TRENTON – New Jersey businesses are facing a significant tax hike this summer if the federal government doesn’t help replenish the state’s unemployment fund, Gov. Chris Christie warned this week.
New Jersey’s Unemployment Insurance Fund will be $1.6 billion in debt by March, according to Christie. Business taxes are automatically increased by law when the fund’s balance goes below a certain level as measured every March.
The new Republican governor plans to ask the federal government to forgive loans that are keeping the fund solvent, but warned that there was no money in the state budget to stop the tax increase.
“I don’t have any choice but to allow [the tax] to kick in,” Christie said. “It’s a statutory requirement. If we get assistance, there still will be some measure of tax increase. The question is how much of a tax increase it will be on the businesses of New Jersey.”
In a worst-case scenario, employers could see an increase of up to $1,000 per employee in their unemployment tax starting July 1. Employees also pay into the unemployment fund, but are not facing a tax increase.
New Jersey has an estimated $1.3 billion deficit in the current fiscal year’s budget deficit and is an estimated $8.9 billion in the red for next year’s budget, which goes into effect in July.
According to figures released last week, New Jersey’s unemployment rate reached 10.1 percent in December, higher than the national average of 10 percent.
The fund is in such a precarious position because approximately $4.8 billion has been diverted for other purposes since 1992. Voters will have the ability to stop future raids through an amendment to the state’s constitution on November’s general election ballot.
A blog for new jersey internet marketers, business owners with new jersey websites, pictures, and videos.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
N.J. Turnpike gets $42M to widen the NJ Turnpike and make other improvements
MIDDLESEX COUNTY -- Drivers who have been caught in one of New Jersey’s worst bottlenecks call it "The Merge," where traffic heading south on the New Jersey Turnpike is funneled from six lanes to five lanes to three, south of Interchange 8A.
When planners designed the Turnpike in 1951, it would have been hard to imagine how popular the highway would become in southern and central New Jersey for commuters going to their jobs, trucks delivering goods to warehouses and people traveling to Newark Liberty International Airport.
The Turnpike Authority today awarded about $42 million in construction bids toward the $2.7 billion project to widen America’s fifth busiest toll road by the summer of 2014.
The project — the Turnpike’s biggest ever widening project — should solve the Turnpike’s capacity problems in southern and central New Jersey until at least 2040, officials said.
The problems are most striking during holidays, when the highway is choked on Friday night and Sunday afternoon with vehicles driving to and returning from their destinations.
From June to August 2008 between exits 9 and 6, there were traffic backups of three miles or more on 46 different days.
The areas between exits 9 and 6 — a stretch of 35 miles — will have six lanes in each direction and could separate cars from trucks.
"We don’t think we’re relocating the issue; we think we’re resolving the issue," said Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, executive director of the Turnpike Authority.
Under the project, an extra lane would be added in each direction to the five lanes already in place each way in Middlesex County, from Interchange 9 in East Brunswick Township to 8A in Monroe Township.
Then, three lanes would be added in each direction to the three lanes already in place each way from 8A to Interchange 6 in Mansfield Township, Burlington County.
Work is being done to clear trees and relocate pipelines and fiber optics. Construction should be in full swing by the end of the year, Turnpike Authority chief engineer Rich Raczynski said.
Lowest-bid contracts awarded yesterday were:
Widening the Turnpike was seen as a priority in Gov. Christie’s transition team reports released last week, but transportation advocates say the dollars would be better spent elsewhere.
Kate Slevin, executive director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, a policy watchdog organization, called plans to widen the Turnpike, Garden State Parkway and Atlantic City Expressway "expensive projects not proven to reduce long-term congestion."
When planners designed the Turnpike in 1951, it would have been hard to imagine how popular the highway would become in southern and central New Jersey for commuters going to their jobs, trucks delivering goods to warehouses and people traveling to Newark Liberty International Airport.
The Turnpike Authority today awarded about $42 million in construction bids toward the $2.7 billion project to widen America’s fifth busiest toll road by the summer of 2014.
The project — the Turnpike’s biggest ever widening project — should solve the Turnpike’s capacity problems in southern and central New Jersey until at least 2040, officials said.
The problems are most striking during holidays, when the highway is choked on Friday night and Sunday afternoon with vehicles driving to and returning from their destinations.
From June to August 2008 between exits 9 and 6, there were traffic backups of three miles or more on 46 different days.
The areas between exits 9 and 6 — a stretch of 35 miles — will have six lanes in each direction and could separate cars from trucks.
"We don’t think we’re relocating the issue; we think we’re resolving the issue," said Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, executive director of the Turnpike Authority.
Under the project, an extra lane would be added in each direction to the five lanes already in place each way in Middlesex County, from Interchange 9 in East Brunswick Township to 8A in Monroe Township.
Then, three lanes would be added in each direction to the three lanes already in place each way from 8A to Interchange 6 in Mansfield Township, Burlington County.
Work is being done to clear trees and relocate pipelines and fiber optics. Construction should be in full swing by the end of the year, Turnpike Authority chief engineer Rich Raczynski said.
Lowest-bid contracts awarded yesterday were:
- $24.8 million to IEW Construction Group of Trenton for construction of the mainline outer roadways from mileposts 51.5 to 52.3 in Mansfield Township. The contract also calls for a culvert extension, two stormwater basins, numerous sign structures and retaining walls.
- $14.4 million to D’Annunzio and Sons Inc. of Clark for adding an extra lane between mileposts 74.3 and 82.3 in Middlesex County, modifying the deceleration and acceleration lanes at the service area at Exit 8N and building a noise barrier and four variable message signs.
- $797,231 to Central Jersey Landscaping Inc., of Chesterfield for restoration of about 18 acres in Bordentown Township by planting 6,700 trees.
Widening the Turnpike was seen as a priority in Gov. Christie’s transition team reports released last week, but transportation advocates say the dollars would be better spent elsewhere.
Kate Slevin, executive director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, a policy watchdog organization, called plans to widen the Turnpike, Garden State Parkway and Atlantic City Expressway "expensive projects not proven to reduce long-term congestion."
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No terrorism link apparent in New Jersey weapons arrest, FBI says
A man arrested after police found an arsenal of high-powered weapons and a map of a U.S. military base in his New Jersey hotel has no apparent ties to terrorism, authorities said Tuesday.
Lloyd R. Woodson, 43, was arraigned on two counts of unlawful possession of weapons, possessing prohibited weapons, possessing large capacity ammunition magazines, two counts of defaced firearms, obstruction of justice and resisting arrest.
Somerset County Judge John Pursel set bail at $75,000.
Woodson appeared angry and withdrawn in court, according to CNN's Deb Feyerick, who attended the arraignment. His hands and feet were shackled and he was escorted by two guards. Woodson kept his head down and barely acknowledged the judge, except for responding "yes" when asked if he understood English.
FBI special agent Bryan L. Travers said in a statement Tuesday that preliminary findings indicate that Woodson has no ties to known terrorist groups or a specific terrorism plot.
Federal investigators from the FBI and ATF continue to assist local law enforcement, and federal gun charges against Woodson may be considered, according to the statement.
Woodson, of Virginia, was arrested Monday after police responded to a call about a suspicious man in the Quick Chek convenience store in Branchburg, New Jersey, said local prosecutor Wayne J. Forrest.
Michael Murphy, the senior vice president for Quick Chek, said the employee who called 911 "prevented a bad situation and possible tragedy down the road."
The company is protecting the employee's identity for safety reasons, he said.
Murphy said Woodson did not buy anything in the store and may have drawn suspicion because he looked like he wanted to shoplift.
When officers arrived, Woodson ran into the woods. He was subdued after wrestling with officers, the statement said.
During the struggle, officers noticed that Woodson was wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying an assault rifle in his coat. Officers searched Woodson's hotel room and found another assault rifle, a grenade launcher, a police scanner, another bulletproof vest, a map of a U.S. military base, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and a Middle Eastern-style headdress, the statement said.
Woodson spent a brief time in the U.S. Navy, according to Navy spokesman Lt. Justin Cole. In February 1988 Woodson served on board the submarine tender USS Orion, Cole told CNN. He deserted eight months later, Cole said.
Woodson was taken into Navy custody in 1996 and discharged a month afterward, Cole added.
Lloyd R. Woodson, 43, was arraigned on two counts of unlawful possession of weapons, possessing prohibited weapons, possessing large capacity ammunition magazines, two counts of defaced firearms, obstruction of justice and resisting arrest.
Somerset County Judge John Pursel set bail at $75,000.
Woodson appeared angry and withdrawn in court, according to CNN's Deb Feyerick, who attended the arraignment. His hands and feet were shackled and he was escorted by two guards. Woodson kept his head down and barely acknowledged the judge, except for responding "yes" when asked if he understood English.
FBI special agent Bryan L. Travers said in a statement Tuesday that preliminary findings indicate that Woodson has no ties to known terrorist groups or a specific terrorism plot.
Federal investigators from the FBI and ATF continue to assist local law enforcement, and federal gun charges against Woodson may be considered, according to the statement.
Woodson, of Virginia, was arrested Monday after police responded to a call about a suspicious man in the Quick Chek convenience store in Branchburg, New Jersey, said local prosecutor Wayne J. Forrest.
Michael Murphy, the senior vice president for Quick Chek, said the employee who called 911 "prevented a bad situation and possible tragedy down the road."
The company is protecting the employee's identity for safety reasons, he said.
Murphy said Woodson did not buy anything in the store and may have drawn suspicion because he looked like he wanted to shoplift.
When officers arrived, Woodson ran into the woods. He was subdued after wrestling with officers, the statement said.
During the struggle, officers noticed that Woodson was wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying an assault rifle in his coat. Officers searched Woodson's hotel room and found another assault rifle, a grenade launcher, a police scanner, another bulletproof vest, a map of a U.S. military base, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and a Middle Eastern-style headdress, the statement said.
Woodson spent a brief time in the U.S. Navy, according to Navy spokesman Lt. Justin Cole. In February 1988 Woodson served on board the submarine tender USS Orion, Cole told CNN. He deserted eight months later, Cole said.
Woodson was taken into Navy custody in 1996 and discharged a month afterward, Cole added.
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Sunday, January 17, 2010
NJEA: New Jersey loses in 'Race to the Top'
When New Jersey’s "Race to the Top" grant application heads to Washington, D.C., it will go without the support of the New Jersey Education Association.
NJEA has been the target of significant criticism for its decision not to sign on. But while critics — including The Star-Ledger editorial page — are correct about our opposition, they have missed its primary point. The conditions attached to the grant are costly and educationally unsound. New Jersey cannot afford to "win."
New Jersey is in dire economic straits. We should look into every source of additional revenue that could be used to fund our schools. While a $100 million average annual grant is barely one percent of the state’s projected $8 billion deficit, it is still a significant sum.
But when federal funds have strings attached, states should look before they leap. That is especially true if those strings obligate states to spend additional funds that may not be covered by the grants. NJEA is concerned about the strings attached to the "Race to the Top" funds, because of the potential cost to the state and local districts and because of the negative educational impact of some of its required "reforms."
A primary concern is the massive expansion of testing that would come with accepting grant money. The last time the federal government came calling with promises of cash in exchange for more testing, we got No Child Left Behind, which delivered on its promise of testing, fell short of its promised funding and failed on its promise to deliver measureable, meaningful reform. Parents, teachers and students all have expressed frustration with the impact of that additional testing. It has forced an ever-greater emphasis on teaching to the test, cutting into the time and resources available for creative, innovative teaching that leads to real learning.
When it comes to testing, though, Race to the Top makes No Child Left Behind look like child’s play. It would expand the standardized testing mania to far more children, in far more subjects, and could involve multiple tests throughout the school year.
At some point, people who really understand education need to say "enough is enough." Testing does not make students successful, and testing on that scale could actually stand in the way of student success.
Along with the academic concerns about expanded testing come the economic questions. How much will it cost to develop, administer and grade these new tests? Standardized testing is big business, and there is a lot of money to be made by companies in the field. Before New Jersey signs up for a federal grant that is limited in both amount and duration, we ought to know what the initial and ongoing costs of that testing will be, and whether there would be any money left for genuine classroom innovation.
"Race to the Top" also calls for some schools to move to extended school days and school years. That could add costs for everything from salaries to student transportation to facility maintenance and beyond.
NJEA is not opposed to locals negotiating longer school days or school years, particularly if they can be linked to improved student achievement. However, committing ourselves to that path without knowing whether the funds are available even to get started, much less to follow through, would be unwise, especially during a time of fiscal distress in the state.
No one cares more about the success of our students than NJEA and its members. We have always fought to make sure our schools have the resources they need to thrive and the best-trained professionals to help children succeed. That is why our public schools are already leaders in the academic race to the top.
We believe the federal government should shoulder a greater portion of the burden when it comes to funding public education. But when a promise of help comes with strings attached that commit the state and local districts to more spending for educationally unsound changes, it’s time to say, "let’s start again and get this right."
By Barbara Keshishian, President of the 200,000-member New Jersey Education Association.
NJEA has been the target of significant criticism for its decision not to sign on. But while critics — including The Star-Ledger editorial page — are correct about our opposition, they have missed its primary point. The conditions attached to the grant are costly and educationally unsound. New Jersey cannot afford to "win."
New Jersey is in dire economic straits. We should look into every source of additional revenue that could be used to fund our schools. While a $100 million average annual grant is barely one percent of the state’s projected $8 billion deficit, it is still a significant sum.
But when federal funds have strings attached, states should look before they leap. That is especially true if those strings obligate states to spend additional funds that may not be covered by the grants. NJEA is concerned about the strings attached to the "Race to the Top" funds, because of the potential cost to the state and local districts and because of the negative educational impact of some of its required "reforms."
A primary concern is the massive expansion of testing that would come with accepting grant money. The last time the federal government came calling with promises of cash in exchange for more testing, we got No Child Left Behind, which delivered on its promise of testing, fell short of its promised funding and failed on its promise to deliver measureable, meaningful reform. Parents, teachers and students all have expressed frustration with the impact of that additional testing. It has forced an ever-greater emphasis on teaching to the test, cutting into the time and resources available for creative, innovative teaching that leads to real learning.
When it comes to testing, though, Race to the Top makes No Child Left Behind look like child’s play. It would expand the standardized testing mania to far more children, in far more subjects, and could involve multiple tests throughout the school year.
At some point, people who really understand education need to say "enough is enough." Testing does not make students successful, and testing on that scale could actually stand in the way of student success.
Along with the academic concerns about expanded testing come the economic questions. How much will it cost to develop, administer and grade these new tests? Standardized testing is big business, and there is a lot of money to be made by companies in the field. Before New Jersey signs up for a federal grant that is limited in both amount and duration, we ought to know what the initial and ongoing costs of that testing will be, and whether there would be any money left for genuine classroom innovation.
"Race to the Top" also calls for some schools to move to extended school days and school years. That could add costs for everything from salaries to student transportation to facility maintenance and beyond.
NJEA is not opposed to locals negotiating longer school days or school years, particularly if they can be linked to improved student achievement. However, committing ourselves to that path without knowing whether the funds are available even to get started, much less to follow through, would be unwise, especially during a time of fiscal distress in the state.
No one cares more about the success of our students than NJEA and its members. We have always fought to make sure our schools have the resources they need to thrive and the best-trained professionals to help children succeed. That is why our public schools are already leaders in the academic race to the top.
We believe the federal government should shoulder a greater portion of the burden when it comes to funding public education. But when a promise of help comes with strings attached that commit the state and local districts to more spending for educationally unsound changes, it’s time to say, "let’s start again and get this right."
By Barbara Keshishian, President of the 200,000-member New Jersey Education Association.
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Right to Repair Act has to start over in N.J.
The New Jersey General Assembly passed its Right to Repair Act by more than a two-to-one margin, advancing the state bill further than ever before. However, the bill will have to be reintroduced and work its way through the legislative process because the New Jersey Senate ran out of time before taking up right to repair legislation.
According to the state legislature's Web site, the New Jersey Constitution "provides that each legislature is constituted for a term of two years, split into two annual sessions. Because the Constitution also specifies that all business from the first year may be continued into the second year, the distinction between the two annual sessions is more ceremonial than actual.
"The two-year legislative term begins at noon on the second Tuesday in January of each even-numbered year. At the end of the second year, all unfinished business expires."
Charles Bryant, executive director of the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of NJ (AASP-NJ), was disappointed, but commended the New Jersey State Assembly "for having the courage to stand up to special interests and pass the Right to Repair Act out of their chamber.”
The bill had 10 Senate co-sponsors and was supported by such organizations as the American Automobile Association (AAA); the National Federation of Independent Businesses; New Jersey Citizen Action; the New Jersey Gasoline, Convenience Automotive Association; the New Jersey branch of the National Federation of Independent Business; the New Jersey Retail Merchants Association; and the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America.
“New Jersey consumers must have the option of taking their vehicle to a dealer or an independent repair facility of their choosing," says Fredrick Gruel, chairman of the AAA Clubs of New Jersey. "Whether they choose a dealer, an independent or, for that matter, if they do the repair themselves, it does not matter.
"But until they have that choice, they do not fully own their vehicle. The Right to Repair Act will provide that choice.”
The bill would have required vehicle manufacturers to make accurate information, tools and software needed to maintain and service late model vehicles easily accessible to repair shops.
“The Right to Repair Coalition wants to thank Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, prime-sponsor of Assembly Bill 803, 'Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act,' and all of the co-sponsors for their hard work on behalf of New Jersey car owners to ensure that they would continue to enjoy a competitive vehicle repair market,” says Sal Risalvato, executive director of the NJGCA.
“The coalition hopes that next year, the Senate will take up the interests of motorists who have already been battered by a tough economy and move to pass the Right to Repair Act.”
According to the state legislature's Web site, the New Jersey Constitution "provides that each legislature is constituted for a term of two years, split into two annual sessions. Because the Constitution also specifies that all business from the first year may be continued into the second year, the distinction between the two annual sessions is more ceremonial than actual.
"The two-year legislative term begins at noon on the second Tuesday in January of each even-numbered year. At the end of the second year, all unfinished business expires."
Charles Bryant, executive director of the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of NJ (AASP-NJ), was disappointed, but commended the New Jersey State Assembly "for having the courage to stand up to special interests and pass the Right to Repair Act out of their chamber.”
The bill had 10 Senate co-sponsors and was supported by such organizations as the American Automobile Association (AAA); the National Federation of Independent Businesses; New Jersey Citizen Action; the New Jersey Gasoline, Convenience Automotive Association; the New Jersey branch of the National Federation of Independent Business; the New Jersey Retail Merchants Association; and the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America.
“New Jersey consumers must have the option of taking their vehicle to a dealer or an independent repair facility of their choosing," says Fredrick Gruel, chairman of the AAA Clubs of New Jersey. "Whether they choose a dealer, an independent or, for that matter, if they do the repair themselves, it does not matter.
"But until they have that choice, they do not fully own their vehicle. The Right to Repair Act will provide that choice.”
The bill would have required vehicle manufacturers to make accurate information, tools and software needed to maintain and service late model vehicles easily accessible to repair shops.
“The Right to Repair Coalition wants to thank Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, prime-sponsor of Assembly Bill 803, 'Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act,' and all of the co-sponsors for their hard work on behalf of New Jersey car owners to ensure that they would continue to enjoy a competitive vehicle repair market,” says Sal Risalvato, executive director of the NJGCA.
“The coalition hopes that next year, the Senate will take up the interests of motorists who have already been battered by a tough economy and move to pass the Right to Repair Act.”
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Thursday, January 14, 2010
Dramatic rise in NJ bankruptcies in 2009
The number of bankruptcies in New Jersey surged 35 percent in 2009, with businesses filing at an even faster rate, as the recession battered the economy and unemployment shot up.
Personal bankruptcies, which account for 96 percent of all state bankruptcies, were 35 percent higher last year than in 2008, according to figures released by the U.S. District Bankruptcy Court for New Jersey.
Business bankruptcies rose by 46 percent to 1,550, or about 30 a week, figures show.
In North Jersey, personal bankruptcies rose even faster than at the state level, with a jump of 56 percent in Bergen County over 2008 and a 39 percent leap in Passaic County.
Business bankruptcies in Bergen soared 46 percent over 2008, and the number in Passaic remained flat.
Eric R. Perkins, a Ridgewood bankruptcy attorney, said the struggle to pay off health care bills was a key driver in the rise of personal filings in 2009, as it was before the recession. But unemployment worsened the situation, as many people found themselves unable to pay their bills, and even employed people struggled to pay their mortgages.
"What people do is they lose their job, or they are unable to pay their mortgage, they use their credit card to pay daily expenses" and deplete their savings and cash paying the mortgage or health care costs, he said. "At some point, they run out of cash and can't do it anymore."
The figures were in line with national numbers reported by the Alexandria, Va.-based American Bankruptcy Institute. They showed personal bankruptcies rising by 32 percent to about 1.4 million.
Michael Sirota, a Hackensack corporate bankruptcy specialist, said the financial shocks in the fall of 2008, the slowing economy and the lack of credit forced many companies into bankruptcy. And some were pushed over the edge by lenders losing patience as they waited for payment, he said.
But the actual number of New Jersey business bankruptcies was likely far higher than reported, because many companies file in New York, where they do business, or in Delaware, where they are incorporated, he said. There also has been a rise in companies avoiding bankruptcy in order to cut time and expense and negotiating a restructuring with creditors, he said.
Both attorneys said they expect the numbers to go up this year, even if the economy improves, because it will happen too late to help many people and companies.
"There is always a lag," Perkins said. "There are people right now holding on for dear life, thinking that tomorrow is going to get better. But it doesn't."
The number of bankruptcies in New Jersey surged 35 percent in 2009, with businesses filing at an even faster rate, as the recession battered the economy and unemployment shot up.
Personal bankruptcies, which account for 96 percent of all state bankruptcies, were 35 percent higher last year than in 2008, according to figures released by the U.S. District Bankruptcy Court for New Jersey.
Business bankruptcies rose by 46 percent to 1,550, or about 30 a week, figures show.
In North Jersey, personal bankruptcies rose even faster than at the state level, with a jump of 56 percent in Bergen County over 2008 and a 39 percent leap in Passaic County.
Business bankruptcies in Bergen soared 46 percent over 2008, and the number in Passaic remained flat.
Eric R. Perkins, a Ridgewood bankruptcy attorney, said the struggle to pay off health care bills was a key driver in the rise of personal filings in 2009, as it was before the recession. But unemployment worsened the situation, as many people found themselves unable to pay their bills, and even employed people struggled to pay their mortgages.
"What people do is they lose their job, or they are unable to pay their mortgage, they use their credit card to pay daily expenses" and deplete their savings and cash paying the mortgage or health care costs, he said. "At some point, they run out of cash and can't do it anymore."
The figures were in line with national numbers reported by the Alexandria, Va.-based American Bankruptcy Institute. They showed personal bankruptcies rising by 32 percent to about 1.4 million.
Michael Sirota, a Hackensack corporate bankruptcy specialist, said the financial shocks in the fall of 2008, the slowing economy and the lack of credit forced many companies into bankruptcy. And some were pushed over the edge by lenders losing patience as they waited for payment, he said.
But the actual number of New Jersey business bankruptcies was likely far higher than reported, because many companies file in New York, where they do business, or in Delaware, where they are incorporated, he said. There also has been a rise in companies avoiding bankruptcy in order to cut time and expense and negotiating a restructuring with creditors, he said.
Both attorneys said they expect the numbers to go up this year, even if the economy improves, because it will happen too late to help many people and companies.
"There is always a lag," Perkins said. "There are people right now holding on for dear life, thinking that tomorrow is going to get better. But it doesn't."
Personal bankruptcies, which account for 96 percent of all state bankruptcies, were 35 percent higher last year than in 2008, according to figures released by the U.S. District Bankruptcy Court for New Jersey.
Business bankruptcies rose by 46 percent to 1,550, or about 30 a week, figures show.
In North Jersey, personal bankruptcies rose even faster than at the state level, with a jump of 56 percent in Bergen County over 2008 and a 39 percent leap in Passaic County.
Business bankruptcies in Bergen soared 46 percent over 2008, and the number in Passaic remained flat.
Eric R. Perkins, a Ridgewood bankruptcy attorney, said the struggle to pay off health care bills was a key driver in the rise of personal filings in 2009, as it was before the recession. But unemployment worsened the situation, as many people found themselves unable to pay their bills, and even employed people struggled to pay their mortgages.
"What people do is they lose their job, or they are unable to pay their mortgage, they use their credit card to pay daily expenses" and deplete their savings and cash paying the mortgage or health care costs, he said. "At some point, they run out of cash and can't do it anymore."
The figures were in line with national numbers reported by the Alexandria, Va.-based American Bankruptcy Institute. They showed personal bankruptcies rising by 32 percent to about 1.4 million.
Michael Sirota, a Hackensack corporate bankruptcy specialist, said the financial shocks in the fall of 2008, the slowing economy and the lack of credit forced many companies into bankruptcy. And some were pushed over the edge by lenders losing patience as they waited for payment, he said.
But the actual number of New Jersey business bankruptcies was likely far higher than reported, because many companies file in New York, where they do business, or in Delaware, where they are incorporated, he said. There also has been a rise in companies avoiding bankruptcy in order to cut time and expense and negotiating a restructuring with creditors, he said.
Both attorneys said they expect the numbers to go up this year, even if the economy improves, because it will happen too late to help many people and companies.
"There is always a lag," Perkins said. "There are people right now holding on for dear life, thinking that tomorrow is going to get better. But it doesn't."
The number of bankruptcies in New Jersey surged 35 percent in 2009, with businesses filing at an even faster rate, as the recession battered the economy and unemployment shot up.
Personal bankruptcies, which account for 96 percent of all state bankruptcies, were 35 percent higher last year than in 2008, according to figures released by the U.S. District Bankruptcy Court for New Jersey.
Business bankruptcies rose by 46 percent to 1,550, or about 30 a week, figures show.
In North Jersey, personal bankruptcies rose even faster than at the state level, with a jump of 56 percent in Bergen County over 2008 and a 39 percent leap in Passaic County.
Business bankruptcies in Bergen soared 46 percent over 2008, and the number in Passaic remained flat.
Eric R. Perkins, a Ridgewood bankruptcy attorney, said the struggle to pay off health care bills was a key driver in the rise of personal filings in 2009, as it was before the recession. But unemployment worsened the situation, as many people found themselves unable to pay their bills, and even employed people struggled to pay their mortgages.
"What people do is they lose their job, or they are unable to pay their mortgage, they use their credit card to pay daily expenses" and deplete their savings and cash paying the mortgage or health care costs, he said. "At some point, they run out of cash and can't do it anymore."
The figures were in line with national numbers reported by the Alexandria, Va.-based American Bankruptcy Institute. They showed personal bankruptcies rising by 32 percent to about 1.4 million.
Michael Sirota, a Hackensack corporate bankruptcy specialist, said the financial shocks in the fall of 2008, the slowing economy and the lack of credit forced many companies into bankruptcy. And some were pushed over the edge by lenders losing patience as they waited for payment, he said.
But the actual number of New Jersey business bankruptcies was likely far higher than reported, because many companies file in New York, where they do business, or in Delaware, where they are incorporated, he said. There also has been a rise in companies avoiding bankruptcy in order to cut time and expense and negotiating a restructuring with creditors, he said.
Both attorneys said they expect the numbers to go up this year, even if the economy improves, because it will happen too late to help many people and companies.
"There is always a lag," Perkins said. "There are people right now holding on for dear life, thinking that tomorrow is going to get better. But it doesn't."
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Wednesday, January 13, 2010
New Jersey Nets Partner With Rite Aid
The New Jersey Nets NBA basketball team has launched a strategic alliance with Rite Aid Pharmacy, the largest drugstore chain on the East Coast, which will include the promotion of Nets Basketball and the marketing of Nets tickets in 65 stores in the New York metropolitan area.
The alliance will promote the Nets through circulars and in-store signage. It will also include retail promotions at its participating metropolitan area stores. --Karl Greenberg
The alliance will promote the Nets through circulars and in-store signage. It will also include retail promotions at its participating metropolitan area stores. --Karl Greenberg
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Monday, January 11, 2010
Legislature votes on several business bills
The Legislature will vote Monday on several bills that would impact the state’s economy — from requiring restaurant chains with 20 or more New Jersey locations to post calorie counts on their menus, to giving builders a 30-month building permit extension to allow them more time to launch projects stalled by the real estate slump.
The permit bill is a further extension of the 2008 Permit Extension Act. Instead of expiring June 30, as planned, building permits would receive another extension to Dec. 31, 2012.
The New Jersey Restaurant Association opposes the calorie-posting bill, and has urged the Legislature to hold off while Congress considers national restaurant nutrition-information legislation.
Lawmakers also will consider a bill allowing undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition to attend public colleges in New Jersey, provided they graduated from a New Jersey high school, received a state high school equivalent diploma, or attended high school in New Jersey for three or more years.
Out-of-state tuition is significantly higher than in-state tuition. At Rutgers University, an undergraduate who is a resident of New Jersey is paying full-time tuition this year of $9,546, plus mandatory fees of $2,340, for a total of $11,886. Out-of-state tuition is $20,178, for a total of $22,518, including mandatory fees.
The medical use of marijuana also would be legalized under a bill scheduled for a Monday vote.
Also before the Legislature is a bill mandating outreach and training programs for minorities and women seeking constructions contracts, and a bill requiring prevailing wages to be paid on new construction financed by loans from the state Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency.
The permit bill is a further extension of the 2008 Permit Extension Act. Instead of expiring June 30, as planned, building permits would receive another extension to Dec. 31, 2012.
The New Jersey Restaurant Association opposes the calorie-posting bill, and has urged the Legislature to hold off while Congress considers national restaurant nutrition-information legislation.
Lawmakers also will consider a bill allowing undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition to attend public colleges in New Jersey, provided they graduated from a New Jersey high school, received a state high school equivalent diploma, or attended high school in New Jersey for three or more years.
Out-of-state tuition is significantly higher than in-state tuition. At Rutgers University, an undergraduate who is a resident of New Jersey is paying full-time tuition this year of $9,546, plus mandatory fees of $2,340, for a total of $11,886. Out-of-state tuition is $20,178, for a total of $22,518, including mandatory fees.
The medical use of marijuana also would be legalized under a bill scheduled for a Monday vote.
Also before the Legislature is a bill mandating outreach and training programs for minorities and women seeking constructions contracts, and a bill requiring prevailing wages to be paid on new construction financed by loans from the state Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency.
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N.J. Lawmakers Approve Medical Marijuana
New Jersey lawmakers approved a bill that would make it the 14th U.S. state to allow doctors to prescribe marijuana for patients suffering from cancer and other debilitating diseases.
The legislation passed the Assembly 48-16 with one abstention. The measure already cleared the state Senate, which must concur with restrictions in the Assembly version, including a list of ailments for which the drug can be prescribed and a prohibition on the growing of marijuana by patients.
“This is a wonderful beginning,” said Nancy Fedder, 62, of Hillsborough, who spoke outside the Assembly chamber and said she has been illegally smoking marijuana for more than a decade to alleviate pain from multiple sclerosis. “It’s something that needed to happen a long time ago; sometimes I have to go to bed and stay there for days, and when I smoke marijuana the pain comes right down.”
The plan was among 100 today that went before both houses of the Legislature in the final day of its session. The Senate and the Assembly, which are both controlled by Democrats, are getting ready to share power with the first Republican governor elected since 1997.
Governor Jon Corzine, 63, a Democrat who leaves office Jan. 19, supports medical marijuana and will review the measure, said his spokesman, Robert Corrales. Governor-elect Christopher Christie, 47, a Republican who was the state’s former U.S. attorney, said he wants the bill to tie use to a strict list of diseases.
Marijuana, produced from the cannabis plant, can be smoked or ingested. Its recreational use is illegal in the U.S.
New Jersey’s bill would allow patients to purchase as much as 2 ounces of marijuana a month. Six state-run dispensaries would be established, with the Department of Health monitoring the program and recommending in the future whether to expand access.
By Terrence Dopp
The legislation passed the Assembly 48-16 with one abstention. The measure already cleared the state Senate, which must concur with restrictions in the Assembly version, including a list of ailments for which the drug can be prescribed and a prohibition on the growing of marijuana by patients.
“This is a wonderful beginning,” said Nancy Fedder, 62, of Hillsborough, who spoke outside the Assembly chamber and said she has been illegally smoking marijuana for more than a decade to alleviate pain from multiple sclerosis. “It’s something that needed to happen a long time ago; sometimes I have to go to bed and stay there for days, and when I smoke marijuana the pain comes right down.”
The plan was among 100 today that went before both houses of the Legislature in the final day of its session. The Senate and the Assembly, which are both controlled by Democrats, are getting ready to share power with the first Republican governor elected since 1997.
Governor Jon Corzine, 63, a Democrat who leaves office Jan. 19, supports medical marijuana and will review the measure, said his spokesman, Robert Corrales. Governor-elect Christopher Christie, 47, a Republican who was the state’s former U.S. attorney, said he wants the bill to tie use to a strict list of diseases.
Marijuana, produced from the cannabis plant, can be smoked or ingested. Its recreational use is illegal in the U.S.
New Jersey’s bill would allow patients to purchase as much as 2 ounces of marijuana a month. Six state-run dispensaries would be established, with the Department of Health monitoring the program and recommending in the future whether to expand access.
By Terrence Dopp
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Architecture Firm Farewell Mills Gatsch Celebrates 35 Years in Business
Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects, LLC is proud to celebrate 35 years of award-winning architecture and begin its 36th year of practice. Since the firm’s founding in 1974, FMG has been widely recognized for the design of new buildings and the stewardship of historic structures. Today, that tradition continues with an addition to the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, Colorado, and renovation at the Statue of Liberty National Monument, which enabled the National Park Service to reopen the crown of the Statue to visitors in the summer of 2009; it had been closed since September 11, 2001. A formal celebration of FMG’s 35th anniversary will take place early this year.
Partner Michael Farewell said, “This is a wonderful milestone for the firm, and we look forward to continuing our tradition of innovative design and preservation projects in the future, both locally and nationally.” Partner Michael Mills added that, “the combination of our talents has always been the core of our practice, and it also enriches our work as architects.”
Under the firm’s leadership, FMG has built a strong culture that is grounded in the social use of space, architectural history, and sustainable principles. It uses these tools to create contemporary civic spaces that engage the natural environment. Its portfolio also includes diverse projects for cultural, educational, and institutional projects throughout the country.
Firm history
Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects, LLC, founded in 1974, first came to prominence with the restoration and expansion of the New Jersey State House in the 1980s. The firm’s work at the State House initiated a focus on cultural and institutional projects that continues today.
Expert leadership
The firm’s four partners represent the diversity of its practice. Michael Farewell, FAIA, LEED AP is partner in charge of design and oversees a variety of new projects, from large institutional structures to private residences. Michael J. Mills, FAIA is partner in charge of preservation and has restored properties owned by the National Park Service, the National Trust, and many other public entities. Michael Schnoering, AIA, manages staffing and serves as project manager for many of the firm's theater, educational, and special needs projects. Lorine Murray-Mechini, AIA, LEED AP has expanded the firm's portfolio of educational and cultural projects.
Recent projects – Design
In addition to expanding the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut and the 19th-century Wheeler Opera House, Farewell Mills Gatsch is currently designing a performing arts center in Rahway and a new library for Fairleigh Dickinson University’s College at Florham in Madison, both in New Jersey. FMG is also completing construction of the Princeton Charter School.
Recent projects – Preservation
Farewell Mills Gatsch’s recent preservation projects include the restoration of Cass Gilbert’s 1905 Essex County Courthouse in Newark, New Jersey; renovation of Princeton University’s Whig Hall, which was reconstructed after a fire in the early 1970s by Gwathmey Siegel & Associates; improvements to the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton, NJ, originally designed by the Grad Partnership; and the exterior restoration of the century-old Newark City Hall.
The firm has a particular specialty in the preservation and restoration of mid-20th century structures. Projects completed by the firm or in the process of being completed are: Minoru Yamasaki’s Robertson Hall for the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University, Louis Kahn’s Trenton Bath House of 1955, and The Aspen Institute’s Herbert Bayer-designed Paepcke Memorial Auditorium of 1961.
About Farewell Mills Gatsch
Farewell Mills Gatsch is an award-winning architecture firm that specializes in both new design and historic preservation. The two disciplines reinforce each other in the firm’s practice. FMG designs thoughtfully-crafted new buildings based in an understanding of social use and physical context and preserves buildings by drawing on deliberate, studied solutions to accommodate contemporary use. The firm numbers 25 practitioners from a broad range of backgrounds and interests. Areas of concentration include academic institutions, judicial and civic facilities, and theaters and performing arts centers. A monograph, Stagings, was published by l’Arca Edizioni in 2001. Additional information on the firm’s work is available at www.fmg-arch.com.
###
Partner Michael Farewell said, “This is a wonderful milestone for the firm, and we look forward to continuing our tradition of innovative design and preservation projects in the future, both locally and nationally.” Partner Michael Mills added that, “the combination of our talents has always been the core of our practice, and it also enriches our work as architects.”
Under the firm’s leadership, FMG has built a strong culture that is grounded in the social use of space, architectural history, and sustainable principles. It uses these tools to create contemporary civic spaces that engage the natural environment. Its portfolio also includes diverse projects for cultural, educational, and institutional projects throughout the country.
Firm history
Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects, LLC, founded in 1974, first came to prominence with the restoration and expansion of the New Jersey State House in the 1980s. The firm’s work at the State House initiated a focus on cultural and institutional projects that continues today.
Expert leadership
The firm’s four partners represent the diversity of its practice. Michael Farewell, FAIA, LEED AP is partner in charge of design and oversees a variety of new projects, from large institutional structures to private residences. Michael J. Mills, FAIA is partner in charge of preservation and has restored properties owned by the National Park Service, the National Trust, and many other public entities. Michael Schnoering, AIA, manages staffing and serves as project manager for many of the firm's theater, educational, and special needs projects. Lorine Murray-Mechini, AIA, LEED AP has expanded the firm's portfolio of educational and cultural projects.
Recent projects – Design
In addition to expanding the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut and the 19th-century Wheeler Opera House, Farewell Mills Gatsch is currently designing a performing arts center in Rahway and a new library for Fairleigh Dickinson University’s College at Florham in Madison, both in New Jersey. FMG is also completing construction of the Princeton Charter School.
Recent projects – Preservation
Farewell Mills Gatsch’s recent preservation projects include the restoration of Cass Gilbert’s 1905 Essex County Courthouse in Newark, New Jersey; renovation of Princeton University’s Whig Hall, which was reconstructed after a fire in the early 1970s by Gwathmey Siegel & Associates; improvements to the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton, NJ, originally designed by the Grad Partnership; and the exterior restoration of the century-old Newark City Hall.
The firm has a particular specialty in the preservation and restoration of mid-20th century structures. Projects completed by the firm or in the process of being completed are: Minoru Yamasaki’s Robertson Hall for the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University, Louis Kahn’s Trenton Bath House of 1955, and The Aspen Institute’s Herbert Bayer-designed Paepcke Memorial Auditorium of 1961.
About Farewell Mills Gatsch
Farewell Mills Gatsch is an award-winning architecture firm that specializes in both new design and historic preservation. The two disciplines reinforce each other in the firm’s practice. FMG designs thoughtfully-crafted new buildings based in an understanding of social use and physical context and preserves buildings by drawing on deliberate, studied solutions to accommodate contemporary use. The firm numbers 25 practitioners from a broad range of backgrounds and interests. Areas of concentration include academic institutions, judicial and civic facilities, and theaters and performing arts centers. A monograph, Stagings, was published by l’Arca Edizioni in 2001. Additional information on the firm’s work is available at www.fmg-arch.com.
###
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Sunday, January 10, 2010
New Jersey Assembly Passes One-Gun-A-Month Reform Bill
Corzine’s hastily written and poorly crafted legislation infringing on your gun rights gets no better...
Trenton, NJ --(AmmoLand.com)- Yesterday, the New Jersey Assembly voted unanimously (73-0-3) to approve S3104/A4361.
These bills were drafted in response to recommendations put forth by the Firearms Task Force created after the midnight passage of New Jersey’s gun rationing law.
S3104/A4361 now head to the desk of Governor Jon Corzine (D) for his consideration.
While NRA attempted to create a more robust exemption for gun owners, these requests fell upon deaf ears and the bill passed as written without creating changes beneficial to New Jersey’s law-abiding firearm owners as promised by the Firearms Task Force.
Proponents contend this measure would address the problems with New Jersey’s “one-gun-a-month” law; however, it falls far short. While it would, in limited circumstances, allow a law-abiding person to purchase multiple handguns, an individual would only be able to do so after filing a formal application with the State Police. In addition, the individual would need to justify their “need” to purchase these firearms together and why it would not be “feasible or practical” to purchase the firearms separately.
Thanks to all of the NRA members who contacted their legislators requesting that they broaden the exemptions to New Jersey’s “one-gun-a-month” law and for continuing the fight against further encroachment of our Second Amendment rights and freedoms in the Garden State.
About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org
Trenton, NJ --(AmmoLand.com)- Yesterday, the New Jersey Assembly voted unanimously (73-0-3) to approve S3104/A4361.
These bills were drafted in response to recommendations put forth by the Firearms Task Force created after the midnight passage of New Jersey’s gun rationing law.
S3104/A4361 now head to the desk of Governor Jon Corzine (D) for his consideration.
While NRA attempted to create a more robust exemption for gun owners, these requests fell upon deaf ears and the bill passed as written without creating changes beneficial to New Jersey’s law-abiding firearm owners as promised by the Firearms Task Force.
Proponents contend this measure would address the problems with New Jersey’s “one-gun-a-month” law; however, it falls far short. While it would, in limited circumstances, allow a law-abiding person to purchase multiple handguns, an individual would only be able to do so after filing a formal application with the State Police. In addition, the individual would need to justify their “need” to purchase these firearms together and why it would not be “feasible or practical” to purchase the firearms separately.
Thanks to all of the NRA members who contacted their legislators requesting that they broaden the exemptions to New Jersey’s “one-gun-a-month” law and for continuing the fight against further encroachment of our Second Amendment rights and freedoms in the Garden State.
About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org
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NJ Toughens Jury Tampering Law
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) ― New Jersey has toughened its jury tampering laws in regards to court proceedings that involve serious crimes such as murder, kidnapping and sexual assault.
A measure signed into law Saturday makes jury tampering a first-degree offense if someone uses threats or force against an official involved in the court proceedings of crimes included in the state's "No Early Release Act." If convicted, offenders will face jail terms of 10 to 20 years and up to $200,000 in fines.
The measure (A-3526), which took effect immediately, was part of a major anti-crime initiative intended, among other things, to target gang activity. It was signed into law by Senate President Richard Codey, who was acting governor while Gov. Jon Corzine was out of state.
Codey had been one of the bill's primary sponsors in the senate.
A measure signed into law Saturday makes jury tampering a first-degree offense if someone uses threats or force against an official involved in the court proceedings of crimes included in the state's "No Early Release Act." If convicted, offenders will face jail terms of 10 to 20 years and up to $200,000 in fines.
The measure (A-3526), which took effect immediately, was part of a major anti-crime initiative intended, among other things, to target gang activity. It was signed into law by Senate President Richard Codey, who was acting governor while Gov. Jon Corzine was out of state.
Codey had been one of the bill's primary sponsors in the senate.
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Thursday, January 7, 2010
A Random Quote.....
“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.”
Warren Buffett (1930 – )
American businessman and philanthropist
Click for help to manage your online reputation
Warren Buffett (1930 – )
American businessman and philanthropist
Click for help to manage your online reputation
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Report puts N.J. economy into perspective
After a year that saw a recession, a doubled unemployment rate and a vitriolic gubernatorial campaign excoriating New Jersey’s business climate, the title of a new report on the state’s economy comes as a bit of a shock: "Be proud to be in New Jersey."
Go ahead. Be proud. Because our problems are relative.
"Well, there is a lot be proud of — because it’s not as bad as Florida or Arizona or California, some of the hardest-hit areas," said Anika Khan, an economist with Wells and one of the authors of the report released last week. "It could be worse."
Much of New Jersey’s economy still seems awful: 78,800 jobs lost since January 2008, more residents leaving the state than moving in and a state government wracked with debt and low tax collections, according to the Wells Fargo report. But things are starting to turn around.
"The deterioration in job losses is subsiding, however, and economic activity appears to be improving," the report said. Former Manhattanites in search of cheaper rents are joining the ranks of bridge-and-tunnel crowds, and residential building permits likely have passed the bottom.
While the pharmaceutical industry has lost jobs because of mergers, acquisitions and consolidations, there are still many scientists here, and the state is the wealthiest in the nation, Khan said.
How bad it feels depends on where in the state you live or work, Khan said. South Jersey — particularly Camden and Atlantic City — have some of the highest unemployment rates in the country now that manufacturing and tourism jobs have disappeared.
But some counties — Hunterdon, Somerset, Mercer and Morris, for example — have unemployment rates under 8 percent, or about two points below the state rate of 9.7 percent.
New Jersey’s biggest challenge will be the state budget and finances, Khan said, adding the road back to prosperity will be long and uphill.
"We’re out of a recession — however, it’s not going to feel like we’re out of a recession," she said. "It’s going to take a while."
Go ahead. Be proud. Because our problems are relative.
"Well, there is a lot be proud of — because it’s not as bad as Florida or Arizona or California, some of the hardest-hit areas," said Anika Khan, an economist with Wells and one of the authors of the report released last week. "It could be worse."
Much of New Jersey’s economy still seems awful: 78,800 jobs lost since January 2008, more residents leaving the state than moving in and a state government wracked with debt and low tax collections, according to the Wells Fargo report. But things are starting to turn around.
"The deterioration in job losses is subsiding, however, and economic activity appears to be improving," the report said. Former Manhattanites in search of cheaper rents are joining the ranks of bridge-and-tunnel crowds, and residential building permits likely have passed the bottom.
While the pharmaceutical industry has lost jobs because of mergers, acquisitions and consolidations, there are still many scientists here, and the state is the wealthiest in the nation, Khan said.
How bad it feels depends on where in the state you live or work, Khan said. South Jersey — particularly Camden and Atlantic City — have some of the highest unemployment rates in the country now that manufacturing and tourism jobs have disappeared.
But some counties — Hunterdon, Somerset, Mercer and Morris, for example — have unemployment rates under 8 percent, or about two points below the state rate of 9.7 percent.
New Jersey’s biggest challenge will be the state budget and finances, Khan said, adding the road back to prosperity will be long and uphill.
"We’re out of a recession — however, it’s not going to feel like we’re out of a recession," she said. "It’s going to take a while."
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Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Undocumented aliens in New Jersey make heartfelt plea as educational reform bill moves forward
The year began with some hope for the future as the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Monday released legislation that would allow some undocumented locals to pay in-state tuition at New Jersey's state colleges and universities. Assembly members Gordon Johnson, Valerie Vainieri Huttle, and Nilsa Cruz-Perez served as the key players in endorsing this educational reform.
"This is good news for me and my family. I want to study medicine and make a difference in this country but my parents cannot afford college so it made no sense for me to even bother but now I feel hopeful," says 16-year-old Christian Perez.
Perez is just one of the many undocumented immigrants who have been living in this country for decades and is being denied an educational future. "I still think that I would have to work for minimum wage like my uncles and watch my other friends move on with their lives, it is a bad feeling," he added.
According to statistics from the Jersey based website, Statemaster.com, New Jersey ranks eighth in the county with an estimated 221,000 illegal immigrants living in the Garden State since the year 2000. Further studies indicate that a quarter of these individuals are children who have migrated with their parents at a young age.
"I work so hard in high school and I want to be the first one in my family to have a college education. I have never been to my homeland and the only place I can call home is America...we should be treated like the others," said another student who identified himself as Jorge.
"An uncertain immigration status has left some of our brightest students unable to continue their education, cutting them off from the American dream," said Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen).
Other lawmakers said that a large amount of undocumented students migrated at a very young age and their parents never standardized their immigration status and this prevents them from furthering their education. Under this system, these students are left with no other choice than to settle with minimum wage or off the books jobs.
"So many of my friends dropped out of college because it was just too much money for books, tuition and other costs, its frustrating," Jorge said.
"Nearly a century after many of our immigrant parents and grandparents were blocked from jobs simply because they were Irish or Italian; our laws effectively hang invisible signs at the college gates that say immigrants aren't welcome. We should be encouraging students who want to go to college, not blocking them," Huttle added.
Opponents of the bill argued that the state should not in any way contribute to illegal immigration.
"My colleagues need to realize that New Jersey is broke before voting at the last minute to grant another giveaway that legal and hardworking families cannot afford to provide," said Assemblyman Richard Merkt (R., Morris). "This proposal is disrespectful to those families who play by the rules, but just squeak by sending their children to college with hopes of a better future. We should be focused on helping these families, not adding to their burden."
Under this legislation, students who qualify for in-state tuition rates would have attended a New Jersey high school for at least three years and received a diploma. Also, in the future, they would be allowed to make a pledge through an affidavit where their status would be legalized.
"I have three younger sisters who came here a long time ago with my parents and if I get to go to college that means there is a way for them too and we can get to become citizens somehow," Perez said.
Currently, 11 states permit illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition and in New Jersey this can be up to half the cost of out-of-state rates. Since 2002, advocates in New Jersey have been working feverishly to advance this legislation.
In order for the bill to be passed it must be voted on by the full Assembly and Senate then signed by the governor in order to become law
"We moved here because of our parents and we cannot go back; the most that can happen is that we now live comfortable and have a good education," said Melissa Martinez, a native from Columbia.
"This is good news for me and my family. I want to study medicine and make a difference in this country but my parents cannot afford college so it made no sense for me to even bother but now I feel hopeful," says 16-year-old Christian Perez.
Perez is just one of the many undocumented immigrants who have been living in this country for decades and is being denied an educational future. "I still think that I would have to work for minimum wage like my uncles and watch my other friends move on with their lives, it is a bad feeling," he added.
According to statistics from the Jersey based website, Statemaster.com, New Jersey ranks eighth in the county with an estimated 221,000 illegal immigrants living in the Garden State since the year 2000. Further studies indicate that a quarter of these individuals are children who have migrated with their parents at a young age.
"I work so hard in high school and I want to be the first one in my family to have a college education. I have never been to my homeland and the only place I can call home is America...we should be treated like the others," said another student who identified himself as Jorge.
"An uncertain immigration status has left some of our brightest students unable to continue their education, cutting them off from the American dream," said Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen).
Other lawmakers said that a large amount of undocumented students migrated at a very young age and their parents never standardized their immigration status and this prevents them from furthering their education. Under this system, these students are left with no other choice than to settle with minimum wage or off the books jobs.
"So many of my friends dropped out of college because it was just too much money for books, tuition and other costs, its frustrating," Jorge said.
"Nearly a century after many of our immigrant parents and grandparents were blocked from jobs simply because they were Irish or Italian; our laws effectively hang invisible signs at the college gates that say immigrants aren't welcome. We should be encouraging students who want to go to college, not blocking them," Huttle added.
Opponents of the bill argued that the state should not in any way contribute to illegal immigration.
"My colleagues need to realize that New Jersey is broke before voting at the last minute to grant another giveaway that legal and hardworking families cannot afford to provide," said Assemblyman Richard Merkt (R., Morris). "This proposal is disrespectful to those families who play by the rules, but just squeak by sending their children to college with hopes of a better future. We should be focused on helping these families, not adding to their burden."
Under this legislation, students who qualify for in-state tuition rates would have attended a New Jersey high school for at least three years and received a diploma. Also, in the future, they would be allowed to make a pledge through an affidavit where their status would be legalized.
"I have three younger sisters who came here a long time ago with my parents and if I get to go to college that means there is a way for them too and we can get to become citizens somehow," Perez said.
Currently, 11 states permit illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition and in New Jersey this can be up to half the cost of out-of-state rates. Since 2002, advocates in New Jersey have been working feverishly to advance this legislation.
In order for the bill to be passed it must be voted on by the full Assembly and Senate then signed by the governor in order to become law
"We moved here because of our parents and we cannot go back; the most that can happen is that we now live comfortable and have a good education," said Melissa Martinez, a native from Columbia.
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Tuesday, January 5, 2010
N.J. holds second-highest exit rate
Steeper estate taxes. Fewer jobs. Higher property taxes.
For a variety of reasons, people are still leaving New Jersey.
The state saw 2,356 households move out last year, while 1,480 households moved in, according to the latest migration trends released yesterday by Atlas Van Lines.
In the Northeast, the size of New Jersey’s exodus trailed behind only Connecticut, which had the region’s highest percentage of outbound (68.5 percent) to inbound (39.5 percent) traffic for the year.
Migration patterns tracked by Atlas showed the Southwest states of Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma attracted the largest number of inbound moves. In the Northeast, Washington, D.C., had the highest percentage of inbound moves for the fourth year in a row, according to Atlas.
Only a handful of residents left New Jersey for Oklahoma — one of those was a move to Vance Air Force Base from McGuire Air Force Base — but many headed for Texas, Maryland and Georgia. Despite a worsening economy, California also continued to attract residents from the state.
New Jersey isn’t the only state watching high numbers of residents leave. Michigan is among the states with the highest outbound moves, and this year, North Dakota and South Dakota saw a jump in the number of residents exiting their states.
The number of people moving from New Jersey dropped 11 percent in 2009, representing the smallest wave of departures in six years. Between 2003 and 2007, the number of outbound moves hovered around 3,000 or more, according to Atlas.
In 2008, 2,661 households left the state.
Atlas attributed the drop in moves, generally, to the nation’s economic woes.
Total interstate and cross-border moves were down nearly 16 percent from 2008 when Atlas moved 84,447 households. Last year, the total reached only 71,301
For a variety of reasons, people are still leaving New Jersey.
The state saw 2,356 households move out last year, while 1,480 households moved in, according to the latest migration trends released yesterday by Atlas Van Lines.
In the Northeast, the size of New Jersey’s exodus trailed behind only Connecticut, which had the region’s highest percentage of outbound (68.5 percent) to inbound (39.5 percent) traffic for the year.
Migration patterns tracked by Atlas showed the Southwest states of Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma attracted the largest number of inbound moves. In the Northeast, Washington, D.C., had the highest percentage of inbound moves for the fourth year in a row, according to Atlas.
Only a handful of residents left New Jersey for Oklahoma — one of those was a move to Vance Air Force Base from McGuire Air Force Base — but many headed for Texas, Maryland and Georgia. Despite a worsening economy, California also continued to attract residents from the state.
New Jersey isn’t the only state watching high numbers of residents leave. Michigan is among the states with the highest outbound moves, and this year, North Dakota and South Dakota saw a jump in the number of residents exiting their states.
The number of people moving from New Jersey dropped 11 percent in 2009, representing the smallest wave of departures in six years. Between 2003 and 2007, the number of outbound moves hovered around 3,000 or more, according to Atlas.
In 2008, 2,661 households left the state.
Atlas attributed the drop in moves, generally, to the nation’s economic woes.
Total interstate and cross-border moves were down nearly 16 percent from 2008 when Atlas moved 84,447 households. Last year, the total reached only 71,301
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