Commission is
biggest hit in town
to the editor:
"An Evening of Vaudeville at the Rivoli Theatre" was a huge success. Since January, the Bergen County Film Commission (BCFC) has hosted many successful programs at their home at the Williams Center in Rutherford. The BCFC and the Fort Lee Film Commission are most grateful to Rutgers University Professor of film, Richard Koszarski, for his work in securing the special portion of the program.
BCFC Executive Director Tom Meyers reports; "Our home in The Rivoli portion of the theatre must continue to grow as regards film retrospectives, symposiums and combined film - live programs." Meyers added; "We had over 500 audience members enjoy this live /film program.
At intermission the audience crowded in lines in the lobby to get autographs of our guests and after the intermission they returned to the theatre to enjoy a screening of rare Vitaphone vaudeville shorts introduced by the Vitaphone Project's Ron Hutchinson. This was the first program he participated in that involved using a real vaudeville theatre with a live vaudeville show as part of the film program. Ron was so enthused by the crowd's reaction that he has offered us his collection of films for any future program we may do to celebrate the vaudeville roots of the Rivoli. BCFC Chair Nelson Page and his staff of volunteers of the Fort Lee Film Commission helped with the program operation, including providing the lights and velvet ropes that created a great theatrical entrance, one worthy of the Rivoli. The "Comedy at the Rivoli Theater in the Williams Center" series will run each Thursday evening in April. To learn more about all the events hosted by the Bergen County Film Commission see the BCFC Web site at www.BergenCountyFilmCommission.org.
Nancy O’Mallon
Rutherford
Our post office
to the editor:
I wonder how many residents really appreciate our local post office. These dedicated men and women sort and deliver our precious mail every day. They work long hours standing on their feet, assisting the public and caring for each precious letter or package, making sure the postage, weight and label information is very clear and accurate. I personally commend these hard workers for their daily work making sure we get our mail on time in all kinds of weather.
Linda M. Provost
Rutherford
Higher taxes not the right kind of change
to the editor:
In 1992 the theme of the election which led to the defeat of President Bush was "It’s the economy, stupid." This catchy phrase led to the election of President Clinton. All these years later we see the same theme again, thankfully without the ridiculous phrase. In this election America is in a severe economic state. The housing situation is one major example of this. Senator Obama’s recent suggestion that the capital gains tax be rasied to 25 or even 30 percent is downright insane. How can people looking to sell their houses because they are already paying too much in taxes be expected to pay a 25 or 30 percent capital gains tax? How does that help the average person? If that is one of the things Obama means by "change," no thanks. In this respect I’ll pass on that.
Vincent Spinella
Rutherford
NJ’s continuing crisis
to the editor:
The Workplace
People with disabilities are encountering more difficulty being engaged in gainful employment, despite the existing civil rights mandates that are designed to protect them. The number of people with disabilities engaged in the federal workforce is at the lowest level in twenty years, according to a recent EEOC report.
According to Patricia E. Bauer:
A report released this week by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said that the employment of people with disabilities in the federal government hit its lowest point in 22 years in fiscal 2006, the most recent year for which data is available.
In fiscal 2006, about 0.97 percent of the federal workforce was comprised of people with disabilities. At its peak in 1994, about 1.24 percent of the federal work force was disabled. Over the same time period, harassment complaints have steadily increased and the proportion of people with disabilities receiving promotions has fallen.
Among the problems cited in the EEOC report: managers don’t understand how to make accommodations for people with disabilities; many agencies haven’t made hiring them a priority; and, an obtuse hiring process may discourage applicants.
The Phenomenon as a National Trend
This phenomenon is indicative of a national trend, in which not only are such persons less likely to be engaged in the workforce, but evidence exists that such persons with disabilities are less likely to receive mandated protections from the Americans with Disabilities Act and other civil rights legislation.
According to the EEOC report:
There is inadequate coordination between federal agencies and programs that were created specifically to meet the employment needs of individuals with disabilities. Within the federal government, unfounded fears, myths and stereotypes persist regarding the employment of people with disabilities.
Few agencies have developed strategic plans to improve the recruitment, hiring and retention of people who are disabled.
The federal job application process is daunting to most, but especially to individuals with disabilities.
Agency officials lack knowledge about how to appropriately respond to reasonable accommodation requests and how to implement retention strategies for people with disabilities.
There is insufficient accountability among all levels of the federal government in setting and attaining goals to hire people with disabilities.
The Phenomenon in New Jersey
This phenomenon exists in New Jersey, where State agencies that are charged with the responsibility to ensure the rights of people with disabilities in the workplace are already under-funded and understaffed. Possible future cutbacks, based on New Jersey’s fiscal crisis, will only aggravate an already intolerable phenomenon.
Basic services, such as accommodations that are mandated by federal law, are often not provided for people with disabilities in the workplace. Non-discriminatory hiring practices are also not followed. Data, previously published with the Hall Institute of Public Policy, clearly illustrates that New Jerseyans with disabilities have a much higher unemployment rate than non-disabled workers.
Federal Initiatives
Federal laws including the ADA, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, prohibit discriminatory practices in the hiring process and in maintaining a reasonable work environment, including the provision of accommodations, when necessary. Nevertheless, enforcement of these laws requires the aggrieved employee with a disability to engage in a lengthy litigious process that can last for years. In some cases, the very nature of the procedure can lead to homelessness.
As indicated, previous Hall Institute publications (Pizzuro, 2007) have addressed this issue. Yet, no solution appears on the horizon. The prospects for gainful employment, rewarding careers, and independent living among New Jerseyans with disabilities, appear bleaker and bleaker. A realistic goal should be to have as many members of this population employed, paying taxes, and contributing to society, rather than being burdens on society.
Despite governmental initiatives, the disparity in employability between disabled and non-disabled populations continues unabated. Some individuals often live with extended family members, subsisting on the support of relatives. Others are homeless. Still others are surviving on public assistance. Many of these potential workers with disabilities possess the skills to contribute to the public economy. Furthermore, their employability would save the government agencies millions of dollars. Nevertheless, societal attitudes have rendered an entire population helpless and unable to become part of a group that provides a portion of community resources rather than take from it.
Ongoing legislation, including the Developmental Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act (and Section 504), and the Americans with Disabilities Act, have failed to correct the egregious disparity in employment between those with disabling conditions and non-disabled workers. As a result, a debate has arisen regarding the reasons for this disparity. One argument can be that these laws are not being enforced. A second argument can be that society’s hidden prejudices prevent appropriate civil rights legislation from being truly implemented.
Implications for New Jersey
New Jersey’s current fiscal crisis suggests that cut-backs in funding for State agencies will result in less programs and support for people with disabilities. The disparity in employment (and employability) between disabled and non-disabled workers will widen. This will result in more people relying on public assistance for survival. Consequently, there will be a greater reliance on social service organizations in the private sector.
Hopefully, there will be a solution to this dilemma, despite the bleak outlook. Such a solution will require a commitment by employers in the private sector and a stronger policy initiative by state and federal agencies.
References
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990: Act of Congress.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (2008). Improving the Participation Rate of People with Targeted Disabilities in the Federal Work Force, January 2008
Patricia E. Bauer, News and Commentary on Disability Issues, January 16, 2008
Pizzuro, S. (2007). New Jerseyans with Disabilities: Still Ostracized from the Workplace. Research Essay, Hall Institute of Piublic Policy. July 19, 2007.
Public Law 93-112, The Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Salvatore Pizzuro
East Rutherford
Thanks for donations
to the editor:
I’d like to thank everyone who supported the recent food drive sponsored by the Boy Scouts, Venturing Crew and Cub Scouts of North Arlington. The generosity of our community was overwhelming.
Through donations of non-perishable food and money, we delivered 573 items to the Queen of Peace parish food pantry to help the less fortunate in our community. This would not have been possible without the great volunteer
effort of our scouts, as well as the participation of our corporate partners, Kearny Federal Savings and Jack’s Foodtown. Both businesses provided tremendous support for our efforts and deserve our thanks.
I’m happy to report that both scouting and generosity are alive and well in North Arlington.
Eric W. Dlugosz, Sr., committee chairman,
Pack 120, Troop 120, Venturing Crew 120, North Arlington
Corzine should
make real cuts
to the editor:
Governor Jon Corzine’s proposed budget is a phony freeze similar to that done by Governor Codey in 2006. The state needs real spending reductions to bring New Jersey back.
New Jersey state spending has doubled in ten years, gone up 50 percent since McGreevey was elected and even with the alleged reductions will be nearly 20 percent higher than it was when Governor Corzine took office. The governor’s proposal does nothing to reduce New Jersey’s out of control tax burden, nothing to reduce New Jersey’s ridiculous welfare state and nothing to cap the outrageous pensions and other giveaways to public employees.
Corzine’s proposal is deficient and should be corrected with the following steps.
· Immediate layoffs, not "early retirement" schemes that keep employees in the pension system.
· Elimination of "Project Labor Agreements" that drive up the cost of state, county and local government construction projects.
· Stopping billions of dollars in debt already authorized but not yet borrowed.
· Elimination of departments including State, Community Affairs, the Comptroller and the Public Advocate.
· Repeal the 9-percent pension hike passed in 2001.
· End state municipal aid to so-called "Abbott" districts that already receive virtually unlimited school aid.
· Raise the retirement age for public employees to 65 and end longevity bonuses.
· The new war on small towns with less than 10,000 residents must be rejected. These towns are the most efficiently run in the state and Corzine’s proposal attempts to eliminate them.
· Stopping the use of "rebate" programs as income redistribution schemes, instead of looking at permanent tax relief.
· Crack down on out of control pensions, lavish medical benefits and order new and recent employees into 401(k) programs.
· Sunset all state regulations for a complete review.
· Initiative and Referendum to allow taxpayers to take charge of state government from an out-of-control legislature.
· End binding arbitration for public employees, including police officers.
· Stopping subsidies to New Jersey Network and selling the licenses and facilities to the highest bidder.
· Eliminate all unfunded state mandates on county and local governments.
· Announce he will veto the Paid Family Leave legislation that creates a new $130 Million payroll tax and a new open-ended entitlement program.
· Roll back new garbage taxes, the $10 television tax, the $500 S-Corporation tax and other new taxes passed under the McGreevey-Codey-Corzine administration.
· Oppose any new taxes or toll increases.
New Jersey has the highest state sales tax in the country, the highest property taxes, the worst income taxes and the worst small business climate in the nation. Corzine’s budget is the same phony "freeze" Dick Codey put in before the last election and you can bet that if Corzine somehow gets re-elected in 2009 that the days of big spending, higher taxes, out-of-control debt and more regulations will be back and worse than ever.
Steve Lonegan, director
Americans for Prosperity New Jersey
Stop export of
electricity to NY
to the editor:
The Division of Rate Counsel filed a motion to intervene with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to stop PSEG Corp. from taking electricity supplied by its Bergen County New Jersey power plant off the region’s power grid and moving it to the New York power grid.
With the cost of electricity going up and energy supplies harder to find in New Jersey, the consequences of PSEG diverting a prime Jersey-based power source to another state could have devastating consequences for New Jersey ratepayers. It is just not fair for New Jersey ratepayers to subsidize the profits of PSEG and the electric bills of New York residents with no benefits coming back in return.
The motion was filed following the petition by PSEG Energy Resources and Trade, PSEG Fossil LLC and Cross Hudson LLC requesting that the Bergen 2 generation unit located in Ridgefield be connected for exclusive use for Con Edison’s 49th Street Station in New York City. To connect the plant to New York, PSEG and its partners also seek approval from FERC to build a dedicated transmission line capable of carrying 600 MW of power across the Hudson. PSEG responded to a request for proposals sent out by the New York Power Authority to service the 49th Street Station. A decision on the winning proposal is expected by April 2008. PSEG has asked for a decision from FERC by mid-March.
If the FERC grants the petition, PSEG would disconnect the plant from the New Jersey regional PJM transmission system and join the NYISO system effective 2011.
Rate Counsel’s consultant analyzed the impact on New Jersey ratepayers if PSEG is allowed to take the Bergen County power plant off line and found several potential negative impacts, including:
Higher rates for New Jersey ratepayers if prices go up due to reduced supply for New Jersey or if the 550 MW from Bergen 2 are replaced by more expensive power from less efficient plants. Rate Counsel urges the FERC to examine not only the positive impact for New York, which was stressed by PSEG, but the potential negative impact on New Jersey.
Reliability concerns for the PJM system if the plant is taken off the PJM grid. Rate Counsel urges the FERC not to approve the disconnection until continued reliability for New Jersey and PJM can be assured.
Concerns that the proposed transmission line may be used as a merchant facility, carrying other power from PJM to New York in the future. Rate Counsel argues that PSEG’s request to build the line must take this into account.
Rate Counsel’s filing asks the FERC to deny PSEG’s request or, in the alternative, to schedule full hearings to address Rate Counsel’s concerns.
The FERC should not let this project go forward until all of the issues are fully examined. The potential impact on New Jersey consumers is simply too great and must be addressed with safeguards that will protect New Jersey ratepayers.
For the full filling, go to www.state.nj.us/publicadvocate/utility/.
Stephanie Brand and Ronald K. Chen
Division of Rate Council
Youths and your
prescriptions
to the editor:
The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey Center for Prevention Research (PDFNJ CPR), today, released the third "Parents' Attitudes and Behaviors Toward Alcohol and Drug-Abuse Prevention" tracking study. The study was conducted by GfK Group, Roper Public Affairs, New York City.
This study is the third of its kind by the PDFNJ CPR. The findings send a clear message; New Jersey parents lack knowledge of prescription drug abuse and over the counter drug abuse, the fastest rising drugs of choice for our children in New Jersey.
The study found that 44 percent of parents had a little or just about no knowledge of prescription drug abuse in order to talk to their children about them, while 47 percent reported have little of no knowledge of over-the-counter drugs.
Understanding the risks these drugs pose to their children is very important for parents to have. Parents are the number one tool in substance abuse prevention and their communication with their children about the dangers of these drugs is key in preventing them from using them.
Kids' and teenagers' use of prescription drugs has been on the rise over the past few years across the nation. Parents need to be aware of this danger, and may want to start talking to their kids about them when they talk about illicit drugs- a year or so earlier.
At PDFNJ we are committed to getting the messages out to parents about the dangers of prescription drugs and over the counter medication that are being abused and increasing their awareness of this drug of choice for our children. In response to these findings PDFNJ is launching a multi-media public awareness campaign targeting New Jersey parents with information of the abuse of these drugs.
Parents surveyed were also unfamiliar with other non-traditional drugs. Three in 10 parents say they know nothing about Oxycotin and two in 10 say they know nothing about ecstasy. The PDFNJ GetSmartNJ.com initiative, launched in 2006, continues to provide resources to parents looking for this information to speak to their children.
The survey also found that seven in ten parents of New Jersey Middle School students support random drug testing at the middle school level.
The PDFNJ CPR has also recently completed the first of a six-year longitudinal study evaluating the impact of random drug testing. The results of this study will be released in April 2008.
Other top line findings of the PDFNJ CPR study found:
One in four parents find occasional alcohol use by their middle school aged children to be only a slight or no risk to their child.
Sixty-nine percent of New Jersey parents reported seeing or hearing Public Service Announcements (PSAs) about the risks of drugs and alcohol one or more times per week. Of those parents, 78 percent reported those PSAs encouraged them to talk to their child about the risk of using drugs and alcohol and 73 percent of parents were made more aware of the risks of using drugs and alcohol, after seeing the anti-drug PSAs.
Parents, who eat family meals with their child five or more days a week, are significantly more likely to have spoken to their child about drugs than parents who eat dinner with their child four nights a week or less.
Parents who eat family meals with their child five or more days a week also indicate that their child has started conversations with them about drugs and alcohol, significantly more frequently, (64 percent vs. 47 percent) than parents who have dinner less than four times a week.
Thirty-four percent of parents surveyed indicated that they have had instances of alcohol and drug abuse in their own families.
When asked to estimate what proportions of New Jersey middle school students abuse prescription or over the counter drugs such as cough syrup and pain relievers, parents estimate on average, that 23 percent of middle school students abuse these medications.
Available national data for prescription and OTC drug abuse suggest that this is an overestimate.
At the same time, because the increased abuse of prescription and OTC drugs is a relatively new phenomenon, studies tend to look at types of prescription and OTC medications discretely, and do not classify them under a generalized heading such as "Prescription Drugs/OTC Medications."
Complete results are available on the web at www.drugfreenj.org.
Angelo M. Valente and Peter Silsbee
PDJNJ and GfK Group Roper Public Affairs & Media
Rutherford
Safety is a collective effort
to the editor:
The days are longer and the weather is warmer. That means the spring season has finally arrived in New Jersey. It also means more walkers, runners, bicyclists and skateboarders are out on the sidewalks and roads, in addition to the countless number of motor vehicles.
Because of this increased traffic, I want to encourage all New Jersey residents to be alert of one another when traveling, whether on foot, by bike, by skateboard or by vehicle. It is only through a collective effort to be attentive to your surroundings that we can keep our roadways safe and avoid any unfortunate accidents.
And by a collective effort, I mean all motorists, all walkers, all runners, all bicyclists and all skateboarders need to be observant. Just as it is important for a motorist to look both ways before making a turn, it is equally as important for a pedestrian to check for oncoming traffic before crossing the street. Taking extra precautions is not a difficult task, but it is often something people overlook or just choose not to do. But the simple action of taking an extra glance to your right or left before proceeding could save your or someone else’s life.
So next time you are traveling, make it a point to be mindful of all the activity occurring around you. Do not assume that someone else sees you. If you happen to be driving, pay extra attention to the pedestrians and bicyclists who may be attempting to cross the street or are moving alongside your vehicle. Or if you are running or on a skateboard, be sure to take notice of what drivers are doing and act accordingly. By being alert, we can all contribute to making New Jersey’s roads safer for everyone.
Sharon A. Harrington, chief administrator
NJ Motor Vehicle Commission
Can NJ afford
universal care
to the editor:
Governor Jon Corzine has stated, repeatedly, that although he supports some form of Universal Health Care for New Jersey, the current State fiscal crisis makes it problematic, at best.
The same unanswered question appears whenever Universal Health Care is discussed, "Who is going to pay for it?" This question remains whether the proposal is made by Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or Senator Joe Vitale of New Jersey.
On Monday, March 17, Senator Vitale unveiled his State Healthcare Plan, which would require all New Jersey residents to have some form of health insurance within three years. According to Vitale:
"The soaring costs of health care in New Jersey and around the nation are causing real hardships, not just for government-administered health-care programs but also for private citizens who fear losing their health benefits more than being a victim of a terrorist attack. Frankly, we cannot afford the status quo any longer, and must adopt a more cost-effective model to ensure affordable, high-quality health care for every New Jersey resident."
Vitale points out that his plan includes two phases. The first phase includes creating healthcare guarantees for all of New Jersey’s children. Phase two will require all adults to have healthcare within three years. However, a true funding formula for this plan remains unclear. Consequently, members of the State Legislature from both sides of the aisle have questions and reservations.
Vitale has addressed the healthcare issue from a civil rights point of view:
"I believe that every man, woman and child deserves access to affordable health care here in New Jersey and more importantly, so do an overwhelming majority of New Jerseyans who live this challenge every day."
Curiously, Democrats within the State Legislature have selected what may be the year in which New Jersey faces the most serious fiscal crisis in its history to focus on Paid Family Leave and Universal Health Care. In 2008, New Jersey faces significant cuts in services, the elimination of several state government departments, rising property taxes, an economic recession and an uncertain future.
Universal Health Care was instituted in Germany during the late 19th century, funded by compulsory purchase of health insurance by the individual. Hillary Clinton’s plan for Universal Health Care during the 1990’s placed the burden of payment on the shoulders of employers. Recent Universal Health Care proposals by presidential aspirants have returned to the compulsory purchase concept. The uncertainty stems from the term "affordable". Will the compulsory purchase of health insurance require some citizens to buy healthcare that is beyond their economic means?
Senator Vitale’s plan includes the elimination of public funds earmarked for Charity Care, transferring that money to a New Jersey HealthCare program. Nevertheless, the Vitale plan would include the compulsory acquisition of healthcare, either through transferred charity care money or mandated purchases by the individual. Once again, the term "affordable" comes into play.
Certainly, uncontrolled medical costs have destroyed families. Catastrophic illnesses can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Gone are the days when an individual could pay his medical bills via "out-of-pocket" resources. Unfortunately, we are living at a time when families are faced with home foreclosures, rising taxes, increased gasoline prices, and the uncertain challenge of affordable health care.
Governor Corzine has indicated that, although he supports the concept of universal health care, he is realistic, and the State’s current fiscal status could prevent reaching a common goal. Vitale has suggested that to implement such a plan would cost New Jersey four hundred million dollars, which he points out is much less money than the one billion, seven hundred million that we would spend on Charity Care.
Vitale has the support of Republican Senator Bob Singer, Assemblyman Louis Greenwald, Assemblyman Neil Cohen, and Senate President Richard J. Codey. The first phase of the plan would require an expansion of the FamilyCare Program in order to provide coverage for uninsured children. In addition, the success of the program would be dependent on the State’s ability to work with the health-insurance companies in order to lower costs. According to Vitale, specific information about the second phase would be made public in May.
The debate continues among think tanks, such as the Cato Institute in Washington DC, which believes that health care is a private matter and individuals should be able to opt out of such programs, at will. Still others believe that health care is a right and an entitlement and Universal Health Care should be a basic guarantee of citizenship.
Salvatore Pizzuro
East Rutherford
