Study Illustrates Connection Between Overworked Nurses, Infections: Could NJ Hospitals Be At Risk?
Richard P. Console Jr
August 31,2012
A recent study highlighting a dangerous trend among hospital nurses has many Marlton medical malpractice attorneys concerned as to how this is affecting New Jersey hospitals. The study, published in the American Journal of Infection Control, found that for every additional patient that is added to a nurse’s workload there was one additional hospital-acquired infection (per 1,000 patients). What this study seems to suggest is that the more overworked and overloaded the nurse is, the greater the chance that a patient will develop an infection while in that hospital.
According to an NBC report the study highlighted that, “The nurses cared for an average of 5.7 patients apiece, and when even one extra patient was added to that load, the result was an additional 1,351 infections within the hospital population studied.”
This is not an issue that is exclusive to one location. It seems to be occurring all of the country, including New Jersey. The data on hospital-acquired infections was collected from throughout Pennsylvania and then combined with national data.
The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) keeps detailed records of incidents occurring in hospitals both good and bad. One section of their annual report addresses patient safety indicators (PSIs), or the occurrence of dangerous incidents, for each hospital in the state.
In their 2011 report, they showed that Virtua-West Jersey Hospital in Marlton was higher than the state average for occurrences of post-operative wound dehiscence (where a wound breaks open along a suture putting the patient at an increased risk for infection), post-operative hemorrhage or hematoma (abnormal or excessive bleeding), and post-operative pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis (two serious types of blood clots).
Virtua-West was also rated by the Leap Frog Group in their 2011 Hospital Safety Score and that showed that they had a higher than average occurrence of central line-associated bloodstream infections, which occur when a central line placed in a patient’s neck or chest is not inserted or cleaned properly. Although the study had a section to report on employees and employee practices, Virtua-West Marlton did not disclose this information.
Taking into consideration the information from the recent study, is there a problem with the amount of patients being assigned to each nurse that could be causing an increase in infections? Hospitals have an obligation to their patients not to cause further harm or injury to them while under the hospital’s care. Failure to do so be it through medical error or instances of malpractice may entitle the victim or their family to seek monetary compensation for the resulting injuries.
It is important that all patients receive accepted medical care in a safe and clean environment. If you or someone you love developed a serious infection or suffered other harm as the result of medical error, speak with knowledgeable medical malpractice attorneys in New Jersey today.
Links:
Marlton medical malpractice lawyers: https://www.consoleandhollawell.com/pages/virtua-west-jersey-hospital-marlton-medical-malpractice-lawsuits/
NBC report: https://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/07/30/12994989-burned-out-nurses-linked-to-more-infections-in-patients?lite
2011 report: https://web.doh.state.nj.us/apps2/hpr/docs/2011/report.pdf
2011 Hospital Safety Score: https://hospitalsafetyscore.org/hospital-details.html?location_id=1537
medical malpractice attorneys in New Jersey: https://www.consoleandhollawell.com/new-jersey/medical-malpractice-lawyers/
State seeks to cut back ambitious energy reduction goals
Say adieu to the state’s aggressive goal of reducing energy use by 20 percent by 2020, a target once considered crucial to achieving equally ambitious goals in curbing greenhouse gas emissions.
The state expects to achieve far fewer reductions in energy use — at least in the short-term — from consumers and businesses as a result of changes it is proposing to its clean energy program.
In a straw proposal outlining its spending plans from 2014-2017, the state Office of Clean Energy estimates it will cut energy consumption by 17 percent by 2020, a 3 percent decline from an earlier goal in the Energy Master Plan adopted by the Corzine administration. (Johnson, NJ Spotlight)
Back to School: A TOP 10 ABBOTT SCHOOL DISTRICT
Posted on August 31, 2012, 8:00 PM
It is always nice to see New Jersey make top 10 lists. New Jersey has appeared on lists of the most taxed states, states with the highest unemployment and those with the greatest migration out of the state. Well now a New Jersey city has made a top 10 list and you are not going to believe what for.
If you are even just a casual reader of Conservative New Jersey you would have heard about the infamous Abbott School Districts. The 31 Abbott School districts have been identified as “poorer urban” or “special needs” districts. Because of this designation, the districts are entitled to the bulk of the funding that New Jersey spends on public education each year.
Now would like to hear a little secret about one of these Abbott School Districts? I thought you would. One district Hobokenhas made a very exclusive top ten list, Top-Earning Towns in America.
In fiscal year 2013, an estimated $4.4 billion of a total of $7.7 billion (56.3%) in State aid will go to the 31 former- Abbott districts (which represent just over 5% of New Jersey’s nearly 600 districts).
TRAFFIC ALERT – LAKE STREET BRIDGE CLOSED FOR REPAIR – September 4
Please be advised that Bergen County has issued a “Notice to Proceed” for the replacement of the Lake Street bridge. This means that the bridge on Lake Street will closed and traffic will detour through Midland Park.
The project has a duration of 270 days. Work is scheduled to start Tuesday, September 4th. The project site is wholly in the Borough of Midland Park, but will effect traffic going to Lakeview Drive and Goffle Road from the Village. The detour will be for traffic to use Godwin Avenue. The road will be closed for the project duration.
Labor Day Message from Bergen County Executive Kathleen A. Donovan September 3,2012 Bergen County Executive Kathleen A. Donovan
As we celebrate Labor Day this Monday we are given the opportunity to honor the American worker. It is their efforts that provide us the goods and services we use to make our own lives better.
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. Five years later New Jersey along with five other states became the first in the nation to recognize a Labor Day holiday.
America was built by people who embraced the virtue of hard work. Through the past two centuries men and women toiled in factories, built roads, bridges and dams. They built homes and skyscrapers; cars and trucks, bulldozers and airplanes. They made America an industrial giant and their labor created the great American middle class.
Other men and women have chosen work in public service. Whether it is the police officer, firefighter or EMT, protecting our lives with theirs, a laborer cleaning a park or an office worker helping residents find the services they need: they perform the functions that keep our communities safe, clean and orderly.
America is indeed a nation of workers and all work, however humble contributes to our community and should be honored.
John D Rockefeller once said: “I believe in the dignity of labor, whether with head or hand; that the world owes no man a living but that it owes every man an opportunity to make a living.”
In these tough economic times, many of our friends and neighbors are without work or are working for less. Hopefully, by this time next year, America’s economic recovery will gain momentum and all those who are able to work will be rewarded with the dignity of a job.
I promise to re-double my administration’s efforts to reduce the burden on Bergen County taxpayers. We will continue to stretch every dollar so that you may keep more of what you have earned and better enjoy the rewards of your labor.
I wish everyone a happy and restful Labor Day Weekend.
Statement by Paul T. Conway, President of Generation Opportunity
Washington, DC – (9/3/12) – Generation Opportunity President Paul T. Conway, former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Department of Labor, has issued the following statement:
“Labor Day is a day set aside specifically to honor the achievements of the American worker. But on this Labor Day, as Americans traditionally celebrate with family and friends, the sad reality is that millions of young Americans will not return to a full-time job tomorrow.
“Through no fault of their own, over twelve percent of young Americans are unemployed and have been denied the opportunity to contribute their talents and to achieve success.
“Due to failed leadership and failed policies over the last three and a half years, their lives and dreams have been delayed. It is no surprise that young adults, union and non-union alike, have little enthusiasm for leaders who defend the status quo while offering no ideas for more economic opportunity.
“Young Americans deserve more from their leaders and want solutions that place a higher value on the growth of businesses and opportunity as opposed to government.”
—
For Generation Opportunity, the polling company, inc./WomanTrend conducted a nationwide online survey of 1,003 American adults ages 18-29 between July 27 and July 31, 2012. This study has a ±3.1% margin of error at a 95% confidence interval, and sampling quotas were used to ensure the survey was representative of the larger 18-29 year old nationwide population with regard to race, region, and gender.
76% of Millennials plan to vote in the election for President this year.
Only 38% believe that today’s political leaders reflect the interests of young Americans.
89% of young people ages 18-29 say the current state of the economy is impacting their day-to-day lives (accepted multiples responses) (randomized):
51% reduced their entertainment budget;
43% reduced their grocery/food budget;
43% cut back on gifts for friends and family;
40% skipped a vacation;
38% drive less;
36% take active steps to reduce home energy costs;
32% tried to find an additional job;
27% sold personal items or property (cars, electronic appliances, or other possessions);
26% changed their living situation (moved in with family, taken extra roommates, downgraded apartment or home);
17% skipped a wedding, family reunion, or other significant social event;
1% other;
8% none of the above (accepted only this response);
3% do not know/cannot judge (accepted only this response).
84% of young people ages 18-29 had planned to but now might delay or not make at all a major life change or move forward on a major purchase due to the current state of the economy (accepted multiples responses) (randomized):
38% – Buy their own place;
32% – Go back to school/getting more education or training;
31% – Start a family;
27% – Change jobs/cities;
26% – Pay off student loans or other debt;
25% – Save for retirement;
23% – Get married;
12% – None of the above (accepted only this response);
4% – Do not know/cannot judge (accepted only this response).
76% believe that the lack of job opportunities is shrinking the American middle class.
64% of young people ages 18-29 believe the availability of more quality, full-time jobs upon graduation is more important than lower student loan interest rates.
Last month, Generation Opportunity released the non-seasonally adjusted (NSA) unemployment data for Millennials for July 2012:
The youth unemployment rate for 18-29 year olds specifically for July 2012 is 12.7 percent (NSA).
The youth unemployment rate for 18-29 year old African-Americans for July 2012 is 22.3 percent (NSA); the youth unemployment rate for 18-29 year old Hispanics for July 2012 is 14.0 percent (NSA); and the youth unemployment rate for 18–29 year old women for July 2012 is 12.6 percent (NSA).
The declining labor participation rate has created an additional 1.715 million young adults that are not counted as “unemployed” by the U.S. Department of Labor because they are not in the labor force, meaning that those young people have given up looking for work due to the lack of jobs.
If the labor force participation rate were factored into the 18-29 youth unemployment calculation, the actual 18-29-unemployment rate would rise to 16.7 percent (NSA).
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
Founder of Labor Day
More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.
Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those “who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold.”
But Peter McGuire’s place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.
The First Labor Day
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.
In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a “workingmen’s holiday” on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.
Labor Day Legislation
Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.
A Nationwide Holiday
The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations” of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.
The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation’s strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.
Addicted to the internet? It could be all in your genes Women who are obsessed with Facebook, Twitter and online shopping can now blame it on their genes, after scientists claimed internet addiction was hereditary.
By Stephen Adams, Medical Correspondent12:30PM BST 31 Aug 2012
Although the world wide web has been around for less than a generation, Dr Christian Montag from the University of Bonn, said they had found a gene in people who could not drag themselves away. Most were women.
Dr Montag said that, biologically speaking, internet addiction had the same genetic cause as smoking addiction.
He said: “Internet addiction is not a figment of our imagination. Researchers and therapists are increasingly closing in on it.”
Describing the impact of the genetic variant on those who had it, he said: “Within the group of subjects exhibiting problematic internet behaviour this variant occurs more frequently, in particular, in women.
“The sex-specific genetic finding may result from a specific subgroup of internet dependency, such as the use of social networks or such.”
Are we better off under Obamanomics?
Legislative Lowdown: Obama Drivins US off Fiscal Cliff
By Brian Darling
August 24, 2012
Are we better off under Obamanomics? Hardly, a new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reveals. According to the CBO, the federal government will spend $1 trillion more than it takes in this year — the fourth consecutive year that has happened. Furthermore, CBO projects negative growth and dismal unemployment numbers.
Remember President Obama’s promise that his stimulus plan would create jobs and set the economy on the right track? The CBO projects that if the Bush tax cuts are allowed to expire and scheduled defense cuts take effect, the unemployment rate will rise to 9.1% and the economy will contract by 0.5% by the end of next year.
The president’s record on the size and scope of the federal government is also terrible, according to this report. Obama inherited $10.6 trillion in debt and has seen it balloon to $16 trillion in his short tenure. His big-spending policies have saddled future generations with trillions in new debt.
This report contains further proof that the president’s proposed tax hikes are terrible for the economy. The CBO reports that “sharp increases in federal taxes and reductions in federal spending that are scheduled under current law to begin in calendar year 2013 are likely to interrupt the recent economic progress.” These policies will lead to “a recession” and “an unemployment rate that remains above 8 percent through 2014.”
The federal government is in dire need of specific cuts, but this report is further evidence that across-the-board cuts to defense spending may hit the wrong priorities at the Department of Defense. A better approach is to adopt some of the good ideas to cut government contained in Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget that passed the House of Representatives earlier this year.
These findings are echoed in the book “The Fiscal Cliff.” Brian Baker, president of Ending Spending, writes in the forward that “while the vast majority of Americans do pay taxes, including payroll, state, and sales taxes (to name a few), a recent report from the Joint Committee on Taxation shows that 51% of households in America paid no federal income tax in 2009, even though they used programs funded by federal income tax revenues.”
Baker is correct in his call for “lowering rates, broadening the tax base, and adopting pro-growth policies” in a way that will be revenue neutral in the first year, but will lead to increased revenues in future years as a result of a growing economy.
Obama’s policies are leading the U.S. economy to negative growth rates and high unemployment. Obamanomics is an abysmal failure. Washington needs to change direction.
Federal pay freeze
The Washington Post reported earlier this week that “President Obama told congressional leaders Tuesday that he is extending a two-year pay freeze for federal employees until at least next spring because Congress has not agreed on a budget for the next fiscal year.” The freeze is expected to last until early next year, when an expected continuing resolution to fund the government expires.
As expected, public-sector union leaders were quick to pounce. J. David Cox, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees, called the freeze “unconscionable” and argued that “federal employees cannot afford another four months or even another day of frozen wages.” In fact, federal employees are compensated at a much higher rate than their private sector counterparts.
A recent paper by The Heritage Foundation noted that “a January 2012 report by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) shows that federal government employees receive substantially higher compensation than similarly skilled workers in the private sector.” The CBO concluded that “the average federal worker receives wages that are 2 percent higher than a similarly skilled private-sector worker, and benefits that are 48 percent higher. The average federal worker receives total compensation (wages plus benefits) 16 percent higher than market levels.
A pay freeze would bring federal employees’ pay more in line with the pay of their private sector counterparts.
Istook Live!
The Heritage Foundation has a new product called “Istook Live!” Former Rep.Ernest Istookis the host of his own talk radio show. He is on from 9 a.m. to noon every weekday.
“Ernest Istook brings unequaled insights and clarity to radio thanks to his unique career pursuing the American Dream,” according to Istook’s website. “Listeners will gain new perspective, cutting through the hype and propaganda spun out by politicians and the media.”
I am lucky enough to be a guest host on the show and will be hosting next Friday. Tune in online at www.istook.com.
First appeared in The Daily Caller.
Top 3 Small Business Struggles
Amy PayneAugust 29, 2012
Small businesses are getting a lot of focus from politicians, because they are a key engine of job creation—which has stalled in the U.S. economy. A Republican National Convention theme of “We Built It” continued the political debate over the economy yesterday.
A survey by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) in July revealed that small businesses’ top three concerns were taxes, regulations, and poor sales. A quick look at these top three small business struggles shows they have every reason to be demoralized.
1. Taxes
Small businesses are under enormous threats from looming tax hikes. President Obama is advocating a tax hike on the country’s job creators—the at least 1.2 million small businesses that employ workers and make more than $200,000. Known as flow-through businesses, these entrepreneurs pay their taxes through the individual income tax. A study by Ernst & Young estimates that this tax hike would kill about 710,000 jobs and cause real wages to drop.
This tax hike, however, is just a portion of the Taxmageddon crisis scheduled to hit the country on January 1. The Congressional Budget Office has left little doubt that unless Congress and the President prevent Taxmageddon, the country is headed toward a fresh recession next year.
And Taxmageddon includes only some of Obamacare’s 18 new tax hikes, several of which don’t kick in until 2014 or later. The tax landscape is truly bleak.
2. Regulations
Heritage’s James Gattuso and Diane Katz have documented the sea of new regulations that continue to drown America’s businesses. In their detailed report, “Red Tape Rising,” they note: “During the first three years of the Obama Administration, 106 new major federal regulations added more than $46 billion per year in new costs for Americans. Hundreds more regulations are winding through the rulemaking pipeline as a consequence of the Dodd–Frank financial-regulation law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s global warming crusade, threatening to further weaken an anemic economy and job creation.”
The cost of these regulations strangles economic growth and job creation.
3. Poor Sales
In an economy with 8.3 percent unemployment, consumers have to cut back. Struggling sales are no mystery. Higher fuel prices are also hurting small businesses, which must make the no-win decision of passing these costs on to consumers or absorbing the costs themselves.
Heritage’s Nick Loris explains the impact of fuel costs on the economy : “In a recent poll by the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, 40 percent of small businesses responding said they have had to increase their prices. But that approach has a distinct downside. When consumer demand is already down, passing higher costs on to consumers suppresses demand even further, causing lower output, lower income and higher unemployment.”
To all of this, President Obama has said, “We tried our plan—and it worked.”
It’s not working for small business owners or for nearly 13 million jobless Americans.
Congress and the President need to stop Taxmageddon, open access to our energy resources, and reduce regulations that cost more than the benefits they deliver. America needs jobs, and small businesses need relief.
SEAL tells 60 Minutes book is for honor, not politics
(CBS News) A retired Navy SEAL who was present at the killing of Osama bin Laden tells Scott Pelley in a 60 Minutes interview that his book about the raid is not a political statement, rather it is timed to commemorate the 9/11 attack and give credit to the hundreds of people whose work made the mission a success. The former SEAL Team 6 member, who uses the pseudonym Mark Owen, will appear in his first interview on 60 Minutes, Sunday Sept. 9 at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT.
As a security measure, CBS News will not identify “Owen” in any reports about his account of the raid; his face and voice were disguised for his 60 Minutes interview. His book about the raid, “No Easy Day,” will be available next week. The following is an excerpt that appeared on the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley:
He calls himself Mark Owen. That’s not his real name. We’ve disguised him and will keep his name confidential for his own safety. Owen was on the helicopter that crashed in bin Laden’s compound. He was the second man in the room when bin Laden was shot, he took the photographs of the body that were never released. But Owen told us the story is not about him — it’s the story of hundreds of Americans who spent years gathering intelligence, planning and training of the SEALs, Owen says, “We just took care of the last 40 minutes.”
We built what we believe is the most accurate model of bin Laden’s compound ever constructed. Owen told us, before the mission, a full size replica of the compound was built in the United States for training and there was a dress rehearsal for the top brass including the chairman of the joint chiefs, Admiral Mike Mullen, and Admiral Eric Olsen, head of Special Operations Command.
Allendale is seeking operator for its water system
Thursday, August 30, 2012
BY JAMES M. O’NEILL
STAFF WRITER
The Record
ALLENDALE — Faced with rising costs to meet state drinking-water standards and upgrade its old pipes, the borough plans to contract out the operation of its municipal water system to a larger company.
The move reflects a growing trend nationally, as cash-strapped local governments look to save money by hiring large water companies that have the economies of scale to run their water systems and bring down costs.
“Regulations are becoming very stringent, and it’s difficult for a small water department like ours to keep up with all the testing and other requirements. It’s getting more and more costly,” Mayor Vince Barra said Wednesday.
After Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974, the initial regulations covered no more than a handful of pages. Today, they cover some 300 — not including the manuals issued to help interpret those rules, said Howard J. Woods Jr., a private water-industry consultant. Technology to identify contaminants in water has leapfrogged since the mid-1970s.
“The business of operating a water system continues to grow more complex,” said Woods. “Small water systems are really going to be challenged to keep up, and that costs a lot of money and requires a lot of expertise.”
SPEECH: CONDOLEEZZA RICE STAKES STAGE AT CONVENTION
Wed Aug 29 2012 19:05:34 ET
**Prepared Remarks at Republican Convention
Good evening. Distinguished delegates, fellow Republicans, fellow Americans.
We gather here at a time of significance and challenge. This young century has been a difficult one. I will never forget the bright September day, standing at my desk in the White House, when my young assistant said that a plane had hit the World Trade Center – and then a second one – and a third, the Pentagon. And then the news of a fourth, driven into the ground by brave citizens that died so that many others would live. From that day on our sense of vulnerability and our understanding of security would be altered forever. Then in 2008 the global financial and economic crisis stunned us and still reverberates as unemployment, economic uncertainty and failed policies cast a pall over the American recovery so desperately needed at home and abroad.
And we have seen once again that the desire for freedom is universal – as men and women in the Middle East demand it. Yet, the promise of the Arab Spring is engulfed in uncertainty; internal strife and hostile neighbors are challenging the fragile democracy in Iraq; dictators in Iran and Syria butcher their own people and threaten the security of the region; China and Russia prevent a response; and all wonder, “Where does America stand?”
Indeed that is the question of the moment- “Where does America stand?” When our friends and our foes, alike, do not know the answer to that question – clearly and unambiguously — the world is a chaotic and dangerous place. The U.S. has since the end of World War II had an answer – we stand for free peoples and free markets, we are willing to support and defend them – we will sustain a balance of power that favors freedom.
To be sure, the burdens of leadership have been heavy. I, like you, know the sacrifices that Americans have made – yes including the ultimate sacrifice of many of our bravest. Yet our armed forces remain the sure foundation of liberty. We are fortunate to have men and women who volunteer – they volunteer to defend us on the front lines of freedom. And we owe them our eternal gratitude.
I know too that it has not always been easy – though it has been rewarding – to speak up for those who would otherwise be without a voice – the religious dissident in China; the democracy advocate in Venezuela; the political prisoner in Iran.
It has been hard to muster the resources to support fledgling democracies– or to help the world’s most desperate – the AIDs orphan in Uganda, the refugee fleeing Zimbabwe, the young woman who has been trafficked into the sex trade in Southeast Asia; the world’s poorest in Haiti. Yet this assistance – together with the compassionate works of private charities – people of conscience and people of faith – has shown the soul of our country.
And I know too that there is weariness – a sense that we have carried these burdens long enough. But if we are not inspired to lead again, one of two things will happen – no one will lead and that will foster chaos — or others who do not share our values will fill the vacuum. My fellow Americans, we do not have a choice. We cannot be reluctant to lead – and one cannot lead from behind.
Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan understand this reality — that our leadership abroad and our well being at home are inextricably linked. They know what needs to be done. Our friends and allies must be able to trust us. From Israel to Poland to the Philippines to Colombia and across the world — they must know that we are reliable and consistent and determined. And our adversaries must have no reason to doubt our resolve — because peace really does come through strength. Our military capability and technological advantage will be safe in Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan’s hands.
We must work for an open global economy and pursue free and fair trade – to grow our exports and our influence abroad. In the last years, the United States has ratified three trade agreements, all negotiated in the Bush Administration. If you are concerned about China’s rise – consider this fact – China has signed 15 Free Trade Agreements and is negotiating 20 more. Sadly we are abandoning the playing field of free trade – and it will come back to haunt us.
We must not allow the chance to attain energy independence to slip from our grasp. We have a great gift of oil and gas reserves here in North America that must be and can be developed while protecting our environment. And we have the ingenuity in the private sector to tap alternative sources of energy.
And most importantly, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will rebuild the foundation of American strength – our economy – stimulating private sector led growth and small business entrepreneurship. When the world looks at us today they see an American government that cannot live within its means. They see a government that continues to borrow money, mortgaging the future of generations to come. The world knows that when a nation loses control of its finances, it eventually loses control of its destiny. That is not the America that has inspired others to follow our lead.
After all, when the world looks to America, they look to us because we are the most successful political and economic experiment in human history. That is the true basis of “American Exceptionalism.” The essence of America – that which really unites us — is not ethnicity, or nationality or religion – it is an idea — and what an idea it is: That you can come from humble circumstances and do great things. That it doesn’t matter where you came from but where you are going.
Ours has never been a narrative of grievance and entitlement. We have not believed that I am doing poorly because you are doing well. We have not been envious of one another and jealous of each other’s success. Ours has been a belief in opportunity and a constant battle – long and hard — to extend the benefits of the American dream to all – without regard to circumstances of birth.
But the American ideal is indeed endangered today. There is no country, no not even a rising China, that can do more harm to us than we can do to ourselves if we fail to accomplish the tasks before us here at home.
More than at any other time in history –the ability to mobilize the creativity and ambition of human beings forms the foundation of greatness. We have always done that better than any country in the world. People have come here from all over because they believed in our creed – of opportunity and limitless horizons. They have come from the world’s most impoverished nations to make five dollars not fifty cents– and they have come from the world’s advanced societies – as engineers and scientists — to help fuel the knowledge based revolution in the Silicon Valley of California; the research triangle of North Carolina; in Austin, Texas; along Route 128 in Massachusetts – and across our country.
We must continue to welcome the world’s most ambitious people to be a part of us. In that way we stay perpetually young and optimistic and determined. We need immigration laws that protect our borders; meet our economic needs; and yet show that we are a compassionate people.
We have been successful too because Americans have known that one’s status at birth was not a permanent station in life. You might not be able to control your circumstances but you could control your response to your circumstances. And your greatest ally in doing so was a quality education.
Let me ask you, though, today, when I can look at your zip code and can tell whether you are going to get a good education – can I really say that it doesn’t matter where you came from – it matters where you are going. The crisis in K-12 education is a grave threat to who we are.
My mom was a teacher – I have the greatest respect for the profession – we need great teachers – not poor or mediocre ones. We need to have high standards for our students – self-esteem comes from achievement not from lax standards and false praise. And we need to give parents greater choice – particularly poor parents whose kids – most often minorities — are trapped in failing neighborhood schools. This is the civil rights struggle of our day.
If we do anything less, we will condemn generations to joblessness, hopelessness and dependence on the government dole. To do anything less is to endanger our global economic competitiveness. To do anything less is to tear apart the fabric of who we are and cement a turn toward grievance and entitlement.
Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will rebuild us at home and inspire us to lead abroad. They will provide an answer to the question, “Where does America stand?” The challenge is real and these are tough times. But America has met and overcome difficult circumstances before. Whenever you find yourself doubting us – just think of all the times that we have made the impossible seem inevitable in retrospect.
America’s victorious revolutionary founding – against the greatest military power of the time; a Civil War – hundreds of thousands dead in a brutal conflict – but emerging a stronger union; a second founding – as impatient patriots fought to overcome the birth defect of slavery and the scourge of segregation; a long struggle against communism – that ended with the death of the Soviet Union and the emergence of Europe, whole free and at peace; the will to make difficult decisions, heart-wrenching choices in the aftermath of 9/11 that secured us and prevented the follow-on attacks that seemed preordained at the time.
And on a personal note– a little girl grows up in Jim Crow Birmingham – the most segregated big city in America – her parents can’t take her to a movie theater or a restaurant – but they make her believe that even though she can’t have a hamburger at the Woolworth’s lunch counter – she can be President of the United States and she becomes the Secretary of State. Yes, America has a way of making the impossible seem inevitable in retrospect. But of course it has never been inevitable – it has taken leadership, courage and an unwavering faith in our values.
Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have the experience and the integrity and the vision to lead us – they know who we are, what we want to be and what we offer the world.
That is why this is a moment – an election – of consequence. Because it just has to be – that the most compassionate and freest country on the face of the earth – will continue to be the most powerful!
May God Bless You – and May God continue to bless this extraordinary, exceptional country – the United States of America.
Tougher fuel efficiency standards “could save” NJ drivers more than $1 billion
The Obama administration yesterday adopted tougher fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks, a move that could save motorists in New Jersey more than $1 billion by 2025, according to proponents of the regulations.
In a press conference, U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said the new rules, which would increase the average efficiency of vehicles to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, represents the biggest domestic step ever taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“By the middle of the next decade, our cars will get nearly 55 miles per gallon, almost double what they get today,’’ said President Obama in a press release issued by the White House. “It’ll strengthen our nation’s energy security; it’s good for middleclass families; and it will help create an economy built to last.’’ (Johnson, NJ Spotlight)
Back to School: Welcome to the 2012-2013 School Year
Teacher Opening Day and Convocation is Tuesday, September 4. Students start the 2012 – 2013 school year on Thursday, September 6, with a Minimum Day schedule.
All parents and guardians must complete the Online Registration process through Skyward Family Access between September 1 and September 13. To register, go to the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us, choose Family Access under the Parents tab, log in with your username and password and select Start Registration. If you have forgotten your password, select the Forgot your Login/Password link on the log-on page and a password reset link will be e-mailed to you. You may also e-mail for assistance to [email protected]. Detailed instructions on Online Registration will be mailed home on or about August 29.
Residents are welcome at all public meetings of the Board of Education, which are held twice a month at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place, floor 3. The meetings are also broadcast live on FiOS channel 33, Optimum channel 77, and via the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us.
