The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
VOTE: So You think Your Vote Doesn’t Count
Ridgewood ‘s 2008 Presidential Election Results
Obama 7387 votes
McCain 5743 votes
Obama won Ridgewood by 1644 votes
Ridgewood Registered Voters 16867
Ballots cast 13306
Number of Voters Who did not cast a Vote 3561
Polls Open 6am-8pm
EPA Using Drones to Spy on Cattle Ranchers in Nebraska and Iowa
Kurt Nimmo
Infowars.com
June 4, 2012
Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency is using aerial drones to spy on farmers in Nebraska and Iowa. The surveillance came under scrutiny last week when Nebraska’s congressional delegation sent a joint letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson.
On Friday, EPA officialdom in “Region 7” responded to the letter.
“Courts, including the Supreme Court, have found similar types of flights to be legal (for example to take aerial photographs of a chemical manufacturing facility) and EPA would use such flights in appropriate instances to protect people and the environment from violations of the Clean Water Act,” the agency said in response to the letter.
https://www.infowars.com/epa-using-drones-to-spy-on-cattle-ranchers-in-nebraska-and-iowa/
Dear Friends,
This year’s election is an opportunity to change the direction of our country. By electing strong conservatives like Scott Garrett, we can get our economy back on track through lower taxes, less spending, and smaller government.
Tomorrow – Tuesday, June 5th – is your chance to make your voice heard. Please vote in the New Jersey Republican primary. Polls are open from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm.
If you have any questions about voting, please contact our campaign office at 973-300-0470.
Let’s show our support for Scott!
– Team Garrett
Red-light cameras: Cash cow in the fast lane
You are so busted.
You are in Cherry Hill driving a blue pickup truck in the left lane of Springdale Road where it crosses Route 70, and you are blowing through the intersection a second after the traffic light turned red.
Township police just got a nice video of your truck, as well as some close-up photos, and you will soon receive a notice in the mail demanding $85 for your haste. (Nussbaum, The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Opening Night – Tuesday, June 5th – 2012 Kasschau Shell Schedule – Free Concerts Under the Stars!
Concerts begin at 8:30PM at the Kasschau Band Shell (behing the Ridgewood Public Library). All programs are free. Please bring a chair or blanket. Please do NOT cross over the baseball field if a game is in progress.
Click Here for 2012 Season Schedule : https://mods.ridgewoodnj.net/pdf/manager/2012KasschauShell.pdf
Valley Doctors Well Represented on List of Bergen County’s Top Doctors
May 31, 2012 — The Valley Hospital is proud to announce that 89 members of the hospital’s Medical Staff in 42 specialties were included in a special edition of (201) Health Magazine featuring Bergen County’s Top Doctors. Only 5 percent of Bergen County doctors received this prestigious recognition. The selection process was independently conducted by Key Professional Media, Inc., a leading researcher and the publisher of Super Doctors®. Key Professional Media asked doctors in Bergen County to nominate one or more colleagues they would choose in seeking medical care. Candidates were evaluated on 10 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement.
The Valley doctors who were included on (201) Health’s list of Bergen County’s Top Doctors, listed by medical specialty, are: Allergy & Immunology: John V. Bosso, M.D.; Patricia M. Hicks, M.D.; Jay M. Kashkin, M.D.; and Mary Ann Michelis, M.D. Cardiology: Dennis S. Reison, M.D.; Gerald Sotsky, M.D.; Mark I. Sotsky, M.D.; and Janet E. Strain, M.D. Critical Care Medicine: James Cornell, M.D., Ph.D.; Steven C. Jacoby, M.D.; and Marc S. Melamed, M.D.
Dermatology: Rebecca D. Baxt, M.D.; and Darryl S. Weiss, M.D. Electrophysiology: Jonathan S. Steinberg, M.D. Endocrinology: Rhoda H. Cobin, M.D. Family Medicine: Mary R. Bello, M.D.; and Jeanette M. Biller, DO. Family Medicine & Geriatrics: Anne-Marie Levan, M.D. Gastroenterology: Jeffrey B. Danzig, M.D.; and Michael G. Rahmin, M.D.
Gynecologic Oncology: William M. Burke, M.D. Hematology: Barry R. Fernbach, M.D.; and Louise G. Ligresti, M.D. Internal Medicine: Martin D. Pelavin, M.D.; and Maria T. Scibetta, M.D. Internal Medicine & Geriatrics: Bennett P. Leifer, M.D. Maternal/Fetal Medicine: Gail M. Matthews, M.D. Neonatal/Perinatal Medicine: Frank P. Manginello, M.D. Nephrology: Jeffrey P. Kozlowski, M.D.; and Howard B. Weizman, M.D.
Neurology: Reed C. Perron, M.D. Obstetrics/Gynecology: Fred F. Rezvani, M.D.; and Ruth J. Schulze, M.D. Ophthalmology: Francis E. Cangemi, M.D.; and Richard N. Palu, M.D. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: Jason M. Auerbach, DDS; and Manaf Saker, DM.D. Otolaryngology: Irvin D. Bough, Jr., M.D.; and Jason B. Surow, M.D. Pain Management: Robert S. Silverman, M.D. Pediatric Otolaryngology: Don S. Respler, M.D.
Pediatrics: Maury Buchalter, M.D.; Paul J. Harlow, M.D.; Lorraine M. Liberti, M.D.; David M. Namerow, M.D.; Rona S. Riegelhaupt, M.D.; Lawrence D. Rosen, M.D.; Darren A. Saks, M.D.; David A. Schaumberger, M.D.; Lynn M. Sugarman, M.D.; and Scott W. Zucker, M.D. Pediatric Sleep Medicine: Tracy Carbone, M.D. Plastic Surgery: William K. Boss, Jr., M.D.; Pedramine Ganchi, M.D.; Joel E. Kopelman, M.D.; Sidney Rabinowitz, M.D.; and Robert I. Zubowski, M.D.
Pulmonary Medicine: Assia Bromberg, M.D. Pulmonary Medicine, Sleep Medicine: Jeffrey P. Barasch, M.D. Radiation Therapy: Michael F. Wesson, M.D. Radiology: Glenn A. Krinsky, M.D.; and Howard M. Seigerman, M.D. Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility: Philip R. Lesorgen, M.D.; Ali Nasseri, M.D.; and Daniel Navot, M.D. Rheumatology: Rima G. Kopelman, M.D.; Evan H. Leibowitz, M.D.; Steven M. Rosner, M.D.; and Arik Zaider, M.D.
Surgery, Breast: Laura A. Klein, M.D. Surgery, Colon & Rectal: Joel S. Nizin, M.D.; Steven I. Waxenbaum, M.D.; and Ronald A. White, M.D. Surgery, General: Thomas N. Ahlborn, M.D. Surgery, Neurological: Duncan B. Carpenter, M.D.; Patrick A. Roth, M.D.; Michael B. Sisti, M.D.; Robert A. Solomon, M.D.; and Roy D. Vingan, M.D. Surgery, Orthopedic: John Lee Berger, M.D.; Dante A. Implicito, M.D.; and Joseph P. Pizzurro, M.D.
Surgery, Orthopedic, Shoulder: Roger G. Pollock, M.D. Surgery Orthopedic, Hand: Roger G. Rosenstein, M.D. Surgery, Pediatric: Rajinder P. Gandhi, M.D. Surgery, Vascular: John A. Chuback, M.D.; and James W. Geuder, M.D. Urology: Michael P. Esposito, M.D.; John H. Hajjar, M.D.; and Vincent J. Lanteri, M.D.
file photo Ridgewood Getty
10 Ways to Lower Gas Prices
Rory CooperJune 4, 2012 at 8:43 am
The average price of a gallon of regular gas is now $3.66, and has been decreasing for eight straight weeks. This is causing some of the President Obama’s advisors to declare energy prices an irrelevant issue. Political advisor David Axelrod recently tweeted: “Gas prices have been going down for the past six weeks. You think the GOP will blame the President?”
In those six weeks, the only significant energy policy change at the White House was to make new coal production nearly impossible and thus vastly increase the cost of electricity. So, it is hard to assign this slight dip to the president after a record 75 straight weeks of prices exceeding $3.00. However, it is true that the president is not entirely responsible for gas prices.
Market and economic conditions play a large role. With unemployment creeping back up, new global turmoil and summer travel on the wane due to a sagging economy, demand is surely dropping. But that does not mean, and has never meant, that the president’s policies or Congressional action does not play any role in gas prices.
After three years of adding regulatory hurdles and blocking exploratory access and development, President Obama’s policies are helping keep prices higher than necessary. Having only three percent of federal land available for oil exploration is not a “market condition.”
But we are in luck. There are several steps Congress can immediately take, and President Obama can immediately support, that will help alleviate the pain felt at the pump by American families and would create economic growth, and importantly, jobs.
In a new paper, Heritage’s Herbert and Joyce Morgan Fellow, Nick Loris lists ten actions Congress could immediately take that would help improve gas prices in the short term and the long term:
1. Lift offshore and onshore exploration and drilling bans: We remain the only nation in the world that has placed the majority of its territorial waters off limits to exploration. Congress should lift the ban on exploration in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and conduct more lease sales off Alaska’s coasts.
2. Approve Keystone XL: The Keystone pipeline has bipartisan support and continues to be consistently popular, polling at 60 percent in November 2011 and 57 percent in late March. 69 Democrats joined House Republicans on a vote of support in April with Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) saying: “I think the president has made a very serious mistake here.”
Yet, President Obama continues to block it and the jobs that come with it. Had Obama not delayed approval, up to 830,000 barrels of oil per day would have come from Canada to Gulf Coast refineries by as early as 2013. That’s more than we bring in from Venezuela, our fourth largest importer.
3. Require timely environmental review: Environmental review requirements for oil and gas projects to commence on federal lands under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) take too long. Congress should place a reasonable 270-day time limit on NEPA reviews.
4. Permitting process: The processing time for an Application for Permit to Drill (APD) extends well past the 30-day time limit. Loris recommends: “Congress should require the Department of the Interior to honor the law’s deadline unless the Interior finds fault with the application…[and] should ultimately transition the permitting process to state regulators, who are best able to balance economic growth and environmental well-being.”
5. Issue leases on time: Rather than implementing an efficient leasing process, the Department of the Interior keeps adding administrative regulations to make the process more burdensome and bureaucratic. Congress should remove unnecessary red tape and if Interior fails to issue a lease within 60 days, it should be considered issued by default.
6. Allow development of oil shale: Oil shale production in the U.S. could be a global game changer since we hold the largest known reserves in the world. However, 70 percent of those reserves lie beneath federal lands. The Obama Administration has introduced new regulations, time frames, and significantly reduced the land available for leases. Congress should make permanent the 2008 guidelines for oil shale development in order to provide regulatory certainty.
7. Stop the land grab: Through Secretarial Order No. 3310, the Department of Interior is unilaterally and arbitrarily classifying federal land areas as “Wilderness” or “Wild Lands” restricting access to new drilling areas, preventing production on existing leases and halting economic growth. Congress should permanently block Secretarial Order No. 3310 and any similar designation should require congressional approval.
8. Implement 50/50 revenue sharing: States receive 50 percent of the revenues generated by onshore oil and natural gas production on federal lands and Congress should apply this allocation offshore as well. This would encourage more state involvement in drilling decisions and help state economies, whether by closing a deficit or aiding coastal restoration and conservation.
9. Prohibit greenhouse gas and Tier 3 gas regulations: In 2010, Interior suspended 61 leases in Montana alone because environmental groups charged that the energy production would contribute to climate change, demonstrating the need to permanently prohibit any federal agency from unilaterally regulating greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the proposed Tier 3 gas regulations to lower the amount of sulfur in gasoline are costly with no measurable benefits. Congress should prohibit the implementation of these regulations. Unelected bureaucrats should not hold such power over the economy.
10. Repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS): Soon, refiners will be fined when the amount of ethanol mandated exceeds the amount that can be refined for use but the mandate requires production of cellulosic ethanol, which no companies have been able to viably produce commercially. As a result, refiners paid more than $6 million in waiver credits or surcharges in 2011. It is an economic and environmental disaster and must be repealed.
President Obama is keen to accept credit for the windfall of oil production in North Dakota and in other private areas outside federal control, where jobs are plentiful and unemployment has plummeted. Meanwhile, production on federal land is decreasing and regulatory conditions are worsening. It would be to the president’s benefit to embrace some or all of these reforms that could immediately help American families filling up the minivan. Another 75 weeks with gas prices over $3.00, and household goods and food costing more as a result, will not help an already anemic recovery.
New Car Photo by Boyd Loving
If you think the New Ridgewood Police Cars are Ugly you are not alone
June 4,2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, It seems like its was only a short while ago when tax payers were asked to fork over $650.00 per car for a new paint job for Ridgewood Police Vehicles. At the time the paint job was justified because we were told it gave the cars a so called “higher visibility” and a state wide uniform look .
Those who pointed out the cars looked fine as they were ,noted that the the cars were changed from from black and whites years before and the uniformity struck as a threat to home rule. These critics were quickly shouted down as being anti police .
So much to every one’s surprise in an age of doing more with less is a new more stylish update once again of Ridgewood Police Vehicles. To many it seems to run contrary to “zero based budget initiatives” we heard so much about during the recent campaign .
We are also still unclear as to how the color of the Police Vehicles effects the quality of service ? As for now we have seen the new patrol cars out and about and we are forced to agree with many of our readers ,they are just plain ugly .
Old car photo by Boyd Loving
Doggy Seatbelts: Time to really get serious about pedestrian safety
June 4, 2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ , According to a 2011 survey by AAA and Kurgo, a manufacturer of pet travel products, 56% of pet owners drive with their dog in the car at least once a month. For many one of the pleasures of having “mans best friend” as a companion is the ability to take the dog along for outings.
But according to experts many dog owners do not consider that driving with a dog unrestrained in a vehicle carries inherent risks for the dog and for the driver as well as other passengers.
To make matters worse, the survey found that large numbers of dog owners exacerbate the risk by engaging in activities with the dog in the car that can best be classified as distracted driving. Making driving with an unrestrained dog another threat to pedestrian safety
The AAA and Kurgo Survey Methodology :The online study was conducted among a sample of 1,000 dog owners who have driven with their dog in past 12 months. The study results have an average statistical error of +/- 3.1 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.
According to the AAA and Kurgo survey:
52% of respondents admit they pet their dogs while driving
23% have used their hands or arms to hold their dog in place while applying brakes
19% have used their hands or arms to prevent their dog from climbing into the front seat
18% allow their dog to sit in their lap
13% give treats to their dog while driving
The AAA/Kurgo survey also revealed that 83% of respondents acknowledge that an unrestrained dog in a car can be dangerous, but only 16% use a pet restraint.
Currently no U.S. state mandates dog car seat belts, and while several states have laws that require pets to be restrained while traveling in open areas of the vehicle, such as the bed of a pick-up truck, no U.S. state has successfully enacted legislation mandating that pets be restrained inside the passenger area of a moving vehicle.
But NJ Police and animal control officers are authorized to cite drivers with unrestrained animals in the car. Yes, that includes the back of a pickup truck too. Violators can be fined $250 to $1,000 per offense.
So the question remains should there be doggy seatbelt laws? The dangers involved in having an unrestrained dog in a moving vehicle are clear. It is a safety hazard for the driver, the passengers, the pet, and potentially for first reponders such as law enforcement and EMTs as well as pedestrians .
New Jersey Ninth District Democratic primary quickly ‘headed into the toilet’
By Joelle Farrell
When New Jersey lost one of its 13 congressional districts last winter, U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman faced a tough choice: run against an incumbent Republican in a right-leaning district that now included some of Rothman’s former turf or square off against a fellow Democrat in a newly formed district that included more than half of his old constituency.
Many Democrats urged him to take on U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett, a Republican with tea party leanings in the Fifth District, where the remapping committee put Rothman’s hometown of Fair Lawn, Bergen County. Political insiders acknowledged that it would be a tough race, but some argued that Rothman should fight or fail trying for the good of the party. The National Democratic Party offered Rothman a pot of money for the challenge.
Instead, Rothman chose to take on Democrat U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell in the redrawn Ninth District, setting the scene for New Jersey’s most expensive and acrimonious primary fight. It’s one of the most closely watched races in the nation, attracting the participation of heavy hitters such as former President Bill Clinton, who will hold a get-out-the-vote rally for Pascrell in Paterson on Friday, four days before Tuesday’s statewide primary.
“These guys, after all, were good friends. They used to come back [from Washington] every Thursday night on Amtrak together,” said Ross Baker, a Rutgers University political scientist. “Clearly, Congressman Rothman decided that he did not want to run against Scott Garrett … and I can understand why.”
Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving
Opening Weekend At Graydon Pool !
June 2 20120
by Boyd A. Loving
1:37 PM
Ridgewood NJ , This weekend’s weather fully cooperated with the scheduled 2012 season opening of Graydon Pool. Many families came out to enjoy the sun and sand, and a few hearty souls were even seen swimming in the beautiful, but cool, water.
The snack bar concession was in full operation, and many young residents were seen waiting on line with dollar bills in hand!
Don’t miss the fun; join today. Residents and non-residents are always welcome. Now open 7 days a week beginning at 10AM.
Photo credit: Boyd A. Loving
AIG Chief Sees Retirement Age As High As 80 After Crisis
By Boris Cerni and Zachary Tracer – Jun 3, 2012 6:00 PM ET
American International Group Inc. (AIG) Chief Executive Officer Robert Benmosche said Europe’s debt crisis shows governments worldwide must accept that people will have to work more years as life expectancies increase.
“Retirement ages will have to move to 70, 80 years old,” Benmosche, who turned 68 last week, said during a weekend interview at his seaside villa in Dubrovnik, Croatia. “That would make pensions, medical services more affordable. They will keep people working longer and will take that burden off of the youth.”
Debt Up $1.59T Under GOP House—More in 15 Months Than First 97 Congresses Combined
By Terence P. Jeffrey
June 1, 2012
(CNSNews.com) – The Republican-controlled House of Representatives, which took office in January 2011, has enacted federal spending bills under which the national debt has increased more in less than one term of Congress than in the first 97 Congresses combined.
In the fifteen months that the Republican-controlled House of Representatives–led by Speaker John Boehner–has effectively enjoyed a constitutional veto over federal spending, the federal government’s debt has increased by about $1.59 trillion.
Did The SEC Hint At A 7% Market Plunge?
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/02/2012 11:59 -0400
Back in October 19, 1988, in response to Black Monday from a year earlier (the SEC is not known for fast turnaround times) a little known SEC rule came into effect, known as Rule 80B, and somewhat better known as “Trading Halts Due to Extraordinary Market Volatility” which set trigger thresholds for market wide circuit breakers – think a wholesale temporary market shutdown. According to Rule 80B (as revised in 1998), the trigger levels for a market-wide trading halt were set at 10%, 20% and 30% of the DJIA. The halt for a 10% decline would be one hour if it occurred before 2 p.m., and for 30 minutes if it occurred between 2 and 2:30, but would not halt trading at all after 2:30. The halt for a 20% decline would be two hours if it occurred before 1 p.m., and between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. for one hour, and close the market for the rest of the day after 2 p.m. If the market declined by 30%, at any time, trading would be halted for the remainder of the day. Needless to say, a 30% drop in the market in our day and age when the bulk of US wealth is concentrated in the stock market, would be a shot straight to the heart of the entire capitalist system. Which is why the smallest gating threshold is and has always been the key.
KENT PORTER/The Press Democrat
Auction Napa Valley proceeds jump to $6.1 million
Robert Van Dyk of Ridgewood, N.J., celebrates withe girlfriend Elizabeth Alcott after placing the winning bid for Lot 13, the Lokoya Rendezvous: From Monaco to Maui, during Auction Napa Valley on Saturday at Meadowood Resort in the Napa Valley.
The parents of Facebook billionaire Mark Zuckerberg friended Auction Napa Valley on Saturday.
Ed and Karen Zuckerberg were among the 800 paddle-holders under the white tent at St. Helena’s Meadowood Resort, and they helped raise $6.1 million, up from last year’s take of $5.8 million.
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20120602/ARTICLES/120609886
