Helen M. D’Abbraccio (nee McGhee) of Bellmawr

Helen M. D’Abbraccio (nee McGhee), on December 3, 2019, of Bellmawr. Age 71.

Beloved wife of the late Mario D’Abbraccio. Devoted mother of Wayne MacManiman, Jr. (Catherine) and Elizabeth Colligan. Loving Nana of Caroline, Maura, Briget, Emily and Jessica. Dear sister of Robert McGhee (Patricia), Deborah DiVento (the late Mario), Karen Haralson (Tirrell) and Alfred Hindle (Loretta). Also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Helen was a choir member at Annunciation BVM Church and former choir director at Mary, Mother of the Church.

There will be a visitation from 8:45 to 9:45am Monday morning at St. Joachim Parish, Annunciation BVM Church, 601 W. Browning Rd., Bellmawr, NJ 08031.

Memorial Mass 10am in church.

Interment private.

Family requests in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Helen’s memory to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, ATTN: Donor Services, P.O. Box 650309, Dallas, TX 75266-0309.

HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS CELEBRATE WORLD TRICK SHOT DAY

WITH FIRST-EVER “SKYDIVING TRICK SHOT”

Globetrotter Star Hammer Harrison dunks following 13,000-foot skydive to pull off ultimate trick shot

The world famous

Harlem Globetrotters

, who have made seemingly impossible trick shots part of their everyday repertoire, have once again put their shot-making expertise on center stage today to help celebrate the fourth annual World Trick Shot Day.

In celebration of this year’s World Trick Shot Day, Globetrotter star

Hammer Harrison

successfully completed the highest slam dunk ever attempted, skydiving from 13,000 feet at Skydive Arizona in Eloy, Ariz., before successfully slamming home a dunk just before landing. The shot can be seen here:

World Trick Shot Day was created by the Globetrotters in order to give fans around the world a chance to celebrate what they can do with a basketball, a hoop and some creativity. Three years ago, the Registrar at National Day Calendar officially declared “World Trick Shot Day,” which is celebrated on the first Tuesday of every December.

This is the second straight year Hammer has successfully completed an amazing shot for World Trick Shot Day. Last year, he dunked off the Stratosphere in Las Vegas, a shot of over 850 feet. That shot can be seen here:

World Trick Shot Day was created to not only pay homage to the fun and entertaining aspect of the trick shot, but also to invite and engage with fans from all over the world to get in on the act as well. By using the hashtag, #WorldTrickShotDay, trick shot artists everywhere can share their attempts at one-of-a-kind moves across social media. Additionally, the Globetrotters will reward some of the best submissions with tickets to their 2020 “Pushing the Limits” World Tour.

“We work on trick shots every day, though the skydive trick shot is not one of them,” laughed Harrison, who enters his 11th season with the Globetrotters in 2020. “We practice them because it’s such a thrill for us, and for our fans. Our fans give us such great feedback when we post them. We love getting the chance to see what they can do, too.”

The Globetrotters have made trick shots a staple of their repertoire for much of their 94-year history, beginning with greats such as Goose Tatum, Meadowlark Lemon and Curly Neal, and continuing through with today’s Globetrotter stars, who own 22 current Guinness World Records and just weeks ago set six new marks.

The Globetrotters are currently preparing for 94

year of touring with the 2020 “Pushing the Limits” World Tour, during which the team will play in more than 250 North American markets, as well as more than 30 countries worldwide. Tickets are now available at

harlemglobetrotters.com

The Harlem Globetrotters® are legendary worldwide, synonymous with one-of-a-kind family entertainment and great basketball skills for the past 93 years. Throughout their history, the Original Harlem Globetrotters have showcased their iconic talents in 124 countries and territories on six continents, often breaking down cultural and societal barriers while providing fans with their first-ever basketball experience. Proud inductees of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Globetrotters have entertained hundreds of millions of fans – among them popes, kings, queens, and presidents – over nine thrilling decades. The Ambassadors of Goodwill are sponsored by Baden Sports, the Official Basketball, Champion, the Official Uniform & Apparel provider, Tum-e Yummies, the Official Fruit Flavored Drink, Carnival Cruise Line, Inc., Heelys, and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Harlem Globetrotters International, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Herschend Enterprises, the largest family-owned themed entertainment company in the U.S. For the latest news and information about the Harlem Globetrotters, visit the Globetrotters\’ official Web site:

www.harlemglobetrotters.com

and follow them on Twitter

@Globies

Pastor And President Of Louisiana Religious College Charged With Sexual Assault

NEWARK, N.J. – The president of a bible college will appeared in court on charges he sexually assaulted a student on an international flight bound for Newark, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Cornelius Tilton, 65, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged by complaint with one count of abusive sexual contact after being arrested by FBI agents on Nov. 30, 2019, when the flight, which departed from Tel Aviv, Israel, arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport. He is scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Tilton was sitting in a window seat next to the victim, a 19-year-old male student at a theological seminary who was traveling with a group of students on a religious trip to Israel. Tilton accompanied the group as an unofficial guide and gave speeches.

During the flight, Tilton allegedly placed his hand on the victim’s bare calf. Tilton continued to touch the victim’s thigh, and eventually began rubbing the victim’s genitals over the victim’s shorts. The victim did not react, or look at Tilton, out of shock and fear. Tilton took the victim’s hand and placed it on Tilton’s erect penis, on top of his clothing. The victim got up to go to the bathroom, in hopes of ending the assault. Tilton also went to the bathroom. When the victim and Tilton were back in their seats, Tilton continued to touch the bare skin of the victim’s lower back, underneath the victim’s clothing. Tilton moved his hand around to the front of the victim’s waistline, and attempted to place his hand down the victim’s pants, when the victim blocked Tilton’s hand with his elbow. The victim then got up from the seat and informed a flight attendant about the assault.

The charge of abusive sexual contact carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison or a fine of up to $250,000, or both.

U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Macurdy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.

The charge and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

STUDY: IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH

Depression symptoms rise over time when facing multiple conditions that need different types of self-care, especially among husbands whose conditions differ from their wives’

Newswise — When they said their wedding vows, many of them promised to stand by one another in sickness and in health.

But a new study suggests that as married couples age and develop chronic conditions, the daily demands of coping with their own health demands and those of their spouse may take a mental toll.

Depression symptoms increased over time among married men and women who themselves had two or more chronic conditions that need different types of self-care – such as a special diet and medications for heart disease or diabetes along with pain-reducing therapy for arthritis.

When husbands and wives both had chronic health conditions, and needed different kinds of self-care from their partners, husbands fared worse. Their depression symptoms were significantly higher, but this effect was not found for wives.

The new findings, made by a team from the University of Michigan using data from a long-term study of more than 1,110 older opposite-sex married couples from 2006 to 2014, are published in

Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences.

While less than 10% of the women and less than 7% of the men in the study had levels of depression symptoms serious enough to suggest a need for treatment, lower-level depression is important for older people, clinicians, caregivers and adult children to understand, says Courtney Polenick, Ph.D., who led the study.

In both husbands and wives, the rise of depressive symptoms didn’t begin until a few years after the first assessment of their health and well-being.

“Our results suggest that there’s a window where, if one or both of you are managing complex conditions that don’t have similar self-management goals, it may be possible to intervene and prevent the development or worsening of depression,” says Polenick, who is part of the U-M Department of Psychiatry and Institute for Social Research. “This might be the time for couples, and those who care for them, to emphasize broadly beneficial lifestyle behaviors that help to maintain both mental and physical health.”

For instance, a woman coping with both high blood pressure and arthritis needs to make changes to her exercise routine, but her husband without such conditions could commit to making those changes along with her. Or a wife with diabetes who does most of the cooking and has a husband with prostate cancer could adopt a healthier menu for both of them.

Polenick and her colleagues from U-M’s Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation looked at data from the Health and Retirement Study, which repeatedly interviews and surveys thousands of American adults in their 50s and beyond over time.

They focused on conditions that have similar treatment goals focused on reducing cardiovascular risk — diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and stoke – and those with treatment goals and needs that are different from each of the other conditions– cancer, arthritis and lung disease.

When one person in the couple had at least one condition with different treatment goals and needs, they’re considered to have “discordant” conditions. When one member of a couple had at least one condition that has different treatment goals and needs from the other partner, the couple is considered to have discordant conditions.

“Research has focused on how individuals with multiple conditions, also called multimorbidity, manage their chronic health needs,” says Polenick. “But most people in later life are partnered, with similar health-related habits, and we need to understand how changing health affects the couple dynamic.”

The fact that both wives and husbands experienced significant increases in depressive symptoms as the years passed, when they were coping with discordant conditions in themselves, is by itself important to understand, Polenick notes.

But the fact that wives whose husbands’ health needs differed from their own didn’t experience an even greater rise in depression is a bit surprising, she adds.

Meanwhile, husbands whose conditions had self-care needs that were different from their wives’ conditions did experience an additional rise in depression symptoms.

Among individuals who are baby boomers or older, wives may be more used to taking the lead in caring for the health and emotional well-being of both themselves and their husbands, she says. But when husbands have wives who are coping with different health demands than their own, the husbands may experience less of this support than usual, worsening their stress and mental health.

Polenick and her colleagues continue to explore these intra-couple dynamics, and their consequences for mental and physical health. They also hope to expand the range of chronic health conditions they examine, and to look at shorter timeframes in conditions that can be managed with lifestyle changes.

But in the meantime, she notes that middle-aged and older couples may want to do more now to understand the factors that they can control as they age, and those they cannot, and talk about how they feel as a result.

“This is a reminder to step back and look at what your partner is coping with, to learn about their health conditions, to be conscious of it on a daily basis, and for grown children and clinicians to do the same,” she says. “Having that awareness, and helping one another manage health problems while watching for signs of depression, may help both members of a couple over time.”

In addition to Polenick, the study team includes Kira Birditt, PhD, Angela Turkelson, MS, and Benjamin Bugajski of U-M, and Helen Kales, MD, formerly a professor at U-M and now the chair of psychiatry at the University of California, Davis.

The study was funded by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health (AG057838), as is the Health and Retirement Study.

Bill to Allow College Athletes to Earn Endorsement Compensation Clears Assembly Panel

(TRENTON) –

College athletics bring in profits for higher education institutions, media outlets, sponsors and others, but the players themselves across much of the nation are prohibited from earning a piece of the revenue.

Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Lisa Swain and Chris Tully (both D-Bergen, Passaic) seeks to eliminate this disparity by allowing college athletes to earn compensation for use of their name, image or likeness. The bill (

A-5863

), known as the “New Jersey Fair Play Act,” was approved Thursday by the Assembly

Higher Education Committee.

“Athletes are the faces of the industry. They are the ones out there on the field, putting in the work that will attract spectators and create opportunities for businesses to profit,” said Swain. “It’s only fair that they have the right to earn compensation for their work.”

Under the bill, a four-year institution of higher education would be prohibited from upholding any rule, requirement, standard or other limitation that prevents college athletes from earning compensation from their name, image or likeness. Earning such compensation would not affect the student’s scholarship eligibility.

California recently passed similar legislation, and New Jersey is the 16

state to introduce such a measure. Since California approved its legislation, the National Collegiate Athletic Association announced it would adopt a policy allowing college athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness within the two years. However, critics of the plan say it lacks specifics and may be too restrictive on athletes.

“Every day, student athletes generate massive amounts of value for their schools, leagues, the NCAA, and their for-profit partners. But the group that works and sacrifices the most to generate that value – the student athletes themselves- do not see a single penny,” said Tully. “The New Jersey Fair Play Act finally corrects the fundamental imbalances that have existed in collegiate athletics for far too long.”

A student athlete under the bill would not be allowed to earn compensation in connection with certain products, including adult entertainment, alcohol, casinos, gambling, sports betting, the lottery, video and online game betting, tobacco and electronic smoking products, pharmaceuticals, controlled dangerous substances, and weapons such as firearms and ammunition.

Under the measure, a four-year institution would be prohibited from joining the National Collegiate Athletic Association or any athletic association, conference, or other group or organization with control over intercollegiate athletics that:

prohibits a student athlete from earning compensation as a result of the use of the student’s name, image, or likeness

prohibits an institution of higher education from participating in intercollegiate athletics as a result of the compensation of a student athlete for the use of the student’s name, image, or likeness

provides a prospective student-athlete with compensation in relation to the student-athlete’s name, image, or likeness; or

prevents a New Jersey student participating in intercollegiate athletics from obtaining professional representation in relation to contracts or legal matters including, but not limited to, representation provided by athlete agents or legal representation provided by attorneys

Additionally, a student athlete who enters a contract to earn compensation would be required to disclose the contract to a college official. An institutional team contract would not prevent a collegiate player from using their name, image or likeness for commercial purposes when they are not engaged in official team activities.

The bill would take effect immediately and first be applicable in the fifth academic year following enactment.

Philadelphia Tax Return Preparer Admits to Preparing False Tax Returns

PHILADELPHIA PA–On December 5, 2019, JOSE SANTIAGO (SANTIAGO), 48, of Philadelphia, PA, pled guilty to six counts of preparing false income tax returns.

SANTIAGO owned and operated Santiago Tax Service in Philadelphia, PA. While operating his tax preparation business, SANTIAGO prepared and filed numerous fraudulent tax returns. SANTIAGO inflated his clients’ unreimbursed employee business expensees and charitable donations; causing his clients to receive tax refunds that they were not entitled to. SANTIAGO’S actions caused a loss of approximately $914,635 to the IRS.

“Tax preparers have a duty to their clients to prepare tax returns that comply with the law and are complete and accurate,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Guy Ficco. “Mr. SANTIAGO failed to uphold this duty; instead he blatantly ignored the tax laws by preparing false tax returns.”

SANTIAGO’S sentencing is scheduled for March 19, 2020, before United States District Judge Joshua D. Wolson. SANTIAGO faces a statutory maximum sentence of 18 years in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and restitution in the amount of $914,635.00.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth Schlessinger.

Young Missouri Girl Receives New Liver and Kidney

This Month She Celebrates a Big Birthday a Few Days before Santa’s Arrival

December 4, 2019

—

December is the month when many focus on gifts. For one Missouri transplant family, December is the month to celebrate the ultimate gift —

the gift of life

. This family’s beautiful girl will be celebrating her ninth birthday later this month right before this

family celebrates Christmas. Then on December 31st the Lemires will ring in the New Year by remembering their post-transplant homecoming two years. These December celebrations are made possible by another family, complete strangers, who chose to donate their child’s liver and kidney during the most difficult of circumstances.

Cara and Rich Lemire are no strangers to loss nor to big gifts — especially ones that are life-saving. When they found out in 2010 they were pregnant with a daughter they would name Vivian (which means full of life), they were excited and anxious. Four years earlier, they had lost their first child to Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease (ARPKD). The condition caused their first baby’s kidneys and liver to swell and take up space the lungs needed to grow properly. Cara and Rich were completely unaware of her condition before her birth and they only had two days with their daughter, Renee, before she passed. They allowed themselves time to grieve before considering another pregnancy, but with support from their medical team they decided to try again.

According to Cara, “Once we were pregnant again we were thrilled, but we struggled to let ourselves feel we could ‘get ready’ for her. We had walked this journey before and worried it would lead to the same heartbreaking place. Vivian’s early ultrasounds showed no sign of ARPKD and we felt encouraged about not experiencing a recurrence.”

ARPKD is a rare inherited childhood condition where the development of the kidneys and liver is abnormal. Over time either of these organs may fail. Even though ARPKD is rare, it is one of the most common kidney problems to affect young children. It is estimated that 1 in 20,000 babies is born with ARPKD; both boys and girls are affected equally. The condition often causes serious problems after birth.

At Cara’s 32-week pregnancy check, an ultrasound showed that Baby Vivian’s kidneys were enlarged with cysts and her amniotic fluid was dangerously low. The Lemires were devastated when they were told the baby also had ARPKD. “It was a crushing moment, but we were determined to give Vivian the best chance we could at survival,” Cara said.

When the baby’s heart muscles began to show signs of hypertension, the doctors determined they could not wait any longer and Vivian was delivered a few days before Christmas 2010. The baby’s lungs had some underdevelopment but she was able to breathe with minimal assistance. Vivian’s next challenge was severe hypertension and renal failure with kidneys that were estimated to be the size of adult kidneys in her tiny body.

At two weeks old, Vivian had her first kidney removed and began dialysis 24 hours a day. Four weeks later Vivian had her second kidney removed. The Lemires had to travel 40 minutes from their O’Fallon, Missouri, home to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis four days a week for Vivian’s hemodialysis. Each session was four hours long. Vivian spent 278 days of her first year of life inpatient enduring several surgeries, battling infections and treating complications of her compromised immune system. Vivian’s medical care made it nearly impossible for both Cara and Rich to keep their full-time jobs; therefore, Rich decided to step back from his career to manage Vivian’s medical schedule of appointments, treatments, specialists, back-and-forth commutes and many more of her complicated medical demands.

Cara and Rich knew Vivian would need a dual life-saving transplant (kidney and liver) for long-term survival. At the start of 2012, while in the midst of Vivian’s hemodialysis sessions and appointments, a transplant social worker suggested Cara and Rich reach out to the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) to learn more about fundraising for transplant-related expenses. On January 31

, Cara called COTA’s 800 number and completed COTA’s Patient Agreement the very next day.

COTA uniquely understands that parents who care for a child or young adult before, during and after a life-saving transplant have enough to deal with, so COTA’s model shifts the responsibility for fundraising to a community team of trained volunteers. COTA is a 501(c)3 charity so all contributions to COTA are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law, and COTA funds are available for a lifetime of transplant-related expenses.

On March 8, 2012, a COTA fundraising specialist travelled to the Lemire’s hometown to train the volunteers for the COTA campaign in honor of Vivian L. This group of family members and friends, i.e. COTA Miracle Makers, quickly got to work organizing fundraisers to help with mounting transplant-related expenses. Numerous COTA fundraisers were held and the team surpassed its $60,000 goal in a short amount of time.

When Vivian was 2½, the transplant team at Cardinal Glennon officially listed her for a dual kidney and liver transplant. Cara and Rich were anxious but were excited to continue their family’s transplant journey. However the wait became lengthy and Vivian’s case became more complicated as she grew. Cara and Rich were eventually told by the Cardinal Glennon transplant team they were no longer able to perform the life-saving dual transplant Vivian needed.

“We will never forget the moment our nephrologist, whose guidance we trusted, told us if Vivian were her child, she would take her to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford,” Cara said. Soon after that recommendation, the Lemires flew to Palo Alto, California — more than 2,000 miles away from their Missouri home. Cara says at their very first meeting ‘everything clicked.’ The Lucile Packard transplant team agreed that, when the time came for Vivian’s dual transplant, the Lemire family would need to temporarily relocate to California and start her transplant treatment plan.

In August 2017 after two years of being listed and a near match, the Lemires finally got The Call for both a kidney and liver match for Vivian in California. Cara remembers feeling like their bags were in their hands before they even hung up the phone. It was indeed the call they had been waiting for since the day Vivian was born. On August 9, 2017, Vivian received a kidney and liver transplant and her second chance at life. Cara and Rich received the greatest gift imaginable.

The dual organ transplant went well but required a longer recovery time for Vivian, which meant the family would be in California for an extended period of time. Cara took a leave from her job and the family was able to stay in the Ronald McDonald House very close to Lucile Packard. “With our home and jobs halfway across the country, COTA eased the financial burden and enabled us to be at Vivian’s side during her transplant and lengthy recovery,” they said.

On December 31

, four and a half months after her life-saving dual kidney and liver transplant, Vivian and her parents were able to return home to Missouri. It was indeed a positive way to step into the New Year and their new post-transplant life.

“Even before Vivian was born, we knew a transplant was likely in our family’s future. When it became clear the best outcome of Vivian’s transplant would be achieved at a transplant center more than 2,000 miles away from our home, we also knew we were going to need help to make everything work financially. With home and jobs halfway across the country, COTA eased the financial burden and enabled us to be at Vivian’s side before and after transplant. It is a tremendous gift to know COTA is here for our family now and will be …

for a lifetime

,” said Cara and Rich.

Today Vivian is enrolled in elementary school, which she loves and where she is thriving. She loves dancing, singing and participating in any type of music. Vivian is thrilled to be making new friends at school. This Christmas will likely be full of celebration and joy for the Lemires as they enjoy the holidays in their own home. Vivian is indeed a gift for Cara and Rich who went from wondering when The Call would come to now watching their beautiful daughter enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of the season. They will indeed remember their special donor angel this holiday season as well.

Merry Christmas Lemire Family from your COTA Family!

For more information about the Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA),

or to find a COTA family in your area, please email

kim@cota.org

COTA Kid Vivian Lemire

Kidney and Liver Transplant Recipient

NJBIA 2020 Business Outlook Survey Shows Less Optimism for NJ Economy

Despite a relatively successful 2019, New Jersey businesses are showing a decidedly more concerned outlook and conservative approach for 2020, accordingly to

NJBIA\’s 61st Annual Business Outlook Survey

released today.

Reflecting on 2019, member businesses reported gains in sales, profits and purchases for the year – although at lower rates than in 2018.

Looking ahead, more than half of respondents forecasted a recession in 2020 or 2021. Meanwhile, the outlook for New Jersey\’s economy for the first six months of the new year is the lowest it has been in a decade – when the state and the nation were in the midst of the Great Recession.

\”While New Jersey businesses continue to have solid returns, there is no question they are feeling the weight of increased costs and mandates,\” said NJBIA President and CEO Michele Siekerka.

\”We can ascertain from these responses that New Jersey\’s challenging business climate, coupled with the many forecasts of an economic slowdown, are giving our business owners pause for what\’s ahead.\”

Among the key findings in NJBIA\’s 2020 Business Outlook Survey:

Only 12% reported the New Jersey economy will fare better in the first six months of 2020 than in 2019, while 40% said it will be worse. The -28% net outlook for the state\’s economy is the lowest since 2009.

For the U.S. economy, 32% forecasted a better first six months of 2020, compared to 25% who reported it will be worse. The +7% net difference marks a steep decline from the very positive outlooks for 2019 (49%) and 2018 (46%).

A combined 56% of respondents forecasted a recession in 2020 or 2021.

Those forecasting an economic slowdown have plans to address it: 62% said they will reduce operational costs, 50% plan to grow their customer base, 35% will postpone hiring and 32% will stall raises.

Only 14% said they would open another location in New Jersey, while 30% said they would choose to expand in another state, with the balance having no plans for expansion at all.

As a location for new or expanded facilities, New Jersey was listed as very good or good by 21% of respondents, while 41% described it as fair and 38% ranked it as poor.

\”New Jersey\’s affordability and regional competitiveness continue to be challenged,\” Siekerka added. \”While our greatest assets like our schools and workforce continue to rank high, the factors driving our ability to afford those assets continue to be even more expensive and of greater concern year over year.

\”This is why NJBIA continues to call for a reform agenda in order to get these outlier costs under control, especially right now with concerns of a recession on the horizon.\”

New Jersey\’s Competitiveness

On the positive side, New Jersey\’s greatest assets continue to shine. Education continued to receive high marks with 49% rating the quality of public schools in New Jersey better than other states – a 5% jump from last year.

Quality of workforce (with 29% saying its better) and ranking New Jersey as a better place to live (24%) are both up slightly from last year. Another 22% say New Jersey is better than other states at protecting the environment – the same number as last year.

But New Jersey\’s rankings continue to tumble when it comes to the costs, making New Jersey even more of an outlier than just last year.

For example, 89% reported the Garden State worse than other states for taxes and fees. Other cost areas of high concern are controlling government spending (79%), attracting new business (68%), controlling healthcare costs (67%), controlling labor costs (65%), the cost of regulatory compliance (62%), and attitude toward business (60%).

In each of these areas, the rankings were lower than last year\’s – and in some cases, by a considerable margin.

Employment

A combined 27% said employment in their company increased in 2019, compared to 10% who reported a decrease in employment. That\’s a net positive of +17%, which is slightly down following last year\’s +19% net positive in employment.

While the hiring outlook for individual companies appears positive, it lags considerably from 2019. A total of 30% expect to increase employment either substantially or moderately in 2020, compared to 9% who anticipate a moderate or substantial decrease in employment. However, the +21% net positive is lower than the +32% net positive outlook in employment from a year ago.

Sales

Year-over-year actual sales for member businesses remained consistent. In 2019, 54% said sales had increased by varying percentages, compared to 18% that reported fewer sales. That +36% differential is the same net positive disclosed by member businesses in 2018.

Looking ahead, the overall prediction is that sales will slow. While a total of 54% anticipate increased sales in 2020, 14% foresee lower sales. The +40% net positive outlook is a marked decline from the outlooks of 2019 (+53%) and 2018 (+49%).

Profits

Net earnings were strong for member companies with 48% reporting profits for the year, compared to 23% recording a loss. The net positive of +25% this year is consistent with the +26% showing by businesses in 2018, and a sizable increase from 2017 (+18%) and 2016 (+3%).

A total of 49% predict profits in 2020, while 17% envision a loss. The net positive of 32% is a sizable drop from the forecasts for 2019 (46%) and 2018 (43%).

Purchases and Prices

Price increases by businesses, perhaps compensating for costs of new workplace mandates, continue to be a trend. One percent of respondents said they substantially increased prices of their primary products and services, while another 48% said they had moderate increases. Only 3% said they decreased prices moderately or substantially.

That +46% change is a sharp increase from 2018 (+38%) and 2017 (+29%).

Members maintain optimism about their future purchasing plans, with 43% expecting to increase the dollar value of their purchases in 2020 and 15% anticipating a decline. This net positive of +28% is down slightly from 2019 projections (+32%) and even more so than 2018 forecasts (+39%).

Wages

In 2019, 77% of member companies gave pay increases – a typical number for this survey. The average increase was 2.9%. A combined total of 16% gave an average raise of 5% or more, while 33% of respondents doled out increases between 3% and 4.9%.

For planned pay raises in 2020, 34% plan to provide a bump between 1% and 2.9%. Only 12% plan on giving raises of 5% or more in 2020 – compared to the 16% who gave raises in the same range in 2019.

Minimum Wage and Cannabis

Looking ahead to Year Two of the five-year phase-in of the $15 minimum wage, 51% expect it to impact their business. Of those respondents, 32% say they will raise prices, 21% will reduce staff, 15% will reduce benefits and 13% will look toward automation.

When asked if they felt the potential legalization of recreational cannabis would be good for the state economy, 44% of respondents said yes and 56% said no.

More than two-third (67%) of business owners said they had concerns about legalized recreational cannabis. Of those respondents, 84% said their considerations revolved around safety in the workplace and 75% said workforce productivity was a concern. Chronic absenteeism (45%) and proximity to dispensaries (17%) were also noted.

About the Survey

Questions for NJBIA\’s 61st Annual Business Outlook Survey were sent to member business owners in September 2019. The report is based on 878 valid responses. Most respondents were small businesses, with 61% employing fewer than 24 employees.

Pennsylvania AG and other Attorney Generals File Amicus Brief in Transgender Discrimination Case

December 2, 2019 | Topic:

Rights

Press Release

HARRISBURG PENNSYLVANIA – Attorney General Josh Shapiro and a coalition of 22 other Attorneys General are standing up for transgender rights by filing an

amicus brief

supporting an anti-discrimination lawsuit against the Gloucester County School Board in Virginia.

Gavin Grimm, a former student at Gloucester High School, sued the local school board in 2015 — when he was still a student — for discrimination that banned him from using the common male restrooms at his high school. The coalition filed an amicus brief in the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in support of Grimm in the case of

Gavin Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board.

“Discrimination for any reason is an offensive way to treat another human being, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General is lending its voice and legal might to this important case to make sure transgender people have the right to basic human services,” Attorney General Josh Shapiro said, who noted there are an estimated 44,000 Pennsylvanians who are transgender.

In a 2015 U.S. Transgender Amicus Brief of Pennsylvania residents, 77 percent of those who were perceived as transgender at some point between kindergarten and 12

grade said they experienced verbal harassment, being prohibited from dressing according to their gender identity, were disciplined more harshly than others, or were physically or sexually assaulted because people thought they were transgender.

Twelve percent of the Pennsylvania respondents faced such severe mistreatment as a transgender person that they left a K–12 school.

Grimm not only sued to challenge the Gloucester County School Board’s policy of banning him from using the common male restrooms at his high school, but also the board’s refusal to update his educational records to correspond with his updated birth certificate that reflects his male gender. The federal district court in Virginia ruled in Grimm’s favor in August 2019, finding that the school board’s actions discriminated against Grimm on the basis of his sex in violation of Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

The coalition of attorneys general — led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson — argue, first and foremost, that transgender individuals have the right “to live with dignity, be free from discrimination, and have equal access to education, employment, housing, public accommodations, and other necessities of life.”

They also argue that policies that prevent transgender individuals from using gender-segregated facilities consistent with their gender identity cause stigma, isolation, and exclusion. The brief highlights how policies that allow students and members of the public to use gender-segregated facilities consistent with their gender identity promote safe and inclusive communities, workplaces, and schools, and benefit the people of the states without harming personal privacy or safety interests, or without incurring any substantial costs.

Finally, the brief highlights that the school board’s restroom policy preventing transgender people from using common restrooms consistent with their gender identity and its refusal to update Grimm’s school records do nothing to further legitimate governmental interests and only serve to stigmatize transgender persons in violation of the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause.

Nearly 1.5 million people in the United States — including approximately 150,000 teenagers — currently identify as transgender.

AG Shapiro joins the Attorneys General of New York, Washington, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and the District of Columbia in filing the brief.

Officer Down: Master-at-Arms Oscar J. Temores

Master-at-Arms Oscar J. Temores

United States Navy Security Forces, U.S. Government

End of Watch

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Virginia Beach, Virginia-

-Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Oscar Temores was killed when his patrol car was intentionally struck by a vehicle that had run the

gate at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

The vehicle entered Fort Story at Gate 8 on Atlantic Avenue by driving the wrong way in the outbound lanes at a high rate of speed at 7:35 pm. Personnel at the gate immediately requested assistance and MA3 Temores began to respond to the scene. The civilian driver of the vehicle intentionally struck MA3 Temores’ patrol car head-on responded to locate the vehicle.

MA3 Temores was transported to Virginia Beach General Hospital where he died a short time later. The subject, who was also injured, was taken into custody. His motive for entering the base is under investigation.

MA3 Temores had served with the U.S. Navy Security Forces for only 10 months. He is survived by his wife and 2-year-old son.

Via

Officer Down Memorial page

CNB Crime

Blue Line

CNBNews Tips and Snippets

CNBNews Point of View

BREAKING NEWS

published Gloucestercitynews.net | Dec. 4, 2019