the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Library help is much heralded Public Forum on Saturday . Dispite all the hoopla the event attendance was a bit thin.
While some attendees including Anne LaGrange Loving complimented Nancy Greene for making an honest effort to listen to the concerns of the citizens.
The big news seems that the library consultant confirmed that library will not be closing for the period of construction and will continue with somewhat reduced services and maybe partial closure.
Others including Saurabh Dani thought it came off more in the shade of Valley Hospital , with a hint of we are professionals we now better whats good for you , shut up and pay.
Dani said on Facebook :
“1. The consultant said “we the professionals in the field know what you need, and that’s why we don’t care about the 300 pages of public feedback”.
2. Nancy said we plan to raise 2M, but even if we couldn’t the difference between a 2M bond and a 4M bond for residents is not huge”.
So my personal concerns are still same as what they were before the meeting.
1. Taxpayers should only pay for needs and not wants. “Wants” should be paid for by private donations.
2. If they do have 2M$ commitments for private donations (i.e. Taxpayers contributing 75% and 25% in private donations) then sure do whatever you want, but if taxpayers have to give more than 75% and the private donations are less than 25% then the project should be scaled back to more needs and less wants. “
Steve Kim made a very valid and interesting point on Facebook :
“There was one gentleman who said he is a library board member of Franklin Lakes. He made insightful points during the Q&A session.
* Franklin Lakes spent a lot building a teen center. What they recognized after the fact is that teens have a lot going on and there is natural competition for their time. He said the center has not been well used.
If we are gong to build a teen center, we should ask the teens how the Library can serve them. I don’t see any sign of this having been done.
* Franklin Lakes also built private rooms intended for students and found that consultants were running businesses out of them.
> We should not recreate a subsidized wework type co-working space. That sort of thing should be run by the private sector (Serendipity Labs Ridgewood).
Needs should be identified, then space should be allocated/built with set usage restrictions. “
Steve Kim a frequent critic of the process as well of the scale of the library reconstruction went on on a different tread on Facebook, “My personal take is Nancy is making compromises because she has to, not because she respects the voices of the residents. “
And for us we are still waiting to hear about “BOOKS” .While modern libraries have gone well beyond their primary original charter and become more of a community center the unique feature of a public library has been access to books for the masses .
the attendence was thin because residents approve of the changes. those few residents that continue to doubt and complain should maybe seek another town that suits their needs. they must be exhausted.
“taxpayer” is obviously delusional and/or spending too much time sampling the goods at Glen Rock’s Bottle King.
I am tired of feeling like an open checkbook. A primary focus for any spending whether it is Board of Ed., library or municipal spending should be reducing the additional burden on the taxpayer. I only want to pay for “needs”. All “wants” or extras should be privately funded when it comes to this library renovation project. It is expensive enough to pay for property taxes in Ridgewood, and for that matter all of NJ, so let’s not add to the burden and drive people out of town.
taxpayer, you could not be further from wrong. I did not attend the meeting because I was busy with mothers day preparations. I do not approve this massive project not even close
The library folks have obviously been watching too many home improvement shows. They NEED all this crap, like hell. Get real, folks, we have other things to spend money on besides your palace
Can’t wait until the Ginormous Garage and Low Income Housing is built.
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The truth of the matter is that there are so many community participants in and around the library (the board, the foundation, the friends) that the fact that Nancy is the only person talking about this means that the whole community of people that use the library aren’t even convinced. If their best cheerleaders aren’t clamoring for it why do anything at all?
Some Dummy said, Fire department is a want, not a need. Shut it down.
I bet you wouldn’t say that as your house burned moron.
All the towns around us leech off our tax dollars and full time fire department. Time for them to pay and for us to get a break.
Upgrade the library. Start with a new director.
So when are you going to submit your application to be a Ridgewood Volunteer Firefighter? I already know the answer is never, because you think your above that. Being a Volunteer Firefighter is beneath you, that’s for the little people. Your way to important to do that hard labor.
Anyway you are too busy ripping off your clients. Well my friend, your days of thieving your way to riches is coming to an end. New Jersey is the first of what will be many states that will have a uniform fiduciary standard requiring all investment professionals registered with the Bureau of Securities to place their customers’ interests above their own when recommending securities or providing investment advice and managing retirement investments.
You and your PIGGY Investment advisor friends will no longer be able to steal from hardworking men and women who are saving for their retirement.
The reason Ridgewood has a part paid and part volunteer fire department is because the residents want it that way. It’s only people like you who are money hungry and want to save a few measly $$$ on your property taxes that complain about it. You want others to step up and volunteer to do what you would never do so you can have more $$$ to line your already deep pockets, disgusting.
Wow, inferiority complex much? The RFD is an outright scam with their two firehouses on Glen staffed 24/7 by very expensive professional firefighters. Should be volunteer, but the Council so far lacks guts. At least the union knows this.
Please don’t encourage the person who wants to “Shut Down” our Career Fire Department to join as a volunteer. I prefer he move to one of the many other Towns he so accurately said have all volunteer Fire Departments. Let him join one of those Departments. I am thankful Ridgewood has a career and volunteer firefighters. I’m thankful and glad to pay for our firefighters who are career firefighters.
Pension and Health Care theft? Where is your proof of any of that? You make false statements and can’t back ANY of those statements up with any facts. Name any employee that has received a payment as you claim “north of $700K” Just name one. The fact is you can’t because that’s a blatant lie. The really disgusting thing is you keep repeating those lies.
Another lie is you claim employees receive Full pensions after 25 years of service. The pension a 25 year employee receives is 60% of their last 3 years salary. A 30 year employee receives a 65% Pension.
Another lie, employees retire at age 52. Not all Police or Firefighters retire at that age. There have been a few but the majority retire between the ages of 56 and 62.
Lets talk about the theft you are engaged in. Your profession (Retirement Account Manager) is riddled with theft. You charge outrageous fees, commissions and charges which are all hidden from the person your screwing. Hardworking men and women shouldn’t have to search a prospectus or retirement account document to try to find out what you charge then to manage an account. People like you are out and out PIGS who line your pockets at the expense of others retirement.
PBS The Retirement Gamble video raises troubling questions about how ALL Americans are getting hosed in fees! If you have mutual funds, bond funds, 401Ks or retirement accounts in the equities market. . . you are making your fund manager rich.
https://youtu.be/ohl5kfTpbBA
But that my Piggy friend is going to end starting in New Jersey. New Jersey will be among the first states to adopt a uniform fiduciary standard, one of the many financial reforms widely sought by consumer advocates and many members of the financial industry after the 2008 financial crisis.
The proposed new N.J.A.C. 13:47A-6.4 sets forth the following conditions:
It is a dishonest or unethical business practice for an adviser, broker-dealer, or its agent, to fail to act in accordance with a fiduciary duty to a customer when making a recommendation or providing investment advice. The proposed rule applies to recommendations of an investment strategy, the opening of or transfer of assets to any type of account, or the purchase, sale, or exchange of any security.
In accordance with the common law definition of fiduciary duty, both the duty of care and duty of loyalty must be satisfied.
For purposes of the duty of care, the broker-dealer, agent, or adviser must make reasonable inquiry, including risks, costs, and conflicts of interest related to the recommendation or investment advice, and the customer’s investment objectives, financial situation, and needs, and any other relevant information.
The recommendation or the advice provided to the customer must be made without regard to the financial or any other interest of the broker-dealer, agent, adviser, any affiliated or related entity, and its officers, directors, agents, employees or contractors, or any other third-party.
When a broker-dealer or its agent makes a recommendation, the fiduciary duty obligation extends through the execution of the recommendation and shall not be deemed an ongoing obligation.
Transaction-based fees are allowed in certain circumstances provided that the fee is reasonable and is the best of the reasonably available fee options for the customer, and the duty of care is satisfied.
To address the concerns over dual registrants “switching hats” when dealing with the same customer and the resulting investor confusion, the fiduciary duty obligation shall be applicable to the entire relationship with the customer on an ongoing basis.
Harmful incentives, such as sales contests, that encourage and reward conflicted advice are presumptively invalid.
There is no presumption that disclosing a conflict of interest in and of itself will satisfy the duty of loyalty.
“The rule we’re proposing codifies a standard that most investors believe they are already receiving from their financial professionals,” said Christopher Gerold Chief of the New Jersey Bureau of Securities. “We believe we have crafted a sound, sensible rule that not only fulfills our duty to safeguard investors, but also protects the integrity of the financial markets.”
https://www.nj.gov/oag/newsreleases19/pr20190415b.html
Thankfully PIGGIES like you Charlie will no longer be able to line your pockets at the expense of the hard working men and women saving for their retirement.
Obviously you are a newcomer to Ridgewood, otherwise you would know the reason the Firehouses are located where they are today. It has NOTHING to do with horses and hills. Please tell us what expertise do you have in the deployment and manning and staffing of a fire department? My bet is you have no knowledge at all in Fire Protection.
All you care about is money. It’s obvious in your ridiculous comments, YOU want others to volunteer to become firefighters so YOU can save a few nickels on your property taxes.
Here is a suggestion, move to one of the many other town in Bergen county that you have noted have volunteer firefighters if you don’t want to support a paid and volunteer department. Me and my neighbors want, support and are thankful we have a career and volunteer Fire Department. I am confident you will not be missed in Ridgewood.
Unbelievable, apparently the person complaining about the fire department has never looked at his property tax bill. The municipal portion of the bill is less than 30% of the entire bill. The real expensive part of the bill is the school portion which is over 66% of the bill. Talk about chasing pennies while ignoring dollars.
I have needed the Fire Department to respond to my home twice. Both times they have been outstanding. I fully support and don’t mind paying for such terrific service. For those who don’t support our Fine Firefighters you have many other town that have volunteer firefighters, maybe it’s time you moved, see how easy it is to solve your problem.
Sounds to me like a wanna be career firefighter couldn’t meet the minimum requirements to be hired as a career firefighter so he is on a crusade against the career FD. I wouldn’t give this guy the right time of day in a watch factory. He is obviously an angry person who knows nothing.
Why are there three full-time firefighters 24/7 at Engine 31 at 311 West Glen Ave, just 0.9 miles from the RFD HQ at 201 East Glen Avenue?
Because a previous Village Council decided to remove the Fire Headquarters that was located at 25 Hudson Street for decades for more parking. Then that same Village Council chose to build the new Fire Headquarters at 201 E. Glen Ave which is next to a brook that floods the area around the Fire Headquarters. So when Fire Headquarters is unable to be used due to flooding the Fire House at 311 West Glen serves as the central operational location for Fire Department operations.
That is the reason not horses and hills. But don’t let the facts confuse you Mr. Fire Dept. hate monger. Keep spewing your lies, everyone can see right through you
Have the horses gotten faster, and do the fire horses stay in their lanes?
Hey….Johnny Longhorse,
Stop horsing around!
Mr. Ed
Has Engine 31 ever served as Central HQ for the RFD? Seems like a very expensive backup plan staffing it 24/7 with professional firefighters…. like a union scam. Big wages, OT, full pensions, healthcare, unused sick leave… also take the property off the Village tax rolls. I’m sure you have every excuse and BS regulation why it can’t be staffed exclusively by volunteers. Probably due to some ordinance that was written by the RFD itself many years ago. Stop wasting our taxpayer funds on a luxury like three full-time firefighters at 311 West Glen’s Engine 31. Maybe if we paved the roads instead our volunteer fire fighters and their trucks would be able to get around better anyway?!?
I’m tired of reading your anti Fire Department BS. If you don’t like paying for career firefighters them move out of Ridgewood. You aren’t required to live here and you don’t even need a passport to move. So move or shut the F**k up asshole.
Question: Has Engine 31 ever served as Central HQ for the RFD?
Answer: Yes, quite a few times.
Great, leave it as a “hot site” and don’t staff it with three expensive, full time professional firefighters. Just because you’re a retired firefighter with your sons working for the RFD doesn’t mean the rest of us have to pay for what is clearly a non-mandated luxury staffing Engine 31 24/7 with three full-time employees. Use volunteers and stop stealing from taxpayers. Im sure you’ve made sure there is some ordinance or BS mandate saying it must be staffed full-time. A paid fire dept is a luxury, not a need. There is no state regulation or mandate saying we need a professional fire dept. Most other municipalities our size have volunteers only. Your advice to leave if I don’t like it is disingenuous and circular. Grow up.
To the commenter complaining about supporting our Career Firefighters.
You are among a tiny minority of Ridgewood Residents. My family and my neighbors appreciate and support ALL of our Firefighters. To use your own words ” There is no state regulation or mandate saying you have to pay for Career Firefighters. Take the advice of a previous commenter, move to another town that does not have Career Firefighters!!!! Just because you don’t support our Firefighters doesn’t mean everyone thinks like you do, Typical Liberal behavior, I want it this way and I will force everyone else to accept my decision/opinion. Do us all a favor and just leave, thank you.
I don’t know who the anti FD guy thinks he’s talking to but I am NOT a retired employee of the fire department nor I do not have any sons. You actually sound delusional with your rambling and crazy comments. You think just because you don’t support a paid fire service the village shouldn’t have career firefighters. Sorry bud, that’s not how things work. If you want to change the FD get yourself elected and try to convince the residents to do away with the career FD. Although with a platform of being against the FD I seriously doubt you could get elected, but go ahead, it will be fun to watch.
I’m not sure how the comments shifted from the question–the library–to the firefighters but I do have a comment about the last. Our son was on the Rescue squad of a nearby community which means he responded to many fires. The response time was much much longer than Ridgewood. One time we were attending a party above the Paramus fire station. Volunteers swarmed to answer the call but they could not leave for a fairly long time as no firetruck drivers showed up. Famous quote from many areas “house totaled” is very rarely, if ever, heard in Ridgewood.