Trenton NJ, As part of its FY 2020 budget testimony before the Legislature today, the New Jersey Business & Industry Association has released an analysis finding that New Jersey once again has the least competitive business climate in the region with the highest corporate income tax, sales tax, income tax and property taxes. NJBIA’s 2019 Regional Business Climate report shows New Jersey’s positioning declining even further beyond last year’s last-place result due to increased taxes in 2018.
Trenton NJ, Hundreds of New Jersey residents came to Trenton Tuesday for the “March Against Murphy” in a protest against Gov. Phil Murphy, his administration and his policies.
News 12 reported that over 400 demonstrators marched from the New Jersey State House to the governor’s temporary office and then to Trenton’s World War II Memorial to express their disapproval of many of the Democratic governor’s policies. Many wore yellow construction vests as a nod to protesters in France who wore similar vets in their protests against higher fuel taxes.
NJ TRANSIT ANNOUNCES OVER $800 MILLION IN UPCOMING CONTRACTING WORK
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, NJ TRANSIT hosted a packed event with prime contractors, small businesses and disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs) today, showcasing upcoming capital construction projects, and opportunities to connect and do business with the agency. Approximately 150 people attended the event to learn more about over $800 million in contracting opportunities in capital projects that will be available in the upcoming year.
Attendees of the conference heard from NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Kevin Corbett and New Jersey State Diversity Officer Hester Agudosi, who underscored the State’s commitment to rebuilding infrastructure and investing in state-of-good-repair projects, and the commitment to diversify and build capacity in the contracting pool.
Park Ridge NJ, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced that a father and son have pleaded guilty to defrauding investors of millions of dollars through two successive scams involving sales of bogus investments. After defrauding 26 investors in the first scam, the father and son agreed to pay $5.5 million, including $4 million in investor restitution, to settle a suit filed by the New Jersey Bureau of Securities, but they then proceeded to defraud 15 of the same investors of $3 million in a second scam.
The following defendants pleaded guilty yesterday before Superior Court Judge Margaret M. Foti in Bergen County:
VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD VILLAGE COUNCIL SPECIAL PUBLIC MEETING
MARCH 27, 2019
7:30 P.M.
1. Call to Order – Mayor
2. Statement of Compliance with the Open Public Meeting Act
MAYOR: “Adequate notice of this meeting has been provided
by a posting on the bulletin board in Village Hall,
by mail to the Ridgewood News, The Record, and by submission to all persons entitled to same as provided by law of a schedule including the date and time of this meeting.”
Trenton NJ, Taking significant, historic steps toward setting regulation of adult use cannabis, strengthening the state’s medical marijuana program, expanding expungement laws to include expedited services for residents.
Senator Declan O’Scanlon said legislation fixing New Jersey’s medical marijuana program shouldn’t be tied to the fate of a separate effort to legalize the adult use of recreation marijuana.
“If we truly believe that our medical marijuana program exists to ease the suffering of very sick patients, we shouldn’t tie efforts to improve the program to the outcome of a vote on recreational use,” said O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth). “Unfortunately, it seems likely that the very real needs of medical marijuana patients will continue to be held hostage by the supporters of full legalization, who insist that the very different pieces of legislation must live or die together on the floor of the Legislature. It’s despicable.”
Freehold NJ, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced that the former chief financial officer for a nonprofit organization that provides services to individuals with autism was sentenced to prison today for stealing nearly $115,000 from the organization for his personal use.
Peter Pflug, 56, of Freehold, N.J., the former chief financial officer for New Horizons in Autism, was sentenced today to three years in state prison by Superior Court Judge Ellen Torregrossa-O’Connor in Monmouth County. Pflug pleaded guilty on Jan. 22 to a second-degree charge of theft by unlawful taking. He must pay full restitution to the organization.
“Illegals that commit horrendous crimes are finding refuge in New Jersey and today’s news report of a murderer who was deported proves that,” Pennacchio said. “This killer was hiding out in Newark. Fortunately, federal authorities deported him back to his home country so he can be tried for aggravated murder and associating with criminal organizations. The recent implementation of Attorney General’s ‘sanctuary state’ directive is putting New Jersey communities at risk and it is putting our families in danger. We must fight back.”
Ridgewood NJ, so what is it about those”Millennials” , to many adults its a generation devoid of creativity, work ethic and independent thinking . They demonstrate a general lack of understanding of the basic laws of economics and even the fundamental ability to act in their own best interest.
Upper Saddle River NJ, New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection are launching #GoGreenNJ, a social media campaign to promote simple tips that New Jerseyans can do at home to help protect the environment and reduce the impacts of climate change.
With a combined 120,000 followers on Twitter and Facebook between the First Lady and the DEP, the campaign’s messages are likely to go a long way in encouraging New Jerseyans to think differently about environmental protection.
Perhaps if you really want to clean up New Jersey you can start here in Bergen County , for over a year we have covered the story of the devastating impact of the run off from the Toll Brothers site at Apple Ridge. To date nothing as been done to protect the environment of Bergen County , not one politician or DEP official has lifted a hand . So for the talk from the Murphy Administration on “Green” New Jersey, it is nothing but talk and a ruse for tax increases.
Trenton NJ, Acting to improve health care access for New Jersey residents, Governor Murphy today announced that the State of New Jersey will move to a State-Based Health Exchange for the year 2021 .
Transitioning to a State-Based Exchange (SBE) will give the state more control over the open enrollment period; access to data that can be used to better regulate the market, conduct targeted outreach and inform policy decisions; and allow user fees to fund exchange operations, consumer assistance, outreach and advertising. By redirecting the assessment on premiums, currently paid to the federal government to utilize a Federally-Facilitated Exchange (FFE), New Jersey can operate an exchange that is tailored and efficient for New Jersey residents.
Harrison NJ, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal today announced arrests of three men in the takedown of a major fentanyl and heroin mill in Harrison, N.J., that distributed its narcotics in wax folds stamped with the same brand names that have been linked to 227 overdoses, including 84 deaths. Approximately 32,500 individual doses and four kilos of fentanyl and heroin were seized in the investigation.
The arrests were made in an ongoing investigation by the New Jersey State Police Opioid Enforcement Task Force and the Division of Criminal Justice. They were assisted by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Morris County Sheriff’s Office, Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, Cliffside Park Police, Nutley Police, Harrison Police and Newark Police.
Trenton NJ, Sen. Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth) released the following statement on Governor Murphy’s “shocking failure” to live up to his own minimum wage promise, noting that the proposed budget fails to provide the essential funding called for by the Governor:
“Just a month ago the Governor patted himself on the back as he signed the minimum wage increase bill. During today’s Senate Budget hearing, we learned that incredibly, while he was preparing this budget, the Governor failed to provide the very funding necessary to meet the increased spending obligations triggered by his new minimum wage policy,” O’Scanlon said.
Mahwah NJ, The Department of Justice today filed a Statement of Interest in U.S. District Court in New Jersey supporting claims by the Ramapough Mountain Indians (Ramapough) that the Township of Mahwah, New Jersey, violated the tribe’s rights under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Person’s Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) by interfering with religious assembly on tribal property known as “Sweet Water.”
“RLUIPA protects the rights of all religious communities to worship on their land free from discriminatory barriers and unlawful burdens,” New Jersey U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. “Our office will continue to vigorously enforce the rights guaranteed by RLUIPA and take steps to ensure that it is applied correctly in our District.”
Ridgewood NJ, The New Jersey State Children’s Chorus (NJSCC) presents “Songs of the Earth” at 4 pm on Sunday, March 24 at Ridgewood United Methodist Church, 100 Dayton Ave., Ridgewood. Admission is $10/under 18 admitted free. Tickets are on sale at www.njstatechildrenschorus.org or may be purchased at the door. There is a snow date of March 31: notices will be posted online.
The concert opens with a round by Lowell Mason, dean of American choirs, aptly titled “O Music.” Pieces celebrating the winter weather in all its glory include “I’m Walking in the Air” from the feature cartoon, “The Snowman,” and Edward Elgar’s “The Snow.” The “Lion and the Unicorn” is a 200 year old setting of a children’s poem in which the animals represent winter and spring. The children explore far-off places with “Dodi li,” a lively Hebrew setting of words from the Song of Songs and “Sakura,” a Japanese folk song about cherry blossoms. Eric Whitacre’s enchanting “The Seal Lullaby” and “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” from “Oklahoma!” round out the afternoon.
