i got several notices telling me that the census form was coming and how important it was to fill out... nothing after that

journal sq.

It looks like that chart is from a Star-Ledger editorial
http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2010/02/post_7.html

Here are a bunch of letters to the editor pro / con the chart and the editorial
http://blog.nj.com/ledgerletters/2010/03/post_1.html

A question for the teachers; if grading and reading papers, preparing for classes etc., takes several hours a day, why do you negotiate a contact that ends at 2:55 pm?

if the government is not a business, should government workers have the right to unionize?

According to their website, all 7 members of the board of directors are patronage positions appointed by the governor

Do I have this right?

McCann got Sean Connors to endorse Healy, Healy gave McCann a patronage job at the Incinerator Authority, Fulop called out the appointment and thus McCann is going to sue Fulop.

Why was the endorsement of Sean Connors worth so much that Healy got over the naked pictures thing that McCann allegedly was involved in?

There is a website that lists the salary of every public school teacher and administrator
http://php.app.com/edstaff/search.php

For example, Lincoln HS has 130 total staff (the site lists 138 but there are duplicates)
For the 2008 - 2009 year
105 Teachers
25 Admin and support (e.g. Nurses, social workers, counselors)

The average non teacher salary is 92,246 (max = 142,440, min = 48,923)
The average teacher salary is 70,051 (max = 103,260, min = 47,323)

Personally, I disagree with putting the teacher's names on the website, but I do like the transparency it provides.

Does anyone know the contracted number of working days, sick days, etc for JC teachers?

the problem with this state aid is that it helps postpone Jersey City?s day of reckoning? when was the last time we made the full pension contributions?

Jersey City?s municipal budget is totally out of wack and the sooner we deal with it the better, depending on these one time shots from Trenton does not help

Not exactly Whole Foods, but what was the Wamu branch on the corner is going to be a 7-11

so which condo conversion was a bigger bust, the Beacon or Canco?

the cops at the PATH are Port Authority (at least @Journal Sq) not sure where they fit into the JC Budget

wow, sounds like someone is putting some work into the show
thanks for the review

[quote]
NickRees wrote:

Well I have to say I had a great experience movie-going experience this weekend by going to the Loew's theater in Journal Square.
[quote]

At the Loew's do they show the movie on Film or is it some kind of DVD Projector?
If it is film, is it good quality or all scratchy?

Ok, so it is an election year and the politicians are pulling budget shenanigans, we may not pay more this year? but these deferrals will add up to property tax raises in the future.




Jersey Journal Editorial

Pension deferral is budget's big 'if'

Thursday, February 12, 2009

On Monday, the Jersey City City Council introduced a nearly half-billion-dollar budget by an 8-0 vote. This newspaper must assume the unanimous vote was out of courtesy because as it stands, this fiscal year budget that ends June 30 may bring future fiscal problems.

This $460 million spending plan is on its face illegal, if approved. The introduced budget makes a big assumption - and municipalities can not legally make such a huge supposition.

City officials took into account a deferral of half its pension funding obligations for the year. By excluding payments into pension accounts, Jersey City hopes to save nearly $15 million.

There is one problem. The state Legislature has yet to approve a bill under consideration that would allow municipalities to defer those pension payments. This is no small oversight.

The city is anxious to avoid the multimillion-dollar obligation, which would translate into a tax increase that would sting in an election year.

Still, it is hard to believe the city is acting unilaterally. Can local officials believe that the state would OK the city's budget with a pension deferral as a component of the calculations?

The measure in Trenton faces stiff opposition by legislators who believe the already underfunded public employees pension system has been hurt by recent ill-advised state investments. More investment losses are expected as the national economy and Wall Street continue to stagger. Critics rightfully charge that Gov. Jon Corzine's plan to allow municipalities to not pay a half-billion dollars into pension accounts over a three-year period could put the system in danger of collapsing.

Jersey City officials should also be aware that Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, is against the bill. Here in Hudson County, veteran Sen. Nicholas Sacco, D-North Bergen, is a big opponent of the measure and Jersey City should take any promises by the state administration that Sacco will agree with the bill with a big grain of salt.

Also lined up against the proposal are the state's police and fire unions, a formidable lobby.

Jersey City should come up with a more realistic budget - one that should not rely on one-shot deals or major cuts in social programs. Officials should accept that the use of smoke and mirrors is becoming too obvious.

It is affordable, reasonably safe and walkable to the PATH.

One of the misjudgments made by The Beacon and m650 developers is that, this is a value neighborhood, not a luxury 'hood.

Well for the past two weeks, there has been a few guys doing something in and around the rotting buildings, I think I saw a van or truck listing an environmental remediation company or something.

It is insane given the amount of foot traffic that goes past that area everyday, that there is no development there.

I walked past the M650 building today, there is a banner hanging on the front saying "25% Sold" ... I really wish the developer the best (I live in the neighborhood) but it just looks so sad.

Also, up the block at bit is an old police station that is being turned into condos, a sign on the building lists them as starting in the 200s, which is starting to get a bit more reasonable for the McGinley Square. area, not sure if the police station will have heated towel racks like M650.

is the budget posted online?

am I reading this correctly?

"O'Reilly also pointed out that the budget includes $14.8 million savings as the result of deferral in pension payments, which New Jersey municipalities pay into the state's pension system each year"

so in reality, they cut next to nothing and simply delayed making payments to already under funded pensions?

Please tell me I read that wrong or am confused!

i vaguely remember something about Fulop and Montgomery Gardens... what happened there again?

fyi, i am registed to vote and vote in JC (live in Journal Sq.)

So... I don't get what the selling real estate agent is trying to do, why list something with such a ridiculous price?

It's in kind of an "industrial" part of town, no? I mean I live in Journal Sq., so I've got my own problems issues, but I’m not right next to a gas station.

I saw this listing, its got a 5 space indoor parking garage, but is there any chance that they will get anything close to the asking price?

Financials
Price: $4,625,000
Property Tax: $17529
Home Insurance: $6000
Down Payment: 30%

331 Newark Avenue
Fourth Street

Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 5
Type: 1 Family
Style: Brownstones
SqFt: 7000+
Basement: Yes
Pets Allowed: YES
Lot Size: 25.79 X 97
Floor(s): 4 floors + basement
Year Built: 1900
Car Spaces: 5


http://www.libertyrealestate.com/publ ... ?listing.listingID=791706

Anyone know how to reconcile CREATE Charter's 53.1% passing rate (graduation rate?) on this page

http://www.nj.com/news/reportcard/ind ... ysis/../rankings/rank.asp

and this from their website

"We are particularly pleased that every one of our 2005 graduates (100%) have been accepted by institutions of higher learning."

http://createcharterhs.org/Default.htm

just curious

In Journal Square, until the beginning of this summer the taxi situation was completely out of control. After then maybe 50% of the time a TLC guy or gal has been posted during the evening rush hour, this has been a huge help.
I have noticed that when the TLC guy is not there, the taxi?s are somewhat better behaved. Although, they do fall back into anarchy occasionally? overall it has been the best response to a city problem I have seen in JC? to bad it took years for the city to take any action.