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Re: 235 earn over $175,000 -- Christie pushes cuts & pay caps for school superintendents
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Most of the time if you want to go into a field OTHER than handling large quantities of money, like the arts, education or social services, it's explained to you that you have a choice of doing what you love or getting rich. This clearly defines that there's non-monetary VALUE to a career in these fields. But somehow certain senior executives in these fields get to justify wresting outsized salaries by comparing their income to that of a banker or CEO (who rarely deserve the ridiculous amounts they get).
Posted on: 2010/11/4 19:13
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Re: PATH (pathetic attempt at transporting humans)
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When I read it in the paper I was thinking how it reinforced the stereotype of the narcissistic Manhattanite.
"Yes, there's an entire transit system bringing those Jerseyans in, but what does that have to do with the REAL people? Oh, a handful of us take it a few blocks? How quaint! Let's hear all about THEM!"
Posted on: 2010/11/4 3:26
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Re: $6.70 for a JC Dog License?
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I think it's more head scratching that a dog unlicensed for a week can get an agent of enforcement knocking at your door, while conditions that present a statistically more likely deadly public hazard, like easy to detect illegal apartments, or potholes big enough to make you lose control of your car, go ignored for years. Not saying dogs shouldn't be licensed, but isn't it odd that they have the manpower for this level of enforcement when it seem there's as many unlicensed drivers in this town as dogs! On the other hand, we should be joyful that at least somebody on the JC payroll takes their job seriously.
Posted on: 2010/11/4 2:07
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Re: Albio Sires wins house seat
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Why? He was no longer the HCDO candidate, and even as an incumbent you basically have to walk on water to overcome that. And he doesn't. Reportedly he was overconfident and didn't care how many enemies he made. My only beef with his dept was the hassle they gave my kids school, LCCS. Maybe now they can get the street closed for recess like every other school in JC.
Posted on: 2010/11/3 16:27
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Re: Value Plus on Newark Ave btw Erie and Grove
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The guys at the now closed furniture place at Erie & Newark told me they were paying over $20k per month, a lot more than the rate's you're describing.
Posted on: 2010/11/3 16:12
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Re: Value Plus on Newark Ave btw Erie and Grove
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Do you ever walk down that street? Clearly either space is not as in demand as you imagine, rents are too high, or the JC Buildings Dept's reputation scares off entrepreneurs who can't afford years of getting jerked around before even opening. Maybe all 3.
Posted on: 2010/11/2 23:42
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Re: Value Plus on Newark Ave btw Erie and Grove
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From all I've heard dollar stores are doing such a bang up business in this economy that Walmart and other chains are opening Dollar sections. My money is on losing their lease. Get ready for another long term empty storefront as a landlord holds out for some imagined big payday.
Posted on: 2010/11/2 21:31
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Re: Do we cut the public employees a break?
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Okay, but I'm talking about all levels of govt, not just city. Look at that chart of income in that article I linked. Also, are the workers you're talking about making less and have worse benefits than comparable private sector workers? I'm curious, how many workers are we actually talking about employed by JC that aren't uniformed, management, or work for one of the independent Authorities?
Posted on: 2010/11/2 3:03
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Re: Do we cut the public employees a break?
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Sadly, we can manage to have more than one thing dramatically wrong with our financial house at the same time. The roof fell in, but that doesn't mean we don't have to deal with the rotting foundations. I wholeheartedly agree that the pirates on Wall Street have robbed us blind and are getting away with it with the complicity of our bought and paid for govt. But that doesn't really have anything to do with the fact that we've set up a long term crisis by promising public workers salaries, and especially retirement benefits, that we can't afford. Municipalities across America are discovering that when the lean times come as now, the promises they made to gain the political support of their workers are going to bankrupt them. You can't base your spending policies on a tax revenue brought in at the peak of a business bubble. But let's be clear, this is nothing new, this has played out again and again in every business cycle, remember NYC's near death experience in the 70's for many of the same reasons? Think about how every time a city runs a surplus during a boom, the workers cry for extra raises and benefits that are persistent during the following bust. The gov't is rarely allowed to invest boomtime surplus in capital improvements, pay down debt or sock it away for that inevitable rainy day. Somewhere around 22m, 1 in 6 workers in this country, are on a public payroll. For comparison there's only 7.4 million private union members. When there's 2 classes of workers in this country, Public ones with safe jobs and secure retirements, and the rest of us losing our own economic security in order to pay for theirs, there's no peace ahead.
Posted on: 2010/11/2 2:12
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Re: Do we cut the public employees a break?
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True, but this thread doesn't seem to be about condemning all unions, or unions at all. It's about how public employees somehow got ahead of all other similar workers, and are dragging us down into bankruptcy. Putting aside how the uniformed services often game their retirement levels, almost no one who doesn't work for a gov't gets defined benefit retirements and generous lifetime health packages. The system of negotiation when governments deal with their workers is clearly broken. I can't remember where I read it, but someone said the problem is governments must give big raises when times are good or look cheap, and give big benefit increase promises when times are bad in lieu of those raises. Heads they win, tails we lose.
Posted on: 2010/11/1 21:19
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Re: Do we cut the public employees a break?
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Read the whole graph, and remember that's a national avg, NJ is at the top of that range: ?State and local. State government employees had an average salary of $47,231 in 2008, about 5% less than comparable jobs in the private sector. City and county workers earned an average of $43,589, about 2% more than private workers in similar jobs. State and local workers have higher total compensation than private workers when the value of benefits is included. Do the arithmetic, I meant $100k, and that's not counting the inevitable overtime and huge benefit package. Look at the federal benefits to see how high a proportion of salary the bennies can be. Please don't pull out the "dangerous job" chestnut, cop & fireman aren't even on the top 20.
Posted on: 2010/11/1 19:46
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Re: Do we cut the public employees a break?
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are you actually under 15, or do you really let Rush & Glenn push real events out of your brain in favor of their revisions? 1- Clinton was actually hounded by the GOP for zealously going after Al Qaeda, accused of a creating a "wag the dog" scenario to distract the nation from their attempt to fire him for getting a blow job. 2- 9/11 happened nearly 9 months after GWB took power, and his staff ignored the Clintonites attempt to draw attention to the Al Qaeda risk in their power drunk orgy of tax cuts and panderings to fundamentalists and Wall Street. It's fantastic how 9-11 belongs to Clinton, and the economic crash belongs to Obama. Nothing bad happened on GWB's watch! Rush says so! 3- The Bush administration invaded Iraq for no reason with fabricated evidence, and then botched the occupation completely, resulting in most of the cost you mention. Their preferred expert administrators there were new graduates from fundamentalist bible colleges, most of whom never had a passport before becoming part of the Occupying Party. Read Imperial Life in the Emerald City.
Posted on: 2010/11/1 0:17
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Re: Do we cut the public employees a break?
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The statistics don't support you. No matter whether you compare national, statewide or just JC, public employees make more than the public. A 10 year JC cop makes 2 1/2 times the $40k of the average JC resident, not including overtime and generous benefits. The article below shows comparable 2008 federal employees making an average $67,691+$40,785 in benefits vs $60,046+$9,882 per private worker. Do you seriously think NJ pays it's employees less? Likely it's more. See the article, the table of all the professions and their relative compensations is fascinating. It totally debunks the "relative education & training" argument. If you're a cook or graphic designer, you'll make 50% more working for the government. It seems like the only federal employees not getting the best deal are those in foxholes in Afghanistan. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-03-04-federal-pay_N.htm
Posted on: 2010/10/31 21:38
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Re: Do we cut the public employees a break?
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Sounds right on the money (so to speak) to me. We can no longer afford to have 2 parallel but unequal economies: one of high compensation, benefits and security for public employees, and another for the rest of us.
Posted on: 2010/10/31 16:49
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Re: Governor Christie halts new train tunnel into Manhattan due to cost overun
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Their pretty red balloon of "western rugged independence" is impervious to your damned city geek bean counter logic! Those great faux cowboy presidents Reagan and GWB decreed it! That myth is as persistent as those other great American myths of the free market and the classless society, no amount of argument with facts can touch them. But that's sort of besides the point. That the feds & the PA will give fixed funds, but leave NJ on the hook for overuns is the major point, that it seems impossible to get public projects budgeted accurately to begin with is actually an overlooked scandal.
Posted on: 2010/10/28 2:04
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Re: Developer prohibits volunteers from cleaning up contested Sixth Street Embankment
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I might get slammed for this, but my impression since the beginning of the campaign over a decade ago has been that they didn't want to try and get it rezoned since doing so simultaneously would weaken their argument to get it historic listed and made a park. They decided it was all or nothing.
Posted on: 2010/10/27 0:59
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Re: Parking Too Close to Crosswalks
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Over the weekend there were 2 buses parked in front of McNair on Coles right up to the corner of 7th. You couldn't see a thing from 7th of oncoming Coles traffic as you crept forward into the intersection praying some clown wasn't coming at you doing 45 mph. I'm sure every cop heading down 7th to the precinct saw it and did nothing.
Posted on: 2010/10/26 18:19
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Re: Governor Christie halts new train tunnel into Manhattan due to cost overun
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It's really easy to spend other people's money. Would the 650,000 residents of Boston do it again if they had to actually pay the $34,000 apiece that it cost?
Posted on: 2010/10/26 16:06
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Re: Governor Christie halts new train tunnel into Manhattan due to cost overun
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I agree. But at ANY cost? Isn't there any way to rein in the process? The Boston Big Dig from wiki Although the project was estimated in 1985 at US$6.0 billion (adjusted for inflation as of 2006), over $14.6 billion had been spent in federal and state tax dollars as of 2006. A July 17, 2008 article in The Boston Globe stated, "In all, the project will cost an additional $7 billion in interest, bringing the total to a staggering $22 billion.
Posted on: 2010/10/26 3:24
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Re: BonChon Open!
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I'll stick with Lucky's when I have a wing craving. It's like $5 for 4 whole wings and a heap of fried rice or starchy stuff of your choosing like tostones or fries. And it's fast. But I get their terrific rotisserie chicken more often. 1/2 chix + side & salad:$5.75!
Posted on: 2010/10/25 22:45
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Re: Governor Christie halts new train tunnel into Manhattan due to cost overun
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Geoff, as a management professional doesn't it bother you that the debate is about passing a potential overrun hot potato onto somebody rather than getting a public works bid process that actually functions, so we can allocate our resources intelligently? It seems like the public is always writing blank checks whether it's for military programs or "big digs".
Posted on: 2010/10/25 22:36
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Re: Developer prohibits volunteers from cleaning up contested Sixth Street Embankment
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While the current glut of that "desperately needed" new construction housing is another debate, at no time has Hyman proposed low density R1 zoned "beautiful single family homes or townhouses" for those properties. At one point he proposed a density that would have required at least 10 story full lot construction.
Posted on: 2010/10/25 22:18
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Re: Which local downtown JC hospital is better for Emergencies?
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Newark Beth Israel has an awesome ped clinic & ER. Our pediatrician practices there. When my son was about a year we called him because the baby was wheezing, and he told us to go to the ER. We walked in the door and the nurse shouted "infant in respiratory distress!", grabbed him from us and whisked him into a treatment room. It turned out not be asthma but bronchiolitis. He stayed overnight and it never recurred. Flawless experience. 15 minutes from Downtown JC just off exit 55 on rt 78. Our Maternity experience at Hoboken was great, but when I went to the ER with severe abdominal pain, there was a long wait, and they sent me home undiagnosed. I ended up being admitted there the next day by my GP, spent a week on IV Cipro, and still they never came up with a diagnosis. If I were needing non-emergent care I'd see a Dr practicing near Mt Sinai or NY hosp. But if you have a spouse & kids it's a real issue being admitted that far away. Not worth dying over, however.
Posted on: 2010/10/25 17:25
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Re: BonChon Open!
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Is that for whole wings or a "piece" like the Buffalo places? I ducked into the Bon Chon on 5th Ave & 33rd last week, and quickly ducked out. The prices were beyond what I would consider for a regular lunch. It sounds like our local one is no cheaper. You can get a great meal Downtown for $6-7, sometimes including a drink. Places like this and It's Greek to Me are simply not hitting the sweet spot.
Posted on: 2010/10/25 2:15
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Re: Developer prohibits volunteers from cleaning up contested Sixth Street Embankment
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Unfortunately that never seemed to be an option. Why a 1 block strip between 2 historic districts shouldn't be rezoned for similar construction has never been explained adequately. But Hyman wants to pack those block as densely as he's allowed, which seems to have no limit that's I've heard.
Posted on: 2010/10/25 2:06
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Re: Atomic Wings owners suing JC over delays in opening
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???? While it's next to impossible to actually reform anything when you're 1 guy out of 9, Fulop has repeatedly yanked down their pants and left them having to make lame excuses in public for the corrupt status quo. What more do you want from someone who is actually electable?
Posted on: 2010/10/22 19:43
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Re: Mayor Healy and Councilman Fulop agree on requiring businesses to phase out single-use plastic bags
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Shoprite has been giving $0.05 rebates per bag for bringing your own, but they game the system by charging by YOUR bags not the number you've not taken from them. What we fit in a canvas bag they would put in 2-3 plastic, DOUBLE bagged!
Quote: The real villains are paper (40 percent); construction debris (12 percent); and food and yard waste (7 percent). This is a reason why cellulosic ethanol is a great idea. The entire organic waste stream from grass clippings to waste lumber can be turned into fuel without the smokestack of an incinerator/generator.
Posted on: 2010/10/22 16:52
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Re: Atomic Wings owners suing JC over delays in opening
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A friend was renovating his single family home with electrical permits he pulled, as allowed by law. The inspector failed him, but refused to say why, claiming "if you're doing your own electrical work you should know!". That kind of bullshit should be a firing offense. It's simply harassing a homeowner to protect the businesses of his contractor buddies. I've read lots of DIY articles and forum posts about how the local inspectors are there to help you comply with code, not to leave you guessing what they want. I guess that might be true elsewhere in the country.
Posted on: 2010/10/21 16:42
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Re: Resolution to the Gross Behavior by JC Police Officer Jessica Melendez
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Sorry, but it was unlikely you were going to get satisfaction. Absent a recording on Youtube, their bar to find a cop in error is rather high. Had there not been a tape, there's no way that NYPD cop who shouldered the cyclist to the ground would have been fired. There was a local stink here last year or so about a cop at a construction site refusing to budge when a woman ran up to him reporting an obvious car theft in progress a block away. Captain said he was within the scope of his duty.
The car was used a day later in an armed carjacking. One can only speculate on what if the owner discovered them in the act and was shot while the cop cooled his heels.
Posted on: 2010/10/21 3:43
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Re: Atomic Wings owners suing JC over delays in opening
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I wouldn't be sure of the suit turning up outright corruption, as some of the guys seem to be honest, assholes but honest. What I would love to see is what the discovery process reveals of the random bullshit way the story went down. A timeline of coming up with new requirements on each visit would be precious.
If the city was smart it would pay them some of our money to avoid that. I hope not.
Posted on: 2010/10/21 2:08
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