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ARTIST Dave Wolfe
Vol. 6 No. 32 (February 9, 2020)
Editor\’s Note: Each Sunday morning we post a weekly comic strip provided by cartoonist Dave Wolfe. (click image to enlarge)
Day: February 9, 2020
NJBIA Supports Tax Incentive Report on Economic Growth Strategies
New Jersey Business & Industry Association Vice President of Government Affairs Christopher Emigholz issued the following statement today regarding the release of the Senate Select Committee on Economic Growth Strategies (SEGS) report.
\”NJBIA thanks the Special Committee for its report and recommendations. We also appreciate the opportunity to participate in the SEGS hearings and are pleased to see some of our ideas on the next generation of this important economic development tool in the report.
\”NJBIA strongly supports the report\’s recommendations of no annual overall cap combined with enhanced net benefit tests. If a net benefit test shows that the state is benefitting, then why would we want to cap success?
\”Additionally, we support the idea of targeting high-growth projects and industries – but would like to see the manufacturing target be broadened beyond just \”advanced manufacturing.\” We are also supportive of better integrating workforce development resources into the tax incentive program, as this report suggests.
\”We know that the business community, the Legislature and Governor Murphy are all in agreement that a responsible and competitive tax incentive program, with appropriate oversight of its effectiveness, plays a key role in the state\’s economic development strategy.
\”With the report now complete, it is imperative that there is no further delay in our policymakers working together to deliver a comprehensive program that is accountable, responsible and makes New Jersey regionally competitive.
\”New Jersey\’s economy has been damaged by not having an economic incentive program over the past seven months. Absent this program, New Jersey remains without the much-needed mechanism to level the playing field against our regional competitors who have a less challenging business climate.\”
Cherry Hill Resident Faces Additional Child Porn Charges
Camden City, N.J. (Feb. 8, 2020)–– A Cherry Hill man is facing two additional charges one week after he was arrested for possessing child pornography, according to Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill Mayer and Cherry Hill Police Chief William Monaghan.
Robert Hammond, 68, (photo) was arrested and charged Jan. 30 with one additional count of second-degree possession of child pornography and one count of second-degree reproducing child pornography. The charges were filed after detectives from the High-Tech Crimes Unit (HTCU) investigated digital evidence that was seized during Hammond’s original arrest Jan. 24.
HTCU detectives, officers from the Cherry Hill Police Department and Members of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Cherry Hill Office arrested Hammond at his home on the 500 block of Murray Ave. in Cherry Hill without incident. He was remanded to the Camden County Jail and released under conditions pursuant to the New Jersey Criminal Justice Reform Act.
All persons charged with crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
EPA Holds Public Meeting Monday on Ringwood Superfund Cleanup Plan
RINGWOOD, NJ (February 8, 2020)–The EPA are proposing a cleanup plan to address groundwater and mine water contamination at the Ringwood Mines/Landfill Superfund Site in Ringwood, New Jersey. EPA’s proposed plan to address contaminants in groundwater at the site provides for the installation of wells near the Peters Mine Pit and Peters Mine Pit Airshaft, perpendicular to the direction of groundwater flow, to introduce an oxygen-releasing compound into the aquifer to enhance the breakdown of contaminants. EPA reached a $21 million settlement with Ford Motor Co. and Ringwood on a cleanup plan for the Superfund site. Almost 166,000 tons of paint sludge and toxic chemicals from the company\’s plant are still prevalent.
Who:
The Environmental Protection Agency
What:
Public Meeting on the Ringwood Superfund Cleanup Plan
Where:
Martin J. Ryerson Middle School, 130 Valley Road, Ringwood, New Jersey.
When:
Monday, February 10, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.
“EPA’s proposal to address contaminates at the Ringwood Superfund site is not good enough and will not end the toxic nightmare for the people of Upper Ringwood. The agency is letting Ford off the hook while they save millions of dollars at the expense of the health of the people of Ringwood. The only way to remove toxins out of water is it pump it out, EPA’s plan to pump in oxygen into the water will take time and may not work. We should not be experimenting on the community,”
said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.
“It is important for the public to come out to the meeting and demand a full cleanup plan that will protect their health and safety. It’s too important for too many people.”
source New Jersey Sierra Club
Things to Do if You Have Doubts about the Used Car You Want to Buy
olive-wolverine-471793.hostingersite.com (February 9, 2020)–As you try to decide which used car you want to purchase, you realize that the ones on your shortlist aren’t necessarily the best choices. They check some standards on your list, but not all of them. These are the
image credit unsplash.com
things you need to do if you still doubt the quality of the used car you consider buying.
Ask for help from a mechanic
It helps if you can work with a mechanic to check the quality of the vehicle. Mechanics are experts in assessing the quality of cars. You will know if there are recurring issues you need to be mindful of. The mechanic will also advise you if the vehicle is worth the price, or if it\’s way too expensive. You will feel more confident about your decision after talking to a mechanic.
Review the car history report
Even if you already looked at the car history report, it pays to have another look. Check every detail to see if there are patterns. If you don’t understand the report, you can ask someone else to interpret it for you. Since you have no idea about what the car went through in the past, this report is your only glimpse into its history.
Look at other options
There’s no need to hurry when buying a used car. Take your time to look at other choices, and determine if they’re worth buying. There could still be other choices that you might want to consider. You should wait until you find the perfect match rather than settle for a car that’s not worth it. You will end up with lots of repair expenses. Even if you save money buying the car, it might be nothing compared to how much you spend repairing it later.
Partner with a different company
Perhaps, there’s no problem with the specific model that you’re looking at. The issue is with the used car company. There’s no proper screening done on the cars they sell. They also don’t do the necessary repairs. If you\’re into a certain model, you might want to try other used car shops. You can find the same model with much better quality.
Suspend your plans
You can reconsider your plans to buy a car later when there’s a better model available. You don’t want to rush this decision since it’s a major investment. Even if you save money by choosing a used car over a brand-new model, it’s still a significant amount. You don’t want to regret it because you settled for an option you were doubtful about.
Why not consider
Used Cars Layton Utah
if you want a quality used car? With the positive reviews received by the company and their proven track record, you won\’t go wrong. Start by looking at the choices online. You can visit the shop to see the vehicles. Take a test drive in the model you like and decide if it’s worth buying.
/photos/YApS6TjKJ9c
Hispanic Family Center Receives Grant
from Cooper Foundation’s Camden City Community to Support Community Health Navigation
Camden, NJ (February 6, 2020) – The Hispanic Family Center of Southern New Jersey, Inc. (HFC) is pleased to announce it has been awarded a $5,000 Camden City Community Grant from The Cooper Foundation to support the agency’s Pathways to Health. The mission of HFC’s Pathways to Health
program is to increase access to health care and health insurance, and to improve the public’s knowledge of the social determinants of health. This generous grant will help ensure that residents of Camden City receive case-management assistance to navigate the complex healthcare and health insurance systems.
The Cooper Foundation serves as the philanthropic, community outreach and community development arm of The Cooper Health System. The goal of the Camden City Community Grant program is to address social determinants of health by funding applicants that demonstrate a focus on one of the following Community Building Activities: physical improvements and housing, economic development, community support, environmental improvements, leadership development and training for community members, coalition building, community health improvement advocacy or workforce development. For more information about the program visit
https://foundation.cooperhealth.org/camden-community-grant
The Hispanic Family Center of Southern New Jersey is a multi-service agency with locations in Camden and Gloucester Counties. The agency is dedicated to providing the community with a broad range of culturally relevant social services and advocacy programs that promote and encourage empowerment and self-sufficiency. To meet this goal the Hispanic Family Center of Southern New Jersey offers over more than 20 programs including employment and training programs, ESL/Civics, health education and prevention services, mental health services, senior services, substance use disorder treatment and energy assistance programs. Each year the Hispanic Family Center serves 10,000 individuals and families.
Middle-Aged Adults Worried About Health Insurance Costs Now, Uncertain for Future
Newswise — Health insurance costs weigh heavily on the minds of many middle-aged adults, and many are worried for what they’ll face in retirement or if federal health policies change, according to a new study just published in JAMA Network Open.
More than a quarter of people in their 50s and early 60s lack confidence that they’ll be able to afford health insurance in the next year, and the number goes up to nearly half when they look ahead to retirement. Two-thirds are concerned about how potential changes in health insurance policies at the national level could affect them.
Nearly one in five of survey respondents who are working say they’ve kept a job in the past year in order to keep their employer-sponsored health insurance. And 15% of those who are working say they’ve delayed retirement, or thought about it, because of their insurance.
The study uses data from
the National Poll on Healthy Aging
, conducted in late 2018, during the open enrollment period for many employers’ insurance plans, and near the start of open enrollment for Medicare and plans available to individuals on federal and state marketplace sites.
“Seeking regular medical care is critically important for adults in their 50s and 60s, to prevent and treat health conditions,“ says lead author Renuka Tipirneni, M.D., M.Sc. “We found that many adults in this age group are unfortunately worried about affording health insurance and avoiding care because of costs.” Tipirneni is an assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan and a member of the
U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation
, which runs the poll. She sees patients in the General Medicine clinics at Michigan Medicine, U-M’s academic medical center.
The poll was conducted at a time when the Affordable Care Act had survived challenges in Congress but was facing possible changes or invalidation in a federal court case. That case is now pending before the Supreme Court.
“It is clear from our poll that health care remains a top issue for middle-aged adults and that many of them find the recent uncertainty surrounding federal healthcare policies troubling,“ says senior author Aaron Scherer, Ph.D., an associate in internal medicine at the University of Iowa and former postdoctoral fellow at U-M. “Policymakers should work to ensure the stability and affordability of health insurance for vulnerable adults on the verge of retirement.”
The worries about cost already affect how people in this pre-Medicare age group use health care, the study finds. More than 18 percent had avoided seeking care, or had not filled a prescription, because of cost in the past year.
Those who were in fair or poor health were four times more likely to have avoided care. Those with an insurance plan purchased on the individual level, such as the federal Marketplace, were three times more likely to have avoided seeking care or filling a prescription.
The poll of 1,024 adults in their pre-Medicare years was conducted sponsored by AARP and Michigan Medicine, U-M’s academic medical center.
The poll focuses on those approaching the “magic” age of 65, when most Americans qualify for Medicare health insurance. The researchers say their findings hold implications for policy proposals that would offer Medicare availability at younger ages, or offer a publicly-funded plan on the federal Marketplace.
Mays Landing Resident Arrested on Child Porn Charges
Cape May Court House, New Jersey (February 9, 2020)- Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland and New Jersey State Police Colonel Patrick J. Callahan announce the arrest of Richard Hoffman, 24 years old of Mays Landing, New Jersey, on first degree Child Pornography charges.
This investigation is the result of information received from the September 2018 \”Operation Open House\” in Toms River, New Jersey which was conducted by the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. During \”Operation Open House,\” Hoffman was arrested for Luring after chatting with an undercover detective posing as a 14-year-old female. Subsequently, additional victims of Hoffman were identified and another investigation was initiated involving the New Jersey State Police and the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office. The teenage victim of this investigation resides in the Villas section of Lower Township.
As a result of this investigation, earlier today members of the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, New Jersey State Police, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Hamilton Township Police Department arrested Hoffman at his residence in Mays Landing, New Jersey. Hoffman was charged with Manufacturing Child Pornography, a crime of the first degree; Possession of Child Pornography, a crime of the third; Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a crime of the third degree; Criminal Sexual Contact, a crime of the fourth degree; two counts of Sexual Assault, crimes of the second degree; and Witness Tampering, a crime of the third degree.
Hoffman was lodged in the Cape May County Correctional Facility pending Court proceedings.
Prosecutor Sutherland would like to recognize Homeland Security Investigations, Atlantic City Office; the Hamilton Township Police Department; and the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, for their assistance in this investigation. This investigation is part of the ongoing effort by the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office and the entire New Jersey State Police ICAC Task Force to identify and prosecute those involved in victimizing children.
Prosecutor Sutherland continues to urge the citizens of Cape May County to report any information regarding child exploitation, child abuse, or any criminal activity within the community and that information can be reported anonymously to the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-465-1135 or text anonymously through the Cape May County Sheriff’s Tip Line at cmcsheriff.net and click on the anonymous tip.
*Any charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless he is proven guilty.
PA Republicans Question Wolf\’s Commitment to Fiscal Responsibility
By Dave Lemery |
The Center Square
Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, accompanied by a number of other Republican legislative leaders, discusses Gov. Tom Wolf\’s budget address Feb 4, 2020.
HARRISBURG PA–Every year, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s budget address draws both praise and criticism, and despite his rhetorical attempts to find common ground with his political opponents, his 2020 address Tuesday was no different.
Republican legislative leaders especially took issue with the governor’s assertion that his budget plan would not raise any taxes. In a news conference after the speech, they pointed out that his Restore Pennsylvania proposal, while technically not part of the budget itself, is still factored in. And that plan requires borrowing $4.5 billion to be paid off over the course of 20 years via a new severance tax on natural gas drilling.
Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman also noted that the proposed decrease in the corporate net income tax rate in Wolf’s budget is more than offset by a plan to require combined reporting.
“So you put those two together, and you\’re well over half a billion [in new tax revenue],” Corman said. “Plus there\’s other things as well. But that\’s at least the two headliners in his proposal.”
Rep. Stan Saylor, the House Appropriations Committee chair, and Sen. Pat Browne, his counterpart in the Senate, took umbrage at reported overspending during the current fiscal year by the Wolf administration and proposals to carry some of that spending in the next budget.
“The two biggest offenders of overspending are usual suspects, the Department of Health Human Services and the Department of Corrections,” Saylor said at the news conference. “The governor\’s proposal says that DHS needs an additional $492 million in the current year. When you dig into the proposal, you can see they also buried another $307 million in current year costs, which were pushed into next fiscal year. That means DHS needs an additional $800 million just in its current fiscal year.”
On the other side of the political spectrum, Senate Democrats were enthused about the governor’s proposal.
“We are excited to work with @GovernorTomWolf, especially on a number of policies & funding plans he outlined today that include many of the items we have been discussing,” the Senate Democrats’ Twitter account said.
“This budget plan would hold the line on taxes while stoking investment in education, job training and business expansion,” Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Pittsburgh, said in a statement. “I was particularly pleased that the governor voiced his support for several of my legislative initiatives. For example, the governor is seeking more dollars for public school funding, early education programs and grant support for college students.
House Democrats were similarly pleased.
“Our children deserve a high-quality public education regardless of where they grow up,” Rep. Matt Bradford, the Democratic chairman of the Appropriations Committee, said in a statement. “Two budget initiatives presented by Governor Wolf today – investing an additional $30 million to fund high-quality pre-K and mandating free, full-day kindergarten – are commonsense steps to ensure kids receive the type of full-time learning environment they deserve during their formative years, which research shows us is vital for social skills, cognitive development and lifelong economic mobility.”
The governor’s plan to use revenue from joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to fund transportation improvements drew praise from at least one environmental group.
“Governor Wolf mapped out a strong vision to better the lives of all Pennsylvanians, including a firm commitment to joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative,” Mark Szybist, senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a news release. “Not only would this curb harmful climate pollution – it would also help clean up the air our children breathe, enable Pennsylvania to invest in a transportation system that works for everyone, and create family-sustaining jobs and a more equitable society.”
The nonprofit Commonwealth Foundation, which advocates for small government and market-based solutions, was much more critical of the governor’s address.
“Gov. Wolf’s proposed General Fund Budget of $36.1 billion would increase spending by 6.1% over last year’s enacted budget,” wrote Nathan Benefield, the foundation’s vice president and chief operating officer. “His overall spending plan – a $89.3 billion operating budget – represents an increase of 3%. These increases significantly exceed taxpayers’ ability to pay.”
Benefield noted that if the Taxpayer Protection Act were in effect, the most the state budget could grow to is $34.7 billion. Under the TPA, state budget growth would be pegged to population growth and the rate of inflation.
The foundation also lamented the overruns during the current fiscal year that Saylor and Browne had noted.
“Routine cost overruns hide the true growth in spending, side-step lawmakers’ ability to prioritize spending, and add to Pennsylvania’s already high tax burden on working families,” Benefield said. “Legislators need to take back control by adopting honest budgeting, including House Bill 1861 (Rep. Seth Grove) and Senate Bill 885 (Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill) that would require supplemental spending to be voted on in a standalone bill.”
published here by olive-wolverine-471793.hostingersite.com with permission of
The Center Square
Frank Colden Invitational: Rutgers-Camden Emily Hill Raises Bar Again in Shot Put
COLLEGEVILLE, Penn. (Feb. 8, 2020) – When she competed in the Collegeville Classic on January 25 at Ursinus College, Rutgers University-Camden sophomore
Emily Hilt
broke her own week-old indoor track program record in the shot put.
The Scarlet Raptors returned to action at Ursinus College again on Saturday for the Frank Colden Invitational and Hilt raised the program shot put standard again.
Hilt finished first of 55 competitors in the women’s shot put with a distance of 12.30 meters, breaking the mark of 12.22 meters she set two weeks ago. It was the fourth time this season, out of five meets, that Hilt has set the Rutgers-Camden record in the shot put. She has thrown an ECAC qualifier in the event four times.
Senior
Nicole DeMarco
finished 25th in the shot put (9.16 meters), while sophomore
Anna Archut
was 44th with a PR of 7.59 meters.
The Rutgers-Camden women also received a stellar performance from sophomore
Kirstin Slater,
who finished ninth out of 25 in the 5,000-meter run. She posted a PR time of 20:24.85.
In the 43-runner race for the seeded 60-meter dash, sophomore
Kaila English
finished 24th (8.54) and freshman
Lizette Abad
was 35th (8.94). In the unseeded 60-meter dash, junior-eligible
Caitlyn Kliniewski
placed 23rd of 29 (10.35).
On the men’s side, junior
Logan Pierson
ran his top time of the season in the unseeded 60-meter dash while winning the event in a 26-man field. He posted a time of 7.64.
Rutgers-Camden’s men had a strong showing in the 400-meter dash, led by junior
Vinny Maine,
who finished 23rd of 64 in a time of 54.41. Sophomore
Desmond Howell
finished 26th (54.74), sophomore
Maxwell Adams
was 28th (a PR of 55.42) and sophomore
Shane Costello
finished 58th (1:06.25).
Freshman
Emmanuel Lewis
finished 12th of 42 with a PR of 12.44 meters in the shot put, while sophomore
Will Gross
was 14th (11.99 meters) and senior
Matt Gross
was 25th (a PR of 10.97 meters).
A trio of Raptors in the men’s mile was led by freshman
David Morrow,
who finished 47th of 58 in a time of 5:12.57. Freshman
Naseem Shreim
finished 18th of 30 in the long jump (5.71 meters).
Rutgers-Camden returns to action on Feb. 15 when it competes at the Susquehanna University Invitational.
Sat. 8
Frank Colden Invitational
(at Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA)
MEN:
No Team Scores
WOMEN:
No Team Scores
Rutgers-Camden School Records:
* Women’s Shot Put, Emily Hilt, 12.30 M (Old: 12.22 by Hilt, Jan. 25, 2020 at the Collegeville Classic)