Artists sought for display at Ridgewood Village Hall
February 6, 2015
A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of announcing the revitalization of the Ridgewood Arts Council (RAC). We made note of the wonderful new community arts calendar offered by RAC which allows Ridgewood-based organizations to post all arts-related events on one site and for Ridgewood residents to look up these wonderful events by date (rac.ridgewoodnj.net). We hope the entire community will utilize this fantastic planning tool.
We are now proud to provide more information on RAC’s installation of a permanent art display throughout Ridgewood’s Village Hall. The purpose of this installation, entitled Ridgewood Art at Village Hall, will be to celebrate the artistic talent among our residents — past and present. Any Ridgewood artist (16 and older please) who would like to donate a piece of art to the permanent installation at Village Hall can send an email to [email protected] (subject line: RAC Art Donation). Art submissions can include fine art, photography, textiles, mobile art and sculpture and can be from anyone who has lived or taught in Ridgewood, currently or in the past. Each respondent will receive complete submission information and selection guidelines by return email. Deadline for final application submissions is March 31, with all artists notified of selection or decline by June 15. Again, the intent of this installation is to celebrate the wealth of talent offered by the Ridgewood-related art community. It has the potential to be inspiring and spellbinding for generations to come and we urge all Ridgewood-related artists to participate.
Of course, nothing happens without the hard work of volunteers and generous donations from patrons. To support the arts in Ridgewood by becoming a patron of RAC, please make checks payable to: The Ridgewood Arts Foundation Inc., P.O. Box 183, Ridgewood, NJ 07451 or go to our website (rac.ridgewoodnj.net) and donate by using the Paypal button. Donations will be used to support ongoing community arts programs, for RAC to host its own arts-related programs and, eventually, to offer scholarships for Ridgewood students. As a token of appreciation, all patrons donating $100 or more to Ridgewood Arts Foundation will be invited to a special Patron/Artist Preview Reception at RAC’s gala launch of Ridgewood Art at Village Hall in autumn 2015. Anyone interested in joining the RAC volunteer board, please email [email protected] (subject line: RAC Board Member Info).
February 6, 2015 Last updated: Friday, February 6, 2015, 12:31 AM
The Ridgewood New
Super Science Saturday, the annual celebration of science and technology, will take place from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28 at Ridgewood High School. The event, now in its 27th year, is free and open to all members of the public.
Scientists from the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia will present one of the day’s featured shows, “Chemistry,” that demonstrates everything from substances that explode (safely) to chemical “detective work” performed by laboratory scientists. The half-hour show begins at 9:30 a.m. and is presented by former Ridgewood High School graduate Sarah Rowley.
The event also has interactive exhibits from dozens of professional and amateur scientists, including 3D printers, solar telescopes, drones, robotics, the environment, health and medicine, physics and the technology used by Ridgewood’s police, fire and EMT professionals.
Parlance Chamber Concerts presents David Finckel, Cello and Wu Han
World-renowned piano/cello duo to play in Ridgewood
February 6, 2015 Last updated: Friday, February 6, 2015, 12:31 AM
The Ridgewood News
Michael Parloff’s Parlance Chamber Concerts’ fourth event of the 2014-15 season will take place this coming Sunday afternoon, Feb. 8, at 3 p.m. at West Side Presbyterian Church in Ridgewood. Michael Parloff provided our readers with some background on the musicians and the program.
The concert will feature the esteemed cello-piano duo of David Finckel and Wu Han. Hailed as “2012 Musicians of the Year” by the magazine “Musical America,” the husband-and-wife team ranks among the most dynamic and influential forces in classical music today
David Finckel was the first American protégé of the legendary Russian cellist/conductor, Mstislav Rostropovich. In celebration of his close, longtime relationship with the revered master musician, he and Wu Han have designed a special recital entitled Russian Reflections. The concert will feature three groundbreaking 20th-century cello sonatas, culminating in Rachmaninoff’s beloved Sonata in G Minor.
Parlance Chamber Concerts presents David Finckel, Cello and Wu Han, Piano in a concert which tells the gripping story of 20th century Russian music – Sunday, February 8 at 3PM at West Side Presbyterian Church, Ridgewood, NJ. Tickets and information: 800/838-3006 or at the door.
Fraud outbreak hits TurboTax
By: Matt Krantz February 6, 2015 11:23 am
TurboTax has turned off the ability of its software to e-file state tax returns Thursday after the company found “an increase in suspicious filings,” the company said today.
The tax-preparation software company has found an increase in criminal activity where stolen personal data is used to file fake state returns with state authorities. This illegal act allows fraudsters to claim tax refunds from state governments.
An internal TurboTax investigation has found the breaches are not due to a problem with its own systems, but criminals digging up the personal information elsewhere. The company said the investigation is ongoing. Intuit says it’s working with state tax officials to get the e-filing security back to where it needs to be to turn it back on. TurboTax customers who already e-filed their state returns don’t have to do anything. The returns will be transmitted again when the problem is resolved, TurboTax says.
The e-filing halt only affect state returns. Federal tax returns can still be filed electronically.
Ridgewood Resident Hit by Phone Scam
February 6,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood police report that on January 29, 2015 a Ridgewood resident reported getting a call from “American National Award” stating that she had won a cash award. The caller advised that she needed to wire money in order to receive her winnings. The victim complied and sent $539.00 to the caller. The matter is under investigation by the Ridgewood Detective Bureau.
Often, scammers who operate by phone don’t want to give you time to think about their pitch; they just want you to say “yes.” But some are so cunning that, even if you ask for more information, they seem happy to comply. They may direct you to a website or otherwise send information featuring “satisfied customers.” These customers, known as shills, are likely as fake as their praise for the company.
Here are a few red flags to help you spot telemarketing scams. If you hear a line that sounds like this, say “no, thank you,” hang up, and file a complaint with the FTC:
You’ve been specially selected (for this offer).
You’ll get a free bonus if you buy our product.
You’ve won one of five valuable prizes.
You’ve won big money in a foreign lottery.
This investment is low risk and provides a higher return than you can get anywhere else.
You have to make up your mind right away.
You trust me, right?
You don’t need to check our company with anyone.
We’ll just put the shipping and handling charges on your credit card. (https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0076-phone-scams)
IRS Warns of Pervasive Telephone Scam
IR-2013-84, Oct. 31, 2013
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today warned consumers about a sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, throughout the country.
Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. If the victim refuses to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting.
“This scam has hit taxpayers in nearly every state in the country. We want to educate taxpayers so they can help protect themselves. Rest assured, we do not and will not ask for credit card numbers over the phone, nor request a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer,” says IRS Acting Commissioner Danny Werfel. “If someone unexpectedly calls claiming to be from the IRS and threatens police arrest, deportation or license revocation if you don’t pay immediately, that is a sign that it really isn’t the IRS calling.” Werfel noted that the first IRS contact with taxpayers on a tax issue is likely to occur via mail
Other characteristics of this scam include:
Scammers use fake names and IRS badge numbers. They generally use common names and surnames to identify themselves.
Scammers may be able to recite the last four digits of a victim’s Social Security Number.
Scammers spoof the IRS toll-free number on caller ID to make it appear that it’s the IRS calling.
Scammers sometimes send bogus IRS emails to some victims to support their bogus calls.
Victims hear background noise of other calls being conducted to mimic a call site.
After threatening victims with jail time or driver’s license revocation, scammers hang up and others soon call back pretending to be from the local police or DMV, and the caller ID supports their claim.
If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, here’s what you should do:
If you know you owe taxes or you think you might owe taxes, call the IRS at 1.800.829.1040. The IRS employees at that line can help you with a payment issue – if there really is such an issue.
If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to think that you owe any taxes (for example, you’ve never received a bill or the caller made some bogus threats as described above), then call and report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1.800.366.4484.
You can file a complaint using the FTC Complaint Assistant; choose “Other” and then “Imposter Scams.” If the complaint involves someone impersonating the IRS, include the words “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes.
Taxpayers should be aware that there are other unrelated scams (such as a lottery sweepstakes) and solicitations (such as debt relief) that fraudulently claim to be from the IRS.
The IRS encourages taxpayers to be vigilant against phone and email scams that use the IRS as a lure. The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels. The IRS also does not ask for PINs, passwords or similar confidential access information for credit card, bank or other financial accounts. Recipients should not open any attachments or click on any links contained in the message. Instead, forward the e-mail [email protected].
More information on how to report phishing scams involving the IRS is available on the genuine IRS website, IRS.gov.
The White House Won’t Reveal Who Attended Obama’s Secret Meeting With Muslim Leaders
President Obama met with American Muslim leaders this afternoon, according to the White House schedule, but so far the administration is unwilling to reveal who attended the meeting, which was closed to the press.
The White House released a readout of the meeting explaining that Obama discussed “a range of domestic and foreign policy issues” including Obamacare, police fairness, anti-Muslim discrimination, and the upcoming Summit on Countering Violence Extremism.
“The President discussed the need to continue countering ISIL and other groups that commit horrific acts of violence, purportedly in the name of Islam,” the readout continued.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest defended the meeting during his daily press briefing, pointing out that it wasn’t “unusual” for the president to meet with “a wide variety of communities from across the country.”
“Sometimes that includes religious leaders; sometimes that includes leaders that are involved in academia or other specific issue areas,” he explained.
But the White House was unwilling to release the names of leaders who attended the meeting.
A request to the White House for a list of names of those who attended the meeting was not returned.
According to the readout, Obama thanked the visitors noting that “his regular interactions with different faith communities provided him with valuable insights and feedback.”
“There is as much as a $4 trillion gap between what states have promised its public workers in retirement pensions and what has actually been set aside and invested in order to pay for them.
What would you do to solve the pension crisis?”
Most realize the problems, but they don’t want tax increases or spending cuts to fix them.
Scott Shackford | February 6, 2015
There is as much as a $4 trillion gap between what states have promised their public workers in retirement pensions and what they’ve actually set aside and invested in order to pay for them. There are enough reasons this has happened to count as a survey question on the most boring episode of Family Feud ever—states and cities didn’t set aside enough money, employees didn’t contribute enough, and guaranteed investment returns are overestimated, among many other problems.
But what does the average American think about the pension crisis and what would they do? A small number of communities like Phoenix, Arizona, and San Jose, California, have put pension reform in the voters’ hands, with mixed results. In our latest Reason-Rupe poll, we decided to focus almost entirely on the pension crisis, asking Americans how seriously they view the problem and what sort of trade-offs they would accept to fix it.
Yes, Americans Are Concerned About the Pension Crisis
Pension worriers will be pleased to hear that Americans are at least paying attention. A full 72 percent of those polled are either “very” or “somewhat” concerned about state and local governments’ ability to fund the pensions they’ve promised to public employees. A similar number (74 percent) are concerned that state or local governments will raise taxes in the future in order to meet these pension obligations. When asked to prioritize dealing with the pension crisis, 35 percent said pension reform should be a top priority, while 41 percent said pension reform should be an important but lower priority.
Actually tackling the pension crisis is a much more complicated affair. The poll asked participants to consider a host of different possibilities—raising taxes, reducing services, capping maximum pension payments, requiring workers to pay more, and transferring public employees to 401(k)-style defined contribution plans, rather than guaranteed pensions.
The most consistent response is probably also the most obvious: Americans want pension reform solutions that push public employees to play a greater role in their own retirements rather than relying on taxpayers to bail them out. Those surveyed were significantly opposed to raising taxes (74 percent) or cutting government services (77 percent) in order to fix funding problems with public employee pensions. Instead, when given a list of choices, participants strongly supported (82 percent) requiring public employees to contribute more to their own retirement funds. When asked to rank potential solutions, “Require current employees to contribute more toward their own pensions and benefits” blew every other option out of the water with 63 percent of the vote as the first choice. No other option even hit double digits.
But that list of solutions assumed states and cities would keep the existing pension systems and salvage them. The Reason-Rupe poll also asked whether participants would like to switch public employees from pension funds to 401(k)-style defined contribution retirement funds. The answer was yes. The poll asked participants whether they would favor such funds for current public employees and a separate question for just future hires. In both cases, the majority said yes, but support for shifting over future employees was notably higher (67 percent) than for current employees (59 percent).
But when comparing the two types of retirement systems in different ways, differences in responses were notable. The poll asked participants a question where the benefits of switching to a 401(k)-style plan were described (“401k style programs give employees the flexibility to take the plan with them from job to job and are less costly to the taxpayer”) as well as the concerns about switching to a such a plan (“benefits would not be guaranteed and would depend on how well the employees saved and how the market performed”). When those descriptions were used to ask whether they supported or opposed a shift to 401(k)-style programs, 66 percent still supported the shift. But when asked to consider a shift to 401(k)-style programs given only the concerns, support dropped to 50 percent. And when people polled are asked if they’d support shifting to 401(k)-style programs if it meant “breaking a contract made with public employees when they first accepted their jobs,” support plummets down to 38 percent. When asked to trade off a shift to 401(k)-style programs with either raising taxes or reducing services to pay for retirement, support for 401(k) programs climbed back up (66 percent and 59 percent). Those polled even opposed increasing taxes or reducing government services in order to pay the current pension benefits for already retired employees.
The lesson here: Americans don’t necessarily want to break an agreement with public employees or push them into retirement plans where the future benefits are not guaranteed, but they are willing to do so in order to avoid additional tax increases or reductions in government services.
“But what do the millennials think?” You may ask. Do they understand the crisis they’re getting themselves into as they take up a larger and larger chunk of the workforce? Yes and no. Those polled under the age of 30 do have concerns, but the numbers are more muted than for older generations. The number of millennials who say they’re concerned about pension funds drops down to 59 percent, and they’re less likely to see dealing with pension problems as a top priority (only 25 percent). Nevertheless, millennials also supported shifting public employees to 401(k) plans and requiring employees to contribute more into their retirement plans. Variations in responses by millennials may indicate more that they have less experience in these workplace issues or with dealing with taxation impacts rather than any sort of generational differences. For example, millennials were more likely to believe (34 percent) that public employee and private employees received fundamentally the same retirement benefits, something older workers know is untrue (public employees are widely understood to generally get better retirement benefits). They were also the only age group where a majority (59 percent) believed that pension calculations for retiring employees should be increased by using unused sick time, vacation pay, and specialty pay, a system that has led to the abuse known as “pension spiking,” with public employees getting six-figure annual pension guarantees. When we break down the millennial age demographic further, millennials’ attitudes start to shift toward the overall average the older they are, more closely aligning with the over-30 crowd.
Public Employees Are Not in Complete Denial
The poll asked respondents whether they worked in the public or private sector (or if they were retired from the public or private sector) so their responses could be compared. Public employees accounted for 17 percent of the working respondents and 36 percent of the retired respondents. Public employees are certainly paying attention to the impacts of bankruptcy in cities like Detroit and Stockton, California. Public employees are more concerned (80 percent) about the state of pensions than private employees (67 percent). It’s understandable they’re concerned, since they are the most directly affected should their cities or states fail to address underfunding.
Pelosi: Members Won’t ‘Boycott’ Netanyahu Speech. But They Might Be too Busy to Go.
Reps. John Lewis and G.K. Butterfield will skip the address, and Pelosi noted that lawmakers have packed schedules.
By Alex Brown
February 5, 2015 There will be no “boycott” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before Congress next month, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Thursday.
But while she downplayed reports of an organized protest, she suggested some lawmakers might just be too busy to attend. And at least two Democrats have already decided they won’t be on hand.
“I don’t think anybody should use the word ‘boycott,'” Pelosi said in her weekly press conference. “When these heads of state come, people are here doing their work, they’re trying to pass legislation, they’re meeting with their constituents and the rest. It’s not a high-priority item for them.”
The Netanyahu address has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats, who view the invitation from House Speaker John Boehner as a means of undermining the Obama administration’s nuclear negotiations with Iran. The Israeli leader, many congressional Republicans, and some Democrats favor increased sanctions, but Obama has asked them to hold off until member nations of the U.N. Security Council can try to deter Iran’s nuclear ambitions at the bargaining table.
64% of reporters say Feds spying on their email, calls, online searches
By Paul Bedard | February 5, 2015 | 5:28 pm
In a survey of investigative reporters that makes Richard Nixon’s enemies list look like child’s play, nearly seven in 10 said they believe that the Obama administration has spied on their phone calls, emails and online searches.
According to a Pew Research Center survey of 454 media figures, 64 percent “believe that the U.S. government has probably collected data” from their calls and email and eight in 10 believe just being a journalist jumps the chance Uncle Sam is spying on them.
The survey follows multiple reports of actual spying by federal officials on reporters, and the White House’s effort to track down those who leak information to reporters despite long-forgotten promises to be the most transparent administration ever.
Administration officials are refusing to say whether they have an ObamaCare backup plan if the Supreme Court torpedoes the law.
But Republicans don’t believe them.
GOP lawmakers on the Senate Finance Committee repeatedly pressed Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell on the issue. But Burwell on Wednesday did not budge during a tense back-and-forth, with a half-dozen Republicans claiming that the administration must have a “plan B.”
“I’m asking, is there a contingency plan? Not what is the plan, but is there a plan?” Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) asked.
The case, which begins oral arguments next month, could make billions of dollars of healthcare subsidies disappear in 37 states. And with such high stakes, two former HHS officials said they are confident the administration is preparing a backup plan.
“Of course, they have one, they should all resign if they don’t,” said Tom Scully, an HHS official under former President George W. Bush. “And they certainly should not discuss it either.”
Former HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt, who left office in 2009, agreed. He added that he isn’t surprised that senior officials would rather face a day of bad headlines than signal weakness to the Supreme Court.
“If the court thought they had a plan, they might think, they felt like their case was weak,” Leavitt, who also served as governor of Utah, said in an interview.
Wednesday’s heated exchange was dominated by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas), both of whom signed an amicus brief in support of the plaintiff earlier this year.
“You’re a highly intelligent, charming person, but you’ve refused to answer our questions, and to me, that doesn’t strike me as trying to work with Congress, but rather contemptuous of Congress’s responsibilities,” Cornyn told Burwell.
Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.) added that he believes it is “irresponsible” if the administration is not making plans for the “what-ifs” of the case, which will likely be decided in June.
Rail Crossing Accidents Decline Nationwide, but Less So in New York Region
By EMMA G. FITZSIMMONS and RUSS BUETTNERFEB. 4, 2015
A work crew used a crane on Wednesday to load the remains of the sport utility vehicle involved in Tuesday evening’s crash with a Metro-North Railroad train in Valhalla, N.Y. Six people were killed. CreditKarsten Moran for The New York Times
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Railroad crossings, with their flashing lights and descending gates, are a fixture of suburban living. The hundreds of crossings along commuter rail lines in New York and New Jersey can be a nuisance for drivers whose journeys are being interrupted, but they are also something to be feared, crossroads that can easily turn dangerous.
Accidents at railroad crossings happen with surprising regularity in the region. Since 2003, there have been 125 grade-crossing accidents on New Jersey Transit lines, 105 on the Long Island Rail Road and 30 onMetro-North Railroad, according to the latest available Federal Railroad Administration data. More than half of those 260 accidents resulted in injuries or deaths. In all, 73 people were killed and 148 injured.
Bergen County freeholders introduce measures needed to meld County Police into sheriff’s force
FEBRUARY 4, 2015, 8:03 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015, 8:03 PM
BY JEAN RIMBACH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
A plan to consolidate police services provided by Bergen County moved another step closer to fruition Wednesday with the county freeholders giving their initial approval to measures that rename the nearly 100-year-old County Police and put strict limits on the number of patrol officers and higher-ups it can have going forward.
The swift action shows that combining the county police with the county Sheriff’s Office remains on the fast track for the Freeholder Board and the administration of County Executive James Tedesco.
“It’s a good day for Bergen County, for the taxpayers of Bergen County and for law enforcement,” said Tedesco, who attended the meeting.
The two ordinances introduced Wednesday say the county force, when absorbed by the Sheriff’s Office, will be known as the Bureau of Police Services, take away the position of chief of police and slice its overall numbers by roughly half, to 49 officers.
N.J. lawmakers: ‘Close’ on plan to extend transportation fund
FEBRUARY 4, 2015, 1:38 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015, 5:31 PM
BY JOHN REITMEYER AND DUSTIN RACIOPPI
STATE HO– USE BUREAU |
THE RECORD
State lawmakers on Wednesday tried to assure anxious local officials that they are close to reaching an agreement to extend the state fund that pays for road, bridge and rail improvements in New Jersey.
The lawmakers, however, provided no new details about what that plan could look like even as the state comes closer to the date the current funding source will go broke, and as they await a state budget proposal later this month from Governor Christie.
And for all their talk of agreement, the legislative leaders who participated in a panel discussion as part of the New Jersey League of Municipalities’ annual mayor’s legislative day in the State House also showed ways in which they still remain deeply at odds on the transportation issue — particularly over the potential for raising New Jersey’s gas tax.
Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, said he and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, D-Secaucus, have been in talks to come up with a plan for extending the state Transportation Trust Fund, which is set to run out of money in a few months, and now are “close.”
“I think we can come to a solution,” Sweeney said. “I hope we can get an agreement with the administration.”
Ridgewood residents argue against allowing proposed dense development downtown
FEBRUARY 3, 2015, 10:24 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2015, 10:24 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
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RIDGEWOOD — A proposed master plan amendment permitting high-density multifamily housing projects downtown needs a reduction in allowed density before it can be adopted, village residents contended in testimony before the Planning Board on Tuesday night.
The second and final night of public commentary on the proposed master plan change took place at the board’s weekly meeting.
More than a dozen Ridgewood residents asked the board to exert caution as it proceeds with its ongoing consideration of the proposal.
For five years, the Planning Board has been mulling the merits of amending the master plan. The amendment’s passage — first, by the board and later, the Village Council — would clear the way for three planned housing developments.
At the Planning Board’s meeting last week, more than 30 residents spoke, some in favor of the proposal and others opposed.
Residents wary of the changes said the density submitted in the amended language was too intense, suggesting it be reduced from 40 to 50 units per acre to etween 20 and 25.
White House: Deficit Will Increase 20% This Year (Despite Record Tax Revenue)
February 3, 2015 – 12:00 PM
(CNSNews.com) – The data that the White House published with President Obama’s fiscal 2016 budget proposal yesterday indicate that the federal deficit will increase by 20 percent during this fiscal year (2015) even though the administration predicts the Treasury will bring in record revenue during the year.
According to Table S-1 in the “Summary Tables” appendix to the Obama budget, the deficit was $485 billion in fiscal 2014 and will be $583 billion in fiscal 2015—an increase of $98 billion, or 20.2 percent.
The federal fiscal year begins on Oct. 1 and ends on Sept. 30.
In fiscal year 2015, according to the Obama budget tables, the federal government will take in $3.176 trillion in tax revenue and spend $3.759 trillion.
The $3.176 trillion in tax revenues the White House estimates the federal government will bring in this year is a record in both current and inflation-adjusted dollars.
According to the White House Office of Management and Budget’s historical table that shows federal tax receipts and outlays in constant 2009 dollars, fiscal 2015 federal receipts will equal $2.8952 trillion in constant 2009 dollars.
