A plan offered by the leaders of President Barack Obama’s commission to reduce the federal deficit might work. It just won’t happen.
The co-chairmen proposed a $3.8 trillion deficit-cutting plan yesterday that would trim Social Security and Medicare, reduce income-tax rates and eliminate tax breaks including the mortgage-interest deduction. It would reduce the annual deficit from $1.3 trillion this year to about $400 billion by 2015 and start reducing the $13.7 trillion national debt.
“Mathematically it apparently works,” said Stan Collender, a former Democratic House and Senate budget analyst and managing director of Qorvis Communications in Washington. “Politically, it is going to have a lot of trouble getting support from more than just the two co-chairs.”
The plan would raise gas taxes, slash defense spending and farm subsidies and bring down health-care costs by clamping down on medical malpractice suits. The Social Security retirement age would rise to 68 in about 2050 and 69 in about 2075.
VETERAN’S DAY : Ceremony to Honor Veterans in Memorial Park at Van Neste Square All are Invited to Attend –
American Legion Post 53 presents – Thursday, November 11th at 11AM – Ceremony to Honor Veterans in Memorial Park at Van Neste Square in the center of Downtown Ridgewood. Bring a blanket, sit on the grass or benches; warm-up with coffee and bagels to HONOR OUR VETERANS!
>NIMBY NONSENSE : Small grass roots organizations are the foundation for a democracy
NIMBY NONSENSE! Your argument is ridiculous to say the least. Small grass roots organizations are, and will continue to be, the foundation for a democracy. I was against the December Bond and voted NO but the pro-bond got their vote out. Before I criticized neighborhood action groups I would demand there be no more December bond elections. Demand those questions be put to voters in November!
You can actually minimize the those neighborhood action groups by putting many of these issues to the voters since have a vested interest in maintaining the Village while keeping taxes reasonable. On a November ballot the results probably would be: TURF/Willard Bond (NO), field lights (moot), Valley (NO), Cell tower (NO), redistrict (YES), water tower(not sure), preserve Graydon (YES), all volunteer fire department (possibly), etc.
To suggest one rep from each school district is unbelievable. Maybe the HSA should run town council. Let’s suggest one person from each age group and an even number of men and women. Perhaps town council should have one business owner from CBD, one person to represent each sport and some who represent the art community, one green person and one to represent each special interest group in town including one fireman, one policeman and one teacher and one BOE member. let’s not.
The Village of Ridgewood is expected to introduce an ordinance Wednesday, Nov. 10, authorizing a 5 percent water rate hike in 2011 for residents its water company serves in Wyckoff, Midland Park and Glen Rock.
The action follows a 21 percent increase in the water rate in 2010, which Wyckoff is contesting in court.
The towns learned by letter last month that the water company was raising the water rate by 3 percent above a projected increase of 2 percent. The news triggered a meeting on Thursday, Oct. 28, among officials representing Ridgewood, Glen Rock, Midland Park and Wyckoff.
The meeting was not open to the public, but sentiment about the prospect of another increase was uniform among officials of the three neighboring municipalities.
“Frankly, we think it’s inappropriate and unwarranted,” Midland Park Mayor Joseph Monahan said.
In the letter dated Wednesday, Oct. 20, to Midland Park Borough Administrator Michelle Dugan, Ridgewood Village manager Kenneth Gabbert said “the utility will be moving forward with its capital plans. These capital projects require a down payment, which must be included in the operating budget.”
The letter states improvements to a tank in Wyckoff and the installation of radio-read water meters will impact future budgets.
Wyckoff filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of the township, Glen Rock and Midland Park against the village in the summer protesting the 2010 water rate hike of 21 percent.
“We don’t feel they [Ridgewood officials] provided proper justification for the 21 percent increase that they imposed on rate payers a year ago, so clearly we don’t feel that an additional 5 to 15 percent is justified,” Wyckoff Mayor Rudolf Boonstra said, adding that township officials haven’t discussed the prospect at length because the rate hike has not been finalized. “We don’t want to speculate on something that hasn’t happened yet.”
Former Wyckoff Mayor and Hackensack attorney Joseph Fiorenzo, who is representing Wyckoff pro bono, said the additional 5 percent rate hike “would certainly become object of the ongoing legal proceeding.”
“As I understand, Ridgewood continues to do the same thing to justify this, which is asking the rate payers to effectively subsidize the Village of Ridgewood’s operating budget by imposing upon the rate payers significant operating costs of the Village of Ridgewood in the form of overhead costs, police salaries, pensions and the village manager’s salary,” Fiorenzo said in an interview Thursday, Nov. 4. “All of these things are part of the justifications which are completely without any legal basis.”
With the proposed increases, the water rate would be $4.20 per 1,000 gallons. Nearby water utilities charge as much as $4.79 per 1,000 gallons, according to Ridgewood officials.
full story: https://www.northjersey.com/community/events/106889153_Officials_deem_proposed_5_percent_rate_hike__inappropriate__.html
Ridgewood Taxi does not pay rent ? Not a rumor; factual. They have not paid the rent because the Village owes them money from all of the discount rides they provide to our senior citizen population.
The Village makes up the difference between full fare and discounted ride. Reportedly, the amount the Village owes them is equal to the rent they owe the Village.
>Should the Village of Ridgewood move to partisan, November elections?
PJ, Because the special election that’s taking place today we have an opportunity to discuss something while it’s on people’s minds: Should we move to partisan, November elections?
There may be a number of interesting angles to the discussion: – Would it change the candidates that run? Why? How? For better or worse? – Would it change the issues in the elections? What would be added? What would go away? – Would it alter the way the current issues in town are addressed? – How would those current issues align in a partisan election ? Seeing everyone’s thought process on this question would be amazing! – Would the town move in a significant direction toward one party (making the whole process meaningless)? Would different parts of town move one way? – How would it change participation? We’ll have turn-out numbers in about 5 hours to demonstrate the difference between the election in May and the one today. – Would it change election results ?
We are surrounded by smaller towns that have partisan elections so there are some examples to use nearby.
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey’s state teachers’ union was still rankled Friday over a snub by the state’s acting education commissioner. (Parry, The Associated Press)
>November Elections: Seniors fled Democrats in midterm
In an election marked by dramatic defections from the Democratic Party, older voters swung hardest, seemingly threatened by President Barack Obama’s mantra of change. Voters over 65 favored Republicans last week by a 21-point margin after flirting with Democrats in the 2006 midterm elections and favoring John McCain by a relatively narrow 8-point margin in 2008. (Tau, Politico) https://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/44802.html#ixzz14gkzrtHU
>New Jersey Public Education : Sloppy bookkeeping, errors, plague school stimulus spending
The 2009 federal stimulus money for schools is almost all spent by now in New Jersey, but it’s still drawing attention from state monitors and raising questions as to how it was spent. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight) https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/10/1107/2109/
>COAH:N.J. Assembly committee to consider affordable housing bill that focuses on rezoning
TRENTON — An affordable housing bill before the Legislature does not actually require towns to provide housing opportunities for low-income residents, but it does credit municipalities if they rezone for more expensive homes, according to a report scheduled for release Monday. (Ackermann, The Star-Ledger)
Ridgewood Knights of Columbus Distribute “Shake the Can” Proceeds
Ridgewood-NJ-November 8, 2010: The Ridgewood Knights of Columbus Council #1736 is pleased to announce that the following organizations have received donations generated from the annual “Shake the Can to Help Handicapped Citizens” fundraiser:
– Alfa Development, Inc., Paramus, NJ – Camp Sunshine, Ridgewood, NJ – Archdiocese of Newark, Ministry for Persons with Disabilities, Newark, NJ – Friends to Friends (First Reformed Church), Ridgewood, NJ – Spectrum for Living, River Vale, NJ – Putting the Pieces Together, North Arlington, NJ
The Knights are easily recognizable in their yellow vests, working the sidewalks and intersections throughout the village every Spring for this annual event. “This three day event is one of our main fundraisers throughout the year, and we thank everyone in the community for helping out”, said Mike Dougherty, organizer of the annual event.
“Charity is one of the main pillars of our organization”, said Peter Bernardo, Chair of the Ridgewood Knights donations committee. “Performing good works for our community is what we do”, Bernardo said.
>CHECK-OUT HUNGER RETURNS FOR 20th ANNIVERSARY YEAR
HILLSIDE, N.J. – Check-Out Hunger, an annual front-end awareness and fund raiser for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, will be marking its 20th year milestone this fall. This campaign, which began in New Jersey, is run at supermarket chains across the northeast. The Community FoodBank of New Jersey reports that need for nutritious food is up 30-40 percent at its partner agencies (soup kitchens, pantries, shelters, etc) this year.
In 2009 Check-Out Hunger crossed the $2 Million plateau for the first time. The campaign raised $2,093, 086 for food banks across the state. Since 1992, millions of people have supported the program at food markets and online at www.checkouthungernj.org.Participating food markets include A&P, Food Basics, Foodtown, Kings, Pathmark, Shop Rite, Super Fresh, Wawa, and Wegmans.
This campaign was developed by the Community FoodBank in conjunction with the New Jersey Food Council and supermarket chains with headquarters in New Jersey. Currently the Community FoodBank of New Jersey administers the regional campaign with 14 chains for 32 food banks and affiliates in 9 states and the District of Columbia.
The Community FoodBank of New Jersey, a member of Feeding America, distributed 35 million pounds of food in the last year to people in need in 18 of New Jersey’s 21 counties. Its staff and volunteers fight hunger and poverty not only through the distribution of food and grocery products, but by education and training, and by creating new programs to meet the needs of low-income people. The Community FoodBank of New Jersey has earned Charity Navigator’s highest honor, a four-star rating.
Wonder how much effort and money Valley spent on getting out their vote to no avail. Here’s a tidbit, when your elected officials fail to properly fullfill, protect and represent then they tend to get replaced. Funny how corporate lobbying for an over expansion is ok but the voices of parents of Ridgewood schools on east side arent. 2500 nimbys lol.
Someday soon the West Side will be encroached on and the integrity of zones will be breached despite local opposition. Im pretty confident at this point that our community as a whole will respond in kind regardless of location if it is wrong. Seen it happen in other towns when they realize that the checks and balances are being compromised.
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