Reminder: Irene Habernickel Family Park Dedication – Today Sunday, October 21 at 3PM
IRENE HABERNICKEL FAMILY PARK
OPENING AND DEDICATION
Join Mayor Paul Aronsohn and the Ridgewood Village Council, as we dedicate and celebrate the opening of our newest park, The Irene Habernickel Family Park, located at 1037 Hillcrest Road, on Sunday, October 21st.
Sponsored by the Ridgewood Department of Parks and Recreation, the event will begin with a ribbon cutting ceremony scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Festivities will include a nature scavenger hunt, guided walking tours by the Ridgewood Wildscape Association and a special photography exhibit and book signing by Doug Goodell and Jim Wright, authors of “Duck Enough to Fly”. In addition participants can enjoy live music and refreshments. Adults may take home a tree sapling while children can choose a pumpkin donated by Ridgewood Press.
Rain or shine, stop by to celebrate this newly developed 10-acre park which will provide a natural wildlife setting and an area for passive and active recreational needs for generations to come.
Please contact the Department of Parks and Recreation with any questions or if special accommodations are needed at 201-670-5560.
NY Governor Andrew Como Reacts harshly to State Business Tax Climate Index
October 18, 2012
Joseph Henchman
As you know, last week we released our 2013 State Business Tax Climate Index, our annual comparison of state tax structures. The Index looks at over 100 variables to reduce many complex considerations to an easy-to-use ranking, providing a road map to improving each state’s business tax climate.
This year’s Index has already received wide attention, including statements made by the Governors of Florida, Illinois, Maine (“We are moving in the right direction and I am pleased to see it”), Michigan, New Jersey (“The fact that we moved from 50th to 49th is a testimony that we’re moving in the right direction. We’re not staying put.”), New York, and Wyoming (Gov. Mead AND the Mayor of Cheyenne).
This may be my understatement of the week, but New York Governor Andrew Cuomo certainly noticed our report, in which his state fell from 49th best tax system in the country (2nd worst) to last place. A key aide of his was sent out to the media to attack the Tax Foundation, questioning our methodology and accusing us of anti-New York bias:
He accused the foundation of writing its report ranking New York dead last in the country in business tax climate “based on ideology and not facts.”
“They basically took data and manipulated them to fit their world view,” he charged. “They support a flax tax, not the progressive tax we have.” He questioned why property taxes, which he claims burdens businesses even more than the corporate taxes, wasn’t weighed more heavily in the report.
For the record, New York was treated no differently than any other state in our methodology. The explanation is rather simple: New York scores poorly because it has poorly structured taxes with high rates and narrow bases. The state’s economic success is thanks to a legacy of a once-great business climate and good public services and opportunities. But New York’s taxes are now high and unfriendly. It’s not an ideological statement, it’s a fact.
Business leaders split the difference, noting that our insights were realistic and helpful but praising Cuomo for some recent achievements (which, to his credit, include some positive changes that have yet to take hold). The media also came to our defense, backing our findings and getting Cuomo to admit to his extensive past citation of our work.
The New York Daily News in particular took the Governor to task:
Cuomo — who has made genuine efforts to slay the Vampire State — could have taken these harsh grades as evidence that the job is far from finished.
Unfortunately, he chose instead to bash the messenger.
Lashing out in an interview on Talk 1300 radio in Albany, Cuomo aide Larry Schwartz dismissed the Tax Foundation as a “right-wing think tank” and charged that its report was “based on ideology and not facts.”
“They basically took data and manipulated them to fit their world view,” Schwartz said.
One problem with this complaint is that Cuomo himself has approvingly cited the Tax Foundation’s research in the past — including in his first State of the State speech last year, when he declared: “We have the worst business tax climate in the nation, period.”
The foundation’s ideology and formula-driven methodology have not changed significantly since then. What’s different is that now it’s Cuomo’s record under attack — not George Pataki’s or Eliot Spitzer’s or David Paterson’s.
The Buffalo News cited other examples of the Governor rejecting unfavorable facts:
In his first booklet released during his 2010 campaign promoting his positions on various policy ideas, Cuomo, on page 35, cited a Tax Foundation report about New York’s high property taxes.
The governor also dismissed the latest media report, this time in the New York Times today, about the state’s relatively high unemployment rates. “There are a number of ways to count the numbers,” he said of the various aspects of unemployment and job creation reports put out by the federal government.
The Rochester Democrat: waved aside the “carping” and said the Governor must do more:
The widely respected think tank ranked New York dead last among the 50 states in terms of cumulative tax burden on businesses — property, sales, income, unemployment-insurance and corporate income taxes.
Cuomo officials carped about the foundation’s methodology, but the fact remains: There is much to be done to improve New York’s business and tax climates.
And, last but not least, the New York Times emphasized our non-partisan nature:
Last week, the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan research group, ranked New York last among the 50 states for its business climate, while the conservative Cato Institute gave Mr. Cuomo a “D” grade in assessing his tax and spending record.
In a radio interview last week, Governor Cuomo’s top aide, Lawrence S. Schwartz, said the reports were “more based on ideology and not facts,” adding that the groups “took a bunch of data sets and manipulated them to fit their worldview.”
Needless to say, it’s been a busy week for us, especially dealing with New York media, including the always-colorful New York Post (“Tax hell makes NY dead last for biz”). The Index also got major citations from the Associated Press, CNN Money, ABC News, the Wall Street Journal, the Seattle Times, the Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Detroit News, the Orange County Register, the New Jersey Star-Ledger, CNET, State Tax Notes, and scores of local papers, radio and TV stations.
Each year, the Index is downloaded over 500,000 times and referenced in hundreds of media reports. The most recent version has already been downloaded by 1,004 state legislators, including 13 state Speakers. The report’s analysis is incorporated in state tax reform efforts year-round.
Even Gov. Cuomo has gotten constructive with it already, admitting that New York has “more work to do.” As his tax study commission begins undertaking a comprehensive review of New York’s tax system, we of course are happy to provide constructive suggestions for improvement (as we are this year in over a dozen states). No hard feelings, Governor?
My sincerest thanks to you for supporting our work to bring this information to policymakers, business leaders, and taxpayers. The pressure of rankings, along with our research and advice, will improve many state tax systems in the year ahead.
President Obama’s Taxpayer-Backed Green Energy Failures
Ashe Schow
October 18, 2012 at 8:25 am(64)
It is no secret that President Obama’s and green-energy supporters’ (from both parties) foray into venture capitalism has not gone well. But the extent of its failure has been largely ignored by the press. Sure, single instances garner attention as they happen, but they ignore past failures in order to make it seem like a rare case.
The truth is that the problem is widespread. The government’s picking winners and losers in the energy market has cost taxpayers billions of dollars, and the rate of failure, cronyism, and corruption at the companies receiving the subsidies is substantial. The fact that some companies are not under financial duress does not make the policy a success. It simply means that our taxpayer dollars subsidized companies that would’ve found the financial support in the private market.
So far, 36 companies that have received federal support from taxpayers are faltering — either having gone bankrupt or laying off workers or heading for bankruptcy. This list includes only those companies that received federal money from the Obama Administration’s Department of Energy and other agencies. The amount of money indicated does not reflect how much was actually received or spent but how much was offered. The amount also does not include other state, local, and federal tax credits and subsidies, which push the amount of money these companies have received from taxpayers even higher.
The complete list of faltering or bankrupt green-energy companies:
Evergreen Solar ($24 million)*
SpectraWatt ($500,000)*
Solyndra ($535 million)*
Beacon Power ($69 million)*
AES’s subsidiary Eastern Energy ($17.1 million)
Nevada Geothermal ($98.5 million)
SunPower ($1.5 billion)
First Solar ($1.46 billion)
Babcock and Brown ($178 million)
EnerDel’s subsidiary Ener1 ($118.5 million)*
Amonix ($5.9 million)
National Renewable Energy Lab ($200 million)
Fisker Automotive ($528 million)
Abound Solar ($374 million)*
A123 Systems ($279 million)*
Willard and Kelsey Solar Group ($6 million)
Johnson Controls ($299 million)
Schneider Electric ($86 million)
Brightsource ($1.6 billion)
ECOtality ($126.2 million)
Raser Technologies ($33 million)*
Energy Conversion Devices ($13.3 million)*
Mountain Plaza, Inc. ($2 million)*
Olsen’s Crop Service and Olsen’s Mills Acquisition Company ($10 million)*
Range Fuels ($80 million)*
Thompson River Power ($6.4 million)*
Stirling Energy Systems ($7 million)*
LSP Energy ($2.1 billion)*
UniSolar ($100 million)*
Azure Dynamics ($120 million)*
GreenVolts ($500,000)
Vestas ($50 million)
LG Chem’s subsidiary Compact Power ($150 million)
Nordic Windpower ($16 million)*
Navistar ($10 million)
Satcon ($3 million)*
*Denotes companies that have filed for bankruptcy.
The problem begins with the issue of government picking winners and losers in the first place. Venture capitalist firms exist for this very reason, and they choose what to invest in by looking at companies’ business models and deciding if they are worthy. When the government plays venture capitalist, it tends to reward companies that are connected to the policymakers themselves or because it sounds nice to “invest” in green energy.
The 2009 stimulus set aside $80 billion to subsidize politically preferred energy projects. Since that time, 1,900 investigations have been opened to look into stimulus waste, fraud, and abuse (although not all are linked to the green-energy funds), and nearly 600 convictions have been made. Of that $80 billion in clean energy loans, grants, and tax credits, at least 10 percent has gone to companies that have since either gone bankrupt or are circling the drain.
UPDATE: Some of the companies on this list received money from government agencies other than or in addition to the Department of Energy. We are updating the numbers to reflect the most accurate figures available.
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When the Cheerleaders Referee the Game
By Doug Patton October 18, 2012 6:58 am
When will Republicans ever learn? Every four years, they agree to have their presidential debates “moderated” by liberal Democrats masquerading as journalists. The second of the three 2012 match-ups fell solidly into that category.
At a crucial juncture in Tuesday night’s so-called town hall style debate, CNN partisan Candy Crowley threw Barack Obama the lifeline he so desperately needed to save him from the only question of the evening concerning his near-criminal handling of the Benghazi, Libya, affair that killed four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens. After listening to the incessantly inane questions put forth by supposedly undecided voters — questions selected beforehand by Crowley herself — we finally got a direct question about the Libyan fiasco.
That direct question was this: “The State Department refused extra security for our embassy in Benghazi, Libya, prior to the attacks that killed four Americans. Who was it that denied enhanced security, and why?”
Obama started his two minutes of obfuscation by telling us how proud he is of all our diplomats around the world, what “an incredible job they do in a very dangerous situation,” how they represent him because he appoints them, and how he intended to “investigate” this whole incident until those responsible are “brought to justice” blah blah blah. It was an embarrassing display of bloviating, wherein he never answered the question. In fact, his answer ended with him blaming Romney for turning the whole thing into a political issue by criticizing the president’s actions — or lack of them.
Romney’s response was weak, but he did manage to point out that it was a terrorist attack, not a “spontaneous demonstration,” and that, immediately afterward, Obama had jetted off to a campaign fundraiser in Las Vegas. Filled with faux-indignity, Obama bristled that for Romney to dare to suggest that he or any of his team would use such a grave situation for political purposes was “offensive.”
He also stated that he had called the attack “an act of terror” the day after it happened.
At this point, it was obvious that Obama and Crowley were on the same page on this issue. When Romney challenged Obama’s statement that he had characterized Benghazi as an act of terror in his brief September 12th Rose Garden news conference, the president said, “Get the transcript.” And low and behold, Candy Crowley just happened to have one, which she used to back up Obama’s lie. Delighted, Obama piped up, “Could you say that a little louder, Candy?”
(Later, on her poorly rated network, CNN, when few people were watching, Crowley corrected herself by admitting that the generic reference the president had made at his news conference did not pertain to the Libyan attack at all. Of course, by then she had accomplished her mission of bailing Obama out of a very uncomfortable situation.)
Out of all the statements that have been made over the past month on this issue, ask yourself why Candy Crowley, who had personally chosen the audience questions in advance, would be armed with that particular transcript, if not for the purpose of preparing to provide Obama with a lifeline. How would she have known that this was the excuse the president would use?
Obama was indeed more aggressive in this debate than he was in Denver two weeks ago, when he appeared to barely have a pulse. But, as it so often does, his aggression took the form of petulance and indignation from a petty little man who does not like to be challenged, and who is accustomed to being surrounded by sycophants — both on his staff and in most of the media.
Focus groups across the political spectrum afterward confirmed that Romney clearly had the better answers on the economy and taxes, despite Obama’s class warfare protestations to the contrary. But on the issue that would have been the most damaging to this president — the attempted cover-up involving the murder of a diplomat and three other Americans in a terrorist attack his administration tried for two weeks to sell as a spontaneous demonstration — Obama slithered away from the question with the help of moderator Candy Crowley.
That’s what happens when you let the cheerleaders referee the game. Someday maybe Republicans will learn.
—
Doug Patton describes himself as a recovering political speechwriter who agrees with himself more often than not. Now working as a freelance writer, his weekly columns are syndicated exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate. Astute supporters and inane detractors alike are encouraged to email him with their pithy comments at [email protected]. For info on using his column at your publication or website, please email Cari Dawson Bartley at [email protected].
Recently there have been a number of reports of attempted luring incidents in Bergen County.
In these purported incidents, young children were approached by operators of automobiles
who engaged them in conversation by posing questions before trying to lure them into their
vehicles.
The safety of the children of the Village of Ridgewood is the foremost concern of the Board of
Education and administration. Districts around the county are sending out information to help
raise awareness. I am offering here the following list of safety tips for children:
1. Check first. Children should check first before going anywhere with anyone at any time
for any reason, including going with relatives and people the child knows. They should
always check first with the person who is caring for them at that time. If it is impossible
to check with the caregiver, then the answer is “NO! You may not go.”
2. Use the Buddy System. When outside, children should always walk with at least one
other person. Groups of more than two are optimal.
3. Remain anonymous. When outside the house, do not wear clothing, backpacks or other
articles with their name visible on it. Children are more likely to trust someone who calls
her or him by name.
4. Keep at arm’s length. Children should stay at least an adult arm’s length away from any
car that is occupied by a person trying to talk to them so that they cannot be reached by
the person inside the car.
5. Just say No. If someone encourages a child to get into a car, to help find a lost pet or to
leave with them for any reason, the child should yell “NO” as loudly as possible and run
to the closest adult whom they know and trust. Yelling “No” indicates the child has been
prepared for the situation.
6. Run in reverse. If necessary, children should know to run in the opposite direction from
the one the car is facing. It is harder to drive in reverse than forward.
7. Know who you are. Children should know their full name, address and the best phone
number (including area code) to call in case of an emergency. EDUCATION CENTER 49 COTTAGE PLACE RIDGEWOOD NJ 07451
www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us
8. Get the details. Older children should be taught to pay attention to the color and make
of the vehicle and/or its license information (state and number), the physical
characteristics of the person(s), and where he/she was when approached. If they have a
cell phone, they should immediately call 911 to report any attempted luring. This
information will assist the police in their investigation.
I hope the above common sense tips will help you in your discussions at home about safety. If
you have any questions or need additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact your
child’s principal or my office.
Sincerely,
Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Newark teachers contract, performance bonuses – a game-changer
It is touted as a historic agreement, one that will remake how Newark teachers are judged and paid — one that may even serve as a model for other school districts around the country.
Announced yesterday, the tentative contract between the state-run Newark public school system and the 3,100-member Newark Teachers Union was hailed by such disparate players as Gov. Chris Christie and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten.
Court finds pharmaceutical company not liable for teen’s overdose on stolen pills from Ridgewood’s Harding Pharmacy
October 17,2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, A state appeals court has ruled that a pharmaceutical company cannot be held responsible for a teen’s overdose on stolen prescription pills.
The Guardians for Scott Simon, who lived in Bergen County at the time of the overdose, had sued Whitestone, N.Y.-based Kinray Inc. for damages following the overdose, which has left him in a coma for years.
Kinray had a long-standing partnership with Ridgewood’s Harding Pharmacy, supplying them with drugs such as Xanax, according to court documents.
In 2006, the Ridgewood’s Harding Pharmacy hired Marc Malajian as a clerk, despite knowledge that he had previously struggled with drug addiction..
Ridgewood’s Harding Pharmacy was found to have violated more than 90 federal regulations and was lax in adhering to rules requiring the drugs to be safely locked away.
As early 2007, the DEA contacted the pharmacy to advise them that Malajian was suspected of stealing drugs from the pharmacy. The owner testified that he was asked not to reassign Malajian or change anything about his operations, so as not to interfere with the investigation.
Malajian stole Xanax pills from the pharmacy on Sept. 22, 2007, , which he later took to a party at Simon’s house. At the party he provided the 17-year-old with the drugs, despite observing that he seemed “messed up” and had a tendency to get “a little crazy (with drugs) at times”, according to court documents.( https://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2012/10/court_finds_pharmaceutical_company_not_liable_for_teens_overdose_on_stolen_pills.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter )
The party was shut down, but the crowd moved to the home of another teenager whose parents were away. When Malajian woke in the morning, he found the teen “unresponsive, with shallow breathing and blue-tinged skin.” Simon was taken to the hospital and eventually revived, but has failed to wake up from a coma due to “catastrophic injuries” related to his overdose.
Simon’s guardians filed suit against Kinray, Malajian, Harding Pharmacy, its owners and various others. All except Kinray agreed to settle, but a judge ruled last year that Kinray could not be held responsible.
Harding Pharmacy & Liquors in Ridgewood, N.J.,reached a $1.9 million settlement in December of 2007 after Simon overdosed on stolen Xanax in 2007. The drugs were given to Scott Simon, now 21, by a former Harding employee Malajian at a party, and Simon’s lawyers successfully argued the drugstore should have better safeguarded them.( https://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/02/16/new-jersey-settlement-houston-death-highlights-business-culpability-versus/#ixzz29eMvF7Fc )
They appealed and In their appeal argued that the drug company had failed to properly oversee and regulate conditions in Harding Pharmacy that led to the theft of the Xanax.
To a casual observer it would appear unrealistic for a drug company to police its distributors at the micro management level. The state panel ruled that it would be “burdensome” for a company to attempt to exercise such oversight, and that it was right to expect that pharmacies would comply with regulations on the storage of dangerous drugs.
The case was famously intertwined with the Whitney probe named after singer Whitney Houston ( https://theridgewoodblog.net/drugs-of-choice-whitney-probe-lesser-known-nj-case-raise-questions-about-personal-responsibility/ )
Ridgewood NJ , Since 1940, the Ward family has operated Ward’s Pumpkin Patch in Ridgewood, New Jersey. They offer the best quality and selection of pumpkins, gourds, and squash in Northern New Jersey. They have pumpkins to make common Jack-O-Lanterns as well as giant pumpkins, tiny munchkins, and gourds in unusual shapes.
Ward’s Pumpkin Patch offers mums, cornstalks, haystacks and Indian corn as well as a rotating selection of fall decorations. One of the most popular, and best-selling items, is our painted pumpkins featuring cartoons, sports, and Halloween themes. And on weekends leading up to Halloween Wards offers goat feedings, and other events, read more below about this year’s calendar. So bring your entire family for a fall outing at Ward’s Pumpkin Patch!
“Over the generations you have seen many of the Ward family members working to bring you the best haystacks, corn stalks and pumpkins.One of the greatest joys for us is working with our family and seeing our neighbors come to the patch year after year.We love Ridgewood, and we love pumpkins!
So come on down to the patch to talk with Janet about the best types of pumpkins for cooking, ask Pete about the season’s varieties, see Dave waving to customers in his latest Halloween costume, ride along with Jeff, see Ashleigh painting pumpkins, or have your purchase assisted by Courtney, Devon and Sydney.It is a family enterprise and we all get involved!”
Hours: Open every day in October from 10am to sunset.
Events: This year we are debuting a brand new barrel ride. Hop aboard for a ride around the property! Rides take off periodically throughout the day and they are FREE!
We will be offering special events on the last two Sundays in October. Check our Calendar to see this season’s fall schedule for full descriptions. Oct. 21 at 2:00-2:30 pm – Story Time at Ward’s Farm & Meet a Scarecrow Oct. 28 at 12:00-3:00 pm – Decorate a Pumpkin!
Heritage Experts Analyze Second Presidential Debate
Amy Payne
October 17, 2012 at 8:40 am
https://tinyurl.com/cj2b8fz
During last night’s debate between President Obama and former Governor Mitt Romney, Heritage’s policy experts were live-blogging their analysis of the ideas discussed. Below are some of the highlights of our experts’ reactions to the major points made.
Join us today at 11 a.m. ET for a Google hangout as Heritage experts discuss the debate with state and national bloggers. You can watch the hangout on our Google+ page. Submit questions—starting now—on Twitter with the hashtag #HeritageFan.
“Getting Tough on China”: The Truth About Trade
President Obama said during the debate that he signed three trade deals. Not true. Obama was left three free trade agreements on his desk when he took office. Those deals and many others were initiated, negotiated, and signed by President Bush. The one trade agreement that Obama has prioritized, the Transpacific Partnership (TPP) involving now 11 countries, was also initiated by President George W. Bush.
What Obama did was to delay passage of agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama that were already completed. He did so to appease labor unions and others in his political base. During the three years of waiting for the President to submit the U.S.-Korea FTA, the U.S. lost $30 billion in exports.
The United States needs an energetic, committed trade policy. We need a TPP that is truly a free trade agreement and of sufficient scale to make a major impact on the U.S. economy. That means accommodating the world’s third largest economy and U.S. ally, Japan. In means folding in other willing free trade partners like South Korea. And it means putting TPP on a timeline that gets it completed, passed and implemented as quickly as possible.
“Getting tough on China,” something both candidates claimed to aspire to, is good—as long as what is meant by that is ensuring China abides by its international trade commitments. But this is not enough—it is not a trade policy. The U.S. needs to create opportunity with trade, not just manage bad behavior.
– Walter Lohman
Chinese Currency Manipulation and U.S. Employment
Governor Romney suggested that China’s currency manipulation was related to business activity and job creation in the U.S. However, as Heritage’s Derek Scissors showed, there is in fact little to no relationship between China’s currency policy and U.S. employment:
[T]he exchange rate between the yuan and the dollar has no direct effect on American prosperity or American jobs. It never has. Seventeen years ago, China sharply devalued the yuan against the dollar. Yet American unemployment fell for years afterward. Since 2005, the PRC has been slowly raising the value of its currency, which is what protectionists say they want. And American unemployment has soared.
There are, however, other policies the U.S. President and Congress should pursue to return America to a place where businesses want to invest and hire workers. These include pro-growth tax reform, reducing undue regulatory burdens on the economy, and enabling energy exploration and production.
– Romina Boccia
Did Someone Say Libya?
The issue was raised in the debate: What did the Administration do about security before the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, and how did it respond afterward? It was the question that the President never clearly and explicitly responded to. When it comes to how the White House responded to the attack, the Administration has a lot of explaining to do. Its series of explanations was muddled and misleading.
When it comes to responding to the attack, Americans of course expect that our government will go after the perpetrators. The questions of how our government responded to the terrorist threat in Libya, however, still has to be answered.
– James Jay Carafano
Are Oil Companies Sitting on Leases?
Are oil companies sitting on leases? The short answer is no. President Obama made this statement tonight, and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar routinely makes this statement. But as Kathleen Sgamma, Vice President of Government and Public Affairs for the Western Energy Alliance, recently testified:
By looking at the statistics over time, it is evident that industry has become much more efficient over the last several decades. While we used to hold 80,000 leases and produce on 24% in 1988, we now hold just 49,000 leases and produce on 46%. Secretary Salazar’s statements that this shows industry is intentionally leaving leases idle is tired rhetoric that fails to take into account the huge obstacles the federal government places in the way of oil and natural gas producers, and the fact that not every lease has recoverable oil and gas.
Just because oil companies aren’t drilling, this does not mean that no activity is occurring on that land. Environmental review, permitting, seismic research, and exploration may be occurring. But even that fails to address the real problem: The environmental review and leasing process takes entirely too long.
Rather than implementing an efficient leasing process, the Department of the Interior added three unnecessary and duplicative administrative regulations to the leasing process in 2010. Oil companies are not sitting on leases; they are simply not being issued by the DOI, or the DOI is making it more difficult to actually obtain the leases.
– Nicolas Loris
Energy Production on Federal Lands Has Fallen
While President Obama made the familiar statement that oil and gas production is the highest it has been in eight years, Governor Romney was right to point out that this was driven by production on private and state lands. Oil and gas production on federal lands is, in fact, down.
According to a recent report from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), energy production decreased 13 percent on federal lands in fiscal year (FY) 2011 when compared to FY 2010. The official moratorium and de facto moratorium as a result of a molasses-like permitting process reduced planned capital and operating investments by $18.3 billion and cost the Gulf more than 162,000 jobs in just the past two years.
Federal production in the West has experienced a similar fate: The Administration’s delays on permitting oil and gas projects public lands are preventing economic activity. In Utah and Wyoming, for instance, projects held up by the National Environmental Policy Act process are preventing the creation of 64,805 jobs, $4.3 billion in wages, and $14.9 billion in economic impact every year.
– Nicolas Loris
Immigration: Finally, Debate Touches the Third Rail
For the first time in two debates, the issue of fixing our broken borders and flawed immigration system was finally addressed by the two sides that want to occupy the White House. They offered two very different approaches and a distinct choice. One approach is to change the laws to accommodate the unlawful population that is already here—an approach that will not only not fix the problem, it will just make America a magnet for more problems. The other approach is to make the laws work and create a legal system that gets employers the employees they need when they need them to grow the economy and create more jobs.
There are good answers to address these tough problems. What we need in Washington is leadership that is willing to do the job.
– James Jay Carafano
Tax Plan Details: No Taxes on Savings
Governor Romney, when giving more details on his tax plan tonight, discussed that families making $200,000 or less would face no taxes on savings. The Heritage Foundation’s New Flat Tax would deduct savings immediately from taxable personal income, and savings would remain tax exempt until spent on consumption. This would lead to greater financial security for the American middle class by providing incentives for greater personal savings.
The New Flat Tax, as outlined in Heritage’s Saving the American Dream plan, would replace today’s convoluted tax system with a simple, neutral, and transparent tax system that would allow America to achieve its full economic potential.
– Romina Boccia
The Auto Bailout and Bankruptcy
President Obama once more criticized Governor Romney for saying GM should go bankrupt. But Romney tonight finally cleared the record, pointing out that that is exactly what happened – GM and Chrysler DID go bankrupt. But, as Obama confirmed, the administration didn’t stop there – it nationalized the firms. Taxpayers are still some $25 billion in the hole and still own a quarter of the shares of GM. Bankruptcy was the right solution; a bailout was not.
CURL:Crowley skews hard for Obama in disastrous debate
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Another debate, another debacle for America’s media.
In the runup to the second presidential debate, CNN’s Candy Crowley declared that she would not just be a “fly on the wall” as she played the tiny role of moderator, that she would step in whenever she chose to say, “Hey, wait a second, what about X, Y, Z?”
And boy did she, cutting off Republican Mitt Romney repeatedly and often throwing the floor to President Obama with an open “let me give the president a chance here.”
More, she alone decided the topics for the debate, picking questions from the 80 so-called “undecided” voters chosen by the Gallup polling organization. Her selections were tailor-made for Mr. Obama — Mitt Romney’s tax plan, women’s rights and contraception, outsourcing, immigration, the Libya debacle (which gave Mr. Obama to finally say that the buck stops with him, not, as Hillary Clinton said, with her).
She even chose this question, directed to both men: “I do attribute much of America’s economic and international problems to the failings and missteps of the Bush administration. Since both of you are Republicans, I fear the return to the policies of those years should you win this election. What is the biggest difference between you and George W. Bush, and how do you differentiate yourself from George W. Bush?”
Ms. Crowley, who called Mr. Romney’s selection of Rep. Paul Ryan as running mate a “ticket death wish,” asserted her unilateral power at the outset, telling the audience before the cameras went on that she planned to “give the debate direction and ensure the candidates give answers to the questions.”
After both candidates answered Question One, she blurted: “Let me get a more immediate answer” — whatever that means. But when Mr. Romney sought to correct falsehoods told by the president, she cut him off: “We have all these folks here.” In the end, Mr. Obama would get 9 percent more time.
Read more: CURL: Crowley skews hard for Obama in disastrous debate – Washington Times https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/oct/17/curl-crowley-skews-hard-obama-disastrous-debate/#ixzz29Xoe8wzY
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Citigroup Board Said to Oust Pandit After Setbacks
By Donal Griffin and Bradley Keoun – Oct 16, 2012 5:08 PM ET
Citigroup Inc. (C) directors ousted Chief Executive Officer Vikram Pandit after concluding his mismanagement of operations caused setbacks with regulators and cost credibility with investors, a person with knowledge of the discussions said.
Episodes that led the board to replace Pandit with Michael Corbat included the rejection by regulators in March of a plan to boost shareholder payouts, said the person, who requested anonymity because board deliberations are private. Citigroup’s $2.9 billion writedown on the Smith Barney brokerage unit and a two-level cut of its credit rating by Moody’s Investors Service also contributed, the person said.
Directors had discussed whether to replace Pandit for months, even before the appointment of Michael E. O’Neill as chairman in April, the person said. O’Neill, a board member since 2009, and other directors became increasingly frustrated with Pandit’s performance, and Corbat told the bank’s 262,000 employees today that a shakeup may follow.
FDA: Injectible drugs from Mass. facility suspect
By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 3:58 PM EDT, Mon October 15, 2012
(CNN) — More issues have been reported with drugs from a Massachusetts compounding pharmacy linked to a deadly multistate outbreak of fungal meningitis, federal officials said Monday.
Fifteen people have died from the non-contagious meningitis associated with injections of a contaminated steroid produced by the New England Compounding Center.
As part of the ongoing investigation into the center, a patient with possible meningitis has been identified who received injection of another NECC product, triamcinolone acetonide, the Food and Drug Administration said.
And fungus infections from Aspergillis, one fungus linked to the meningitis outbreak, were reported in two transplant patients who received cardioplegic solution from NECC, the FDA said. Cardioplegic solution is used to induce paralysis of the heart during open-heart surgery.
The other fungus linked to the meningitis outbreak is Exserohilum, which the CDC says may not be easily detectable. A patient with a negative fungal test is not in the clear, officials have said.
Craft distillers ask state to repeal Prohibition-era laws
The owner of New Jersey’s largest estate winery would like to do it. So would the mayor of Princeton Township. But so far, the only person to open a distillery in post-Prohibition New Jersey is James Yoakum. The 27-year-old Philadelphia real estate broker is waiting final approval to start legally making his Petty’s Island Rum and other spirits in a former garage in downtown Camden.
As a one-man operation that will at first produce no more than 2,500 gallons of liquor annually, Yoakum’s Cooper River Distillers falls well within the bounds of a “craft distillery,” according to a working definition adopted by The American Distilling Institute (TADI), the nation’s leading proponent for small-batch distilling. (Nurin, NJ Spotlight)
Valley Establishes Patient and Family Advisory Council
Partnering in Care with Patients and Family Members
RIDGEWOOD, NJ — October 11, 2012 — The Valley Hospital recently formed a Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC), which is made up of staff members, former patients, and family members of patients. The PFAC will serve as a resource to ensure that the opinions and feedback of patients and family members are integrated and incorporated into patient care.
Shown here are the members of the PFAC. Seated (left to right): Ann Kastner, Ramsey; Ines Bunza, Ridgewood; Tom Freeswick, Ramsey; Joyce Sinclair, Waldwick; Betty and Gary Patton, Mahwah; and Valerie Colangelo, New Milford, co-chair, Patient and Family Advisory Council.
Standing (left to right): Janet Hamill, R.N., Holistic Service Practitioner; Kathleen Sayles, R.N., Manager, Cardiac Clinical Trials; Charles Vannoy, R.N., Director of Medical/Surgical Services; Paul Redfield; George Tashji; Jean Neri; Harry Ferguson; Bob Vernooy; Tom McAndrews; Bettyann Kempin, R.N., Assistant Vice President, Medical Surgical Services; Michele Mitchell, R.N., Manager, Facilities Development; Josie Bodino, R.N., Director, Medical Surgical Services; Peter Diestel, Senior Vice President, Administration and Chief Operating Officer; Steve Testa, Assistant Vice President, The Valley Hospital Foundation; Mike Burke, R.N., Director, Applications Support; Liz Tortorella, Director, Volunteer Services; Derrick Lieb, R.N., Manager, Cheel 4 Orthopedics; and Pam Bell, Director of Patient and Family Centered Care and co-chair, Patient and Family Advisory Council.
