Posts Tagged ‘political blog’
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010
A New Jersey State Senate bill recently introduced would abolish the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH), taking implementation of low and moderate income housing standards from the state and putting it in the hands of municipalities. It’s about time.
COAH came into existence in the late 1970’s as a result of the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Mt. Laurel Decision, which basically said that municipalities cannot zone against low and moderate-income housing and must supply affordable housing. COAH set quotas for each of the state’s 567 (now 566) municipalities.
The quota system was unfair to many municipalities, setting unrealistically high numbers for some towns. Here in Cape May County, Middle Township is still required to offer 932 more affordable units by 2018 and Upper Township still owes over 500. It’s unrealistic and puts a heavy burden on taxpayers, who must fund new schools and services to meet the demand of so many new residences.
Senate Bill S1, sponsored by Raymond Lesniak and Christopher Bateman, and its companion State Assembly bill A2057, would abolish COAH. It would also do away with State-imposed calculations of affordable housing needs. Instead, it would permit municipalities to determine their own needs. The State Planning Commission would assist towns in facilitating opportunities for affordable housing.
The bill would require municipalities to re-examine their master plan and adopt an ordinance that provides an opportunity for an appropriate variety and choice of housing. They must show that they have complied with their obligations under the Fair Housing Act. Any municipality not enacting ordinances by December 31, 2011, would be required to have any developers set aside 20% of their project for low or moderate or work force housing.
What does all this mean? COAH and its assigned numbers of affordable housing units will be put to rest. But municipalities aren’t off the hook. They must still offer affordable housing, but on their own terms, not Trenton’s.
-Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: affordable housing, Cape May County, Cape May County blog, COAH, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Middle Township affordable housing, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey COAH, New Jersey Senate Bill S1, political blog, real estate blog
Posted in Politics | No Comments »
Friday, January 29th, 2010
The Coastal Redwoods are a sight to see. Ranging along the fog-shrouded California coast from Big Sur to just over the border into southwestern Oregon, these giants can live up to 2,200 years. There are 137 of these behemoths over 350 feet tall, with the tallest living redwood measuring in at a whopping 379 feet. The largest redwood girth is a mind-boggling 26 feet across.
The battle between environmentalists looking to preserve the trees and loggers looking at profits and jobs has been going on for a century, and the fight intensified beginning in the 1960s. It’s an emotional issue, with both sides resorting to vandalism or violence at times to protect what they believe is right.
National Geographic ran a feature article in October, 2009 about the redwoods and their future. It was a politically-correct, safe article. As is NatGeo’s philosophy, they strongly presented both sides while not taking a stand.
Here is an interesting Letter to the Editor that I just read this morning in my new February issue of NatGeo, written and submitted by John Ruch of Boston, giving his views of the validity of the redwood article’s points.
“Regarding your paean to capitalist “forest management” as the solution to saving redwoods, forests already have a manager. It’s nature itself, which has a head start of hundreds of millions of years on our wisdom. Conservation has become hubristic meddling, capitalism still is barely tamed greed, and the unholy alliance of the two is a scam masquerading as hipster realpolitik.
“Here’s the truth: Redwood lumber is not a vital resource. It is a luxury item that no one has any need or right to cut. The key to an ecological future is reducing our own population by three-quarters, not turning even more people into luxury-slurping consumers. The key to ending global warming is paying people who don’t drive cars at all, not paying forest companies. And anybody who kills any living thing more than a thousand years old is simply a jerk. Your article used the word “cut” a lot. What it meant is “kill”.”
- Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: California Redwoods, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, National Geographic, nature blog, political blog, redwood trees, Redwoods
Posted in Nature, Politics | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
It’s sure tough to be the little guy - the common US citizen - isn’t it? Despite all the guarantees put forth in the Constitution, our government is still controlled by special interests. Not us peons.
The Supreme Court set us back a few decades last week when a 5-4 decision okayed companies and unions ability to spend freely on ads that promote or target particular candidates by name. It also lifts a ban on corporate and union-paid issue-based ads in the final days of a campaign.
How easy is it now going to be for a politician to climb into bed with special interests? Quite. If not, their opponent just might and then steal the election. It’s a field day for graft.
President Obama lashed out at the decision over the weekend. “We don’t need to give any more voice to the powerful interests that already drown out the voices of everyday Americans,” he said. “And we don’t intend to.”
The White House will attempt to legislate away the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision, which basically used the First Amendment’s “freedom of speech” as the reason to allow these transgressions against decency. The House of Representatives and Senate must approve any bills on the subject before Obama could sign it into law.
The White House has a number of measures it is proposing: require the approval of a majority of shareholders before a corporation can run a political ad; require the CEO to appear at the end of the ad; limit the ad spending of corporations who received bailout money; and/or limit privileges that come with corporate status concerning political ads.
If this Supreme Court ruling is allowed to stand, any candidate that stood for environmental or social issues would likely be squashed by the big businesses whose profits would be trimmed.
Isn’t democracy grand?
- Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: Corporate interests, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, political blog, President Obama, special interests, Supreme Court, Supreme Court decision
Posted in Politics | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010
In what can only be attributed to voter backlash to the Obama administration, the GOP completed its sweep of the three major off-year elections with a Senatorial victory in Massachusetts yesterday. So much for the political pundits who declared the Republican party as DOA a year ago.
The GOP resurrection all started in Virginia on November 3, 2009 when Bob McDonnell, the former state Attorney General, trounced Democratic State Senator Creigh Deeds by a 59% to 41% margin in the gubernatorial race. It was the biggest margin of victory in the Commonwealth since 1961. McDonnell, who took the oath of office last Saturday, replaced Democratic governor Tim Kaine.
That same fateful November election saw Republican Chris Christie knock off incumbent New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine by 87,000 votes in a race that was almost too close to call. It was the largest margin of victory for a first-time Republican in the Garden State since 1969. Christie, like his Virginia counterpart, was a former Attorney General (US). Similarly, both states now have two Democratic senators and a new rookie Republican governor.
Christie was inaugurated yesterday. While emphasizing that he was in Trenton to implement “change”, he put his finger on the problem in New Jersey politics. “Too much time has been spent assigning blame instead of accepting responsibility,” he said.
Yesterday also marked the end of the Democratic reign of one of Massachusetts’ Senate seats. Since John F. Kennedy defeated Henry Cabot Lodge in a big upset back in 1952, the Bay State has been decidedly Democratic. When Kennedy won the Presidential election in 1960, the seat was passed to a Democratic family friend, who then stepped aside in an pre-arrangement to secede to Ted Kennedy in 1962. Teddy, who held the Senate job for over 46 years, was unable to directly take the seat from brother John in ‘60 because he wasn’t yet 30 years old. This youngest Kennedy son passed away last summer.
The Senatorial election yesterday went to Republican Scott Brown, a former State Senator, who routed Democratic Attorney General (sound familiar?) Martha Coakley. The combination of Coakley’s lack of charisma and poor campaign strategy was her undoing. Brown, who once trailed in the polls by 30% and then as recently as two weeks ago by 15%, took 52% of the popular vote.
The vote was also a reflection of the fallout from the Obama presidency, which ran on a platform of being an agent of change but so far has been decidedly ineffective. An all too-familar ring of a presidential candidate being a “Washington outsider” resonates with voters, but the reality is usually that once they set up shop inside the Beltway they get sucked into “politics as usual”. They find that compromise and cutting deals is a survival tool.
Saving the best for last, the Massachusetts election was also perhaps a yardstick for the popularity of the universal health care reform being presented to the American people. Brown will now cast the deciding 41st vote in the Senate against the bill, effectively putting the issue to rest for a while.
Maybe it’s time for the Obama administration to focus on the issue that Americans care most about – the economy and jobs.
- Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: Governor Chris Christie, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Martha Coakley, Massachusetts election 2010, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, New Jersey politics, Obama administration, political blog, Scott Brown, Ted Kennedy
Posted in Politics | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010
Internet gambling in the United States is illegal. It’s cut and dried. But a recent federal appeals court decision just may have given states the option to offer internet gambling within their own borders. In cash-strapped New Jersey, which is expected to have the seventh largest budget deficit this fiscal year of the 50 states, the notion has appeal.
State Senator Raymond Lesniak recently introduced bill S3167, which would indeed legalize such popular games as poker, baccarat, blackjack, roulette, craps, slot machines, and more. With New Jersey’s distinction of having the toughest gambling laws in the United States, implementing the on-line form seems a natural and comforting fit.
Currently, there are thousands of global internet gambling sites. They are illegal in New Jersey, in part because there is no way for the state gaming commission to determine whether these games offer fair odds. Many who do still gamble illegally on the internet complain of not being able to collect their winnings. Would you trust a gambling site located in the Philippines or Bulgaria?
The other reason they are not legal in New Jersey is rather obvious – Atlantic City. The state’s 11 casinos generated $3.9 billion in revenue in 2009. While down from $5.2 billion in record-setting 2006, it still is a major contributor to state coffers.
The new internet gambling bill, if eventually made into law, would require all gaming companies to be headquartered around Atlantic City. The New Jersey Casino Control Commission, also based in AC, would be able to monitor the new companies, plus develop “technical standards for approval of software, computers and other gaming equipment used to conduct internet wagering, including mechanical, electrical or program reliablility, security against tampering, the comprehensibility of wagering, …. blah, blah, blah.” Did you get all that?
Internet site operators would pay $200,000 the first year for a license, with a $100,000 annual renewal. They’d also pay a $100,000 non-refundable deposit and another $100,000 towards treating compulsive gambling. They’d fork over a 20% tax to the casino revenue fund and another tax would give money to the New Jersey Racing Commission. No wonder so many groups are salivating over the prospect of internet gambling.
AC Mayor Lorenzo Langford spoke in favor of the internet gambling concept, while casino operators seem concerned that the bill might allow video lottery terminals (VLT’s) and slot machines at the state’s race tracks. The AC casinos are currently paying the horseracing industry $90 million over three years in an agreement that bans VLT’s from tracks.
With New Jersey’s perilious money situation, internet gambling seems like a good revenue producer. The AC casinos will survive because, let’s face it, you don’t have the glitz of the casinos and shows and entertainers and restaurants sitting at home on your computer. And you can bet that the 11 casinos will be the first in line to get those new internet gaming licenses. They see the possibilities!
- Mountain Man and City Girl http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: AC casinos, Atlantic City, atlantic city casinos, gambling blog, Internet Gambling, Internet Gambling in New Jersey, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, political blog, Senate bill S3167, VLT's
Posted in Lifestyle, Politics | No Comments »
Monday, January 18th, 2010
Let’s face it. Unless you live in rural America and own a large tract of land, there is no place for all-terrain vehicles (ATV’s). Here in New Jersey, with a population density of 1,134 people per square mile, ATV’s are a fish out of water.
New Jersey’s Assembly and Senate recently approved a bill which would regulate ATV’s, while at the same time creating three parks for ATV’s and dirtbikes. Governor Jon Corzine, whose last day in office is today, is expected to sign the bill into law as he packs up his belongings. If he doesn’t give it his John Hancock, incoming Governor Christopher Christie no doubt will enact ATV laws in the near future.
New Jersey prohibits dirt bikes and ATV’s from all public lands, which includes state parks, preserves, utility power lines, and roads. Unfortunately, many riders have thumbed their noses at the law and police regularly have cat and mouse pursuits of scofflaws. Many municipalities, including here in Middle Township, Cape May County where we live, have had to purchase ATV’s and train officers to catch the illegal riders.
The new ATV regulations going into effect would require all owners to register their machine within six months. New vehicles have to be registered to take delivery. The cost will be $50, plus a $10 surcharge to help fund the three riding parks. The fine for getting caught without a registration will be $500. Since the ATV’s and dirt bikes would now have license plates front and rear, police and the public should have no problem spotting unregistered vehicles.
There are 85 ATV and dirt bike dealers listed in New Jersey. There are 25,000 riders, according to estimates. Acquiring three riding parks will probably be difficult. They’ll have to be located away from populations, wetlands, and water. Presumably, they’ll locate one each in North Jersey, Central Jersey, and South Jersey. Hopefully, the 1.1 million acre Pinelands will be off-limits in the South.
The root of ATV problems can often be traced to condescending parents, who buy their kid a dirt bike or ATV even though there is nowhere to legally operate it. Soon a bunch of kids are tearing through private property, destroying gates and fences and rutting footpaths to the point that they are unwalkable. The ruts also hold water, making ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. And then there are the idiots who chase deer and other wildlife. Irresponsible adults are as often to blame as teenagers for the many transgressions of riders.
That said, ATV’s aren’t all bad. In West Virginia, where we also own a log home on 19 acres, ATV’s are permitted on any road that is not a “numbered highway”. That makes zipping down to the neighbors for a cup of coffee as easy as hopping on your machine, which many have parked right outside the front door. But West Virginia has just 75 folks per square mile (6% of NJ) and plenty of families own 100-acre tracts. Riding in a National Forest, however, still results in confiscation of the ATV if caught.
Let’s hope that New Jersey’s new ATV laws put an end to the illegal trespassing that so many riders feel is their inherent right. This is a chance to legitimize their hobby.
- Mountain Man and City Girl
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ http://www.JewellRealEstateAgency.com
Tags: ATV's in New Jersey, Cape May County blog, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, political blog
Posted in Lifestyle, Politics | 4 Comments »
Sunday, January 17th, 2010
The debate rages on in America. To have or have not? Health care, that is.
On the surface, affordable health care for everyone seems like a good idea. But then again, so does communism. But implementing an ideal is another thing. Man’s inherent greed, competitive nature, and downright incompetence can turn the most well-intentioned plan into a complete boondoggle. I could have used much stronger language than “boondoggle”.
There is one showstopping point to President Obama’s universal health care plan that most everyone seems to have overlooked. It’s NOT health care, it’s disease treatment. Think about it.
If the government - and society in general - really cared about people’s health, they’d tackle the nutrition situation. Proper nutrition prevents the majority of illnesses. That’s the heart of all our health problems. Eat right and the body will help heal itself. The body is an efficient machine if it gets the right nutrients. Just like your car running on 87 octane fuel. Try running it on 65 octane and see what happens.
So a true health care plan would include education on nutrition. While most Americans will guffaw at this suggestion, we need to all become vegetarians. Ingesting animal products and processed sugars is like, well, putting sugar in your car’s gas tank. It sputters and dies.
But enough on that subject. Let’s get back to this “disease treatment” reform bill.
The House of Representatives passed their version of the bill on November 7 by a narrow margin of 220-215. On December 24, the Senate passed their version of the bill 60-39. The one missing vote was that of the late Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts.
Since the two arms of government passed different versions of the bill, it will have to be reconciled and voted on again by both houses. If Republican Scott Brown gets elected in Tuesday’s special Senatorial election in Massachusetts, the Senate vote will no doubt end up 60 to 40 and the bill will die. If Democrat Martha Coakley wins, the Senate will most likely still favor the bill.
As things currently stand, no health reform will result in 54 million uninsured Americans by 2019. But the House bill would still leave 17 million uninsured by 2019 and the Senate bill 23 million. The 10 year cost is touted as $1.05 trillion for the House version and $871 billion for the Senate’s. It’s the struggling middle, upper middle, and upper classes that will be footing the bill. This recession has hurt them, too.
The major sticking point for most Americans is that coverage will be mandatory. Not getting insurance coverage will result in some sort of fines or penalty tax. That’s outrageous!
Another taint is that in order for the Senate to get the necessary vote of Democrat Ben Nelson, a former insurance industry lawyer and consultant, they granted the state of Nebraska $100 million over 10 years to cover expansion costs of Medicare. The main beneficary: insurance companies writing policies in Nebraska. There were other abuses, trade-offs, and compromises in both house’s bills.
So we’ve gone full circle. Back to greed and incompetence. Is affordable health care a good thing? Yes. Can we trust the government to oversee it? Not hardly.
Back to the drawing board.
- Mountain Man and City Girl
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
The blogsite of Jewell Real Estate Agency, Wildwood Crest, NJ
Tags: affordable health care, health care reform, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, political blog
Posted in Lifestyle, Politics | 1 Comment »
Sunday, January 17th, 2010
The death of US Senator Ted Kennedy last August 29 marked the end of a long political career. The Massachusetts Democrat was first elected in 1962 and it was his first of nine consecutive election victories. He served in the US Senate for 46 years, giving him the fourth longest service in Senate history. It was the only elected position he ever held.
Once upon a time, after the assassinations of brothers John (1962) and Robert (1968), it seemed logical and highly possible that young Teddy would one day became President of the United States. But the Chappaquiddick incident in July, 1969 derailed any aspirations for being Commander in Chief. Who can ever forget photos of that car sitting in the water?
Tuesday is election day in Massachusetts, when voters will decide between Democrat Martha Coakley, the state’s attorney general, and Republican Scott Brown, a relatively unknown state senator. Coakley, who at one point held a 15% advantage in the polls, has seen her lead shrink to 4%. With a margin of error of 4%, it’s just about a toss up. Undecided Independents will no doubt decide this election.
President Barack Obama made a quick change in plans and will campaign for Coakley today in Massachusetts, a typically Democrat state. On Friday, former President Bill Clinton campaigned for Coakley in Massachusetts, while New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was stumping for Brown.
So why do all these heavy hitters care so much about Ted Kennedy’s old seat? Health care.
If Coakley wins, Obama will presumably still have the 60 Senate votes needed to approve a health care reform bill. If Brown wins, the opposition gets its decisive 40th vote to shoot down any health care bill put up to a Senate vote.
How does a Republican even have a chance in the staunchly Democratic Massachusetts? Obama.
When Obama was elected and took office last January, he was supposed to be an agent of change. But now many who supported his election are disappointed and disenchanted with his presidency. Independents, especially, are leaving his camp. There is an anti-incumbent, anti-establishment undercurrent amongst the masses. This could well work to Brown’s advantage in the Massachusetts election. But is it enough to derail Coakley?
Whoever wins, they certainly have a big pair of shoes to fill.
- Mountain Man and City Girl
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: Jewell Real Estate Agency, Martha Coakley, Massachusetts Democrat, Massachusetts election 2010, Mountain Man and City Girl, opinion, political blog, Scott Brown, Ted Kennedy
Posted in Politics | 2 Comments »
Saturday, January 16th, 2010
It’s the Hatfields and the McCoys, the Blue and the Gray, the Union and the Confederacy. Whatever label you attach, it is an all-out war in West Wildwood, pitting neighbors against neighbors, one political faction against the other.
The war has taken the form of employee suspensions, court ordered re-instatements, lawsuits, and even an upcoming mayoral recall election. It’s Peyton Place by-the-Bay.
There have been undercurrents of one side versus the other for a long time, but the war intensified in May, 2008 with the election of a new set of three city commissioners – Mayor Herb Frederick, Gerard McNamara, and Scott Golden. The power had been transferred from the Hatfields to the McCoys. The muskets and long rifles are loaded and ready.
The new mayor is a political rival of former mayor Chris Fox, who chose to retire from public life and not run in the election. Along with his personable brother Alan Fox, the longtime police chief, the two Fox’s were visible leaders of the little borough of 400-something yearround residents for over a decade.
Amongst the goings-on recently have been the firing of the city clerk – an ally of Fox – by Frederick. A judge ordered her back on the job. Frederick then suspended police lieutenant Jackie Ferentz, another Fox ally, in March, 2009. He accused her of a number of violations, amongst those performing duties only allowed by the chief. But documentation alleges that Chief Alan Fox, who has suffered with illness for over a decade, appointed Ferentz as acting police chief before he retired.
Ferentz countered by suing Frederick for interfering with her ability to do her duties as chief. She also joined with two other West Wildwood residents to successfully get enough petition signatures to force a recall election of Frederick. You guessed it. Frederick has filed a lawsuit to stop the February 23rd election.
And so life goes on in the sleepy little fishing town on the backbay. Stay tuned. We’ll have more stories of strife from the frontlines in the future.
- Mountain Man and City Girl
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, political blog, West Wildwood, West Wildwood blog, West Wildwood politics
Posted in Politics, Real Estate | No Comments »
Saturday, January 9th, 2010
As Easterners, many of the problems of public lands in the West go right over our heads. I guess it’s a NIMBY thing. You know, Not In My Back Yard. Since the issue isn’t in our backyard, we give it little thought. We should.
The federal government, especially the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), institutes policies that are decimating the herds of wild horses and burros in the West. Since 1971, the BLM has “removed” 270,000 wild horses and burros from federal lands and taken away 20 million acres of their range. That leaves just 37,000 animals remaining, but another 12,000 are slated to be “removed” in 2010. The preferred way of rounding up these majestic beasts is to chase them with helicopters – freaking them out in the process and separating mothers from offspring.
Bison are another victim of government interference, this time mainly the State of Montana is the culprit. There is a well-spread myth that the Yellowstone bison – if they wander out of the National Park – will spread brucellosis to cattle. The problem with that argument is that there has never been a documented case of that happening. Never. And the cattle in surrounding areas are all vaccinated against brucellosis anyway. That still hasn’t stopped State of Montana-hired riflemen from slaughtering 6,631 Yellowstone bison since the winter of 1985-’86, including 1,616 in ‘07-’08.
So what is really behind all this genocide of certain species? You guessed it – Western ranchers and the cattle industry.
There are 31,000 ranchers in the West who are utilizing 260 million acres of federal land (yes, you and I own it) to graze their cattle. And they pay a pittance for the opportunity. The cost is just $1.92 per Animal Unit Month (AUM). An AUM is defined as a cow and calf or 5 sheep or a horse. In other words, a cattleman pays $23.04 per year to graze a cow and her growing calf. No wonder it costs $52 million more per year in administrative costs than is collected in fees.
Cattle are not easy on the federal lands. They overgraze the land, leaving behind the undesirable weeds. They trample vegetation and compact the soil, causing erosion and soil loss. They foul streams and wetlands with fecal matter. With the BLM issuing 7.8 million AUM’s a year and the US Forest Service another 6 million AUM’s, you can imagine the impact of nearly 20 million non-native cattle on the environment.
There’s another cost. Each cow produces 600 liters per day of methane. That releases the yearly CO2 equivalent of burning 418 million gallons of gas or 19,263 railroad cars of coal. Yikes!
So what is the bottom line? Western cattlemen feel that it is their right to have nearly exclusive use of federal lands for their benefit. Wild horses and burros and bison be damned. And so the powerful cattlemen lobbyists pressure Western Senators and Congressmen and Governors to make sure that these animals don’t consume feed that they feel is for their cattle. The same mentality leads to the shooting of coyotes, wolves, mountain lions, etc. in the name of protecting their precious cattle.
Something is wrong here!
- Mountain Man and City Girl
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: Animal Unit Month, BLM, BLM cattle, BLM horse, blog, brucellosis, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, nature blog, political blog, US Forest Service cattle, Western cattlemen
Posted in Lifestyle | 1 Comment »
Thursday, December 31st, 2009
I’m not really the type of guy to make New Year’s resolutions. I guess it’s because I’ve pretty much always been in control of my life. Okay, so I always want to lose weight and I guess that is the one resolution that I might think about each December. But it probably has more to do with the overeating I enjoy from Thanksgiving through January 1st and it’s just a coincidence of calendar.
But, what the heck. Let me see if I can’t take a few things that bother me and turn them into New Year’s resolutions.
I vow to pay no attention to the Nostradamus prophecy of the end of the world on December 21, 2012. Give me a break. There’s no way some dude in 1555 could predict the end of civilization. As the stoned-out hippies used to say, “Far out, I see it, too.” Nostradamus will get the attention equal to Y2K, and fail as miserably.
I vow not to mumble under my breath when I see a woman covered in tattoos. Sure, I think it’s degrading, even belittling. But I’ll keep my mouth shut.
I vow not to make fun of religion. So what if it is a continuance of primitive pagan rituals that fly in the face of science. So what if religion has been the basis of wars and murder for many millineum, and still is to this day. I’ll just consider it population control.
I vow not to complain when a bunch of brats are screaming in a store, “I want that!” and the mother exerts no control, no authority. She’s probably dumber than them, anyway.
I vow not to get upset when the driver in front of me turns without signalling. Or hogs the passing lane while going 5 mph under the speed limit. I’ll just keep driving my beat-up truck that subtly says, “I don’t care, I’ll ram you.”
I vow not to get pissed off when I see a dog tied up to a chain out in the pouring rain with no cover, no food, no hope. Maybe the dog was Idi Amin in its last life and deserves it.
I vow not to speak badly about ALL politicians and our corrupt government system. There must be one politician out there with the ethics of Gandhi.
And lastly, I vow to not take seriously any of these stupid New Year’s resolutions. If I can’t bitch and complain and grumble, what do I have to look forward to in 2010?
- Mountain Man
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: blog, humorous blog, Jewell Real Estate Agency, lifestyle blog, New Jersey real estate blog, New Year's resolutions, political blog, resolutions, sarcastic blog
Posted in Humor, Lifestyle | 1 Comment »
Saturday, December 26th, 2009
You probably have seen the 1993 movie Dave, which starred Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver. To refresh your memory, Kline plays Dave Kovic, an unassuming and likable man who heads a “temp” agency in Ohio.
Dave is hired by White House bigwigs as a one-time only stand-in for President Bill Mitchell, who has identical looks. When the President has a paralyzing stroke, the White House chief of staff retains Dave to impersonate the President to keep the political power in his court.
As Dave assumes the role of the President, he increasingly realizes that he can do much good for America and his humor and vitality energizes the country. After Dave and Mrs. Mitchell, played by Weaver, visit a homeless shelter that has a surprising number of kids as clients, Dave is touched. He is soon shocked to learn that the chief of staff removed a $650 million portion of the federal budget that was designated to fund homeless shelters. Mrs. Mitchell, who already hates her husband, is really upset.
Long story short, Dave rolls up his sleeves and really assumes the position of President instead of being a puppet stand-in. He eliminates fluff from the budget in restoring the $650 million homeless shelter funds. Now Mrs. Mitchell realizes that Dave is not her real husband, and together they conspire to change America for the better. Dave announces a plan to “give a job to every American who wants one.”
And that’s why I would like to be Dave for a month or so, just like in the movie. A common man got a chance to make a difference, to cut through the government bureaucracy of patronage and waste. To restore American’s faith in America, to bring common sense and doing what is right back to Washington, DC.
The movie was pure fantasy. But the dream of giving back our country to the everyday person and being led by someone with compassion and common sense is too much to ignore. It’s the way things should be.
Don’t you agree?
- Mountain Man
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: blog, Cape May Court House real estate, Cape May real estate, Diamond Beach, Jewell Real Estate Agency, lifestyle blog, Mountain Man and City Girl, North Wildwood, opinion, political blog, Politics, Real Estate, real estate blog, West Wildwood, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, Wildwood real estate
Posted in Real Estate | No Comments »
Friday, December 25th, 2009
Joining their fellow banking CEO cohorts, the heads of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were approved for $6 million in pay each for 2009. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to refresh your memory, purchase bundles of mortgages to ensure that money is always available to lending institutions which give loans to homebuyers. They are quasi-private companies backed by the federal government.
Fannie CEO Michael Williams and Freddie CEO Ed Haldeman each received $900,000 in salary and another $3.1 million in salary with payments deferred to 2010. That’s $4 million apiece. Each also is eligible for another $2 million in performance incentives. Considering that Fannie and Freddie needed a combined $111 billion, yes billion, in federal bailout money, one wonders exactly what their performance bonus was contingent upon. Perfect attendance? Turning their homework in on time? Spelling their names correctly?
The argument by their cheerleaders is that the former CEO’s of the two companies, who were both fired in September, 2008 when the bailout money was proposed, made a lot more money. The Fannie CEO received $10.2 million in 2008 and the Freddie guy nailed $13.1 million. It practically took an act of Congress to stop them from awarding themselves another combined $24 million in termination pay.
The case for Williams and Haldeman continues that each would command up to $10 million in yearly pay in the private sector. The argument typically concludes with, “No one else would do the job for less money.”
Bullfeathers!
I’ll do the job for one year for a measly $500,000. I’ll move to Washington, DC for one year, rent a condo, and work 365 straight days. A lot of qualified people would do the same thing. And I’ll donate $100,000 of that money to DC soup kitchens for the homeless. That would make my take home pay about $250,000. Not extravagant, but fair!
I really get tired of hearing how top company management and all government workers – federal, state, and municipal – feel justified in making a lot more money than their small business and working stiff counterparts because, “No one else would take this job.” And the benefits they receive, including health insurance and retirement packages, are way beyond reasonable and equitable.
Is anybody mad yet?
- Mountain Man
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: blog, Cape May Court House real estate, Cape May real estate, Diamond Beach, Jersey shore, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, North Wildwood, political blog, real estate blog, realtor, West Wildwood, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, Wildwood real estate
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Thursday, December 24th, 2009
The legendary battles between developers and environmentalists are well documented, but the two aren’t always polar opposites. The Tejon Ranch is a good example of the two marrying and having a happy ending.
Tejon Ranch is the largest private land holding in California, measuring around 270,000 acres, or over 400 square miles. The massive Kern County tract had not been viewed by the public for 140 years. The property is located along the main north-south route on the West Coast, Interstate 5, situated 60 miles north of Los Angeles and 30 miles south of Bakersfield. It is at the confluence of four ecosystems – the Mojave Desert, Sierra Nevada Mountains, Central Valley, and South Coast, so it is a wildlife corridor of magnificent proportions.
Last May, the Tejon Ranch Company penned an agreement with five of the most important environmental groups – including the Sierra Club and Audubon Society – to set aside permanently 90% of the property. So far, 178,000 acres have been established as Open Space or a conservancy, with an option on 62,000 acres more at fair market value.
What the Tejon Ranch gets is the unhindered ability to develop part of the remaining land, which is all located along I-5 at the western edge of the ranch. They already have tenants in parts of the 1,450-acre Tejon Industrial Complex, including IKEA with a 1.7 million square foot warehouse. Oneida and Famous Footwear also call the complex home.
Tejon Mountain Village, which developers hope will eventually contain 23,000 homes and 70,000 people in 18.4 square miles of newly-hatched city, was just approved October 5th by the Kern County Board of Supervisors. There will also be resorts and golf courses, plus hiking and equestrian trails in this “environmentally sensitive mountain resort community”.
Within the preserved portions of Tejon Ranch the bears, bobcats, mountain lions, pronghorn antelope, and more will be able to continue to roam free amongst the many diverse habitats. The Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from the Canadian to Mexican borders, will shift 39 of its miles to the breathtaking Ranch, something previously only dreamed of.
The Tejon Ranch concept, which will create 1,500 additional permanent jobs and 1,600 construction jobs, appears to be a win-win for everyone concerned. Isn’t it great when there is intelligent compromise that both spurs the economy and preserves our precious earth?
- Mountain Man
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: california, california real estate, Cape May Court House real estate, Cape May real estate, developers, Diamond Beach, Jersey shore, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, nature blog, opinion, political blog, Real Estate, real estate blog, realtor, tejon mountain village, tejon ranch, Wildwood real estate
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Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
New Jersey Governor-elect Chris Christie fired a warning shot across the bow of state government this week. The message is refreshing and offers a glimmer of hope that the sinking ship that is New Jersey may be rescued after all.
The state’s director of the Office of Management and Budget, on behalf of Christie’s transition team, sent out a three page memo via email to all state department heads. It warned of three upcoming scenarios: a cut to their operating budgets of either 15%, 20%, or 25% in the upcoming new year.
In a state with an anticipated $8 billion budget shortfall, those cuts in real dollars equal $3.8 billion, $5.1 billion, or $6.4 billion. And departments can’t achieve their cuts by shifting payments on outstanding debt. It has to be tangible cuts to services and labor force. All this means no magic tricks, no slight of hand. Also, cost-of-living (COL) increases will not be automatic.
Department heads have until January 6th to make their initial recommendations for budget cuts. Meanwhile, groups who receive state funding are sweating out the results. Everyone is going to lose something. But it has to be that way.
Congratulations to Governor-elect Christie for not keeping the status quo. To use a quote made famous nearly 60 years ago, “Give ‘em hell, Harry!”
- Mountain Man
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: Cape May Court House real estate, Cape May real estate, Diamond Beach, Jersey shore, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, New Jersey politics, New Jersey property taxes, New Jersey real estate blog, New Jersey taxes, North Wildwood, opinion, political blog, real estate blog, West Wildwood, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, Wildwood real estate
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Thursday, December 17th, 2009
Let’s face it. If the economy is to recover quickly, the bottom line is jobs, jobs, jobs. Put people to work and everything else falls into place.
Businesses, of course, are the key to creating jobs. And two-thirds of jobs are with small and medium size businesses. So to get businesses to hire more employees, the economic climate must be favorable.
New Jersey, unfortunately, ranks last or near the bottom of every business-friendly list generated, based on several factors. New Jersey ranks well in transportation, easy accessibility to large markets, having an available labor pool, and having the third lowest gasoline tax in the nation. That’s the end of the good news.
New Jersey has the second highest individual capital gains tax and sixth highest corporate capital gains tax. Property taxes are amongst the highest in the United States. Wading through the multi-levels of government and environmental bureaucracy adds to the negatives. Why would a business relocate to New Jersey with the high cost of doing business, plus the time delays in getting construction completed due to getting bogged down in permitting?
New Jersey – and newly-elected Governor Chris Christie – need to make some changes to spur business. Tax rates on corporations and small businesses must be reduced. The state will make up the loss in revenue by gaining more businesses, which in the long run makes a more stable tax base.
And as we all know, real estate property taxes must drop dramatically. With six out of every 100 workers in New Jersey actually employed by the state, it’s not hard to figure out where the first cuts should be!
- Mountain Man
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: blog, Cape May, Cape May Court House, Cape May Court House real estate, Cape May real estate, Diamond Beach, Jersey shore, Jewell Real Estate Agency, Middle Township, Mountain Man and City Girl, New Jersey blog, New Jersey politics, New Jersey property taxes, New Jersey real estate, New Jersey real estate blog, New Jersey taxes, North Wildwood, opinion, political blog, real estate blog, Seapointe Village, West Wildwood, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, Wildwood real estate
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2009
With Wells Fargo announcing Monday that it too was repaying its $25 billion in bank bailout money, the final large bank was out from under the scrutiny of the federal government.
This was the backdrop as President Obama spoke for an hour or so to top bankers in an attempt to get the major banks to loosen their purse strings and increase lending. He also implored them to make more loans to small and medium-sized businesses, which have the most potential to create new jobs.
The plea for making more loans available was made to the top brass of US Bancorp, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo, both publicly and in private. Combined, this big seven will soon have paid back about $200 billion of the $453 billion given to banks, automakers, and such. The total stimulus package was $787 billion.
Despite paying back the loans, the President reminded bankers that they have an obligation to the American public, which bailed them out during the financial crisis a year ago.
While Bank of America pledged to increase small business loans $5 billion in 2010 over 2009 levels, and JP Morgan promised last month $4 billion more in 2010, the bankers pointed to the slow economy as reason to be cautious about loaning money.
Until the government and banks can get money into the hands of businesses that will then make jobs and get the money to American families, the economy will sputter. Better times are ahead, but let’s hope Obama can push things along quicker.
- Mountain Man
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: Cape May Court House real estate, Cape May real estate, Jewell Real Estate Agency, political blog, Politics, Real Estate, real estate blog, Wildwood real estate
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2009
Shortly after new Wildwood commissioners Ed Harshaw and Al Brannen were sworn in Monday night to join sitting commissioner Gary DeMarzo, the three picked the new mayor.
Envelope, please.
And the winner is Gary DeMarzo.
Maybe winner isn’t the correct term, considering the tough road ahead. Wildwood is beset by having the highest tax rate in Cape May County, $1.83 per hundred dollars of assessed value. The portion that is directly attributed to Wildwood’s budget is $1.11 per hundred, with the balance the county’s tax levy.
The first act of the new commission was to name attorney Daniel Gallagher of Atlantic City as interim city solicitor. The current solicitor, Wildwood attorney Marcus Karavan, is still under contract to the city so that will have to be ironed out. This appointment of Gallagher is apparently a pay back for being the attorney representing the recall committee.
They next named former Ocean City business administrator Richard Deaney as interim administrator. The house cleaning continued by voting to solicit bids for a new municipal auditor, which is now covered by Ford, Scott, Seidenburg & Kennedy of Ocean City, and new municipal engineer, which is currently handled by Remington Vernick of Wildwood.
DeMarzo kept on as commissioner of revenue and finance, while Brannen became deputy mayor and head of public safety. Harshaw became commissioner of public works. The trio changed the two monthly commissioner meetings to the evening, instead of one being at 3:30pm.
The easy part is over for the new commission. Collecting petition signatures, campaigning for election, and getting out the voters is in the rear view mirror. Ahead lies the pitfalls of a small, mostly seasonal city with a $26.1 million budget and 225 employees.
And May, 2011, just a brief 18 months away, is the next election. The pressure is on this new trio to reduce spending and cut the tax rate, an unenviable job. They will now be in the crosshairs.
They wanted a shot at running the city. Reminds me of the old adage, “Be careful what you wish for.”
- Mountain Man
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: blog, Cape May Court House real estate, Cape May real estate, condo, Diamond Beach, Jewell Real Estate Agency, mountain man, Mountain Man and City Girl, political blog, real estate blog, West Wildwood, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, Wildwood real estate
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Monday, December 14th, 2009
Another major bank – this time Citigroup – is paying back its government bailout money because it doesn’t like the rules that go along with the bucks. The main rule, of course, is limiting the pay of top management.
Citigroup was one of nearly 700 banks that received bailout money nearly a year ago via the Troubled Asset Relief Program. It got $45 billion, with $20 billion to be paid back and the balance of $25 billion secured by a 34 percent ownership transferred to the U.S. The government is expected to sell that $25 billion investment for about $30 billion.
Now that Citigroup is taking their bat and ball and going home, the only major bank still holding government funds is Wells Fargo. If you recall, Bank of America repaid their loan a week ago. Goldman Sachs and Chase, the other noteworthy large institutions, returned their U.S. treasury loans shortly after receiving them upon discovering the government was putting restrictions on executive pay and dividends, while increasing government oversight.
So what’s the moral of this story?
Banks love rules if they are THEIR rules. But if they are the government’s rules, forget about it! And bank executives continue to prove that even though their institutions are still losing money, they will do whatever is necessary to fatten their wallets.
- Mountain Man
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: Cape May Court House real estate, mountain man, Mountain Man and City Girl, political blog, real estate blog, Wildwood real estate
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Friday, December 11th, 2009
Nearly a year into the Obama administration I think Americans can see that the No.1 issue in the nation’s mind – the economy – is still sputtering. Bank bailouts and all that stuff just aren’t working fast enough.
As Mighty Mouse used to say, “Here I come to save the day!” So here’s my simplistic approach to ending the Recession.
The United States of America has the highest bond rating possible – AAA. That rating means that the U.S. is not likely to default on debt. Thanks to the Bretton Woods Accord back in the 1970s, the U.S. dollar is no longer backed by the gold in Fort Knox. The American dollar – of which there are 829 billion – is backed by the government’s ability to generate revenue to pay down it’s debt.
New dollars are issued when the Federal Reserve elects to fund the purchase of debt, which is usually through U.S. Treasury Bonds. Done in excess, this can cause inflation, but bear with me.
The net worth of Americans is currently $53.4 trillion. Prior to the Recession, it was $64.5 trillion. In other words, we’ve lost 17.2% of our worth. By the way, $348 billion of our collective $53.4 trillion is household real estate holdings, i.e. your house.
That’s the background, now my proposal.
Let’s give each American household $10,000 tax free. With 105,480,101 households, that’s $1.05 trillion.
There are 7.7 million businesses in America. Let’s give them each $100,000 tax free. That’s a mere $770 billion.
So add it up and the American government can print and distribute $1.82 trillion. This isn’t money raised by taxes. We’re just gonna print it and give it out. There’s just one stipulation – the money can’t leave the country. It can’t be sent to relatives in Nicaragua or used to hire workers in China. It has to be spent in the 50 states.
Think of the ramifications. The boost to the economy will be incredible. Some people will pay down debt or save their homes, while others will buy TVs, cars, and yes, useless junk. Some might even use some of the money for booze, cigarettes, and methamphetimines, but that can’t be helped.
All this will turn into many of the 7 million people laid off from work since the beginning of the Recession getting gainful employment again. For every dollar currently in circulation, there will now be three dollars. Banks will start lending again and the good times will roll. States will see an increase in sales taxes collected, easing their budget pains.
The nay-sayers will yell that my plan will cause inflation. Sure, it will. But it’ll be manageable, maybe 10% at most and it will be a one-time thing, just like my giveaway windfall. But the trade-off of jobs and reduced personal debt is well worth it. The American economy will have the jump-start it needs.
Some might call my plan crazy. But at least I have a plan.
And I bet you’re smiling and already thinking about how you’d spend your $10,000.
- Mountain Man
http://www.MountainManandCityGirl.com
Tags: blog, Cape May, Cape May Court House, Cape May Court House real estate, Cape May real estate, Diamond Beach, Jersey shore, Jewell Real Estate Agency, lifestyle blog, Middle Township, mountain man, Mountain Man and City Girl, North Wildwood, ocean, political blog, Real Estate, real estate blog, realtor, West Wildwood, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, Wildwood real estate
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