School Report Card

Our Fair State's school report card for 2005-2006 has been posted. Go see how your school district is doing! Find out if they've been spending your property taxes well.

Trenton Times: Let It Go

I think the Times of Trenton editorial speaks for most Hamiltonians here:

Superior Court Judge Linda Feinberg's lengthy opinion in the Klockner Woods property-tax case may be a bitter pill to swallow for the Hamilton Township Council's Republican majority. But for the sake of the taxpayers in the township, they should let it go and rethink their tentative plan to appeal the ruling.
An appeal likely will be costly and time-consuming and a further distraction in the running of Mercer County's largest municipality.

They acknowledged that they "understand (the council's) bewilderment" at the exorbitant price. However, this town council majority was elected on the bewilderment of the voters at this in the first place- and they now want to milk it. Bad idea. Folks, if you push this too hard, you'll look like you're only trying to ensure your "we did all we could" stance at the next couple elections while costing taxpayers even more money on unsuccessful appeals.

I'm angry. Anyone who follows this story, Hamilton resident or not, should be angry. What I'm angry about, however, isn't the ruling- which we were sincerely hoping but not expecting to go a different way- but about how his debacle was handled from the very beginning. The ruling isn't what was screwed up here.

Please, after this parcel is saved and you put up those preserved open space signs, have the dignity to call it "Taxpayers' Preserve." We deserve that much- we sure paid enough for it.

St. Baldrick's Day

My buddy Nathan Rudy is shaving his head for children with cancer:

This is my third year getting my head shaved for St. Baldricks, and I am thrilled to be doing it again to find a cure for childhood cancer. As a father of a two year old little girl, I would want people stepping up to help my family if we found ourselves facing this tragic disease. Please, step up to help those families who already do.

St. Baldrick's is a foundation to raise awareness and funds to cure kids' cancer by supporting cancer research and fellowships. This is their eighth year. There are eight venues in Our Fair State this year holding St. Baldrick's events, most of them in March.

Shave your head for a good cause, or support someone who is!

Better than I could've said it- ralph edition

George Amick on the front page of today's Times of Trenton:

Ralph Nader is back in the spotlight again.
He's the subject of a new documentary film, "An Unreasonable Man." And he's making the rounds of the talk shows, promoting his latest book -- and continuing to insist that he didn't cost Al Gore the 2000 election. In fact, he claims, Gore would have received fewer votes than he did if Nader hadn't been on the ticket as the Green Party candidate, pushing him to the left.

If this kind of rationalization gives Nader comfort as he contemplates the ruinous handiwork of the Bush administration, he's welcome to it.

The whole piece is on instant runoff voting, and idea whose time is more than come.

The Fleecing of Hamilton and NJ- The Last Word (?)

Superior Court Judge Linda R. Feinberg has made her ruling. Just as she hinted she would, she said the sale's going through as planned:

A Superior Court judge upheld yesterday the township's agreement to purchase the 50-acre plot known as Klockner Woods and ordered township officials to pay for the land within 30 days, capping more than three years of dispute over the tract.
In her complicated 80-page ruling, Feinberg also ordered that some $327,000 in interest the township has already paid will not be credited toward the purchase price as the township had requested. The ruling means the township's final price tag for the land will be nearly $4.6 million.
Judge Linda R. Feinberg also shot down claims by the township council that the purchase agreement was illegal because the council never voted to appropriate the funds and ordered the township to abide by all terms of the consent order she issued in June 2005, which set the terms of the purchase.
...
In the strongly worded opinion, Feinberg took a chastising tone with the township and the council, going as far as to say she regretted a decision made last year to postpone the purchase while the township investigated the land's value. The judge seemed to blame politics for the strife over the purchase.
"Looking back, the court regrets that decision (to postpone the ruling,)" the opinion said. "Now, several years later, clearly the allegations by the township were wrong. Furthermore, at this juncture, the action by the township appears to have been motivated purely as a result of outcry from members of the public, who while urging the township to preserve the property, objected to the price."

She's right, of course. This was all motivated by the outcry from the public, who objected to having to buy land for $4.1 million that they sold barely four years earlier for $375,000. Clearly, if the land is really worth $4.1 million (and it sure looks like it is), we got screwed when it was sold off for vastly less than it was worth.

The payment is now $4.6 million. The article by Times reporter Darryl Isherwood explains that the interest from Sept. 2005 to Sept. 2006 must be paid, but the interest since then may be credited to the purchase price.

Mayor Glen Gilmore sent out a news release yesterday, tooting his own horn:

Gilmore, who only days before, in his State of the Township address, re-asserted his belief that Klockner Woods were, in fact, worth preserving, said, after learning of the Court's decision: "I am glad that the court has confirmed what we had said from the very beginning, namely, that these woods are woods that could become a housing development, and that the price we offered to pay for them was a fair price." Gilmore went on to say, "This is an important vindication for a number of good citizens whose reputations went on the line to save these woods."
The judge's decision also contained a stern warning that additional costs to fight the purchase are an unnecessary and unwarranted burden on the taxpayers of Hamilton that are to be laid directly at the doorstep of the Council, who, from the beginning, has misrepresented the land, its price and their motives for opposing the preservation purchase.
Rejecting all the arguments raised by the special council retained by Council, the Judge has ruled:
1. The price negotiated by the Mayor was a fair price and that if the negotiated price were set aside, the taxpayers would have to pay more for the same land;
2. The purchase of this land can be made without direct resort to using money raised from local property taxes and that the council's contention that the agreement was void was without merit;
3. Further delay by opponents of the purchase can only waste taxpayers money and endanger the preservation of this parcel of green.

Surprisingly he didn't go so far as to thumb his nose while shouting, "I told you so!" Hamilton has a mayoral election this year, if you hadn't guessed. Gilmore doesn't mention that he was mayor when the land was sold to Fieldstone in 2001 for $375,000.

Let me state again that the reason we're all being fleeced by this deal is spelled out by the mayor in #2: Mercer County and the State are chipping in for this one, so we all have to pay. Also let me state again (because it bears repeating) that there is no question that this parcel of land should be preserved; just whether or not the price was fair.

So, is that it? Is this the last word?

Councilman Dave Kenny, who raised issues about the land before he was elected to the council and later led the effort to nullify the purchase, said the opinion represented "a sad day for Hamilton taxpayers" and promised to appeal.

Somehow I doubt that will help. Since the judge was pretty clear that the price was fair, I think an investigation needs to be launched into original sale price, including into the rumor that Gilmore recieved campaign donations from Fieldstone during his last election battle (he denies this.) Also, maybe a look should be taken at the the decision to avoid the costs of a court battle by not using Eminent Domain to secure the land for preservation.

It appears that the court decision was fair, but that doesn't guarantee that justice was served.

Go Red for Women

Today is National Wear Red Day, part of the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women Campaign.

Heart disease is the #1 killer of women in our country- not breast cancer, not lung cancer. Heart disease kills nearly half a million American women a year. You should know what your risks are. Know your numbers, then eat better, get moving and take care of yourself*.

You're important to us here at the Center of NJ Life.

(*Men too. Thing is, heart disease is often thought of as a men's issue, when it really isn't- it doesn't discriminate by gender.)

Biggest Solar in the Country

Biggest corporate solar installation in the country, coming to South Plainfield:

Business icon Ted Turner stopped by Hall’s Warehouse in South Plainfield today to announce the installation of a 1,400 killowatt (kW) solar-energy system spread across two roofs on the company’s site.
...
The system will hold nearly 8,000 solar panels when completed. It is expected to produce 1.5 million kW hours of electricity per year and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by some 24,000 tons over the system’s 30-year lifespan.
Hall’s Warehouse expects energy savings in excess of $600,000 a year.

Woo-hoo!

Some 12th district news

Assemblyperson Jennifer Beck has officially unoffically decided to run for Ellen Karcher's State Senate Seat, according to Wally Edge, who's announced this before and been wrong. This time he sounds a little more sure of himself. As with all politicians, Beck isn't running until she's running. But, seriously, why else was she having all these Town Hall meetings?

I admit, I blew off the Town Hall meeting near my home. I was going to go, but it was cold, I was tired, and I was in no mood to listen to her dis the Dems and run for Senate for an hour and a half.

The Death Chamber

Atlantic City council will support the "compromise" to will allow smoking rooms in casinos.

But smoking ban proponents -- including many casino employees -- said it was not a compromise because they were never given a seat at the bargaining table.
"How could you broker a deal behind closed doors and not bring all parties to the table?" asked Vincent Rennich, a 25-year employee at the Tropicana, who said he lost one-third of his lung to cancer from second-hand smoke on the casino floor. Rennich is suing the Tropicana.
...
Supporters of a ban felt slighted. More than 200 people packed the council chambers last night, and dozens more -- mostly employees and residents against the compromise -- spoke out, many carrying signs and wearing orange T-shirts that said "Nobody deserves to work in an ashtray."
Jennifer Guillerman, a 22-year employee at Caesars, said no one will want to work in the smoking sections, which she dubbed "the death chamber."
Atlantic City resident Ray Mazzoli said the amendment wasn't a compromise, but a "capitulation." He said the only way to get a ban was to "take that ventilation system and pump it directly into the executive suites."

Venting into the profiteers' offices- sounds fair to me!

From the Press of AC (AP article):

Jennifer Guillermain, who has worked as a gaming supervisor for 16 years at Caesars Atlantic City Hotel Casino, said employees are already balking at working in the smoking rooms.
"No one is going to volunteer. And now we're afraid for our jobs if we say we don't want to work in those rooms," she said.

Which doesn't surprise me. Sickens me, and sickens them too, but not surprised.

Blood Drive in honor

The White Horse Fire Company in Hamilton Township will hold a blood drive tomorrow, January 26th, from 3-7PM at the firehouse, 19 Locust Ave, in honor of fallen member Pfc. Eric R. Wilkus.

Pfc. Wilkus died in Iraq on Christmas Day. He was 20 years old.

Blood supplies are very short right now; this is a great way to honor a local hero as well as make a contribution to our community.

(I tried to call the fire company to confirm, since it's not on their web site and the Times of Trenton didn't put the story up online, but was unable to reach anyone. You may want to call in the evening if you want any more information.)

Compromise? More like sell-out

A compromise is being proposed so that Atlantic City could ban smoking in casinos but allow up to 25% of the gambling floor to be designated a smoking section, enclosed and with separate ventilation.

“I have an understanding that we owe the casino industry some kind of a compromise instead of banning (smoking) completely,” said Councilman Dennis Mason, who sponsored the measure after about four weeks of negotiations with the Casino Association of New Jersey, a trade group representing the resort's 11 casinos. “I think this is fair.”

Was that understanding arrived at after intensive lobbying by the casino industry, perhaps? This isn't about being "fair" to the casinos- it's about protecting the workers.

But Councilman Bruce Ward, who proposed the full ban, maintained that he and fellow ban proponent Councilman Gene Robinson will not waiver from their stance to ban casino smoking outright.
“We have signed off in a blood bond,” Ward said. “I'm going to continue do everything I can to protect the employees and patrons so they can work in a safe and healthy environment.”
That environment should include everyone, Ward said, pointing out that while employees working in the smoke-free areas will maintain their health, there are still employees who must work among the smokers in the limited smoking sections.

Actual people, with lungs, will have to work there.

The article also mentions a study by University of Nevada-Reno showing the percentage of gamblers who smoke is just about the same as the percentage of the population who smoke, refuting the old argument that there would be a devastating economic impact to a ban. Honestly, most smokers are quite used to having to smoke outdoors, even during their leisure time; I highly doubt that it will have some huge impact on casino profits. (Don't forget that's what the casinos are actually concerned with- not jobs in Atlantic City, but their profits.)

Thanks for standing firm, Councilmen Ward and Robinson. Hopefully this ban will pass and all the workers who are being treated as second-class citizens by this loophole in the state law will be protected.

Not just 75% of them.

Really?

I read this this morning:

Couples who cite "irreconcilable differences" will be able to get divorced in six months under a bill signed into law yesterday by Gov. Corzine.
State law had required that couples wait 18 months. The bill was approved last year by the Senate and Assembly. It was supported by the New Jersey Bar Association and opposed by the New Jersey Catholic Conference.

Really? The lawyers wanted easier divorces and the Catholics didn't? Shocked, I am.

Must've been the only way to get four whole sentences out of that story.

Phony-baloney war gets even phonier

This morning, splashed across the very top of the front page of my Times of Trenton, is the headline:

Saints alive! More questions arise over holidays

Right after that, is the inset quote:

"Will they let our children draw shamrocks and leprechauns when they won't let them draw reindeer and Santa Claus?"

Ok, now that we've gotten past the O'Reilly-like phony-baloney war-on-Christmas sensationalism, here's the actual story:

Hopewell Valley Regional Schools decided to eliminate religious celebrations of Christmas. Some parents got bent, as often happens when people try to separate church and state, and a "local radio station" got involved in whipping up controversy- it doesn't say which one but I'm sure we can all guess. Anyway, at this week's school board meeting where they were trying to standardize the policy about the holidays across the whole district for future years, some parents- from the article it seems to be two, a couple- asked if this would be applied to Saint Valentine's and Saint Patrick's day as well- a valid question since these two holidays, although secularized much more than Christmas, have roots in a Christian tradition. The school board said they maybe will review other holidays in the future, but right now, no:

"No, we're not doing anything with Valentine's Day," said Hopewell Valley
Regional Superintendent Judith Ferguson.

And that's pretty much it. But you wouldn't know that from the huge headline and the inflammatory quote across the top. This absolutely does not deserve big-headline, front-page-above-the-fold treatment- but controversy sells, so the Times splashed it nice and big across the front.

The old line about a "liberal" media is so much hogwash. What we have is a "sensationalist" media- maybe sometimes with a political slant, or a complete Republican lie and twist job, like Fox Newz- a media that is intent on getting us to pay attention to the most sensational stories. That's what sells. I'm disappointed in the Times for making such a big deal of a school board meeting which simply clarified a district policy, but I'm not surprised.

Would everybody- newspapers, bad TV "journalists", religious zealots, anti-religious zealots- please just stop trying to inflame us all about not agreeing with one another? Diversity is a big asset of Our Fair State, not a flash point.

I get searches

Rather often, I get searches on "NJ night life" or variants of such. Got quite a few recently.

It's a shame because I'm the mother of two school-age kids; I know nothing about NJ night life.

But, luckily, someone else does and decided to write about it. The Star-Ledger has an article this morning titled I Love the Nightlife which should help you find your bars or clubs or whatnot in North and Central NJ. There's also KatManDu in Trenton, somehow open ten years and I still never made it over there (even when I worked a couple miles away.) And don't forget to check out The Crooked Beat, which has calendars, maps and news on brews for bunches of clubs in the NJ and NY area. I also found some news on South Jersey's nightlife- and I admit to having visited several of those places, back before I was a mommy and I had a night life too.

I hope this helps. Now, you go have fun with your nightlife; I'll probably be asleep before you even leave home.

Snowing!

It's snowing here in The Center of NJ, quite heavily in fact. It's even sticking in some places!

I had to go to the grocery store today, now I don't want even to go near it.

Give change a chance

Our Fair State's seriously in the weeds, financially. We have high property taxes (thanks, Christine!) and a wicked debt load. So, we go and elect ourselves a financial guy as a governor and hope for a change; a real change, a true change, a shot at overhauling the money house of cards we've built for ourselves.

He proposes a change in how schools are run to consolidate and save money; people bitch bitterly that they won't even try it.

He wants to work with unions to negotiate some changes in state worker benefits; people bad-mouth him and criticize his efforts.

He wants to cap property tax increases at 4% (with some exceptions): people complain about how impossible that will be.

I guess everyone expected Corzine would just get to Trenton and pull the excess money that the legislators have been hiding out from under a mattress? Or wave a wand, perhaps?

This is reality, folks- sacrifices will have to be made. This ain't George W., the only moron to cut taxes in the face of a disastrously expensive war; this is someone who has a financial background and realizes money doesn't just fall from the sky and hope is not a sound financial strategy. We voted for him so he would make the tough changes. For chrissakes, let him change something. Maybe some of his proposals won't work, but face it- it ain't working how it is now.

Give change a chance.

(Special to the woman who I heard on the WHYY report on the Washington Township meeting where they screamed about the chance that they might have to consolidate within their county as a pilot program, the woman who said that Home Rule is what made our education system so great- honey, what are you smoking and will you share? Home Rule isn't what made our education system great, but it is what has made it crazy expensive. Wise up.)

The Worst Person in the World

Last night I finished reading The Worst Person in the World by Keith Olberman. It's funny, it's poignant, it's more than a little scary.

It'll also take you very little time to read. Highly recommended.

No joke

Teen driving rules often aren't followed and aren't enforced. After the recent accident in Freehold where a teenager was driving and four people were killed, the Star-Ledger found that convictions for violations are rare at best and teenagers simply ignore their licence restrictions:

A tragic two-vehicle crash in Freehold Township last week brought a new focus on the law. One of the drivers, 17-year-old Michael Dragonetti, had two other teenagers in his vehicle, violating the terms of his provisional license. Dragonetti and his passengers were killed, along with the driver of the other vehicle. All four were buried yesterday.
Stand in the student parking lot at any New Jersey high school and you are likely to learn that Dragonetti was not alone in ignoring the restrictions that came with the provisional license he was granted on Nov. 27. Cars and SUVs with three or four students are commonplace.
Teenage drivers interviewed last week said they and their friends are well aware of the restrictions, but pay them little heed.
"I'm breaking them right now," 17-year-old Rachel Borweegen said as a group of her friends piled into her burgundy Chrysler Cirrus at the end of the day at Edison High School.

I wonder if Rachel's parents read the Star-Ledger?

There doesn't seem to be much reason to worry. Between July 2004 and November 2006, only 12 provisional drivers in New Jersey were given tickets for carrying too many passengers in their cars, according to data provided to MVC by the courts, commission spokesman Mike Horan said.
Violations of other restrictions set out under the graduated driver's license law were no more likely to result in convictions. During the same time period, only nine provisional drivers were cited for driving late at night, Horan said.

Does this really shock anyone? It's a shame- these laws were set up so teenagers could learn to be better drivers before they take on full licence privileges, and so they could save lives while that learning happens. Instead, they're a joke for both the young drivers and cops.

Michael J. Dragonetti wasn't supposed to have James S. Warnock or Andrew Lundy in the car with him last week. They and Ruth Mac Arthur, who was driving the minivan they struck, were killed.

This is no joke.

Happy MLK Jr. Day

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I Have A Dream

A voice for blue Jerseyans

Philly Inquirer article on Blue J.

Face It, It's Over

It's January 12. The twelfth day of Christmas has long since passed.

Even if you don't take them down, please, turn off your holiday lights!



Thank you.

Screamin' Carrot

Thank you to those who voted for us, but CoNJL did not take the Screaming Carrot this year for Best New Jersey Blog. City Belt took the honors, followed by The Alternative Press.

Even though CoNJL didn't take a top spot, it was incredibly encouraging to receive so many votes! Thank you, thank you, fans and friends.

Extended duty

New Jersey National Guard members face extended tours in Iraq:

The Pentagon yesterday also announced policy changes that would allow for National Guard and Reserve troops to be involuntarily recalled to the combat zone more readily and add three divisions to the active-duty Army and one to the Marine Corps over the next five years.
New Jersey officials said the expected homecoming for a reconnaissance unit and a combat support unit will be pushed back from March until at least July. The units, the 2nd Battalion of the 102nd RSTA and the 250th Brigade Support Battalion, drill from armories in West Orange, Vineland and Bordentown.
(Gov.) Corzine, a Democrat who voted against the war as a member of the U.S. Senate, visited the soldiers at their base in Balad, just north of Baghdad, in November.
"People were ready to come home. They are stressed out," he said.

Corzine said last night about this that he's "mad as hell" about the extention for 159 of New Jersey's Army National Guard. He's not alone:

Army National Guard Spc. Tony Musgrave, will be staying in Iraq until at least the end of the summer -- one of 21,500 more troops President Bush is calling into the increasingly violent, shattered country.
...
"I'm not too happy," Dawn Musgrave said from her Hamilton home. "I think someone else needs to take over. I don't think Bush knows what he's doing at this point."
Musgrave said servicemen like her husband haven't even been told that they will be staying -- the official who called her yesterday said soldiers in Iraq won't get the news until the week's end.

Good luck to the Musgraves, and to all our folks in uniform.

"Restructuring New Jersey's Future"

With Rep. Rush Holt, Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh of West Windsor, and Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes in attendance, Corzine held a town hall meeting entitled "Restructuring New Jersey's Future" at Mercer County Community College in West Windsor earlier this evening. The Governor was brief in his opening remarks, mentioning that he'd just given a long speech the day before, and let most of the evening be led by questions.

Two themes emerged with the questions: First, people were concerned about how the proposed 4% cap on property tax increases would affect their town's ability to provide services, especially with so many unfunded state mandates they must shoulder. Boards of Education have been cutting their spending already since voters are unwilling to pass budgets; how will towns live within a 4% cap? Corzine answered that there would be budget items excluded from the cap, but they were "still working hard at negotiating" the details of the proposal. He also mentioned how he would like to give towns the ability to add revenue raisers, such as impact fees, but hadn't been able to get the legislature on board with it. Corzine also repeated several times that he wants the state aid formula amended to be "per child, not per zip code," so school boards that have received flat funding for years might see an increase.

The second theme was state workers being concerned about a loss of their benefits. Corzine reminded each person who questioned this that negotiated and agreed benefits are non-forfeitable. Workers with 5 years in shouldn't see any impact. A current Turnpike employee who will soon retire was assured that his pension benefits would be assured even if the Turnpike is sold or leased out. Showing his financial background, Corzine took some time to explain why the pension has spread some of its savings into higher risk investments. He was also quick to point out that even if benefits ware changed for new hired employees, that won't make a huge impact on our state budget- "This budget won't be balanced on the backs of the state workers."

When questioned about town and school district consolidation, the governor reiterated his support for the county superintendent pilot program and his support to offer incentives to towns to consolidate to take advantage of economies of scale. But he was clear that this is a democracy and if towns declined to join together he didn't support economic punishment.

When questioned about medical marijuana use (S-88 and A-933, perpetually in committee,) Corzine stated that he did support it but he was clear that it was not a priority at this time. He did mention support for universal health care and needing to get coverage for the 1.3 million in Our Fair State who have no health insurance.

"Mad as Hell" was how Gov. Corzine expressed his feelings about extending Our Fair State's National Guard's time in Iraq and more call-ups of reservists. Amen to that.

Overall, Corzine stuck with the same underlying points that he made in his State of the State address the day before, stressing the ballancing of interests in the common good. The questions from attendees were more specific and much less angry than I've seen at town hall forums like this in the past; almost as if these folks realize that he gets it, and is really working to balance the wants and needs of Our Fair State.

(MCCC's cable channel 26 ran their tape of the forum shortly after it ended. I'm not sure when/if they will run it again; if I find out when they will, I'll post the info.) (Cross-posted on Blue Jersey)

Governor's Forum

If you weren't in the privileged few who got to go to the Gov's speech earlier today, Mercer County College in West Windsor is hosting Gov. Corzine in a town hall meeting on Thursday at 7PM. It's expected to last about an hour and a half. If you want to attend, RSVP 609 777 0994. According to the Times, "Corzine is expected to cover issues of property taxes, shared services and cost-cutting in a state that has the highest average property taxes in the country. "

BTW: NJN has up their archived coverage of the State of the State speech, so you can watch it at your leisure.

Racisim Rears its Ugly Head in South Jersey

The mayor of South Harrison Township (Gloucester County) has been recieving threatening calls:

SOUTH HARRISON TWP. Despite racist threats lobbed at the township's first black mayor, this rural community does not have a racial intolerance problem, assured Police Chief Warren Mabey.
The threats, which began before Charles Tyson took the oath as mayor on Jan. 1, have been described as politically motivated both by Tyson and the township police.
...
The threats began on Dec. 14 when Tyson received the first threatening call. The threats continued on both his home and cellular phone, carrying over to the new year when he began his first term as mayor.
Tyson, who received one such threat calling him "a dead n..." four days into his one year term, stated that the threats have only made him stronger.
"It isn't going to affect anything," said Tyson. "I am going to move forward and be there for the people of South Harrison. Life goes on, we have a job to do."

Thank you, Mayor Tyson, for staying focused. I hope they catch the trash that would threaten a man based on his skin color.

Tell it to her Tuesday- satire edition

Janet asked about the best satire songs.

Let's just admit that Wierd Al is the best at doing this on a pop culture level. He just is. Every couple years he comes out with an album and he's got at least one or two songs on it that are stellar satire and damn funny. I'll Be Mellow when I'm Dead, Yoda, I Lost on Jeapordy, Eat It, Smells Like Nirvana, Jurrasic Park, Amish Paridise, White & Nerdy- I could go on forever. Some of the videos are pure gold, too.

Others who list will hit the other highlights, but there's three who got life on the internet that I must include:

The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny
Stick Magnetic Ribbons on Your SUV
This Land (Jib-Jab)

The State of Our Fair State

Gov. Corzine will hold the State of the State address today at noon. NJN will broadcast it live on TV, as well as radio and online. If you miss it, they will rebroadcast at 10PM. He is expected to stress property tax relief as the top issue for state government.

Blog Maintenance

Did some quick maintenance this weekend:

• deleted non-updating or defunct blogs from the sidebar
• added a blog or two that should've been there already
• updated some older posts with labels, so I don't have to do that awkward "list of related posts" anymore
  

If there are any blogs I missed adding, please let me know.

Thank you to the readers who have voted for me for the Screaming Carrot. There are some much more worthy blogs out there than CoNJL, this I know full well, but it's truly gratifying to be nominated and receive votes.

The Fleecing of Hamilton and NJ- Was it in 2001?

According to Superior Court Judge Linda R. Feinberg, who will issue her official report later this month, the idea that Klockner Woods* is too much wetland and couldn't be developed is "totally unfounded." Darryl Isherwood reports in today's Times of Trenton:

Judge Linda R. Feinberg said a consultant's study of the wetlands on the tract clearly showed the land could hold as many as 40 homes as township officials and the land's owner, Doylestown, Pa.-based developer Fieldstone Associates, have said and was not a swamp as detractors of the township's purchase of the property have alleged.

If the judge is right, the Central NJ town of Hamilton's mistake wasn't in buying back the land for $4.1 million; it was in selling it for $375,000 six years ago. It certainly looks as if her ruling will go that way.

On the other "fun" part of this deal, the claim that since the town council never formally approved funding for the purchase, it is illegal under state laws:

In a separate aspect of the complicated land deal, Feinberg said she would consider the township council's arguments that the entire purchase should be voided because the council in power at the time of the agreement never approved a bond ordinance to pay for the land. If the new council's argument is upheld, the land would revert back to Fieldstone and the price would become irrelevant.
But in her comments, Feinberg warned that the new council should be "careful what they ask for." If the purchase is voided, she said, the township could be liable for damages to Fieldstone.
"One thing for sure is Hamilton Township wants that property for open space, and if I were to do anything the township would probably end up paying more in damages than the $4.1 million purchase price," Feinberg told the three attorneys representing the township, Fieldstone Associates and the council.

Don't forget the $400,000 owed in interest on the money, making it a total of $4.5 million.

So, it looks like the land is worth what Fieldstone wants for it after all. Since it looks like the taxpayers of Hamilton and Our Fair State will be footing the bill for this, I wonder if the two strange parts of this debacle will be formally investigated:

• the decision in the first place to sell the land for what was clearly VASTLY below its market price to Fieldstone
• the decision to not try to force an eminent domain issue in order to avoid a costly lawsuit

I can't wait to see the formal ruling. I'm sure all of Hamilton is on edge waiting.


*Hamilton Twp. sold this wooded property to Fieldstone Developers in 2001 for $375,000 with the intent of development. Four years later, Hamilton agreed to buy it back for conservation for $4.1 million. Hamilton foots part of this bill but monies come from the county and the state, through the DEP and low-interest loans- hence the fleecing of all of us on this deal. The key posts of the Center of NJ Life continuing series:
Cut the price, 40 Lots and a scam?, Like a bad marriage, The Fleecing of Hamilton and NJ, Deal postponed, 41 lots not feasable, Klockner Woods, Deceptions, Wheeling and dealing, Lawsuit, Paying interest, Money flow

Meteorite!

It's official- the sky IS falling on Freehold:

The mysterious object that shot through the roof of a two-story home earlier this week was identified by scientists as a meteorite, police said Friday.
...
New Jersey's only other known meteorite, weighing an ounce, fell in Deal in 1829.
The precise research value of New Jersey's newest meteorite won't be known unless it ends up in the hands of scientists who would study its composition.
But Delaney said the Freehold meteorite might be of some interest to researchers because it is rich in metals, a sign that it came from the deep interior of an asteroid.

Best Blog

Blue Jersey is holding voting for the Best NJ Blog of 2006. The Center of NJ Life has been nominated and needs your support. This being Our Fair State, the voting requirements will be strictly enforced:

You don't have to live in New Jersey to vote.
We don't care if you live anywhere. Dead people are people, too.
Vote as often as you'd like, or have surrogates pay others to do it for you.
Unless you're not white - we hear the cops are monitoring the vote and arresting people.
We spent all our money on our new high tech voting system that doesn't keep track of the tally, so if you can hack in and rig the vote, you win - and nobody will ever know or care. Plus, we're all out of money, so it's better for everyone if we just pretend the problem doesn't exist.
Shameless self-promotion and mean-spirited mocking of opponents is encouraged and expected. Lawnmowers optional.

Here's my Shameless Self-Promotion! Vote for CoNJL! Last year, the CoNJL garnered an honorable mention, and I'd love to get it again. We need you to vote for us!

As of right this minute, only 34 folks have voted- have you? Go vote!

Gov. Corzine came to the funeral

Gov. Corzine came to the funeral today of Army Pfc. Eric R. Wilkus, a Hamilton firefighter who died on Christmas Day of injuries sustained in Iraq.

Though there's nothing Corzine could say to make the family's pain go away, he expressed his gravest sympathies and told them he is ready to do whatever he can -- anything that may help.
"He was so young, and it breaks my heart," he said as he left the Kingston & Kemp Funeral Home. "I try to attend as many of these services as I can. They've all made such a commitment to their towns and their country."

George Bush has not come to the funerals. 3000+ American soldiers have died in this conflict.

Restricted Freedoms in Central NJ?

Twin Rivers, a community in East Windsor governed by homeowners' association, had their day in Our Fair State's Supreme Court today. The association is being sued by a group of residents who feel their rights are being violated by the restrictive rules on free speech issues such as where political signs can be placed, and such trivialities as whether a particular screen door may be used. From Sunday's Star Ledger:

The legal dispute began in 2000 when a group of homeowners sued in state court, claiming they were being deprived of free speech and assembly. They said the association's rules allowed political signs only in obscure and isolated locations not easy to see; people who were not part of the association's board or committees were not given the same access to the community room and had to pay; and access to the community newsletter was not equal.
Initially, a trial court judge rejected their claims and agreed with the Twin Rivers Homeowners Association. The Mercer County judge ruled the dissident residents had agreed to the conditions when they purchased their properties.
However, in February 2006, a unanimous appeals court overturned the decision, ruling the state Constitution should apply. That decision -- the first of its kind in the country -- set the stage for the current showdown.

It's been a hot topic here in the Center of NJ for quite a while. This is a big issue not just for the residents of Twin Rivers, but for the estimated 1.2 million people in Our Fair State who live in homeowners' associations. This case is being watched closely as precedent.

So, one has to wonder, weren't the folks notified before they bought in that there were rules?

For some residents, moving into a community is all they can afford, and others don't know about the rules, the lawyers argued.
Indeed, (Margaret)Bar-Akiva said she had no idea about the rules when she and her husband bought a townhouse in 1984. "This house was available, we bought it. We didn't even know there was a board," said Bar-Akiva.

There's a lesson there about reading the fine print, I'm sure. But one way or another, it sounds like freedoms, particularly speech, are being restricted by the association- the question is, is it legal? Do the contractual homeowners' association rules trump constitutional rights? Owners of homes all over the country will watch to see what the our Supreme Court says on this one.

(cross-posted at Blue Jersey)

Easy to be Green

Newsweek has a short, simple list of the very least of things you can do to feel like you're helping the environment in the new year.

Seriously, it's some of the very littlest things you can do- but if you aren't doing them yet, you should be. (Except the date-a-vegan one; I can't do that, my husband frowns on my dating.)

The Sky Is Falling!

Or something fell on Freehold on Tuesday, anyway:

It came from the sky.
But from how far up the small, silver-gray, rocklike item with a metallic sheen came before crashing through the roof of a Colts Pride development home Tuesday afternoon is open to speculation.
The Federal Aviation Administration, after viewing the lumpy but smooth object, which measures about 2 1/4 inches by 1 1/4 inches and weighs about 13 ounces, believes it did not come from a conventional aircraft, township police Lt. Robert Brightman said.
"Their investigation leads them to believe it's not an airplane part," Brightman said.
...
"It could be a meteor," said Harry Conover, Monmouth County's emergency management director. "It could have been something floating around in space. We've had satellites fall to earth. What do they call it — space junk?"
Approximately 20 to 50 rock-like objects fall every day over the entire planet, said Carlton Pryor, a professor of astronomy at Rutgers University.

Meteorites in Monmouth County? It's certainly possible. The last recorded meteorite in Our Fair State was in 1829- maybe we're due.

As nearby resident Andrea Hurley said,

"It's weird," she said. "How do you explain that to your insurance company?"

Global Warming Winter

It's going to be 60 degrees today.

My tulips came up already.

I need to mow my lawn- it's been growing.

I miss winter. I miss snow. Me, and the polar bears.

Better than I could've said it- blind followers edition

Fixer at Alternate Brain is sick of armchair generals and sheep.

Beta Blogger Blocker

Blogger Beta makes me sign in every single time I want to post something. Every single time, I check the little "remember me" box and every single time, it forgets me and I have to sign in again.

When do ya think you'll get it fixed, folks?

Cough, cough

Beware- the flu has officially arrived in Our Fair State. If you didn't get your flu shot yet, now's the time; there's no shortage.

And, please, wash your hands!

Happy New Year from the Center of NJ

(This is a repeat of last year's post. I'm up to my eyeballs in busy and I don't have time to reword it- the sentiment is still the same. Happy to you and yours, -Sharon GR)

New Year's Eve is my holiday.

Let me explain.

For years, I was no fan of Christmas. I didn't have a Hallmark Holiday to look forward to; it was more of a tense thing we all did at a certain time of year. There are some traditions I would cling to fiercely, but at the same time it just felt like something we had to do. I kind of wished we could chuck the whole thing.

But, after tolerating family and obligations throughout Christmas, New Year's Eve was the reward. You get to have parties with friends- people you want to be with, not have to. That's the holiday I'd look forward to every year, the one I enjoyed. It was mine, not the obligation's.

My husband, on the other hand, did not follow my Scrooginess. He is a big kid at Christmas, still in love with the wonder and awe of the whole thing. After we became a family I stopped dreading it so much, and now with the children I enjoy the holiday as much as anyone. But there's still that part of my brain that has this attachment to New Year's Eve, and won't let it go.

Our New Year's celebration will be filled with a little bit of family but a lot of friends. These are the friends who are like family now; the ones we have chosen. This holiday has no hidden meaning, no religious significance, no national commemoration. It's about the friends, happy endings and new beginnings; what could be better than that?

Happy New Year to you and yours. I hope your endings are happy and your beginnings fresh and bright.

Hamilton soldier lost in Iraq

Eric R. Wilkus, military police and Hamilton Twp. fire fighter, died on 12/25/06. He was 20 years old.

"But if you could really get to know Eric, you'd see that he was loud, boisterous and made his point clear," said Ryan Kingston, a friend and fellow firefighter. "He was dependable and so easy to get along with."
The memories, tinged by tears, flooded Wilkus' friends yesterday as they absorbed the news that his name was on the latest casualty lists from the war in Iraq. Wilkus, 20, died Christmas Day in Landstuhl, Germany, from a noncombat-related injury he sustained three days earlier in Baghdad.
Wilkus was a private first class with the Army's 57th Military Police Company, 8th Military Police Brigade, and had been stationed in Korea until he was deployed to Iraq in June.
Military officials yesterday would not release further information about the cause of Wilkus' death, saying the incident is being investigated. According to the Department of Defense, he is one of nearly 3,000 Americans who have died supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the 66th soldier with ties to New Jersey to lose his life in the conflict.

How much more of this must go on?

Solar program woes

Due to a substantial increase in the number of applicants, residents of Our Fair State now have to wait up to a year for approval for state rebates and installations of solar panels. There are also questions about the sustainability of the rebate program:

Once a fledgling, pie-in-the sky effort that helped fund only a half-dozen systems in its first year in business, New Jersey's Customer Onsight Renewable Energy (CORE) rebate program has become a national model of success, giving out more than $75 million to nearly 1,000 different projects in the first six months of 2006, and putting New Jersey second only to California in installed solar capacity.
It's also become a victim of its own success.
Today, there are now so many applicants the wait for approval is reaching one to two years, according to those in the solar energy industry. And that wait is scaring some people away.
“When you tell people the truth (about getting rebates), they feel like it may not ever happen,” says Patrick Sullivan, owner of Solar Power Concepts in Cape May County. “The phone calls coming into my company have been slow to none.”
...
On top of this, there is the looming question of whether or not the program will ever have the funding that is currently being promised.
While the Board of Public Utilities insists there will be money available to fund projects like Groff's, the Clean Energy Program states on its own Web site that the current rebate system simply isn't sustainable, given the mushrooming number of applicants.
To meet the state's clean energy goal of 20 percent by 2020, the Web site says, “this cost would be in the billions of dollars and would require an annual funding level of approximately $500,000,000,” raising electrical rates 5 to 7 percent. Several alternatives are being proposed, but none has yet to gain the upper hand.

It's a shame, but not too surprising. The amount of money we were given when we installed our panels was 70% of the total cost, and without that we coudn't have afforded it. Hopefully, a stable source of funding will be found, but I'm not holding my breath. Maybe we could ask Kuwait?

Happy Hollidays

The Center of NJ Life wishes you a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, Peaceful Kwanzaa, hope it was a Cool Solstice, Happy Hanukkah, and a good everything else.

Be Merry and Bright!

24-hour Christmas Show

Jon Solomon will do his annual Christmas Radio Show on WPRB 103.3FM starting 6PM on Dec 24th until 6PM Dec. 25th. No, that's not a typo- I really mean ith his 24-hour show.

This year will mark the 19th edition of the show, which is known regionally, nationally and internationally for its mix of rare, strange and confounding records that are directly or vaguely holiday-related. Mr. Solomon doesn't discriminate — well, not too much. Songs good, bad and bizarre make the playlist, as long as they're about Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year's or the winter months.

Have fun!

Way to go, Juan!

PoliticsNJ has named their 2006 Tops list and the Politician of the Year is...

Juan Melli of Blue Jersey!

Juan was modest and quick to say "...and no doubt, this is Blue Jersey's honor, not mine. The front-pagers all deserve credit for this, but beyond that, so does the entire community that contributes to the dialog here." Yeah, but without him there would be no Blue Jersey. It's a deserved honor.

Lazy Linkin'- The Asylum Street Spankers

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Asylum Street Spankers. Not the least bit family friendly, not one tiny little bit. Without a doubt, worth your four minutes to watch.

Hat tip to The Opinion Mill. I followed the link there and have had the song stuck in my head ever since.

A quote that I can't forget now that I've heard it

"The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. "
-John Kenneth Galbraith

(Hat tip to someone who used this in a signature, I'm sorry I don't remember who.)

I see a pattern here

Our Fair State has joined a dozen others yesterday in suing the EPA to lower soot levels from smokestacks in order to improve our respiratory health and save lives.

The states argue that the Bush administration is ignoring science and its own experts in refusing to slightly reduce the allowed threshold for soot. The "fine particulate matter" in soot contributes to premature death, chronic respiratory disease and asthma attacks, said New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. The pollution also leads to more hospital admissions and other public health costs, he said.
"The overwhelming scientific consensus is that fine particles cause respiratory disease and premature death. I am hopeful that this lawsuit will succeed in compelling EPA to establish standards that will protect the public from the serious threat posed by particulate pollution," New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa P. Jackson said.

Yesterday, the Bush administration changed the rules on releasing detailed info on the toxic chemicals that companies emit into the air, water and on land.

The Bush administration yesterday exempted thousands of companies from providing detailed information about the toxic chemicals they release into the air and water and onto the land, easing the reporting requirements under the nation's premier environmental right-to-know law.
...
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) said the EPA's decision "puts the interests of corporate polluters ahead of the health and safety of the American people." Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6th Dist.) called the change a "step backwards" because it "limits information that community residents can receive about chemicals near their homes."
The rule change was opposed by public health and environmental organizations and government agencies in 23 states. It had the backing of the chemical, electronics, petroleum and plastic industries as well as fabricated metal facilities, foam manufacturers, food processors and utilities.

Y'know, I spent yesterday home sick with asthmatic bronchitis, so as I sit here typing this I'm coughing. Coincidence?

(cross-posted at Blanton's and Ashton's)

Raging Rudolph

A holiday classic. Not for the family.



Does my nose amuse you? Is it funny, like a clown?

Duck and cover

At dinner the other night, when the kids were telling me about their day, they mentioned the "emergency" drill they had at school. Not a fire drill, mind you; but a lockdown drill. The kids had to huddle in corners of their classrooms so they couldn't be seen from the window next to the door to their rooms. The blinds have to remain open so instructions can be recieved from emergency personell outside if need be. In the younger kid's class, the teacher kept them quiet by reading a story; in the older's room, they were able to be silent by themselves. Their classrooms had both gotten a good review because they couldn't be seen from the hallway.

I sat there in horror as they matter-of-factly relayed this.

I guess the world we live in does bring about this sort of thing, but all I could think of was the sepia-toned reels of duck and cover drills from the 1950s. All these kids going through the motions, unaware that it wouldn't do a damn bit of good in the event of a nuclear attack. Parents and school officials probably felt that they had to do something to try to save themselves from an unpreventable and uncontrolable threat, so this is what kids did.

And this is what kids do now. They duck and cover, hide in a corner, until the nuclear war or the gun-totin' lunatic passes them by.

So much for that

Spent a fortune today on the annual cleaning of the carpets.

It took about ten hours for a cat to throw up on the newly clean floors.

Counsel equal

Ad # 4:

Tell it to her Tuesday- roadside edition

This was a thought-provoking one, so I thought I'd play along with Janet:

A few months ago, my boyfriend and I were on our way home from Philadelphia. On the way we spotted a man pulled over to the side of the road. Assumably his family was waiting in the car. He was flagging drivers down and my boyfriend pulled over. He told us that his car had broken down and that help was on the way, but that unfortunately he did not have all the money he needed to pay for the tow truck. So he was asking strangers, out of the kindness of their hearts, for anything up to fifteen dollars to contribute to the total cost. He also offered to pay us back if we were willing to give our address to him. My questions to you this week are this:

1. Would you have stopped in the first place? Why or why not?
No. Because I'm suspicious and cynical, and because there's a better-than-good chance I've got kids in the car. I would, however, note where I was, stop the car about a mile away, and call 911. Anybody who's got real car trouble will be helped by police. I don't believe the tow-truck story, either- last time I got a tow no one asked me for a dime until after I was safe.
Once upon a time, I was with friends who did stop to help someone like that. It was an older couple and we were a bunch of teenagers out at night, and the guys in the group changed a tire for the folks. I wouldn't have stopped if I'd been by myself; I've seen Silence of the Lambs.

2. Are there any factors that would contribute to your stopping or not stopping that would ultimately change your answer?
Nope. Even if I forgot my cell phone and I couldn't help, I'm confident that a bundle of other folks have theirs and would have called.

3. If you stopped, would you or would you not give him the money he asked for?
Hell no. No more than I buy that painting the guy needs to sell down the shore to get bus fare home, or any other random give-me-money scheme.

4. If you gave him the money, would you supply your address?
I haven't even given you good folks my last name- why would I give some stranger my address?

5. Does time of year or time of day effect your answer?
No. I guess the idea here is because it's cold maybe I'll react differently, but once again I'll call police and they will be out to check up, so I don't feel like I've abandoned anyone to the elements.

Bless him for he has sinned

He said what?

A pastor delivering the invocation at the opening of yesterday's Senate session included in his prayer a condemnation of gay marriage.
"We curse the spirit that would come to bring about same-sex marriage," the Rev. Vincent Fields, pastor of Greater Works Ministries in Absecon, prayed as lawmakers
istened, heads bowed. "We ask you to just look over this place today, cause them to be shaken in their very heart in uprightness, Lord, to do that is right before you."
...
Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), a co-sponsor of that bill, said it was "completely inappropriate" for Fields to include the issue in the invocation.
"I do not think a pastor should be using the microphone in the Senate for a prayer to open the session by lobbying for or against something," Weinberg said. "Usually, if you're going to lobby members you have to wear a lobbyist badge."

Well, you may try to curse the spirit that would come to make all people treated equally, but leave me out of it.

Barring Equal

Ad # 3:

A hole on our couch

When things are good, you get used to them.

Over there on the right, in the little "about me" bit, I list things that I feel identify me. I said "pet owner" because I have three cats and two greyhounds. The Me I am used to and good with has two greyhounds. Even though Toasty died earlier this year, I will often accidentially still refer to my older dog and my younger dog, because I was used to it and things were good that way.

I met a dog in the parking lot of the vet office today. He was 14 years old and had three legs, so I commented that my younger dog also has three legs.

However, my younger dog had just died, minutes earlier. She became sick over the weekend and went into renal failure quite suddenly, and when it became apparent that she couldn't recover, we had to put her down. It had nothing to do with the cancer that took her leg, which is what we had been expecting; the blood tests to tell us why haven't come in yet. I'd like to know, but knowing why won't make me used to it or make it good.

There's a hole on my couch, where Summer used to be.

I'm not used to it, and it's not good.

Summer in her yard, 11/2006

Keep Thinking Equal

Think Equal

Think Equal.

When you follow that link, please, please note the contribution link on the bottom left. This ad should be on the air in Our Fair State.

Princeton HealthCare Hospital Move update

On Dec. 13 the state Health Planning board will host a public hearing on the decision to move Princeton Hospital to the FMC property on Rt. 1 in Plainsboro:

The hearing could be the only opportunity for the public to comment on the proposed hospital re location before the board meets Jan. 4, 2007, to offer its nonbinding recommendation for or against state authorization, known as a certificate of need, for the project.
It will be up to the commis sioner of the state Department of Health and Senior Services to decide on state approval for the hospital proposal, which also will re quire local approvals from Plainsboro to proceed.
Copies of Princeton HealthCare's certificate of need application are available for review at the Princeton Public Library, the New Jersey State Library in Trenton and the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, also in Trenton.
The Dec. 13 hearing will be held in the auditorium of the John Witherspoon Middle School, 217 Walnut Lane, Princeton Township. It will be held from 6 to 8 p.m., with a three-minute time limit per speaker. Concise written comments may be submitted as well during the hearing.

Hopefully, the state will see the need to expand hosptal services in this section of Central New Jersey and let Princeton HealthCare move the hospital.

Moon Base!

NASA wants to build a moon base! Really! By 2024.

My kids have this horrifically dated book, which was their father's, called You Will Go To The Moon. I wonder how wrong it will be- and what will be right in it?

Burned

Great things are going on over at Blue Jersey. There's a lot of discussion of marriage equality and the Supreme court decision and deadline. The property tax committee proposals have been presented.

And with all this, I still can't get into politics right now.

It started about two weeks before the election. I'd love to blame the holidays, but I've barely done anything so far. I'm just burned out on it all.

Am I the only one?

Working where you live

The upside to working in the town where you live: you can't go anywhere without seeing anyone you know.

The downside: you can't go anywhere without seeing anyone you know.

As they often do

My husband attempted a simple home repair project this weekend.

(Those of you who own homes are alrealy laughing. What were we thinking?)

Anyway, we have three (formerly four) cats. The male we have now has had urinary tract problems, therefore when he used to get infections he'd pee wherever was convenient. The old man kitty we had then had to hit those same spots, until there were some corners that were simply horrible. Cat urine will soak into the padding and the floorboards, and after that no amount of cleaning will kill the smell. So, over the years, we've had to cut out and replace floorboards (and occasionally wallboards & molding.) Andrew's gotten quite good at this, unfortunately. We then clean the heck out of the carpet and put in new padding, then feed the cat there for a while and they cease to relieve themselves in that area.

There is one corner of our office that has become the worst of all. There is an outside door there that we never open and it seemed like the boy cats had gotten in a pissing war with strays outside. When it rained, the humidity would just bring out the smell. When we put storage units there so they couldn't have access any more, they started hitting the area around it, too. We can no longer clean it and the smell has become unbearable.

So, Andrew decided that before we have the carpets professionally cleaned (like we do every winter,) he'd do the floorboard thing.

Well.

He pulls up the carpet to find out- ahh, you homeowners saw this coming, didn't you?- that it was much worse than we imagined. The screen door outside had been basically funneling water in for years. ("Hadn't these people ever heard of caulk?") It wasn't the humidity that brought out the smell- it was probably fresh water. The flooring, the subfloor, the sill under the door had to be replaced. We had to buy a new door, and we'll probably want a new storm door too.

Now I wish we'd opened that door more often. We might've noticed before now. The best luck I guess we had in this is that we found no mold or termite damage.

So, what started as a simple weekend home project that should have taken a day or maybe a day and a half has run way over schedule- as home projects often do. We both have to work so we haven't even gotten to cleaning the carpet or running new pads, plus we've found a few more areas that could do with the new floorboard treatment. So much for a one-weekend project.

I love my cats, but when they go to the great litterbox in the sky, there shall be no more cats. At least when my dog had an accident recently, she had the decency to poop on a bathroom floor.

Where the hell IS Central Jersey?

dennismcgrath posed this question yesterday afternoon; there's a discussion of it on BlueJersey.

I'm in favor of defining it by county: Mercer, Monmouth, Middlesex, Hunterdon, and Somerset. Not Union. It's in North Jersey, by culture if not by geography.

Hope it was happy round-up

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. Me? Well, my jeans are too tight today- I guess that means it went well.

If you haven't seen these yet, here are some good Thanksgiving weekend links:

Turkeys who got the hell outta Ramsey.

Rob S. has the classic WKRP Thanksgiving Turkey Drop.

Proud Members of the Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy should visit BlueJersey.

Jay's got some Grattytude.

Have fun, y'all. Happy Thanksgiving.

Don't let the door hit ya...

GOP officials are passing on budget bills and some other stuff they don't want to deal with, wrapping up the lame-duck a week earlier than anticipated and dumping as much as they can into the next session, so the Dems will have less time to focus on their own agenda.

Grrr.

If you won't do it, we'll do it ourselves.

So says Atlantic City about the indoor smoking ban.

The city council in Atlantic City on Wednesday introduced a measure to ban smoking indoors in workplaces, which passed 9-0. Hearings will be held at the council's next two meetings, with a final vote late in December. The law would take effect 30 days after signing, so maybe sometime early next year, AC will be smoke-free.

Atlantic City Asm. Jim Wheelan proposed a bill to repeal the casino loophole in Our Fair State's Indoor Smoking Ban, but it has been languishing in committee since January. The state law does allow cities and towns to adopt their own, tougher limits.

I'm sure the casinos will lobby heavily and mount any possible legal challenge, so they're in for a fight, but the health of the people who work in the hospitality industry is worth it. The casino workers have been treated as a second class for too long. Kudos to the council of Atlantic City for this move.

(cross-posted on BlueJersey)

I'm goin' to hell!

I kinda always suspected that, but now I know. A teacher in Kearny knows who should go and told his class about it:

"I would never have suspected something like this went on in a public school," (student Matthew) LaClair said yesterday.
He said (teacher David) Paszkiewicz told students that if they didn't accept Jesus, "you belong in Hell." He also dismissed as unscientific the theories of evolution and the "Big Bang."

The kid knew he wouldn't be believed, so he made recordings of the teacher to back up his claims. So, this "teacher", when confronted, stood up and faced the allegations!

No, of course not. He lied about it. Ain't that grand?

On Oct. 10 - a month after he first requested a meeting with the principal - LaClair met with Paszkiewicz, (principal) Somma and the head of social studies department.
At first Paszkiewicz denied he mixed in religion with his history lesson and the adults in the room appeared to be buying it, LaClair said. But then LaClair reached into his backpack and produced the CDs.
At that point Paszkiewicz remarked, according to LaClair, "Maybe you're an atheist. You caught the big Christian fish."

So, according to this teacher, those who disagree with him on religion are probably athiests- and since they don't buy into his version of accepting Jesus, they get to go to hell, too. But I seem to remember there being some rules about lying...

The follow-up is that the school has "taken corrective action," whatever that means. (It's a personell matter so I don't expect them to be public in what has been done.) Let's just hope that the teacher has learned a lesson somewhere.

(Big hat tips to Steven Hart and DBK, who got to this story in a more timely manner than I.)

Property Tax "reform"

The Committee on Government Consolidation and Shared Services will be making its recommendations on Wednesday, along with the other committees charged with property tax reform in Our Fair State. The Star-Ledger this morning:

The idea of abolishing 600 school districts and replacing them with one for each county has faded in favor of creating "super" county superintendents to oversee local school officials and spending, members of a committee studying the issue said.
Another of the more radical ideas considered by the Committee on Government Consolidation and Shared Services -- the creation of a state board that would identify which towns and school districts should merge -- remained unsettled as legislators debated how to give voters the final say.
Sen. Bob Smith (D-Middlesex), the committee chairman, also said a proposal to shift fire district elections and budget votes from a Saturday in February to the November general election is being crushed under heavy lobbying by firefighters.
...
"Would you believe the most controversial idea is shifting the fire district elections?" Smith said. "On one hand there is more accountability on fire budgets, on the other hand the argument is let the firefighters do their thing. It's turning into a bit of a bear."
A proposal to shift school board elections and budget votes from April to November will be one of the recommendations.

So, let's see: instead of consolidating school districts to save money, we'll add another layer of bureaucracy on top of the 600+ that we already have! And, since the firefighters don't want to give up their fiefdom and risk accountability on their budgets, we'll let them keep their own separate elections, regardless of the expense- even while we combine the others.

I want to hear the committee's explanation on exactly how this will lower my property taxes. Maybe that will be what we hear on Wednesday?

Tell it to her Tuesday-under the covers

Janet asked about favorite remakes today (also known as covers.) Covers are best when they aren't a carbon copy, but still respect the original. There are a few:

• Cake, "I Will Survive." It rocks.
• Foo Fighters, "Baker Street." This was a great song by Gerry Rafferty, a mainstay of late 70s AM radio. Apparently a lot of folks covered it, but I thought the Foo's version was a particularly good version.
• Matthew Sweet, "Do Ya." I heard this song on the radio exactly once, then went out and bought the album. I hate to spend money at all, so you know how much I loved it. The cool thing is, the recording on Live at 6A is a sound check, not for an audience; they played the hell out of it because they love the song.
• Soft Cell, "Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go." Everyone and their twin sister covered this one, but I have a soft spot for the big ol' 80s one hit wonder version.
• Ataris, "The Boys of Summer." Can't explain why, this just works.
• Lyle Lovett, "Summer Wind." It's not better than Sinatra's version, but it's hard to put Lyle Lovett with one of my favorite songs and not be happy about it. Am happy.

So that's it. Enjoy the rainy Tuedsay.

What a loss.

"60 Minutes" reporter Ed Bradley dies

My mother used to watch 60 Minutes religously. Every Sunday after dinner she'd sit with her cigarettes and vodka & 7up and watch while she painted her nails. I used to sit with her and even tried the nail thing, but it was not to be, and I couldn't go for the cigarettes or vodka either. But sometimes even now, if we're done dinner early enough or if it's on late because of football, I still curl up on the couch, with a beer and cleaner air, and watch 60 Minutes.

The Ed Bradley reports were always a highlight. He will be missed.

(via Professor Kim)

Cleaning house

Took down the campaign blogs from the sidebar, along with blogs either I stopped reading a while ago or stopped updating months ago. If there's something that belongs in my sidebar that isn't there (like your blog), let me know and I'll add it.

I also took down my signs and bumper stickers yesterday and today. It's like seeing Christmas lights on January 7th- no more, please, we're all done for this year.

New Jersey Election Results 2006

Big, big searches in the last 24 hours looking for local election results for Our Fair State. So, here they are, by county:

Atlantic
Bergen (Not updated at post time)
Burlington
Cape May
Cumberland
Essex
Gloucester
Hudson
Hunterdon
Mercer
Middlesex
Monmouth
Morris
Ocean
Passaic
Somerset
Sussex
Union
Warren

I can't find info for Salem County or Camden County, sorry.

Tuesday, November 7, 2006

I voted. Did you?

Polls open Tuesday 11/7 from 6AM-8PM

New Jersey voters can vote from 6AM-8PM tomorrow. I heard though the grapevine that people are suprised to hear that the polls open at 6AM even though it's been a few years since it was changed from 7AM. So, go vote before work! (Apparently there isn't any waiting line to speak of at that hour, either.)

Here's this cool primer on the ballot questions in New Jersey from the League of Women Voters (Thanks Jay!)

There are identification reqirements to voting, see the list here. Bring ID with you or you may have to vote provisional.

I have had DOZENS of searches come to this blog with the question "am I registered to vote in New Jersey". You can check if/where you are registered by contacting your county Superintendent of Elections, list by county here.

I know I'm preaching to the converted here- you don't come to a New Jersey political blog unless you care about the political process- but I'll say it anyway: GO VOTE TOMORROW! The world has many peoples fighting and dying for the right to have a say in their government, and here in the Greatest Country On Earth people blow off voting because they forget, are too tired, or it's raining, or there's something good on TV. That's pathetic. It is your greatest right and obligation; exercise it tomorrow.

Small-town politics

(I took these pictures out of the windshield of a moving car (I was a passenger!) so I must apologize for the quality. )

The small Central Jersey town of Hightstown is having a mayoral election this year. The incumbent, Republican Bob Patten, clearly has drawn support from both sides of the political spectrum, to judge by the number of "Democrats for Patten" signs you will see as you drive down Main Street, as I did yesterday.

Some of the signs are put up by genuine Democrats supporting the mayor, I'm sure. But, somehow, I don't really believe the particular folks whose lawns are pictured above are "Democrats" when they put their signs right next to the Kean JUNIOR, Chris Smith, and Coolbaugh (the Republican candidate for county surrogate) signs, do you?

Busy weekend

Light blogging this weekend. Not like I blog much on weekends anyway, but what spare time I have will be spent on GOTV efforts for Carol Gay.

It's last push time. Go forth and push.

No accountability

Congress tells auditor in Iraq to close office

Seems that Stuart W. Bowen Jr. and his agency, the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, was doing so good a job at auditing the occupation officials (getting 'em convicted on bribery charges, exposing Halliburton as having done shoddy work, that sort of thing) that they've been eliminated.

Can't have any accountability out there, can we?

BTW, Stuart's a Republican and has served with Teflon W since Texas. But, with Dear Leader George, if you go out of line (and be honest,) you're thrown out.

Please, oh please, America, if you ever needed a reason to go vote, it's to get this rubber-stamper Congress changed. Throw the bums out.


(hat tip to Red State Blues at Blondesense, via Tami. )

The Fleecing of Hamilton and NJ- Cut the price

Hamilton has sought a discount on the Klockner Woods deal, and credit for the interest paid so far, from Superior Court Judge Linda Feinberg:

In a letter to Feinberg, township attorney Paul Adezio explains that a plan by a township consultant shows that at least 34 homes -- and as many as 40 with zoning variances -- could be built on the site. The $4.1 million price, Adezio says, was based on the ability of Fieldstone to build 41 homes on the land.
"Additionally, since the parties were mutually mistaken as to the number of buildable lots on the property when they entered into their agreement ... the Township will ask the Court to consider correcting the mutual mistake of the parties by amending the purchase price to reflect the applicable number of lots ...," the letter said.
Adezio does not specify how much the township feels the price should be reduced. Fieldstone attorney John H. Buonocore did not return calls for comment on the suit and Adezio said he had not heard from the developer on the possibility of dropping the price or crediting the interest payments.

Hamilton also requested "guidance" on how to proceed since one councilman, attorney David Kenny, still feels the purchase was illegal because funding was never approved and will block the approval now. Yeah, good luck with that.

Rocky Swingle (what a great name, Rocky Swingle), president of Save Hamilton Open Space: "We need to save this money so we can preserve other land with it. If we spend too much on this, there is less to spend on others." The land ought to be preserved, absolutely, but at a price that Hamilton's and Our Fair State's taxpayers can afford.

Better than I could've said it

A friend sent me this story about Bush and martial law. Seems Dear Leader signed a law a couple weeks back that lets him declare a public emergency and activate state National Guard units without having to get the governor's approval or anything; the troops can be used to "supress public disorder."

How did this slide by?

Anyway, while looking the story up, I found a wonderful post by Chris Durang at HuffPo who has a lovely rant about it and Sen. Patrick Leahy's response. Go ahead and read it, he's said it all better than I would've.

"Lord, get rid of the rubber-stamping Congress, would you?"

The "H" stands for hate

Evil wraith Ann Coulter is in trouble for voting in the wrong district. Seems she's been contacted to verify her address in writing four times and has not responded, so the case will be turned over to prosecuters. Don't worry, I'm sure she'll find some way to blame it on vile liberal influences.

At the bottom of the CNN article you can sign up for news alerts, including on Ann H. Coulter. Whaddya think the H stands for?

(hat tip to DBK)