Democrats push to redeploy Obama’s voter database
By Craig Timberg and Amy Gardner, Updated: Tuesday, November 20, 7:22 AM
If you voted this election season, President Obama almost certainly has a file on you. His vast campaign database includes information on voters’ magazine subscriptions, car registrations, housing values and hunting licenses, along with scores estimating how likely they were to cast ballots for his reelection.
And though the election is over, Obama’s database is just getting started.
The majority of state governors are Republicans, and they have the power to disarm the health-care law
November 20 ,2012
Capretta and Levin
Champions of ObamaCare want Americans to believe that the president’s re-election ended the battle over the law. It did no such thing. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act won’t be fully repealed while Barack Obama is in office, but the administration is heavily dependent on the states for its implementation.
Republicans will hold 30 governorships starting in January, and at last week’s meeting of the Republican Governors Association they made it clear that they remain highly critical of the health law. Some Republican governors-including incoming RGA Chairman Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Ohio’s John Kasich, Wisconsin’s Scott Walker and Maine’s Paul LePage-have already said they won’t do the federal government’s bidding. Several Democratic governors, including Missouri’s Jay Nixon and West Virginia’s Earl Ray Tomblin, have also expressed serious concerns.
Talk of the law’s inevitability is intended to pressure these governors into implementing it on the administration’s behalf. But states still have two key choices to make that together will put them in the driver’s seat: whether to create state health-insurance exchanges, and whether to expand Medicaid. They should say “no” to both.
At its core, ObamaCare is a massive entitlement expansion. Between vastly increased Medicaid eligibility and new premium subsidies, it is expected to bring 30 million more people onto the federal government’s entitlement rolls. The law anticipates that the states will take on the burden of implementing the expansions, but states can opt out of both.
Running the exchanges would be an administrative nightmare for states, requiring a complicated set of rules, mandates, databases and interfaces to establish eligibility, funnel subsidies, and facilitate purchases. All of this would have to take place under broad and often incoherent statutory requirements and federal regulations that have yet to be written.
They are on opposite sides of ObamaCare, but President Obama and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal met in September in LaPlace, La., for a briefing regarding Hurricane Isaac.
The exchanges would create unsustainable pressures on each state’s insurance market, treating similarly situated people differently by providing far greater subsidies for those in the exchanges than those in employer plans-yielding perverse incentives that distort consumer and employer decisions and increase costs.
States would endure all this simply to become functionaries of the federal government. The idea that creating state exchanges would give states control over their insurance markets is a fantasy. The states would be enforcing a federal law and federal regulations, with very little room for independent judgment.
Governors know this. A group of them has already indicated that they will not build the exchanges, and several more seemed ready to opt out as the administration’s deadline for state decisions approached on Nov. 16. Predictably, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius tried to head them off by extending the deadline to Dec. 14. She will try to use the extra month to twist governors’ arms. They should resist.
By declining to build exchanges, the states would pass the burden and costs of the exchanges to the administration that sought this law. And it is far from clear that the administration could operate the exchanges on its own.
Congress didn’t allocate money for administering federal exchanges, and the law as written seems to prohibit federally run exchanges from providing subsidies to individuals. The administration insists that it can provide those subsidies anyway. But if the courts read the plain words of the statute, then federal exchanges couldn’t really function.
Thus states that refuse to create their own exchanges would effectively be repealing a large part of the law-sparing their citizens from the job-killing employer mandate and from assaults on their religious liberty. In some cases people would even be spared from the individual mandate to buy coverage, since in the absence of exchange subsidies more families would qualify for exemptions from the mandate.
The Medicaid expansion, meanwhile, would throw millions of additional Americans into a system that is already bankrupting state governments and increasing costs in the private-insurance market. Medicaid’s payments for services are so low that many existing beneficiaries have trouble finding physicians and other health-care providers who will accept them as patients. Enrolling more people without reform will push the system to the point of collapse.
In refusing the Medicaid expansion, governors should notify Washington that doing so means freeing themselves of ObamaCare’s “Maintenance of Effort” requirements. These would prohibit states participating in the Medicaid expansion from reforming their Medicaid systems to reduce costs.
Instead of following the Obama administration’s plan, states should seek real reform. For example, they should demand that Washington transform the federal portion of Medicaid for non-disabled and non-elderly beneficiaries into a uniform block grant, with state discretion over eligibility and benefits. The goal should be to turn Medicaid into a premium-assistance program rather than government-run insurance. Medicaid could then be used to help people enroll in mainstream insurance plans. This is the way to help the low-income uninsured get the same kind of coverage as other Americans.
President Obama won re-election and Democrats maintained control of the Senate this month, but the states hold the future of ObamaCare in their hands. Knowing the harm the law would do to their citizens, to the economy and to American health care, governors should refuse to become its enablers.
Mr. Capretta is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Mr. Levin is a fellow at the EPPC and editor of National Affairs.
Call/ Contact Governor Christie and tell him to say NO to creating state health-insurance exchanges and to expand Medicaid.
He should say “no” to both.
Office of the Governor
PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625
609-292-6000 OR
Having own utility helps Park Ridge get power back quickly
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2012 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2012, 8:06 AM
BY TATIANA SCHLOSSBERG
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
PARK RIDGE — The day after superstorm Sandy, while much of Bergen County was sitting in the dark, Park Ridge had turned most of the lights back on. Four days later, the whole town was electrified.
Park Ridge is one of nine municipalities in New Jersey that run their own non-profit electricity companies. Park Ridge purchases its power wholesale in bulk from a few different suppliers, and has already bought its power through 2016, said William Beattie, the Board of Public Works’ director of operations.
While the town does buy some of its electricity from PSE&G or other area suppliers, once PSE&G’s power is transferred to Park Ridge substations, it is owned by the borough, which manages, meters and distributes the power.
That also means that the borough employs its own line workers, who were out in force after Hurricane Sandy. Beattie also brought back two retired lineman for extra help. Beattie himself was also trained as a lineman, and he helped make some repairs as well.
Eighty percent of Park Ridge had power the day after Sandy hit.
Welcome to USA .Gov benefits galore for New Immigrants
Welcome to USA .Gov Encourages new migrants to seek government hand outs and freebies
https://www.welcometousa.gov/Government_benefits/default.htm
GOVERNMENT BENEFITS
Depending on your immigration status, length of time in the United States, and income, you may be eligible for some federal benefit programs. Government assistance programs can be critically important to the well-being of some immigrants and their families. Frequently, however, there is a lack of information about how to access such benefits. Benefit programs can be complicated and you may be given misleading information about how they operate.
The links below will lead you to official government websites describing a range of assistance programs.
Official website with information on all available federal benefit programs. (English version – Spanish version)
Official website for Medicare, the health insurance program for people 65 years of age or older or who have specific disabilities.
Official website for Medicaid, the joint federal/state medical care program for low-income people.
Official website for the Social Security Administration. (English version – Spanish version)
Social Security information available in foreign languages.
Information on Supplemental Security Income benefits for aliens.
Information on the Food Stamp Program for low-income families.
A website containing links to available federal information in other languages.
Information on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program.
Information on access to federal benefits and services for immigrant survivors of domestic violence.
140 Million Families Will Be Forced to Submit Obamacare Individual Mandate Compliance Forms to IRS
CBO estimates hours and hours of more paperwork for American taxpayers because of the Individual Mandate tax.
The Congressional Budget Office on Wednesday announced that six million American families will be forced to pay the Obamacare individual mandate non-compliance penalty tax.
The six million families who will be forced to pay the tax understates the true compliance burden of the looming Obamacare individual mandate scheduled to take effect in 2014:
Every American required to file an income tax return must report to the IRS whether or not they have “qualifying” health insurance under Obamacare.
Thus, this tax will not just impact the six million American families having to pay the tax, but the 140 million U.S. households which file an annual income tax return. Each of the 140 million households will be forced to complete and submit compliance forms to the IRS.
The compliance burden described above does not even take into account the other 19 new or higher taxes in the Obamacare law, which the IRS has determined for the Ways and Means Committee will increase tax preparation time by a collective 80 million hours per year.
The non-compliance penalty tax will hit middle-income Americans, a violation President Obama’s “firm pledge” not to raise “any form” of tax on families making less than $250,000 per year. There are at least seven Obamacare taxes that directly hit families making less than $250,000.
Sunday will mark the start of the 44-day countdown to “Taxmageddon” – the date the largest tax hikes in the history of America will take effect. They will hit families and small businesses in three great waves on January 1, 2013:
First Wave: Expiration of 2001 and 2003 Tax Relief
In 2001 and 2003, the GOP Congress enacted several tax cuts for small business owners, families, and investors (later re-upped by President Obama and Democrat Congress in 2010). The following tax hikes will occur on January 1, 2013:
Personal income tax rates will rise on January 1, 2013. The top income tax rate will rise from 35 to 39.6 percent (this is also the rate at which the majority of small business profits are taxed). The lowest rate will rise from 10 to 15 percent. All the rates in between will also rise. Itemized deductions and personal exemptions will again phase out, which has the same mathematical effect as higher marginal tax rates. The full list of marginal rate hikes is below:
-The 10% bracket rises to a new and expanded 15%
-The 25% bracket rises to 28%
-The 28% bracket rises to 31%
-The 33% bracket rises to 36%
-The 35% bracket rises to 39.6%
Higher taxes on marriage and family coming on January 1, 2013. The “marriage penalty” (narrower tax brackets for married couples) will return from the first dollar of taxable income. The child tax credit will be cut in half from $1000 to $500 per child. The standard deduction will no longer be doubled for married couples relative to the single level.
Middle Class Death Tax returns on January 1, 2013. The death tax is currently 35% with an exemption of $5 million ($10 million for married couples). For those dying on or after January 1 2013, there is a 55 percent top death tax rate on estates over $1 million. A person leaving behind two homes and a retirement account could easily pass along a death tax bill to their loved ones.
Higher tax rates on savers and investors on January 1, 2013. The capital gains tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 23.8 percent in 2013. The top dividends tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 43.4 percent in 2013. This is because of scheduled rate hikes plus Obamacare’s investment surtax.
Second Wave: Obamacare Tax Hikes
There are twenty new or higher taxes in Obamacare. Some have already gone into effect (the tanning tax, the medicine cabinet tax, the HSA withdrawal tax, W-2 health insurance reporting, and the “economic substance doctrine”). Several more will go into effect on January 1, 2013. They include:
The Obamacare Medical Device Tax begins to be assessed on January 1, 2013. Medical device manufacturers employ 409,000 people in 12,000 plants across the country. This law imposes a new 2.3% excise tax on gross sales – even if the company does not earn a profit in a given year. Exempts items retailing for <$100.
The Obamacare Medicare Payroll Tax Hike takes effect on January 1, 2013. The Medicare payroll tax is currently 2.9 percent on all wages and self-employment profits. Starting in 2013, wages and profits exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 in the case of married couples) will face a 3.8 percent rate.
The Obamacare “Special Needs Kids Tax” comes online on January 1, 2013. Imposes a cap on FSAs of $2500 (now unlimited). Indexed to inflation after 2013. There is one group of FSA owners for whom this new cap will be particularly cruel and onerous: parents of special needs children. There are thousands of families with special needs children in the United States, and many of them use FSAs to pay for special needs education. Tuition rates at one leading school that teaches special needs children in Washington, D.C. (National Child Research Center) can easily exceed $14,000 per year. Under tax rules, FSA dollars can be used to pay for this type of special needs education. This Obamacare cap harms these families.
The Obamacare “Haircut” for Medical Itemized Deductions goes into force on January 1, 2013. Currently, those facing high medical expenses are allowed a deduction for medical expenses to the extent that those expenses exceed 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income (AGI). The new provision imposes a threshold of 10 percent of AGI. Waived for 65+ taxpayers in 2013-2016 only.
Third Wave: The Alternative Minimum Tax and Employer Tax Hikes
When Americans prepare to file their tax returns in January of 2013, they’ll be in for a nasty surprise—the AMT won’t be held harmless, and many tax relief provisions will have expired. These tax increases will be in force for BOTH 2012 and 2013. The major items include:
The AMT will ensnare over 31 million families, up from 4 million last year. According to the left-leaning Tax Policy Center, Congress’ failure to index the AMT will lead to an explosion of AMT taxpaying families—rising from 4 million last year to 31 million. These families will have to calculate their tax burdens twice, and pay taxes at the higher level. The AMT was created in 1969 to ensnare a handful of taxpayers.
Full business expensing will disappear. In 2011, businesses can expense half of their purchases of equipment. Starting on 2013 tax returns, all of it will have to be “depreciated” (slowly deducted over many years).
Taxes will be raised on all types of businesses. There are literally scores of tax hikes on business that will take place. The biggest is the loss of the “research and experimentation tax credit,” but there are many, many others. Combining high marginal tax rates with the loss of this tax relief will cost jobs.
Tax Benefits for Education and Teaching Reduced. The deduction for tuition and fees will not be available. Tax credits for education will be limited. Teachers will no longer be able to deduct classroom expenses. Coverdell Education Savings Accounts will be cut. Employer-provided educational assistance is curtailed. The student loan interest deduction will be disallowed for hundreds of thousands of families.
Charitable Contributions from IRAs no longer allowed. Under current law, a retired person with an IRA can contribute up to $100,000 per year directly to a charity from their IRA. This contribution also counts toward an annual “required minimum distribution.” This ability will no longer be there.
Read more: https://atr.org/days-taxmageddon-a7203#ixzz2Cfe0QQMt
Follow us: @taxreformer on Twitter
All Seasons Chamber Players, now is it’s 32nd anniversary season, is a leading chamber music ensemble in the New York – New Jersey metropolitan area. It has performed over 678 concerts since it’s inception in 1981. The ensemble performs music from the baroque to contemporary periods in mixed ensembles using flute, violin, cello, harpsichord and piano. All Seasons repertoire includes new and unusual works as well as those from the standard chamber music repertoire of duets, trios, quartets and four-hand piano works.
All Seasons programs have proven highly successful with a wide range of audiences from experienced concert goers to casual music lovers of all ages. The wide appeal comes from not only from the high quality of the performances but from the variety of instrumental groupings and music periods.
In addition to its regional concerts, the ensemble provides free, public Community Concerts in Bergen County in area public libraries, churches, art centers and colleges. The Community Concerts are designed to make chamber music accessible, enjoyable and understandable and to develop new audiences for chamber music. They are supported by foundations, corporations, government agencies and individuals.
All Seasons Chamber Players’ Concerts 2012 – 2013
EMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH November 18th 2012 3pm
Honoring the musical legacy of William F. Wilkins
14 Hope Street (corner of Ridgewood Avenue), Ridgewood, NJ
Guest Artist: Jacqueline Schiller-Audi, Piano
Meet-The-Artist Reception in the Peace Lounge
(201) 444-7300
RIDGEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY December 9th 2pm
125 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ
In our effort to provide reliable communication to our residents, the Village of Ridgewood utilizes a community notification system to provide routine and emergency information to our community.
The Office of Emergency Management would like to remind you that in the event of a power outage or other emergency, in addition to your home telephone, Ridgewood residents can receive calls, text messages, and emails on your cellular telephones, smart phones and other devices. Residents must register their additional contact information in order to receive information multiple ways.
Residents are encouraged to visit the Village of Ridgewood website at www.ridgewoodnj.net to fill out the E-Notices form online to register or add additional contact information. Those who are unable to complete the online registration may email the Office of Emergency Management at [email protected] call Ridgewood OEM at (201) 670-5500 ext. 380 for additional information.
If you know someone in our community who does not recall receiving our telephone notifications or E-Notices, then please encourage them to register their information.
NJ prosecutor: Large amounts of chemicals used to make bombs found at unemployed doctor’s home
By Associated Press, Published: November 17
RIDGEWOOD, N.J. — Prosecutors say large amounts of chemicals commonly used for making bombs and explosive devices have been found at the home of an unemployed northern New Jersey doctor.
Sixty-year-old Roberto Rivera, of Ridgewood, faces several charges, including possession of a destructive device and recklessly creating a risk of widespread injury. His bail was set at $1 million cash. It wasn’t known Saturday if he had retained a lawyer.
Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli says investigators also found several assault rifles and other weapons when they searched Rivera’s home Friday night. Ridgewood police had initially responded to the home after receiving a report that potentially hazardous materials might be at the residence.
Prosecutors say Rivera is unemployed but has a license to practice medicine in New York.
Intel officials unable to say who changed CIA talking points on Libya, lawmaker says
Published November 16, 2012
FoxNews.com
Former CIA Director David Petraeus stoked the controversy over the Obama administration’s handling of the Libya terror attack, testifying Friday that references to “Al Qaeda involvement” were stripped from his agency’s original talking points — while other intelligence officials were unable to say who changed the memo, according to a top lawmaker who was briefed.
Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., told Fox News that intelligence officials who testified in a closed-door hearing a day earlier, including Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Acting CIA Director Mike Morell, said they did not know who changed the talking points. He said they went out to multiple departments, including the State Department, National Security Council, Justice Department and White House.
“To me the question right now is who changed those talking points and why. … I’d say it was somebody in the administration had to have taken it out,” King told Fox News. “That, to me, has to be pursued.”
RHS LEARNING COMMONS COMMITTEE SEEKS COMMUNITY SUPPORT
General Information: Volunteers are seeking community-wide support for the proposed new Learning Commons at Ridgewood High School. Click here to learn more.
Fundraiser: On Friday, January 11, 2013 from 7-11 p.m., the 07450 Schools Committee will host a fundraiser to benefit the Ridgewood High School Learning Commons project, a plan to renovate the current high school library, which is almost 50 years old, and create a modern library for generations of students to come.
The event will take place at The Woodcliff Lake Hilton in Woodcliff Lake and is open to all Ridgewood families and alumni. Due to Hurricane Sandy and the families still suffering, the event that was originally scheduled to take place at the end of November was postponed.
The fundraiser will include cocktails, dinner and dancing, with giving opportunities at all levels. Guests will enjoy live music by Matthew Friedman and Uptown Sounds. Matthew Friedman starred as “The Piano Man” in Billy Joel’s award-winning musical, Movin’ Out.
Admission for the event is $110 per person and $200 per couple, and includes an open bar. The invitation can be downloaded from the Ridgewood High School Learning Commons website: www.RHSLearningCommons.com. All donations made at the event are tax deductible.
Labor Unions Kill the Twinkie and 18,000 Jobs
Katie Pavlich
News Editor, Townhall
Nov 16, 2012 08:33 AM EST
Labor Unions have officially killed off the Twinkie. The company that makes the yummy treat announced today they will start to downsize operations (a.k.a. fire people) as a result of a long battle with union workers.
Hostess Brands Inc., the bankrupt maker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread, said it had sought court permission to go out of business after failing to get wage and benefit cuts from thousands of its striking bakery workers.
Hostess said a national strike by members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union that began last week had crippled its ability to produce and deliver products at several facilities.
The liquidation of the company will mean that most of its 18,500 employees will lose their jobs, Hostess said on Friday.
All But One NJ TRANSIT Rail Lines Fully or Partially Restored Starting Monday, November 19
Customers Encouraged to Visit njtransit.com For Latest Scheduling Information
Trenton, NJ –The Christie Administration announced today that all but one NJ TRANSIT rail lines will be running full or modified service effective Monday, November 19. This includes the restoration of service along the North Jersey Coast Line, which suffered the brunt of the damage wrought by Hurricane Sandy.
Additionally, with the completion of repairs to a key Amtrak-owned electrical substation in Kearny that will generate additional power to the Northeast Corridor, NJ TRANSIT will be operating approximately 90 percent of its normal peak period service into New York Penn Station starting Monday morning. Main, Bergen County, Pascack Valley and Port Jervis Line trains will resume stopping at Secaucus Junction as a result of the additional rail capacity opened along the Northeast Corridor.
Updated schedules will be posted on njtransit.com by 3 p.m. Sunday, November 18.
“This is a major milestone in our continuing, post-Sandy recovery. The devastation wrought on the North Jersey Coast Line was the worst sustained throughout our system,” said Transportation Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chairman James Simpson. “While we are not out of the woods and the recovery process continues, the restoration of this critical rail service is a major step forward for the Garden State.”
The restoration of service on the North Jersey Coast Line completes the full or partial restoration of all NJ TRANSIT rail lines. More than 30 miles of North Jersey Coast Line track sustained severe damage during the storm, including extensive rail washouts (no ballast under the tracks) between South Amboy and Bay Head. The River Drawbridge over Raritan Bay was severely damaged following a collision between two tugboats in addition to a record storm surge. The Morgan Drawbridge in South Amboy also sustained severe damage following a record storm surge and the impact from recreational boats and a cargo container.
“The restoration of NJ TRANSIT’s rail lines within 18 days of Sandy is a tremendous credit to the commitment, professionalism and the dedication of our employees,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director James Weinstein. “In this time of Thanksgiving, I would like to specifically offer our thanks to our employees for their service, as well as to customers for their patience and understanding during this difficult time.”
Effective Monday, November 19, NJ TRANSIT rail service will operate as follows:
Restored Service
Northeast Corridor: Service between Trenton and New York has been fully restored and will operate on a regular schedule.
North Jersey Coast Line: Service between Long Branch and New York will operate on a regular schedule, except for selected trains that will be cancelled. Trip times will be approximately five minutes longer due to signal system limitations. Service between Bay Head and Long Branch will operate on a regular schedule, except for 2300-series trains to/from Hoboken that will be cancelled.
Raritan Valley Line: Service between Raritan and Newark will continue to operate on a special schedule, with limited peak-period service between High Bridge and Newark.
Atlantic City Line: Service has been fully restored and is operating on a regular schedule.
Morris & Essex Lines: Midtown Direct service between Dover and New York will operate on a regular schedule. Shuttle trains between Summit and Hoboken will provide approximately hourly service to stations not served by Midtown Direct. Gladstone Branch service remains suspended until further notice. Customers may use free emergency shuttle bus/ferry service or shuttle bus to rail service from selected Gladstone Branch stations.
· Montclair-Boonton Lines: Midtown Direct service between Montclair State
University and New York will operate on a regular schedule. Limited shuttle
service between Hackettstown and Hoboken will operate on a special schedule.
Pascack Valley Line: Service between Spring Valley and Hoboken will continue to operate on a special schedule. Trains will resume stopping at Secaucus Junction.
Main/Bergen County Line: Service between Suffern and Hoboken will continue to operate on a special schedule. Trains will resume stopping at Secaucus Junction.
Port Jervis Line: Service between Port Jervis and Hoboken will continue to operate on a special schedule. Trains will resume stopping at Secaucus Junction.
Also effective Monday, November 19, NJ TRANSIT will adjust and refine its emergency trans-Hudson transportation plan to most efficiently match the available bus, rail and ferry resources with the needs of state citizens.
Starting Monday, new bus shuttle-to-ferry service and bus shuttle-to-train service will operate from selected stations along the Gladstone Branch of the Morris & Essex Lines to provide an alternate travel option for customers impacted by the ongoing suspension of Gladstone Branch train service.
In addition, bus shuttle/ferry services from several locations will no longer operate due to the restoration of NJ TRANSIT rail service near those locations.
Parents, Coaches: Know the Risks of Concussions in Youth Sports The Valley Hospital is Offering Concussion Testing This Month
November 7, 2012 — To assist parents and coaches in protecting young athletes from the serious head injuries that can result from returning to play too soon after a suffering a concussion, The Valley Hospital Sports Institute offers the ImPACT Concussion Management Test. ImPACT (Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) is an innovative computerized evaluation system that assesses the effects and severity of a concussion and helps determine when it is safe for an athlete to return to contact sports following a concussion.
ImPACT testing is suitable for athletes ages 12 and older. It is a 20-30 minute neurocognitive test battery that has been scientifically validated to measure the effects of sports-related concussion. Typically, in the preseason each athlete is given a baseline test. And, when a concussion is suspected during the season, a follow-up test is administered to see if the results have changed from the baseline. This comparison helps to diagnose and manage the concussion. Follow-up tests can be administered over days or weeks so clinicians can continue to track the athlete’s recovery from the injury.
The Sports Institute recently enhanced its Concussion Management Program with the addition of the Biodex BioSway Balance testing unit. The test takes about 5 minutes and provides a psycho-motor assessment of concussion injuries. Athletes should be tested in the preseason to gather baseline information that can be used for comparison in the event of a concussion to assess the extent of the injury and the athlete’s readiness to return to activity.
Since most high schools in the area have the testing in place already, the Sports Institute is providing this service primarily for the recreation and town-sponsored youth sports teams for athletes ages 12 and older.
The next scheduled baseline testing sessions will take place on Thursday, November 15 at 5:00 p.m. and again at 6:30 p.m. at Valley’s Kraft Center, located at 15 Essex Road in Paramus. The tests will be conducted in the 3rd Floor Computer Lab.
Pre-Registration is required, as space is limited. The fee is $25. Please call 201-447-8133 for more information and to register.
A concussion is a brain injury. Concussions are most commonly caused by a bump or blow to the head, but, can also be caused by a sudden deceleration or acceleration of the head. In either scenario, the brain, suspended inside the skull and surrounded by fluid, continues to travel with momentum until it “bangs” up against the skull – causing a brain-bruising injury – or concussion. What may seem to be a mild bump or blow to the head can be serious.
You can’t see a concussion. Signs and symptoms of a concussion can show up right after the injury, or may not appear or be noticed until days or weeks after the injury. If your child reports any symptoms of concussion, or if you notice the symptoms yourself, seek medical attention right away. Common symptoms include: headache, dizziness, feeling foggy, nausea, fatigue and confusion. Common signs include memory loss, a loss of balance and coordination, and changes in personality. Concussion severity varies widely, and the number of signs and symptoms vary also – serious injuries may show few symptoms.
Although less common, bleeding in the brain can occur with some head injuries. Loss of consciousness, mental status deterioration and worsening symptoms raise the concern for a bleeding injury. An athlete does not need to lose consciousness (black out) to suffer a concussion. In fact, less than 10 percent of concussed athletes lose consciousness.
An athlete who suffers a concussion can be at risk for a condition known as Second Impact Syndrome if he or she returns to sports before full recovery. Second impact syndrome is a life-threatening condition in which a second concussion occurs before a first concussion has properly healed, causing rapid and severe brain swelling. Second impact syndrome can result from even a very mild concussion that occurs days or weeks after the initial concussion.
“Second Impact Syndrome can be prevented,” Donald Tomaszewski, Director of The Valley Hospital Sports Institute. “Don’t allow an athlete to return to sports after a concussion until their symptoms have completely resolved and they have been cleared by a medical professional experienced in treating concussions.”
‘Christmas Mystery, Christmas Fantasy’ explores two sides of our Christmas tradition: the mystical message of the Incarnation as expressed in Scripture; and the legends, symbols, and images that have become part of the Christmas celebration through the centuries. Settings of these texts range from late medieval through to the late 20th Century, and include works by Britten, Josquin, Vaughan Williams, Tchaikovsky and Palestrina.
Friday, November 30, 2012 at 8pm
West Side Presbyterian Church, Ridgewood, NJ
