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>Donovan suggests that an independent audit of BCIA

>July 26, 2010

Hon. Matthew Boxer
New Jersey State Comptroller
Office of the State Comptroller
PO Box 024
Trenton, NJ 08625

Dear Mr. Boxer:

Serious concerns have been raised about the administration of the Bergen County Improvement Authority (BCIA) as the result of recent shocking reports in the media of statements by co-workers of its Chairman alleging misuse of the BCIA for personal gain before a federal judge, and what is apparently an ongoing federal investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office (See eg, The Record, Editorial “Scandal and exit, Implicated BCIA chief resigns” Sunday, July 25, 2010 and prior reports therein on Friday, July 24, 2010 and Saturday, July, 25, 2010). The Agency’s chairman has resigned evidently as a result of allegations of wrongdoing. Presumably unrelated to these allegations, the Agency’s Executive Director has announced his pending retirement.

The BCIA is a creature of Bergen County.In my opinion, it operates without appropriate oversight while controlling hundreds of millions of dollars of expense, revenue and guarantees through four separate budgets. It is a jigsaw puzzle that can only be solved through audits conducted by a thoroughly independent office.

The office of State Comptroller is the appropriate agency to audit the BCIA. You have the resources and integrity required to conduct a comprehensive review of this independent, free standing by product of Bergen County government.

I thank you for your consideration of this request and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Kathleen A. Donovan

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>Salary caps coming sooner than you think

>Ingle: Salary caps coming sooner

Gov. Christie dropped the hammer on the exorbitant wages superintendents in some of the state’s more than 600 school districts make. That act would hold most to under the $175,000 the governor makes unless they work in the biggest cities or get bonuses. It would take effect with new contracts and maybe by December rules would be in place. Well, this is New Jersey and the expected happened: Word has it superintendents were trying to rush contract extensions through. (Ingle, Gannett)

https://blogs.app.com/politicspatrol/2010/07/25/11141/

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>New Jersey’s pension system crisis is sinking

>Can NJ keep its pension promises? No way, many officials concede

Jack Curtis was driving with his wife to the grocery store recently when the 63-year-old elementary school principal from Morris County announced they needed to downsize their retirement dreams. Why? Because the state’s pension system is so far in arrears that Curtis doesn’t think he can count on it anymore. The reality of New Jersey’s pension system crisis is sinking in. (Method, Gannett)

https://www.app.com/article/20100725/NEWS03/7250330/Can-NJ-keep-its-pension-promises-No-way-many-officials-concede

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>Healthcare Rationing something to look fiorward to in the USA

>Healthcare Rationing something to look fiorward to in the USA

Axe falls on NHS services

NHS bosses have drawn up secret plans for sweeping cuts to services, with restrictions on the most basic treatments for the sick and injured.

Some of the most common operations — including hip replacements and cataract surgery — will be rationed as part of attempts to save billions of pounds, despite government promises that front-line services would be protected.

Patients’ groups have described the measures as “astonishingly brutal”.

An investigation by The Sunday Telegraph has uncovered widespread cuts planned across the NHS, many of which have already been agreed by senior health service officials. They include:

* Restrictions on some of the most basic and common operations, including hip and knee replacements, cataract surgery and orthodontic procedures.

* Plans to cut hundreds of thousands of pounds from budgets for the terminally ill, with dying cancer patients to be told to manage their own symptoms if their condition worsens at evenings or weekends.

* The closure of nursing homes for the elderly.

* A reduction in acute hospital beds, including those for the mentally ill, with targets to discourage GPs from sending patients to hospitals and reduce the number of people using accident and emergency departments.

* Tighter rationing of NHS funding for IVF treatment, and for surgery for obesity.

* Thousands of job losses at NHS hospitals, including 500 staff to go at a trust where cancer patients recently suffered delays in diagnosis and treatment because of staff shortages.

see full story : https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/7908742/Axe-falls-on-NHS-services.html

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>Smart Girl New Jersey Summit

>Smart Girl New Jersey Summit

August 12, 2010

9:30am to 3:30pm

The Molly Pitcher Inn

Red Bank, NJ

The Smart Girl New Jersey Summit will bring together conservative activists along with some of the most prominent conservatives in the state of New Jersey. This event is being held in the beautiful historic Molly Pitcher Inn.

Join activists from around the region, for a day of socializing, training, and motivating speeches.

Debra Burlingame-Keep America Safe

Laura Drain-National Hispanic Republican Coalition

Steve Lonegan-American For Prosperity

Anna Little-Congressional Candidate District 6

Pastor Herbert Lusk-Former Faith Based Leader for George W. Bush

Betsy McCaughey-Healthcare Advocate and Former Lt.Governor of NY

Christine O’Donnell-Senatorial Candidate for Delaware

Katie O’Malley-Human Events Magazine

Grassroots Candidate Panel (Alan Bateman, Bruce Baker and David Corsi)

Constitutional Panel (Leigh-Ann Bellew and Bill Miller)

The Leadership Institute –Washington, DC

Ticket can be purchased at: https://www.eventbrite.com/event/526906993

Limited Seats available

Bagel reception and Lunch will be served

****proceeds from the events are designated for SGP

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>Stay in Touch…

>If your looking to run ads or get in touch with the Ridgewood Blog please send all correspondence to [email protected]

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>Ridgewood Police: I am very leery of any reduction in their numbers be it through attrition or layoffs.

>Like most residents I have had little interaction with the police. I suspect is not the case with the person who entered this post. No doubt there might be some other motive at work here.

None the less, I don’t see the problem with a 12 hour shift. Some quick math will most likely tell you that the police are still working the same number of hours a year. While I do not know the specifics as to how the RPD operate, I do know that many industries which maintain a 24/7 work staff do operate on 12 hours shifts. In my industry we support public utilities throughout the country and in Canada. It is very common for public utility line staffs to work 12 hour schedules. It has been seen as a benefit in that industry and I suspect the use of 12 hour schedules for police staffs were brought about due to the same line of reasoning. Perhaps larger departments like Paterson do the same thing, I am not sure. I doubt that the Ridgewood PD is the first and only police department to work this schedule.

What I am sure of is that any reduction in personnel will have little to do with an 8 hour schedule or a 12 hour schedule. Productivity will not be a key factor either. The police are not a revenue producing service, they are not out there to make money for a private for-profit corporation. As a citizen I do not see any benefit in a police department that is nothing more than a squad of uniformed revenue collectors.

Ridgewood does have a low crime rate, I feel safe walking the streets. If Ridgewood were Paterson I would not live here. A low crime rate does not just occur naturally, there are many factors that keep the crime rate low and the police are a key element. That is true anywhere, not just Ridgewood.

When I lived in a tree lined suburban community in California community 15 years ago that was not the case, gang related crime was a major concern. I did not live in the hood, I lived in a upper middle class suburb. You never saw an officer on patrol and they took 45 minutes to respond when you called (or so my fellow residents maintained in their letters to the editor). My small city refused to hire more officers due to the cost, yet my taxes were high there also.

Reducing the number of personnel means reduced service, plain and simple. If we want to contain costs then we are going to be forced to accept less service from all branches of government. The questions is what are we willing to give up and what will the true cost be in the long run? I suspect my answer to that question will be far different from that of the poster of this thread who appears to be motivated by some sort of a grudge.

I don’t see any big raises in the future for any public employees or increases in their numbers, the police included. However, I am very leery of any reduction in their numbers be it through attrition or layoffs. To do so would be in open invitation to the criminal element from within and outside or borders. A couple of soccer moms talking on their cell phones while driving and difficulty crossing the street will become the least of our problems.

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>Ridgewood Police :Being proactive might just save your job. Remember, we all read the police blotter. This isn’t Paterson or NYC.

>12;03 your scare tactic comment won’t cut it. We have an ample staff on the PD. Actually overstaffed. If I was a PBA member, I would be trying to do the best to show my employer *THE TAXPAYER* the value they received for the taxes they paid.

The pay scale is very generous, as are the benefits. The work rules permit you to have more free time than the residents. 3 days one week? 4 days the next? Do tell us how those 12 hour shifts add up. It was conceived by the PBA PURELY to benefit the officers, and they convinced the ‘the Chief’ at that time that it would work. How you could fight off an old lady after working 9-10-12 hours is beyond me(especially observing the gut hanging over the beltline of most) To expect automatic raises, to expect no layoffs, to expect no furloughs is fantasy land. Be thankful you have a job…. so “IF” you want to convince your employer of your worth, perhaps now is a time to show how to better make use of the current level of staffing. Work 5 days a week like the rest of us. Have varying shifts so that there is adequate coverage at peak times. Get the brass off their ass and out on the street. (I actually noticed a superior in a white shirt walking Ridgewood ave on Saturday.-take a hint from him) We do not need multiple levels of Seargents, Leuitenants to supervise every single detective, juvenile, crime prevention etc.

Too much BS. For all the BS I read about cops having to make split second life or death decisions, one would expect that for what you are paid you can think and do some actual police work other than answering a 911 call and typing it into the computer and dumping onto the detective bureau. Nobody expects BS ticket blitzes but to whine about ‘not enough cops’ to those of us who have watched you ‘protect’ the coffee shops and van neste square won’t be very convincing. Being proactive might just save your job. Remember, we all read the police blotter. This isn’t Paterson or NYC.

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Field Lighting : We’ll shake down various village sports groups

>PJ Can someone please explain how:

· We had a bond referendum shoved down our throats under the specter of vanishing funds from state grants
· We had or state school aid eliminated this year
· We had 2 years of multi-million dollar school budget deficits
· After the school budget was defeated, the Village Council reduced it by a whopping 1/10 of a percent
· We laid off or retired around 30 town workers and more may follow
After all the angst and tumult in this past year, now we’re getting LIGHTS for our artificial fields?!?

During the dog days of summer, our geniuses at the Board of Ed decide that gadfly Jack Carroll’s idea to add field lights to RHS was a good idea. But don’t worry, sez Big Jack – he’ll shake down various village sports groups (like was done for Maple Field) to offset the cost. If that’s not enough, we’ll take come of the overbudgeted funds from the bond referendum. (Remember, Laurie said that they added a little (10% – our money) extra padding to the referendum – just in case!!)

Carroll has been playing puppetmaster for almost 20 years and this is his latest act. The Board of Ed decided it was cool to “roll the dice” (especially when few were watching – or so they thought). The Village has be mostly against turf fields and now we’ll have 3. And lights now too that will illuminate the new Staduim field and bleachers? How do they pull that off when the state New Jersey won’t even allow a bloody concession stand to be built? Ask the Vandevender Foundation about that one.

This whole process stinks to high heaven. I bet you didn’t realize that when you signed your kids up for a rec sports team, you’d be paying for lighting a field you may never set foot upon. You probably thought that the Board of Ed may want to take it easy with the spending and scheming considering they are staring down new state budget rules and regs – not to mention a possibly explosive REA contract negotiation.

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>Pedestrian Hit : KUDOS to the moms (and dads) who do take the time to teach their kids how to cross the street.

>I walk to the train every morning regardless of the weather. At my age I need the exercise.

You cross the lane of traffic that stopped for you and make it safelty to the center of the street. You then wait for a clearing in the other lane and finish crossing the street. 7 out of 10 times cars going in the other direction stop. Other time you have to wait a second or two. Paying attention to what you are doing, which includes not talking or texting on your cell phone also helps.

Using a cross walk or crossing an an intersection also helps. Set out from between two parked cars in the center of the block and no motorist has to stop for you. They can’t run you over, but they have no legal obligation to stop for you either.

My source for this comment in both my life experence of 63 years and my last AAA newsletter which contained information on the new pedestrian law. But the best lesson on the subject was what my mother taught me as a little kid. Unfortunetly the little kids I have seen being tugged into the middle of the street while mom is talking on her cell phone are not learning that lesson! And KUDOS to the moms (and dads) who do take the time to teach their kids how to cross the street.

As for police enforcement, nice when it can happen. However, with what I am reading in the papers about police cuts state-wide I expect there will be less traffic enforcement in the coming years, not more.

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>Pedestrian Hit: I get the impression that many of you drivers don’t get out and walk much.

>To all you “what until traffic stops” commentators here, would you like to take a shot at a question I posted previously about this. No-one yet has had a go. Here it is:

Traffic runs in both directions. Remember that. If I wait for traffic to stop, this often only means one lane of traffic stops. The other lane is still running. If I keep waiting, the driver of the stopped car, and the cars behind it, start getting pissed as I’m still standing there, waiting for the other side to stop. After a few seconds of horn honking and a look from the first car driver’s face as if I’m some kind of idiot, he then pulls away. I’m still standing there!

I get the impression that many of you drivers don’t get out and walk much.

I do not believe people march out into crosswalks. I don’t, and I don’t see others doing it. What I do see are drivers not paying attention, and walkers start crossing because they safely assume that cars, still some distance away, will stop. These drivers, who aren’t focused, see the pedestrians at the last moment, and have to brake sharply, come away with this impression that the pedestrian “marched into the crosswalk”.

Just like exessive speed, crosswalk violations are woefully under-enforced by the Ridgewood PD.

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>Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 75% of Likely Voters prefer free markets over a government managed economy.

>75% Say Free Markets Better Than Government Management of Economy, Political Class Disagrees

Friday, July 23, 2010

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 75% of Likely Voters prefer free markets over a government managed economy. Just 14% think a government managed economy is better while 11% are not sure. These figures have changed little since December.

Polling released earlier this week showed that Americans overwhelmingly believe that more competition and less regulation is better for the economy than more regulation and less competition.

Not surprisingly, America’s Political Class is far less enamored with the virtues of a free market. In fact, Political Class voters narrowly prefer a government managed economy over free markets by a 44% to 37% margin. However, among Mainstream voters, 90% prefer the free market.

Outside of the Political Class, free markets are preferred across all demographic and partisan lines. This gap may be one reason that 68% of voters believe the Political Class doesn’t care what most Americans think. Fifty-nine percent (59%) are embarrassed by the behavior of the Political Class.

https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/july_2010/75_say_free_markets_better_than_government_management_of_economy_political_class_disagrees

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>THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WARNING

>THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN UPTON NY HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR…
PASSAIC COUNTY IN NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY…
NORTHERN ESSEX COUNTY IN NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY…
SOUTHERN BERGEN COUNTY IN NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY…

* UNTIL 815 PM EDT…

* AT 735 PM EDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 8 MILES WEST OF
WEST MILFORD…MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
BLOOMINGDALE…POMPTON LAKES…WAYNE…FAIRFIELD…HAWTHORNE…
CALDWELL…RIDGEWOOD…PATERSON…PARAMUS…BLOOMFIELD…PASSAIC…
HACKENSACK…MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS…TETERBORO…RUTHERFORD…
RIDGEFIELD…LYNDHURST…FORT LEE…ENGLEWOOD AND BERGENFIELD

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR…IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND…OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM…MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING…DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE…SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. — USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

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>Use Membership Rewards® points to Pay for All or Part of your Travel

>

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Use Membership Rewards® points to Pay for All or Part of your Travel

Need a vacation but don’t have the cash? That dream getaway may become reality if you have an American Express® Card enrolled in the Membership Rewards program and you reserve your trip through The Travel Center / American Express.*

Membership Rewards is a built-in feature of most American Express Cards – you may already be enrolled. If so, use your card for everyday purchases and earn one point for virtually every dollar you spend. There is no limit to the number of points you can earn and the points never expire. Also, earn double points and find great travel values by booking trips with The Travel Center.

Redeeming points is easy too. With Pay with Points, you can fly where you want, when you want and how you want – with no blackout dates or seat restrictions. If you don’t have enough points to cover your vacation entirely, use points in combination with your eligible American Express Card.

You can also transfer Membership Rewards points to over 20 frequent flyer / frequent guest accounts to get the points needed for a reward flight, stay or upgrade.

Ready to book a trip? Not sure if you’re enrolled? In addition to being knowledgeable, experienced authorities on destinations throughout the world, the travel counselors at The Travel Center / American Express can check your point balance, provide travel guidance, and process your point redemption. It’s quick, easy, and hassle-free – contact us today:

The Travel Center / American Express

50 E. Ridgewood Ave.

Ridgewood, NJ 07450

(201) 447-3311

“Ridgewood’s only travel agency.”

*See Terms and Conditions at www.TheTravelCenterAE.com

Connect with The Travel Center AE on Facebook

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On-the-spot currency exchange

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>Readers are looking for answers …

>PJ… Why no story on how Ridgewood has been screwing over Glen Rock, Midland Park, and Wyckoff on the water rates?

How come no story on how the new bathrooms on vets field are non ADA compliant and have to be redone?

How about the storm drains on Crest that were filled in and now the water runs into the residents homes..

How about all the white powder that was all over the road in the rain storm the other day out of the water tank? Where have ya been my friend… we all count on you!

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