By PAUL BEDARD (@SECRETSBEDARD) • 11/23/15 11:23 AM
More than six in 10 Americans believe that the news media, followed closely by Hollywood, has a negative effect on the country, according to a new survey.
An extensive new Pew Research Center survey finds that 65 percent believe that the news media “has a negative effect on the way things are going in the country.” Some 56 percent said the entertainment industry has a negative effect.
For comparison, 51 percent believe that the Obama administration has a negative effect and 40 percent say labor unions do too.
Company’s website removed from internet after Thursday report
BY: Alana Goodman
November 23, 2015 5:00 am
The Clinton Foundation’s Colombia-based investment company was not registered as a private equity fund in the country, which may have allowed it to avoid certain industry regulations and oversight from the Colombian government.
Although Fondo Acceso described itself as a “Private Equity Fund” in company promotional materials and business presentations, it is not listed in a database of current or previously registered private equity funds maintained by the Colombian government.
Colombian legal experts consulted by the Free Beacon said that Fondo Acceso did not appear to have violated any laws by calling itself a private equity fund, as long as it was not doing so while trying to raise capital.
According to its corporate records, Fondo Acceso is registered in Colombia as a “simplified stock corporation,” which legal experts said precludes it from doing business as a private equity fund.
Fondo Acceso’s website was also removed from the internet this week, shortly after the Washington Free Beacon reported that the $20 million investment firm was owned by the Clinton Foundation and was run out of the foundation’s office in Bogota.
The website had previously described Acceso as “a Private Equity Fund that seeks investment opportunities in small and medium Colombian compan[ies] with the purpose of obtaining economic and social returns.”
Its website also included a contract for companies seeking investment to fill out, which authorized the release of financial and other internal information to Fondo Acceso and the Clinton Foundation.
Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop owes an apology to all 9/11 victims and should resign immediately!
November 23,2015
PJ Blogger and
Ridgewood NJ, for many 9/11 is a day they will always remember with a sadness but for some it was a day of celebrations . The buildings had not yet fallen , the NY Water Way Ferries will still evacuating people , crowds were gathering along the Hudson and yes some were dancing in the street waving Palestinian flags and celebrating . It happen in Jersey City and in Patterson ,in fact the police kept angry mobs from attacking them . It was witnessed by thousand of people in Hoboken and Jersey City .
The recent attempt to deny Donald Trumps comments is more COWARD historical revisionism . Many of my friends who were still alive saw it with our own eyes. Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop should learn to shut his mouth and not speak about things he is clueless . Over 200 people that I knew died on that day and as they say it is what it is and they did what they did and no amount of lying will change that period. It is vile and unconscionable to lie about the events on 9/11 and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop owes an apology to all 9/11 victims and should resign immediately! History will not be rewritten for your convenience.
COWARD Mayor blasts Trump’s claims about 9/11 response in Jersey City
NOVEMBER 22, 2015, 4:14 PM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2015, 6:56 AM
BY LINDA MOSS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop accused Donald Trump on Sunday of “shamefully politicizing” by repeatedly claiming that he saw “thousands” of people cheering on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River when the World Trade Center was destroyed by the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Ridgewood NJ, in the PDF on the Village website called “Hudson Street Parking Deck – Message from the Village Manager” . The Village manager makes the bold pronouncement that the “We have already confirmed the economics by commissioning an independent consulting firm whose work was studied and endorsed by the Financial Advisory Committee. ” . Sounds a bit bold given that the final garage decisions have not been made . The three garage options listed would involve different economic assumptions .
The three designs presented included the original structure, as depicted on VOR site, with 405 spaces (130,000sq ft), a modified version with 355 stalls (120,000sq ft) and the lowest profile version with 305 stalls (109,000 sq ft). The cost per stall decreases for each added level:
405 stalls @ $28,000 = 11.5 mil
355 stalls @ $29,300 = 10.4 mil
305 stalls @ $31,000 = 9.5 mil
You can see the higher you go the more efficient the project becomes IF, of course, those spaces are utilized.
While we have gotten many assurances that the garage will pay for it self ,Several funding options had been presented to the Council. Have decisions been reached on increasing parking rates, increasing hours of meter operation, adjusting rates for non-resident parking passes, and increasing enforcement times? Until such decisions have been made and trialed, how could we possibly have “confirmed the economics?” As they stand now, these are just assumptions made on paper by the consultant. Lets face it does anyone really know how much money the parking authority really takes in ? And what happens to all the money being currently used from the parking authority to subsidize other Village activities ?
Before we commit to spending millions of dollars based payback from projected revenue streams, let’s check some of the assumptions out in the field.
Hudson Street Parking Deck – Message from the Village Manager
Elena Mazneva
November 22, 2015 — 6:26 AM ESTUpdated on November 22, 2015 — 12:28 PM ESTComments come after Obama says that Syria’s Assad can’t stay
Terrorist threat can only be fought jointly, Russia says
U.S. actions in the Middle East helped Islamic State to gain influence, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said, according to Interfax.
The strengthening of Islamic State “became possible partly due to irresponsible U.S. politics” that focused on fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad instead of joining efforts to root out terrorism, Medvedev was cited as saying in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. President Barack Obama earlier on Sunday said that Russia is facing a strategic choice as Assad can’t stay. The Obama administration declined to comment Sunday on Medvedev’s statement.
The U.S. contributed to the strengthening of al-Qaeda, which led to the events of Sept. 11, Interfax reported, citing Medvedev. The terrorist threat can only be fought jointly, he said.
Medvedev and Obama met in the Malaysian capital at the East Asia Summit that followed a week of talks and conferences in Asia dominated by the battle against terrorism. The United Nations on Friday unanimously endorsed a resolution calling for countries to take “all necessary measures” to combat Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie on Sunday continued his assault on the White House’s approach to admitting Syrian refugees into the United States.
“The FBI director himself said they cannot vet these folks,” Christie told Jake Tapper in an interview Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
The New Jersey governor has drawn criticism for his opposition to taking any refugees in his state, even widows and “orphans under five.”
Everyone from President Obama to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio have gone after Christie for his remarks. The issue has been in the spotlight as Congress considers a bill to restrict Syrian immigration in the wake of the terror attacks in Paris.
The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has taken credit for the attacks, which killed about 130 people, and reports have since emerged suggesting at least one of the attackers may have entered Europe by using a Syrian passport.
file photo Scott Garrett at Temple Emanu-El of Closter, NJ
NOVEMBER 22, 2015 LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2015, 1:21 AM
BY SCOTT GARRETT
THE RECORD
We live in an imperfect world and there is no room for error when ensuring that incoming refugees are not a terrorist threat.
Scott Garrett, R-Wantage, represents New Jersey’s Fifth Congressional District.
RECENT ATTACKS in Paris, Mali and Beirut are horrific reminders that terrorist organizations are increasingly aggressive in their campaigns to spread death and chaos. From 2013 to 2014, deaths related to terrorism around the world have increased by 80 percent. As we mourn these senseless losses of life, we must adapt to new security threats.
Officials report that at least one of the terrorists in Paris traveled to the country by impersonating a refugee. We also know that President Obama has set the overall refugee ceiling at 85,000 total people and announced that the administration will admit 10,000 Syrian refugees over the coming year. The United States is faced with a delicate balancing act between protecting our country against those who wish us harm and ensuring that we support people who are fleeing tyranny and bloodshed in Syria.
We live in an imperfect world and there is no room for error when ensuring that incoming refugees are not a terrorist threat. Immediately following the attacks on Paris, ISIS made threats to our country — specifically targeting New York City and Washington, D.C. — that cannot be ignored. The House of Representatives is examining this national security issue, and many top officials have expressed their concerns about the vetting process.
Enhanced risks
Last month, FBI Director James Comey acknowledged that there are enhanced risks associated with bringing people to our country from conflict zones such as Syria. He said, “There is risk associated with bringing anybody in from the outside, but especially from a conflict zone like [Syria]. My concern there [about bringing Syrian refugees into the United States] is that there are certain gaps I don’t want to talk about publicly in the data available to us.”
Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson echoed Comey’s sentiment when he said, “It is true that we are not going to know a whole lot about the Syrians that come forth in this process … we know that organizations like ISIL might like to exploit this [Syrian refugee resettlement] program … the bad news is that there is no risk-free process.”
Obviously, we must reexamine our refugee program.
Safety and security
My top priority is the safety and security of the American people, and the attacks on Paris are a stark reminder that our enemies are willing to go to great lengths to commit acts of terror. Last week the House voted to fortify our refugee program by requiring supplemental certification and background investigations prior to admissions of refugees.
The bill would require the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence to unanimously certify through background investigations that a refugee is not a security threat. The bill also requires that DHS submit a monthly report to Congress on the number of refugees that are being certified, and those that are denied certification.
As Secretary Johnson and Director Comey alluded to, vetting refugees is a difficult process. One of the biggest problems when vetting refugees from Syria is our lack of diplomatic ties with their country, which means we have limited access to law enforcement information and pertinent documents. This problem is compounded by the fact that the Syrian government is in shambles and the information can be unreliable, incomplete and sometimes non-existent.
I’ve heard from countless constituents who are concerned that the United States will continue our refugee program without taking a moment to question our practices and implement safeguards to protect our country.
Lesbos (Greece) (AFP) – As the hunt for jihadists widens after last week’s Paris attacks, authorities in Greece warn it was virtually impossible to pick out dangerous extremists among arriving migrants, without prior intelligence.
“If they are not already registered in the database, it’s nearly impossible,” says Dimitris Amountzias, police captain in charge of Moria, Greece’s main registration camp on the island of Lesbos.
At the camp, dozens of migrants and refugees queue to give their fingerprints, have a photo taken and be quizzed by agents from European border agency Frontex.
It’s a seemingly detailed security check, but jihadists have already proven they can bypass it with ease.
The suspected architect of the Paris attacks that killed 130 people, 28-year-old Abdelhamid Abaaoud, escaped from Europe to Syria and returned without being detected.
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve this week suggested Abaaoud, who was killed in a police raid in Paris on Wednesday, had passed through Greece.
Ridgewood NJ, A United Flight bound for Boston with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was on board was delayed nearly six hours and each passenger was individually searched.
United Airlines Flight 1108 was supposed to take off from San Francisco at 8:32 a.m. and everyone was on the plane, preparing for takeoff. The aircraft was on the runway when the pilot announced they were returning to the gate for “operational difficulties.” ( https://www.myfoxboston.com/story/30570940/gov-christie-reportedly-threatened-on-plane-bound-for-boston )
The plane returned to the gate and they kept everyone on board for about 45 minutes. Then passengers were taken off five at a time to be checked. Every person was individually searched and some were cotton swabbed.
Gov. Christie was on the plane, heading to an event in New Hampshire. Spokesperson Maria Comella said that a passenger was removed from the plane before takeoff at the request of United Airlines, but Gov. Christie never interacted with him.
FOX25 is reporting that a male passenger was attempting to take photos of female flight crew members and someone from Christie’s staff noticed and said something.
“I’m proud of the fact that, you know, folks on my staff observed it and let the flight crew know, so all the credit goes to them, not to me,” Christie said again FOX25.
A Christie Staffer put out a press release stating , “Governor Christie, an aide and a member of his security detail were traveling on a United flight from San Francisco to Boston this morning when a passenger was removed from the plane before takeoff at the request of United Airlines,” Chris Christie campaign spokesperson Maria Comella explained in a statement. “At no point did Governor Christie interact with this passenger nor did this passenger pose a verbal or physical threat to the Governor. Any other inquiries about this matter should be directed to United Airlines.”
Ridgewood NJ, Residents are very concerned with what is going on between the Village of Ridgewood Council and the Health Barn USA, Inc.
The fact that the Habernickel property was purchased in partnership with NJ DEP Green Acres and Bergen County Open-Space funding mandates very specific rules and regulations that have been completely overlooked by the VOR. On the contrary, the VC is setting up a For Profit Corporation on the Park. This is in complete contradiction with the Green Acres rule.
The official record of the Public Hearing in Ridgewood on November 4, 2015 clearly has Tim Cronin, Director of Parks and Rec, stating that the Village will NOT be administrating the business of Health Barn.The President and CEO of Health Barn, Stacy Antine, stated that nothing will change with her website and registration methods.
Further the Health Barn Website now says that winter programs will be held at The Stable?
The following quote is from an article on NorthJersey.COM dated October 14, 2015
HealthBarn USA moving into Ridgewood house
OCTOBER 14, 2015 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2015, 9:03 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Antine said the site was ideal for her organization because the house has more classroom space than HealthBarn currently has. Also in the works are plans for a proper kitchen to have demonstrations and teach nutritional eating through learning to cook in that manner.
Another factor in the decision to come to Ridgewood was the nature of the horse farm and its conversion to an outdoor recreation area, which will allow Antine and her staff to install a children’s production garden. Antine said the facility is “perfectly matched” with the curriculum.
Residents say there is NO doubt that this is growing business and as good as it is, it does NOT belong on a neighborhood park.
There are many other issues that are being uncovered by a growing group of concerned neighbors that will be brought to the State and County level of government in the next few weeks. Issues with County OPEN-SPACE rules and regulations. Issues with the Park / Village Deed of Conservation.
This is NOT the place for a Year Round School / Camp that quite literally will put a strangle hold on the accessibility of the Park by citizens as well as make our community a traffic nightmare.
Worse yet Parks and Recs department has agreed to host Health Barn who is going to run a for profit business out of the The Stable assuming many if not most its patrons are not residents Ridgewood taxpayers are paying for the upkeep, the overhead and the oversight of Health Barn . Residents are failing to see the benefit to the Village of Ridgewood.
Rep. Scott Garrett enjoyed his recent visit to Parkway Elementary School in Paramus to discuss his job as a Congressman with the 4th grade class. As you can see by the picture, they had a lot of great questions!
Rep. Scott Garrett , “My top priority is the safety and security of the American people”Garrett Statement on the American SAFE Act
Nov 19, 2015
Ridgewood NJ, Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05) issued the following statement after voting in support of H.R. 4038, the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act.
“My top priority is the safety and security of the American people, and last week’s horrific attacks on Paris are a stark reminder that our enemies are willing to impersonate refugees and go to great lengths to commit acts of terror. Today the House voted to pause our refugee program until we can fully examine our vetting process to ensure that every refugee admitted to the United States does not pose a threat to our nation. The Syrian people seeking refuge need the continued support of the international community, and we must continue to work on a balance between helping these people and our national security. The United States is, and will continue to be, a world leader in humanitarian aid operations, and those who are suffering from unspeakable horrors at the hands of oppressors will always have our support while we work diligently to advance policies that protect our country.”
We were promised that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act would “bend the cost curve down”, and yet health insurance premiums are expected to rise by as much as 60% in 2016. What should be done to solve this dilemma? A common refrain is that since the “free market” has failed, the United States needs a Single Payer healthcare system like Canada’s.
Being a Canadian physician now living in the Minnesota, I assure you that Canada’s healthcare system is not Utopia. In my former life as Medical Director of Diagnostic Imaging for Thunder Bay Regional Hospital in Canada, for a while our wait time for an elective MRI was 13 months and for CT it was seven months. I managed to convince the hospital administration to increase MRI operational hours, and we reduced the wait to 4 months becoming the envy of the province. Doctors from other regions attempted to send us their patients. We said no. We could not accommodate the extra work because we only had one scanner for a radius of about 500 miles because that was all that the government would allow. As payer for the system, it is inevitable that the government controls the system. The incentive is to control costs, not necessarily to care for patients.
The Fraser Institute monitors wait times in Canada. As of 2014, the average wait time for medically necessary specialty care is 18.2 weeks. In the province of New Brunswick, the wait time averages 37.3 weeks. In my hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, where I still own property, the average wait for a newcomer to town to get established with a family doctor is five years, unless you have insider ties to the system.
The standard response by single payer advocates is that Canada’s healthcare system is underfunded. According to the Fraser Institute, the average Canadian family is spending 12,000 dollars per year for health coverage (buried in taxes). According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Canada per capita healthcare expenses rank sixth highest amongst 192 ranked countries.
Another rejoinder of the single-payer advocates is that “outcomes” are better in Canada. For example, according to the World Health Organization, the average life expectancy in Canada is three years longer than in the US. Many factors affect life expectancy of which the health care system is only one. Racial background is very important. According to 1999 OECD data, an Asian-American male at birth can expect to live 80.9 years, a non-Hispanic white male can expect to live 74.4 years, and an African-American male has a life expectancy of 68.4 years. More homogeneously white, Canada is a less racially diverse country than the US contributing to a higher average life expectancy. According to Sally Pipes of the Pacific Research Institute, when allowing for deaths from violent crime and traffic accidents, Americans are the longest-lived people in the Western world. According to John Goodman in “Lives at Risk”, Americans fare better than any other country when looking at individual disease states such as myocardial infarction and various malignancies.
What happens in the doctor’s office or in the hospital pales in significance to the decisions that people make in their day-to-day lives. For example, Canadians are generally less obese than Americans and there is less gun-related crime. The relationship between health care systems and population outcomes is murky, and so we cannot conflate the efficacy of a health care system with average life expectancy.
Why is it that Canada’s single payer health care system is so constipated with an onslaught of patients waiting interminably for care? There are two basic reasons that are really two sides of the same coin. They are price controls and central planning.
Of the 31 states that have declared their opposition to taking in Syrian refugees, one state, Kentucky, has a specific reason to be wary of the background check process: previously twoIraqi refugees who settled in Bowling Green turned out to be al Qaeda-linked terrorists with the blood of American soldiers on their hands, an ABC News investigation found. Both pleaded guilty to terror-connected charges after trying to acquire heavy weapons while in America’s heartland.
The 2013 ABC News investigation also revealed that several dozen other suspected terrorist bombmakers, including some who were believed to have targeted U.S. troops, may have mistakenly been allowed to move to the U.S. as Iraq and Afghanistan War refugees, among the tens of thousands of innocent immigrants.
The Obama administration insists now that Syrian refugees are subjected to intense vetting before they’re allowed to settle in the U.S. and that a vast majority of the millions of refugees the U.S. has resettled since the 1970s are normal, peaceful people, but the program has had serious security problems before. In 2009, a flaw in background screening of Iraqi refugees allowed the two al Qaeda-linked terrorists to settle in Bowling Green and led to a temporary suspension of the refugee program, officials told ABC News in a 2013 investigation.
The kids need a night out – and so do you!
No need to stress over finding a babysitter-send your kids to us and enjoy a child free evening! Don’t consider it babysitting, but a great night for them to enjoy their own age appropriate fun activities. Kids Night Out is staffed by our professional team of childcare providers who excel at creating a stress-free, fun and safe environment. Activities include a Wii console, arts & crafts, beading, games, activities, snacks and much more! Sibling discount applies. Children must wear sneakers. All YWCA activities are peanut free zones. Prices listed are per evening.
Children must be registered and all forms submitted by 5 pm on the Wednesday prior to attendance.
See ywcabergencounty.org for registration form.
To register for the 360 Membership, please call our Membership Office at 201-444-5600 x400.
Local Business Partnerships Now Available to Parents!
YWCA Bergen County is proud to partner with businesses in Ridgewood to ensure parents enjoy a wonderful evening while your children have an awesome night of their own! Offers include:
10% off at:
29 Chestnut Italian Trattoria
A Mano Neapolitan Trattoria
Lisa’s Mediterranean Cuisine
Pearl Restaurant
Super Cellers Fine Wines and Marketplace
East Coast Burger will donate 10% of your order to the YWCA Bergen County
15% off your total order at The Office Beer Bar & Grill
Ridgewood NJ, YWCA Bergen County now offers holiday babysitting for children ages 3 to 12 years at YWCA Bergen County, 112 Oak Street, Ridgewood, NJ. Holiday Babysitting is now available with dates offered through Wednesday, December 23, 2015.
Let the YWCA Bergen County’s experienced child care staff be Santa’s Helpers during the busy season! Santa’s Helpers are here to watch your children while you get those last minute shopping, wrapping, baking, cooking and appointments done in time for the holidays. It is one less thing to stress about during the holiday season! Your children will be safe and engaged at a place they know and love. YWCA’s reliable and caring staff will help put a little sanity back into your holiday season.
For ages 3 to 5 years: Holiday Babysitting is offered from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Each date of Holiday Babysitting is $30 for YWCA 360 Members ($20 for each additional sibling), $40 for YWCA Program/Swim Members ($30 for each additional sibling) and $50 for Non-Members ($40 for each additional sibling). No babysitting will be held on Friday, November 27th.
For ages 5 to 12 years: Holidays Babysitting is offered from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm on Saturdays. Each date of Holiday Babysitting is $50 for YWCA 360 Members ($40 for each additional sibling), $60 for YWCA Program/Swim Members ($50 for each additional sibling) and $70 for Non-Members ($60 for each additional sibling).
Children must be registered 48 hours prior to attendance. Registration forms are available athttps://www.ywcabergencounty.org/PLymu. For more details or to register, contact Mary at 201-444-5600 ext. 352 or [email protected].
