Trenton NJ, taxes are getting so outrageous in New Jersey even some Democrats are getting nervous . State Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-1) said he opposes a seasonal rental tax.
“This is something that I thought a lot of us had made clear, that there is an out-migration of people from New Jersey and we have to be really careful on what we do, and we really have to be careful about adding on more and more taxes and fees. New Jerseyans have been taxed, tolled and charged to death.”
The fact is there are plenty of Beaches in Driving distance that are not in New Jersey
Ridgewood NJ, Councilmen Jeffrey Voigt up and left the June 25, 2018 Village Council meeting about five hours and 43 minutes after it began. He gathered up his jacket and departed the dais in the middle of testimony from one of the Ridgewood Water Company constituents. He said nothing to any of his Council colleagues, and offered no explanation for his unceremonious departure in the midst of this very important meeting. The person who was providing testimony at the time seemed befuddled, as this departure occurred when he was mid-sentence, and asked whether Mr. Voigt would be returning. Well, the meeting continued for two more hours, and Mr. Voigt never returned. Mind you, this is one of our elected officials who is supposed to be paying attention to important issues. The other four council members stayed on until the wee hours of Tuesday morning, in spite of having young children at home, jobs to get to, and myriad other responsibilities.
On June 27, the hearing was continued starting at 7:00 PM. Councilmen Voigt never showed up. Mr. Timothy E. Shanley , an elected official from Wyckoff, voiced his complete displeasure with Councilmen Voigt’s disrespect for the process. He further indicated his intention to object if Mr. Voigt wished to vote on Ordinances 3636 and 3637 regarding rates for Ridgewood Water customers, as Voigt completely missed out on two hours of important testimony. His planned objection proved unnecessary, as Councilmen Voigt was completely absent from the June 27 meeting, discussion, and votes.
Village Council Attorney Matthew Rogers indicated that Councilmen Voigt decided to leave the June 25 meeting because he knew he would not be able to attend the June 27 meeting at which the votes would be taken; why bother to stay any longer and listen to further testimony if you are not going to vote anyway?
The staff of The Ridgewood Blog is outraged by this latest rudeness from Councilmen Voigt. He chose to run for office, and as such he has an obligation to be informed. Even if he knew he could not attend on June 27, it is still his duty to be educated on all issues facing our governing body. It sure seems as if Voigt just wanted to distance himself from a difficult vote, so he can say later on “don’t blame me, I wasn’t there.”
Voigt has repeatedly and frequently demonstrated utter disrespect for the citizens of Ridgewood and their concerns, this just being the latest from this man who is a complete and total disappointment and failure as a Ridgewood Village Councilman.
Ridgewood NJ, The public is invited to the Village Council Reorganization Meeting, scheduled for Sunday, July 1, 2018 at Noon in the Sydney V. Stoldt, Jr. Court Room. Susan Knudson and Michael Sedon will be sworn in for their new 4 year terms. Village Council members will vote to determine the offices of Mayor and Deputy Mayor for the new Village Council.
TENNIS INSTRUCTION AND SUMMER CAMPS
Registration continues for the summer session of tennis instruction with All Pro Tennis which starts next week.
Youth/Adult Instruction
Mondays – June 25, July 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30
Wednesdays – June 27, July (no 4), 11, 18, 25, August 1 and 8
(rain make ups will be announced as needed)
PreK & K – 5 to 6 pm
Grades 1 & 2 – 5 to 6 pm
Grades 3 to 5 – 6 to 7 pm
Grades 6 and up – 7 to 8 pm
Adults – 7 to 8 pm
Summer Camps
Camps, for grades 1 and up, run Monday through Thursday (Fridays are for rain makeups).
Weeks: June 25, July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, August 6 and 13
Choose from 9 to 10:30 am or 10:30 to 12 noon.
All sessions are held at the Somerville Courts on South Pleasant Avenue, Ridgewood
$120/6 week instructional session or for each camp (non-residents $130)
Participants must possess a 2018 Tennis Membership which may be purchased online via Community Pass, www.ridgewoodnj.net/communitypass.
Registration for class sessions and camps must be made in person or by mail to The Stable, 259 N. Maple Avenue. Please make checks payable to ALL PRO TENNIS. The registration form is attached for your convenience. Call the Recreation Office at 201-670-5560 with any questions or you may contact Barry Ruback, All Pro Tennis at 201-568-3946.
JOIN US FOR SUP INSTRUCTION AND ADULT BEACH YOGA AT GRAYDON POOL!
ONLY A FEW SPACES LEFT! PRICE INCLUDES REGISTRATION AND INSTRUCTION! RESIDENTS AND NON-RESIDENTS WELCOME! REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW!
Adult SUP – $200/5 sessions on Wednesdays, June 27,
July 11, 18, 25 August 1 (No July 4) 6:15-7:15pm
(non-residents $210/5 sessions)
Adult Beach Yoga – $75/5 sessions on Thursdays, June 28 July 5, 12, 19, 26 – 7:00pm-8:00pm
(non-residents $85/5 sessions)
Ridgewood NJ, an Army National Guard landed a Helicopter at the Jr.Police Academy today.The helicopter was piloted by Ridgewood Fire Department Firefighter Oscar Martinez, who serves as a Reservist in the United States Military, landed early Tuesday afternoon, 06/26, at the athletic field of the Benjamin Franklin Middle School, 335 North Van Dien Avenue, Ridgewood. The landing was scheduled in connection with the Chief Michael Feeney Jr. Police Academy being held at that location. Jr. Police Academy participants listened to Firefighter Martinez explain the helicopter’s operation and also got to tour the copter’s interior. Three (3) other Ridgewood Fire Department Firefighters who also serve as military reservists were on board the helicopter with Firefighter Martinez when it landed at the school.
Ridgewood NJ, Pro Arte Chorale will present two Summer Sings with our new and exciting Music Director, Bryan Zaros. Please join us as Bryan takes us on these lovely musical journeys:
– Monday, July 30th, “Choral Treasures”, a variety of masterpieces from Mozart, Schubert, Haydn, and Palestrina
– Monday, August 27th, “Mosaic Mass”, a selection of magnificent works from Durufle, Beethoven, Bach and Mozart.
Pro Arte warmly welcomes you to these two enjoyable evenings to experience and sing with Masetro Bryan Zaros and the Chorale! 7:30- 9:00 pm at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 155 Linwood Ave, Ridgewood, NJ. $10 admission includes score rental and refreshments. No registration required. For more information visit www.proartechorale.org; or call 201-497-8400.
Washington DC, Judicial Watch today released newly obtained internal IRS documents, including material revealing that Sen. John McCain’s former staff director and chief counsel on the Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee, Henry Kerner, urged top IRS officials, including then-director of exempt organizations Lois Lerner, to “audit so many that it becomes financially ruinous.” Kerner was appointed by President Trump as Special Counsel for the United States Office of Special Counsel.
The explosive exchange was contained in notes taken by IRS employees at an April 30, 2013, meeting between Kerner, Lerner, and other high-ranking IRS officials. Just ten days following the meeting, former IRS director of exempt organizations Lois Lerner admitted that the IRS had a policy of improperly and deliberately delaying applications for tax-exempt status from conservative non-profit groups.
Lerner and other IRS officials met with select top staffers from the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee in a “marathon” meeting to discuss concerns raised by both Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) that the IRS was not reining in political advocacy groups in response to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. Senator McCain had been the chief sponsor of the McCain-Feingold Act and called the Citizens United decision, which overturned portions of the Act, one of the “worst decisions I have ever seen.”
In the full notes of an April 30 meeting, McCain’s high-ranking staffer Kerner recommends harassing non-profit groups until they are unable to continue operating. Kerner tells Lerner, Steve Miller, then chief of staff to IRS commissioner, Nikole Flax, and other IRS officials, “Maybe the solution is to audit so many that it is financially ruinous.” In response, Lerner responded that “it is her job to oversee it all:”
Henry Kerner asked how to get to the abuse of organizations claiming section 501 (c)(4) but designed to be primarily political. Lois Lerner said the system works, but not in real time. Henry Kerner noted that these organizations don’t disclose donors. Lois Lerner said that if they don’t meet the requirements, we can come in and revoke, but it doesn’t happen timely. Nan Marks said if the concern is that organizations engaging in this activity don’t disclose donors, then the system doesn’t work. Henry Kerner said that maybe the solution is to audit so many that it is financially ruinous. Nikole noted that we have budget constraints. Elise Bean suggested using the list of organizations that made independent expenditures. Lois Lerner said that it is her job to oversee it all, not just political campaign activity.
Judicial Watch previously reported on the 2013 meeting. Senator McCain then issued a statement decrying “false reports claiming that his office was somehow involved in IRS targeting of conservative groups.” The IRS previously blacked out the notes of the meeting but Judicial Watch found the notes among subsequent documents released by the agency.
Judicial Watch separately uncovered that Lerner was under significant pressure from both Democrats in Congress and the Obama DOJ and FBI to prosecute and jail the groups the IRS was already improperly targeting. In discussing pressure from Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat-Rhode Island) to prosecute these “political groups,” Lerner admitted, “it is ALL about 501(c)(4) orgs and political activity.”
The April 30, 2013 meeting came just under two weeks prior to Lerner’s admission during an ABA meeting that the IRS had “inappropriately” targeted conservative groups. In her May 2013 answer to a planted question, in which she admitted to the “absolutely incorrect, insensitive, and inappropriate” targeting of Tea Party and conservative groups, Lerner suggested the IRS targeting occurred due to an “uptick” in 501 (c)(4) applications to the IRS but in actuality, there had been a decrease in such applications in 2010.
On May 14, 2013, a report by Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration revealed: “Early in Calendar Year 2010, the IRS began using inappropriate criteria to identify organizations applying for tax-exempt status” (e.g., lists of past and future donors). The illegal IRS reviews continued “for more than 18 months” and “delayed processing of targeted groups’ applications” in advance of the 2012 presidential election.
All these documents were forced out of the IRS as a result of an October 2013 Judicial Watch Freedom of Information (FOIA) lawsuit filed against the IRS after it failed to respond adequately to four FOIA requests sent in May 2013 (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Internal Revenue Service (No. 1:13-cv-01559)). Judicial Watch is seeking:
All records related to the number of applications received or related to communications between the IRS and members of the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate regarding the review process for organizations applying for tax exempt status under 501(c)(4);
All records concerning communications between the IRS and the Executive Branch or any other government agency regarding the review process for organizations applying for tax exempt status under 501(c)(4);
Copies of any questionnaires and all records related to the preparation of questionnaires sent to organizations applying for 501(c)(4) tax exempt status.
All records related to Lois Lerner’s communication with other IRS employees, as well as government or private entity outside the IRS regarding the review and approval process for 501 (c)(4) applicant organizations.
“The Obama IRS scandal is bipartisan – McCain and Democrats who wanted to regulate political speech lost at the Supreme Court, so they sought to use the IRS to harass innocent Americans,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “The Obama IRS scandal is not over – as Judicial Watch continues to uncover smoking gun documents that raise questions about how the Obama administration weaponized the IRS, the FEC, FBI, and DOJ to target the First Amendment rights of Americans.”
Ridgewood NJ, the Ridgewood Board of Education will host its regular public meeting at 5pm on Monday the 25th of June at the Education Center.
At all regular meetings, two opportunities are provided for citizens to make comments. The public comment periods will be scheduled after presentations and approximately 6:00 p.m. or just prior to the end of the meeting, whichever occurs first. The first opportunity may be limited by the presiding officer to conclude at about 5:30 p.m. in order for the Board to continue with its scheduled agenda. The second opportunity will occur at about 6:00 p.m. at the discretion of the presiding officer taking into consideration a break point in the agenda.
At every opportunity for public comment, citizens are invited to comment on subjects on the agenda or general topics.
At the discretion of the presiding officer, public comments may be permitted at other times. Persons wishing to speak must, upon being recognized, rise, sign in, and state their names and addresses. Each speaker shall be limited to four minutes. The Board Recorder will note the time. A speaker who has not finished in the allotted time will be directed by the presiding officer to summarize quickly and relinquish the floor within 30 seconds.
Comments shall be limited to issues. If personal remarks or discourteous statements are made, the presiding officer shall require the speaker to stop. No person will be recognized for a second time until all others asking to speak have been heard.
Trenton NJ, Two California men who were arrested in Mercer County, New Jersey, with over 50 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and nine kilograms of heroin appeared Wednesday in Trenton federal court, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced, following a following a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark investigation, which also included N.J. State Police, and Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division.
Gabriel Acosta Villa, 29, of Lake Forest, California, and Oscar Perez Jr., 23, of Santa Ana, California, are both charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. They appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lois H. Goodman and were detained.
According to the complaint:
On June 17, 2018, law enforcement officers received information that a commercial truck driver and his accomplice planned to sell approximately 50 pounds of crystal methamphetamine to a buyer in the Trenton area. Law enforcement officers set up surveillance near the parking lot of a Robbinsville, New Jersey, restaurant and observed Acosta walking through the parking lot with two large bags. After Acosta entered a nearby vehicle, law enforcement officers stopped the vehicle and discovered 51.31 pounds of a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine.
After detaining Acosta, law enforcement officers searched the area and discovered Perez walking alone near the loading docks of a nearby hardware store. A large white tractor trailer was parked nearby with the engine still running. A subsequent search of the tractor’s cab uncovered 9.5 kilograms of a substance that tested positive for heroin.
Both defendants face a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine.
U.S. Attorney Carpentio credited special agents of HSI Cherry Hill, under the direction of Resident Agent in Charge Richard Reinhold, and overseen by Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Michael of HSI Newark, and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Valerie A. Nickerson in Newark, with the investigation. He also thanked officers of the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan, for their assistance.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Lorber of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
Ridgewood NJ, according to Rasmussen Reports , most voters blame the parents of the separated children at the border for the latest illegal immigration crisis, not the federal government.
When families are arrested and separated after attempting to enter the United States illegally, 54% of Likely U.S. Voters say the parents are more to blame for breaking the law. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that only 35% believe the federal government is more to blame for enforcing the law. Eleven percent (11%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
To help understand the current political debate over the children issue, a closer look shows that 82% of Republicans and 56% of voters not affiliated with either major political party feel the parents are more to blame for breaking the law. But 60% of Democrats say the government is more to blame for enforcing the law.
Seventy-five percent (75%) of Democrats think the Trump administration is too aggressive in trying to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States, a view shared by only 23% of Republicans and a plurality (46%) of unaffiliated voters.
Among all voters, 49% say the administration is too aggressive trying to stop illegal immigration. Twenty-five percent (25%) say it’s not aggressive enough, while 21% view the administration’s policies as about right.
Fifty-four percent (54%) agree with President Trump when he says, “The United States will not be a migrant camp. And it will not be a refugee-holding facility – it won’t be.” Thirty percent (30%) disagree, while 16% are undecided.
Washington DC, Approximately half (51.4 percent) of the nation’s 531 counties that were getting younger between April 2010 and July 2017 were in the Midwest, according to newly released 2017 population estimates. Out of the counties that were getting younger, the South also had a high proportion (32.4 percent) of the counties that experienced a decrease in median age — the age where half of the population is younger and the other half is older— followed by the West (14.1 percent), and the Northeast (2.1 percent).
“Nationally, almost 17 percent of counties saw a decrease in median age from April 2010 to July 2017. The majority of the counties getting younger were in the Midwest, and of these counties with 10,000 people or more in July 2017, some of the largest decreases were in North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska,” said Molly Cromwell, a demographer at the U.S. Census Bureau. “Williams County, N.D., had the largest decrease in median age, declining by 7.1 years.”
Despite the decrease in median age in many of the Midwest’s counties, a majority of counties in the country continued to grow older. The nation as a whole experienced a median age increase from 37.2 years to 38.0 years during the period 2010 to 2017. This continued aging of the country is consistent with the projected changes to the nation’s population through 2060.
“Baby boomers, and millennials alike, are responsible for this trend in increased aging,” Cromwell said. “Boomers continue to age and are slowly outnumbering children as the birth rate has declined steadily over the last decade.”
Last year, Florida had the largest percentage of seniors (age 65 and older) with 20.1 percent, followed by Maine (19.9 percent) and West Virginia (19.4 percent). Maine also saw its median age increase to 44.7 from 42.7 years old in 2010, making it the state with the highest median age.
On the other hand, Utah had the smallest percentage of its population age 65 and older (10.8 percent), followed by Alaska (11.2 percent) and the District of Columbia (12.1 percent). Utah is also the state with the lowest median age (30.9 years).
View our graphics on change in median age from 2010 to 2017 at the county level and the median age in 2017 to see how the nation has changed.
Population Continues to Become More Diverse
At the same time that the U.S. population becomes older, it also is becoming more diverse by race and ethnicity. Nationally, the population of all race and ethnic groups, except for the non-Hispanic white alone group, grew between July 1, 2016, and July 1, 2017. View our graphic on the age and race distribution from 2010 to 2017 to see how the nation has grown more diverse. References below to the race and ethnic compositions of county populations apply only to those counties with a total population of 10,000 or more.
The Hispanic population increased 2.1 percent to 58.9 million.
The black or African-American population increased 1.2 percent to 47.4 million.
The Asian population increased 3.1 percent to 22.2 million.
The American Indian or Alaska Native population increased 1.3 percent to 6.8 million.
The Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander population increased 2.1 percent to 1.6 million.
The population of those Two or More Races increased 2.9 percent to 8.7 million.
The white alone-or-in-combination population increased 0.5 percent to 257.4 million.
The non-Hispanic white alone population decreased .02 percent to 197.8 million.
The Hispanic Population (All Races)
The Hispanic population made up 18.1 percent of the nation’s total population in 2017, primarily due to natural increase (the difference between births and deaths).
California had the largest Hispanic population (15.5 million), and Texas saw the largest numeric increase in Hispanic population (234,000 people).
Los Angeles County, Calif., had the largest Hispanic population of any county (4.9 million), and Starr County, Texas, had the highest percentage of Hispanics with 96.3 percent.
The Black or African-American Population
Texas had the largest black or African-American population (3.8 million) and the District of Columbia had the highest percentage of the black or African American alone-or-in-combination population (48.8 percent).
Cook County, Ill., had the largest black or African-American population of any county (1.3 million).
Clark County, Nev. had the largest numeric increase of black or African-American population of any county (14,000). There were 104 counties nationwide that had a majority black or African-American population, led by Holmes County, Miss. (83.2 percent).
The Asian Population
Asians were the fastest-growing racial group in the nation. Their increase is primarily due to net migration.
California had the largest Asian population (6.8 million).
Hawaii was the only state where the Asian population represented a majority of the population (57.1 percent).
The American Indian or Alaska Native Population
California had the largest American Indian or Alaska Native population (1.1 million), and Alaska had the highest percentage (20.0 percent).
Los Angeles County, Calif., had the largest American Indian or Alaska Native population of any county at 233,000.
Oglala Lakota County, S.D., had the largest percentage of the American Indian or Alaska Native population (93.9 percent).
The Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander Population
The median age of the Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander population increased the most of any race group (2.3 years), rising from 26.4 years old in April 2010 to 28.7 years old in July 2017.
Hawaii had the largest number (382,000) and proportion (26.8 percent) of the Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander population.
Honolulu County, Hawaii, had the largest Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander population (245,000) in 2017. Clark County, Nev., had the largest numeric increase for the Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander population (1,400) in 2017.
The Two or More Races Population
Those who identify as two or more races made up the second-fastest growing race group (2.9 percent) in the nation. Their growth is due primarily to natural increase.
The two or more races group had the youngest median age of any other race group at 20.4 years.
California had the largest two or more races population (1.5 million) and Hawaii had the highest proportion (23.8 percent).
White Alone-or-in-Combination and the Non-Hispanic White Alone Population
The non-Hispanic white alone group was the only race group to experience population decline between 2016 and 2017 (-0.02 percent). Of all the alone-or-in-combination race groups, the white alone-or-in-combination group grew the slowest (0.5 percent).
Both the non-Hispanic white alone and white alone-or-in-combination populations had the highest median ages compared to the other race groups at 43.5 years and 39.2 years, respectively. The non-Hispanic white alone population is projected to continue aging and declining, with one-third of children projected to be non-Hispanic white alone by 2060, as compared to over one-half projected to be older adults.
The four states with the largest percentage of non-Hispanic white alone populations: Maine (93.3 percent), Vermont (92.9 percent), West Virginia (92.2 percent) and New Hampshire (90.5 percent) are also the four oldest states by median age with 44.7, 42.9, 42.5 and 43.1 years old, respectively.
This is the last of the population estimates for 2017. Previous estimates include national, county, metro area, city and town population estimates. The population estimates as of July 1, 2017, do not reflect displacement or other migratory changes to the nation’s population due to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria in August and September 2017. For information on how the country is projected to change through 2060, view our previous release, Older People Projected to Outnumber Children for First Time in U.S. History.
Tenafly NJ, Tenafly Police Department issue a **** PHONE SCAM ALERT ****Within the last hour we were fortunate enough to stop a scam attempt after a resident came into our headquarters, frantically claiming that her grandson had been arrested in New York City. The elderly resident had just received a phone call from someone claiming to be from the “NYPD 2nd Precinct”, telling her to purchase $1500 in Walgreens gift-cards to pay her grandson’s bail. The resident had already gone to the bank and had the cash in her hands when she made a smart decision to stop at our department to “double-check” if this was the best way to help her grandson. Luckily, we were able to verify that her grandson was fine and that these callers were indeed the lowest-of-low criminals who prey on our most vulnerable populations. These unscrupulous criminals prey on unsuspecting victims by pretending to be members of law enforcement, public utility workers, or other trust-worthy professionals.
Please take time to discuss these types of scams with anyone in your family who you feel may be a potential victim. Remember: Always question why a legitimate business, law enforcement agency, or other suspicious caller would need you to “immediately” purchase gift cards or wire money through Western Union to pay for a relative’s bail, “utility service restoration” charges for your home, or other highly suspicious or unverifiable fees. If you ever have a question about the authenticity of someone claiming to be in law enforcement, or other public sector profession, please call your local police department to verifty their identity before you transfer any money.
Ridgewood NJ, Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G) today filed for a decrease in residential gas bills that would take effect this fall for the winter heating season.
While the proposed lower gas rates would take effect later this year, bills for PSE&G’s residential electric customers are dropping 1.9 percent today just in time for summer. The lower electric bills are the result of the Basic Generation Service auction held in February for customers who receive their electric supply from PSE&G. The typical customer who uses 750 kilowatt-hours per summer month and 7,200 kilowatt-hours annually will pay $2 less per month, or $24 less per year.
Under the gas supply filing made today, a residential gas heating customer who uses 165 therms in a winter month and 1,010 therms annually would pay about $1 less in a winter month or about $12 less per year.
Residential gas bills are 50 percent lower than they were in 2008. Under the proposal, the rate residential customers pay will decrease to 35 cents from 37 cents per therm. PSE&G has also requested to increase its Balancing Charge, which recovers the costs of providing storage and peaking services, to 10 cents from 9 cents per therm.
“We work hard to keep our bills as stable as possible for customers,” said Jorge Cardenas, vice president of asset management and centralized services. “The cost of natural gas is still historically low when compared to a decade ago, and costs for the 2018-2019 period have decreased further.
“Overall gas prices are lower due to increased production levels, as compared to last year,” Cardenas said. “These historically high production levels are resulting in abundant gas supplies to meet market needs. All of these factors — combined with PSE&G’s ability to efficiently manage our gas supply contracts and purchases– result in further savings that we are pleased to pass along to customers.”
Cardenas added, “During the past nine years, PSE&G has provided significant savings to our customers as the cost of natural gas has steadily dropped. As a result, the typical customer will pay about $844 less per year than they did in 2008 – in addition to monthly bill credits that have been implemented in the last few years.”
PSE&G makes no profit on the sale of natural gas, passing along what it pays to its customers. If the price of natural gas increases, the BPU allows the state’s natural gas utilities, including PSE&G, to recover those costs. Conversely, reductions in the gas supply price may be implemented at any time if market conditions warrant.
