Marijuana is drug most often linked to crime, study finds
By Rob Hotakainen | McClatchy Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — Marijuana is the drug most often linked to crime in the United States, the U.S. drug czar said Thursday, dismissing calls for legalization as a “bumper-sticker approach” that should be avoided.
Gil Kerlikowske, the White House director of national drug-control policy, said a study by his office showed a strong link between drug use and crime. Eighty percent of the adult males arrested for crimes in Sacramento, Calif., last year tested positive for at least one illegal drug. Marijuana was the most commonly detected drug, found in 54 percent of those arrested.
The study found similar results in four other cities: New York, Denver, Atlanta and Chicago. Among the cities, it included examinations of 1,736 urine samples and 1,938 interviews with men who were arrested.
Read more here: https://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/05/23/192101/marijuana-is-drug-most-often-linked.html#.UZ7Le0rkrHQ#storylink=cpy
Republicans Are Refusing To Appoint Members To Obamacare’s Most Notorious Panel
Brett LoGiurato | May 9, 2013, 6:31 PM
One of the most politically intense fights over the Affordable Care Act was over the creation of the Independent Payment Advisory Board, infamously dubbed a “death panel” by Republicans during the 2010 elections.
On Thursday, Republican House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell signaled that they would keep working to keep opposition alive by doing everything they can to impede the board’s implementation.
The two leaders wrote a letter to President Barack Obama, notifying him that they would not be submitting any recommendations to the panel because of their opposition to it and to the law in general.
The Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands (CRPL) will hold a Spring Plant Sale
The Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands (CRPL) will hold a Spring Plant
Sale on Saturday, May 4 in the Graydon Pool parking area from 9 a.m.–3p.m.A pre-sale will take place through Friday, April 26.
All proceeds will provide funding and support to restore and enhance Village park lands, in accordance with the master plan for development as approved by the Village Council of Ridgewood.
Annuals of the highest quality will be offered in flats, 4” pots, 10” hanging baskets and 12” combination handing baskets. These locally grown plants will include all of the old-time favorites,in addition to new varieties popular in a huge selection of color for planting in window boxes, containers, gardens, and seasonal displays. Order forms are available for individuals as well as groups such as Home and School, Boy and Girl Scouts, garden clubs, houses of worship, businesses, etc.
Delivery within the Village is offered for a fee of $25. Locate the order form at https://cfrpl.org , at The Stable, 259 North Maple Avenue, or at the Community Center, Village Hall , 131 North Maple Avenue. For further information please -email Conservancy member Liz Kloak at [email protected]
Conservancy for Ridgewood Public Lands
Our main Spring/2013 Project covers the stretch of land that runs along North Broad Street, east of the train tracks. This is an area that has been severely neglected for many years. Our project is divided into two parts. The first would be to improve the area either side of the main train staircase by removing the overgrown cedars and bushes either side of the staircase and planting a four foot bed of daylilies and two hawthorn trees, along with repointing the staircase and painting the railings and lampposts. The second would improve the area from south of the staircase to the end of East Ridgewood Avenue by installing a sprinkler system, filling in the missing bushes and trees along the train tracks and planting five dogwoods in the grassy area.
In order for our Spring/2013 Projects to be a reality, we need to increase our fund-raising. We ask you to join our membership. The Village of Ridgewood has a long tradition of excellence; its remarkable history is vividly reflected in its parks and open spaces, enjoyed by generations of residents and visitors. The Conservancy is another example of that desire to produce positive change and make life better for everyone.
We thank you for your time and generosity,
Carlton Clinch, Maeve Cunningham, Barbara Ferrante, Bill Gilsenan, Cynthia Halaby, Liz Kloak, Maribeth Lane, Paul McCarthy, Jane Morales, Jane Reilly, Jane Shinozuka, Diane Walker, Betty Wiest, Liz Wellinghorst, The Women Gardeners of Ridgewood, Nancy Bigos, Tim Cronin, Janet Fricke and Thomas Riche
Jihad Will Not Be Wished Away
But willful blindness remains the order of the day.
By Andrew C. McCarthy
‘Outlook: Islam.” So reads the personal webpage of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who ravaged Boston this week, along with his now-deceased brother and fellow jihadist, Tamerlan — namesake of a 14th-century Muslim warrior whose campaigns through Asia Minor are legendary for their brutalization of non-Muslims.
Brutalizing our own non-Muslim country has been the principal objective of jihadists for the last 20 years. This week marks a new and chilling chapter: the introduction on our shores of the tactics the self-styled mujahideen have used to great, gory effect for the past decade in Afghanistan and Iraq.
At a point in the race timed to achieve maximum carnage, the Tsarnaev brothers bombed the Boston Marathon with improvised explosive devices. IEDs are small but potent homemade bombs — crude explosives and unforgiving shrapnel encased in easily portable pressure cookers. The bombs are simple to make. They won’t kill thousands or even hundreds of people like hijacked planes or heavy chemical explosives will. But that’s not the objective. The goal is to instill terror into the flow of everyday life. IEDs are made for “soft” targets. They are easily camouflaged amid the traffic, the everyday debris, and the eight-year-old boys frolicking as they wait for Dad to cross the finish line.
Willful blindness remains the order of the day, as it has since the World Trade Center was bombed in 1993. It is freely conceded that, when the identities and thus the motivation of the Marathon terrorists were not known, it would have been irresponsible to dismiss any radical ideology as, potentially, the instigator. But in our politically correct, up-is-down culture, to suggest “Outlook: Islam” was unthinkable. So the most likely scenario — namely, that jihadists who have been at war with us for two decades had, yet again, attacked innocent civilians — became the least likely scenario in the minds of media pundits. Instead, they brazenly prayed (to Gaia, I’m sure) for white conservative culprits with Tea Party hats and Rush 24/7 subscriptions. As our Kevin D. Williamson quipped, the “literal Caucasians” they got were not quite what they had in mind.
2013 Film Festival Committee: Lynne Clements, Andres Valenzuela, Gail Mandeli, Tony Damiano, Barbara Kiernan, Marialyse Wostbrock, Sean Mccooe, RJ Konner [missing Dotti Fucito]
2013 Ridgewood Film Festival
The third annual Ridgewood Film Festival was a huge success!
We had some wonderful films shown from very talented filmmakers from all over the world. Thursday night’s Festival screenings where dedicated and focused on Women in Film and was very well received.
Check out our highlight video from the 3rd Annual Ridgewood Film Festival. Exceptionally filmed and edited by Tim at Studio 94.
Experienced professionals in the film and photography industry gave free workshops before the red carpet both nights and we had tremendous support from Mayor Aronsohn, Deputy Mayor Al Pucciarelli, and Councilwoman Gwenn Hauck. Thank you all for your support and hope to see you again at next year’s festival! — in Ridgewood.
2012-2013 Ridgewood Schools Teacher Recognition Program
Ridgewood NJ, The BOE approved the following nominees for the 2012-2013 Teacher Recognition Program:
Educational Services Professional: Lorraine Zak (Ridge & Willard Schools) Hawes School David Jenkins Orchard School Sawyer Austin Ridge School Lynne Peabody Somerville School Susan Foreman Travell School Darien Dastis Buckler Willard School Linda Diorio BFMS Erin Corcoran GWMS Lauren Sacks RHS Michael Yannone
Each of the award recipients will receive a stipend of $500 ($250 awarded by the Individual Home and School Association and $250 awarded by the Board). The Ridgewood Teacher Recognition Award reception will be held at the Education Center on Tuesday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m. for the award recipients, their families, school parents, teachers, and friends.
The members of the panel that reviewed and approved the nominations were Mr. Patrick Bernardo, Ms. Jeanine Dawkins, Ms. Rea Hunter, Ms. Annemaire Kleinman, Ms. Margaret Leininger, Ms. Liz McCarthy, Ms. Elizabeth Moreland, Ms. Ellen Raupp, Ms. Jean Schoenlank, and Mr. Gary Hall, Facilitator.
Google favours ‘in-house’ search results
By Alex Barker in Brussels and Bede McCarthy in London
Google faces having to offer users in Europe more choice of other specialised search engines after Brussels investigators found its results were favouring its in-house services to the detriment of consumers.
One of the European Commission’s primary concerns, according to officials involved, is the visibility in search results of rival so-called “vertical search” services – in areas such as maps, finance or weather – that may provide more relevant results to a query.
This specific finding indicates that alongside widely expected concessions to more clearly label Google’s own services, the US group will also need to offer solutions that give more prominence to rival specialist search services and consumers clearer alternatives.
The Secret Republican Plan to Repeal ‘Obamacare’
And why the fight is far from over.
By Chris Frates
March 28, 2013 | 6:09 p.m.
A few minutes after the Supreme Court issued its landmark decision upholding President Obama’s health care law last summer, a senior adviser to Mitch McConnell walked into the Senate Republican leader’s office to gauge his reaction.
McConnell was clearly disappointed, and for good reason. For many conservatives, the decision was the death knell in a three-year fight to defeat reforms that epitomized everything they thought was wrong with Obama’s governing philosophy. But where some saw finality, McConnell saw opportunity — and still does.
Sitting at his desk a stone’s throw from the Senate chamber, McConnell turned to the aide and, with characteristic directness, said: “This decision is too cute. But I think we got something with this tax issue.”
He was referring to the court’s ruling that the heart of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, the so-called individual mandate that requires everyone in the country to buy health insurance or pay a penalty, was a tax. And while McConnell thought calling the mandate a tax was “a rather creative way” to uphold the law, it also opened a new front in his battle to repeal it.
Facebook reveals secrets you haven’t shared
By Bede McCarthy and Robert Cookson
The increasing amount of personal information that can been gleaned by computer programs that track how people use Facebook has been revealed by an extensive academic study.
Such programmes can discern undisclosed private information such as Facebook users’ sexuality, drug-use habits and even whether their parents separated when they were young, according to the study by Cambridge university academics.
In one of the biggest studies of its kind, scientists from the university’s psychometrics team and a Microsoft-funded research centre analysed data from 58,000 Facebook users to predict traits and other information that were not provided in their profiles.
The algorithms were 88 per cent accurate in predicting male sexual orientation, 95 per cent for race and 80 per cent for religion and political leanings. Personality types and emotional stability were also predicted with accuracy ranging from 62-75 per cent.
New Jersey Hospital Association Expands Bundled Payment Pilot Program
Written by Heather Linder | February 21, 2013
The New Jersey Hospital Association is in the process of expanding its pilot program for “gainsharing,” a system that aligns Medicare payments to help hospitals and physicians work together, according to Healthcare Finance News.
Hospitals and physicians who were part of NJHA’s program were allowed to share in any savings if they successfully reduced costs and met federal quality standards, according to the report. CentraState Medical Center in Freehold attested to saving $2.2 million over three years.
Ridgewood NJ, On February 11, top RHS athletes celebrated their college acceptances by posing for the camera. (Standing l to r) Cormac McCooe, Billy Maltz, Noah Pounds, Connor Kubikowski, Dan McKenna and Younghoe Koo, (seated l to r) Maura Feeney, Lauren Beausoleil and Maggie Carver.
Ridgewood NJ, In July 2012, incoming Ridgewood Mayor, Paul Aronsohn, and the Village Council asked 12 Ridgewood residents with varied backgrounds and expertise to serve on a temporary Financial Advisory Committee (informally known as the “Tiger Team”). The committee members included local business and commercial property owners, consultants, finance executives, accountants, lawyers and life-long Village residents. The Mayor told the members ofthe Financial Advisory Committee, “I believe we live in a community of smart people, many of whom have finance experience. Thus, the Council and the community as a whole could benefit from (resìdents’) experience.” To that end, he outlined a specific 90-day mandate with a simple goal…to fix the Village budget and reform Village government.”
The committee was instructed to:
– Identify cost-cutting opportunities
– Identify non~tax related revenue enhancements
~ Identify structural fixes to the budget and (Village) organization and enhance the residents’ value of service provided for taxes paid
– Identify related Central Business District enhancements
The financial Advisory Committee was to be “completely independent and organized as its members saw fit.” We were given access to members of Village management, several years of budget documents and all collective bargaining agreements. The committee was asked to “produce a document with recommendations in time for the 2013 budget, regardless of whether consensus is achieved.” Finally, the team was asked to decide on its preferred means for sharing its final recommendations with the Village Council and then disband.
The Members of the 2012 Financial Advisory Committee (alphabetically)
Rich Barclay
Bayard DeI\/Iallie
Ed Feldsott
Nancy Johansen
Charlie Kime
John Maxwell
Jim McCarthy
David Sabath
Jim Schimmei
Fran Shovlìn
Roberta Sonenfeld
Bob Zeller
Editors Note : On first glance it looks like they did a great job putting together a well thought out report , without commenting on the specifics , I see a lot of things that have been talked about on this blog , since the beginning of time . PJ
Tax Hikes to Start the New Year
Amy Payne
January 1, 2013 at 9:09 am
While you were sleeping—or ringing in 2013—the Senate voted to raise taxes.
After missing the midnight deadline, Congress and the President have technically sent the nation over the fiscal cliff, meaning higher tax rates are already in effect for all income tax brackets. But the Senate’s deal, brokered by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) and Vice President Joe Biden, would target the tax increases on those making more than $250,000.
The Senate voted 89-8 to limit deductions for taxpayers making more than $250,000, which would raise their taxes, and to hike tax rates for those making more than $400,000.
As Heritage has pointed out, trying to tax the top income brackets to close the deficit is impossible. To overcome the massive federal deficit, top earners would have to be taxed at more than 100 percent. And J.D. Foster, Heritage’s Norman B. Ture Senior Fellow in the Economics of Fiscal Policy, reminds us that President Obama has already raised taxes on “the wealthy”:
Never mind that Obama already raised taxes on upper-income taxpayers through the 3.8 percent Medicare surtax imposed under Obamacare. Never mind that tax rate hikes would weaken an economy stumbling so badly the Federal Reserve doubled its risky efforts to keep the economy from recession. Never mind Obama’s approach would likely put the kibosh on any hopes for tax reform. Never mind the resulting revenues would be a small drop in a very big bucket compared to projected budget deficits. Never mind that the only justification for higher taxes is spite and envy to be exercised through the extortive power of the federal government.
Some of the key points in the Senate deal, which could go to the House as early as today:
Raises taxes on incomes over $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for households
Raises taxes on investment income for those taxpayers as well
Limits tax deductions for incomes over $250,000—raising their taxes, too
Increases the death tax rate for estates over $5 million
Extends long-term unemployment benefits for one year
Postpones sequestration’s automatic spending cuts (including those to defense) by two months
Meanwhile, the United States also ran up against the debt ceiling yesterday. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said the Treasury would do some short-term creative accounting to make sure the country doesn’t default on its loans, which will buy two months before lawmakers have to fight it out again over increasing the debt limit.
The deal does nothing to address the reasons that the U.S. budget is out of control. Its focus on tax hikes rather than spending cuts is completely the opposite of what the country needs. As Heritage’s Romina Boccia explains:
Federal spending on entitlements and interest on the debt drives the federal budget crisis. Together the three major entitlements of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid (including Obamacare), as well as net interest, make up more than half of all spending in the federal budget today. Their share of the budget will grow to over two-thirds of all spending in 10 years. By 2025, the major entitlement programs and net interest together will eat up all tax revenues collected in that year.
Hiking taxes simply isn’t a solution. Until Congress and the President pursue serious spending cuts, the country and the budget will keep chugging in the same direction. And that’s certainly no cause for celebration.
Offers fly, but still no ‘fiscal cliff’ agreement Last-minute deal elusive despite GOP concessions
With hours to go, President Obama and Congress barreled toward the New Year’s Day “fiscal cliff,” trading last-minute offers and narrowing the range of options Sunday, but reaching no deal.
“There’s still significant distance between the two sides,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, announced Sunday evening, though he said there was still time to reach agreement by Monday’s midnight deadline. “We intend to continue negotiations.”
Talks were so broken at one point Sunday that the top Republican negotiator, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, bypassed Mr. Reid to speak directly with Vice President Joseph R. Biden.
The blockade seemed to lift somewhat when Republicans dropped their demand to change Social Security’s cost-of-living adjustment formula, and both sides traded offers on the income level at which taxpayers will see an income-tax rate increase and debated what other incentives would be included.
“You can’t win an argument that has Social Security for seniors versus taxes for the rich. So we need to take it off the table,” Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, said in explaining why the party decided to forgo demands for entitlement reform.
A deal would have to clear not only the Senate, but also the House, where conservative Republicans hold sway.
Same Cliff Different Day
Tyler Durden’s picture
12/28/2012 07:08 -0500
We could say that news is actually relevant or matters in this “market” but we would be lying, just as we would be lying if we said that this market has not become so utterly predictable, with yesterday’s late day market surge – on yet another ridiculous catalyst – visible from so far away, it was almost painful to watch it take place in real time. Sure enough, futures are now sliding back, and giving back much of yesterday’s gains – but don’t worry, in a day full of even more meetings and flashing red headlines, at least some combination of carefully phrased MSM words will set off today’s algo-driven buying frenzy, guaranteeing yet another “retail investor” decides they have had it with this farcical “free market” casino for ever.
…
As noted earlier, none of this actually matters. What matters is today’s second to final episode of the Fiscal Cliff drama, summarized by Jim Reid best: President Obama is expected to meet with Congressional leaders at the White House today. The meeting will be attended by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker John Boehner, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The President had a call with Reid, Boehner and Pelosi late Wednesday night to receive update on the negotiations but no details about the conversations have been given. As noted by the Washington Post, perhaps the most significant development is that McConnell, who has signalled an interest in cutting a deal, will be engaged directly in White House discussions for the first time. According to the WSJ, most officials believe any deal is most likely to emerge in the Senate so all eyes will be on the congressional leaders’ meeting later today ahead of a hectic (and cold) weekend ahead for those in Capitol Hill. Beyond that, the Dow Jones Newswires also noted that Republicans will hold a closed-door caucus meeting at 9am ET Monday.
And just in case political headlines were not enough, prepare to see massive market surges on flashing red headlines forecasting clear skies: “while the House may be in session from Sunday through to the 2nd of January, we may need to watch the weatherman for some cues on how travel plans will be affected by the Northeast winter snow storm that is causing havoc in many parts of the country.”
