Conflicting views over State’s strategic growth plan
Hearing sharply divergent views, the state last night concluded a series of six public hearings on its draft strategic investment plan, a blueprint for targeting where growth should occur in the future in New Jersey and where development should be discouraged.
The plan, unveiled last October by the Christie administration, overhauls and replaces a State Plan and Redevelopment Plan put in place a decade ago, which even its advocates acknowledge failed to achieve its objectives.
The 41-page plan emphasizes economic growth instead of environmental preservation by establishing geographic industry clusters where the state will direct investments and resources to bolster high-growth sectors, such as finance, healthcare, and the ports. (Johnson, NJ Spotlight)
>Senator Robert Menendez responds to questions regarding the budgeting and appropriations process
Thank you for contacting me regarding the budgeting and appropriations process. I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter and having the opportunity to respond.
Congress passed the Budget Control Act and it was signed into law on August 2, 2011. It set discretionary spending caps, provided enforcement mechanisms, and created a process for addressing entitlement spending and revenues.
The Budget Control Act was even more extensive than a traditional budget because it has the force of law, unlike a budget resolution that is not signed by the President. It provided mechanisms to increase the debt limit ceiling so that the United States government can meet existing obligations the Congresses and presidents of both parties have made in the past. The Budget Control Act established discretionary caps for 10 years, instead of the one year normally set in a budget resolution. These caps will provide approximately $1 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade. Additionally, the Budget Control Act stipulated that if the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction did not produce an agreement to further reduce deficits by $1.2 trillion, then automatic spending cuts will be trigged by sequestration beginning in January 2013. The Joint Committee was not able to produce an agreement by the November 2011 deadline so the automatic spending cuts will take place unless Congress can develop a balanced plan this year to reduce the deficit by at least $1.2 trillion.
The President has laid out a blueprint of his budget priorities for the coming fiscal year, and it will ultimately be up to Congress to pass appropriation bills that will fund the federal government and provide additional deficit reduction. I share your desire to see our country headed down a more sustainable path, and I am committed to a balanced approach to reducing our nation’s deficits. In 2010, I voted to establish the Bipartisan Task Force for Responsible Fiscal Action, the precursor to the Bowles-Simpson commission, to review all aspects of the financial conditions of our government including tax policy and entitlement spending. I have supported budget enforcement measures like statutory PAYGO to control both spending and revenue. I led the effort to cut $21 billion in unwarranted oil subsidies and supported saving almost $6 billion this year alone by cutting ethanol subsidies. In addition, I voted for $2.4 trillion in cuts combined with a joint committee process that could include revenues as part of the deficit reduction equation. I also voted to cut more than $40 billion in discretionary spending from FY10 funding levels in this year’s appropriations bills alone.
I share your frustration and recognize that deficit spending and our accumulated debt must be addressed in a way that will substantially reduce the gap between our commitments and our resources. Getting our fiscal house in order must go hand-in-hand with policies that will restore economic growth, create jobs and strengthen the middle class. I have said from the beginning that we must do so in a balanced way that calls for shared sacrifice, just as the American people have continually demanded. That’s why I have proposed cutting unwarranted big oil and ethanol subsidies as well as closing off-shore tax havens, which will enhance revenues as part of the way to achieving significant deficit reduction.
Again, thank you for taking the time to express your thoughts on this important issue. As your federal representative, I will keep your views in mind as I work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to enact sound fiscal policy that invests in our future and protects the economic security our nation’s children. I invite you to visit my website (https://menendez.senate.gov) to learn more about how I am standing up for New Jersey families in the United States Senate.
>My name is Jane Shinozuka and I am running for Village Council
My name is Jane Shinozuka and I am running for Village Council. Ridgewood has been my home for 17 years. My husband and I are raising our three children – each in different levels of our school system: RHS, BFMS and Hawes – in a community that enriches our family life. I currently sit as a member of the Ridgewood Planning Board, Officer of the BF HSA executive board as well as BF’s Liaison to the Federated HSA Safety Committee. I participate as a Group Leader for the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel CCD program and also serve on the Board of Governors for the Salem Ridge Association. My association with these and many other groups over the years have strengthened my aspiration to be elected to Village Council. Ridgewood is undeniably a wonderful place to live and raise a family. It’s filled with intelligent and compassionate residents who consistently contribute time, effort and financial help to important causes. We respond to each other in times of need with genuine help and concern. It is our civic identity and the force that drives our instinct to protect what we have in this Village. Beyond the magnanimous nature of the community, we enjoy lovely surroundings, good schools, comprehensive municipal services and overall safety. But like so many towns in Bergen County, Ridgewood is clearly struggling to maintain the day to day that we’ve all come to expect. As a Councilmember, I will endeavor to protect and strengthen those things which make Ridgewood special through realistic and prudent management. To that end, it’s important to prioritize the careful examination of projects that most impact the Village and its residents. We need to focus on reliable emergency management procedures and flood mitigation solutions – determining what already works well and drafting strategies for improvement. Our DPW faced an unusually difficult year and the strain left some residents feeling underserved. The hurricane and the early snow storm heightened awareness of the need for emergency planning that can deliver more consistent service. Reinvigorating our CBD is also a priority and needs an interactive plan to improve efficiency in terms of permit and procedure for new businesses, pedestrian safety and parking issues for anyone visiting or doing business in the CBD. I look forward to sharing these and my other ideas with Ridgewood residents over the next two months. Thanks to everyone who signed my petitions and gave me the opportunity to be placed on the ballot. Speaking one on one with residents reinforced my belief that I can be an asset to the community. I am a firm believer in non-partisan government and if elected I’ll be an ethical and impartial addition to the Village Council.
>Ridgewood Knights of Columbus to Host Annual St. Patrick’s Dinner Dance
Ridgewood-NJ-February 20, 2012: The Ridgewood Knights of Columbus are once again proud to be sponsoring their annual St. Patrick’s Dinner Dance on Saturday, March 24th, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Mount Carmel gymnasium at 52 Passaic Street in Ridgewood.
The Best of Everything will cater a full-course of traditional Irish fare including corned beef and cabbage. The renowned Willie Lynch Band will be playing Irish classics and great dance music. There will also be a special appearance by the Irish Step Dancers from the McLoughlin Dance School.
Tickets are $50 each. Payment can be mailed to: Mark Stappenbeck 452 Hunter Road Ridgewood, NJ 07450 (201) 444 – 3346 Come enjoy this annual celebration as the Knights of Columbus continue the tradition that the People of Ireland started over a thousand years ago. And what better way to celebrate the life of Saint Patrick then to gather with friends and family, enjoy a fine meal, and dance to great music!
Come out and celebrate St. Patrick’s with the Ridgewood Knights !
>Your Share of Fannie, Freddie Losses: $1,300 By Jack Hough
Fannie Mae said Wednesday it lost $2.4 billion during the fourth quarter of 2011 and $16.9 billion for the full year.
It has had worse years, remarkably. Fannie lost about $60 billion in 2008 and $72 billion the following year–two of the 10 largest corporate losses ever. Sibling Freddie Mac is responsible for a third, a $51 billion loss in 2008.
Fannie Mae was established in 1938 to promote home ownership by making federal funds available to lenders. In the 1950s and 1960s, it transformed into a profit-seeking corporation, with the goal of purchasing mortgages and selling them to investors, thereby replenishing funds to banks for fresh loans. Freddie Mac was created in 1970 to spur competition.
>Media finally paying attention to eligibility? See which major networks plan on covering Cold Case Posse results
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Poll after poll in recent months has indicated that Americans have a high level of concern over Barack Obama’s eligibility to be president, with one poll showing fully half of the nation wants Congress to investigate the question.
But reporters for the traditional media – networks, major newspapers, major news corporations and conglomerates – mostly have giggled when talk turns to the serious question of just what the U.S. Constitution requires of presidents.
Nevertheless, media organizations from all political persuasions are seeking admittance to a news conference to be held by Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Ariz.
>Ridgewood’s Willard School celebrates a century Wednesday February 29, 2012, 4:52 PM BY DARIUS AMOS STAFF WRITER The Ridgewood News
The crossroads of education in one Ridgewood neighborhood has a new name, but it’s a moniker quite familiar to village residents. California Street has been officially designated as Willard Way, and a brown-and-white street sign bearing the new name was unveiled during ceremonies Tuesday afternoon.
The sign dedication commemorated the 100th anniversary of Willard School, the oldest of the village’s six elementary schools. The program, which also included a student assembly and video highlighting the school’s history, was the kickoff to a series of centennial celebration events that will continue through the end of the academic year.
“This is the first of many celebrations for Willard’s 100th birthday. It’s such an exciting time for everyone,” said Heather Middleton, president of the Willard Home and School Association (HSA).
Today I filed the necessary nominating petitions to run for the Ridgewood Board of Education. I am seeking the one year term created by the resignation of a former BOE member.
I decided to run because I believe that I can make a difference by expanding the public’s involvement in the Board’s deliberations. The Board of Education sets the District’s policies and provides operational oversight on behalf of our children and the Village’s taxpayers. Only by fully and openly discussing how it performs these duties can the Board make the best decisions for our schools’ future.
What are the major challenges facing Ridgewood’s schools today?
1 Budgetary Passivity – The Board has incorrectly accepted the 2% state mandated cap on tax increases as a guideline for planning operating expense increases. Like Glen Rock, Ridgewood needs to design a budget that adds educational opportunities while keeping taxes flat.
2 Technology Obsolescence– The District’s two year old Technology Plan is not designed to take advantage of today’s remarkable new learning tools. The Board should require the aggressive exploration of these new approaches for teaching our children.
3 Educational Standards –For the last two years, Ridgewood’s middle and high school students’ math and literacy test scores have been below the medium for our peer school districts. The Board should aggressively challenge our administrators to understand why this trend is developing and how it can be reversed.
4 Fiscal Accountability – The District’s annual budgeting process is a mess and the prior year’s budget presentations have been incomprehensible. School spending drives 2/3 of our local property taxes, but very few of us know what our spending priorities are. This year’s budget progress has taken preliminary steps to de-mystify the numbers, but much more needs to be done. As the public’s representatives the Board should present an understandable fiscal plan.
5 Transparency – The District needs the support of the entire Village; yet its approach is to operate in the shadows. Formal Board meetings are designed to discourage public involvement. Much of the actual Board work is done in subcommittees that are not open to the public. The Board should open up its deliberations and encourage public participation.
We have excellent schools today, but how these issues are addressed will determine how well our schools do in the future. Every resident of the Village should be concerned with this election regardless whether or not they have a child in school. Beyond the future of our children, the continued excellence of Ridgewood’s Public Schools is the most important driver of our home values. I believe that I can offer a constructive voice on behalf of everyone in Ridgewood.
This election offers the opportunity to make a positive change in the way the Board of Education does business. I am asking the people of Ridgewood to vote for me for the one-year Board seat in the April 17 election.
If you want to learn more about my thoughts on each of these issues, email me at [email protected].
>Obama to cut healthcare benefits for active duty and retired US military BY: Bill Gertz – February 27, 2012 3:36 pm
The Obama administration’s proposed defense budget calls for military families and retirees to pay sharply more for their healthcare, while leaving unionized civilian defense workers’ benefits untouched. The proposal is causing a major rift within the Pentagon, according to U.S. officials. Several congressional aides suggested the move is designed to increase the enrollment in Obamacare’s state-run insurance exchanges.
The disparity in treatment between civilian and uniformed personnel is causing a backlash within the military that could undermine recruitment and retention.
The proposed increases in health care payments by service members, which must be approved by Congress, are part of the Pentagon’s $487 billion cut in spending. It seeks to save $1.8 billion from the Tricare medical system in the fiscal 2013 budget, and $12.9 billion by 2017.
White House helps pay for NYPD Muslim surveillance
Millions of dollars in White House money has helped pay for New York Police Department programs that put entire American Muslim neighborhoods under surveillance.
The money is part of a little-known grant intended to help law enforcement fight drug crimes. Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Bush and Obama administrations have provided $135 million to the New York and New Jersey region through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, known as HIDTA. (Sullivan, Associated Press)
Ex-Gov. Codey says he never authorized NYPD to conduct surveillance of Newark Muslims
Former governor Richard J. Codey Friday said he never authorized New York City police to conduct covert surveillance of Islamic Americans in Newark in 2007.
Codey, who is a Democratic state senator from Essex County, said two executive orders he signed as governor only allowed New York police to ride trains and ferries within New Jersey boundaries
“Executive Orders 43 and 44 that I signed while governor explicitly stated that any operation by New York law enforcement was authorized only on our railroad right-of-ways and ferry terminals,” Codey said. “These were signed amid the backdrop of the then-recent horrific London train bombings. My priority, as governor at the time, was to protect our citizens and without these executive orders, the NYPD, by law, was required to exit all trains and ferries before entering New Jersey.(Hester, New Jersey Newsroom)
> NJ commuters facing higher costs as mass transit pretax benefit ends 7:46 AM, Feb. 25, 2012
WASHINGTON — Mass transit commuters will continue to get a lower pretax benefit than they did in 2011 after Congress failed again to return it to the $230 a month amount that it had been last year.
Any restoration of the old rate depends on the whims of Congress.
Efforts to include restoration of the benefit back to the $230 per month level as part of the payroll tax cut extension failed. Lawmakers and transit advocates said the next steps are to include restoration as part of the larger federal transportation funding bill and to move a separate bill that would restore the funding.
The benefit, which allows employees to pay for transit with pretax earnings, similar to a health savings plan, was reduced to $125 a month — a cut of $105 — on Jan. 1, although a similar benefit for commuter parking was increased to $240. The pretax transit benefit had been doubled from $120 to $230 through the 2009 stimulus.
>A Troubling Trend in the Courts Ericka AndersenFebruary 24, 2012 at 9:03 am
Should judges act based upon reasoned legal arguments, or based upon their personal feelings and media coverage? A controversial recent “statement” made by Justices Ginsburg and Breyer in a case that was the legal equivalent of a slam dunk raises serious questions about what really guides some judges.
In the case, American Tradition Partnership v. Bullock, the Court was asked to address a Montana Supreme Court opinion upholding a Montana ban on independent expenditures by corporations. This should be an easy case—after all, the Court ruled in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that bans on independent political expenditures by corporations and unions violate the First Amendment.
But Justices Ginsburg and Breyer, who dissented from Citizens United, want another crack at Citizens United. They issued a separate “statement” advocating that the Court take the “opportunity to consider whether, in light of the huge sums currently deployed to buy candidates’ allegiance, Citizens United should continue to hold sway.”
> Hutton to run again for BOE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012 THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Trustee to run again for BOE
To the Editor:
I am announcing that I have submitted a petition to seek re-election to the Ridgewood Board of Education for the one-year unexpired term, which will be on the April 17 ballot.
This one-year unexpired term grants a unique opportunity to permit me, if re-elected, to complete the district’s current negotiations with the Ridgewood Education Association (REA), our district’s teachers union. This is the one open item that I would love the opportunity to see through to completion in the very short term.
As a Board of Education, our prep work for these negotiations commenced in the summer of 2010. Since then, I have been personally involved in every internal meeting and negotiating discussion. Our face-to-face discussions with the REA started in February 2011, well in advance of the previous contract’s expiration date of June 2011. These meetings have also included two rounds of talks with a state mediator.
The Fat Man” Cometh POETRY SINGS THE BLUES Celebrating FATS DOMINO’s Birthday in Poetry and Song
February 25th @ 1 pm – 4 pm
RIDGEWOOD – Poets, musicians, a Southern-style chef, fans, and anyone else who’s interested or curious, will gather Saturday, February 25, at 1 p.m. at Ridgewood Christian Reformed Church (271 Lincoln Avenue at West End Avenue) for “Poetry Sings the Blues.” The festival will celebrate the life and music of Fats Domino, the legendary rhythm and blues performer who shaped early rock and roll, upon his 84th birthday.
All poets are invited to attend and read their works on the blues and R&B themes, and drop-in musical performers are welcome. A free-will offering will aid ongoing post-Katrina relief in New Orleans, where Domino has been a lifelong resident of the devastated Ninth Ward. The event follows New Jersey poets’ successful tribute to Elvis Presley at the same church a year ago.
The featured poets are James Gwyn of Clifton, first prize winner in the 2008 Allen Ginsberg poetry contest and recipient of five Pushcart prize nominations, and Francesca Maximé of New York City, a TV host and journalist and author of “Rooted,” a forthcoming book of poetry.
Musical tributes will be performed by the Victoria Warne Band and special guest, pianist Joe Sabina. Warne, a songwriter and the lead singer and guitarist with her band, has performed at the JVC Festival, many other New York area venues, and internationally.
Chef Jesse Jones, winner of Bergen County’s Ultimate Chef competition for 2010 and known for his Southern cooking with a French twist, will honor Domino with a demonstration of Voodoo Shrimp.
Antoine (“Fats”) Domino Jr., born February 26, 1928, was the major bridge between Southern black rhythm and blues and early 1950s rock and roll. Unlike many rockers, he co-authored almost all his pieces, sung with a distinct Creole inflection, while accompanying himself on piano with a much-imitated rolling style.
Domino’s first nationwide hit, “The Fat Man” (1949), is generally regarded the first rock record to sell more than a million copies. He posted a remarkable 37 singles on the Top 40 charts, including such huge sellers as “Ain’t That a Shame,” “Blueberry Hill,” “I’m Walkin’,” “I’m in Love Again,” and “Blue Monday.”
