Democrat NJ Senate hopefuls lean to the left of Obama
Sunday July 21, 2013, 12:20 AM
By HERB JACKSON
“NJ/DC” COLUMNIST
No one should expect Democratic candidates in New Jersey’s special U.S. Senate primary to be criticizing President Obama this summer, especially since a recent poll showed Obama with a 56 percent job-approval rating statewide, and 88 percent approval among Democrats.
But on a variety of issues, the four candidates in the Aug. 13 Democratic primary — Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Rep. Rush Holt of Mercer County, Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver of Essex County and Rep. Frank Pallone of Monmouth County — are staking out positions to the left of Obama.
It might surprise those who listen to Republican candidates and commentators, who often paint Obama as an ultra-liberal and the New Jersey Democrats as carbon copies, that there even could be political room to the left of the president.
But talk with environmentalists, labor union leaders or people still furious that the architects of the economic collapse never went to jail, and disappointment or frustration with Obama comes out.
Rep. Issa calls out Justice inaction on tax snooping, sees dangers in health care law
House oversight committee Chairman Darrell E. Issa said Thursday he’s baffled that the Justice Department declined to prosecute a government employee who apparently knowingly pried into tax records of a political candidate or donor, and said there should be a way for victims to know their rights have been violated.
He also said letting state officials have access to federal tax records can be dangerous, and that’s one reason to try to rein in the health care law, which will expand access to states that plan on running their own insurance exchanges.
Mr. Issa made the comments after The Washington Times reported this week that the Treasury inspector general for tax administration had found at least four cases in which a candidate’s or donor’s tax information was accessed improperly.
In one case, the investigator said the violation was willful and referred it to the Justice Department, which declined to pursue the case — a move Mr. Issa said was worrisome.
Readers ask “How is the Valley Expansion good for Ridgewood?”
All those hours, all those “experts”, all those pages, all those concerns to address and Valley has yet to even attempt to answer the question “How is this expansion good for Ridgewood?”
Primarily because in both the short and long run it is not. Instead of trying to hit a “home run” and keep up with Hackensack at the very high expense to the residents of Ridgewood, maybe they should come up with a plan that makes a little more sense.
I wonder if this “expert” that gave the summation the other night was the one who did the same for the hospital in Princeton. You know, the plan that got rejected.
Yes, the expert said something like, “look, see, the princeton hospital got rejected and moved out of town…”
To Plainsboro. Right next door. Where they have plenty of space. And….the hospital and the town agreed it was the right thing to do. Now they have a beautiful hospital, got everything they wanted/needed, and didn’t bother anybody. And it’s still close to Princeton.
I’ve been espousing this as the right thing to do for Valley for several years. The Princeton hospital is a perfect example of a collaboration between the town and the hospital, and is a win-win for everyone.
West Side Presbyterian Church in Ridgewood hosts photography exhibit
Friday July 19, 2013, 12:46 PM
BY EILEEN LA FORGIA
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
Photographer Erin Karp calls her exhibit at the West Side Gallery “Details”- Everything is a small detail in a bigger picture.”
“I literally stop in my tracks when I see something I find beautiful – a moon, a sunset, a shadow on a wall, a flower that yearns to be smelled and appreciated,” she said.
“I am also moved by certain industrial structures and tend to photograph in a way that makes people ask me, ‘What is that?” She calls natural lighting a huge inspiration; her goal is to make the viewer think and feel something when they see her images.
Reader says Anonymity at NWBCD protects employees from retribution,
Joann Chiesa – Admin Asst NWBCD
I am amazed at the cowardice of those who take cheap shots at NWBCD and Jack Tancos while hiding behind the cloak of anonymity. If they had the courage of their convictions, a moral center and the well being of NWBCD at heart they would be proud to post their name.
As for the pseudo journalist who wrote this “article” – perhaps information from more than one source would have resulted in an article less biased against NWBCD.
Anonymity protects employees from retribution, so in this case it’s hardly cowardice. Besides, Fuhrer Tancos has a legion of little snitches who love to report to him whenever someone has the audacity to question the sub-par service of his little circus.
As for you, JoAnn, how noble of you to try and take a bullet for your boss. Pathetic. Even when Greenlaw ran the show, people knew it was a patronage mill for “FOB”s to get in the door for jobs. Granted, some very talented and dedicated people came through those doors and onto the front lines protecting the residents. Sadly, in recent years it’s only become a depository for the lamest excuses for dispatchers, and a way for Jack to hand out jobs to his fire buddies. The powers that be ran around soliciting more business without increasing the staffing or the quality of service properly. None of them are allowed to publicly say it, but the emergency workers in many of the towns they picked up say the level of service is rock bottom at best.
Now you have people from the inside saying that night shifts are often staffed by only TWO operators. How many towns are having their safety gambled with at that level? Look at any significant weather event. It only takes a small increase in the call volume before they get flustered. On one such occasion, they were heard to tell a local fire department “you’re on your own, we’re completely inundated here”. Beyond unacceptable.
Factor in the incidents like Irene and Sandy when there was ample advance warning. Units sent to the same locations numerous times, complete breakdowns in communications and major failures of the critical infrastructure.
Adding insult to injury, the director has been caught in numerous LIES to department heads, yet he is never held accountable. MAJOR violations of NJSP regulations for dispatch center operations have gone under the radar, despite the fact that someone should have been disciplined and/or prosecuted.
The departure of so many full time employees has led to borderline incompetent employees being put in supervisory positions simply by attrition. If the taxpayers footing the bill for this house of horrors knew the TRUTH about what is going on there, they’d be mortified. The county may not be the best answer, but leaving this vital service under the direction of an incompetent buffoon is continuing to put lives and public safety at risk. People outraged by this should demand answers from those responsible.
This is for all lay people who may not fully understand how the Administration at Central Dispatch really works. There is a Director, yes. There is also a Management Committee which oversees and ultimately makes most of the final decisions pertaining to the center. This committee consists of one representative from the Village of Ridgewood and one representative from the Boro of Glen Rock. There is also a third representative which is one of the CFOs from either of the two towns. I am not sure how you can blame a director who technically DOES NOT have the final say for many items such as the raising of the starting salary, raises, purchasing of new equipment, or even the hiring and/or termination of employees. The Director makes his recommendations to the Management Committee and either they agree or tell him to “Go scratch!” Ultimately, many of these problems fall in the hands of this committee and they should be the ones answering for the issues. There is only so much that a director can do if he does not have the support of his bosses.
As for Bergen County taking over dispatch, ask any other town who has made the switch and see if they are happy. I am sure they will respond with a big NO and that the quality of the service has definitely gone down. If you are a resident of any of the towns that Central Dispatch services and you don’t mind listening to the phone ring 9 or 10 times when you dial 9-1-1 or waiting an extra 10 minutes for a police officer to arrive at your home because of a dispatch delay, then plead your case to your council members and save an extra few dollars in taxes by switching to the County. By the way, once you make the switch, there is no going back!
Right. The management committee is just as guilty for not doing their jobs and stepping in. They have no idea what goes on in there and do whatever the director stays. How can they represent and manage a 911 center when they have no clue what goes on?? Of course they are going to listen to the director no matter how wrong he is. Just my two cents
No municipality that has switched over to the County for 911 call answering and/or radio dispatch has complained publicly.
The “check with those towns who have switched over and I’m sure they’ll tell you how poor the service is” is nothing more than a scare tactic perpetrated by employees of NWBCD.
Bid Notice – Snow Plowing Services for Village of Ridgewood – Winter Season
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
Sealed bid proposals will be received by the Village of Ridgewood, in the Level Three Conference Room at the Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07451 on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 at 11:30 a.m. prevailing time, and then publicly opened and read aloud for following project:
“Snow Plowing Services for the Village of Ridgewood for the Winter Season
Beginning November 1, 2013, through May 1, 2014, inclusive”
The work of the contract shall consist of providing snow plowing services for the Village of Ridgewood. Those services shall include supplying various size specified snowplow trucks, salt trucks, trucks for hauling of snow, and crews with equipment for the clearing of sidewalks of snow and ice, upon notification, and in accordance with the specifications and technical requirements described in the contract documents. The Village will consider partial awards for supplying the specified size trucks and sidewalk snow clearing crews requested. Upon mutual agreement of all parties, the Village will consider extending this contract for an additional year beyond the term stated.
Specifications and bid forms may be obtained by mail from the office of the Engineering Division, Department of Public Works, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07451, telephone (201) 670-5500, extension 238, for a non-refundable fee of $20.00, per set of bid documents. Documents may be examined or picked up in person between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the Engineering Division, Department of Public Works, Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07451, Monday through Friday. Prospective bidders requesting bid documents be mailed to them shall be responsible for providing their own postage/delivery service remuneration. No Specifications and/or Proposal forms shall be given out after 4:30 p.m. on Monday, July 29, 2013.
Prices quoted must be net and exclusive of all federal, state and local sales and excise taxes. Bids may be submitted in person or by mail. Mailed bids shall be addressed to the Office of the Village Clerk. The Village assumes no responsibility for loss or non-delivery of any bid to the bid opening location sent to it prior to the Bid opening.
The contractual obligation of the Village of Ridgewood under this Contract for these Items is contingent upon the availability of appropriate funds from which payment for this Contract can be made.
Each bid must be enclosed in a sealed envelope with the name of the bidder thereon and endorsed, “Snow Plowing Services for the Village of Ridgewood for the Winter Season beginning November 1, 2013 through May 1, 2014, inclusive” and must be accompanied by the following: either a certified check, cashier’s check, or Bid Bond (Schedule B), drawn to the order of the Village of Ridgewood for $1,000; a Consent of Surety (Schedule A); a Corporation or Partnership Statement (Schedule C); a Non-Collusion Affidavit (Schedule D); and a Statement of Responsibility (Schedule E). Any award or awards may be made at a later or subsequent time or meeting of the Village Council. All required schedules, that is Schedule A, B, C, D, and E, are required to be submitted on the forms enclosed in the bid documents. No other forms will be accepted.
All contractors, their subcontractors, and material suppliers shall comply with all applicable provisions of the Contractor Business Registration Program, pursuant to Public Law 2004 Chapter 57. Evidence of satisfactory registration(s) shall be submitted at the time of the bid. All bids submitted shall contain a copy of the bidder’s New Jersey Business Registration Certificate.
The successful bidder shall furnish and deliver to the Village of Ridgewood a performance and payment bond in the amount of $10,000.00 as security for the faithful performance of the Contract. Additionally, the successful bidder shall furnish policies or Certificates of Insurance as required by the Contract. In default thereof, the said checks and/or bid bond submitted with the bid, and the amount represented thereby shall be forfeited to the Village of Ridgewood as liquidated damages, not as a penalty.
Proposals submitted by Bidders and/or Bidder’s Insurance Company(ies) not chartered in the State of New Jersey, must be accompanied by proper certificate(s) from the Secretary of State, indicating that such Bidders, Bidder’s Insurance Company(ies), and/or Surety Company(ies)’s is (are) authorized to do business in the State of New Jersey. The Village of Ridgewood reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive any informalities or to accept a bid which, in its judgment best serves the interest of the Village. No bids may be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days after the date and time set for the opening of bids.
“BIDDERS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 17:27). A complete statement as to these requirements is included in the specifications.”
3rd in the nation for culinary arts! Ridgewood teen chef has recipe for her future plans
MONDAY JULY 15, 2013, 2:15 PM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Scher, a talented young chef who placed second among four contestants on a July 2 teen episode of the network’s hit cooking competition series “Chopped,” said that cooking an entrée featuring goat was the trickiest part of the show.
The soon-to-be college student and budding professional chef practiced for “Chopped,” on which chefs have time limits to create dishes with surprise ingredients, by cooking several proteins available at the supermarket. But who would have thought of goat?
“Definitely, the goat was the hardest part. I’d also never tasted it, so I didn’t know how it was supposed to taste,” said Scher, a recent graduate of Bergen County Academies’ (BCA) Academy for Culinary Arts and Hospitality Administration. “Can goat be ‘rare’? I just didn’t know.”
This situation isn’t that “rare” on “Chopped.” Chefs sometimes have never heard of an ingredient, let alone used it.
Over 80 Patriots marched under the NJTPC banner and alongside our float in the Ridgewood NJ July 4th Parade. It was a wonderful event.
But of course, an opponent to freedom and liberty tried to misrepresent NJTPC and misrepresent our efforts….A parade spectator wrote a letter that spread lies about NJTPC and the Gadsden Flag.
The Ridgewood News entitled “Use of Gadsden flag ‘offensive”
NJTPC’s own Tim Adriance took this opportunity to educate MS. Chalek about NJTPC and the Gadsden Flag. Here’s Tim’s eloquent response:
“To The Editor of the Ridgewood News
In response to the letter to the Editor “Use of Gadsden flag ‘offensive” (July 12) – The writer simply does not have her “facts” straight. The NJ Tea Party Coalition was the local group who proudly marched in the Ridgewood Independence Day Parade, and if the writer had simply gone to our website (https://www.njteapartycoalition.org) she would have found that we neither contribute to nor sponsor any candidates, we do not take a stand on any social issues, we are not focused on any one individual issue other than supporting our Constitutional rights, and we are not part of any national organization. It is against our bylaws to endorse candidates, contribute to any political individual or cause, or lobby as a group – any such activity would be a violation of our IRS status – we simply create a forum where people are educated and given the opportunity to act on their own as private citizens.
It was clearly evident in the parade we are truly grassroots – composed of simple women, men, moms & dads, young people, older folks, and veterans. We had no corporate entity donating their time, vehicles, or money to us – our float was paid for by our members in passing the hat at our meetings. We are local people who are proud of our country, our history, and The Declaration of Independence.
Our members are from every social, economic, political, and religious background and we find agreement in our mission statement –
“The New Jersey Tea Party Coalition exists to protect our liberties by restoring and defending the principles within our Nation’s foundational documents, and by promoting unity with other Patriots throughout New Jersey and the United States.” Simply put we in The NJ Tea Party Coalition are proud Americans.
I whole heartily agree that the Ridgewood Parade Committee does a wonderful job in volunteering in a professional way to present the best parade in the NJ / NY metro area. The parade is all inclusive as the parade rules state – as long as you are there to celebrate our great country, which we at the New Jersey Tea Party Coalition have done for the last five years.
As to the Gadsden flag its history and use was perfect for the theme of the Parade – The Declaration of Independence. The flag has roots in the American Revolution and was used by our founders. It was the first flag of the Marines, and used on recruiting posters in WWII. After the tragic events of 9/11 the Don’t Tread On Me flag with the snake (which the writer found so offensive) was ordered to be flown on every U.S. Navy ship in place of the official flag representing the United States. Today the spirit of our founders lives on and we in our local Tea Party fly the Gadsden flag as a symbol to affirm as The Declaration of Independence declares “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” – that would be “We The People” – folks like you, me, the people of Ridgewood, and even the writer of the letter who was so offended.”
Tim Adriance
Executive Board member of
The New Jersey Tea Party Coalition
Tim Adriance
201- 674-8031
86 East Main St
Bergenfield NJ 07621
The Zimmerman Trial: Just One More All-or-Nothing Moment for Our Nation’s Media
with Jim Geraghty
July 15, 2013
NRO
Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that so many of our fellow citizens are choosing sides on Team Trayvon or Team Zimmerman, and insisting that the only form of “justice” would be the verdict that they prefer.
Why must we pick a side? Why is there this compulsion to declare one side is the “good guy” here? Keep in mind, everything Mark Steyn is saying here is right, that a criminal-justice system, terrified of public opinion, threw a slew of implausible charges against the defendant, while a slew of loud voices in the media and in government tried to shoehorn murky events into a simplistic narrative that inflames racial tensions.
Everyone remembers the president’s comment, “If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon.” But another bit of faux-insightful blather the president said that day is even more irksome, hisdeclaration, “All of us have to do some soul-searching to figure out how does something like this happen.”
Er, no, not really. We figure out how something like this happens with a police investigation and trial. It doesn’t require “all of us” to investigate, and we certainly won’t find useful court-admissible evidence within our souls.
Chances are, you’ve never even met anyone involved in this case. Chances are, there’s absolutely nothing you could have done that would have changed events that night. So no, you don’t really have to look into your soul. It’s not your fault.
Obama’s post-verdict statement offered more of the same:
I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son. And as we do, we should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities. We should ask ourselves if we’re doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis. We should ask ourselves, as individuals and as a society, how we can prevent future tragedies like this. As citizens, that’s a job for all of us. That’s the way to honor Trayvon Martin.
But even if we look at everything that was said and presented in this trial, and like the jury, we conclude Zimmerman did not commit second-degree murder, and in fact acted in self-defense . . . that doesn’t mean we have to lionize him. Being anti-racial-demagoguery doesn’t necessarily mean we have to be pro-Zimmerman. Part of Zimmerman’s defense was to insist he was not capable of defending himself in a physical altercation. Not merely not that good at fighting, his former trainer said he could barely throw a punch:
Jurors were presented an unflattering assessment of Zimmerman’s physical abilities this week: Soft. Unathletic.
Days after testimony by a state witness that Zimmerman had been training in mixed-martial-arts, the defense called on Zimmerman’s trainer to counter the notion that he was a capable fighter.
“He’s just soft, physically soft,” said Adam Pollock, of Kokopelli’s Gym and Training Center in Longwood.
The trainer said Zimmerman started out at a 0.5 in grappling, advancing only to a 1 or 1.5 out of 10.
The trainer added Zimmerman “didn’t know how to effectively punch.”
That’s a rather strange condition for a neighborhood-watch guy, right? If you know that you’re likely to lose a physical confrontation, wouldn’t you do everything possible to avoid one — i.e, not follow someone you think is up to no good? If you know that your only recourse if someone tries to harm you is to pull out a gun, wouldn’t you try to avoid that confrontation?
A court has ruled Zimmerman’s not guilty of intentional murder. He appears to be guilty of bad judgment.
Indeed, we have good reason to complain that the media anointed Trayvon Martin the embodiment of youthful innocence, relentlessly depicting him with old photos that made him appear much younger than he was when the confrontation occurred. Some evidence points to Martin not being the saintly portrait of innocence depicted in the Hollister-shirt photo — marijuana use, suspension from school — but again, nobody deserves to die over an evening altercation. But let’s also stipulate no 17-year-old deserves to get shot dead, before their life has even really begun. We’ll never know if Martin would have gone on to become a gang member or a success story, rising above a broken home and troubled youth. His death is a tragedy, and Zimmerman pulled the trigger and caused it.
Again, without proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman didn’t act in self-defense, that doesn’t add up to second-degree murder. (Some jurisdictions have different types of self-defense, and some have a category called “involuntary manslaughter” — most often occurring when one person punches another and ends up killing them by causing a brain hemorrhage.) By pulling the trigger, Zimmerman knew he would be doing harm to Martin, but he was not necessarily intending to kill.
EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT FOR BERGEN COUNTY THROUGH 8 PM
HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING, MONDAY, JULY 15
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A HEAT ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY THROUGH 8 PM THIS EVENING.
HIGH LEVELS OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL RESULT IN HEAT INDEX VALUES AROUND 100 DUE TO TEMPERATURES FROM AROUND 90 TO THE MID 90S…AND DEWPOINTS IN THE MID TO UPPER 605
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
IMPACTS… IF NO PROTECTIVE ACTION IS TAKEN…INITIAL IMPACTS INCLUDE FATIGUE. SUNSTROKE…MUSCLE CRAMPS…AND/OR HEAT EXHAUSTION ARE ALSO POSSIBLE.
TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT REST BREAKS IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE OVERCOME BY HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION. HEAT STROKE IS AN EMERGENCY…CALL 9 1 1.
A HEAT ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN THE COMBINATION OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED TO MAKE IT FEEL LIKE IT IS AT LEAST 95 DEGREES FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS OR IF HEAT INDEX VALUES REACH
100 TO 104 DEGREES. TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. WHEN POSSIBLE…RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR EVENING. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING
CLOTHING WHEN POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.
RESIDENTS ARE INVITED TO STAY COOL BY VISITING THE RIDGEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY, LOCATED AT 125 N. MAPLE AVE., IS OPEN FROM 9 AM TO 9 PM.
Rebid – Coffee Concession Area Improvements at Village Train Station Building
Sealed bid proposals will be received by the Village of Ridgewood, in the Level Three Conference Room at the Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07451 on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. prevailing time, and then publicly opened and read aloud for following project:
“Rebid Coffee Concession Area Improvements at the Village Train Station Building”
The principal work of the contract shall consist of providing and installing: A stainless steel triple compartment sink; a stainless steel single compartment sink; sink faucets, a FRP sink backsplash, five (4) 20 amp 110 volt GFIC duplex outlets with individual circuit breakers at various locations wired to the existing circuit panel; replacement of an existing rolling door with locks; a 6,000 BTU window air conditioning unit, including all necessary appurtenances and connections at the Village Train Station in the area designated for the Coffee Concession Service.
Specifications and bid forms may be obtained by mail from the office of the Engineering Division, Department of Public Works, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07451, telephone (201) 670-5500, extension 238, for a non-refundable fee of $10.00, per set of bid documents. Documents may be examined or picked up in person between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the Engineering Division, Department of Public Works, Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07451, Monday through Friday. Prospective bidders requesting bid documents be mailed to them shall be responsible for providing their own postage/delivery service remuneration. No Specifications and/or Proposal forms shall be given out after 4:30 p.m. on Monday, July 29, 2013.
Prices quoted must be net and exclusive of all federal, state and local sales and excise taxes. Bids may be submitted in person or by mail. Mailed bids shall be addressed to the Office of the Village Clerk. The Village assumes no responsibility for loss or non-delivery of any bid to the bid opening location sent to it prior to the Bid opening.
The contractual obligation of the Village of Ridgewood under this Contract for these Items is contingent upon the availability of appropriate funds from which payment for this Contract can be made.
Each bid must be enclosed in a sealed envelope with the name of the bidder thereon and endorsed, “Rebid Coffee Concession Area Improvements at the Village Train Station Building” and must be accompanied by the following: either a certified check, cashier’s check, or Bid Bond (Schedule B), drawn to the order of the Village of Ridgewood for $1,000; a Consent of Surety (Schedule A); a Corporation or Partnership Statement (Schedule C); a Non-Collusion Affidavit (Schedule D); and a Statement of Responsibility (Schedule E). Any award or awards may be made at a later or subsequent time or meeting of the Village Council. All required schedules, that is Schedule A, B, C, D, and E, are required to be submitted on the forms enclosed in the bid documents. No other forms will be accepted.
All contractors, their subcontractors, and material suppliers shall comply with all applicable provisions of the Contractor Business Registration Program, pursuant to Public Law 2004 Chapter 57. Evidence of satisfactory registration(s) shall be submitted at the time of the bid. All bids submitted shall contain a copy of the bidder’s New Jersey Business Registration Certificate.
The successful bidder shall furnish and deliver to the Village of Ridgewood a performance and payment bond in the amount of $3,000.00 as security for the faithful performance of the Contract. Additionally, the successful bidder shall furnish policies or Certificates of Insurance required by the Contract. In default thereof, said checks and/or bid bond and the amount represented thereby shall be forfeited to the Village of Ridgewood as liquidated damages, not as a penalty.
Proposals submitted by Bidders and/or Bidder’s Insurance Company(ies) not chartered in the State of New Jersey, must be accompanied by proper certificate(s) from the Secretary of State, indicating that such Bidders, Bidder’s Insurance Company(ies), and/or Surety Company(ies)’s is (are) authorized to do business in the State of New Jersey. The Village of Ridgewood reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive any informalities or to accept a bid which, in its judgment best serves the interest of the Village. No bids may be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days after the date and time set for the opening of bids.
“BIDDERS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 17:27. A complete statement as to these requirements is included in the specifications.”
Michael Cirrotti is currently a member of the Young Leaders Program at The Heritage Foundation
I joined the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1245 as a high school student in New Jersey. Having to pay union dues in high school surprised me. But I was working to save money for college and did not investigate further. I did not know that I didn’t have to give the union that much money.
Workers at unionized companies have the right to opt out of some or all union dues. The Supreme Court ruled in Communication Workers of America vs. Beck (1988) that unions cannot force workers to fund their political activities. I could have kept that portion of these dues.
Employees in right-to-work states can forgo all union dues. Workers with religious objections to their unions’ activities—such as the American Federation of Teachers’ support for abortion—can send their dues to a charity instead. The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation provides a quick and easy overview of workers’ rights on its website.
Many workers do not know these rights. I certainly didn’t, especially as a teenager. Many also do not know that alternative professional organizations provide many of the same services as unions (such as professional development and liability insurance) at a lower cost.
Thankfully, over 60 organizations, including The Heritage Foundation, joined together last week to educate workers about their rights during National Employee Freedom Week.
Some workers believe their unions do not serve them well. They can opt out of some or all of their dues. Other workers believe they get value for their dues—they have the right to keep paying, too. But even employees who support their unions’ politics may want to keep a little more of each paycheck for their families’ needs. They have that right.
Consider Jeff Richmond, a unionized truck driver in West Virginia. He refused to fund his union’s political action committee. So the union had him fired—only to wind up in court. Richmond won over $10,000 in dues refunds and back pay.
Employees do not have to let their unions spend their money on causes the employees don’t support.
Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore: Internet Sales Tax Hurts Small Businesses
Jack Minor and Curtis Dubay
July 7, 2013 at 7:41 am
The misnamed Marketplace Fairness Act (MFA), commonly called the Internet sales tax, recently passed the Senate and awaits action in the House. If it becomes law, it would force online retailers to collect sales taxes from residents in states in which the businesses have no attachment. It would overturn the physical presence standard that has long determined whether businesses need to collect sales taxes in certain states.
In a recent article, former Governor of Virginia Jim Gilmore wrote about the MFA:
In the American marketplace, businesses large and small compete for customers and revenue based on the value proposition that they offer the consumer. Hopefully, they do so in the context of a fair, transparent and predictable tax code that doesn’t pick winners and losers. The Marketplace Fairness Act distorts these principles at the expense of small businesses and for the benefit of large corporations.
A recent survey of consumers by Endicia, an online software company, found that 44 percent of voters indicated they would buy fewer products online because of the Internet sales tax bill. If this bill would cause online business to lose revenue, then why would some of the nation’s largest online retailers like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Best Buy all support the bill?
Simple: because the Internet sales tax is what Gilmore calls “an effort by large established companies to erect barriers to entry for the next generation of emerging small business competitors.” These large companies were once start-up businesses just like the ones they are trying to hinder.
The largest 100 online sellers represent 83 percent of all online sales, and most of them also are brick-and-mortar institutions that already have a physical presence in these areas, so they are already complying with the tax codes. The Internet sales tax won’t affect them, but it will badly hurt their smaller competition. No wonder they are in favor of it.
Small businesses will face an enormous compliance burden if they are subjected to the tax codes of 9,646 different jurisdictions. And if they fail to adequately comply with the continuously changing tax laws from all those jurisdictions, they could face audits by 46 states.
The Internet sales tax is bad policy. It would be better for small businesses, the economy, and online shoppers if the House doesn’t follow the Senate’s poor example.
Rep.Scott Garrett asks Do you know any American War Veterans?
Do you know any American War Veterans who would like their stories enshrined at the Library Of Congress for future generations?
Please contact my Newton office at 973-300-2000 for more information, or visit the Veterans History Project website: https://www.loc.gov/vets/about.html
