>111th Congress Added More Debt Than First 100 Congresses Combined: $10,429 Per Person in U.S. Monday, December 27, 2010 By Terence P. Jeffrey
(CNSNews.com) – The federal government has accumulated more new debt–$3.22 trillion ($3,220,103,625,307.29)—during the tenure of the 111th Congress than it did during the first 100 Congresses combined, according to official debt figures published by the U.S. Treasury. That equals $10,429.64 in new debt for each and every one of the 308,745,538 people counted in the United States by the 2010 Census.
>Blizzard of 2010 : Readers comment on snow removal
“Woodside Avenue was plowed yesterday by 1pm. Maybe even sooner. I walked to the train station today and all way fine. I don’t know why people complain. My parents live in Queens and the plow just came by an hour ago”
“My street is a little slippery but otherwise no problems. Drivers need to be a bit more careful though. I’ve seen some icy spots. Kids are loving the snow and aren’t even complaining about the cold.”
“a little narrow but passable”
“I have not ventured beyond my street the entire day. My street is passable, but needs more work.”
“The roads by me are great. The Japanese know how to build them. LOL I am currently in Japan. Heard you guys got a little bit of snow over the weekend.”
>Ridgewood store owners report good holiday business Friday, December 24, 2010 BY JOYCE VENEZIA SUSS THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS FOR THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Shopkeepers in Ridgewood’s Central Business District are feeling a little more optimistic about holiday season sales this year, compared to bleak profits just a year ago.
Hot Jewelry Box was filled with shoppers searching for Christmas gifts earlier this week. Ridgewood “is in line with the whole country right now: slowly recovering,” said Scott A. Lief, president of the Ridgewood Chamber of Commerce. “But we are definitely light years ahead of where we were 12 months ago.”
“Business is good,” said Maral Medzadourian, who co-owns Paris Jewelers with her daughter, Talin Medzadourian Araian, although customers are not buying as much gold jewelry because gold “is going up and down. Right now, it’s about
>Man found dead in car that crashed into Ridgewood cleaners Tuesday, December 28, 2010 LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY DECEMBER 28, 2010, 11:17 AM BY MARLENE NAANES NORTHJERSEY.COM Staff Writer
RIDGEWOOD — The driver of a snow plow made a grisly discovery Tuesday morning, finding a man dead in a car that crashed into a North Maple Avenue cleaners, police said.
A man surveys the damage done to Corde Cleaners after it was hit by a car driven by a person who died at the wheel. The building in the Village Shopping Center on N. Maple Ave. The plow was clearing the parking lot at 76 N. Maple Ave. when he found the car, which went over a curb, hitting the window and the brick wall of Corde Cleaners, said Police Chief John Ward.
>Take my congressman—please :It’s only the fourth time in history that we have lost a seat
When the results of the 2010 census were released earlier this month, they confirmed that my home state of New Jersey would see its delegation in Congress shrink from 13 members to an even dozen. It’s only the fourth time in history that we have lost a seat. (McGurn, The Wall Street Journal)
>N.J. lawmaker questions absence of Christie, lt. gov. during blizzard
A Democratic lawmaker is questioning why both Governor Christie and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno are out of state at the same time, leaving Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) as the state’s acting governor during a blizzard that paralyzed the state. (Friedman, The Record)
Incoming Republican Bergen County freeholders have called upon departing County Executive Dennis McNerney to scuttle $400,000 in raises he granted to employees while on his way out the door. (Isherwood, PolitickerNJ)
>Village of Ridgewood: SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING PICKUPS New Schedule
12/27/2010 – SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING PICKUPS IS SUSPENDED TODAY – New Schedule
Due to weather conditions solid waste and recycling has been cancelled for today, December 27th. The following new schedule is for the remainder of this week and requires garbage and recycling to be BROUGHT TO THE CURB:
Tuesday, December 28 – East side solid waste collection. Everything must be placed at the curb.
Recycling Area 5 and 6 will be collected.
Wednesday, December 29 – Townwide Commingled
Recycling Area 7 will be collected
Thursday, December 30 – West side solid waste collection. Everything must be placed at the curb.
Recycling Area 8
Friday, December 31 – Village Hall and Services Closed
>IMPORTANT SERVICE INFORMATION: Rail Service to Operate on Enhanced Weekend Schedule on Tuesday, December 28
Issued: December 26, 2010
Due to continued severe weather conditions and anticipated low ridership, NJ TRANSIT rail service will be modified on Tuesday, December 28, 2010. NJ TRANSIT rail service will operate on an enhanced weekend schedule on Tuesday, December 28, on all lines except the Atlantic City Rail Line. (Atlantic City Rail Line service will follow a regular weekday schedule.) The enhanced weekend schedule provides more trains than a Saturday/Sunday schedule, while still reducing the number of trains operating to match expected ridership.
To plan a rail trip on njtransit.com, please use January 17, 2011, (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) as your travel date. Click here to plan a trip
IMPORTANT: In addition to the enhanced weekend schedule, NJ TRANSIT will add trains on select lines to provide at least one train per hour in each direction. The following is a list of additional trains:
Main/Bergen County
1746: Depart Suffern at 5:34 AM, Bergen County all stop local, Arrive Hoboken at 6:40 AM. 1790: Depart Suffern at 6:37 AM, Main Line all stop local, Arrive Hoboken at 7:49 AM. 1794: Depart Suffern at 7:54 AM, Bergen County all stop local, Arrive Hoboken at 8:59 AM. 1760: Depart Suffern at 10:20 AM, Bergen County all stop local, Arrive Hoboken at 11:25 AM. 1764: Depart Suffern at 12:20 PM, Bergen County all stop local, Arrive Hoboken at 1:25 PM. 1768: Depart Suffern at 2:27 PM, Bergen County all stop local, Arrive Hoboken at 3:31 PM. 1709: Depart Hoboken at 8:23 AM, Main Line all stop Local, Arrive Suffern at 9:37 AM. 1713: Depart Hoboken at 10:23 AM, Main Line all stop Local, Arrive Suffern at 11:37 AM. 1765: Depart Hoboken at 11:18 AM, Bergen County all stop local, Arrive Suffern at 12:24 PM. 1721: Depart Hoboken at 2:23 PM, Main Line all stop Local, Arrive Suffern at 3:37 PM. 1781: Depart Hoboken at 7:20 PM, Bergen County all stop local, Arrive Suffern at 8:26 PM. 1733: Depart Hoboken at 8:25 PM, Main Line all stop local, Arrive Suffern at 9:36 PM. Raritan Valley Line
1504: Depart Raritan at 5:43 AM, all local stops except Garwood, Arrive Newark 6:39 AM 8553: Depart Newark 6:13 AM, all local stops except Garwood, Arrive Raritan 7:06 AM Please note:
Jersey Avenue Station will be closed on Tuesday, December 28. Customers should use New Brunswick Station as an alternate boarding location. Trains will add stops at North Elizabeth Station. The station is normally not served on weekends. On the Raritan Valley Line, there will be no service west of Raritan. Also, six trains on the weekend schedule that normally operate only on Saturdays will operate on Tuesday. There will be no service west of Dover on the Morris & Essex Line. NJ TRANSIT has implemented full systemwide cross-honoring through 11:59 p.m. Monday, December 27, enabling customers to use their ticket or pass on an alternate travel mode-rail, bus or light rail. For example, customers who normally take the bus from Rutherford to the Port Authority Bus Terminal may use their bus pass on the train from Rutherford to New York Penn Station. Similarly, customers who normally take the bus between Atlantic City and Lindenwold may use the Atlantic CityRail Line instead.
In addition, all NJ TRANSIT rail station buildings and waiting rooms will remain open extended hours, including evenings andovernight, throughout the storm.
Travel Advice:
Travel only if absolutely necessary. Before starting your trip, visit njtransit.com for up-to-the-minute service information. This information is also available by calling (973) 275-5555 or from broadcast traffic reports. Sign up for free My Transit Alerts to receive travel advisories for your specific trip via email or mobile device. Click here to enroll Allow plenty of extra travel time. Delays and service changes are possible. Use extreme caution when walking on exposed sidewalks, parking lots or station platforms and when boarding trains and buses. Listen closely to public address announcements at stations for late-breaking service information. If you park, ensure your car is stocked with a snow brush and ice scraper so you can clear your car upon returning to the lot. Report slippery or unsafe conditions to bus operators, train crews or NJ TRANSIT staff. Local jurisdictions are responsible for clearing bus stops. Local residents can help their neighbors by shoveling the bus stops along the sidewalks near their homes so that people are not standing in the icy streets while traffic is passing.
>NJ should have a public “Hall of Shame” for all these unscrupulous characters who take advantage of their positions
Unfortunately, I don’t find this type of news surprising anymore. What a sad world we live in.
Ed Hynes and Democratic Freeholder James Carroll should have to reimburse the County for all those expenses he failed to provide receipts for…and NJ should have a public “Hall of Shame” for all these unscrupulous characters who take advantage of their positions and the taxpayers they are supposed to be serving!
>UPDATE: What is the point of having a Lt Governor if they are both out of state at the same time?
NJ Declares State Of Emergency
TRENTON, N.J. — The forecast for significant snow has prompted New Jersey’s acting governor to declare a state of emergency.
Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney, who is acting as governor while Gov. Chris Christie and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno travel out of state this week, released the following statement:
“The first action I took as Acting Governor was to receive a complete briefing on the state’s storm preparations from the State Police, the Commissioner of Transportation and the Governor’s Chief of Staff. We have been monitoring the situation throughout the afternoon. Based on current conditions and the forecast I am declaring a state of emergency throughout New Jersey.
>The Tax Foundation ranked New Jersey No. 1 among the 50 states for having the highest combined average state and local tax burden on residents
Are Jerseyans overtaxed for everything?
Pretty much, rankings show
By WILFORD SHAMLIN STAFF WRITER
Is it fair to size up New Jersey based on property taxes alone?
When looking at all the taxes residents and businesses must pay, does the Garden State tax too much?
How does it compare to other states, small and large?
While there are a few individual taxes in New Jersey that are relatively low or average, there’s no arguing that the total tax burden New Jerseyans face is as steep as it comes.
For 2009, the nonprofit Washington-based Tax Foundation ranked New Jersey No. 1 among the 50 states for having the highest combined average state and local tax burden on residents.
New Jerseyans contribute 11.8 percent of their income toward just state and local taxes each year — about $6,610 per person. Pennsylvanians pay 10.2 percent — 11th highest in the nation. Alaskans face the lowest state and local tax burden — just 6.4 percent of their income.
So is it too much to pay? It depends who you ask. But these days, it seems likely that a majority of New Jerseyans would say yes.
According to the Tax Foundation, New Jersey consistently ranks highest in the nation for property-tax burdens (now averaging $7,544 per household).
Robert E. Pritchard, professor of finance at Rowan University’s Rohrer College of Business, said in addition to “sin taxes” on items like cigarettes and alcoholic beverages, it has a tax that kicks in when you die.
“If you want cheap gasoline, come to New Jersey. But if you want to live here, expect to pay very high property, income and sales taxes,” Pritchard said. “And New Jersey has both estate and inheritance taxes . . . If you plan to die here, expect to pay even more taxes when you check out.”
Compared to five surrounding states, New Jersey’s sales tax (7 percent) and cigarette tax ($2.70 per pack) both fall at the high end of the scale.
Delaware has no sales tax, while Maryland, Pennsylvania and Connecticut charge 6 percent on goods and services. New York has a 4 percent state sales tax but, unlike New Jersey, local governments are allowed to increase the sales tax, up to 8.875 percent.
When it comes to the gasoline tax, New Jersey is a relative bargain at 14.5 cents per gallon. The tax is lower in just two other states — Alaska (8 cents) and Georgia (12.4 cents).
New Jersey’s tax rates on alcohol are in the middle of the pack compared to other Northeast states such as Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland.
The issue of property taxes still creates a national buzz. New Jersey’s first Republican governor since 2001 has pledged to fix the problem. A 2 percent cap on arbitration awards is a key piece of Christie’s reform plan. It applies to salaries across the board, cost-of-living increases and longevity pay, but excludes health care and pension costs.
>Bond agency’s ex-chief often dined on taxpayers’ dime Had meals with prominent Democrats, consultants Monday, December 27, 2010 BY JEFF PILLETS AND ELISE YOUNG THE RECORD STAFF WRITERS
Ed Hynes, the recently retired executive director of the Bergen County Improvement Authority, routinely used taxpayer funds to pay for meals with local politicians, Democratic fund-raisers, staffers and consultants who worked for the agency.
Officials with the publicly funded BCIA defended the spending as necessary for someone whose job is to serve essentially as a business executive. But The Record’s review of agency documents suggests taxpayers got scant return on their money.
Hynes, who declined to comment, was paid $150,000 when he retired in September. But he also received reimbursement for an average of $725 a month for expenses — including hotel room service and in-room movies when traveling and dinners at upscale restaurants with local politicians, judges, developers and Democratic fund-raisers. The documents reveal that, since the beginning of 2005, Hynes received a total of $46,388 in expense reimbursements; in many cases, there are no receipts to verify his spending.
Among the items reimbursed are: $450 for “glasses reimbursement,” $200 to install a computer router in his Upper Saddle River home, and $129 for a home subscription in his wife’s name to the Wall Street Journal. The records show more than $6,400 in cellphone charges.
By far, though, Hynes’ biggest expense was food: He spent $24,261 on meals that were reimbursed by the county over five-plus years.
Democratic Freeholder James Carroll’s name appears in the records 17 times, including seven times where he was Hynes’ only dining companion and the tab exceeded $100. He was with Hynes and two others at Morton’s steakhouse in February 2009 for a $565 dinner.
