>Whether we are talking about our fire department, police department, other VOR departments, or our school system, it seems nepotism is alive and well in Ridgewood or is it? It seems that this topic has ruffled some feathers.
Some families in the village have a proud history of public service but offering employment to a relative, despite the fact that there are others who are better qualified and willing to perform the job, would be considered a form of nepotism.
Hundreds of applications are received when an opening occurs in our fire department, police department or in our school system. When a relative is hired for one of these open positions it is only natural to question whether or not he/she was the best candidate.
Does knowing someone or being related to someone get you the job? Does nepotism create an environment conducive to preferential treatment to family members? When relatives work in the same department or unit do work-related issues arise that can negatively affect that department or unit? Or is it simply a matter of good people looking to carry a tradition of public service ?
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>In summary:
Vets can trump #1 candidates who have scored higher on the tests.
We do not know how many of our firefighters/police officers trumped #1 candidates … meaning they are not the most qualified for the job.
For sure young Marine Bombace will be joining the Ridgewood Fire Department. BTW, congratulations!
Our boe president needs to have a heart-to-heart talk with his older brother about embarrassing him by showing up at meetings to defend his little brother. Little brother can defend himself.
Does that pretty much sum it up? Anyone?
>remember to get out and VOTE come APRIL
and if the candidates are running unoppose than use the ability for a write in and put “PJBLOGGER”
>7:13 AM mentioned, “It seems it would be a bit demoralizing for the vet, minority or woman who trumps the #1 candidate.”
It would only be demoralizing if the person who trumps #1 has true integrity. That person is probably so happy to have a job that they could care less about the top candidate. It’s a dog eat dog world out there.
>11:47am
This site is about a town where the Board of Education President is a Fire Captain who works for his brother, who the Fire Chief, and the Captain wife is the payroll clerk in the town. The BOE President\Fire Captain’s son wants to be a firemen too when he gets back from Iraq.
The education piece is that the BOE President agrees with the Assistent Superintendent of Curriculum(who is not related to anyone, just in case your confused) who bought TERC2 and CMP2 in spite of the fact that parents were complaining that they hated TERC and didn’t want CMP.
So this site is about the Village of Ridgewood, with its nepotism and education problems.
If you tune in next week there will be a chapter on the Valley Hospital Expansion. The Hospital is lobbying with the Town Council to get a huge construction project approved after the traffic was so bad at the current site that a school janitor was hit by a hospital worker. Ironically the janitor needed to be helicoptered out of town because the hospital whose employee hit him couldn’t serve his injuries. This of course is an arguement for their expansion…if they just had the space for a trama center they could have saved that man hit in front of the building by their employee…
At least Ridgewood is not boring…we are not that.
>no one gives a hoot.so talk about something else.
>Hey 2:28 PM — If you don’t give a hoot about this topic, choose one of the many others on PJ’s blog. There’s something for everyone.
>Since it has been mentioned many times here is what I found out about Vets and Civil Service:
As I read it a vet goes to the top of the list of any civil service job AS LONG AS THEY PASS THE TEST.So if they scored a 75 but you got an 85 they trump you.
The preference in hiring is after they prove they can do the job like anyone else. I was confused because of all the postings here to the contrary.
It seems to me that if a young man or woman put their life on the line for their country giving them preference on a civil service job is a small token of our nation’s appreciation. I know there are quite a few Vietnam vets hired under this ruling in both the police and fire depts. in Ridgewood and throughout the state of New Jersey. I do not understand what the big fuzz is about.
If you want the same break all you have to do is sign on the dotted line for Uncle Sam, give 4 yrs of your life, get shot at or be willing to shoot others to defend your country- get my point? Stop the whinning! OUR VETS DESERVE IT!!!
>7:04 PM Your defensiveness by “SCREAMING OUT” in your post gives you away. Deep down you must think it is wrong for someone to trump a top candidate for a position.
I would not want the “Vet break” if it meant that I would be given a job in our police or fire departments over someone more qualified. How degrading.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but in the Armed Services, don’t only the best get promoted? Why should it be any different for a job in our police or fire departments?
>don’t our RPD and RFD go years without hiring new personnel? what old fart is going to have to leave the RFD so that young marine bombace can join the squad?
>Young Bombace should go find a job in some other fire department if he can’t score high enough on the test to land one here. Further, he should at the very least be sensitive to the negative appearances of working for his father and uncle.
If he’s not, then he deserves to be critized on this blog for his sense of entitlement at the taxpayer’s expense.
Joining the military is a choice and it’s a job. Yes it’s dangerous, but so is mining and being a stunt pilot. Also, he’s paid for his service; it’s not a gratis service to the community.