Another piece of history lost
July 14.2012
the staff of the Risgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ , Another piece of history lost . The Zabriskie Slave Tenement house was demolished in Paramus yesterday .This was an ongoing battle over the past 3 years, and according to all accounts the demolition came without warning.
This was not the Schedler house in Ridgewood.
In September Freeholder John D. Mitchell came to the Dunkerhook site and met with Ted Manvell and Joe Suplicki who had spearheaded the movement to save the house. Mitchell was the first elected official to visit the site and show an interest in the status of the house.
Mitchell said on Facebook , “The shame of this is that all the pieces to a very complex puzzle were actually coming together. The mover was ready to move the house for free, the college was making plans for its permanent home as a learning center, grant requests and other funding avenues were promising, stubborn legal challenges were finding solutions, and many, many fine people were pitching in. We were really close.”
Hopefully this tragedy will energize preservationist in Northern New Jersey especially in Bergen County to speak up to save our precious history,. Bergen county holds many unique treasures dating back before the founding of the country . These include the Schedler house in Ridgewood which is still standing today but is also slated to be demolished to make way for more ball fields. Once these site are gone they are gone forever .
“Municide” not so sure its out of the question
July 14,2012
James Foytlin
Ridgewood NJ, On Tuesday San Bernardino became the third California city in less than a month to seek bankruptcy protection, with officials saying the financial situation had become so dire that it could not cover payroll through the summer and the city is facing a $46-million deficit.
So this begs the question with residential real estate at decade low valuations and commercial real estate still falling it seems only a matter of time before the dominoes begin to fall.
Ridgewood itself is experiencing a massive amount of tax appeals which some question whether the Village is underestimating our liability.
While vested interests and Muni Market promoters attacked Meredith Whitney for most of 2011 because of her ill timed call as to what some have called “Municide”, where she dared to predict that catastrophic muni default rates were in the cards.
Many argue that the size ,depth and variety of the muni bond market as well as the lack of institutional players coupled with insurance and the states infinite ability to tax makes a massive muni default or “Municide ” highly unlikely ,even sighting the lack of defaults during the Great Depression as proof.
The current low interest rate environment has done much to prop up muni prices. but with the print your way out of trouble attitude coming from Washington logic suggests it only a matter of time before price inflation begins to spiral and the breaks will have to be applied by ratcheting up interest rates.
Low valuations of residential property are pressuring property tax revenues ,with massive unemployment the states ability to continue to raise taxes seems to be challenged by a the law of diminishing returns . Add to that a fleeing population to lower tax destinations leaving an ever larger tax burden for those left behind .
Now add to this scenario the new willingness of towns, cities and county’s to seek bankruptcy protection and I am not so sure a “Municide” is out of the question ?
Americans Will Work More than 6 Months to Pay Cost of Gov’t in 2012
By Sabrina Gladstone
July 12, 2012
(CNSNews.com) – This year, Americans have to work until July 15 to pay for the burden of government, more than six months.
In a new report, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) has calculated that Americans will spend a total of 197 days toiling to pay for the cost of government.
“Cost of Government Day is the date of the calendar year on which the average American worker has earned enough gross income to pay off his or her share of the spending and regulatory burden imposed by government at the federal, state and local levels,” reads the report.
The report, Cost of Government Day, shows that Americans will work 88 days to pay for federal spending; 40 days for state and local spending; and 69 days for total regulatory costs.
“From a different perspective, the cost of government makes up 54.0 percent of annual gross domestic product (GDP),” reads the report. “What’s more, the largest tax hike in the nation’s history is scheduled to take place at the end of 2012 unless Congress acts to protect taxpayers. If this tax increase is allowed to hit, COGD [Cost of Government Day] could permanently be pushed back into August and beyond.”
“Late Show with David Letterman” has made 327,832 fat jokes about Chris Christie
Chris Christie “by the numbers”
The New Jersey governor’s office somehow managed to determine that the “Late Show with David Letterman” has made 327,832 fat jokes about Chris Christie. As for the number of questions he’s received about running for either president or vice president? His aides could only summarize, “Too many to count.”
A press release titled “Chris Christie by the numbers” went up on the governor’s website Wednesday, taking “a look back at everything across three balanced budgets.” Ranging everywhere from Twitter followers (125,820) to bills vetoed (39) to Politifact.com ratings of “Pants on Fire” (four), the list boils down to the apparent point of the list: “Tax increases: 0.” (Boerma, CBS News)
Fed officials warn of looming crisis for economy
By Martin Crutsinger, Associated Press
WASHINGTON – The Federal Reserve is open to taking further action to support the struggling U.S. economy. But minutes of the Fed’s June meeting show policymakers at odds over whether the economy needs more help now.
A few members said the economy may already require additional support. But several others noted that further action “could be warranted” if the recovery lost momentum, if risks became more pronounced or inflation seemed likely to run below the committee’s target.
Investors appeared disappointed by the division within the Fed.
Stock prices sank after the Fed expressed concerns about the economy. The Dow Jones industrial average had been down nearly 40 points before the minutes were released at 2 p.m. Eastern time. At around 2:30 p.m., the Dow was down 112 points, on track for its fifth straight day of losses.
Proposed changes of leaf collection on Ridgewood Village Council agenda tonight
June 11,2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, tonight’s Village Council work session will look to address some nagging issues in the Village like leaf collection and some new ideas put forward by New Jersey Transit (NJT) for advertising and cleaning up the pedestrian underpass at the train station.
New Jersey Transit (NJT) will make a presentation at the Village Council work session tonight on proposed advertising program for the pedestrian underpass at Ridgewood’s train station.
The Village Council will also discuss the proposed changes to Ridgewood’s leaf and debris collection policy. After years of public criticism and much debate Village Public works officials last month began a push to end the old way of collecting loose leaves at curb side and require residents to bag leaves for pickup.
In a blow to the development of North Walnut Street and Franklin Avenue property ,known as the “Town Garage ” the Ridgewood News is reporting that environmental officials have said that several large fuel tanks located beneath the parking lot at North Walnut Street and Franklin Avenue must be removed. The site remediation is expected to be a long and costly process with sources estimating anywhere from $600,000 to $800,000.
The property already has a rather checker past and has been stuck in a zoning no mans land since 2009 .
The Village Council work session begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Sydney V. Stoldt Courtroom.
file photo the online revolution is public education is here
Finally NJ’s first online charters could just be days away
As New Jersey awaits a decision on its first online charter schools, the operator of three of those proposed schools isn’t taking any chances.
Officials of K12 Inc., the nation’s largest online education firm, are in Newark this week continuing to wrap up the details for the three schools it would manage, one an entirely online venture from kindergarten through 12th grade and two others that blend online and in-person instructions for high school students.
The three have each won preliminary approval from the state. Now, they’re waiting for a decision this week on the final charters needed to open in the fall. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
“Dr. Doom” Nouriel Roubini: My ‘Perfect Storm’ Scenario Is Unfolding Now
Published: Monday, 9 Jul 2012
By: Ansuya Harjani
Assistant Producer, CNBC Asia
“Dr. Doom” Nouriel Roubini says the “perfect storm” scenario he forecast for the global economy earlier this year is unfolding right now as growth slows in the U.S., Europe as well as China.
In May, Roubini predicted four elements – stalling growth in the U.S., debt troubles in Europe, a slowdown in emerging markets, particularly China, and military conflict in Iran – would come together to create a storm for the global economy in 2013.
“(The) 2013 perfect storm scenario I wrote on months ago is unfolding,” Roubini said on Twitter on Monday.
Chinese inflation data released on Monday, suggested that the economy is cooling faster than expected, while employment data out of the U.S. on Friday indicated that jobs growth was tepid for a fourth straight month in June.
Roubini said that unlike in 2008 when central banks had “policy bullets” to stimulate the global economy, this time around policymakers are “running out of rabbits to pull out of the hat.”
DNS Changer Malware a real treat or more Y2K madness
July 8,2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Internet users world over should take extra precautions and check their computer for malware this evening .
While for most it may be no more than another Y2K hype. Reports are that thousands of internet users around the country whose computers were infected with malicious software a DNS Changer Malware over a year ago face the possibility of not being able to get online after midnight EDT – Eastern Daylight Time.
The issue arose when hackers ran an online advertising scam to take control of more than 570,000 infected computers around the world. When the FBI took down the hackers late last year, agents realized that if they turned off the malicious servers being used to control the computers, all the victims would lose their Internet service.
Like most malware victims often do not even know their computers were infected, although the malicious software probably has slowed their web surfing and disabled their antivirus software, making their machines more even vulnerable to other problems.
The FBI has arranged for a private company to run a website ( https://www.dcwg.org ) as a place for computer who suspect issues to go and see if their computer was infected and then download fixes to solve the problem.
Further problems arise because so many people simply don’t trust the government, and believe that federal authorities (the FEDS) are only trying to spy on them or take over the Internet.The FBI and other “cybersecurity experts” familiar with the malware have quickly denounced this charge as being ridiculous.I suggest you run and updated malware remover program first.
Though we don’t dispute suspicions of the FEDS malware can permanently damage your machine ,cause significant disruptions, keep you off the internet , corrupt your data ,even your backed up data .
Are you like me, in that you lament the lack of good old fashioned manners now-a-days?
Gone is the reliance on Gentlemanly conduct in society and in business. It is now a pleasant
surprise seeing a young man offer his seat to someone who probably needs it more, whereas it
used to be a basic social expectation.
Now, I don’t want to sound like a stereo-typical retiree starting off the conversation with, “It was
different when I was young….”, but it was! Just for the record, I am 42.
The benchmark for conduct seems to be being set lower and lower each generation and I wonder
if this is due to schools, parents and other institutions holding much less sway over the youth
of today than they did 20, 40, 60 years ago. Bad manners, which used to be stigmatized and
strongly dealt with, now are often ignored, and as a result, tacitly accepted. What messages are
we sending to those who are demonstrating those bad behaviors – particularly when there are no
real repercussions and they get their own way….
For quite some time I have observed, with dismay, the eroding of upright behavior, or what I
think of as Gentlemanly conduct. I constantly see people pushing past each other to get through
the door first, ignoring those in need, and generally going about their day to day existences with
blinkers on.
The final straw for me was listening to my wife, who stands up all day in her retail job, tell me
how able-bodied men on the afternoon train hustle for position so they can get a seat. They will
then typically open their broadsheet newspaper and promptly ignore everyone else, even the
elderly and also pregnant women. This caused me reflect on whether it was worth trying to do a
little something about it.
In October 2010 I created the Today’s Gentleman group. When I created this initially on
Linkedin I was quite amazed at the interest this niche group received, gaining 100 members
(from 10 countries) in the first two weeks, and hitting 250 members within two months. I knew
I must have hit a nerve of some sort to gain such strong interest in a group which seemed a little
whimsy when I first created it. As I write this article the group has over 550 members in over 30
countries and has a presence on Linkedin, Facebook, and in its own right on the web – Today’s
Gentleman
I chose the name Today’s Gentleman as most are familiar with the concept of a “Gentleman”
and we have certain expectations about their behavior. I also feel that it is important for men to
redefine themselves in modern society as there are not the predefined molds there used to be in
the age of the Gentleman of old. It is an attempt to redefine the Gentleman for contemporary
society, Today’s Gentleman.
My concern also extends to the lack of quality Gentlemanly exemplars we currently see
in society now. It is unfortunately the exception rather than the rule now-a-days to find a
Gentleman in the crowds of high profile figures in society which include Sporting stars, Political
figures, Showbiz / Media personalities, and Reality TV stars. We don’t seem to charge our public
figures with “Gentlemanly” conduct as much as we used to. It seems enough now for them to
simply stay out of jail and rehab for us to accept them as a positive role-model… I think we can
expect so much more!
I believe that the more Gentlemanly conduct we see in society the better that community
functions and the more engaged the individuals within that community feel. It is amazing the
difference it makes to someone when you practice random acts of kindness: helping someone
who has a flat tire; letting someone go ahead of you in the register line when they have only a
few grocery items; helping someone to the car with their purchases. These acts repeated and
reciprocated can change people’s day, they can change a community.
In an attempt to gain more public awareness for these issues and encourage these behaviors
Today’s Gentleman has declared the 22nd of February as International Be a Gentleman Day. The
third of these will occur in 2013 and hopefully build in popularity in following years. You can
register your support for the day through the event on Facebook.
The deal was announced in the governor’s office in early March, a bipartisan agreement to save New Jersey’s anti-bullying law with an infusion of cash and a promise to take a harder look at ways the state can support school districts.
Four months later, the cash for last year has been spent, none is appropriated for the next, and the task force created to examine the law and its impact is still to meet.
Such has been the checkered history of the new law, considered one of the toughest in the country for its strict rules to investigate and closely track accusations of bullying. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
Anxiety Mounts as US Economy Limps Into 2nd Half
Published: Thursday, 5 Jul 2012 | 5:41 PM ET Text Size
By: Reuters
A slew of weak U.S. economic data is casting doubts over expectations of a pick-up in growth in the second half of the year.
From manufacturing to job growth to consumer spending, the numbers have been grim, and economists are wondering whether they need to dial down forecasts for the remainder of the year.
“Our sense was that of a gradual improvement. Now the sense is of muddling along at a low level of activity,” said Adolfo Laurenti, deputy chief economist at Mesirow Financial in Chicago. “We went from seeing progress, though gradual and very uneven, to not seeing progress at all.”
The economy grew at a 1.9 percent annual pace in the first quarter and estimates for the April-June period are increasingly coming in around 1.5 percent.
American Red Cross Concentrated Lifeguard Training Course
Wed, July 11, 2012 – Fri, July 20, 2012
Time: 12:00 AM
YWCA Bergen County, 112 Oak Street
Cost: $370 per person
The YWCA Bergen County is offering an American Red Cross Concentrated Lifeguard Training course beginning July 11th, 2012. Participants must be age 15 or older and take and pass a swim test on Saturday, July 7th at 1:30pm. A $10 test fee is due at registration.
This five-day concentrated course prepares students with the CPR, First Aid and lifeguard techniques necessary for employment as a professional lifeguard. Classes will be held July 11th, 13th, 14th, 18th and 20th from 9am to 5pm at 112 Oak Street, Ridgewood. The course fee is $370. Call the YWCA Aquatics Department at (201) 444-5600, x3270 or visit www.ywcabergencounty.org for details.
The YWCA Bergen County is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. We are the area’s largest provider of child care services, a recognized leader in health and fitness programs, and operator of the county’s only Rape Crisis Center. Celebrating nearly a century of commitment to our community, today we improve the lives of thousands of women, girls and their families.
School districts’ anti-bullying funds range from $38K to only $36
Some 371 New Jersey school districts are receiving funds to reimburse them for costs incurred last year under the state’s new anti-bullying law although for many, the money may not go very far.
The state Department of Education awarded just under $1 million to 371 districts, with amounts ranging from $38,519 in Camden, to $46 in Oradell, and $36 in the Haledon Borough School District.
Charter schools grants ranged from $9,166 for the Paterson Charter School for Science and Technology, to $123 for Hoboken Charter School. (Rundquist, The Star-Ledger)
8,733,461: Workers on Federal ‘Disability’ Exceed Population of New York City
By Terence P. Jeffrey
July 2, 2012
(CNSNews.com) – A record of 8,733,461 workers took federal disability insurance payments in June 2012, according to the Social Security Administration. That was up from 8,707,185 in May.
It also exceeds the entire population of New York City, which according to the Census Bureau’s latest estimate hit 8,244,910 in July 2011.
There has been a dramatic shrinkage in the United States over the past 20 years in the number of workers actually employed and earning paychecks per worker who is not employed and is taking federal disability insurance payments.
