>New Jersey Laborers Union Endorses Republican Kathleen Donovan for Bergen County Executive
One of the state’s most powerful unions, the New Jersey Laborers Union, endorsed Bergen County Clerk Kathleen Donovan for Bergen County Executive today, citing her management experience, her ability to reach across party lines and build consensus, and her vision for responsible economic development in Bergen County as well as her commitment to improving infrastructure and creating jobs for local residents.
With more than 20,000 members statewide, including 900 members of Building Laborers Local 592 of Fort Lee, and 8,000 members of General and Heavy Construction Laborers Local 472, which represents Northern New Jersey–the New Jersey Laborers Union is committing its full resources to the Donovan campaign.
It is anticipated that hundreds of laborers will volunteer time to the campaign through phone banking, voter registration drives, get out the vote drives, and member-to-member education.
Laborers Vice-President and Eastern Regional Manager Raymond M. Pocino called the early endorsement a sign of the union’s confidence in Ms. Donovan. “Through the years, no matter which political party was on the rise or what party was down, Bergen residents time and again re-elected Kathe Donovan for public office. There is a reason for that. It is because of her consistency of effort, her commitment to put people first and her ability to solve problems and create opportunities,” said Pocino. “We support her candidacy for county executive, and more importantly, we support her vision for Bergen County.”
Pocino praised Kathe Donovan’s leadership and experience with economic development as a key factor for endorsement. “Kathleen Donovan was the first woman to chair the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and she understands that prosperity won’t happen without smart public investment and job growth,” said Pocino. “Kathe Donovan not only has a vision for Bergen County’s future but she also has a track record that residents can trust.”
The New Jersey Laborers Union is affiliated with the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA), and represents more than 20,000 members statewide in various industries, including construction, clean energy, environmental remediation, sanitation and recycling, security, and education. The New Jersey Laborers are widely viewed as having been instrumental in helping to lift living standards and workplace safety for employees in construction, clean energy, and hazardous materials removal, and for developing innovative cooperative relationships with employers.
>Ridgewood Water Company subscribers may soon be faced with additional rate increases following a revelation at Wednesday evening’s Village Council Work Session that an electric service hook up to the new Valley View Avenue water storage tank will cost $135K.
Although the $135K estimate for electric service installation was presented to Ridgewood Water Company officials on September 4, 2009, Village Council members were not made aware of the need for additional project funding until April of 2010.
It is believed that the recently installed Valley View Avenue water storage tank will not become operational until the $135K electric service installation is complete. Thus, Village Council members have now been backed into somewhat of a corner. That is, they must approve an unexpected $135K expenditure, or be faced with a new water storage facility that can’t be made operational (and lawn sprinkler peak season is rapidly approaching).
The Fly would like to know how many more Village employees will be laid off in order to make up for the surprise $135K expenditure?
>Union protest outside Valley today. They were asked to remove the coffin that they were using as a prop because it might upset the students walking past.
The hospital administration contacted us to let us know they have asked the protesters to get rid of the coffin when children are going to/coming out of school. The hospital is waiting to hear back from the protesters about that. In the mean time, the hospital has said they will have a security person (possibly an off-duty Ridgewood Police officer if one is available) cross students to other side of the road and they will try to put up some sort of barrier up to shield the coffin from view on that other side of the street.”
According to Valley Hospital administration a union is protesting about some asbestos removal work that hospital had done over the weekend. The hospital assured us that they used a properly licensed contractor and all the work was done with proper precautions and without incident; but union is unhappy that the contractor used union workers who were paid off the union scale because the contractor didn’t go through the union hall to get the workers.
The union has set up a display on Van Dien Ave. There are two people on the sidewalk handling out leaflets. On the grass between the sidewalk and the street they do a coffin set up on saw horses. Part of the coffin is open and a dummy is in there with a helmet and gas mask on. There is also a large sign in front of the coffin that says “Asbestos Kills”. The image may be disturbing to some children.
The hospital administration contacted us to let us know they have asked the protesters to get rid of the coffin when children are going to/coming out of school. The hospital is waiting to hear back from the protesters about that. In the mean time, the hospital has said they will have a security person (possibly an off-duty Ridgewood Police officer if one is available) cross students to other side of the road and they will try to put up some sort of barrier up to shield the coffin from view on that other side of the street.
There doesn’t appear to be any cause for alarm over this. We just want to make sure parents are aware of it if/when your children come home with an unusual story about their trip to or from school.
Over the past few weeks, Governor Christie and the media have made a big deal about some recently-released data. It showed that statewide, over the past 10 years, enrollment in New Jersey schools has grown 3%, while staffing in NJ schools has grown 14%. The Governor and others used these statistics to back-up the claim that there has been a “hiring spree” in our schools and that today there is “plenty of room to cut.” I would totally agree on a statewide level.
However, the statistics in Ridgewood are very different:
2000-2010 Ridgewood: (from DOE reporting) Enrollment Growth = 11% Total Staff Growth = 6.9%
And if we project ahead to next year (2010-11) based on the cuts we are making, it will look like this:
2000-2011 Ridgewood: (from DOE reporting) Enrollment Growth = 11% Total Staff Growth = 0%
In other words, Ridgewood’s staffing-to-enrollment growth ratio is the complete opposite of the rest of the state. (See year-by-year comparison chart at the end of this post.)
Unlike many other districts, Ridgewood is educating many more students in a much more rigorous program with much more state-mandated curriculum – and with the same number of staff — as 10 years ago. This doesn’t look like “bloat” to me.
FYI, the number of administrators in the district has gone down 34% in the same 10-year period. Our highest number of administrators was 37 in 2004-2005 down to 27 currently in 2009-2010 and cut to 21 next year. We have not had so few administrators in decades.
Our district serves 5,700+ students every day. And we will accomplish this next year with 21 administrators. I have to be honest and say while I’m all for streamlining and working “lean,” I’m a bit concerned about the workloads and effectiveness of those 21 administrators. It is for this reason that I can’t support cutting any more administration at this time.
Of course, if the Governor’s proposed 2.5% budget cap becomes law, we’ll be cutting our budget more next year, and we may have to find ways to consolidate a few more administrators. But for now, for this year, I think we’ve cut enough.
The Cartel will be playing at Bergen County Community College’s Anna Ciccone Theater this coming Wednesday at 7:30pm. Tickets are available on our website: https://www.thecartelmovie.com/
Here is a bio on Mr. Bowdon:
Bob Bowdon, The Cartel’s director, has been a New Jersey-based television producer, reporter, news anchor, and commentator for the past fifteen years. His varied career has seen him producing television shows; hosting news programs; conducting in-depth on-camera interviews; appearing in satirical news sketches for the Onion News Network; anchoring regional news broadcasts covering New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut; and shaping Bloomberg Television’s World Financial Report. He is president of Bowdon Media, an Internet marketing firm, and holds degrees in mechanical engineering, engineering management, and film production from Purdue University, Stanford University, and New York University. The Cartel is his first film.
And a short snyopsis of the movie:
Teachers punished for speaking out. Principals fired for trying to do the right thing. Union leaders defending the indefensible. Bureaucrats blocking new charter schools. These are just some of the people we meet in The Cartel. The film also introduces us to teens who can’t read, parents desperate for change, and teachers struggling to launch stable alternative schools for inner city kids who want to learn. Behind every dropout factory, we discover, lurks a powerful, entrenched, and self-serving cartel. Balancing local storylines against interviews with education experts, the film explores what dedicated parents, committed teachers, clear-eyed officials, and tireless reformers are doing to make our schools better for our kids. Together, these people and their stories offer an unforgettable look at how a widespread national crisis manifests itself in the educational failures and frustrations of individual communities. The Cartel takes us beyond the statistics, generalizations, and abstractions that typically frame our debates about education, and shows us our educational system like we’ve never seen it before.
SUMMIT — Saving taxpayer dollars, as most residents know, has become a major theme in Governor Chris Christie’s administration. And one of those tools would be to privatize some products or services.
About 80 people, many of them state union members, gathered at Summit High School on Wednesday, April 14, to testify before a state Privatization Task Force appointed by Gov. Christie.
The task force has been charged with finding $50 million in savings in the 2011 budget and $100 million in savings for the year.
“We’re looking for ways to outsource or turn over to the private sector whatever services we can,” said task force member P. Kelly Hatfield of Summit.
“We hope to give elected officials the tools that they need to make local government more cost effective,” said Hatfield, who is a former member of the Summit Common Council and Board of Education. The task force was asked to apply the “yellow pages test,” she said, to determine if there was a duplication of services being offered by the private sector or by non-profit organizations. “How can we eliminate impediments? New Jersey has made some mistakes,” she said. A few years ago an effort to privatize motor vehicle inspections led to long lines and a cumbersome process.
The task force has been meeting since March 11 and has interacted with the four major unions in New Jersey, including the New Jersey Education Association and the Communication Workers of America.
Hatfield said other states have been doing this reduction in state government successfully, citing Texas, West Virginia and Virginia as examples. In Texas, she said, highway work and infrastructure projects are being handled by the private sector.
Village Manager Ken Gabbert will now play a dual role in Ridgewood’s administration — the Village Council approved his appointment as chief financial officer (CFO) by a 3-1 vote at a special public meeting on Tuesday morning.
Councilman Paul Aronsohn cast the dissenting vote. Councilwoman Anne Zusy was absent from the vote. Gabbert was sworn in as CFO immediately following the vote.
“Everyone in village government is being asked to work harder and longer,” Aronsohn said in an e-mail. “It therefore seems wrong to give a few people extra salary, while everyone else works harder for the same salary. A good example is the fire department. The village manager is proposing the elimination of the deputy chief position, but is not proposing an increase in anyone’s salary to compensate them for doing the extra work.”
By serving in both capacities, Gabbert’s salary will increase by $25,000 annually, but the taxpayers will save about $135,000 the first year and about $150,000 the second year of his four-year appointment, officials said. The savings will be realized by not having to hire an additional person to fill the opening left when former CFO Dorothy Stikna retired in January.
“The big picture is restructuring the finance department,” Gabbert said Tuesday morning at Village Hall.
The resolution, read by Village Clerk Heather Mailander, said that the state requires every municipality to have a CFO appointed, and that Gabbert is qualified to hold such a position because he has the proper state certification.
>Bill Charlap Trio at West Side Presbyterian Church Parlance Chamber Concerts
Sunday, April 18th at 4PM at West Side Presbyterian Church, 6 S. Monroe Street, Ridgewood. “Mr. Charlap is keyborad wizard who continually surprises…his playing left me breathless” Tickets: $35/Adult; $25/Seniors/Students Information: [email protected]
FAVORITE POEM READING Bring your favorite poem in Now!
Ridgewood Favorite Poems Reading Sunday, April 25 at 3:00 PM at the Ridgewood Public Library, 125 N. Maple Avenue, Ridgewood. In celebration of National Poetry Month in April, Ridgewood community members of ALL AGES are invited to share a favorite poem by a published poet, famous or otherwise. Please drop off or email ([email protected]) your favorite poem to the Ridgewood Public Library NOW to be included in a favorite poems display. Then join us on Sunday, April 25, to enjoy a variety of favorite poems read by Ridgewood folks, young and old — why not you? The event will be hosted by Celeste Diaz-Estrella — Ridgewood resident, language teacher, and poetry enthusiast. For information, contact Gina Mitgang at 201-670-5600, ext. 110 or [email protected] Link to flyer: https://www.ridgewoodlibrary.org/images/Favorite%20Poem%20Project%202010.pdf
>Here are some basic facts on New Jersey’s tax system and how it compares to other states:
Tax Freedom Day Arrives on April 25 in New Jersey Tax Freedom Day is the day when Americans finally have earned enough money to pay off their total tax bill for the year. In 2010, New Jersey taxpayers work until April 25 to pay their total tax bill, ranking them 2nd highest in the nation. This is 16 days later than national Tax Freedom Day (April 9). The Tax Freedom Days of the neighboring states are: New York, April 23 (ranked 3rd nationally), Pennsylvania, April 13 (ranked 11th nationally), and Delaware, April 10 (ranked 18th nationally). Full study of Tax Freedom Day, nationwide and in each state *** New Jersey’s State/Local Tax Burden Highest in Nation Estimated at 11.8% of income, New Jersey’s state/local tax burden percentage is the highest in the country, well above the national average of 9.7%. New Jersey taxpayers pay $6,610 per capita in state and local taxes. New Jersey’s State-Local Tax Burden, 1977-Present Other States’ State/Local Tax Burdens Historical Chart Comparing All States’ State/Local Tax Burdens from 1977 to 2008 *** New Jersey’s 2010 Business Tax Climate Ranks 50th New Jersey ranks 50th in the Tax Foundation’s State Business Tax Climate Index. The Index compares the states in five areas of taxation that impact business: corporate taxes; individual income taxes; sales taxes; unemployment insurance taxes; and taxes on property, including residential and commercial property. Neighboring states ranked as follows: New York (49th), Pennsylvania (27th) and Delaware (8th). 50-State Comparison of Business Tax Climates (data only) 2009 State Business Tax Climate Index, Sixth Edition (full study) *** New Jersey’s Individual Income Tax System New Jersey’s personal income tax system consists of six brackets and a top rate of 8.97% kicking in at an income level of $500,000. Among states levying personal income taxes, New Jersey’s top rate ranks 6th highest nationally. New Jersey’s 2008 state-level individual income tax collections were $1,457 per person, which ranked 6th highest nationally. 50-State Table of Individual Income Tax Rates 50-State Table of State Individual Income Tax Collections 50-State Table of State and Local Individual Income Tax Collections Per Capita *** New Jersey’s Corporate Income Tax System New Jersey’s corporate tax structure consists of a flat 9% on corporate income. However, corporations with total net income of $100,000 or less pay 7.5% and corporations with total net income of $50,000 or under pay 6.5%. Among states levying corporate income taxes, New Jersey’s top tax rate ranks 5th highest nationally. In 2008, state-level corporate tax collections (excluding local taxes) were $326 per capita, ranking the state 5th highest nationally. 50-State Table of Corporate Income Tax Rates, 2000-2009 50-State Table of State and Local Corporate Income Tax Collections Per Capita and Per Household, 2005 50-State Table of State Corporate Income Tax Collections Per Capita, 2006 *** New Jersey Sales and Excise Taxes New Jersey levies a 7% general sales or use tax on consumers, which is above the national median of 5.85%. In 2007 combined state and local general and selective sales tax collections were $1,424 per person, ranking 22nd highest nationally. New Jersey’s gasoline tax stands at 14.5 cents per gallon and ranks 47th highest nationally. New Jersey’s cigarette tax stands at $2.70 per pack of twenty, which is the 5th highest cigarette tax in the nation. The sales tax was adopted in 1966, the gasoline tax in 1927 and the cigarette tax in 1948. 50-state table of sales, cigarette, gas, beer, wine, and spirits tax rates. 50-State Table of State and Local General and Selective Sales Tax Collections Per Capita *** New Jersey Property Taxes: Highest Per Capita in the Nation New Jersey is one of the 37 states that collect property taxes at both the state and local levels. As in most states, local governments collect far more. New Jersey’s localities collected $2,372.03 per capita in property taxes in fiscal year 2006, which is the latest year the Census Bureau published state-by-state property tax collections. At the state level, New Jersey collected $0.40 in property taxes during FY 2006, making its combined state/local property taxes $2,372.43 per capita, New Jersey’s combined per capita collections were the highest in the nation. State property tax collections per capita by state *** Federal Tax Burdens and Expenditures: New Jersey is a Donor State New Jersey taxpayers receive less federal funding per dollar of federal taxes paid than any other state. Per dollar of federal tax paid in 2005, New Jersey citizens received approximately $0.61 in the way of federal spending. This represents a decline from 1995 when New Jersey received $0.68 per dollar of taxes in federal spending (second lowest). Neighboring states and the amount of federal spending they received per dollar of federal taxation paid were as follows: New York ($0.79), Pennsylvania ($1.07), and Delaware ($0.77). Comparing the amount of federal taxes sent to Washington with the amount of federal spending coming back to the state
>Election update: If you are a Ridgewood resident who loves Graydon, please vote in the Village Council election on Tuesday, May 11, for Tom Riche and Bernadette Walsh—the only candidates running for the two open Council seats who want to preserve Graydon.
The other two candidates: Doug Cronk is the husband of Melinda Cronk, co-chair of the Ridgewood Pool Project, with its concrete agenda. Brian Dowd, Cronk’s friend, has lived here for all of five years. Their theme: “change.”
Tell your friends that just because two candidates run as a team does not mean they must be voted for (or against) together.
If you do not live in Ridgewood but know people who do, please tell them that the pro-Graydon votes are for Riche and Walsh.
Ridgewood Council elections typically draw no more than 20% of registered voters to the polls. The $48 million school bond in December won by 62 votes. Do not doubt that your vote will make a difference.
Sign-up sheet to help Riche or call him: 201-652-1494 (home); 201-394-0951 (cell).
Sign-up sheet to help Walsh. Her web site: Walsh home page.
BOTH NEED MORE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR AND “MEET THE CANDIDATE” COFFEES. PLEASE CONTACT THEM NOW. The election is four weeks from Tuesday.
Absentee ballot: Might you be out of town on May 11, or simply prefer to vote by mail? Pick up an application to obtain a ballot in the Village Clerk’s office at Village Hall or call 201-670-5500 x201 and ask to have one mailed to you. You’ll mail this form to request a ballot. Caveat: your ballot must reach (actually get there, not just postmarked) Hackensack by May 4. May be hand-delivered.
Voter registration: Here is the Bergen County registration form. For further information, visit https://www.njelections.org/ or call toll free 1-877-NJVOTER (1-877-658-6837). Deadline to register to vote in Council election: Tuesday, April 20. Last shot: Village Hall lobby, 4:30-9 PM, April 20 (noted on that date in Village calendar). Anyone who will be 18 years old by the day of the election may register now. Encourage old-enough teens who love Graydon to vote to preserve it.
This election will be likely to determine Graydon’s future. Please do not miss this opportunity to help.
Need a ride to the polls? We have a list of willing drivers. Contact us—in advance, if possible.
>Higher Taxes – Lower Tax Revenue – The Laffer Curve
In economics, the Laffer curve is a theoretical representation of the relationship between government revenue raised by taxation and all possible rates of taxation. It is used to illustrate the concept of Taxable Income Elasticity (that taxable income will change in response to changes in the rate of taxation). The curve is constructed by thought experiment. First, the amount of tax revenue raised at the extreme tax rates of 0% and 100% is considered. It is clear that a 0% tax rate raises no revenue, but the Laffer curve hypothesis is that a 100% tax rate will also generate no revenue because at such a rate there is no longer any incentive for a rational taxpayer to earn any income, thus the revenue raised will be 100% of nothing. If both a 0% rate and 100% rate of taxation generate no revenue, it follows that there must exist a rate in between where tax revenue would be a maximum . The Laffer curve is typically represented as a stylized graph which starts at 0% tax, zero revenue, rises to a maximum rate of revenue raised at an intermediate rate of taxation and then falls again to zero revenue at a 100% tax rate.
One potential result of the Laffer curve is that increasing tax rates beyond a certain point will become counterproductive for raising further tax revenue because of diminishing returns. A hypothetical Laffer curve for any given economy can only be estimated and such estimates are sometimes controversial. The Laffer curve is associated with supply side economics, where its use in debates over rates of taxation has also been controversial.
>Examining IRS tax return data by state, E.J. McMahon, a fiscal expert at the Manhattan Institute, measured the impact of large income-tax rate increases on the rich ($200,000 income or more) in Connecticut, which raised its tax rate in 2003 to 5% from 4.5%; in New Jersey, which raised its rate in 2004 to 8.97% from 6.35%; and in New York, which raised its tax rate in 2003 to 7.7% from 6.85%. Over the period 2002-2005, in each of these states the “soak the rich” tax hike was followed by a significant reduction in the number of rich people paying taxes in these states relative to the national average. Amazingly, these three states ranked 46th, 49th and 50th among all states in the percentage increase in wealthy tax filers in the years after they tried to soak the rich.
This result was all the more remarkable given that these were years when the stock market boomed and Wall Street gains were in the trillions of dollars. Examining data from a 2008 Princeton study on the New Jersey tax hike on the wealthy, we found that there were 4,000 missing half-millionaires in New Jersey after that tax took effect. New Jersey now has one of the largest budget deficits in the nation.
However, history hasn’t stopped the anti-Christie crowd from demanding the restoration of the “millionaire surcharge” on individuals earning $400,000 or more annually. I’ll be generous and attribute it to short memories. If they got their way, more business owners, investors, and other high-end taxpayers will quit the fight and head for the state line. New Jersey would experience another collapse in its revenue base and, ironically, school aid reductions for the following fiscal year would assuredly prove even more dramatic than what’s currently on the table. An utter and complete disaster of epic proportions! blog.savejersey.com/2010/04/06/remember-how-we-got-here.aspx
>State ‘spends’ over $15 billion on would-be taxes
New Jersey foregoes more than $15 billion a year in tax revenue through various credits, deductions, exemptions and other special provisions in the state’s tax code, a new state report shows. A 35-page report on these so-called “tax expenditures’ was released quietly last month by Gov. Chris Christie’s administration, to comply with a new law passed by the Legislature in January and signed by lame-duck Gov. Jon S. Corzine. (Symons, Gannett)
The history of Easter reveals rich associations between the Christian faith and the seemingly unrelated practices of the early pagan religions. Easter history and traditions that we practice today evolved from pagan symbols, from the ancient goddess Ishtar to Easter eggs and the Easter bunny.
Easter, perhaps the most important of the Christian holidays, celebrates the Christ’s resurrection from the dead following his death on Good Friday. . . a rebirth that is commemorated around the vernal equinox, historically a time of pagan celebration that coincides with the arrival of spring and symbolizes the arrival of light and the awakening of life around us.
Ostara, Goddess of Spring and the Dawn (Oestre / Eastre)
Easter is named for a Saxon goddess who was known by the names of Oestre or Eastre, and in Germany by the name of Ostara. She is a goddess of the dawn and the spring, and her name derives from words for dawn, the shining light arising from the east. Our words for the “female hormone” estrogen derives from her name.
Ostara was, of course, a fertility goddess. Bringing in the end of winter, with the days brighter and growing longer after the vernal equinox, Ostara had a passion for new life. Her presence was felt in the flowering of plants and the birth of babies, both animal and human. The rabbit (well known for its propensity for rapid reproduction) was her sacred animal.
Easter eggs and the Easter Bunny both featured in the spring festivals of Ostara, which were initially held during the feasts of the goddess Ishtar | Inanna. Eggs are an obvious symbol of fertility, and the newborn chicks an adorable representation of new growth. Brightly colored eggs, chicks, and bunnies were all used at festival time to express appreciation for Ostara’s gift of abundance.
History of Easter Eggs and Easter Candy
The history of Easter Eggs as a symbol of new life should come as no surprise. The notion that the Earth itself was hatched from an egg was once widespread and appears in creation stories ranging from Asian to Ireland.
Eggs, in ancient times in Northern Europe, were a potent symbol of fertility and often used in rituals to guarantee a woman’s ability to bear children. To this day rural “grannywomen” (lay midwives/healers in the Appalachian mountains) still use eggs to predict, with uncanny accuracy, the sex of an unborn child by watching the rotation of an egg as it is suspended by a string over the abdomen of a pregnant woman.
Dyed eggs are given as gifts in many cultures. Decorated eggs bring with them a wish for the prosperity of the abundance during the coming year.
Folklore suggests that Easter egg hunts arose in Europe during “the Burning Times”, when the rise of Christianity led to the shunning (and persecution) of the followers of the “Old Religion”. Instead of giving the eggs as gifts the adults made a game of hiding them, gathering the children together and encouraging them to find the eggs. Some believe that the authorities seeking to find the “heathens” would follow or bribe the children to reveal where they found the eggs so that the property owner could be brought to justice.
Green Eggs . . . . . . and Ham???
The meat that is traditionally associated with Easter is ham. Though some might argue that ham is served at Easter since it is a “Christian” meat, (prohibited for others by the religious laws of Judaism and Islam) the origin probably lies in the early practices of the pagans of Northern Europe.
Having slaughtered and preserved the meat of their agricultural animals during the Blood Moon celebrations the previous autumn so they would have food throughout the winter months, they would celebrate the occasion by using up the last of the remaining cured meats.
In anticipation that the arrival of spring with its emerging plants and wildlife would provide them with fresh food in abundance, it was customary for many pagans to begin fasting at the time of the vernal equinox, clearing the “poisons” (and excess weight) produced by the heavier winter meals that had been stored in their bodies over the winter. Some have suggested that the purpose of this fasting may have been to create a sought-after state of “altered consciousness” in time for the spring festivals. One cannot but wonder if this practice of fasting might have been a forerunner of “giving up” foods during the Lenten season.
Chocolate Easter bunnies and eggs, marshmallow chicks in pastel colors, and candy of all sorts . . . these have pagan origins as well! To understand their association with religion we need to examine the meaning of food as a symbol.
The ancient belief that, by eating something we take on its characteristics formed the basis for the earliest “blessings” before meals (a way to honor the life that had been sacrificed so that we as humans could enjoy life) and, presumably, for the more recent Christian sacrament of communion as well.
Shaping candy Easter eggs and bunnies out of candy to celebrate the spring festival was, simply put, a way to celebrate the symbols of the goddess and the season, while laying claim to their strengths (vitality, growth, and fertility) for ourselves.
The Goddess Ostara and the Easter Bunny
Feeling guilty about arriving late one spring, the Goddess Ostara saved the life of a poor bird whose wings had been frozen by the snow. She made him her pet or, as some versions have it, her lover. Filled with compassion for him since he could no longer fly (in some versions, it was because she wished to amuse a group of young children), Ostara turned him into a snow hare and gave him the gift of being able to run with incredible speed so he could protect himself from hunters.
In remembrance of his earlier form as a bird, she also gave him the ability to lay eggs (in all the colors of the rainbow, no less), but only on one day out of each year.
Eventually the hare managed to anger the goddess Ostara, and she cast him into the skies where he would remain as the constellation Lepus (The Hare) forever positioned under the feet of the constellation Orion (the Hunter). He was allowed to return to earth once each year, but only to give away his eggs to the children attending the Ostara festivals that were held each spring. The tradition of the Easter Bunny had begun.
Easter Bunny had begun.
The Hare was sacred in many ancient traditions and was associated with the moon goddesses and the various deities of the hunt. In ancient times eating the Hare was prohibited except at Beltane (Celts) and the festival of Ostara (Anglo-Saxons), when a ritual hare-hunt would take place.
In many cultures rabbits, like eggs, were considered to be potent remedies for fertility problems. The ancient philosopher-physician Pliny the Elder prescribed rabbit meat as a cure for female sterility, and in some cultures the genitals of a hare were carried to avert barrenness.
Medieval Christians considered the hare to bring bad fortune, saying witches changed into rabbits in order to suck the cows dry. It was claimed that a witch could only be killed by a silver crucifix or a bullet when she appeared as a hare.
Given their “mad” leaping and boxing displays during mating season as well as their ability to produce up to 42 offspring each spring, it is understandable that they came to represent lust, sexuality, and excess in general. Medieval Christians considered the hare to be an evil omen, believing that witches changed into rabbits in order to suck the cows dry. It was claimed that a witch could only be killed by a silver crucifix or a bullet when she appeared as a hare.
In later Christian tradition the white Hare, when depicted at the Virgin Mary’s feet, represents triumph over lust or the flesh. The rabbit’s vigilance and speed came to represent the need to flee from sin and temptation and a reminder of the swift passage of life.
And, finally, there is a sweet Christian legend about a young rabbit who, for three days, waited anxiously for his friend, Jesus, to return to the Garden of Gethsemane, not knowing what had become of him. Early on Easter morning, Jesus returned to His favorite garden and was welcomed the little rabbit. That evening when the disciples came into the garden to pray, still unaware of the resurrection, they found a clump of beautiful larkspurs, each blossom bearing the image of a rabbit in its center as a remembrance of the little creature’s hope and faith.
Ishtar, Goddess of Love, and the First Resurrection (also known as Inanna)
Ishtar, goddess of romance, procreation, and war in ancient Babylon, was also worshipped as the Sumerian goddess Inanna. One of the great goddesses, or “mother goddesses”, stories of her descent to the Underworld and the resurrection that follows are contained in the oldest writings that have ever been discovered. . . the Babylonian creation myth Enuma Elish and the story of Gilgamesh. Scholars believed that they were based on the oral mythology of the region and were recorded about 2,100 B.C.E.
The most famous of the myths of Ishtar tell of her descent into the realm of the dead to rescue her young lover, Tammuz, a Vegetation god forced to live half the year in the Underworld. Ishtar approached the gates of the Underworld, which was ruled by her twin sister Eresh-kigel, the goddess of death and infertility. She was refused admission.
Similar to the Greek myths of Demeter and Persephone that came later, during Ishtar’s absence the earth grew barren since all acts of procreation ceased while she was away. Ishtar screamed and ranted that she would break down the gates and release all of the dead to overwhelm the world and compete with the living for the remaining food unless she was allowed to enter and plead her case with her twin.
Needless to say, she won admission. But the guard, following standard protocol, refused to let her pass through the first gate unless she removed her crown. At the next gate, she had to remove her earrings, then her necklace at the next, removing her garments and proud finery until she stood humbled and naked after passing through the seventh (and last) gate.
In one version, she was held captive and died but was brought back to life when her servant sprinkled her with the “water of life”. In the more widely known version of the myth, Ishtar’s request was granted and she regained all of her attire and possessions as she slowly re-emerged through the gates of darkness.
Upon her return, Tammuz and the earth returned to life. Annual celebrations of this “Day of Joy”, were held each year around the time of the vernal equinox. These celebrations became the forerunners of the Ostara festivals that welcomed Oestre and the arrival of spring.
A section on the Goddess Inanna (the Sumerian version of the Goddess Ishtar), her myths and symbols, is included with the myths of the goddesses at this website.
Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives today recognizing the efforts of state legislatures, Attorneys General and citizens to resist the implementation of the health care bill, HR 3590.
“While Congress is given power under the Constitution to regulate interstate commerce, never before have we considered legislation that would require individuals to purchase a private—government approved—product, as the price of citizenship,” Garrett said. “This moves far beyond regulating economic activity, and into the realm of regulating inactivity. If we allow that Congress has this authority under the Constitution, then there is virtually no limit to Washington’s power to micromanage the lives of our citizens.
“I would like to commend those fighting against this massive expansion of government into the private sector. President Obama and others have called this legislation “historic,” and they’re correct. It is “historic” that the federal government would violate the liberties of its citizens. It is “historic” that a political party would use their majority in Congress to override the will of the American people. It is “historic” that the president and Members of Congress, all of whom have taken oaths to uphold the Constitution, would express such disdain and disregard for our country’s founding document. Yes, my friends, this legislation is truly historic.”
The text of Garrett’s resolution is below:
111th CONGRESS
2nd Session
H. RES.
Commending the efforts of state legislatures, Attorneys General and citizens to resist the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
IN THE HO– USE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 25, 2010
Mr. SCOTT GARRETT of New Jersey
Commending the efforts of State legislatures, Attorneys General, and citizens to resist the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Whereas the expanding Federal Government is encroaching on the rights constitutionally reserved for the States and individuals;
Whereas the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act attempts to regulate inactivity rather than an activity of United States’ citizens and the Constitution does not grant the Federal Government the power to regulate inactivity;
Whereas Congress has never before considered, prior to the individual mandate, legislation that would require citizens to purchase a private good;
Whereas if Congress has this authority under the Constitution, there is virtually no limit to its power to micromanage the lives of our citizens;
Whereas the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act creates an entirely new Federal entitlement program, while the growing cost of existing Federal entitlement programs are already crippling future generations with mountains of debt;
Whereas the legislatures of more than three-fourths of all the States, including those of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, have proposed legislation reaffirming their 10th Amendment right to rule and govern in areas not specifically delegated to the Federal Government by the Constitution;
Whereas many of the bills proposed by the State legislatures recognize that numerous actions by Congress are weakening States’ rights through legislation like the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act;
Whereas more than a dozen state Attorneys General, including those from Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina,Utah, Virginia, and Washington, have filed or announced their intention to file lawsuits challenging Congress’s authority to force citizens to buy health insurance;
Whereas numerous doctors’ groups, such as New Jersey Physicians Inc., and individuals around the country have or are preparing to file suit against this unconstitutional law; and
Whereas 54 percent of Americans oppose the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and 56 percent of Americans think the Federal Government has become so large and powerful that it poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) commends the efforts of State legislatures, Attorneys General, and citizens to resist the unconstitutional implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; and
(2) applauds these groups’ endeavors to protect the rights and the interests of American citizens.
