>Missouri voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a federal mandate to purchase health insurance, rebuking President Barack Obama’s administration and giving Republicans their first political victory in a national campaign to overturn the controversial health care law passed by Congress in March.
“The citizens of the Show-Me State don’t want Washington involved in their health care decisions,” said Sen. Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, one of the sponsors of the legislation that put Proposition C on the August ballot. She credited a grass-roots campaign involving Tea Party and patriot groups with building support for the anti-Washington proposition.
With most of the vote counted, Proposition C was winning by a ratio of nearly 3 to 1. The measure, which seeks to exempt Missouri from the insurance mandate in the new health care law, includes a provision that would change how insurance companies that go out of business in Missouri liquidate their assets.
>The Forget Me Not Foundation Announces Inaugural Fundraiser: “An Evening To Remember”
Non-Profit to establish support network for pregnancy loss, increase educational programs for the medical community, and raise infant death awareness.
July 30, 2010 – RIDGEWOOD, NJ – The Forget Me Not Foundation is proud to present “An Evening to Remember” on Monday, October 4, 2010 at The Woman’s Club of Ridgewood. “An Evening to Remember” is a tasting event showcasing Bergen County’s finest restaurants and caterers. In addition, there will be a chance auction of many exciting prizes with all proceeds benefiting The Forget Me Not Foundation. Tickets to the event can be purchased on the foundation’s website: https://www.fmnfoundation.com.
The Forget Me Not Foundation is a recently established non-profit organization that is dedicated to supporting families suffering from pregnancy loss or infant death, and educating the medical community about the emotional needs of such families.
“When dealing with the loss of a child, parents can feel very alone in their grief even when surrounded by loving friends and family,” said Dave Barry co-founder of the Forget Me Not Foundation. “The Forget Me Not Foundation will create a support network for parents suffering through similar tragic circumstances and provide educational support for the medical community on how to best serve these families during an extraordinarily difficult time in their lives.”
“An Evening to Remember represents a chance for the community to support a worthy cause while enjoying an evening of great food and fun,” continued Barry. “Our concept of the fundraiser is a celebration of life, and we are very excited about the generous participation of the surrounding restaurants, caterers and merchants. We would like to extend an invitation to the general public, especially to those affected by newborn or pregnancy loss to what promises to be an enjoyable night out.”
The Forget Me Not Foundation was established in memory of Emma Grace Barry, a beautiful baby girl born still on August 11, 2009. Emma was lost to a nuchal cord accident at 35+5 weeks gestation. Founders Dave and Melissa Barry are determined to celebrate Emma’s life by helping families suffering through the death of a baby.
The funds raised by the foundation support educational programs for the medical community and provide supportive materials to families affected by pregnancy and newborn loss at Hackensack University Medical Center.
The Ridgewood Soccer Association has openings in its special needs program for children ages 5-14 who require the individualized attention available in a smaller group setting. Open to children in Ridgewood and neighboring towns, the program provides an enjoyable hour of soccer for players of all skill levels.
A unique feature of the program is the participation by highly skilled and caring volunteers from the Ridgewood High School Girls Soccer team who serve as mentors for the players. Whether a player is new to soccer or a seasoned veteran of the program, the aim is to develop skills, promote fitness, and emphasize the fun aspects of soccer.
Clinics are run on Saturday afternoons in Ridgewood from early September through early November. The cost is $60 for 8 sessions. Each player receives an RSA team shirt and soccer ball. Complete program details and access to Community Pass, the
RSA on-line registration system, are available at https://www.ridgewoodsoccer.org/. Questions can be addressed to [email protected].
Hon. Matthew Boxer New Jersey State Comptroller Office of the State Comptroller PO Box 024 Trenton, NJ 08625
Dear Mr. Boxer:
Serious concerns have been raised about the administration of the Bergen County Improvement Authority (BCIA) as the result of recent shocking reports in the media of statements by co-workers of its Chairman alleging misuse of the BCIA for personal gain before a federal judge, and what is apparently an ongoing federal investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office (See eg, The Record, Editorial “Scandal and exit, Implicated BCIA chief resigns” Sunday, July 25, 2010 and prior reports therein on Friday, July 24, 2010 and Saturday, July, 25, 2010). The Agency’s chairman has resigned evidently as a result of allegations of wrongdoing. Presumably unrelated to these allegations, the Agency’s Executive Director has announced his pending retirement.
The BCIA is a creature of Bergen County.In my opinion, it operates without appropriate oversight while controlling hundreds of millions of dollars of expense, revenue and guarantees through four separate budgets. It is a jigsaw puzzle that can only be solved through audits conducted by a thoroughly independent office.
The office of State Comptroller is the appropriate agency to audit the BCIA. You have the resources and integrity required to conduct a comprehensive review of this independent, free standing by product of Bergen County government.
I thank you for your consideration of this request and I look forward to hearing from you.
>Like most residents I have had little interaction with the police. I suspect is not the case with the person who entered this post. No doubt there might be some other motive at work here.
None the less, I don’t see the problem with a 12 hour shift. Some quick math will most likely tell you that the police are still working the same number of hours a year. While I do not know the specifics as to how the RPD operate, I do know that many industries which maintain a 24/7 work staff do operate on 12 hours shifts. In my industry we support public utilities throughout the country and in Canada. It is very common for public utility line staffs to work 12 hour schedules. It has been seen as a benefit in that industry and I suspect the use of 12 hour schedules for police staffs were brought about due to the same line of reasoning. Perhaps larger departments like Paterson do the same thing, I am not sure. I doubt that the Ridgewood PD is the first and only police department to work this schedule.
What I am sure of is that any reduction in personnel will have little to do with an 8 hour schedule or a 12 hour schedule. Productivity will not be a key factor either. The police are not a revenue producing service, they are not out there to make money for a private for-profit corporation. As a citizen I do not see any benefit in a police department that is nothing more than a squad of uniformed revenue collectors.
Ridgewood does have a low crime rate, I feel safe walking the streets. If Ridgewood were Paterson I would not live here. A low crime rate does not just occur naturally, there are many factors that keep the crime rate low and the police are a key element. That is true anywhere, not just Ridgewood.
When I lived in a tree lined suburban community in California community 15 years ago that was not the case, gang related crime was a major concern. I did not live in the hood, I lived in a upper middle class suburb. You never saw an officer on patrol and they took 45 minutes to respond when you called (or so my fellow residents maintained in their letters to the editor). My small city refused to hire more officers due to the cost, yet my taxes were high there also.
Reducing the number of personnel means reduced service, plain and simple. If we want to contain costs then we are going to be forced to accept less service from all branches of government. The questions is what are we willing to give up and what will the true cost be in the long run? I suspect my answer to that question will be far different from that of the poster of this thread who appears to be motivated by some sort of a grudge.
I don’t see any big raises in the future for any public employees or increases in their numbers, the police included. However, I am very leery of any reduction in their numbers be it through attrition or layoffs. To do so would be in open invitation to the criminal element from within and outside or borders. A couple of soccer moms talking on their cell phones while driving and difficulty crossing the street will become the least of our problems.
RIDGEWOOD, N.J. – The co-owner of Ridgewood, New Jersey mortgage brokerage firm Diversified Financial Group, d/b/a Residential Mortgage Corporation, and a former firm employee, both pleaded guilty today to wire fraud conspiracy in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme. In the process, the broker named the firm’s co-owner, Bergen County Improvement Authority Chairman Ronald J. O’Malley, as a co-conspirator in the fraud scheme.
Edward Olimpio, 47, of Boonton, New Jersey, and Rachell Fischbein, 28, of Hillsdale, New Jersey, both entered guilty pleas before United States District Judge Susan D. Wigenton, admitting that they conspired with each other and others – including a co-conspirator who during the relevant time period served as the Chairman and a Commissioner of the Bergen County Improvement Authority (BCIA) – to commit wire fraud in connection with fraudulent mortgage and home equity loans brokered by Residential Mortgage between 2006 and 2009.
According to an unnamed source, the BCIA commissioner named in court today was current Chairman Ronald J. O’Malley.
The federal court Information identifies the co-conspirator as “CC-1”, who “was a co-owner and principal of Residential Mortgage” along with Olivio. According to online sources of corporate information, such as Dunn & Bradstreet’s Hoovers service, O’Malley is on record as an owner and officer of Residential Mortgage.
>Steve Lonegan: Will Cap 2.0 Solve New Jersey’s Property Tax Problem?
Politicians in Trenton are patting one another on the back after passing the “compromise” Cap 2.0 proposal yesterday.
Trendy sounding Cap 2.0 purports to limit property tax hikes at 2% with several exceptions, including exemptions for “pension costs, health care costs, debt payments and states of emergencies.” Towns could exceed the 2% cap by putting the proposal up for referendum and receiving a majority vote.
But will Cap 2.0 work? Do New Jersey homeowners, who are subject to the nation’s worst property taxes, have reason for optimism? If history is any judge, then the answer is a resounding NO. In 1976, New Jersey taxpayers were promised relief when the state enacted an income tax with a corresponding cap. Funds from the income tax were dedicated to the “Property Tax Relief Fund” to be returned to municipalities in the way of municipal aid, school aid, and property tax rebates. But as Columnist Paul Mulshine pointed out in a Star-Ledger article last week, towns began to circumvent the cap and avoid referendum – instead issuing bonds and accruing debt.
In that year, voters were told the new cap would have several exemptions and that an increase in excess of that cap would have to go before the voters. That’s right-this law has been on the books for 34 years! Since 1976, different permutations of the cap have been enacted during the administrations of various governors including Jim McGreevey and Jon Corzine. Yet, New Jersey’s property taxes have continued to escalate. Now, New Jersey property tax payers are being told once again that a cap is the answer. That this time it will be different and finally we will be able to resolve our state’s intractable property taxes.
But the fact of the matter is New Jersey’s property tax problem will not be resolved with the mere passage of another cap scheme – let alone new political posturing that does not stop the runaway spending in Trenton. Massive, bloated state government is subject to no such cap, and it is big government in Trenton that is the problem, not the solution.
Abbott District funding, state mandates, COAH requirements, Project Labor Agreements, and binding arbitration are the driving forces behind high property taxes.
The property tax problem is one of Trenton’s making. Until the Governor and the Legislature address these issues head on, property taxes will remain on the rise in New Jersey and Cap 2.0 will do nothing to stop it.
#printDesc{display:none;}New Jersey would close its centralized car inspection lanes and motorists would pay for their own emissions tests under a sweeping set of recommendations set to be released by the Christie administration today.
State parks, psychiatric hospitals and even turnpike toll booths could also be run by private operators, according to the 57-page report on privatization obtained by The Star-Ledger. Preschool classrooms would no longer be built at public expense, state employees would pay for parking and private vendors would dish out food, deliver health care and run education programs behind prison walls.
All told, the report says, New Jersey could save at least $210 million a year by delivering an array of services through private hands.
“The question has to be, ‘Why do you continue to operate in a manner that’s more costly and less effective?’ rather than, ‘Why change?’ ” said Richard Zimmer, the former Republican congressman who chaired the task force.
It is unclear how many of the recommendations will be adopted by Governor Christie, who commissioned the report in March. Christie’s spokesman declined comment Thursday.
But the car inspection proposal is sure to stir up controversy in a state with a tortured history of privatizing emissions testing.
The report says that beginning next July, “New Jersey should withdraw entirely from direct participation in the vehicle inspection process.” Before then, the state would develop a plan to certify service stations and other shops “to make the transition seamless for motorists and assure that private inspection fees will be transparent and reasonable.”
The state would then sell the land where its facilities now operate.
The proposal would require breaking the state’s contract with Parsons Corp., which is two years into a five-year, $276 million deal to do emissions and mechanical inspections. The mechanical inspections were already phased out under the budget that went into effect July 1.
The state conducts more than 1.94 million initial inspections a year and pays for all of them. Drivers pay only if they fail the inspections and have to make repairs.
Zimmer pointed out that motorists are already paying for the system through their tax dollars.
Critics said Christie is returning to dangerous territory after Parsons’ early years of managing the inspection program were steeped in controversy. When the inspection network was opened in December 1999, it was plagued by computer malfunctions and frozen equipment that left drivers fuming in lines four hours long.
Hetty Rosenstein, New Jersey director of the Communications Workers of America state workers union, said the plans outlined in the report would create “bad service” and “less safety” while failing to save the state money.
But Zimmer stressed “stringent” controls will be put in place.
Despite past predictions that up to 2,000 public employees could lose their jobs to privatization, the report does not specify the number of layoffs to come. But its impact could be felt from parks — where private recreation firms would run concessions, operate facilities and perhaps collect a fee — to preschools.
The report says the state should end public funding to construct preschools and change rules to make it easier for private providers to run them.
David Sciarra, an attorney and advocate for children in the poorest districts where the state Supreme Court has mandated the preschool program, said the report is “misleading and erroneous” in claiming the private sector is being crowded out.
“If anything, the collaboration between districts and providers … has grown stronger, and the private sector is an integral part of the program,” he said. “They should go back to the drawing board on this one.”
New Jersey would close its centralized car inspection lanes and motorists would pay for their own emissions tests under a sweeping set of recommendations set to be released by the Christie administration today.
State parks, psychiatric hospitals and even turnpike toll booths could also be run by private operators, according to the 57-page report on privatization obtained by The Star-Ledger. Preschool classrooms would no longer be built at public expense, state employees would pay for parking and private vendors would dish out food, deliver health care and run education programs behind prison walls. All told, the report says, New Jersey could save at least $210 million a year by delivering an array of services through private hands.
“The question has to be, ‘Why do you continue to operate in a manner that’s more costly and less effective?’ rather than, ‘Why change?’ ” said Richard Zimmer, the former Republican congressman who chaired the task force.
It is unclear how many of the recommendations will be adopted by Governor Christie, who commissioned the report in March. Christie’s spokesman declined comment Thursday. But the car inspection proposal is sure to stir up controversy in a state with a tortured history of privatizing emissions testing.
The report says that beginning next July, “New Jersey should withdraw entirely from direct participation in the vehicle inspection process.” Before then, the state would develop a plan to certify service stations and other shops “to make the transition seamless for motorists and assure that private inspection fees will be transparent and reasonable.”
The state would then sell the land where its facilities now operate. The proposal would require breaking the state’s contract with Parsons Corp., which is two years into a five-year, $276 million deal to do emissions and mechanical inspections. The mechanical inspections were already phased out under the budget that went into effect July 1.
The state conducts more than 1.94 million initial inspections a year and pays for all of them. Drivers pay only if they fail the inspections and have to make repairs.
Zimmer pointed out that motorists are already paying for the system through their tax dollars. Critics said Christie is returning to dangerous territory after Parsons’ early years of managing the inspection program were steeped in controversy. When the inspection network was opened in December 1999, it was plagued by computer malfunctions and frozen equipment that left drivers fuming in lines four hours long. Hetty Rosenstein, New Jersey director of the Communications Workers of America state workers union, said the plans outlined in the report would create “bad service” and “less safety” while failing to save the state money.
But Zimmer stressed “stringent” controls will be put in place. Despite past predictions that up to 2,000 public employees could lose their jobs to privatization, the report does not specify the number of layoffs to come. But its impact could be felt from parks — where private recreation firms would run concessions, operate facilities and perhaps collect a fee — to preschools. The report says the state should end public funding to construct preschools and change rules to make it easier for private providers to run them.
David Sciarra, an attorney and advocate for children in the poorest districts where the state Supreme Court has mandated the preschool program, said the report is “misleading and erroneous” in claiming the private sector is being crowded out.
“If anything, the collaboration between districts and providers … has grown stronger, and the private sector is an integral part of the program,” he said. “They should go back to the drawing board on this one.” E-mail: [email protected]
Our motto regarding Graydon is “Come see for yourself,” so this spring’s Parks and Recreation flyer included a special coupon for a free day at Graydon, any day, weekday or weekend, through July 18, for Ridgewood residents. Families (up to 6 members) residing in Ridgewood (bring proof of residency) are eligible.
If you or someone you know (Ridgewood residents only) would like to try Graydon Pool for free, this coupon is a wonderful opportunity. If you did not receive the flyer in the mail, ask at the badge office about the spring Parks & Rec flyer containing this year’s coupon.
Come to Graydon and join in the fun! Cool off and bring the kids to Story Time.
Swimmingly, Marcia Ringel and Suzanne Kelly, Co-Chairs The Preserve Graydon Coalition, Inc., a nonprofit corporation “It’s clear—we love Graydon!” [email protected] https://www.preservegraydon.org/
“There can be nothing in the world more beautiful than a Yosemite, the groves of giant Sequoias and Redwoods, the Canyon of the Colorado, the Canyon of Yellowstone, its three Tetons. And our people should see to it that they are preserved for their children and their children’s children forever.” – Theodore Roosevelt, 1905
America’s national parks are some of our country’s greatest treasures and are ready to be explored. Celebrate the birth of our nation by planning a visit. Here are some favorites from the staff of The Travel Center/American Express:
*Yosemite National Park in CA: With enchanting landscapes of deep valleys, alpine meadows, and groves of giant Sequoias, Yosemite also is home to some of North America’s most dramatic waterfalls. Travel consultant Donna Moore suggests including a side trip to Monterey for a unique vacation the whole family will enjoy.
*Yellowstone and Grand Teton NPs in WY, ID, & MT: Travel consultant Barbara Kopp visited these great wonders on a Tauck tour from Salt Lake City, UT to Mt. Rushmore in SD. To see more photos of the spectacular trip including Old Faithful, the Continental Divide and a float trip on the Snake River, visit our Facebook page – The Travel Center AE.
*Great Smokey Mountains in NC & TN: The Great Smokey Mts. NP is known for its abundant plant and animal life. It’s also a hiker’s paradise, with rewarding views at all levels-from short jaunts to backcountry treks. Dir. of Marketing Sue Haefner loved Clingman’s Dome, but also recommends time outside the park to visit Gatlinburg and the Cherokee Indian Reservation.
*Everglades in FL: Most of southern Florida is covered by a shallow sheet of slow-moving water, creating the world’s largest saw grass marshland. Bicycle and canoe rentals are perfect for self-discovery while tram and boat tours are great options for narrated exploration.
As you reflect this weekend on our country and its history, remember…this land is your land; this land is my land…from sea to shining sea. Enjoy!
Keith Killion was named the new mayor during the Village Council reorganization meeting on Thursday afternoon. Tom Riche, who along with Bernadette Coghlan-Walsh won the municipal election in May, was named deputy mayor. Both terms will expire in 2012.
“Ridgewood, more than ever, is facing some monumental decisions — budgets, the pool, Valley Hospital,” Killion said. “I pledge to this council we’ll listen to every individual, no matter how long it takes in a venue that will be able to accept as many people that wish to speak as possible. We do not want to repeat those logistical mistakes of the past.”
Killion noted that departing Councilman Pat Mancuso has completed the longest run as an elected official in the village’s history, with 20 consecutive years on the governing body.
Killion will serve as liaison to the Ridgewood Community Center Advisory Board, and council representative to the Citizens Safety Advisory Committee and Board of Education.
Riche will serve as council representative to the Ridgewood Environmental Advisory Committee, Fourth of July Celebration Committee, Project Pride and the Open Space, Recreation, Farmland and Historic Preservation Committee.
“It was long ago in the days of the Van Emburghs, the Hoppers and the Graydons when the Ridgewood vision was formulated,” Riche said. “Those that came before us had the foresight to make Ridgewood the community that it is today. We, the council of 2010, are the protectors of that vision. We are the protectors of its beauty and values that draw people here.”
>Christie orders Legislature into property tax special session Thursday
Gov. Chris Christie’s office announced this morning that the governor has ordered the Legislature to convene Thursday at 10 a.m. for a special session to consider his Cap 2.5 property tax cap proposal and the balance of his 33-bill reform package. In a letter to legislative leaders and high-ranking legislative staffers dated Monday, Christie says the special session is to focus on the cap on local property taxes, the cap on state government operational spending, the balance of his proposals to reform management at the local levels of government and at colleges and to consider any action he may take on S-29, the 2.9% property tax cap approved by the Legislature Monday and early Tuesday morning. (Symons, Gannett)
RIDGEWOOD, N.J. (June 22, 2010) – Ridgewood resident Steve Wellinghorst is announcing his candidacy for the Ridgewood Village Council to fill the open seat left vacant by the late Councilwoman Anne Zusy.
Ridgewood conducts non-partisan council elections. “Recent events in the village have motivated me to step up and participate in the electoral process,” said Wellinghorst, who describes himself as a fiscal conservative. “There appears to be a need for basic common sense to be applied to the administration of the village.”
Wellinghorst, a 10-year resident of Ridgewood, is a partner in the Woodland Park, N.J. law firm of Wellinghorst & Fronzuto. A lawyer for 22 years, Wellinghorst represents various insurance companies. While never having been elected to public office, Wellinghorst has a long history of public service.
Wellinghorst served as a member of the Ridgewood Zoning Board of Adjustment from 2007-09 and was the municipal court judge in West Paterson, N.J. from 2002-06; prior to that he was West Paterson’s public defender for two years. He also served as the Planning Board attorney in West Paterson from 2006-09. From 1992 to 2006, he was a member of the law firm Braff, Harris & Sukoneck in Livingston, N.J. He also held the position of assistant prosecutor for Asbury Park, N. J. from 1990-92. He began his legal career in 1988 in the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
He has served as a guest legal commentator for numerous national and local cable networks/stations such as MSNBC, Fox, CNN, Court TV andNews 12 New Jersey. He hosted his own legal show “Case in Point” for two years on News 12 New Jersey.
He is a graduate of Montclair State University, where he earned a BA degree in political science and a law degree from The Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio. During college, Wellinghorst served as an intern with the late Ridgewood Congresswoman Marge Roukema.
Wellinghorst resides in Ridgewood with his wife, Liz, and two children, who both attend Travell Elementary School. Wellinghorst, 47, is a life-long New Jersey resident and grew up in Brielle, New Jersey.
“I will be meeting with many of you as I complete my Petition to be placed on the November ballot and to discuss the vital issues affecting the Village,” said Wellinghorst. Feel free to contact Wellinghorst at [email protected].
If you were OUTRAGED at the Planning Board meeting last night and are wondering what you can do please consider the following.
Donate to the fighting fund The next phase of this battle needs to go beyond fliers and public meeting attendance. The Concerned Residents of Ridgewood are building a more substantial fighting fund and would like your support. We are looking for donations of $50, $100, $200 or more to Concerned Residents of Ridgewood, P.O. Box 150 Ridgewood, NJ 07450. You will receive a receipt from the CRR Treasurer. Your decision to donate could be time critical.
Register CRR sends out a regular Newsletter to its members. To stay informed please register with CRR at https://www.stopvalley.com/Register.html. Registration is free and your name will NOT be given to any 3rd parties without your express permission. If you are already a member of CRR and are not receiving newsletters, please re-register as your email might be out of date.
>Alongside Christie on Monday, Booker set to endorse property tax hard cap concept
Embroiled in a city budget crisis and trying to close a $180 million budget deficit, Newark Mayor Cory Booker is scheduled tomorrow to endorse Gov. Chris Christie’s general concept of a hard cap on property taxes, according to multiple sources. The Christie administration Sunday evening released the governor’s updated schedule, which includes the appearance with Booker in Newark set for 11 a.m. (Pizarro, PolitickerNJ)
