Hackensack NJ, The Hackensack School District, as well as the mayor of Hackensack John P. Labrosse, Jr. , are working on a plan to increase security at all area schools.
Mayor John Labrosse says the town has a plan being finalized to put retired police officers in every school.The retired officers would be assigned to the middle school, four elementary schools and the pre-K program.
Hackensack High School will continue to be protected by a school resource officer, who is a current Hackensack Police Department member.
The current focus is on funding for the plan.
On March 14th Hackensack High School did not participate in the “student led walkout ” in support of the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas H.S. in Parkland, Florida , due to a security threat.
HHS Update regarding March 14, 2018
Dear Hackensack School Community,
In response to security concerns brought to the attention of Administration at Hackensack High School earlier today, Tuesday, March 13, the walk-out planned for tomorrow has been cancelled.
Instead, student organizers will share a presentation in support of the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas H.S. in Parkland, Florida, that will be streamed to all classrooms via the school TV Studio.
The safety of all students and staff is a critical priority. Any potential threat is taken very seriously. As a precautionary measure and to reassure students and staff, there will be an increased police presence at HHS tomorrow, Wednesday, March 14.
We ask all parents/guardians and community members that when you “see something” or “hear something” that concerns you, you need to “SAY SOMETHING.”
Independent Auditor Was Unable to Determine What Happened to $33 Million in State & Federal Grants, Said $475,000 in County Funds “Unlocated”
March 23, 2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ,Senator Kristin M. Corrado (R-40) said a new document provided by the non-partisan Office of Legislative Services (OLS) raises questions about financial irregularities that occurred during Acting Treasurer Elizabeth Maher Muoio’s time in local government that will need to be answered at her confirmation hearing on Monday.
Sen. Kristin Corrado said that Acting Treasurer Muoio must answer questions at her confirmation hearing about missing and mishandled money during her time as a Mercer County Freeholder. (SenateNJ.com)
“The Senate Judiciary Committee has a responsibility to carefully vet gubernatorial nominees to confirm that they’re qualified and fit for the office to which they’ve been appointed,” said Corrado, a member of the committee. “During our routine research into Acting Treasurer Muoio’s time as a Mercer County Freeholder, we were disturbed to learn that the county could not account for the receipt or appropriate use of $33 million of state and federal grants. Further, we were shocked to learn that hundreds of thousands of dollars went missing, which an independent auditor was unable to locate. Given Acting Treasurer Muoio’s indication to the Judiciary Committee that she worked ‘closely’ on budgets during her time in local office, we’d like to know if she can explain these financial discrepancies that occurred on her watch.”
The OLS memo includes a 2003 audit in which an independent auditor noted “an inability of management” at Mercer County at that time to reconcile accounts receivable, including nearly $22 million of grants authorized by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and more than $11.4 million from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The auditor noted that it was “unable to confirm these accounts receivable” or the assignment of grants to “specific projects approved” by the FAA, or, apparently, the NJDOT.
Corrado said these financial irregularities were concerning since the county’s property taxes increased by 86 percent during Muoio’s time working on the Mercer County budget.
“I’m concerned that during Acting Treasurer Muoio’s time managing Mercer County’s money, tens of millions in grants couldn’t be accounted for, nearly half-a-million dollars went missing, and county property tax bills skyrocketed,” added Corrado. “We need to know if she assumes responsibility for these irregularities, or if she overstated her involvement in managing the county’s fiscal affairs. These are questions that Acting Treasurer Muoio must be prepared to answer.”
Given the massive budget and tax increase proposal recently unveiled by the Murphy Administration, Corrado said it’s important for the Acting Treasurer to explain how her prior experience has prepared her for the responsibility of managing tens of billions of dollars of New Jersey taxpayers’ money.
“We must presume that Acting Treasurer Muoio helped to craft the Governor’s budget proposal, which includes the most spending in New Jersey history and a $1.7 billion tax increase,” Corrado concluded. “New Jersey taxpayers need assurances that the fiscal mismanagement that occurred during her watch in Mercer County won’t be repeated at the New Jersey Treasury.”
River Vale NJ, assemblywomen Holly Schepisi comments on the unfair nature of the school funding formula, “If anyone ever wants to know why I fight so hard to revamp how we fund our schools in New Jersey and why I do not believe that the current formulas are fair, here is a glimpse into the school funding numbers for River Vale and Hoboken, New Jersey. River Vale is neither a “rich” nor a “poor” community but is representative of many of the communities comprising New Jersey. The average home assessment in River Vale is approximately $550,000 and pays $13,894 in property taxes with almost 70 percent ($9,725.80) of that amount going straight to school funding. In comparison the average assessed home in Hoboken is approximately $519,000 and pays $8,035 in property taxes with only 24 percent ($1,928) of that amount going to school funding. River Vale has 1202 students and receives $550,193 or $457.73 per student per year in State Aid for its schools. Hoboken has 1,872 students and receives $10,468,870 or $5,592.35 per student per year in State Aid for its schools. Hoboken has the highest median household income in Hudson County of $114,381 and the highest concentration of millionaires in that County. If we want to talk about parity and fairness, our State’s policies need a lot of work.”
Ridgewood NJ, Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) crews and contractors will depart for Atlantic County today to help Atlantic City Electric restore power to thousands of customers affected by the fourth nor’easter this month. New Jersey’s largest utility will dispatch 132 electric line and support personnel from different locations throughout its service territory this afternoon. PSE&G already released the nearly 200 out-of-state mutual aid workers it had secured in advance of the storm to assist ACE.
The PSE&G contingent will arrive in Mays Landing, N.J. where workers will receive their assignments from ACE. They are expected to work in ACE’s service territory for the next two days.
“Although our service territory was spared the brunt of this storm, southern New Jersey wasn’t so lucky,” said John Latka, PSE&G senior vice president of electric and gas operations. “We restored power to about 7,300 customers and are now in a position to assist our neighboring utility do the same for their customers. Our employees know how important it is to get the lights back on.”
The PSE&G crews are expected to work 16-hour days to repair damaged electric lines and safely restore power to thousands of customers still in the dark from the recent storm.
ACE reached out for mutual aid — assistance that allows for the sharing of resources such as labor and equipment during emergencies. The hosting utility reimburses for associated costs.
The definition of non-partisan that people are using in these discussions isn’t accurate. Non-partisan elections are simply elections where candidates do not identify themselves as part of a political party. It has absolutely nothing to do with the particular issue being discussed. You are free to run for political office in Ridgewood as the “Pro-life, Anti-Gun, Pro-immigration” candidate you just can’t run as a “Republican.” Now it would be idiotic to run as the “Anti-gun” candidate because the village council has as much control over the gun laws as they do over the weather, but hey, if you want that to be your issue, you’re perfectly within your rights to run on that. And that is actually the point: without national parties, the issues tend to stay local not by law but because you can’t get elected without focusing on local issues.If you’re interested in snow day reading on the subject, here’s a reference: https://www2.pitt.edu/~cwb7/assets/papers/PB%2014%20article.pdf. That said, I do think that how the village government reacts to, funds security of, and otherwise supports peaceful protests is exactly the kind of issue that should be discussed among candidates. Oh, and I think any FB group that summarily dismisses non-trolling, otherwise polite members won’t be very effective at anything for very long.
Ridgewood NJ, got a few mails by readers asking what does it really mean with the Governor declares a state of emergency? We found this on the New Jersey State Police Facebook page
So, what does a State of Emergency mean? Here are a few Q & A’s provided by the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management.
Q: What does a State of Emergency mean?
A: A State of Emergency means more for the police, fire and other public safety officials responding to the event than it does for the average person. New Jersey State law (N.J.S.A. App.A:9-37) allows the Governor and County and Local Emergency Management Coordinators to declare a State of Emergency during significant weather events and natural disasters. The emergency declaration is a tool used by the government officials who are managing the emergency. It allows State agencies to quickly respond to needs of citizens, reassign personnel, and deploy vehicles, trucks, and equipment to respond to the incident. A State of Emergency allows the government to act more quickly than it can during non-emergency times.
Q: What does this mean to me?
A: When a State of Emergency is issued, State and/or local Emergency Management officials will communicate with New Jersey’s citizens through traditional media outlets such as television, radio and newspapers, and through other information channels, such as the Internet or the Emergency Alert System. Citizens should pay close attention to news reports when a State of Emergency is announced.
At times, travel restrictions are part of a State of Emergency. This is typically done to allow snowplows to clear the roads. At other times government offices may be closed, or evacuations may be recommended. A State of Emergency permits government officials to recommend specific actions that citizens should take to insure the safety of their families and homes during the emergency. Each emergency is different, and different factors will impact the decisions made by State officials in response to the incident.
Note: In response to this nor’easter a commercial vehicle travel ban was implemented as of March 20, 2018 effective 8pm by New Jersey State Police. For more information check out https://www.facebook.com/READYNEWJERSEY/photos/a.176301939053879.48503.165525506798189/2077783765572344/?type=3&theater
Q: Do I have to stay home? Am I allowed to drive?
A: By declaring a State of Emergency, the Governor urges all nonessential personnel to stay off the roads so not to interfere with law enforcement and emergency responders. An emergency declaration does not mean motorists will be ticketed for merely being on the roads, and “essential” personnel is not defined by law.
If conditions were to worsen and driving needs to be restricted for public safety reasons, the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management will alert the public using all available means, including, but not limited to: the Emergency Alert System, urgent press releases, DOT highway signs, social media and law enforcement advisories.
Large and small private businesses should make informed decisions about early closures, delayed openings, cancellations and closures based on current and impending weather conditions, emergency plans and policies of your organization, designation of essential employees, and restrictions on travel. If travel restrictions are put into place, it will limit whether or not employees can travel to your worksite.
Q: Are all State Offices closed during a State of Emergency?
A: The Governor’s declaration does not automatically close State Offices. Should it be necessary due to conditions experienced during the Emergency to scale back or close State Offices, the Governor will make an announcement to his/her Cabinet and through the media, similar to what is done during a snow storm.
Note: In response to this nor’easter all State Offices have been closed on March 21, 2018.
One more thing…..The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management does NOT make decisions about school closings. That includes colleges and universities. Those decisions are made by individual school districts.
Ridgewood NJ, After two major nor’easters earlier this month, PSE&G is preparing for a new massive storm that will hit already saturated landscapes and has the potential to bring down additional trees and power lines. PSE&G has mobilized nearly 600 mutual aid and contract employees and urges customers to remain safe.
“The landscape is fatigued, the system has been stressed and we’re expecting outages,” said John Latka, PSE&G senior vice president of electric and gas operations. “While we will be prepared to respond as quickly and safely as possible, we’re urging everyone to take precautions, particularly by staying away from and not driving over downed wires. If possible, people should stay off the road tomorrow so that our crews can do their work.”
Latka said the predicted combination of ice, snow and wind gusts could also cause motorists to veer off the road and strike utility poles. The storm, which starts tonight, is expected to last through early Thursday.
PSE&G will have personnel ready to respond to any outages and emergencies beginning Tuesday night. The utility is also ensuring that additional supplies, including poles, transformers and other pole-top equipment, are on hand. Employees work closely with county and municipal emergency management personnel to inform them of outages and expedite restoration efforts. Some 170 mutual aid line personnel are en route to assist and more have been requested. Crews are coming to New Jersey from Canada, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New York and Wisconsin. Another 115 contract line personnel and 300 tree trimmers have been secured.
PSE&G urges its customers to be cautious during and after the storm:
Downed wires should always be considered “live.” Do not approach or drive over a downed line and do not touch anything that it might be in contact with.
To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, do not run any gasoline powered engine, including generators and snowblowers, in a garage or any other enclosed space.
Customers should report downed wires or power outages by calling PSE&G’s Customer Service line at 1-800-436-PSEG. Also, customers can report outages at www.pseg.com or by texting “OUT” to 4PSEG (47734). The utility’s mobile-friendly website includes an “Outage Map” that is updated every 15 minutes and displays the location and status of power outages in PSE&G’s service area.
Ridgewood NJ, NJ TRANSIT is implementing its Severe Weather Schedule Level 1 on its rail system for Wednesday, March 21, as significant heavy, wet snow accumulation is expected throughout the state. Cross-honoring will be in effect for Wednesday, March 21 on NJ TRANSIT bus, private bus carriers, rail, light rail and PATH at Newark, Hoboken and 33rd St. in New York. Customers should check njtransit.com for updates.
A “Severe Weather Rail Schedule’’ is a limited weekday rail schedule utilized during weather events or other emergency situations. The “Severe Weather Schedules’’ were created last year for customers to clearly identify their travel options. These schedules can be found online and are also available in our printed timetables. Rail delays and cancellations are possible as the storm progresses.
All Access Link service will be suspended statewide for Wednesday, March 21.
Bus and light rail services are anticipated to operate regular weekday schedules as long as weather conditions permit. Light Rail delays and cancellations are possible as the storm progresses.
IMPORTANT: Due to the projected rapid snow accumulation in conjunction with possible local and county travel bans, there is the potential for all bus service — including bus service to/from PABT– to be suspended before the start of the afternoon rush hour. Customers should closely monitor njtransit.com, My Transit alerts, social media and broadcast news reports for the latest status of the system.
For customers of Bus Route Nos. 196/197, on Wednesday, March 21, NJ TRANSIT rail will cross-honor bus passes and tickets on the Port Jervis Line trains to/from Harriman, Tuxedo and Sloatsburg. Bus service to/from Warwick, N.Y., will originate/terminate at West Milford Park and Ride due to expected weather conditions. Bus 196 will operate on a snow detour and will not operate on Skyline Drive. Short Line Bus will not be operating for Wednesday, March 21.
NJ TRANSIT will have personnel and assets in position to address any issues that may arise during or after the storm, which is expected to bring snow totals as high as 18 inches to certain counties in northern New Jersey.
NJ TRANSIT’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will open during the early morning hours tomorrow and remain open throughout the day as key personnel monitor any impacts on the system throughout the storm’s duration.
Customers are strongly advised to monitor the status of the system by checking njtransit.com frequently. Customers are also encouraged to sign up for My Transit Alerts, which provide customized notifications via email or text message based on a customer’s preferred mode of travel. My Transit alerts can be accessed by creating a free account on njtransit.com. In addition, customers are advised to monitor
NJ TRANSIT’s social media feeds on Twitter and Facebook, as well as tune in to broadcast traffic reports for the latest information.
Important Notes:
Cross-honoring will be in effect for Wednesday, March 21 on NJ TRANSIT bus and private bus carriers, rail, light rail and with PATH at Newark, Hoboken and 33rd St. in New York. At this time, it is not anticipated that there will be cross-honoring on NY Waterway ferries.
Regular weekday service for bus and light rail will operate as long as conditions allow.
Stay connected during your commute through Facebook and Twitter. Search for rail, bus or light rail-specific Twitter accounts for the best information. While we make every effort to respond to comments posted on our social media channels, we recommend that you contact our Customer Service team directly with critical or time-sensitive issues.
Before starting your trip, visit the Travel Alerts page at njtransit.com for up-to-the-minute service information. This information is also available by calling (973) 275-5555 or from broadcast traffic reports.
Customers are encouraged to sign up for the My Transit alert system on njtransit.com, which delivers travel advisories for your specific trip to your cell phone.
Allow extra time getting to and from your destination. Use extreme caution when walking on exposed sidewalks or station platforms and when boarding trains and buses.
Listen closely to public address announcements at stations for late-breaking service information.
Five of the state’s public pension funds will still be insolvent by 2027. Murphy’s tax hike is really an effort to pay off his union vote support, it won’t help anyone in the state except his union bosses and public sector workers who already have excessive pension and healthcare benefits. Won’t last much longer as net immigration and loss of employers will accelerate under this budget. It’s easy to spend other people’s money until all of the private sector workers leave.
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Historical Society presents “THE THREAD OF LIFE—Exploring the fabric of family over the centuries through fashion and style”.
According to the Ridgewood Historical Society , “Much of our life and personal history is woven into the fabrics of an era. This exhibit recreates the intimate journey of an imagined New Jersey family as they navigate the milestones of life: birth (christening dresses), marriage (wedding gowns), and death (mourning attire)—and many familiar events in between. For this exhibit we showcase some of our most priceless antique garments, and accompany them with historic artifacts and ephemera from our own collection.”
“This is a beautiful presentation of generations of a family’s milestones illustrated by the clothing they wore and the artifacts that surrounded them. We will arrange special group tours and we encourage all teachers to bring their classes. Contact us at 201-447-3242.”
Schoolhouse Museum
650 E Glen Ave, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450
“The ban on political campaign activity by charities and churches was created by Congress more than a half century ago. The Internal Revenue Service administers the tax laws written by Congress and has enforcement authority over tax-exempt organizations. Here is some background information on the political campaign activity ban and the latest IRS enforcement statistics regarding its administration of this congressional ban.”
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
.
Civil Action No. 95-0724 (PLF)
.
BRANCH MINISTRIES, INC., et al., Plaintiffs,
v.
CHARLES O. ROSSOTTI,
Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service, Defendant.
.
Opinion
.
This case is about the decision of the Internal Revenue Service to revoke the status of plaintiff Branch Ministries as an organization exempt from taxation pursuant to 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3). Before any discovery was conducted, the government filed a motion to dismiss or for
summary judgment. Plaintiffs sought discovery on their claim that they were victims of selective prosecution, and the Court granted plaintiffs’ motion to compel. The case now is before the Court on the renewed motion of the government for summary judgment and on plaintiffs’ cross-motion for summary judgment. Upon consideration of the cross-motions, the Court concludes that the government has established that there are no material facts in dispute and that it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.
.
…
.
3. Political Expression Claims
.
Plaintiffs argue that the IRS engaged in content-based viewpoint discrimination in
violation of their Fifth Amendment right to equal protection and in violation of their First Amendment right to free speech. The Fifth Amendment equal protection claim mirrors plaintiffs’ Fifth Amendment selective prosecution claim.
.
Plaintiffs contend that the IRS targeted the Church for revocation because the Church had expressed its political views. Because plaintiffs have failed
to provide any evidence of similarly situated churches that have not had their Section 501(c)(3) status revoked, see supra at 11-14, plaintiffs’ Fifth Amendment claim fails.
.
“Congress is not required by the First Amendment to subsidize lobbying.” Regan
v. Taxpayers With Representation, 461 U.S. 540, 546 (1983). Plaintiffs contend, however, that churches are different. Plaintiffs maintain (1) that churches are open fora, (2) that the IRS decision to revoke the Section 501(c)(3) status of the Church constitutes viewpoint
discrimination, and (3) that the IRS therefore must demonstrate a compelling interest in order to
justify the revocation. See Perry Educ. Assn. v. Perry Local Educators’ Assn., 460 U.S. 37, 45-46 (1983). There are a number of problems with plaintiffs’ argument. First, it is not at all clear that private churches in fact can be deemed open public fora. See id. (citing, as examples of open fora, numerous public or government spaces).
.
Second, even if a church is an open forum, that would be irrelevant to the revocation at issue in this case. The Section 501(c)(3) status of the Church was not revoked on the basis of any expressive activity that occurred on the property of the Church, the purportedly
“open” forum. Instead, the Section 501(c)(3) status was revoked because the Church took out a full-page advertisement advocating against a partisan political candidate. In this case, the relevant forum is the channel of communication, the newspaper advertisement itself, rather than the
property of the Church, the messenger. See Cornelius v. NAACP Legal Defense and Ed. Fund, 473 U.S. 788, 800-02 (1985) (“in defining the forum we have focused on the access sought by the
speaker. . . . [where plaintiffs] seek access to a particular means of communication,” the channel of communication rather than the physical site is the relevant forum). Even if the property of the Church itself is considered an open forum and the IRS could not constitutionally revoke the
Section 501(c)(3) status of a church on the basis of statements made in the church, the IRS clearly may revoke the tax-exempt status of any organization that publishes an advertisement in
opposition to a candidate for public office. See Regan v. Taxpayers With Representation, 461U.S. at 546.
.
Finally, plaintiffs contend that the IRS viewed the Church as “militant right” and
that revocation of its Section 501(c)(3) status therefore constituted viewpoint discrimination. See Pls’ Motion for Summ. J. at 30. As discussed supra at 14-16, however, plaintiffs have
provided absolutely no evidence that the IRS revoked the Section 501(c)(3) status of the Church on the basis of its political views. Plaintiffs therefore have failed to establish a First Amendment violation. An Order consistent with this Opinion shall be issued this same day.
.
SO ORDERED.
.
PAUL L. FRIEDMAN
United States District Judge
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood JOLT is being accused of hijacking the “student led” protests with the help of a sympathetic school administration and principle Tom Gorman . The new poster boy for the group is Laurence Fine who is 14. He finished eight grade at the Solomon Schechter of Westchester and is entering ninth grade at Ridgewood High School, where he will be on the cross-country team.
He runs a politically themed Instagram account, @Democrats_for_2020, which doesn’t mention his age or name, and bills itself as “This liberal news feed supports Democrats for 2020 and resisting GOP agenda. Together, we can take back the House, Senate, and presidency!” He was instrumental in getting Alexandra Harwin to speak at the school and rounded up many kids to help on her campaign.
Ridgewood JOLT according to there Facebook page is a community organization activating citizens to JOIN ORGANIZE LEAD and TEACH. Our mission is to protect and fight for our democracy through active participation in upcoming elections, monitoring and acting on legislative activity, educating ourselves and others as to our rights and our laws, and using the power of our purse to affect change and require accountability from corporations dependent on our economic participation.
They are the same people looking to push the anti conceal and carry the , “Oppose Legislation for H.R. 38 and S. 446 – Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 ” .
The fact is it is another far left organization looking to get Paul Aronsohn and his group of unloved misfits back into control of the Village of Ridgewood and continue the job of destroying the town for profit that they started.
Paramus NJ, The Paramus Police Department is endeavoring to locate a missing person with a concern for her personal welfare. She is Paige Lattimore, a 27 year old white female, 5’7″, approx. 160-180lbs, no known clothing description. She operates a 2016 white Acura RDX with a NJ Registration of N84FPE. She was last seen around 8 am on 03/14/2018 at her residence in the southeast section of Paramus. Anyone with information is asked to call the Paramus Police Department at 201-262-3400
Hackensack NJ, contrary to the insanity in Trenton , Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco , “This evening I introduced my 2018 proposed budget to the Board of Chosen Freeholders at their work session. I am excited to announce that this year, there will be NO COUNTY TAX INCREASE and Bergen County will continue to have the second lowest county tax rate in New Jersey. This budget exemplifies my administration’s commitment to continue building a better Bergen County by investing in important programs and services while exercising fiscal responsibility.”
Wouldn’t it be so much better if an evil corporation with shareholders and customer service metrics were in charge of this? Then we could be truly outraged by poor service, higher rates and water restrictions. Now we have to take the blame ourselves because we elect people that can’t run a utility, because, well, they have never run a utility and we’re all left feeling a little ashamed of ourselves because this water company is us. Not to mention the communal joy of being sued by every town around us when we try to get paid fair value for the water we provide them. We should all back any candidate that promises to sell the water company no matter what else they support. It would be the single greatest improvement in the village’s finances we could make with the stroke of a pen, it would eliminate untold patronage and waste and then we could demand better service. If we do it before any of the shovels go in the ground we can even complain about the increased demand cause by new apartment dwellers.
