Comments

• On the article Garwood Council: Should Crossing Guards Receive Unemployment in the Summer?

  sp1991

  3:33 pm on Thursday, March 15, 2012

  One more Link concerning Crossing Guards in NJ. This is more about what they do than their receiving unemployment benefits
  http://policy.rutgers.edu/vtc/bikeped/safe_routes_scoop/vol2_issue2/crossingrule1.html

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• On the article Garwood Council: Should Crossing Guards Receive Unemployment in the Summer?

  sp1991

  3:26 pm on Thursday, March 15, 2012

  If any one is interested there was a Unemployment Task Force Report issued February 25, 2011 http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/forms_pdfs/lwdhome/press/2011/UITaskForceReport2011.pdf
  An area they looked at was this specific issue and here is what they said:
  "the task force makes no recommendation on modifying school related earnings eligibility criteria at this time."

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• On the article Garwood Council: Should Crossing Guards Receive Unemployment in the Summer?

  

  sp1991

  3:13 pm on Thursday, March 15, 2012

  I agree with you Cheryl, the councilman should appologize. They are only getting what they are allowed under the State Law. Why doesn't he contact the State Legislature and have them Address it. Second, I think Councilman Petruzzelli also has some nerve as he is deirving a benefit that is equal to or more expensive than the approx. $2,444 per guard. I do not hear Coucilman Matthieu calling that "scandulous".

• On the article Letter to the Editor: Smartphone App for Summit?

  sp1991

  4:00 pm on Monday, November 7, 2011

  Is Ellen for real? Almost daily, residents who have signed up for nixle or the code red notification system received updates about conditions and important information for the residents to know. If you have a smart phone that has internet access you can access the City's webpage, you can access the sign-up for nixle, you can access the Code Red Notification Sign-up. Why do you need an App? Here is a novel idea...Instead of ranting about the need to use modern media to get the message out ald tout your use of your twitter account and your Facebook account why didn't you redirect people to sign up for Nixle or Code Red, or provide them with the link to the City's website so that they can access any of this. Couldn't you have put this on your campaign literature? All this Letter was, was an attempt to tell the public what you were doing and not providing them with the opportunity to obtain the information through the official channels, which worked and worked fairly well I would say.

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• On the event Halloween Parade and Costume Contest - Fanwood-Scotch Plains Recreation

  

  sp1991

  3:52 pm on Monday, October 31, 2011

  It's Self Cancelling. If you feel it is not safe for your child(ren) then don't go!!!

• On the article Gov. Christie: Stay Off Roads During Treacherous Winter Storm

  

  sp1991

  11:32 am on Monday, October 31, 2011

  Mark, I am not a governor Christie fan, but his declaration of a State of Emergency does not get your daughter home from her work. It is a tool that allows the state to provide resources to communities that request it and allows the Governor to activate the National Guard and request resources from other states and the Federal Government. Not sure where you live but the all day long and at least 24 hours prior, many weather forcasters warned of the consequences of this storm. Also, why are you blaming the governor? Does the business that your daughter work for bear any responsibility for just leaving their employees to fend for themselves? Couldn't they have closed the business themselves. As a parent I feel for your concern for your daughter but a declaration of a state of emergency was not going to help your daughter find shelter for the night. A simple call to the local Police Department, Such as Millburn in the case of the Mall might have helped you. or maybe her employer should have made sure thast their employees were safe and secure

• On the article Assembly Approves Pension and Health Care Reform Bill

  sp1991

  3:52 pm on Friday, June 24, 2011

  First, no I am not a teacher. second I am paying 26% of the cost of my HMO health insurance. Third I did not receive a raise last year. Again I say to you, do not paint with a broad brush. Not every public employee gets the packages you see some get. I ask you this, fiscal sanity, why were they given an option? My municipality told us we were going to the state health benefits plan, end of story. when we switched it was similiair to what we had.

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• On the article Assembly Approves Pension and Health Care Reform Bill

  sp1991

  3:33 pm on Friday, June 24, 2011

  I am a public employee and have been for over 25 years. I agree that we have to pay more for our health care, no question about it. but if you are not a public employee and do not know how the system works please stop painting with a broad brush. Every municipality and school district negotiates their own contracts with their local PD's, FD's and Teachers or if they are a district or if services are provided by another community they pay whatever their share is. Not every public worker gets free health benefits, not every worker gets paid for their unused sick time, not every public worker gets to bank vacation and collect it when they retire.

  currently no public employee of a municipality or County can get more than a 2% raise because of the 2% hard cap on budgets. If you want to see your property taxes reduced, look at joint services. Residents of Fanwood and Scotch Plains should be saying when will the PD's be merged not if or maybe or it needs to be studied more. The answer is that no community is willing to give up "home rule". When that mentality goes away, maybe the public workforce can be reduced and property taxes reduced or maintained level.

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• On the article Pension, Health Care Reform Bill Heads to Assembly

  sp1991

  4:46 pm on Thursday, June 23, 2011

  Maria, I want to know where the taxpayers were when they took money from the pension system to balance the budget during the Whitman Administration and continued when Difrancesco was Governor? Did your taxes decrease when that was done. Union Leaders are doing what they are supposed to do. The state of NJ does not negotiate with every municipal worker, or County worker.

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• On the article Call for Comments: Christie's Proposed Changes to State Employees' Benefits

  sp1991

  1:04 pm on Thursday, June 23, 2011

  Bamboozle from a customer service perspective I agree with you. I think in many towns there is such a survey in place, whether the elected officials do anything with it is another story.

  In the Middle, Maybe the time is right for that discussion, but those who were promised a pension deserve to receive what was promised. Like the old IBM and Bell System, those employees who were promised a pension are still receiving one and the also are still getting cost of living adjustments. So should those public employees who were promised them.

  On another point, maybe there should be a two-tierd contract for public employees. Currently the state, county and municipalities as well as the individual Boards of Education negotiate seperate contracts. Maybe certain itmes are negotiated for all and then leave certain issues such as personal days or vacation time and salary to be negotiated at a more local or regional setting. Just a thought.

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