Trenton NJ, Senator Steve Oroho (R-24) is again calling for action on fiscal reforms, in light of three recent reports that prove that New Jersey’s high cost of living and bad tax policies are forcing people of all ages, and business owners, to leave the Garden State in droves.
New Jersey’s property taxes and the cost of living are the highest in the nation.
“These reports tell us what most of our neighbors already know – we live in one of, if not the most unaffordable state in the nation,” Oroho said. “New Jersey’s current tax policies are causing our family and friends, in particular retirees, to flee the state in record numbers. We must implement prudent fiscal policies to stop this mass exodus and keep what little revenue we have from disappearing entirely.”
Senator Oroho is a co-chair of the bipartisan New Jersey Economic and Fiscal Policy Workgroup, which is committed to pinpointing fiscal ineffectiveness and proposing commonsense reforms.
Oroho successfully advocated to increase the tax free retirement income exclusion as well as eliminate of New Jersey’s estate tax.
“Despite our best efforts to get the state’s spending back on track there is much more work to be done,” Oroho added. “We want to enact policies that will allow grandparents to be able to stay in New Jersey and watch their grand kids grow up. We want to create an economic climate where young parents can find good opportunities, so they they can actually afford to raise a family in New Jersey. We can and must do more to create friendlier tax policies that will slow outmigration and make New Jersey more competitive.”
Trenton NJ, seems sexually harassment along with criminal convictions is the norm in the Murphy Administration . As we previously reported Katie Brennan has filed a tort claim against the State of New Jersey, the Murphy for Governor campaign, and former Murphy administration official Al Alvarez, whom she has accused of rape. Brennan is seeking damages and an emergent application to change state policies and procedures regarding workplace investigations. Brennan’s attorney Katy McClure said ‘Ms. Brennan is pursuing justice through this lawsuit because I couldn’t get it any other way. She pursued every avenue she could, but waved every red flag she could access, and she was ignored’. The Legislative Select Oversight Committee will continue its hearings this morning at 10:30am, with testimony resuming for Chief of Staff Pete Cammarano and others.
Politico NJ now reports that NJEDA Vice President of Policy and Planning Allison Kopicki has resigned, saying she faced retaliation from members of the administration after speaking to the press regarding claims of a hostile work environment within the Murphy campaign and an incident in which Joe Kelley allegedly threw a chair at Julia Fahl.
Ridgewood NJ, NJ TRANSIT’s Board of Directors today approved Raymond P. Kenny as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Rail Operations at today’s special Board of Director’s meeting. “Ray is a national expert in the railroad industry and his knowledge of the complexities of the rail system in our region is unmatched,” said New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti. “His leadership and management skills will be invaluable as we move NJ TRANSIT forward.” “Ray has a long and accomplished railroad career and we look forward to tapping his wealth of industry knowledge as we continue to transform NJ TRANSIT into a national leader,” said Executive Director Kevin Corbett. “Ray understands railroading from every angle, having started as a ticket clerk at LIRR and rising through the ranks to eventually lead LIRR as the busiest railroad in the country.”
Kenny has nearly 50 years of railroad industry experience including serving as former acting President of the MTA Long Island Railroad (LIRR). He has an extensive background in managing large teams in both transportation operations and capital improvements.
Most recently, Kenny has served with WSP as a consultant for operations and planning for agencies across the nation including the Gateway project, the Northeast Corridor Future project, business processes at Metro-North and emergency management plans at Metrolink in Los Angeles.
He began his transportation career in 1970 as a ticket clerk at LIRR. In 1975, he entered railroad dispatching for LIRR before rising through the ranks at LIRR with positions in personnel training and capital construction prior to leading the Transportation department.
Prior to NJ TRANSIT, Kenny served with WSP as a consultant where his experience included helping to improve Metro-North’s business processes including train crew availability, assisting Metrolink in Los Angeles with emergency management plans, a subject matter expert on the NEC Future project, which is a comprehensive planning effort to define, evaluate and prioritize future investments in the NEC, a subject matter expert for the Gateway project in the design of a new Penn Station New York and staging of train operations to facilitate construction. Most recently, Kenny was assigned to the Hartford, CT rail project as a commissioning agent, ensuring project schedule compliance on the start of a new rail line.
TRENTON NJ, A new study showing that more residents moved out of New Jersey than any other state underscores the need for fiscal reforms that will make the state more affordable and allow for the types of investments that will retain and attract workers and their families, said Senate President Steve Sweeney.
Senator Sweeney noted that the United Van Lines 42nd Annual National Movers Study, which tracks state-to-state migration patterns, found that there were twice as many outbound moves from New Jersey as inbound moves. New Jersey’s outbound relocation percentage of 67 percent was the highest in the nation in 2018. The findings in the relocation report are consistent with recent migration patterns driven by such factors as cost of living, job growth, state budgetary challenges and the appeal of a warmer climate, according to a top public policy economist at UCLA.
“We can’t do much about the weather, but we have the ability to make the reforms needed to address deeply rooted state fiscal problems, to help make New Jersey more affordable, and to make the investments needed to foster job retention and long-term economic expansion,” said Senator Sweeney, referring to the Path to Progress report issued by the bipartisan, blue-ribbon Economic and Fiscal Policy Workgroup.
“We need to make New Jersey a place where current residents choose to stay, where young people can have a future, and where businesses and people from other states want to move to,” said Senator Sweeney (D-Gloucester/Salem/Cumberland). “If we don’t make the structural reforms needed to fix our state finances, pension and health benefit costs will continue to grow and consume all of our revenue growth. Because of this, we won’t have the resources we need to support education and job training programs, to improve our infrastructure and to invest in the development of new technologies that are critical to economic growth.”
Senator Sweeney also took note of the just-released WARN notices showing that more than 11,000 workers at 55 companies in New Jersey were issued layoff notices in 2018. The figures, compiled by the state Department of Labor under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, signal that their jobs are in jeopardy.
“These WARN notifications are bad news for the jobholders and serve as a warning sign for the state’s economic well-being,” said Senator Sweeney. “They serve as an advance notice of potential large-scale layoffs and they cut across a broad sector of businesses, including retailers, healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry. It is something to take seriously.”
The Economic and Fiscal Policy Workgroup was co-chaired by Senate Budget Chair Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen), Senate Republican Budget Officer Steve Oroho (R-Sussex) and Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald (D–Camden). The panel met for more than six months and produced a series of recommendations designed to fix the underfunded pension system, reduce healthcare costs, improve education and expand shared services to hold down property taxes.
Trenton NJ, As part of the Department of the Treasury’s ongoing efforts to reconnect state-held assets to their rightful owners, the Unclaimed Property Administration (UPA) has launched a veterans outreach campaign, which has uncovered as many as 3,000 veterans and widows in New Jersey who may have unclaimed assets, resulting in over $200,000 being returned to families thus far.
“We considered the many sacrifices military families endure, including how frequently service men and women move as a result of deployment,” said UPA Administrator Steven R. Harris. “These factors often increase the chances that certain financial assets are overlooked or never received. While we always find our work rewarding, reconnecting veterans and their families with assets they never knew they had has been particularly special.”
“This is a Treasury that works for the people of New Jersey, and UPA is a huge part of that effort,” said State Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio. “It’s not enough for us to just be careful stewards of these assets, we have to do everything we can to help people reclaim them. We’re excited with the results of this ongoing campaign and encourage everyone in the state to try an online search right now.”
The most common types of unclaimed property reported to the state are checking and savings accounts, certificate of deposits, utility deposits, securities, and insurance proceeds. The N.J. Unclaimed Property statute states that property owners never relinquish the right to this property and that UPA acts as a custodian until the property is returned.
The veterans outreach campaign was launched in October 2018. After partnering with divisions within Treasury, UPA was then able to cross reference its own database with thousands of records that reference an individual’s veteran status. As a result, UPA was able to identify over 3,000 veterans, widows, or heirs who may have unclaimed assets in their name.
UPA then began sending letters in early November notifying those individuals that they might have unclaimed property and instructing them to visit UPA’s website to file electronically or initiate a claim over the phone. Once all necessary documentation was received, UPA prepared claims for payment.
The ongoing campaign, which will continue in the New Year, has already begun yielding success. To date, responses to mail notices have resulted in 251 UPA claims, 133 of which have already been approved worth a total of $200,487.02.
Highlights from the campaign thus far include an individual who discovered that they had over $85,000 worth of securities that had gone unclaimed until now. Another person to respond to a UPA notice turned out to be a widow of a World War II veteran who discovered over $2,000 in outstanding life insurance proceeds.
This outreach campaign is one of a number undertaken by UPA every year to return state-held assets to their rightful owners. To find more information about UPA or to try an online search, visit www.unclaimedproperty.nj.gov.
Trenton NJ, Fulfilling his pledge to restore New Jersey to a national leadership role in the fight against climate change and sea-level rise, Governor Phil Murphy today announced that the Department of Environmental Protection has formally proposed two rules that will steer New Jersey’s re-entry into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.“Climate change and sea-level rise affect every one of us,” Governor Murphy said. “From Superstorm Sandy to the powerful nor’easters and devastating flooding this year, it is imperative that New Jersey reclaim its leadership role in fighting back. Pulling out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in 2012 was not only an abdication of leadership, but it also cost us millions of dollars that could have been used to increase energy efficiency and improve air quality in our communities. Today’s action is an important first step toward restoring our place as a leader in the green economy and keeping us on a path to 100 percent clean energy by 2050 for the benefit of all New Jerseyans.”
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, also known as RGGI, is made up of Mid-Atlantic and New England states working to reduce carbon-dioxide gas emissions from the energy sector through a cap-and-trade auction process that encourages more market efficiencies, invests in renewable energy, and improves power-plant technology. RGGI’s members are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Virginia is planning to join RGGI.
Returning New Jersey to RGGI has been a priority for Governor Murphy since the outset of his administration. In January, the Governor issued Executive Order 7 directing the state to rejoin RGGI and develop a program that implements solutions that benefit communities that are disproportionately impacted by climate change.
New Jersey was a charter member of RGGI and was a key member of the effort until the state’s withdrawal in 2012 under the Christie Administration.
One of the proposed rules establishes the mechanisms for rejoining RGGI and sets the initial carbon-dioxide cap for the state’s electricity generation sector at 18 million tons in 2020, when the state will officially begin participating in RGGI again. Through a combination of RGGI’s required carbon-dioxide reductions and achieving Governor Murphy’s aggressive renewable energy goals, the DEP projects that the state’s greenhouse gas emissions will be 11.5 million tons by 2030.
The other rule proposal establishes the framework for how the state will spend proceeds from RGGI carbon-dioxide allowance auctions, with an emphasis on projects that will benefit disproportionately burdened communities.
“As we implement the Governor’s clean energy agenda, rejoining RGGI has always been one of our highest priorities,” said Board of Public Utilities President Joseph L. Fiordaliso. “Taking this important and tangible step toward enacting the rules will help make our goal of 100 percent clean energy by 2050 a reality.”
“Accelerating the growth of clean energy jobs and businesses in New Jersey is a key element of Governor Murphy’s plan for a stronger and fairer economy,” said New Jersey Economic Development Authority CEO Tim Sullivan. “Our partnership with DEP and BPU is helping to advance our re-entry into RGGI, which will drive not only a safer, more sustainable future for all New Jerseyans, but also will drive significant economic opportunity.”
“The RGGI states applaud New Jersey’s progress in developing this proposed rule and appreciate the many collaborative conversations that have taken place thus far between our states,” said Ben Grumbles, Secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment and Chair of the RGGI, Inc. Board of Directors. “The entry of additional states into our market has the potential to make our program even more cost-effective and allow more participants to share in the benefits proven by our track record. We look forward to continuing discussions with New Jersey and to the prospect of an expanded regional program.”
The 18-million-ton carbon dioxide cap in the Emissions Trading Rule proposal is below the estimated actual emissions of 20.6 million tons in 2020. The cap will decline 3 percent annually through 2030 with other adjustments that are standard to all member states. The model used to develop the cap number only considers emissions from currently operating electric generating facilities.
The state remains on target to participate in the RGGI carbon-dioxide auction set for March 2020. Carbon dioxide, the primary gas driving climate change, is emitted by fossil-fuel power plants. Since 2005, RGGI states have reduced carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by an aggregate of more than 50 percent.“New Jersey already has one of the cleanest fossil-fuel electric generation portfolios in the country. Rejoining RGGI will provide impetus for further carbon dioxide reductions in the state’s energy sector,” said Paul Baldauf, the DEP’s Assistant Commissioner for Air Quality, Energy and Sustainability.“Governor Murphy is strengthening New Jersey’s leadership on climate action by rejoining a program that is effectively cutting pollution while lowering energy bills, creating jobs and keeping energy dollars in the local economy,” said Dale Bryk, Senior Strategic Advisor at National Resources Defense Council. “Along with the Clean Energy Act signed into law last spring, which will drive investment in energy efficiency, expand solar power and launch a new offshore wind industry in the state, RGGI will help catapult New Jersey to the front of the pack when it comes to climate protection and clean energy jobs. We look forward to working with the Governor to ensure the final rule is as ambitious as possible.”
“Today’s announcement marks an important milestone and a big step forward in decarbonizing New Jersey’s economy,” said Richard Lawton, Executive Director, New Jersey Sustainable Business Council. “As companies that are committed to sustainable business practices, we know that market-driven innovation and investment must be informed and guided by smart policies aimed at transitioning to a clean energy economy while creating good paying jobs. We applaud Governor Murphy’s leadership in rejoining RGGI, and look forward to participating in making the program as strong and effective as possible.”
“The Governor is making good on his commitment to 100 percent clean energy by 2050 with the latest bold advancement in rejoining RGGI and the cleaner air, good local jobs, and investments in reducing cumulative impacts of pollution in environmental justice communities that go with it,” said Ed Potosnak, Executive Director, New Jersey League of Conservation Voters. “We applaud Governor Murphy and his administration for ensuring clean energy for all New Jerseyans.”“As New Jersey moves to cleaner energy sources, Governor Murphy’s strong commitment to environmental protection and economic development is critical. Rejoining neighboring states in cutting carbon pollution—with reductions consistent with those needed to stabilize the climate— will help New Jersey get back on track in addressing climate change, while creating economic opportunities.” said Mary Barber, Director, New Jersey Clean Energy for Environmental Defense Fund. “We look forward to evaluating the details of the proposal during the upcoming public comment period, and working with the Murphy Administration to help New Jersey regain a leadership role in the region.”
The DEP today filed the proposed rules in the New Jersey Register. The filing of the rules begins a public comment process that will include two public hearings on Jan. 25, 2019. The public hearings will begin at 9 a.m. and at 1 p.m. at the DEP’s headquarters, 401 East State Street, Trenton. For a map and directions, visit www.nj.gov/dep/where.htm
Written comments must be submitted by close of business on Feb. 15, 2019. The DEP encourages comments to be submitted electronically to www.nj.gov/dep/rules/comments. Each comment should be identified by the applicable New Jersey Administrative Code citation, with the commenter’s name and affiliation following the comment. Comments on paper may be submitted to:
Alice A. Previte, Esq.
Attention: Budget Trading Program Rules Proposal Docket Number and Global Warming Solutions Fund Rule Docket Number 04-18-10.
Office of Legal Affairs
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
401 E. State Street, 7th Floor
Mail Code 401-04L
PO Box 402
Trenton, NJ 08625-0402
Newark NJ, A 38-year-old Hungarian citizen, wanted in his home country for the offenses of theft and assault with a firearm, was removed from the United States on Thursday, December 6th, by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). ICE-ERO Officers turned Imre RACZ over to Hungarian authorities at the Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport.
RACZ entered the United States as a visitor on June 10, 2016, through Miami International Airport in Miami, FL. He overstayed his authorized admission of 90 days, under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
On October 10, 2018, RACZ was arrested outside his residence in Lakewood, NJ by ICE ERO officers. On the same date, ICE issued a Final Administrative Removal Order.
“This individual’s crime history in his home country shows that he is a dangerous person who warranted removal from the community and the U.S.,” said John Tsoukaris Field Office Director for ICE ERO Newark.
NEWARK NJ, Four individuals in the country illegally who have Interpol warrants based on crimes they committed in their home countries were among 105 foreign nationals taken into custody during a five-day operation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last week in New Jersey. The operation, which was spearheaded by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), targeted at-large criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants and other immigration violators and was supported by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) New Jersey Field Office.
Of those arrested during the operation, 80 percent had prior criminal convictions and/or pending criminal charges.“These outstanding results, which were made possible by our officers and law enforcement partners, highlight the tremendous commitment that ICE ERO has to public safety throughout the state,” said John Tsoukaris, Field Office Director of ERO Newark. “Our focus has been and will continue to be on arrests of illegal aliens who have been convicted of serious crimes or those who pose a threat to public safety.”
These individuals will go through removal proceedings before an Immigration Judge or for those under a final order of removal, arrangements will be made to remove them from the U.S.
The individuals arrested throughout New Jersey were nationals of Brazil (6), Canada (1), Colombia (1), Costa Rica (1), Cuba (2), Dominican Republic (10), Ecuador (4), Egypt (1), El Salvador (8), Guatemala (13), Honduras (7), Jamaica (4), Korea (2), Mexico (28), Peru (4), Philippines (1), Poland (1), Russia (1), Serbia (1), Slovakia (2), Spain (1), Taiwan (1), Trinidad (1), and Venezuela (4).
These individuals were arrested in the following counties in New Jersey: Atlantic (1), Bergen (4), Burlington (1), Camden (1), Essex (6), Gloucester (2), Hudson (24), Hunterdon (1), Mercer (12), Middlesex (10), Monmouth (14), Morris (3), Ocean (2), Passaic (11), Somerset (1), and Union (10). Also, two (2) individuals were arrested in New York. They range from age 18 to 65 years old and most were previously convicted of a variety of offenses. Some of the convictions included sexual assault on a minor, child abuse, possession of narcotics, distribution of narcotics, extortion, DUI, fraud, domestic violence, theft, possession of a weapon, robbery, promoting prostitution, aggravated assault, resisting arrest, endangering the welfare of a child, credit card fraud, insurance fraud, shoplifting and illegal reentry.
Among those arrested during this operation include:
In Palisades Park, a 59-year-old Korean national, who has an Interpol warrant to serve his sentence for the crime of indecent acts by compulsion causing bodily injury;
In Palisades Park, a 44-year-old Korean national, who has an Interpol warrant to serve his sentence for the crime of distribution of psychotropic drugs;
In West New York, a 34-year-old Ecuadorian national, who has an Interpol warrant for the crime of fraud;
In Paterson, a 54-year-old Russian national, who has an Interpol warrant for the crime of large scale fraud;
In Union City, a 35-year-old Ecuadorian national, who has a conviction of forcible touching on a child;
In Jersey City, a 35-year-old Venezuelan national, who has a conviction of distribution of narcotics;
In Union City, a 52-year-old Mexican national, who has a conviction of promoting prostitution with a child.
In New Brunswick, a 34-year-old Honduran national, who has a conviction of Endangering the Welfare of a Child;
In Bayonne, a 43-year-old Canadian national, who has a conviction of distribution of narcotics on school grounds;
In Jamesburg, a 25-year-old previously deported Guatemalan national, who was arrested for aggravated assault and possession of a weapon. An ICE detainer was lodged with Middlesex County Jail but they refused to honor the ICE detainer and released the subject;
In Toms River, a 28-year-old Egyptian national, who has three convictions for possession and distribution of narcotics;
In Jersey City, a 41-year-old Taiwanese national, who has convictions for extortion and bank fraud;
In Atlantic City, a 38-year-old Cuban national, who has a conviction for aggravated criminal sexual contact;
In New Brunswick, a 48-year-old Jamaican national, who has convictions for conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of a weapon;
In Freehold a 28-year-old El Salvadorian national, who is a member of MS-13;
In New Brunswick, a 19-year-old Mexican national, who is a member of the 18th street gang;
In Newark, a 31-year-old Mexican national, who is a member of the Surenos-13th street gang;
This operation was pre-planned and not as a result of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Directive last week limiting local and state law enforcement cooperation with ICE. ICE will of necessity have to conduct additional enforcement operations, if local police departments and county jails do not refer criminals and gang members they encounter to ICE for review and possible arrest on immigration violations.
photo courtesy of Ho-Ho-Kus Volunteer Fire Department
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
HO-HO-KUS, N.J.,The season is bright with joy! Santa Claus will be riding the fire truck with the Ho-Ho-Kus Volunteer Fire Department Sunday, December 23rd, 2018.
Residents on all borough streets will have the special opportunity to greet Santa Claus, take photos, and receive a candy cane from Santa, himself! This long standing tradition, known as “Operation Santa Sunday” will take place from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. “Neighbors Helping Neighbors.”
Trenton NJ, just a few days after the massive failure of the Murphy Administration to prepare for the area’s first major snow storm , stranding thousands of motorist ,horror stories abound of people stuck on highways for hours and hours and of kids spending the night in their schools. Tales of commuters leaving work at 4 p.m. and getting home near midnight are common. The storm effected just about everyone, even the high-and-mighty. Chris Christie tweeted that it took him nearly six hours to journey from Piscataway to his home in Mendham.
Following through on Governor Phil Murphy’s budget initiative, the Department of the Treasury today announced that it has allocated $2.1 million in supplemental funding to help provide legal representation for residents facing immigration issues.
Trenton NJ, Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-Morris, Essex, Passaic) released the following statement on Governor Murphy’s administration’s response to yesterday’s winter storm:
Ridgewood NJ, the intensity of yesterdays storm seemed to catch officials by surprise . Both New Jersey and New York officials seemed totally unprepared .
As New Jersey found itself barraged with snow on the roads, causing massive delays, angry commuters have been making their feelings towards the state’s storm response known on Facebook and Twitter, responding to Governor Murphy’s updates on his public pages.
The restoration of a house (maybe not even historical) which is a piece of junk is not merely a joke, it’s a crying shame. Have the voters in Ridgewood been offered any place to express their desire not to have this forced down their throat? It could even have been on yesterdays ballot but that might have revealed that barely anyone in Ridgewood wants this. Where is the proposed funding grant? Still lost in someone’s mind? What are we going to use it for? It’s not in “a desirable location” according to realtors about the surrounding development. West Saddle River Road is such a narrow street that it cannot be striped into 2 halves. Cars ARE going to park on the street. That will immobilize all traffic going there. How did this get authorized without the village having a say in the useless expenditure of even more money and lack of thoughtful preparation?
Trenton NJ, Phil Murphy’s hiring practices continue to come under scrutiny , a senior Murphy Administration official Joe Kelley was “investigated over an allegation he created a hostile work environment for women, and was cleared and hired, people familiar with the matter said,” according to a report issued tonight by The Wall Street Journal.
Trenton NJ, It seems like every day there is a new revelation about a misstep in management under Governor Murphy.Yesterday, we learned that an audit of the U.S. Embassy in Germany under then Ambassador Phil Murphy revealed that management wasn’t ‘proactive’ with more than 10 harassment claims.
