Reader says ,The Ridgewood Post Office is doing a terrible job.
The Ridgewood Post Office is doing a terrible job. They have messed up our mail so much that bills are never delivered and we are charged late fees through no fault of our own. My husband went to the RPO – which doesn’t open until after 10 am. by the way – and complained.
The Postmaster couldn’t have been more disinterested and unsympathetic and said that we are the end of the route and his mail carriers don’t like walking to our block. What? If we did our jobs, like they did theirs we’d be fired! Whatever happened to their motto “through rain or snow or sleet or hail the Postal Service will never fail”?
It’s funny – sad really – how the junk mail that we don’t ask for or need always seems to find us. But not the important stuff. Can someone help us?
NFIB Responds to Obama’s “you didn’t build that” Statement
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 16, 2012 — The following statement is the response from NFIB President and CEO Dan Danner to President Obama’s declaration over the weekend that “If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.”
“What a disappointment to hear President Obama’s revealing comments challenging the significance of America’s entrepreneurs.
“His unfortunate remarks over the weekend show an utter lack of understanding and appreciation for the people who take a huge personal risk and work endless hours to start a business and create jobs.
“I’m sure every small-business owner who took a second mortgage on their home, maxed out their credit cards or borrowed money from their own retirement savings to start their business disagrees strongly with President Obama’s claim. They know that hard work does matter.
“Every small business is not indebted to the government or some other benefactor. If anything, small businesses are historically an economic and job-creating powerhouse in spite of the government.”
Banning those whom you disagree with is intolerant and un-American
In a recent letter to the editor (The Ridgewood News, July 13, 2012) ( https://tinyurl.com/7hb3xvs ) the writer noted “I cannot understand why the continued and growing presence of the Tea Party in the Ridgewood Fourth of July parade is tolerated or permitted.” The writer then goes on to say that the Tea Party’s presence in the parade “alters the parade’s naturally inclusive character.” I don’t understand the logic: ban a group that the writer does not like to make the parade more inclusive, huh? The writer also states that the Fourth of July parade is a “non-partisan celebration of community service,” really?
July Fourth is not a day, as the writer says, “to honor public servants, elected officials, police, fire and other emergency service workers, military veterans, schools, hospital workers” (however honorable that may be). Even the parade rules state that the purpose of the parade is to celebrate The Declaration of Independence. I will point out that The Declaration is an extremely politically charged document, or as King George would have thought: partisan. We should not dishonor the sacrifice of our founders by changing the meaning of the day to some politically correct idea void of any connection to its true meaning of: Independence.
On March 23, 1780 a Revolutionary War battle was fought right here in Ridgewood, and many of our Bergen County citizens died in the Revolution. On July Fourth it is our duty to celebrate our freedoms, independence, and to remember the sacrifice of not only the American Revolution but all who have loved freedom. As Abraham Lincoln admonished us in his Gettysburg Address – “that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
The New Jersey Tea Party Coalition (a citizens movement) marches in Ridgewood on July Fourth to celebrate the birth of our nation and to promote a new birth of freedom. We are proud Americans and we participate in the parade to support the tradition of what John Adams called “the great anniversary.” We march as people of this great land to celebrate and promote our American freedoms, and the preservation of liberty. Those ideals belong to “We the People” – not to either political party. Supporting the principles within our Nation’s foundational documents is not partisan or offensive – It’s American!
Banning those whom you disagree with is intolerant and un-American.
Tim Adriance Co-founder of the New Jersey Tea Party Coalition
Retail Sales Down for the Third Month in Row
July 16.2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Bloomberg News reported that U.S. retail sales “unexpectedly” dropped and the International Monetary Fund cut its global economic growth forecast .The drop in Retails sales was the third drop in a row and the first time this has happened since the recession started in 2008 .
According to Bloomberg U.S. retail sales dropped 0.5 percent in June, following a 0.2 percent decrease in May, Commerce Department figures showed today. The decline was worse than the most-pessimistic forecast in a Bloomberg News survey in which the median projection called for 0.2 percent rise.
James Dunigan, who helps oversee $112 billion as chief investment officer in Philadelphia for PNC Wealth Management, told the new service in an interview.“The retail sales gives you another indicator that uncertainty has showed up in the consumer side,” “We’re in a bit of the summer doldrums.” However retail does traditional tail off in the summer months with consumers putting off large buying decisions until the fall.
Howard Davidowitz, chairman of Davidowitz & Associates a longtime retail consultant, told Yahoo Finance he was not shocked by Monday’s retail report.
“The American consumer is going to continue to get poorer,” he says in the accompanying video. “They’re going to shop at the places that are cheapest. This is not rocket science.”
The IMF cut its 2013 global growth forecast as Europe’s debt crisis prolongs Spain’s recession and slows expansions in emerging markets. The IMF predicts growth worldwide will be 3.9 percent next year, less than the 4.1 percent estimate in April, the fund predicted in an update of its World Economic Outlook.
Manufacturing was the one bright spot with the New York region expanding in July at a faster pace than anticipated, signaling factories will keep contributing to growth. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s general economic index rose to 7.4 from 2.3 in June. The median forecast of 51 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News called for an increase to 4.0. Readings greater than zero signal expansion in the so-called Empire State Index that covers New York, northern New Jersey and southern Connecticut.
Congressman Scott Garrett Celebrates his Birthday
July 16.2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ , Congressman Scott Garrett took time out to celebrate his birthday this past Sunday . Congressman Scott Garrett, (5th District ,New Jersey) birthday celebration was held in a Ridgewood home this past Sunday . The two hour celebration was heavily attended .
Attendees included Linda Schafer the Mayor of Ringwood , John Mitchell Free Holder Chairman , Bergen County Executive Kathleen A. Donovan and many more .
“Municide” : Unless the Village starts looking at new forms of revenue this would not come as a surprise
As a former resident I would never wish “Municide” on my old hometown. Though unless the Village starts looking at new forms of revenue this would not come as a surprise.
In particular, solar panels paid for by utilities, cell phone towers which offer recurring revenue, and tasteful advertising to subsidize the annual losses at Graydon. “Tasteful” could use as a touchstone the same types of advertising found on little league baseball uniforms.
I’m not in favor of sacrificing the town’s character or visual appeal. I am in favor of avoiding casting the local unions and teachers as the cause of Ridgewood’s inevitable fiscal cliff. Teachers, Police, and Fire salaries and pensions are not the problem.
The Village has to realize that a massive number of real estate tax appeals and people moving to lower tax municipalities are the problems and that these are being ignored.
Ridgewood needs some creative types to work on raising revenues and not taxes.
NJ State law requires that recycling and sanitation be separated in the disposal process. This will reduce the amount of garbage for disposal which currently costs the Village over half a million dollars annually.
We ask your cooperation in following the law. If recycling is included in your garbage, then THE GARBAGE WILL NOT BE PICKED UP. A yellow sticker will be placed on the bags/container, with collection instructions.
If you have any questions, please call 201/670-5585.
Military History of Ulysses S. Grant by Adam Badeau
Adam Badeau who was an aide to Grant during the Civil War wrote this account of Grant’s campaigns based on his eye-witness experience and on original documents. We have personal items from Adam Badeau in our collections.
Ridgewood Library Receives grant for Binding of Books, 2012
Supported by grant money from the Bergen County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs, the Ridgewood Public Library has preserved and re-bound books from its collection that had been unavailable due to their fragile condition. Turul Bindery in Wharton, New Jersey did the preservation work. The following books are now availalbe on the shelves in the Bolger Heritage Center. Please call for more information: 201-670-5600, x 135
Taxes, Taxes and more Taxes Tax break nears end for online shoppers
Republican governors, eager for new revenue to ease budget strains, are dropping their longtime opposition to imposing sales taxes on online purchases, a significant political shift that could soon bring an end to tax-free sales on the Internet.
Conservative governors, joining their Democratic counterparts, have been making deals with online retail giant Amazon.com AMZN +1.41% to collect state sales taxes. The movement picked up an important ally when New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie—widely mentioned as a potential vice-presidential candidate—recently reached an agreement under which Amazon would collect sales taxes on his state’s online purchases in exchange for locating distribution facilities there.
Mr. Christie called taxation of online sales “an important issue to all the nation’s governors” and endorsed federal legislation giving all states taxing authority. (Langley, The Wall Street Journal)
New Jersey seeks to regain edge in high technology
New Jersey’s formerly booming high-tech sector has a lower profile, battered by a series of corporate contractions over the last 16 years. But there are new efforts by state officials and business leaders to help the state recapture its once-dominant share of jobs in science, engineering and technology.
If it works, a thriving brain belt can power New Jersey’s economy back to prosperity, said Esther Surden, who has covered the technology industry for trade publications for over 30 years. (Jordan, Asbury Park Press)
NJEA looks to limit School choice takes tough stance on new charters
The relationship between the New Jersey Education Association and charter schools has been a checkered one.
In the early 1990s, the powerful teachers union fought against the state’s charter school law before ultimately signing on. Since then, it has openly said it supports charters — and has organized unions in a dozen of them — while raising protests about some aspects of the alternative schools.
Now, the union is again mixing it up, as the Christie administration is about to announce the latest round of final charters for schools opening this fall, including possibly New Jersey’s first all-online schools. (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
Obama campaign revs up black outreach fears black voters have lost appetite for “hope and change.”
By Niall Stanage and Amie Parnes
President Obama’s reelection campaign is making a determined and carefully calibrated effort to boost enthusiasm among black voters, a group that could swing the election in key battleground states.
Polls have Obama winning more than 90 percent of the black vote against Mitt Romney, but there are signs that the high African-American turnout that fueled his 2008 victories in North Carolina and Virginia could dissipate after the hard realities of the president’s first term.
The chances for depressed turnout are increased by the bad economy, which at its worst drove the unemployment rate for blacks above 16 percent and led to some disillusionment with the candidate of “hope and change.”
African Americans “don’t have to vote for [Romney]” to help his campaign, said broadcaster and author Earl Ofari Hutchinson.
“An abstention from the polls is effectively a vote for Romney,” he said. “If there is only a minuscule drop-off [in turnout], it will spell trouble.”
Homeland Security warns of hackers targeting popular Niagara software
By Robert O’Harrow Jr., Published: July 13
The Department of Homeland Security on Friday warned that a popular system used by organizations around the world to manage millions of machines and devices over the Internet is vulnerable to attack from hackers.
The software system known as the Niagara Framework enables corporate, military, health-care and other users to remotely control or monitor medical devices, elevators, video cameras, security systems and a wide array of other sensitive operations.
In an alert issued Friday, cybersecurity officials said that Niagara users should immediately prohibit guest users, bolster passwords, cut off direct access to the Internet and take other steps to prevent hackers from exploiting configuration and software flaws.
“Disable the ‘guest’ and ‘demo’ user accounts if enabled,” says the alert, issued by the department’s Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team. The alert advised other steps:
●Lock out accounts that receive excessive invalid login attempts.
The other foreclosure crisis: Losing a home over $400 in back taxes
By Les Christie @CNNMoney July 11, 2012: 9:59 AM ET
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — People are losing their homes over unpaid tax bills that, in some cases, add up to just a few hundred dollars.
Outdated state laws that allow local governments to sell tax liens on delinquent properties to investors in order to more quickly collect on overdue property taxes is sparking a second “foreclosure crisis,” a report from the National Consumer Law Center said Tuesday.
When homeowners don’t pay property taxes or other municipal bills, like water or sewer fees, local governments have less money to maintain services like schools, police and fire departments and road maintenance. By selling tax liens, those governments can collect on what it is owed.
Investors, in return, effectively own a claim against the property until the homeowner pays the county or municipality back or until they default on the debt entirely. The investor can either collect interest on the taxes owed from the homeowner. Or, if the homeowner fails to pay up, the investor can take possession, or foreclose, on the home.
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