw of solar energy – enough to power 4.3 million homes, according to an article on the BBC website about solar power in Europe.
And Germany isn’t exactly noted for its sunny, temperate weather. Let’s look at a snapshot of conditions in a few areas around Berlin today, according to Weather Underground:
• Scattered clouds
• Mostly cloudy
• Scattered Clouds
• Scattered Clouds
• Clear
• Mostly Cloudy…
This sure sounds a lot like the weather we get in New Jersey, and if we accepted what Allcot takes as gospel from the BBC, it might make sense for New Jersey to follow in Germany’s “green” footsteps. But before we open the checkbook, how about we consider this little piece of information by Alexander Neubacher at Spiegel Online International:
> ‘Islamist Firster’ president not what he claimed By Charles Hurt-The Washington Times
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
GOLAN HEIGHTS — Surveying the live minefields, cratered roads and mortar-pocked concrete buildings along the border here between Syria and Israel, it is hard not to be reminded of the historic and monumental disappointment President Obama has been.
When he was campaigning to become the most powerful man in the last standing superpower on Earth, he spoke passionately about changing the world, restoring America’s greatness and bringing more peace and fairness to everyone.
>‘Hybrid’ charters will meld online lessons with conventional instruction
A great deal was made of the Christie administration’s last round of charter school approvals, and the lack of any suburban charters on the list.
But the urban ones that were approved are interesting in themselves, including two in Trenton and Newark that are trying a new model of education, mixing online learning with face-to-face instruction in a setting unlike any other in the state.
The person making the pitch is Ben Rayer, a self-described education “entrepreneur” out of Philadelphia who won approval to bring the new model to two of New Jersey’s toughest cities. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
>DANIEL FISHBEIN: Individuality at every level Thursday, January 26, 2012 By DANIEL FISHBEIN COLUMNIST
Sometimes families who move into the village are surprised when I tell them they are welcome to enroll their school-age children, even if it is in the middle of the year. When this happens I am both equally surprised and also reminded of the many aspects of public education that we take for granted, including the fact that everyone is welcome and school-age students are accepted independent of when they arrive in town or whether or not they have learning issues.
Legislation ensures the basic tenet that all children have the right to a public education, and as a public school system, the Ridgewood district operates according to the corresponding, and large, body of federal and state laws. But the Ridgewood district is unique because it dares to ascribe to the notion that the highest educational standards should be implemented alongside that legislation.
This vision of excellence has long been established as a core value of a Ridgewood education. I am fortunate to lead such a great public school district in a community that values this highest level of comprehensive education for all students. As part of that vision of excellence, the Ridgewood Public Schools is committed to celebrating all of our students and the individuality of each school, at every level.
>36 Obama aides owe $833,000 in back taxes Andrew Malcolm Political News & Commentary
How embarrassing this must be for President Obama, whose major speech theme so far this campaign season has been that every single American, no matter how rich, should pay their “fair share” of taxes.
Because how unfair — indeed, un-American — it is for an office worker like, say, Warren Buffet’s secretary to dutifully pay her taxes, while some well-to-do people with better educations and higher incomes end up paying a much smaller tax rate.
Or, worse, skipping their taxes altogether.
A new report just out from the Internal Revenue Service reveals that 36 of President Obama’s executive office staff owe the country $833,970 in back taxes. These people working for Mr. Fair Share apparently haven’t paid any share, let alone their fair share.
Previous reports have shown how well-paid Obama’s White House staff is, with 457 aides pulling down more than $37 million last year. That’s up seven workers and nearly $4 million from the Bush administration’s last year.
Nearly one-third of Obama’s aides make more than $100,000 with 21 being paid the top White House salary of $172,200, each.
>5 RHS students were inducted last month into the high school’s new Donahue Fellowship program.
RHS music students Catherine Janson (’15), Johnny DeCesare (’15), Matthew Casale (’14), Miranda Canilang (’13), and Trey Shore (’12) were inducted last month into the high school’s new Donahue Fellowship program, honoring the life and memory of 2003 RHS grad Connor Donohue. The Fellows were selected based on their love of music, motivation to study music seriously, and willingness to serve as a mentor and role model to other musicians. Acceptance into the Fellowship includes weekly private music lessons, monthly music seminars with a professional musician, master classes with faculty at local universities, and opportunities to attend concerts in the area.
The Fellowship was established by RHS alumni Colin Mead (’03), Val Allevi (’02), MichaelAaron Flicker (’01), Director of Bands Jeffrey Haas, and is currently led by Alison Crossley (’01). The Fellowship is a recognized non-profit organization and operates solely on fundraising and donations. Donations can be sent to: Donohue Fellowship c/o Valerie Allevi, 411A Gregory Avenue, Weehawken, NJ 07086. Checks should be made payable to RHS Band Council Alumni. Any questions about the Fellowship can be sent to [email protected]
I’m about to use a dirty word. It’s the “M” word. Not everyone dislikes the word. In fact, the “M” word is a word the President and others on the Left are quite fond of. So what is the word? Mandate – the antithesis of freedom. Compulsion, force, coercion, and requirement, are all common synonyms of the “M” word. Obama and his allies quite simply love to mandate.
To name a few Obama mandates: Obamacare mandates that all Americans carry health insurance by 2014 or face a stiff penalty. The Dodd-Frank financial industry overhaul, through the controversial Volcker Rule,mandates that by July of this year certain banks cannot buy and sell securities for their own benefit. In the name of energy efficiency, through a special office of the Department of Energy, the Administration mandates what kind of appliances the American people can buy for their homes. Obama has mandated that the cars Americansbuy must achieve 56 mpg, i.e., fully electric powered engines, by 2025. Also in the name of energy efficiency,Obama has mandated that we can only buy a certain type of mercury-filled light bulb.
The reason why the “M” word comes so easy to the President and others on the Left, is that they are starting from a very different point. The Left claim that American principles include fairness, equal opportunity, and equal responsibility for all. Now I have read the Declaration of Independence, and I have read the Constitution,and I have read the Federalist Papers, and I simply cannot find these so-called “principles” in any of these documents. What I found are words like freedom, liberty, pursuit of happiness, and natural-born rights. These are America’s founding principles.
Besides trampling our natural-born freedoms, disregarding the Constitution, and treating the American people like we are too stupid to make decisions for ourselves, mandates like these also have significant negative economic consequences.
Many of these mandates increase the cost of doing business. For instance, the rules and regulations imposed by President Obama alone have increased the cost of doing business in this country by tens of billions of dollars.If business can afford to, they will pass along the increases to their customers as higher prices – like a hiddentax increase. They may also sell fewer goods or services, or they will lay off, or simply not hire more workers. What ever the consequence, mandates like those favored by the Left have significantly negative effects on the U.S. economy.
Now, the Obama Administration is imposing a new mandate: as part of Obamacare regulations the President is mandating most health plans to fully cover contraception without co-payments or deductibles.
The new rule will not affect government-administered, i.e., publicly funded, health care. Those on public assistance already have their birth control fully subsidized. Instead, private health plans will now be required to provide birth control to all their participants, including those who would have already been on birth control with or without the mandate. So, guess what? Those of us who have health insurance will soon be paying higher monthly premiums to subsidize the cost of birth control and a laundry list of other family planning items. After all, the manufacturers of these products are not going to provide them for free. (They cost millionsto manufacture, not to mention the significant research and development costs that go into developing many of these products, and let’s face it, there is nothing wrong with maximizing profits.) And the health insurers who pay for them are not going to just eat the cost. They are going to pass them along to their customers, i.e.,premium-paying Americans – folks like you and me who have health insurance and pay premiums out of our own pockets.
The government’s basis for the new mandate is to reduce the downstream healthcare costs associated with unwanted pregnancies. Putting the moral issues against the mandate, which are significant, aside, the government’s cost-benefit analysis appears to be seriously flawed.
The government, not surprisingly, is overstating the benefit associated with the new mandate. For instance, the number of unintended pregnancies in the U.S. per year covered by the mandate is not as high as the government would have us believe. In fact, although the government claims millions will annually benefit from the mandate, no more than 500,000 unwanted pregnancies would be covered by it. Furthermore, no one is claiming, I’m sure,that the new mandate will motivate the use of birth control in all of these cases or that birth control will preventunintended pregnancies 100% of the time.
And the costs associated with the mandate will likely be higher than the government anticipates. Indeed, those who currently have at least a portion of their birth control covered by their insurance will now have 100% of the cost covered. And some of those not currently on birth control – and not counted as an unwanted pregnancy because they didn’t get pregnant – when offered a free lunch may start using a contraceptive. It will cost insurance companies more to fully cover birth control. These increased costs will simply be passed along ashigher premiums. There is no such thing as a free lunch.
Assuming the mandate is even authorized by the Constitution, which I submit it is not, the benefit to society should significantly outweigh the increased costs in order to justify the invasion of our freedom. Once again, it does not.
Mandates are a dirty word not only because they destroy our freedom and keep us under the heavy hand of the nanny state, but they also are invidious because they often impose tax increases on the American people without anyone noticing or batting an eye.
Ian Linker is an attorney living in Ridgewood, New Jersey and is a former Republican candidate for the U.S.Senate from New Jersey.
>NEW DATE: Assemblymen Scott Rumana and David Russo will speak at the Education Center on Tuesday, February 7 at 7:30 p.m
Assemblymen Scott Rumana and David Russo will speak at the Education Center on Tuesday, February 7 at 7:30 p.m. The public is invited to come to 49 Cottage Place, floor 3, to hear them address hot education topics in the Legislature at this time.
Topics to be discussed include: Teacher Tenure Reform Charter Schools Vouchers School Funding School State Aid
Please rsvp to Kathy Kiedaisch in the Superintendent’s Office at [email protected] or 201-670-2700, ext. 10530.
