Dear Parents and Friends of Gloucester Catholic:

Your Voice Matters to the Future of Catholic Schools!

Attached please find the first two ACTION ALERTS for the Governor\’s 2020-2021 state budget. The nonpublic school community has two major \”ASKS\” this budget season.

They are:

1. To increase the per pupil allotment for Compensatory Ed (Chapter 192) from $995.00 per service to $1100.00 per service. This allotment has not been increased in over 10 years.

2. To increase the per pupil allotment for transportation/aid in lieu from $1000.00 to $1050.00. Although the increase to $1000 two years ago was a big help, there are still many students not receiving transportation because the bus companies are not bidding on certain routes.

Our task now is to contact Governor Murphy and ask him to include these increases in his budget. There is not a lot of time to do this, because the Governor\’s budget will be released on February 25th, which is a week earlier than usual.

The Diocese has asked that we use the Voter Voice system as directed in the attachments (see links below). We are counting on the entire Catholic school community, not just those who have students in the Comp Ed program or have students who receive bus transportation, to support this effort. The advantage of using the Voter Voice is in the large number of communications it can generate with a very minimal investment of time on the part of the sender.

So once again, the budget process has begun, and we need the cooperation of everyone in the Catholic school community to advocate on behalf of the students in our schools.

Thanks for your timely response to this request!

Ed Beckett

Principal

For Additional Information on How to Help, click on the links below:

Action Alert Nonpublic School Transportation

Action Alert Chapter 192

Letters to the Editor: Luck of NJ Lottery Retailers May Be Running Out

The new Jack pocket lottery app allowing consumers to purchase tickets on their phones isn’t a win for everyone. With the app’s availability, the luck of New Jersey’s lottery retailers may be running out.

The NJ lottery helps almost 7,500 lottery retailers keep their small businesses afloat. Responsible for $189 million in lottery ticket sales commissions for retail chains and many small family-owned businesses across the state, the survival of these retailers is heavily dependent on lottery income. On average, stores receive $25,600 in commissions annually and for many who already running on tight margins, that income means the difference between surviving and closing the business doors.

But all is not lost for these retailers.

A bill allowing draw lottery tickets and scratch off tickets to be paid with a mobile phone, similar to buying coffee at Starbucks, and using a payment method called decoupled debit, was passed and is awaiting implementation. This method debits your checking account when purchasing lottery products at a vending machine or sales counter. Implementing that law would help these retailers by providing consumers with in-store options they don’t currently have while protecting the retailer’s commission and likely bring additional lottery sales to the State.

With regards to the decoupled debit method of payment, this is a technology that has been used safely and repeatedly in the c-store industry for more than 15 years in 30,000 locations nationwide. Leading retailers such as Target, Cumberland Farms, Circle K have embraced its use.

There is an urgent need to help NJ’s small business owners and similarly a solution to their lottery ticket dilemma. It’s a story that deserves attention if these fragile businesses and jobs are to be saved. I hope you are interested in this challenge facing NJ retailers and if you are, I can help connect you with several organizations that represent these business owners. I look forward to hearing from you and thank you in advance of your kind consideration.

Regards,

Shep Doniger

Stealing California from Bernie — again?

by Greg Palast

My dear Californians, I know you filled out that registration form at the DMV. Well, you know what? I’ll bet you that your name is not going to be there because there’s a 45% chance in California when you sign up to register to vote on a piece of paper, your name is never entered on the voter rolls. Guess what? California has one of the worst voting systems in the entire nation.

I checked out my own registration. I took my own advice. I went to the office of the Secretary of State. I typed in “Greg Palast” and it said “no such voter”. So I reregistered online. There’s a simple cure for all this stuff — but you have to know you’ve been purged or never had your name properly entered. Go check and then reregister online. People are afraid to do things online, but in California you get an instant receipt that says you’re now a voter, here’s your voter card on the screen. Take that screenshot. I’m telling everyone to do this because California is just awful.

And we have a March 3rd primary. The California presidential primary’s now been moved up. I saw

what happened to Bernie Sanders

in 2016. People were improperly registered, not registered. There were three quarters of a million, and I want to repeat that,

three quarters of a million ballots

which were cast provisionally or on the wrong ballot, which were thrown out. Alex Padilla, the Secretary of State of California, a little Katherine Harris, he threw out three quarters of a million ballots. They were mostly Bernie voters. We know that from the Roper Poll of the demographic. Bernie Sanders won California in June, 2016, if you counted all the votes…

If you want to vote in the Democratic primary, go online to the Secretary of State’s office. Make sure you’re registered — and make sure you are registered as a Democrat. I’m not saying you should

a Democrat. I’m just saying if you want to vote in the Democratic primary, forget the urban myth that you can vote in the Democratic primary if you’re not registered as a Democrat. Yes, there’s a way to do it. But it’s so difficult and in some cases it’s impossible because the nice lady behind the desk doesn’t know the procedure and could mess it up.

For those who want to know the procedure, it’s really awful. In California, almost everyone gets a mail in ballot. That is, they send you a ballot. Now, if you’re registered, some people call it Independent, but if you’re registered as No Party Preference, which is what they call it in California, if you’re No Party Preference, you’ll get a ballot but it won’t have the presidential candidates. There were literally a million people who were like, where’s Bernie Sanders on the ballot? The answer is, if you’re not registered as a Democrat, you don’t get one of those ballots.

So what do you do? You can mail your No Party Preference ballot, which only has a couple of races cause they can’t give you the partisan races with the NPP ballot, you have to mail it back to the state in time. You have to sign it in the corner where it says, I want this ballot replaced by — and you’ve got to get these words exactly: “Democratic party crossover ballot”. It has to say “crossover” because literally hundreds of thousands of Californians — hundreds of thousands — went in with their No Party Preference ballots, walked into the voting station, said, give me a Democratic party ballot.

Now different things happen, but in many counties, including Los Angeles, a lot of these people behind the desk said, oh yeah, here’s the Democratic party ballot. Well, guess what? That gets disqualified because you are not a Democrat. You have to have a “crossover ballot”. In Los Angeles alone, 66,000 people voted in the Democratic primary in 2016 who are No Party Preference voters, Independents, they got Democratic party ballots and every one of those 66,000 ballots — that’s just LA — was about to be disqualified and thrown out. But you have a fairly good county elections supervisor here, county clerk in Los Angeles, who said, you know what? That’s just throwing away legitimate votes.

But LA is the only place in California that didn’t throw away your votes. If you voted in San Francisco and Berkeley, and you’re a No Party Preference voter and you voted with a Democratic ballot, your ballot did not count. You did not count, unless it specifically said “crossover” at the top…

So to make your life easy, if you want to vote in the Democratic primary, sign up as Democrat. You can change it the next day. And in California, since 2012 — and most people don’t realize this — we have same day registration. So if you do show up and your name is not on the voter rolls, please bring ID with you, a driver’s license, whatever photo ID you can find, anything, including something with your address on it like a cell phone bill. Cause if your name is missing, you can reregister on the actual voting day. Now, they made it very difficult to do that, and it’s still not easy, but they made it easier this time. You can say, well, if I’m not there, I want to register today. But why go through that? Register right now or check your registration right now.

GREG PALAST

is America’s wittiest (and wickedest) muckraker. An award-winning

Guardian

investigative journalist, he is causing crooked election officials all over the country to shiver in their shoes as they wait for a knock on their door from the FBI – thanks to his explosive book and feature film (

“The Best Democracy Money Can Buy”

), which identifies these campaign cockroaches by name and exposes their illicit tampering with the 2016 election.

Letters to the Editor: The State of Our Union Can Start with School Lunch

Tomorrow President Trump will deliver his State of the Union address in front of Congress, outlining his policy priorities and executive vision for the country.

Over the past three years, President Trump has spoken to a domestic agenda focusing on health care, education, farmers and the working class. It’s worth recognizing, however, that his Administration’s proposals have failed to meet, and many times even undermined the health, education, and well-being of our nation’s families and children.

FoodCorps

, we believe that a healthy, prosperous future relies on a strong education system — and that the students that education system serves must be fueled with healthy food. In the last year alone, the President

has sought to dismantle SNAP

(formerly known as food stamps) impacting millions of families’ food budgets, while also jeopardizing school meal access for an estimated one million children, limit healthier options on our kids’ trays, and dissuade immigrant communities from seeking support to feed their families.

As the President prepares to address the nation, amid perhaps the most polarizing moment of his executive tenure, we strongly urge a dialogue — from him and others — that considers our top domestic policy issues as reflections of how we invest in schoolchildren.

For instance:

Role of Food in Children’s Health

: in a political climate that is fueled by debates about health care costs and preventable diet-related diseases, we should channel the old wisdom that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and increase investment in school meals, which ~30 million kids eat every day.

Fighting for Family Farmers

: with continued conversations on how to lift up farmers and rural communities, a clear answer is to connect them with local schools for market development. The

Farm to School Act of 2019

would not only create new revenue streams for local producers, but would help bring more farm-fresh foods into our schools—prioritizing high-need student populations.

Education = Equity

: Children who lack a quality diet are more likely to face a lifetime of challenges: they score lower on tests, miss more days of school, advance less in their careers, and raise children who are likely to repeat the same cycle. Will President Trump lay out a plan to level the playing field so that all kids—regardless of race, place, or class—are well-nourished and ready to thrive at school and beyond?

A Hidden Infrastructure Need

Infrastructure is back in the news.

It’s not just bridges and highways that are falling apart: many school cafeterias haven’t been updated in decades, limiting their capacity to serve meals made from scratch with fresh produce. The

School Food Modernization Act

would provide critical investment in school kitchen equipment to ensure they can effectively and efficiently serve healthy school lunches [link to op-ed].

We believe that a strong State of the Union would include healthy school meals for all children and call on both the White House and Congress to protect and strengthen investments in school meals.

Interested in hearing more on school food policies? We can connect you with FoodCorps Policy Director Kumar Chandran who can speak to current introduced legislation, including the Bills mentioned above, and other policies that would equip school nutrition staff with the best possible tools to serve students on a daily basis.

All the best,

Casey

###

About FoodCorps

Together with communities, FoodCorps connects kids to healthy food in school so that every child—regardless of race, place, or class—gets the nourishment they need to thrive. Our AmeriCorps leaders transform schools into places where all students learn what healthy food is, fall in love with it, and eat it every day. Building on this foundation of direct impact, FoodCorps develops leaders, forges networks, and pursues policy reforms that in time have the potential to improve all of our nation’s 100,000 schools. To learn more about FoodCorps’ work across the country, visit

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Letter of Disappointment To Jersey City Council From Jersey City Educator

January 11, 2020, 8:52 am | in

Franky Maldonado – McNair Educator

JCEA – 1600 Kennedy Blvd.

Jersey City NJ 07305

I am writing this email as a taxpayer, voter, educator, and parent. When Mayor Fulop announced that he was presenting a resolution for a Mayor-Appointed School Board, I immediately thought of Mayor Frank Hague’s consolidation of power in Jersey City from 1917-1947. As Mayor of Jersey City, Mayor Hague created a system of political patronage and cronyism, turning Jersey City into a “Nefarious Political Machine.”

According to a NJ historian, “you couldn’t attain any job in that city unless you had something to offer Hague.” Additionally the historian goes onto to say, “Jersey City politics was so overtly corrupt that even President Franklin Roosevelt funneled [New Deal] funds to Hague for favors and votes.”

This type of top-down city corruption was eventually targeted by the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover, the NJ State Prosecutor’s office, and progressive-minded political reformers who sought to wrestle power away from political machines. After Hague’s tenure, others attempted to mimic the precedent he set; however, most if not all Mayors failed in their attempts to rule “with an Iron Fist.”

Today, in 2020, we have the reincarnation of Mayor Hague in the form of Steven Fulop. There are many differences between these two men, both in terms of upbringing and experiences however, their unsaturated thirst for power are very similar.

Both men have used their power to bend the will of city commissioners and elected council members.

Both men have created intra-city emergencies and crises to strengthen their positions in the eyes of the public.

Both men have manipulated, cajoled, and undermined true reforms by hijacking the democratic process.

Both men have behaved as if they do not have to answer to the taxpayer and voter.

As a matter of opinion, I believe that both men have convinced themselves that they are smarter than the voter, thus taking on a paternalistic approach to politics proclaiming themselves as “Savior” or “Anointed One.” This unchecked hunger for political power is both dangerous and poses a threat to our democracy. Then on Wednesday’s January 8th council meeting, after many people expressed their opinions (resounding no), most of you (with the exception of Mr. Boggiano whom voted NO & Mr. Lavarro whom ABSTAINED) voted to enact his “master plan.”

What do you have to gain from this?

What does the taxpayer gain from this? How will the students benefit from this? Did you do your due diligence in researching how an appointed Board got Jersey City State-Controlled Schools?

Mayor Fulop attempted to exert influence over the schools with Dr. Lyles and Board members that he once upon a time supported. What did they do to the schools? They left them underfunded and understaffed! Now he is asking you for the schools and you hand him the keys with your resounding vote. Jersey City: Make It Yours! Meanwhile, people are being priced out of their homes due to high taxes. Developers are coming in and bulldozing traditional communities in favor of luxurious condos for New Yorkers.

These developers get all sorts of “perks” but the traditional taxpayer gets shafted. Gentrification is suffocating our communities. Invest in what you have here! Stop pandering to the developers and their cronies. Leave our schools alone! We all know once the Mayor gets his hands on the schools he is going to consolidate them (especially in the South Ward) just like the failed Newark One Plan and he is going to give the schools away.

Just look at what Senator Booker did in Newark while he was Mayor.

In closing, what you did cannot be undone. Some of you put your interests above what is best for the taxpayers and our children. Maybe you were naive about what the Mayor was asking. Maybe you were not paying attention because you have a life outside of council chambers and a phone in your hand. If you want to reconcile your position before the community start by opposing the Mayor. Speak out against his power grab and maybe then we will believe in you. I had a dream last night that I was in a dense fog. I was frightened and lost. Then I heard a loud voice calling onto me. I thought it was God. So I searched for the voice in the fog. As I got closer and closer the voice became stronger and louder. The fog began to dissipate as I neared the source. As the fog disappeared I found a mirror, and in the mirror I saw my reflection. It was my conscience reminding me that I am only human and I can make mistakes.

Don’t let this MISTAKE define your tenure and career as a City Councilperson of Jersey City. All the Best for the Year,

Sincerely,

Franky Maldonado

NJBIA Calls for Re-authorization of Tax Incentive Program in Support of Film Credit Expansion Bill

The New Jersey Business & Industry Association testified in support of a bill that extends the film tax credit, while calling for the urgent need to re-authorize a comprehensive tax incentive program.

New Jersey has been without a tax incentive program, a fundamental tool in most states\’ economic development strategies, since July 1.

NJBIA Vice President of Government Affairs Chris Emigholz said that bill S-3842 (Weinberg, D-37; Sarlo, D-36), which was released by the Senate and Budget Appropriations Committee today, could ultimately be included in a broader tax incentive program.

\”It has now been more than half a year that New Jersey has been without a tax incentive program,\” Emigholz said. \”Without this tool, we continue to put future job creation, economic development and prosperity at risk.\”

The film tax credit bill would extend by five years the availability period for tax credits to offset expenses incurred for the production of films and digital media content in New Jersey. Emigholz added that the bill increases the caps for this film credit program without a formal net benefit test in place.

\”NJBIA believes that increasing these caps is a good first step, but caps are unnecessary for tax incentive programs as long as there are strong net benefit tests to protect taxpayer dollars,\” Emigholz said.

\”The goal should be not to cap success, but allow incentive programs shown to be successful through net benefit tests to create as many jobs as possible. We believe the broader tax incentive program should follow that theme wherever possible of greater flexibility with enhanced accountability,\” Emigholz said.

Letters to the Editor: A new DECADE of possibilities

John F. Kennedy once said

“We

choose to go to the moon in this decade!”

So We the People stepped up — and

we went to the moon

Ronald Reagan once said

“Freedom

is never more than one generation away from extinction!”

So We the People stepped up — and

freedom rang throughout our nation

Donald Trump once said

“Let’s

Make America Great Again!”

And once again,

We the People are stepping up

2020 marks the beginning of a new decade of American ingenuity, progress and innovation. As we move forward into the new year together, I hope you will work with me to make 2020 a

Decade for the PEOPLE

That means no more indoctrination of children. Affirming our right to self-defense at the highest levels. Implementing policies that put our nation FIRST and KEEP AMERICA GREAT.

Cory Booker and the Democrats think that 2020 is

their

year — for more cronyism, more deception, more corruption.

Let’s show them how wrong they are.

Happy New Year,

Hirsh V. Singh

For the People

Republican for U.S. Senate

Letters to the Editor: Proud to be a Republican

I\’m Jeff Van Drew. I met with President Trump last week in the Oval Office; and with his blessing and endorsement, I\’m proud to say that I\’m now a member of the Republican Party representing

South Jersey in Congress.

Since my announcement, a ton of folks have asked, \”Why did you leave the Democratic Party?\” My answer is simple: \”

I didn\’t leave the Democrats, the Democrats left me.\”

You see, I\’ve always been for fiscal responsibility and supported things like our right to bear arms. And in today\’s Democratic Party, which is dominated by self-proclaimed socialists, I was ostracized.

When I was told by Nancy Pelosi that I had to vote \”YES\” on impeachment, I knew that was the last straw. It was time to walk away…

Now, I\’m facing a critical end-of-year fundraising deadline. Can I count on your support?

Chip in $100 before the end of 2019>>>

Chip in $75 before the end of 2019>>>

Chip in $50 before the end of 2019>>>

Chip in another amount before the end of 2019>>>

It\’s no secret that my conservative positions have never made the Democrat Party leadership happy — whether it\’s protecting the 2nd Amendment or fighting tax increases or fighting to build the wall (not to mention voting AGAINST Nancy Pelosi for Speaker), I\’ve always been more at home among Republicans than the extreme Democrats.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Jeff Van Drew

Letters to the Editor: Sestak Drops Out of Presidential Race

I want to thank you for the honor of running for President of the United States of America. It has been an endeavor filled with immeasurable wisdom, passions, humor and insights to, and from, the people of America. I have “lived America” … and will cherish every moment, whether a

veteran from a maximum security penitentiary calling to say, “Hey, Joe, the guys have heard you’re running for President, and they want you to know they’re going to organize Philadelphia for you,” or the tears of a transgender youth as she quietly told me she just wants what everybody else wants. I could never pay enough for what I experienced, and the men and women I met.

It’s a marvelous fabric we Americans have woven together throughout the centuries. I know there is a tear in that fabric right now; but it can be repaired by someone who can lead, and therefore unite, all Americans. It’s been done before, beginning with the best, George Washington, as he lay on the ground after battle to sleep in a cloak together with his men even before he was a President who united America.

A moral compass for our great ship of state is the beacon most needed today. And it is for the Captain of State who offers it that all Americans will provide the fair winds and following seas to advance us. That is necessary for us both at home and abroad, to convene the world to advance our policies and commitment to democratic values for our collective good.

Again, thank you for this priceless opportunity as I end our campaign together. Without the privilege of national press, it is unfair to ask others to husband their resolve and to sacrifice resources any longer. I deeply appreciate the support so many of you offered — whether by volunteering, offering financial contributions or coming to our campaign events. I will miss the opportunities I had in experiencing America in such a wonderful way!

With my deepest appreciation, please accept my final note of service to you … Joe Sestak

Letters to the Editor: The Speed Kills Myth is Alive & Well in Pennsylvania

Sadly, the speed kills myth is alive and well in P

ennsylvania

. A real 25-state analysis was done of NHTSA data, which showed that 1.6% of crashes are caused by excessive speed. Barely above zero, then.

Nowhere does anyone ever put into a bill that speed limits must be posted at the 85th percentile free-flowing traffic speed. This is so that the ticket industry can thrive. Set the limits too low, ticket barely above them, get municipal radar and speed cameras, then watch the money flow in.

Since this is

still

not enough, the state now wants more LIDAR and moving radar

ou can expect more crashes, safe drivers cited, and lots of erroneous tickets

with poor policies

he mentioned devices

flopped elsewhere and will here. The state wants money, whether from red-light cameras, speed cameras, stop-arm cameras, or municipal radar. Multiple media outlets stated that after red-light cameras were installed in Philadelphia, crashes went up, yet people still say they went down. Be careful who you listen to with traffic issues.

Maximum safety on roads occurs when we have speed limits posted to the 85th percentile free-flowing traffic speed, yellow traffic lights set to actual approach speeds with realistic perception and reaction times, and stop signs only where needed.

In the meantime, we ignore issues like distracted drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists.

Please contact your state representative, state senator, and the governor to oppose the above in Pennsylvania and demand best-practice engineering. Tickets should also be only points, no fines or surcharges.

James Sikorski Jr.

PA Advocate National Motorists Association