Taxpayer-Funded Illegal-Alien Boondoggle

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NEW JERSEY / ARROGANT, DEFIANT ILLEGALS REFUSE TO UTILIZE LAKEWOOD'S $40,000 TAXPAYER-FUNDED DAY-LABORER MUSTER ZONE

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DailyRecord.com

"I think it's a travesty. It's outrageous. Taxpayer dollars paid for this," Frank Shallis of Bound Brook said at the new muster zone.

Shallis represented the New Jersey chapter of the Minutemen, an activist anti-illegal immigration group.

The township has spent close to $40,000 to install the muster zone.

Muster Zone Doesn't Fly With Day Laborers

Day workers not showing up at new $40,000 Lakewood site

~ BY JOHN VANDIVER
GANNETT NEW JERSEY

Lakewood, N.J. -- It's 6 a.m., it's cold, and the concrete slab where the day laborers are supposed to gather is empty.

The only people on the scene on Swarthmore Avenue -- about three miles from downtown -- are a TV news crew and some local citizen watchdogs.

By 7 a.m. Monday, the picture looks much the same. It's not much different an hour later, either.

There was no mustering at the muster zone Monday, where Lakewood's day laborers have been told they should wait for work in the mornings. Instead, the men are gathered where they always have, Clifton Avenue.

"Everybody wants to stay here," says Marco Gonzalez, 29, a per-diem worker waiting for his ride outside a coffee shop.

Photos: DAVE MAY / GANNETT NEW JERSEY Day laborers gather Monday morning in downtown Lakewood in protest of the new muster zone -- installed at a cost of nearly $40,000 in response to merchants' complaints. 'Everybody wants to stay here,' said Marco Gonzalez, 29, one of the workers. No one showed up at the new muster zone.

Advocate Luis Morales surveys Lakewood's new muster zone at 8 a.m. Monday.

Police officers patrol up and down Clifton [Avenue] issuing tickets and warnings to contractors parking illegally.

Shortly after 7 a.m., Gonzalez sees his ride approach. He whistles loudly to the passing van and runs to jump aboard.

The van, though, is parked illegally and gets the attention of an officer on the other side of the street, who approaches the driver.

"Nobody has a license. Nobody is driving this truck. You parked in handicap," said Capt. Gregory Miick, in questioning the driver.

The van is later towed away. Many other contractors apparently are opting to simply stay away, as traffic is unusually sparse, according to observers.

Advocates and opponents

On Monday, day laborer supporters carried signs that chastised the township for initiating a relocated muster zone. Activists, local and from out of town, talked of how the policy is inhumane and unsafe.

Members of New Labor, a New Brunswick organization, were handing out cards to contractors, advising them on township ordinances and parking rules downtown.

"It looks like they're going after the contractors -- strangle the source," said Carmen Martino, who's part of a Rutgers University program that examines occupational safety concerns.

There were also opponents of illegal immigration on the scene, opposed to both the muster zone and those who employ undocumented workers.

"I think it's a travesty. It's outrageous. Taxpayer dollars paid for this," Frank Shallis of Bound Brook said at the new muster zone.

Shallis represented the New Jersey chapter of the Minutemen, an activist anti-illegal immigration group.

The township has spent close to $40,000 to install the muster zone.

Mayor Meir Lichtenstein, the chief proponent of the zone, said the Township Committee is trying to improve conditions for business downtown.

Complaints from merchants that the assembled day workers are bad for business were a driving force behind the plan.

"One of the consequences is the day laborers will have a hard time to get work there (downtown). I hope the laborers will see to take advantage of"the muster zone, Lichtenstein said.

The workers have opposed going to the new muster zone for several reasons, safety being chief among them. Many workers ride bikes, and the route to the zone from downtown is regarded as perilous.

Larry Simons, a citizen watchdog, was at the new muster zone early Monday and said walkers could be killed if they attempted the journey on bike or foot.

"Whose conscience is it going to be on? The mayor's?"Simons asked.

Lichtenstein said there are alternatives to riding bikes, such as a township bus that loops from downtown to the industrial park.

"I have to say, we want to govern humanely, and I need to govern the local issues," Lichtenstein said.

Gerardo Perez, vice president of Hispano Power, a local advocacy group for the laborers, said he wants to meet with the mayor about "Plan B."

Plan B is to set up an assembly zone closer to downtown, a location the workers themselves would agree to oversee and keep clean, Perez said.

"That's our part," Perez said.

Lichtenstein didn't rule out another location.

"I will talk with any group that wants to work with me,"Lichtenstein said.

While the concerns of merchants have been cited as one of the reasons for the muster zone move, some business owners weren't happy Monday.

"I hope they're not going after poor people," said Dave Raj, owner of Bakery Coffee Shop at the corner of Clifton and First Street.

"Nobody's here. This is our busy time," added Amanat Shah, coffee shop manager.

A small group of workers shuffled in and out of the shop, drinking coffee and reading Spanish-language newspapers.

"All these guys, they just come here for work. They're not doing damage to no one,"said Michael Maximiliani, 28, who sat in the coffee shop while he waited for his employer to show up.

The same contractor picks him up every day. But when Maximiliani learned that contractors were being ticketed, he ran outside looking for his ride.

Back at the muster zone, coffee and doughnuts waited for the men who never showed.

"I'm not surprised," said June Stitzinger-Clark, pastor at Christ United Methodist Church.

The church hired a person, Luis Morales, to serve as an advocate for the workers at the zone.

For one month, Morales will be on the scene, keeping an eye out for the workers' safety and their rights.

Morales, who sat in his car waiting for the workers, smoked a cigarette and read a newspaper.

"We have no idea if they will come," he said.

After one month, if the new zone remains basically unused, there will be no point in the church maintaining a continued presence at the zone, Stitzinger-Clark said.

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The Legend Of Clifton's Infamous Gates Of Hell

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CLIFTON / THE LEGENDS OF THE GATES OF HELL PROMISE SPINE-TINGLING ENCOUNTERS WITH THE BURNING FIRES OF THE UNDERWORLD

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FreeRepublic.com

The entrance to the Gates of Hell can be found in a wooded area down the hill from a railroad line. The first pipe looks like a narrow, empty swimming pool about eight feet deep. Water runs down the center of the long, wide pipe toward Weasel Brook Park. In the other direction, the pipe leads to a cave-like entrance that begins the maze of underground tunnels. The entrance walls and the first few tunnels are covered with graffiti.

Ghostly Claim To Fame Called Bunk

NorthJersey.com | 10.30.06 | BRIAN SPADORA

CLIFTON -- The legends of the Gates of Hell promise spine-tingling encounters with the burning fires of the underworld. But those who venture into the maze of drainage tunnels off Paulison Avenue are more likely to confront burnouts under the influence. Visitors to Internet chat rooms devoted to the Gates of Hell share stories of bloody rituals, evil sprits and a secret room that houses a glowing human skull. As far as the Police Department is concerned, there is no skull -- but plenty of knuckleheads. "It's been mostly juvenile situations," police Detective Capt. Robert Rowan said of activity in the area.

The entrance to the Gates of Hell can be found in a wooded area down the hill from a railroad line. The first pipe looks like a narrow, empty swimming pool about eight feet deep. Water runs down the center of the long, wide pipe toward Weasel Brook Park. In the other direction, the pipe leads to a cave-like entrance that begins the maze of underground tunnels. The entrance walls and the first few tunnels are covered with graffiti. The painted words fall into several categories: obscene (the usual four-letter words and rude comments about so-and-so's mother), incomprehensible ("Gutter Ballet" and "Wyoming Mike") and, the largest category, graffiti that aspires to be spooky ("This Way To Where the Children Are Buried").

The most unsettling thing about the tunnels is that they are absolutely dark. There are also occasional loud noises, most likely from NJ Transit commuter trains that roar overhead. Other than that, the Gates of Hell is pretty standard teenage stuff. On a recent exploration of the tunnels, a reporter walked as far as an intersection of several tunnels, where rushing water made continuing the journey impossible. Perhaps the most truthful bit of graffiti reads, "There Is Nothing Here." It is not clear how old the tunnels are or how long they have been a destination for daring (or bored) teens, said Rowan. But he said mischievous activity picked up around the Gates of Hell after a recent book recounted some of the lore surrounding the site. The book, "Weird N.J.: Your Travel Guide to New Jersey's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets," was published in 2003 by the creators of a magazine of the same name.

The entrance to Clifton's infamous Gates of Hell,
police say, may be inviting to thrill seekers,
but the only frightening aspect of venturing
into the drainage tunnel underworld
is facing arrest for vandalism or trespassing.

The Weird N.J. Web site has a page devoted to the Gates of Hell. "Satanic sacrifices, bones everywhere, decaying carcasses, and upside down crosses, anything dealing with the darkness in human nature was supposedly down there," said one writer, identified only as Ralph S. A writer named Jeff H. described a mystical guardian at the entrance of the tunnels: "Red Eyed Mike is the spirit that guards the entrance of the tunnel. If you knock on the railroad ties above the entrance three times, you will hear a loud horn blast emanate from within the tunnel. I have heard this horn, not every time I've tried this, but it has sent me running so fast that I nearly broke my leg. I've also encountered rocks being tossed out of the tunnel with no apparent deliverer. I've also seen a small figure, about three feet high, sprint out of the tunnel faster than any human being can move, and take off towards the tunnel that leads to Weasel Brook Park. I was later told that this was Red Eyed Mike."

SPOOKY SITES The Gates of Hell is one of several supposedly spooky sites in North Jersey. Here are a few others, past and present: Clifton Albino Village -- The story originated in the 1900s and by the 1960s, people would visit the entry tunnel and shacks that were supposedly left behind by a colony of albinos. West Milford Demon's Alley -- About eight houses were said to have been abandoned, and remained full of furniture and clothing. According to rumors, murder, satanic worship and cult killings may have taken place there. Totowa Annie's Road -- It's claimed that this road is haunted by the ghost of a woman who died there. Some say it was her wedding night and others say it was her prom night. Either way, some believe that this stretch of roadway is haunted by her spirit and covered in her blood.

Several visitors to the Gates of Hell in recent years have looked for Red Eyed Mike, only to find the men in blue. In November 2003, a 26-year-old Totowa man was arrested on weapons charges after police caught him with several knives near the tunnels. A 22-year-old Avenel man was arrested on an outstanding warrant. Police were called to the scene, because the man was swept away by rushing water as he explored the tunnels. They found him soaked and shivering in the woods by the nearby Passaic River. These tales of misfortune have not dissuaded more recent visits. Brian Olave, 17, and Rafael Polanco, 16, both of Clifton, said they wandered down into the Gates of Hell a couple of years ago. Their reason for going? "There's levels, and the more levels you go down, you can find the door to hell," Rafael said. The boys said they did not make it that far, but were there long enough to experience some pretty eerie stuff. "I had a brand new phone," Brian said, holding his cell phone. "I poked it out. It died automatically!" The boys nodded, resting their case.

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Compromise Bill Provides Equality For All

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NEW JERSEY / COMPROMISE BILL WOULD PROVIDE EQUALITY FOR ALL -- WITHOUT REDEFINING MARRIAGE

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An equal-benefits bill would grant any two people in the same household access to benefits and rights similar to those of marriage -- but would be blind to the relationship of the people involved.

Under the Equal Benefits Act, people would have an easier time dealing with pensions, property transfers and hospital visits.

Compromise Bill May Protect Marriage in New Jersey

Act would grant benefits and rights without consideration of the relationship of the people involved.

November 29, 2006

New Jersey lawmakers are considering a proposal that might satisfy the state Supreme Court’s demand for same-sex marriage or its equivalent, as well as pro-family efforts to protect marriage from redefinition.

An equal-benefits bill would grant any two people in the same household access to benefits and rights similar to those of marriage -- but would be blind to the relationship of the people involved.

Under the Equal Benefits Act, people would have an easier time dealing with pensions, property transfers and hospital visits – rights generally already available through legal contracts. Len Deo, president of the New Jersey Family Policy Council, told Family News in Focus the key is it does not create special rights based on homosexuality.

"This bill takes away the issue of sexual behavior," he said, "and just looks at people getting rights."

But Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden State Equality, said nothing short of redefining marriage would satisfy his group.

"Without the label 'marriage,' the real world will not consistently recognize our relationships," he said. "Marriage is not so much an institution as it is whatever the two people in the marriage make of it."

While the benefits plan is not seen as a perfect solution by either side, Glen Lavy, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, said given the court’s restrictions, it’s the best that can be done.

"This equal-benefits contract proposal is the best way to satisfy the requirements of the New Jersey Supreme Court," he said, "while at the same time limiting the harm to marriage."

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Visit the New Jersey Family Policy Council Web site.

Copyright (c) 2006, Focus on the Family and Focus on the Family Action. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.

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Proposed Property Tax Reduction Plan Exposed

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NEW JERSEY / PROPERTY TAXES: TAX REDUCTION PLAN PROPOSES UNCONSTITUTIONAL, TIERED TAX INEQUALITY UNDER GUISE OF "SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT" - CALLS FOR MARXIST STATE GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER, MERGER AND CONTROL OF COUNTIES & MUNICIPALITIES

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Democrat Proposed ... Republican Sponsored & Endorsed ...

Under the plan to cut the highest property taxes in the nation, lawmakers are considering:

• a 20-percent credit for households earning less than $50,000 per year;

• a 15-percent credit for households earning from that figure to perhaps $150,000 per year;

• a 10-percent credit for remaining households earning up to $300,000 per year.

Tax Cut Plans Range From 10 To 20 Percent For NJ Homeowners

The sweeping property tax breaks that lawmakers vowed to bring to New Jersey homeowners would offer more relief to those with lower incomes, according to a plan discussed Monday by the state senate president.

Senate President Richard J. Codey said households that earn less than $50,000 per year would get a 20 percent credit against their property taxes. Most others would get credits ranging from 10 to 15 percent, he said, and stressed that details of the entire plan have yet to be finalized. The proposals require approval by the Legislature, which is controlled by Democrats.

Codey said that, under the plan to cut the highest property taxes in the nation, lawmakers are considering:

• a 20 percent credit for households earning less than $50,000 per year;

• a 15-percent credit for households earning from that figure to perhaps $150,000 per year;

• a 10-percent credit for remaining households earning up to $300,000 per year.

Codey stressed the final plan hasn’t been decided and said a 20-percent credit could still go to people earning more than $50,000 per year.

“We’re rounding third base and going toward home plate in terms of working out the final details,” he said.

Codey and Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts Jr. announced on Nov. 9 plans to give a 20-percent average property tax credit to most homeowners.

While they then said most relief would go to households earning less money, they didn’t detail how the breaks would be disbursed.

Codey said the possible scenario would bring an average 20-percent cut for most New Jerseyans, and said a full 20-percent credit would be geared toward households earning less than $50,000, because they carry the biggest burdens.

“They see 20 to 25 percent of their income go to property taxes,” said Codey, D-Essex.

The average New Jerseyan pays $6,000 per year in property taxes, twice the national average.

The credits would replace the property tax rebate checks sent by the state to homeowners, though the checks may remain for senior citizens.

Households that earn more than $200,000 per year aren’t eligible for rebate checks, but Codey said the cap will almost definitely be raised to $300,000 per year for the direct credits.

Roberts and Codey met with Gov. Jon S. Corzine on Monday to discuss their plan.

“The goal is to make sure that the property tax relief plan is as fair as can be and helps those who need it the most,” said Roberts, D-Camden.

Roberts has also noted that 95 percent of New Jersey households make less than $300,000 per year.

Minority Republicans countered that they want all homeowners to get a 20-percent property tax credit.

“This thing has to be across the board to everyone,” said Assemblyman Joseph Malone, R-Burlington.

Malone, the top Republican on the Assembly Budget Committee, said property taxes should also be frozen statewide for three years to ensure homeowners see their 20-percent cut sustained. He did not have specifics on how to accomplish that goal, and Codey questioned a plan that lacked details.

“I guess I have to wait for snow in July,” he said.

Meanwhile, on Monday, a special committee that worked on ideas to lower property taxes through government consolidation officially endorsed 18 recommendations released last week.

The panel’s co-chairmen, Sen. Bob Smith and Assemblyman John Wisniewski, both D-Middlesex, said the committee will work to draft legislation and hold hearings on the bills before they go to the Legislature for final votes.

Smith highlighted the plan to create a permanent special commission that would annually recommend which municipalities should be merged. He also touted as key a plan to create powerful county school superintendents appointed by the governor and with authority over local school spending.

He also said a rural county should be the first to try a proposal that would allow one county to voluntarily form a countywide school district so the state can track whether it would help save money without hurting education.

Republicans said the ideas didn’t go far enough to force consolidation.

“Too many of the recommendations will nibble at the edges,” said Sen. Joseph Kyrillos, R-Monmouth, sponsor of the municipal merger commission plan.

Copyright © 2006 Straus Newspapers. All Rights Reserved.

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Lawmaker PushesTraditional Marriage Definition

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NEW JERSEY / LAWMAKER PUSHES FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT DEFINING TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE

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Cardinale told Cybercast News Service that the proposed amendment would "clearly set forth that marriage is a term, or a state, that can only be applied to a union of one man and one woman, and add that to our constitution so that it is not subject to the vagaries of the personal biases of a judge's decision in the future."

NJ Lawmaker Pushes For Traditional Marriage Definition

~ By Monisha Bansal
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
November 29, 2006

CNSNews.com) - A New Jersey state senator is pushing for a constitutional amendment that will limit marriage to a union between one man and one woman.

Republican Gerald Cardinale's move follows a New Jersey Supreme Court ruling that gave the state's legislature six months to allow same-sex couples to "marry" or to enter into civil unions that hold the same legal benefits as marriage.

"The court does not have the authority - as I read the constitution - to order the legislature to pass a bill," Cardinale said. "They can do a lot of things, but they are not the whole government."

"We're dealing with a decision of the New Jersey Supreme Court, and the court has indicated that we need to do certain things within a certain period of time, so I thought this was a good thing to do in response to the court decision."

Cardinale told Cybercast News Service that the proposed amendment would "clearly set forth that marriage is a term, or a state, that can only be applied to a union of one man and one woman, and add that to our constitution so that it is not subject to the vagaries of the personal biases of a judge's decision in the future."

Cardinale said the amendment would not in any way preclude civil unions, domestic partnerships, "or any other name we might give to items of that nature."

Steven Goldstein, chairman of the homosexual rights group Garden State Equality, said the amendment would have little, if any, impact.

"It's dead on arrival," Goldstein told Cybercast News Service . "There's not a prayer that a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage could ever pass - not a prayer.

"The measure is being laughed at in both houses of the New Jersey legislature," he said. "There are no more than a dozen votes in a very big state legislature, and it's just not going to pass."

Goldstein added, "This is a very progressive state. New Jersey has long been at the forefront of gay rights, and frankly social issues across the board.

"Whatever the trend nationally, New Jersey is very different on gay marriage," he said. "It's a state where significant numbers - millions in fact - favor marriage for gay couples."

Democrats control both houses of the New Jersey Legislature.

Make media inquiries or request an interview with Monisha Bansal.

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Toxic Dump Returns To Superfund List

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RINGWOOD / FORD MOTOR COMPANY'S FORMER TOXIC DUMP RETURNS TO SUPERFUND LIST

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The federal Environmental Protection Agency, now overseeing Ford's fifth cleanup, has been under fire over past incomplete cleanups and announced the re-listing on Tuesday.

In its ongoing efforts to correct matters, the EPA's own Office of Inspector General has invited the public to a hearing next week on how the agency has interacted with residents of the dump area.

Dump Returns To Superfund list

~ Jan Barry and Barbara Williams, The Record (NJ)

RINGWOOD -- Ford's former toxic dump is officially back on the list of the country's worst polluted spots, making national history as the only Superfund site ever relisted.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency, now overseeing Ford's fifth cleanup, has been under fire over past incomplete cleanups and announced the re-listing on Tuesday.

In its ongoing efforts to correct matters, the EPA's own Office of Inspector General has invited the public to a hearing next week on how the agency has interacted with residents of the dump area. Of specific interest is any public perception that EPA staff supervising cleanups were influenced by the fact that the majority of residents near the remote site in Upper Ringwood are minorities and members of the Ramapough Mountain Indian tribe.

Meanwhile, New Jersey's senators and a congressman have told the federal government to get paint sludge, left from Ford's dumping four decades ago, out of parts of Ringwood State Park given to the state by Ford.

In a letter this week, Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez and Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. asked EPA Regional Administrator Alan Steinberg to "remove the sludge and other toxics" found in recent tests of a flooded pit at the long-abandoned Peters Mine. The mine, at the end of Peters Mine Road, is next to a hiking trail in the state park and is adjacent to several homes.

FAST FACTS

* The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has relisted Ford's former dump site in Ringwood as a national Superfund site.

* New Jersey's senators are calling for all of the toxic waste to be removed from Ringwood State Park.

* In response to residents' complaints about the cleanup effort, the EPA's Office of Inspector General is holding public comment meetings Oct. 5 at the Ringwood Library, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m.

"Leaving contamination from a Superfund site within a state park which is used by thousands of people is completely unacceptable," the lawmakers wrote in a letter sent Monday.

They also pointed out local residents' concerns that raise "serious questions about how much additional sludge may be in various mine shafts around the area and how much of a risk it may present to the Wanaque Reservoir, a drinking water source for 2 million people." The reservoir is about a mile downstream of the dump area.

Saying it is the EPA's duty to "determine the full extent of the contamination," the lawmakers stated "it would be unacceptable to walk away from the site, only to discover once again that massive amounts of sludge were still left behind."

EPA spokesman Ben Barry said the agency is having Ford's contractors drill more holes to test the water in the Peters Mine, but no further soil investigation is scheduled.

"The sludge we found there is not predominant material so we're not sure if it's impacting the water," Barry said. "But there is an ongoing investigation of the groundwater in the pit area."

Ford spokesman Jon Holt also said the pit is being investigated and that "Ford intends to appropriately address all issues related to its historical disposal at the site."

The sludge came from Ford's Mahwah assembly plant, which used the Ringwood site as a landfill in the 1960s and 1970s. Ford has had to return repeatedly in the past dozen years to remove contamination found by residents.

The area was declared a Superfund site in 1983. Last year, The Record found in its Toxic Legacy special report that the EPA, which was supposed to supervise the cleanup, instead relied upon Ford's claims that it had thoroughly investigated the site and removed the most dangerous materials. Based on that claim, the EPA removed Upper Ringwood from the Superfund list in 1994.

"While cleanup work has been progressing all along, now that this is an official Superfund site, the community can apply for grant funds to obtain technical assistance to help them better evaluate the ongoing work at the site," Steinberg said in a statement on Tuesday.

Kevin Madonna, one of the lawyers representing the residents in a suit against Ford for personal injury and property damages, said relisting the site "really vindicates our clients' claims that the hazardous waste remaining in the community is a grave threat to human health and the environment."

The relisting had been expected since April. A month later, the federal government recommended health tests of neighborhood residents to see if lead, arsenic and hazardous chemicals in Ford's waste contributed to illnesses in the community.

The EPA is doing an investigation into why the site was declared clean in 1994. It is also looking at whether "racial, cultural or socioeconomic factors" contributed to the incomplete cleanup.

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Township's Teenagers Duped On Caffeine

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WAYNE TOWNSHIP / TEENAGE STUDENTS DUPED ON CAFFEINE

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Bismarck, North Dakota

Montgomery, Alabama

"Coffee is a stimulant," Hausman said. "It increases heart rate; it increases blood pressure. It has been shown to disrupt kids' sleep patterns. In high quantities, it makes us irritable, and it'll certainly do that to kids."

"One cup of coffee is not going to harm a child, but in light of all the other caffeine consumption in most children's diets, you might want to ask, 'Why are you consuming that cup of coffee? Is it just to look cool?'"

New Crew's Brew

Youngsters Make Coffee Brew Of Choice

~ By Kristen A. Graham
McClatchy Newspapers

PHILADELPHIA - The customer marched up to the counter of the Treehouse and placed her order for a one-shot espresso.

She was 8, an elementary schooler waiting with her parents while her sibling practiced an instrument at a nearby shop.

"The sister was getting music lessons, and she was getting coffee lessons," said Treehouse owner Randy Van Osten, who waited on the java-loving youth. "Some parents let their kids drink caffeine at a really young age. I have kids that come in that are probably 10 or 11."

Three years ago, when Van Osten bought the cozy coffeeshop in the center of Philadelphia, he wasn't expecting the younger set to guzzle his coffee, flavored lattes and espressos. But he got schooled quickly, and now pours hot and cold drinks, depending on the season, for before- and after-school crowds.

The days when coffee was served as an adults-only beverage, a taste acquired in dorm cafeterias and all-night study sessions, are long gone. As coffeehouses, both national and local, pop up on every corner, their new java flavors and products lure younger and younger customers.

Chalk up the spike to the easy availability of the beverage and all its variants. According to the Specialty Coffee Association of America, the number of specialty coffee retailers has tripled in the last decade. In 2005, all retail locations accounted for $11 billion in sales, up more than 14 percent over the last year's figure.

Although no specific statistics are available on how many young people drink coffee and at what age they pick up the habit, the number is large and growing, said Suzanne Brown, owner of Atlanta-based Brown Marketing Communications and an expert in the international coffee business.

Mostly, it's been driven by the hangout that the coffeehouse offers. In the 1980s, many Gen-Xers hung out in arcades; today, the Echo Boom (ages 11 and up) looks to Starbucks and such as their gathering place.

"It's such a hip place to go," Brown said. "And it's something that's condoned by parents - there's no alcohol served there. It's a safe environment."

It's also a place to get more than just coffee. Every coffeehouse has its range of sweet, caffeinated "gateway" drinks - from Frappuccinos to mocha swirl lattes - that get teens' taste buds primed for joe.

At the Gryphon Cafe in Wayne, N.J., on a recent Friday afternoon, a group of 14-year-olds were celebrating the weekend their favorite way - with conversation and coffee.

Most of the teenagers - freshmen in high school, for the most part - have been downing cups of java in its myriad forms since middle school at least.

They sat on the comfy couches of Gryphon's airy upstairs room, drinking caffeinated beverages that packed a powerful punch, with the air of no-big-deal.

"It's almost like there's a coffee culture now," Eric Greene said, pointing to his friend Julian Gal's steaming white mug. "I see that, and I want it. I love coffee."

Matthew LaVan is an old pro.

"I've always liked coffee - I've been drinking it since I was a little boy and my sister was a little girl. I'd drink it more often, but tea's easier," said LaVan, who attends Haverford Prep and who mostly sticks to decaf, at his parents' suggestion.

The friends are typical among their peers, they said.

"You'll always see people walking down the hallways with big cups of coffee during the first couple periods," said James Deslaurier.

Giant cups of coffee didn't start showing up in his classmates' hands once they got to high school - the affinity for java from Starbucks, from Wawa, from Dunkin' Donuts predates that, he said.

"There were people wandering the halls drinking coffee in middle school," Deslaurier said. "I was like, 'We're 12-year-old kids. I don't think we need it.' This one person had a big mug she carried around to every class."

Cheryl Hausman, a physician at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, agrees with Deslaurier: 12-year-olds probably don't need the extra caffeine and sugar present in coffee drinks.

"Coffee is a stimulant," Hausman said. "It increases heart rate; it increases blood pressure. It has been shown to disrupt kids' sleep patterns. In high quantities, it makes us irritable, and it'll certainly do that to kids."

Still, said Hausman, medical director of the Primary Care Center at University City, the old wives' tale that coffee stunts children's growth is just that.

"One cup of coffee is not going to harm a child, but in light of all the other caffeine consumption in most children's diets, you might want to ask, 'Why are you consuming that cup of coffee? Is it just to look cool?'" she said.

Don't rule it out. Parked on a couch enjoying the Treehouse's open-mike night recently, a group of young coffee drinkers said that for them, the coffee experience was more about community than taste.

Melissa Kendall, 19, is a coffee aficionado from way back, having acquired the habit at age 15.

"It was more like a social thing. My friends were drinking it," said Kendall, who samples coffee a few times a week, but not at home.

Even the job of serving it has a certain mystique.

"Being a barista is a whole profession," Brown said. "They're hip, they're entertaining. There's a whole championship contest, and the winners get paid more. They entertain the audiences."

Copyright © 2006 Bismarck Tribune, a division of Lee Enterprises.

Copyright © 1997- 2006 The Advertiser Co.

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Freeholder Agenda - Regular Meeting [11/28/06]

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PASSAIC COUNTY / FREEHOLDER AGENDA - REGULAR MEETING [11/28/06]

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AGENDA FOR THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE PASSAIC COUNTY BOARD OF CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS

November 28th, 2006

1. Announcement of the Open Public Meeting Law.

2. Roll Call:

Present:

• Duffy
• Rosado
• James
• Way
• Gallagher
• Director Evans
• Lepore

Absent:

4. Pledge of Allegiance

5. Approval of Minutes: November 13th, 2006

6. Motion to suspend the Regular Order of Business

7. Bond Ordinance #2006-14, providing a supplemental appropriation of $5,500,000.00 for various repairs and improvements to County Buildings and Grounds in and by the County of Passaic, New Jersey and authorizing the issuance of $5,225,000.00 Bonds or Notes of the County and Financing part of the appropriation.

• 7a. Motion to open the public hearing on Bond Ordinance #2006-14
• 7b. Director: Does anyone present desire to be heard on the Bond Ordinance?
• 7c. Motion to close the public hearing
• 7d. Motion to adopt Bond Ordinance #2006-14

Regular Freeholder Board Meeting, November 28th, 2006, Page 2

8. Bond Ordinance #2006-16, providing for the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of various bridges in and by the County of Passaic, New Jersey, and appropriating $6,652,000.00 therefore from the Capital Fund of the County.

• 8a. Motion to open the public hearing on Bond Ordinance #2006-16
• 8b. Director: Does anyone present desire to be heard on the Bond Ordinance?
• 8c. Motion to close the public hearing
• 8d. Motion to adopt Bond Ordinance #2006-16
• Motion to resume regular order of Business
  

9. Freeholder Committee Reports:

• a. Administration & Finance (James)
• b. Health, Education & Community Services (Lepore)
• c. Human Services (Lepore)
• d. Planning & Economic Development (Rosado)
• e. Public Works (Gallagher)
• f. Law & Public Safety (Duffy)
• g. Energy (James)

10. Communications:

C-1 The New Jersey Foundation for Dance and Theatre Arts, November 20th, 2006, re: requesting the Board’s permission to hang a banner across Ringwood Avenue, in the vicinity of Union Avenue, Wanaque, on December 16 and 17, 2006, all as noted in the communication

11. Oral Portion:

Motion to open the Public Portion of the meeting
Motion to close the Public Portion of the meeting

Regular Freeholder Board Meeting, November 28th, 2006, Page 3

12. Resolutions – Consent Agenda:

R-06-729 Resolution re-appointing John Bleeker to serve as a Member of the Passaic County Construction Board of Appeals for a four (4) year term commencing January 1, 2007 and terminating December 31, 2010, all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-730 Resolution approving the one-year option to renew the Contract with Dynamic Claims Management, Inc. for Ambulance Billing Services for the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department commencing December 1, 2006 and terminating November 30, 2007, all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-731 Resolution approving the one-year option to renew the Contract with the Paterson Police Athletic League for the Passaic County Project Vision Grant Program commencing December 15, 2006 and terminating November 14, 2007, at a cost of $43,000.00, all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-732 Resolution authorizing a Public Hearing scheduled on the 12th day of December 2006, Room 220 at 5:30 PM in the Passaic County Administration Building to consider the adoption of a Modified Updated and Revised Solid Waste Management Plan for the County of Passaic, all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-733 Resolution authorizing the sale of used, obsolete and surplus vehicles and equipment in the County of Passaic, all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-734 Resolution authorizing Transfers between Appropriations #2, all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-735 Resolution authorizing an Award of Contract to Prime Pest Control of West Paterson, N.J. in the amount of approximately $25,224.00 for the Contract Period of November 1, 2006 through October 31, 2007, all as noted in the Resolution

Regular Freeholder Board Meeting, November 28th, 2006, Page 4

R-06-736 Resolution authorizing an Award of Contract to United States Elevator, Inc. of Fairfield, N.J. in the amount of approximately $236,520.00 for three (3) years effective November 1, 2006 through October 31, 2009, for full maintenance and service of thirty-seven (37) elevators in various locations, all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-737 Resolution hiring Joseph A. Lozito Jr. of Wayne to perform necessary services as a Medical Director for the Passaic County Juvenile Detention Center on an as-needed basis, all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-738 Resolution requesting the Director of the Division of Local Government Services to approve the insertion of an additional item of revenue in the budget for the year 2006 in the sum of $853,234.00, which item is now available as revenue from a grant award from the State of New Jersey, Department of Law and Safety, Homeland Security Grant, all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-739 Resolution requesting the Director of the Division of Local Government Services to approve the insertion of an additional item of revenue in the budget for the year 2006 in the sum of $4,161.00 as revenue from a grant award from the State of New Jersey, Department of Human Services, Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-740 Resolution requesting the Director of the Division of Local Government Services to approve the insertion of an additional item of revenue in the budget for the year 2006 in the sum of $1,328,700.00 as revenue from a grant award from the State of New Jersey, Department of Human Services, Special Initiative and Transportation, all as noted in the Resolution

Regular Freeholder Board Meeting, November 28th, 2006, Page 5

R-06-741 Resolution requesting the Director of the Division of Local Government Services to approve the insertion of an additional item of revenue in the budget for the year 2006 in the sum of $368,717.00 as revenue from a grant award from the State of New Jersey, Department of Labor and Workforce Development New Jersey (PIC), all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-742 Resolution authorizing the Clerk to the Board to advertise in a paper of local circulation, the award of contract for RFP on operating a Cafeteria in the Passaic County Court House, 77 Hamilton Street, Paterson, N.J., all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-743 Resolution authorizing an award of contract to M. Tucker Co., Inc. of Paterson, New Jersey for the Food Service Equipment for Preakness Hospital Healthcare Center, in the amount of $1,150,043.33, all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-744 Resolution authorizing an additional one (1) month extension to Correctional Health Services (CHS) of Verona, New Jersey for utilization services and comprehensive medical, drug and laboratory services for inmates at the Passaic County Jail, in the amount of $169,000.00, all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-745 Resolution accepting the work performed by Underground Utilities Corp. for the wall rehabilitation at 1452 Union Valley Road for Final Payment in the amount of $6,510.03, all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-746 Resolution authorizing the execution of an agreement between Robert D. Rento, M.D. of Little Falls, New Jersey and the County of Passaic, as stated in the proposal for medical services, with a total maximum upset fee of $17,000 for the calendar year 2007, all as noted in the Resolution

Regular Freeholder Board Meeting, November 28th, 2006, Page 6

R-06-747 Resolution awarding a contract for “Professional Services” Contract in connection with the drafting, consideration and adoption of Bond Ordinance #2006-18 to McManimon & Scotland of Newark, New Jersey, all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-748 Resolution appointing Taya J. Yancey of Paterson, New Jersey as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Passaic County Community College for the term provided by law, i.e. effective immediately and terminating on October 31, 2008, replacing Edward Farmer, who resigned, all as in the Resolution

R-06-749 Resolution recommending the award of contract under Local Public Contract Law, specifically N.J.S.A. 40A:11-4.1 et seq. to Diamond Pharmacy Services of Indiana, PA for RFP on Pharmaceutical Services for Passaic County Jail in the approximate amount of $1,750,000.00 a year for the period of three years, January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2009 with two 1-year options, all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-750 Resolution awarding a contract as a “Professional Services” Contract in connection with the drafting, consideration and adoption of Bond Ordinance #2006-17 to McManimon & Scotland of Newark, New Jersey, all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-751 Resolution awarding a contract under Local Public Contract Law, specifically N.J.S.A. 40A:11-4.1 et seq. to Cross Match Technologies of Palm Beach Gardens, FL for RFP on Livescan, AFIS, and Card Scanning for the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department for a period of one year, December 1, 2006 to November 30, 2007 and 1-year option for Part A, in the approximate amount of $67,294.00, all as noted in the Resolution

Regular Freeholder Board Meeting, November 28th, 2006, Page 7

R-06-752 Resolution awarding a contract under Local Public Contract Law, specifically N.J.S.A. 40A:11-4.1 et seq. to County Business Systems, Inc. of Pennington, NJ for RFP on Scanning, Imaging, Indexing an Document Management for various Passaic County Departments and Institutions in the amount of $22,649.40, all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-753 Resolution awarding a contract under Local Public Contract Law, specifically N.J.S.A. 40A:11-4.1 et seq. to Spex Forensics of Edison, NJ for RFP on Livescan, AFIS, and Card Scanning for the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department for a period of one year, December 1, 2006 to November 30, 2007 with two 1-year options for Part B in the amount of $98,507.00 and Part C in the amount of $111,300.00, for a the total amount $209,807.00, all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-754 Resolution authorizing the cancellation of ordinances and debts, all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-755 Resolution awarding a contract under Local Public Contract Law, specifically N.J.S.A. 40A:1-4.1 et seq. to Large Doc Solutions of Clark, NJ for RFP on Scanning, Imaging, Indexing and Document Management for various Passaic County Department and Institutions for Section 2 (County Clerk) for $170,821.00 and Section 3 (Engineering) for $25,000.00, for a total amount of $195,821.00, all as noted in the Resolution

R-06-756 Resolution awarding a contract for “Professional Services” Contract in connection with the drafting, consideration and adoption of Bond Ordinance #2006-19 to McManimon & Scotland of Newark, New Jersey, all as noted in the Resolution

Regular Freeholder Board Meeting, November 28th, 2006, Page 8

13. New Business

Revised Supplemental Debt Statement as of November 28, 2006

1. Revised and Re-introduced Bond Ordinance #2006-15, providing a supplemental appropriation of $225,000 for the study and improvement of Hazel Street in and by the County of Passaic, New Jersey and authorizing the issuance of $225,000 Bonds or Notes of the County for Financing part of the appropriation.

• 1a. Motion to introduce Bond Ordinance #2006-15, on first reading
  

2. Bond Ordinance #2006-17 amending Bond Ordinance #99-13 of the County of Passaic, New Jersey finally adopted July 13, 1999 in order to amend the description of the project.

• 2a. Motion to introduce Bond Ordinance #2006-17, on first reading
  

3. Bond Ordinance #2006-18 amending Ordinance #06-02 to revise the amount of the cancellation of proceeds of obligations not needed for their original purposes, reducing the amount from $1,045,339.39 to $197,857.30 and the transfer of such proceeds to the Capital Surplus Fund of the County of Passaic, New Jersey.

• 3a. Motion to introduce Bond Ordinance #2006-18, on first reading
  

4. Bond Ordinance #2006-19 amending Ordinance #06-01 to revise the amount of the cancellation of previously authorized appropriations, reducing the amount from $871,091.16 to $843,190.95.

• 4a. Motion to introduce Bond Ordinance #2006-19, on first reading
  

14. Personnel

15. Bills

16. Certification of Payroll

17. Receipt of Departmental Reports

18. Adjournment

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Wayne Hills Development Meeting Scheduled

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WAYNE TOWNSHIP / WAYNE HILLS DEVELOPMENT MEETING SCHEDULED

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PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 27, 2006

Professor Anton Nelessen of A. Nelessen Associates will present the survey guidelines and conduct a group discussion concerning the development of the Wayne Hills area. Topics include commercial development and roadway infrastructure.

WAYNE HILLS STUDY AREA MEETING TO BE HELD

PATERSON – Passaic County Planning Department will host a visual preference study meeting concerning the Wayne Hills area 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 28 at the Wayne Municipal Building, 475 Valley Road.

Professor Anton Nelessen of A. Nelessen Associates will present the survey guidelines and conduct a group discussion concerning the development of the Wayne Hills area. Topics include commercial development and roadway infrastructure. A. Nelessen Associates has been contracted to complete this study and vision plan.

The public is invited to participate. For further information, call 973-569-4048.

Contact:

Dolores Choteborsky,
Passaic County Public Information Officer
973-569-5050

www.passaiccountynj.org

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11/28 Freeholder Meeting To Be Held In Clifton

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PASSAIC COUNTY - CLIFTON / NOVEMBER 28TH COUNTY FREEHOLDER MEETING TO BE CONDUCTED IN CLIFTON

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PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 27, 2006

The Freeholders travel to different locations to hold their regular meetings during the year and they have chosen Clifton for their next meeting place.

PASSAIC COUNTY FREEHOLDER MEETING TO BE HELD IN CLIFTON

PATERSON –Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders will hold their next meeting in the Clifton City Hall Chambers at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 28.

The Freeholders travel to different locations to hold their regular meetings during the year and they have chosen Clifton for their next meeting place.

The conference meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. The regular meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will include the public portion of the meeting when residents can address the Freeholder Board.

Contact:

Dolores Choteborsky,
Passaic County Public Information Officer
973-569-5050

www.passaiccountynj.org

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Ex-Car Salesman Convicted Of Odometer Scheme

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PATERSON / EX-CAR SALESMAN CONVICTED OF ODOMETER SCHEME

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Ramadan, a former sales representative for an auto sales company in Paterson, N.J., looked for vehicles listed in the classified advertising sections of newspapers and automobile publications with high mileage and one-owner histories, and mailed documents misrepresenting the actual mileage on vehicles he handled.

On the approximately 100 vehicles he is alleged to have tampered with, he increased their apparent value by an average of $2,000 each.

Prosecutors said he removed entertainment equipment from a 1998 Lincoln Navigator and claimed it had been stolen.

Ex-Car Salesman Guilty Of Scheme With Odometers

~ BY TOM CAMPBELL
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

Nov 23, 2006

A federal judge sentenced a former used-car sales representative Tuesday to 37 months in prison for rolling back the odometers on about 100 vehicles.

Abraham Jamil Ramadan, 32, of Chesterfield County pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of mail fraud. From 1998 through 2004, according to the U.S. attorney's office, Ramadan mailed documents misrepresenting the actual mileage on vehicles he handled.

He is a former sales representative for an auto sales company in Paterson, N.J.

Ramadan looked for vehicles listed in the classified advertising sections of newspapers and automobile publications with high mileage and one-owner histories. On the approximately 100 vehicles he is alleged to have tampered with, he increased their apparent value by an average of $2,000 each.

The court imposed a forfeiture order for $200,000, representing the illegal proceeds of Ramadan's scheme, the U.S. attorney's office said. The court ordered him to pay restitution of $23,305.75 to Motors Insurance Corp.

He was also ordered to repay $9,740.66 received on a fraudulent insurance claim in 2002 from Farmers Insurance Exchange. Prosecutors said he removed entertainment equipment from a 1998 Lincoln Navigator and claimed it had been stolen.

The case against Ramadan was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Wingate Grant.

Contact staff writer Tom Campbell at tcampbell@timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6416.

© 2006, Media General. Part of the GatewayVA Network.

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Hawthorne Couple Open Hearts To Special Students

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HAWTHORNE / ST. ANTHONY PARISH COUPLE BRIGHTENS LIVES OF SPECIAL STUDENTS

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Diocesan News

Living out the stewardship of the diaconate, Deacon Forshay and his wife have opened their hearts to children with autism and multiple disabilities and invited them to their summer home at the beach.

Visit To Beach Brightens Lives Of Special Students

~ By Cecile San Agustin
The Beacon (www.patersondiocese.org)

HAWTHORNE, N.J. (The Beacon) -- As summer concluded, the students at the Phoenix Center in Nutley, N.J., could look back on a collection of summer memories to last for a lifetime thanks to Deacon George Forshay and his wife Mary, parishioners of St. Anthony Parish here.

Living out the stewardship of the diaconate, Deacon Forshay and his wife have opened their hearts to children with autism and multiple disabilities and invited them to their summer home at the beach.

Geraldine Gibbia, co-founder and executive director of the Phoenix Center said, “For many of these students, it is their first experience of the shore. Some of them have never seen the ocean before. To see their eyes when they spy a wave for the first time, or catch their first crab or feel the lake¹s breeze on their faces as they zoom in the boat with ‘Captain George,’ as they call him, this is surely seeing the face of God.”

The couple became involved with the Phoenix Center, when Gibbia, a former parishioner of St. Anthony, would invite fellow parishioners in ministry to the school back in 1991. Gibbia, who moved to Wycoff, N.J., and now attends a parish closer to home, still kept in touch with many friends from the parish including Deacon Forshay and his wife. When their daughter Lauren became a teacher at the school, the Forshays got more involved with the Phoenix Center.

Mary Forshay, who is a lifelong parishioner at St. Anthony, said, “Dr. Gibbia took Lauren under her wing when she decided to do teaching instead of finance. We would visit the school when they would have concerts and see what wonderful work the Phoenix Center was doing. That¹s when we thought the students give us so much, its time to give back to them.”

For the past two years, the Forshays and 10 to 12 students and staff members would take a road trip to Manasquan Beach every Wednesday in July. “Captain George” would take the children for a ride in his speedboat, teach them to crab and along with Mary, sets up a tent city on the beach. Mary also prepares a barbecue with hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, watermelon, lemonade and her “very special castle cake,” said Gibbia.

For Forshays, this newfound tradition now makes summer complete. They are looking forward to bringing the students from the Phoenix Center to the shore again next summer. So moved by the experience, the Forshays remember sitting down together one day reflecting. They remember they started to cry because of the lives they¹ve changed and in fact because their lives were also changed.

“We plan on doing this as long as we are able to,” said Deacon Forshay, who is director of Browning-Forshay Funeral Home here.

Mary recalls fondly, “One of the kids said on the way home from one of the trips that was the best vacation they ever went on. Even if it was just for few hours.”

Bringing the kids to the shore also got many of the Forshay¹s shore house neighbors involved. “That first year we did this, they kind of looked at us and wondered ‘what are George and Mary doing?’” he said.

This Christian witness the couple gave, inspired their neighbors this year to give a helping hand.

“They are very welcoming and hospitable. You just feel how much they care about the kids and that it¹s all about the kids,” said Gibbia “George and Mary are really living out their ministry.”

Msgr. George Hundt, pastor of St. Anthony¹s, said, “George and Mary are certainly faith-filled people. They are just generous in terms of wanting to help others. That comes out in a lot of different ways not only in the parish here but their various connections to organizations.”

Deacon Forshay, who was ordained to the diaconate in 1995, felt the call to the diaconate right from college and has called his service, “a wonderful, wonderful journey.”

At St. Anthony¹s, the Forshays are involved with the parish¹s hospitality ministry and are also helping build the community¹s commitment to be a full stewardship parish.

The Forshays definitely credit their desire to give to the students because of the staff at the Phoenix Center who they consider “the real heroes who serve the children every day.”

Currently, 145 students are enrolled at the school and the staff has a 1:1 ratio with the children ensuring all their needs are met. The school serves children from 54 towns and nine counties with most students coming from Passaic, Essex and Morris County, N.J. Called the Phoenix Center so students like the ancient phoenix may have a second chance to rise to new freshness, the school focuses on the development and education of children with severe development disabilities and their families.

One of the hopes the Forshays have because of this experience is that more and more people get involved with helping others.

“Everything we do in the name of Jesus Christ is our Christian duty and that is to help and share with others. It makes you want to do more when you give to people and we are thankful to God we are able to do that,” said Deacon Forshay.

“The Forshays, in my mind, embody what stewardship is all about. They live in such a way so they may give to people and seek the ways they can,” said Msgr. Hundt.

This story was made available to Catholic Online by permission of The Beacon (www.patersondiocese.org), official newspaper of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J.

Copyright © 2006 Catholic Online

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Home Rule & Taxes - A Religion In New Jersey?

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NEW JERSEY / HOME RULE AND TAXES - A RELIGION IN NEW JERSEY?

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Although there has been a realization of the ineffectiveness of home rule, it persists to the extent that it has been forcing people and businesses out of the state because of the tax burden. It also creates financial hardship on many people who choose to stay in New Jersey. It is essential to be aware of what home rule is and the impact that a reliance on home rule has on property taxes.

Tax Burden Imposed By Home Rule Drives People Away

~ LOUISE RISCALLA
Home News Tribune Online

New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the country. It was reported that property taxes are an average of $5,900 per home before any rebates and continue to rise. The time has come when people are insisting they can no longer afford these high taxes, and want the governor and lawmakers to do something about it.

Although there has been a realization of the ineffectiveness of home rule, it persists to the extent that it has been forcing people and businesses out of the state because of the tax burden. It also creates financial hardship on many people who choose to stay in New Jersey. It is essential to be aware of what home rule is and the impact that a reliance on home rule has on property taxes.

Home rule has been a system of government since the 1600's. The Home Rule Act of 1917 gave municipalities the ability to tax, have their own police and fire departments, school system, and to provide for local welfare and health. Home rule is a policy and procedure for taxation. New Jersey has 566 municipal and 21 county governments, 616 school districts, 478 police departments, 186 fire districts, and the state bureaucracy. For many years there have been concerns about the rapid spread of municipal government and viability of home rule. For example, in 1931 a number of residents became concerned about the proliferation of local government because of the large number of towns. The Commission to Investigate County and Municipal Taxation and Expenditures stated that there was a duplication of services and municipalities were providing services that were no longer efficient. In 1967 the late Mayor Louis Bay II of Hawthorne, then president of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, stated his concerns about the viability of home rule. The February 1988 issue of New Jersey Monthly magazine reported that former governor Brendan Byrne said home rule drives practically every political decision in the state and called home rule ". . . a religion in New Jersey."

Municipalities depend on property taxes to pay their bills. The only way to pay for the persistent increase in municipal and school spending is to increase property taxes, create more land, or develop existing land into tax ratables such as office buildings, shops, housing developments, etc. Development of the land into ratables can promote congestion and sprawl. Every square inch of New Jersey seems to be incorporated by a specific municipality, so that municipalities can't expand its territory. Some municipalities may run out of land to be developed, resulting in even higher taxes. Poor planning is a byproduct of home rule.

At one time local government and emergency services were composed of volunteers. Volunteerism has declined in favor of a reliance on full-time employees, many of whom are trained professionals, to handle local government jobs. Home rule creates many jobs and a lot of people can profit from home rule. A high-priced town administrator, administrative assistants, consultants, planners, lawyers, school administrators, etc., are hired by local governments and paid with money obtained from taxes. Many high-price administrators could retire early enough for a pension funded by taxpayers and then start a second career such as a consultant for a municipality, also paid by taxpayers.

If there were fewer municipalities, there would be fewer jobs and consulting opportunities, with the result of lower taxes. The long-standing inability to end home rule by consolidating local governments seems to be a combination of local politicians who want to preserve their principalities, labor unions that are paid to obtain benefits and increase salaries for their members, and partisan politicians who want to secure employment contracts for their relatives, friends and campaign contributors. As a consequence, home rule could be a breeding ground for corruption.

The state has provided financial incentives to get municipalities to share services and consolidate, which is an effective way to reduce property taxes. It was reported that Marc Holzer, a Rutgers University professor of public administration, said in his testimony before the Legislature's property tax committee that from 3 percent to 5 percent of the cost of government could be saved by sharing services. Counties, municipalities and schools spent approximately $20 billion in property tax dollars in 2005, so that there is a significant savings to residents by sharing services. A Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll taken in July of this year found that almost 80 percent of the people interviewed were willing to share public works services with a neighboring town, 70 percent would merge fire and police departments, and 58 percent would consolidate school districts. There is an increasing willingness among municipal government officials, including Edison and other communities, to join in inter-local service agreements. There appears to be a growing recognition of the need to approach planning on a regional basis. It has been proposed that a regional approach be taken to air pollution, water and sewage treatment, and growth management because municipalities in and of themselves cannot deal with these areawide problems.

Now is the time to end the tax burden imposed by home rule that continues to drive people and businesses out of New Jersey and creates financial hardship for many of those who remain. It can be done. It is up to the politicians, lawmakers and residents to make it happen.

"Be Counted" columnist Louise Riscalla, Ph.D., is a resident of Edison. "Be Counted" columnists are members of the public. Their opinions are not those of the Home News Tribune.

Copyright © 2006 Home News Tribune. All rights reserved.

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Paterson Leads N.J.'s Gang Violence

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PASSAIC COUNTY - PATERSON / GROWING GANG VIOLENCE STANDS AT FRONT AND CENTER

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Although gang violence is recognized as a statewide issue, Passaic County, specifically the city of Paterson,stands at the front and center.

Gang violence has been prevalent in the state since the early 1980s.

Currently, there are an estimated 31,000 gangs in the nation, claiming 850,000 members, including more than 17,000 in New Jersey as of 2003.

Lawmakers Aim To Arrest Growth In Gang Violence

~ BY MICHAEL RISPOLI
GANNETT STATE BUREAU

TRENTON -- As gang violence in the state grows, state lawmakers are seeking to pass laws helping stem the problem before it spreads further.

The Senate Law and Public Safety Committee heard testimony Monday for the third time this year from anti-gang and prevention groups on pending proposals, which include gang education seminars for school administrators, students and teachers and increasing penalties in gang-related crimes such as recruitment of minors and community gun possession.

Duane Dyson, chairman of the nonprofit Violence Prevention Institute, said reviews of gang violence programs from the last 10 years found they did not produce the results they were looking for and that the problem is spreading.

"The state of New Jersey cannot afford to allow youth violence to run rampant," said Dyson. "This is not just an urban problem. This is a New Jersey problem."

Although gang violence is recognized as a statewide issue, Passaic County, specifically the city of Paterson, was front and center at the hearing.

Members of the Passaic County Sheriff's Department and the Paterson police department gave a graphic, startling presentation on gang violence in the county. Pictures of gang related deaths and testimony from gang members drove home the reality of the situation.

"It was unnerving. It makes you realize what is really going on," said Sen. John Girgenti, D-Passaic, chairman of the committee.

Dalton Price, detective for the Paterson police gang unit, stressed the direness of the situation.

"This is not something that is just on television. This is not a joke. This is for real. We don't want to believe it, we wish it didn't exist, but it does exist," Price said.

Gang violence has been prevalent in the state since the early 1980s, when West Coast gangs spread to New York and New Jersey. Currently, there are an estimated 31,000 gangs in the nation, claiming 850,000 members, including more than 17,000 in New Jersey as of 2003.

The average age range for gang members is between 12 and 24 years old, with members beginning as early as 7 years old. Ninety-five percent of those in gangs are high school dropouts.

Javier Castellanos, detective of the Passaic County Sheriff Department and head of the Passaic County Gang Intelligence Unit, has given seminars on gang education and prevention but said more needs to be done.

"We have to come up with something on the state level where we can educate all these kids and reach them before the gang members do," said Castellanos.

Three bills moved onto the full Senate for consideration, but action on two was delayed.

Members of the committee fundamentally supported all of the bills but expressed reservations on specifics, such as how school administrators would be educated on the subject and how to uniformly apply gang education across the state. The appropriateness of some of the gang prevention material to be shown to elementary school children was also a concern for some lawmakers.

Michael Rispoli: mrispol@gannett.com

Copyright © 2006 Asbury Park Press. All rights reserved.

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Bear Hunt Debate Stirs Local Passions

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WEST MILFORD / BEAR HUNT DEBATE STIRS LOCAL PASSIONS

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DailyRecord.com

"There's a lot more bears out there once you stop the hunt, and the incidents escalate."

"It's inevitable that sometime down the road we're going to have a tragedy," said Bucco. "Once something happens, everybody's going to say 'Why didn't you do something about it?'"

Bear Hunt Debate Stirs Local Passions

Activists praise Corzine, but others warn bruin numbers are on the rise

~ BY TEHANI SCHNEIDER
DAILY RECORD

Local activists who have vehemently opposed lethal methods to control the state's black bear population commended Gov. Jon Corzine's decision that all but canceled this year's bear hunt, while others warned that a hunt is needed to curb the increasing bruin numbers.

Corzine's request to seek non-lethal alternatives in lieu of the hunt was praised by Lynda Smith, director of the West Milford-based Bear Education and Resource Group.

"The non-lethal alternatives really do work but haven't been given a chance in New Jersey,"said Smith, who cited Colorado, California and Canada as areas where the alternatives have been implemented successfully.

But state Sen. Anthony Bucco, R-Boonton, said he doesn't agree non-lethal measures are the answer.

"We've tried education ... but that doesn't seem to work. There's a lot more bears out there once you stop the hunt, and the incidents escalate,"said Bucco, who signed a joint statement, along with state Sen. Robert Littell and Littell's daughter, Assemblywoman Alison McHose, both R-Franklin.

The statement, issued to the governor's office Monday, said the state Supreme Court had approved the bear management policy from the New Jersey Fish and Game Council. Canceling the hunt, the legislators wrote, was a matter of public safety for the people of northwestern New Jersey.

"It's inevitable that sometime down the road we're going to have a tragedy," said Bucco. "Once something happens, everybody's going to say 'Why didn't you do something about it?'"

Elaine Makatura, spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said the total number of bear sightings, reported damage by bears and nuisance bear complaints have decreased statewide by 18.9 percent since the beginning of the year, following last December's hunt.

"I believe that there is no one reason the complaints have gone down, but a number of reasons, with the possibility of the hunt being one of them,"Makatura said.

Other possible reasons include weather, drought and availability of food sources for the bears in their natural habitat, she said.

However, Bucco said he believes the decreasing number of bear complaints is a direct consequence of the hunt, a theory that Sparta resident Marilyn Schwartz agreed with.

Schwartz, who is pro-hunt but not a hunter, said she believes the hunt is necessary.

"Black bears are probably the most docile of all bears, but also the most unpredictable,"said Schwartz, adding she sees a female bruin amble through her yard every so often.

"We leave her alone. She's nonchalant. She doesn't cause any trouble. She doesn't really bother anybody," Schwartz said. "Most black bears are non-aggressive. The problem is when they stop fearing humans."

That problem is exactly what concerns Bucco.

"We've had reports of bears on the back porches of homes, breaking in to look for food and peering into windows," Bucco said. "It's pretty scary."

In Montville, more than a dozen bear sightings were reported to police in the past month in both the Montville and Towaco sections of the township, said township police Capt. Ed Rosellini.

But most residents have grown accustomed to seeing the animals, as the number of reports in the township have increased over the past decade, he said.

"Most of the people in the area are aware of them now,"said Rosellini, who added the bruin reports tend to be more frequent in October.

"It's that time of year and they're trying to bulk up before they go into hibernation," he said.

Montville resident Gladys Nemirow believes the reports are exaggerated.

"Every person who sees one bear coming through the neighborhood picks up the telephone and calls the police," said Nemirow. "One bear, and one bear alone will travel quite a distance."

Nemirow, who wrote letters of thanks to both Corzine and DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson on their anti-bear hunt stance, said she thinks police should tell residents not to call unless a bear is picking through their garbage or acting aggressively.

"Unless they're seeking out food or protecting their cubs, they are no threat to people,"she said.

Smith, whose group advocates training police and animal control agencies in bear control tactics, said she also believes a mandatory averse conditioning program should be set for all municipalities statewide.

"Right now it's pretty much up to each municipality to decide how involved they're going to get in bear control,"she said. "There should be a statewide mandate to prove they're actively implementing this program."

Tehani Schneider can be reached at (973) 428-6631 or tschneider@gannett.com.

Copyright ©2006 dailyrecord.com All rights reserved.

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Lakeland Bank To Retain ATM Fees

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WEST MILFORD / LAKELAND BANK TO RETAIN $1. PER TRANSACTION ATM FEE

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DailyRecord.com

Typically a bank will bill a customer twice for withdrawing cash from a machine owned by someone else: the bank's fee, generally $1 to $2, plus the transaction cost imposed by the ATM's owner.

Banking On ATM Fees

Effect of dropping charges on average customer unclear

~ BY TIM O'REILEY
DAILY RECORD


With free checking accounts largely an industry standard, banks seeking a competitive edge have started to chip away at ATM fees.

Using a bank's own ATM is universally free, but typically a bank will bill a customer twice for withdrawing cash from a machine owned by someone else: the bank's fee, generally $1 to $2, plus the transaction cost imposed by the ATM's owner.

According to the research firm Bankrate.com, ATM fees are projected to total $4.2 billion nationwide this year and to make an important contribution to bank profits in the obscure "other income" line.

But a handful of banks have dropped their fees and will absorb the fees of others, sometimes only if an account remains above a minimum balance.

Whether others will follow is a point of debate.

Almost all banks adopted free checking accounts about four years ago after that gained popularity among community banks and credit unions.

PNC decided in August to waive all ATM fees if a customer averages a $2,500 monthly balance, in part to induce people with multiple accounts to consolidate them there.

"People don't like the idea of paying just to get access to their money," PNC spokesman Patrick McMahon said.

No Charge To Use ATMs

TD Banknorth, trying to make a name for itself in New Jersey after its purchase of Hudson United Bancorp of Mahwah early this year, announced in June that it would not charge for use of ATMs at all.

Among customers of the Parsippany branch of Commerce Bank, which dropped its fees several years ago and waived other charges last year if a customer keeps a $2,500 minimum daily balance, the concept gets good reviews.

"I think it's fantastic," said Neil Smith of Parsippany. "I think the banks are overcharging for it."

Gabrielle Hoyt of Parsippany said, "It's one of the things I like about this bank."

However, the benefit of waiving ATM fees to the average consumer is not as clear as it was with free checking, Bankrate.com senior financial analyst Greg McBride said.

Tying no ATM fees to a minimum balance of $2,500 may not pay off because the savings would not equal the interest earnings lost in a checking account, he said.

"All you really have to do is plan your cash needs ahead of time," he said. "Friday night comes at the same time every week."

Tom Ficcio of Denville, another Commerce customer, said the bank's ATM fee policy made no difference to him because he confined his transactions to the bank's machines.

Some in the banking industry believe that Washington Mutual's experience points to the limited appeal of dropping ATM fees.

The bank has quietly shelved an experiment of letting anyone use its ATMs for free but has dropped its fee for customers using non-Washington Mutual machines.

However, it does pass on the machine owner's charge.

"I think the jury is still out on this," said Jeffrey J. Buonforte, executive vice president and chief retail officer of West Milford-based Lakeland Bank.

"Sadly enough, we are in an industry where we give profitable things away."

He said Lakeland plans to keep its $1-per-transaction ATM fee plus passing on the other bank's charge partly because the income helps fund other services and partly to recoup the costs imposed by the companies that process the transactions.

In addition, bank officers are concerned that it is hard to measure the financial impact of dropping all ATM fees.

Instead, Lakeland prefers to sway customers by other means, such as offering an interest-bearing checking account with no minimum balance for customers with direct deposit of their paychecks.

He said the bank also is looking at linking up with other ATM networks to provide a greater geographic spread of free machines.

"There is so much emphasis put on fees that we forget about quality of service," Buonforte said. "We at Lakeland like to think that matters."

However, he added that the bank was watching to see which way customer sentiments flow.

"Whether we will maintain our (ATM policy) down the road remains to be seen," he said.

Tim O'Reiley can be reached at (973) 428-6651 or toreiley@gannett.com.

Copyright ©2006 dailyrecord.com All rights reserved.

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County Clerk's Office To Open Evenings

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PASSAIC COUNTY / COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE TO OPEN EVENINGS

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PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 22, 2006

The County Clerk’s main office on 401 Grand Street in Paterson will be open from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on the Freeholders’ meeting nights which are typically the second and fourth Tuesday of every month.

Passaic County Clerk’s Office Offers Extended Evening Hours

Paterson, NJ - Karen Brown, Passaic County Clerk, is pleased to offer extended evening hours. In light of the new passport regulations that will go into effect in January of 2007, there will be an increasing demand for passports. Effective January 23, 2007, all persons traveling by air to and from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda will be required to have a Passport.

In an effort to meet this increasing demand, the County Clerk’s main office on 401 Grand Street in Paterson will be open from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on the Freeholders’ meeting nights which are typically the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. In addition to passports, the public will have access to the full complement of services offered by the office during the day. These evening hours will be in addition to the County Clerk’s satellite program, which expands services to each of the municipalities within Passaic County. “This is a great way to make the services of the office more accessible and to accommodate the public,” says Karen Brown, Passaic County Clerk.

The extended hours will go into effect starting with the Freeholder meeting on Tuesday, November 28, 2006.

You can contact the Passaic County Clerk’s Office
at (973) 225-3632 for further information

Contact:

Karen Brown,
Passaic County Clerk
973-225-3632

www.passaiccountynj.org

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