APRIL 6, 2014 LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY RICHARD NEWMAN
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
* More than three dozen in New Jersey may be too weak to make it on their own
More than 1,400 U.S. community banks, including more than three dozen in New Jersey, may be too weak to make it on their own and are ripe, or near ripe, to be acquired by stronger institutions, a study says.
Despite an improving economy, at least one-fifth of the more than 6,700 U.S. banks with less than $10 billion in assets are candidates to be sold, mainly because of inadequate capital levels and poor earnings potential, says the study, called “Bleeders and Leaders: Redefining the 2014 U.S. M&A Banking Market,” released Thursday by New York City-based Invictus Consulting Group LLC.
The 10 states with the highest percentage of banks that fall into the consulting firm’s “must sell” or “should sell” categories are Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Florida, Washington, Michigan, Colorado and South Carolina.
38 banks
In New Jersey, 38 of 107 banks with less than $10 billion in assets fall into one or the other of those “must sell” or “should sell” groups, with 25 labeled “must sell” and 13 as “should sell.”
“Must sell” means the bank has “low capital levels and poor earnings, plus limited strategic options,” Invictus said. The “should sell” banks have “poor earnings, but better capital adequacy.”
The report, which is intended mainly for bankers, does not identify individual banks.
Invictus CEO Kamal Mustafa, one of the authors of the study, said Thursday in a phone interview that Invictus performed stress tests on the banks, similar to those regulators require of the country’s largest banks, to come up with the rankings, taking into account individual bank’s capital levels and such factors as whether they have a lot of the riskier types of loans on their books, such as construction loans and home equity lines of credit.
Ridgewood Police , Chief Michael Feeney Jr.Police Academy June 26th through July 2nd 2014.
The Ridgewood Police Department will be hosting the Chief Michael Feeney Jr.Police Academy June 26th through July 2nd 2014. The Academy is open to Ridgewood residents ages 10 to 14. Applications are available at the Riddgewood Police desk 131 North Maple Ave.
The IPCC’s Latest Report Deliberately Excludes And Misrepresents Important Climate Science
by Dan McGrath on March 31, 2014 in Extreme weather, Failed predictions, IPCC, Junk Science,Mythical Consensus, Real Science, Sea Levels
By Joseph Blast
This week, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is releasing its latest report, the “Working Group II Contribution to the Fifth Assessment Report.” Like its past reports, this one predicts apocalyptic consequences if mankind fails to give the UN the power to tax and regulate fossil fuels and subsidize and mandate the use of alternative fuels. But happily, an international group of scientists I have been privileged to work with has conducted an independent review of IPCC’s past and new reports, along with the climate science they deliberately exclude or misrepresent.
Our group, called the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC), was founded in 2003 by a distinguished atmospheric physicist, S. Fred Singer, and has produced five hefty reports to date, the latest being released today (March 31).
So how do the IPCC and NIPCC reports differ? The final draft of the IPCC’s Summary for Policymakers identifies eight “reasons for concern” which media reports say will remain the focus of the final report. The NIPCC reports address each point too, also summarizing their authors’ positions in Summaries for Policymakers. This provides a convenient way to compare and contrast the reports’ findings.
New Jersey trout season opener low-key after outbreak
APRIL 5, 2014, 11:20 PM LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2014, 11:57 PM
BY CHRISTOPHER MAAG
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
Dylan Cordes hopped onto a concrete wall Saturday and started counting fish. It was easy. The moment his slim shadow fell across the water, the surface of Silver Lake in Park Ridge broke into a dozen concentric circles, known to all fishermen as the universal sign of fish caught lollygagging.
“Trout!” said Cordes, pointing. “There’s four. There’s another one right there.”
From the dam’s wall he scanned both shores. There was not another fishing rod in sight. For a few minutes on Saturday, the first day of the trout fishing season, Cordes had the entire lake to himself.
“I can’t believe there’s nobody here. This place is usually a zoo on opening day,” said Cordes, a fisherman for 18 of his 19 years. “This is a really weird year.”
Indeed, New Jersey has never seen a trout fishing season opening day like this one. An outbreak of disease among farmed fish forced state officials to radically change their procedures for stocking New Jersey’s waterways for this annual rite of early spring.
Spring Trout Fishing Information Season Opens Saturday, April 5 at 8:00 a.m.
Pequest Open House March 29 & 30; Opening Day of Trout Season Just Around the Corner – DEP News Release, 3/24/14
As the winter that would never seem to end finally draws to a close it’s time to start thinking trout!
Many anglers are aware the Division has been diligently working on this upcoming trout season for several months in respects to necessary adjustments to the program as a result of Furunculosisat the Pequest Trout Hatchery. The Division greatly appreciated input from anglers in respect to these changes as the Division sought to conserve and protect our wild trout resources and other year round trout fisheries while continuing to provide an attractive spring stocking program.
Although this has resulted in a number of changes to the Division’s traditional stocking program there are intriguing aspects to these changes that will offer unique opportunities for anglers this year. The Division reminds anglers that there are no human health risks associated with the bacterium which causes Furunculosis.
Over 250,000 trout will be stocked for Opening Day – 60,000 more than previous years!
87 waterbodies will receive more trout than ever before!
Rainbow and brown trout will be stocked for Opening Day instead of brook trout that most waters typically receive! A small pilot study completed by the Division last year demonstrated rainbows were caught 2 to 1 over brook trout in 8 ponds.
Four new river sections added to the program for this year only! In addition, two other waterbodies not scheduled to be stocked will receive trout this year.
Bonus Broodstock Program continues with ten lakes to receive 30 rainbow trout weighing in at over 5 pounds!
1000 jaw-tagged rainbows are being stocked as part of the Hook-a-Winner Program
Catholic Church and faithful see confession in a new light
APRIL 6, 2014 LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 2014, 12:26 AM
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
One of loneliest places in church these days is the confession line. The act of confessing one’s sins, a requirement for Catholics, has sharply fallen over several decades with evolving views on sin, penance and the stature of the priesthood.
But now Pope Francis and church leaders, in a push to draw people back to confession, are highlighting what clergy say are the healing, uplifting aspects of the sacrament and focusing less on themes like punishment and condemnation..
The Paterson Diocese and Newark Archdiocese are using websites, newspaper ads and highway billboards to get the message out. Under diocesan guidance, local churches have also added one extra day a week to hear confession during Lent, the period before Easter when penance is considered a Catholic duty. And the pope, in an image seen and talked about around the world, confessed to a priest last week in public view.
But will these efforts change attitudes among Catholics, many of whom believe confession no longer is a necessary part of the faith?
PR Representative for Mr. Saraceno (The Enclave) Uses Valley tactic of belittling and attacking the opposition
Loved in the article in The Ridgewood News where I believe it was the PR Representative for Mr. Saraceno/The Enclave stated that, “The crackpot opinions of lay people have to be weighed for what they are”. Very nice. Not sure how calling people crackpots is going to help push through your development.
This is the exact same tactic that Valley has been employing for years. Anyone that dares to disagree with us is part of an ignorant minority. Those that don’t know history.
Funny none of the “The crackpot lay people” walked off with $460,000 worth of quarters right under everyone at Village Hall’s nose .
None of “The crackpot lay people” spent $500,000 on a toilet for vets field .
None of “The crackpot lay people”spent $9 million on renovating the Village Hall from flood damage only nto have it flooded out on the very first rain ..
the list is almost endless
From turf fields in flood zones , banning banks , higher density housing means less traffic to math classes that dont involve addition .
But Since you continue to ask none of “The crackpot lay people” would have even considered highering a Profession “crack pot” like Marty Brooks to be Superintendent of Schools . The BOE had spent countless amounts of tax payer money to a “search firm” which somehow failed to report Marty’s very checkered past . The first 30 pages of a Google search turned up among other things , the “WE HATE MARTY BROOKS ” website , a petition signed by over 800 parents looking to have him removed from his job in Long Island and a whole host of derogatory information . This blog was contacted by those same caring parents looking warn the Village of our coming doom . Education after all is about kids learning something , its not about teachers unions, overpaid administrators or wasteful pet projects . The Village ended up after a bit with a highly qualified , local resident Daniel Fishbein who was clearly the right choice to begin with , you can not possible tell me that the schools , though having some ups and downs are not far more focused on the “Tradition of Excellence ” now than they were then .
The point once again is perhaps its time to start questioning the judgement of many of the so called “experts “, and start listening to all the “lay people”.
Ridgewood’s new administrator gets a running start
APRIL 6, 2014 LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 2014, 1:21 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — Her official first day was Monday, but Roberta Sonenfeld got a head start as Ridgewood’s new village manager three weeks ago.
Sonenfeld, a 17-year village resident and the first woman to hold the village’s top administrative office, said she “wanted to hit the ground running.” So, following her appointment in mid-March, she started meeting one-on-one with several of the village’s directors.
“We discussed anything that they wanted to talk about,” Sonenfeld said, including any “outstanding issues or concerns” they had.
“I also attended all of the departmental budget reviews, and met with our attorney for an update on all important legal issues,” said Sonenfeld, 59, who has three decades of experience in upper management for several financial institutions.
Sonenfeld has already met with Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan and Bergen County Administrator Ed Trawinski, and “agreed that the answer to stemming the tide of higher and higher property taxes is for each municipality to do things differently than we are doing them today and to engage the county where it makes sense,” the new manager said.
$405,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1409972
249 PROSPECT ST, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Roy D. Pagano, Broker Associate
Ronald R. Pagano & Company
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
9
$449,900 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1410219
528 FRANKLIN TPKE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, C/C
Jenny Lindberg, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
19
$498,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1404165
258 E GLEN AVE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
2 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, C/C
Ghada Abbasi, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
24
$549,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1411026
31 HIGH ST, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Pam Christian, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
16
$559,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1405137
944 BARNES DR, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Susan D. Preziosi, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Oradell
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
25
$579,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1401791
329 FRANKLIN AVE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath, COL
Rita Lutzer, Sales Associate
RE/MAX Properties-Saddle River
Open House: 12:30 P.M. – 3:30 P.M. Sun. 4/6
11
$595,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1329267
22 POMANDER WALK, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, DUPLEX
Jay Bouton, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Allendale
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
25
$625,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1408522
102 CIRCLE AVE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
3 Bedroom, 1 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
John Vaughan, Sales Associate
Weichert Realtors Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
12
$649,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1330303
301 MEADOWBROOK AVE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
2 Half Bath, COL
Cathy Denis, Broker Owner
Century 21 Mainstream
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
– See more at: https://www.njmls.com/NJ/BERGEN/RIDGEWOOD-open-houses#sthash.fvEEmC99.dpuf
$679,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1410746
53 CREST RD, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
2 Half Bath, COL
Peter C. Marron, Jr., Sales Associate
Marron Gildea Realty, Inc.
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
12
$775,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1407927
130 WOODSIDE AVE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath, COL
Suanne Ohl, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
23
$880,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1410197
564 VAN DYKE ST, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
John Sun, Sales Associate
Furumoto Realty Inc.
Open House: 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
19
$959,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1410128
145 DOREMUS AVE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Melissa Shiel, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Wyckoff/Franklin Lakes
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
14
$999,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1410756
403 COLONIAL RD, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 2 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Gina Fierro, Sales Associate
Weichert Realtors Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
19
$1,050,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1404714
538 VAN DYKE ST, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Rose Hueneke, Broker Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
16
$1,095,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1407185
234 PALMER CT, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Ettie Rais, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
20
$1,099,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1408326
869 HILLCREST RD, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Laura Gill, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
23
$1,175,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1400092
197 LINCOLN AVE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Mary E. Soriano, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Saddle River
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
19
$1,180,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1411343
564 FARVIEW ST, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
John Sun, Sales Associate
Furumoto Realty Inc.
Open House: 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
– See more at: https://www.njmls.com/NJ/BERGEN/RIDGEWOOD-open-houses#sthash.fvEEmC99.dpuf
$1,295,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1408430
31 CHELSEA PL, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Christine Park, Sales Associate
Coldwell Banker, Fort Lee
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
21
$1,349,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1409956
384 HIGHVIEW TER, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Mary Tarvin Passaro, Broker Associate
Tom Tarvin, Broker Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 4/6
22
$1,349,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1410795
820 MORNINGSIDE RD, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
4 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Mary Tarvin Passaro, Broker Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 4/6
19
$1,399,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1343418
436 FARVIEW ST, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
David H. Larsen, Sales Associate
Keller Williams Village Square Realty
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 4/6
24
$1,495,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1403728
184 BEECHWOOD RD, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Jennifer Springer, Sales Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 4/6
25
$1,499,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1405414
269 LOTTE RD, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
6 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Nancy Slott, Sales Associate
Marron Gildea Realty, Inc. Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
21
$1,675,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1411067
220 GREENWAY RD, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Elizabeth Fernandez, Sales Associate
Marron Gildea Realty, Inc. Ridgewood
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
25
$1,695,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1406885
302 GLENWOOD RD, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Frances Ekblom, Sales Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 4/6
15
$1,795,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1408782
395 HIGHLAND AVE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Frances Ekblom, Sales Associate
Tarvin Realtors
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sun. 4/6
25
$1,799,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1410479
256 HEMPSTEAD RD, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
7 Bedroom, 5 Full Bath,
3 Half Bath, COL
Irene Palatucci, Sales Associate
Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty-Ridgewoo
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
– See more at: https://www.njmls.com/NJ/BERGEN/RIDGEWOOD-open-houses#sthash.fvEEmC99.dpuf
$1,995,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1343181
237 MOUNTAIN AVE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
6 Bedroom, 4 Full Bath,
1 Half Bath, COL
Victoria Wilkinson, Sales Associate
Solutions Realty, LLC
Open House: 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
15
$2,249,000 in RIDGEWOOD
MLS # 1407897
330 BEDFORD RD, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 07450
5 Bedroom, 5 Full Bath,
2 Half Bath, COL
John Vaughan, Sales Associate
Weichert Realtors Ridgewood
Open House: 12:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Sun. 4/6
– See more at: https://www.njmls.com/NJ/BERGEN/RIDGEWOOD-open-houses#sthash.fvEEmC99.dpuf
Liberals Are Using Campaign Disclosures to Intimidate and Harass
Hans von Spakovsky
April 3, 2014 at 6:24 pm
The resignation of Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich over a personal $1,000 donation he made in 2008 in support of California’s Proposition 8 shows the dark side of campaign disclosure laws and how liberals are using them to intimidate, harass, and bully anyone who disagrees with them on social and cultural issues. The Mozilla staffers and others targeting the company are engaging in the type of intolerance and coercive behavior that they are always accusing others of exhibiting.
Before Eich resigned, he pointed out that he had kept his personal beliefs out of Mozilla and that they were not relevant to his job as CEO. He was exactly right, although that did not prevent him from resigning. In a startling display of irony that was obviously lost on her, Mozilla Executive Chairwoman Mitchell Baker, who approved of Eich’s resignation, said it was necessary because “preserving Mozilla’s integrity was paramount.” She seems not to recognize that forcing a founder of the company to resign because of his personal beliefs that have nothing to do with his qualifications as a corporate officer is the exact opposite of “integrity.”
Eich is certainly not alone in his predicament. As the Heritage Foundation previously pointed out, other supporters of Proposition 8 in California have been subjected to harassment, intimidation, vandalism, racial scapegoating, blacklisting, loss of employment, economic hardships, angry protests, violence, death threats, and anti-religious bigotry. All committed by individuals claiming they are simply trying to gain “acceptance” and who complain about the supposed intolerance of society over their lifestyle.
What has been happening in recent years is no different then what racist government officials in Alabama were trying to do in the late 1950s when they subpoenaed the NAACP’s membership lists. Fortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the state in NAACP v. Alabama (1958), holding that the state’s actions violated the Fourteenth Amendment and interfered with the free associational rights of the NAACP’s members.
While campaign finance reformers are constantly touting the benefits of the disclosure of political contributions as a means of preventing corruption, they fail to explain how that objective is served by requiring disclosure of donations in referendum campaigns. There is some logic in disclosure of contributions to candidates who then have the ability to initiate, support, or pass legislation that may benefit contributors if they are elected. But no such logic attaches to donations against or in support of ballot propositions that are approved by all of the registered voters of a state. There is no candidate or potential legislator who can somehow be “corruptly” influenced through contributions.
Moreover, the ability and right to engage in anonymous political speech and activity – and making contributions is a form of political speech – used to be considered common sense. The Federalist Papers were published under pseudonyms and one of the most famous and stirring pieces of writing in American history – Thomas Paine’s Common Sense – was first published anonymously because of the danger to its author for publishing such revolutionary ideas. The same threats those authors and others throughout our history have faced for expressing ideas not in conformity with the ruling passions of the day are today being faced by Americans like Brendan Eich.
The required disclosure of contributors like Brendan Eich to referenda is now being used to harass and intimidate them for their political opinions. Those who bullied Eich into resigning, particularly the employees of Mozilla, should be ashamed of themselves for their behavior. They apparently believe that anyone who disagrees with them on controversial legal and social issues should be driven from the workplace, no matter the economic and personal consequence to that individual and his family.
What’s next? Special reeducation camps for anyone who disagrees with them?
The president tries to put a good face on ObamaCare.
By
PEGGY NOONAN
Updated April 4, 2014 7:44 p.m. ET
Put aside the numbers for a moment, and the daily argument.
“Seven point one million people have signed up!”
“But six million people lost their coverage and were forced onto the exchanges! That’s no triumph, it’s a manipulation. And how many of the 7.1 million have paid?”
“We can’t say, but 7.1 million is a big number and redeems the program.”
“Is it a real number?”
“Your lack of trust betrays a dark and conspiratorial right-wing mindset.”
As I say, put aside the argument, step back and view the thing at a distance. Support it or not, you cannot look at ObamaCare and call it anything but a huge, historic mess. It is also utterly unique in the annals of American lawmaking and government administration.
Its biggest proponent in Congress, the Democratic speaker of the House, literally said—blithely, mindlessly, but in a way forthcomingly—that we have to pass the bill to find out what’s in it. It is a cliché to note this. But really, Nancy Pelosi’s statement was a historic admission that she was fighting hard for something she herself didn’t understand, but she had every confidence regulators and bureaucratic interpreters would tell her in time what she’d done. This is how we make laws now.
Her comments alarmed congressional Republicans but inspired Democrats, who for the next three years would carry on like blithering idiots making believe they’d read the bill and understood its implications. They were later taken aback by complaints from their constituents. The White House, on the other hand, seems to have understood what the bill would do, and lied in a way so specific it showed they knew exactly what to spin and how. “If you like your health-care plan, you can keep your health-care plan, period.” “If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor, period.” That of course was the president, misrepresenting the facts of his signature legislative effort. That was historic, too. If you liked your doctor, your plan, your network, your coverage, your deductible you could not keep it. Your existing policy had to pass muster with the administration, which would fight to the death to ensure that 60-year-old women have pediatric dental coverage.
The leaders of our government have not felt, throughout the process, that they had any responsibility to be honest and forthcoming about the major aspects of the program, from its exact nature to its exact cost. We are not being told the cost of anything—all those ads, all the consultants and computer work, even the cost of the essential program itself.
What the bill declared it would do—insure tens of millions of uninsured Americans—it has not done. There are still tens of millions uninsured Americans. On the other hand, it has terrorized millions who did have insurance and lost it, or who still have insurance and may lose it.
Shown here (left to right): are Bryan Gaus, Senior General Manager, Westfield Garden State Plaza; Audrey Meyers, President and CEO The Valley Hospital and Valley Health System; and William Conroy, Deputy Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Health.
Valley Health System and Westfield Garden State Plaza Team Up in Yearlong Partnership to Promote a Healthy Lifestyle
April 1, 2014
Ridgewood NJ, Westfield Garden State Plaza and Valley Health System kick off a dynamic year-long partnership designed to promote community health and wellness through engaging events and thought-provoking messaging. Leveraging the center’s two million-plus square feet of premium retail space and Valley’s influence as a leading health provider, the partnership will “deliver a message to our community that lifestyle, diet and well-being are important to living a healthy life,” said Bryan Gaus, Senior General Manager, Westfield Garden State Plaza.
In conjunction with Westfield Garden State Plaza, Valley Health System will host two community-wide events at the Paramus-based center and utilize its large format signage, particularly the digital LED screen, to display compelling content throughout the year. “This is an exciting partnership and we are delighted to provide a platform to support community wellness through engaging events and experiences at Westfield Garden State Plaza,” continued Gaus.
“We are delighted to partner with Westfield Garden State Plaza on this important community health initiative,” said Audrey Meyers, President and CEO of The Valley Hospital and Valley Health System. “The mall is a gathering place for so many in our community that it seems like the perfect place to offer innovative health-related educational events and programs.”
The first event, “Recipe Makeover & A New Look For the Cook,” launches April 1, in partnership with Sur La Table and features an online enter-to-win sweepstakes. Customers are invited to submit the name of a favorite dish, at www.valleyrecipemakeover.com, for a nutritional makeover. On May 17, two winners, sporting their own new makeovers, will cook their healthier dishes in front of a live audience with celebrity chef Michael V. Proietti in the Lord & Taylor Court. Compliments of Westfield Garden State Plaza retailers, the winners’ “new looks” include a makeover and new apparel. A second event will be held in October and details will be released later this year.
“Sur La Table is excited to be working with Westfield Garden State Plaza on this upcoming cooking demonstration featuring Proietti, the resident chef of our Westchester store,” said Aysar Rida, District Manager of Sur La Table, retailer of exclusive and premium-quality goods for the kitchen and table. “With cooking classes in more than 50 locations, Sur La Table operates the largest avocational cooking school nationwide.”
About Westfield Garden State Plaza
Westfield Garden State Plaza is the ultimate destination for fashion, dining and entertainment in the NY/NJ metro area offering the best selection of brands in every retail category, and is renowned for delivering cutting edge, new retail concepts to market. Just minutes from Manhattan in Paramus, N.J., millions of shoppers each year enjoy an unparalleled shopping and dining experience, complete with personalized services and amenities. For more information, call 201-843-2121 or www.facebook.com/gardenstateplaza or www.westfield.com/gardenstateplaza.
The Westfield Group (ASX Code: WDC) is an internally managed, vertically integrated, shopping center group undertaking ownership, development, design, construction, funds/asset management, property management, leasing and marketing activities and employing approximately 4,000 staff worldwide. The Westfield Group has interests in and operates one of the world’s largest shopping center portfolios with investment interests in 91 shopping centers across Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, encompassing over 20,500 retail outlets and total assets under management of A$65.8bn.
About Valley Health System
Valley Health System is a regional healthcare system that serves residents in northern New Jersey and southern New York. It includes The Valley Hospital, a 451-bed, not-for-profit, acute-care hospital; Valley Home Care, an award-winning home care and hospice agency; and Valley Medical Group, a multispecialty group practice of doctors and advanced practice professionals representing more than 30 medical and surgical specialties who practice at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, Valley’s Blumenthal Cancer Center in Paramus, eight urgent and primary care centers in New Jersey and New York, and community-based physician practices throughout the region.
For more information visit www.ValleyHealth.com or www.Facebook.com/ValleyHospital
Newark-based Star-Ledger newspaper cutting 167 jobs
The Star-Ledger’s announcement of 167 job cuts — among 306 layoffs made by owner Advance Publications Inc. Thursday — reflect long-running troubles at the state’s largest newspaper, which has felt the impact of a nationwide drop in newspaper readership and advertising revenue.
Thursday’s cuts are the latest in a series of layoffs and buyouts since 2008 at the Newark paper, a New Jersey institution that has won three Pulitzer Prizes but lost millions of dollars in recent years. The cuts include 40 jobs in the newsroom, which is not unionized, bringing it to a staff of about 116, down from a high of 350 before the first buyout in 2008.
In addition to the Star-Ledger cuts, 124 full and part-time jobs were eliminated at other daily and weekly papers owned by Advance Publications Inc., in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and 15 at the company’s web site, NJ.com.
The layoffs are part of a plan announced last week by Advance to create a new company, NJ Advance Media, based in Woodbridge, to provide advertising, marketing and news content to The Star-Ledger, the three other daily papers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and NJ.com. The company plans to focus on efforts to grow its digital operations.
Star-Ledger employees were called in Thursday for one-on-one meetings, where they were either told they were being let go or offered a job with the new company. The new jobs, in some cases, carried salaries more than 5 percent lower, along with reduced benefits, according to employees who asked not to be identified. According to the newspaper, the cuts included the entire full-time business staff and positions in sports, features, photos and news. (Lynn/The Record)
Acting Port Authority chair cautions against splitting up agency in ‘heat of the political moment’
The acting chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said a recommendation that the agency should be broken up is something that “should be considered,” but represents a challenge fraught with complexities that should not be taken likely.
“A wholesale splitting up seems challenging, but it’s something that should be considered, like everything should be considered,” said acting Port Authority Chairman Scott Rechler, who leads the agency’s board of commissioners following Friday’s resignation by David Samson. “But that’s a pretty meaningful, material change, and I would not take it likely.”
Rechler had been asked by The Star-Ledger to comment on remarks last Friday by Gov. Chris Christie, who said he was “intrigued” by a recommendation contained in a report on September’s George Washington Bridge lane closures that his office had commissioned from the law firm Gibson, Dunne & Crutcher. (Strunsky/Star-Ledger)
Tesla Fights New Jersey Ban on Direct Car Sales in Court
Tesla Motors Inc. (TSLA) appealed New Jersey’s ban on direct auto sales, arguing that the decision thwarts the carmaker’s mission of providing sustainable transportation and unfairly favors entrenched franchise dealers.
The action comes as Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive officer and co-founder, fights with car dealer groups across the U.S. to let the Palo Alto, California-based maker of electric Model S sedans sell directly to consumers from company stores.
Tesla challenged a direct-sales ban imposed by a New Jersey commission in state Superior Court, according to documents made available by the company. The filing couldn’t immediately be verified in court records.
Restrictions by U.S. states on how Tesla sells its battery-powered Model S, priced from $71,000, would slow Musk’s plan to shift his company from a niche maker of battery-powered luxury cars to an automotive powerhouse. Tesla’s fight with dealers has increased scrutiny of U.S. auto franchise rules that go back eight decades.
“Franchise dealers have an inherent conflict of interest in selling electric vehicles,” Tesla said in court papers. “In order to do so effectively, they would need to enthusiastically tout the reasons why electric vehicles are superior to gasoline vehicles. This is not something that they are going to do since gasoline vehicles represent virtually all of their revenue.”
Tesla rose 6.1 percent to $230.29 at the close in New York, the biggest one-day jump since Feb. 25. The shares have advanced 53 percent this year. (Pearson and Ohnsman/Bloomberg)
Winter runoff adding more than a pinch of salt to North Jersey’s drinking water
APRIL 4, 2014, 4:18 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2014, 11:58 PM
BY JAMES O’NEILL
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
After a profusion of snowstorms forced road crews in New Jersey to spread nearly twice as much salt this past winter than the year before, the snowmelt and spring rains are now washing that salt into wetlands and rivers, where it has infiltrated the local drinking water supply and could harm the region’s vegetation and wildlife.
So much salt has been making its way into the water supply that customers of a number of water utilities in the Northeast, including United Water, which serves North Jersey, have complained that their water tastes salty. “That’s a good marker that we’ve had a tough winter here,” said Howard Woods Jr., a private water industry consultant.
The Passaic Valley Water Commission, which provides drinking water to Paterson, Passaic, Clifton and other towns, has also seen sodium levels rise — at one point it was three times normal levels, said Joe Bella, the commission’s director. Too much sodium can exacerbate problems for people on low-salt diets for hypertension and other conditions.
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