Plastic Bag Ban Bill Up in Senate Budget Tomorrow

S2776 (Smith/Greenstein)

will be up in Senate Budget Committee on Thursday, December 5

. The bill prohibits carryout bags made of plastic film, polystyrene foam food service products, and single-use plastic straws and assesses a fee on paper carryout bags.

“This bill is a major step forward in dealing with plastics and plastic pollution. Plastics are a menace and an existential threat to our drinking water, beaches, and wildlife. Microplastics have already been found near our drinking water supply, so we could literally be drinking plastic. Animals like fish and birds can ingest plastic, and plastic bags have been known to clog storm drains and fill up detention basins, affecting our water quality,”

said Jeff Tittel.

“This bill is important because it will ban single-use plastic bags and polystyrene containers. It also should not allow fake reusable bags. It will also allow paper bags during the transition before phasing them out slowly.”

The bill would prohibit the use of single-use plastic carryout bags in stores and food service businesses, and would ban food service businesses from offering single-use plastic straws. It would also ban the sale of polystyrene and would prohibit food service businesses from selling or providing food packaged in polystyrene containers.

“We need this legislation because it not only bans plastic bags, but also polystyrene and the offering of plastic straws. Polystyrene is dangerous to human health because it contains carcinogenic chemicals such as benzene and styrene, and it has been found in breast milk. It is harmful to the environment because it is not recyclable and does not degrade. Plastic straws pollute our oceans and beaches. Last year, New Jersey found that more than 80% of their trash is plastic and found an increase in plastic straw waste by 59%,”

said Tittel.

“By reducing how much plastic we use, we can also reduce fracking and fossil fuel use. Plastics are made from natural gas, which means more fossil fuel use, more pipelines, and more fracking.”

Plastics have become a bigger and bigger problem that affects our environment. Rutgers scientists found densities of about 28,000 to more than 3 million plastic particles per square kilometer in the Passaic and Raritan River. In New Jersey, towns like Paramus, Bayonne, Hoboken, and Jersey City are all passing plastic bag ban ordinances. The Sea Bright Council passed a strong ban on plastic bags and balloons last night.

“People are fed up with plastic pollution filling up their storm drains and threatening their drinking water. More than 40 towns have started taking action with local plastic bans, isn’t it time for New Jersey’s Legislature to stand up and be as bold as places like Jersey City and Sea Bright? We need this comprehensive statewide ban to more effectively combat our plastic pollution,”

said Jeff Tittel. “

By reducing how much plastic we use, we can also reduce fracking and fossil fuel use. We cannot wait any longer. Our legislature needs to move quickly before our plastic waste problem gets worse.”

McKnight Bill Requires NJ Students to Learn Cursive

(TRENTON) – Elementary schools in New Jersey would be required to teach students how to read and write in cursive under legislation recently introduced by Assemblywoman Angela McKnight.

The bill (

A-6010

) would require elementary school curriculum to include activities and instructional materials to help students become proficient in reading and writing cursive by the end of third grade.

Research

suggests that learning to read and write in cursive benefits the development of cognitive, motor and literacy skills, and may help students with learning disabilities like

dyslexia

read and write with greater ease.

However, since cursive was dropped as a requirement under Common Core standards in 2010, many schools have opted not to include cursive in their curriculum.

“In some cases, children are entering middle school without knowing how to sign their own name in cursive,” said McKnight (D-Hudson). “We are doing our children a disservice by not teaching them a vital skill they will need for the rest of their lives.”

Nearly two dozen states have made efforts to reintroduce cursive in schools, including Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas.

“Our world has indeed become increasingly dependent on technology, but how will our students ever know how to read a scripted font on a word document, or even sign the back of a check, if they never learn to read and write in cursive?” said McKnight. “This bill will ensure every young student in New Jersey will have this valuable skill to carry with them into adulthood.”

The legislation would apply to the first full school year following the date of enactment. It now heads to the Assembly Education Committee for review.

Dec. 5 Pick-6 Drawing Up To $3.8 Million

TRENTON (Dec. 3, 2019)

– The Pick-6 drawing on December 2 produced seven winners of $3,182 for matching five out of six white balls drawn. One of those tickets was purchased with XTRA, multiplying the prize to $6,364. The $3.8 million drawing will be held Thursday, December 5, 2019.

The winning numbers for the Monday, December 2, drawing were: 09, 15, 22, 34, 47 and 49. The XTRA Multiplier was: 02.

By adding XTRA for an additional $1.00 per play, winners are able to multiply their non-jackpot prizes by the XTRA number drawn.

Acting Executive Director James Carey announced that there were 445,532 tickets purchased for the drawing and of those sold, thousands were prizewinners! For correctly matching four numbers, 315 ticketholders won $68 each and 43 others won $136 each with the addition of XTRA. Moreover, for correctly matching three numbers 5,711 ticketholders won $3.00 each and 847 others won $6 each with the addition of XTRA. Lastly 7,124 ticketholders each won $2.00 for correctly matching two numbers with the addition of XTRA on their purchase.

Pennsylvania Included in Eight States with a Budget Deficit

By Dave Fidlin |

The Center Square

With expenses outpacing income, Pennsylvania is one of eight states across the country running a deficit within its government operations, according to a recent analysis.

Gloucestercitynews.net files

In its report, “

A Snapshot of Each State’s Financial Health

,” cost information website

HowMuch.net

examined the amount each state government is spending, compared to the amount coming in through taxes and other sources.

The analysis was based on 2017 figures – the same year the new U.S. tax code was enacted.

According to its analysis, gleaned from such sources as U.S. Census data, researchers concluded Pennsylvania’s state government expenses outpaced its revenues 0.63 percent, resulting in the deficit.

Per-capita expenses in 2017 hit $8,100, while revenue from the year clocked in $8,000, per capita.

Pennsylvania’s greatest expense, per capita, was under the category, “employees, supplies and service payments.” It represented more than half – $4,400 – of the state’s spending, per capita.

On the revenue side, the greatest contributor to Pennsylvania’s revenue, property taxes, made up $3,000 of the $8,000, per capita, of income that is funneled into the state’s operations.

Pennsylvania’s per-capita intake of taxes was above the national average, which hovered around $2,500. Vermont recorded the highest amount of taxes, per-capita, in income, at $5,000. On the low end, Alaska brought in $1,600.

Pennsylvania\’s budgetary practices have come under frequent criticism from the nonprofit Commonwealth Foundation, a free-market-oriented think tank, and from conservative lawmakers who have pushed for the passage of the Taxpayer Protection Act. The legislation would put strict limits on how much the state government can increase expenditures each year based on population growth and inflation.

\”The TPA controls government spending by limiting how quickly it can grow,\” the foundation\’s Tirzah Duren said

in a recent analysis

. \”It keeps spending growth in line with economic growth, freeing up revenues for paying down debt.\”

The

HowMuch.net

analysis comes at a time when deficit spending in the federal government reached a record – to the tune of $23 trillion.

In a statement within the report, author Juan Carlos said the review could play an important role in next year’s presidential election.

“With November 2020 on the horizon, questions about government debt, tax rates and the expansion of social programs will be at the forefront of national conversation,” Carlos wrote in the report.

Depending on a candidate’s platform, Carlos said in the report the outcome of next year’s election could impact states’ debt levels in the road ahead.

Most of Pennsylvania’s neighbors fared better in the How Much analysis. Only one other neighboring state – Delaware – spent more than it took in during the year under review.

Other states with budgetary deficits, according to the report, included Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Kentucky, Vermont and Wyoming.

Nevada led off the states notching the highest surpluses, according to the analysis, with 27.65 percent, followed by Hawaii, Idaho, North Carolina and, at 15.5 percent, New Hampshire.

published here with permission

Code Blue Issued in Newark

Mayor Ras J. Baraka and Department of Health and Community Wellness Director Dr. Mark Wade are activating a “Code Blue” for Monday afternoon, December 2, 2019 through Tuesday afternoon December 3, 2019.

“Code Blue” is called when temperatures reach 25°F or lower without precipitation, 32°F or lower with precipitation, or a wind chill factor of 15° or lower.

‍

“Newark is preparing for snow and cold temperatures early this week,” Dr. Wade said. “We will meet nature’s challenge with the strength and resilience that defines us. I urge our residents to take precautions to keep their homes safe and be safe when they are out and about, and to check on their neighbors, especially the disabled, children, and the elderly.”

‍

In addition, Dr. Wade reminded residents of the hazards of cold weather. “Several layers of warm clothing and protection against moisture and wind are important, even though weather may not seem to threaten cold injury. Gloves and socks should be kept as dry as possible. Insulated boots that do not obstruct circulation are essential in very cold weather. Warm head covering is particularly important, since 30 percent of heat loss is from the head,” he added.

‍

“We are expected to endure temperatures as low as 27°F and residents should take measures to ensure their safety at home and when outside of their home,” said Dr. Wade.

‍

The City is reminding residents that there are emergency shelters operating during the extreme cold weather that have partnered with the City to provide overnight sheltering.

For more information about sheltering services, contact the shelters listed below or the Department of Health and Community Wellness, Division of Social Services at

(973) 877– 9481, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The City offers the following tips on keeping homes safe and coping with extreme cold weather:

· Keep the house heated to a minimum of 68 degrees. The temperatures inside the walls where the pipes are located is substantially colder than the walls themselves. A temperature lower than 68 degrees will not keep the inside walls from freezing.

· Identify the locations for the main water shutoff in your home. Find out how it works in case you have to use it.

· Open hot and cold faucets enough to let them drip slowly. Keeping water moving within the pipes will prevent them from freezing.

· Check on seniors to make sure that they are warm and dry.

· Stay indoors as much as possible.

· Check all windows and doors for drafts. Place plastic if you feel a draft.

· Do not leave space heaters unattended.

· Do not use generators indoors.

· It is illegal to use kerosene heaters indoors.

· Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.

· Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.

· Never use your oven to heat your home.

· Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.

· Take inventory of emergency items.

· Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms monthly.

· Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning by checking and cleaning your furnace and chimney regularly and ensure you have proper ventilation and the exhaust pipe is free of debris.

The City of Newark Housing Code requires all property owners to supply heat from October 1 through May 1 between the hours of 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. at a minimum inside temperature of 68°F, and between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. at a minimum inside temperature of 65°F.

To report no heat or hot water in your apartment, call the Division of Code Enforcement at (973) 733-6471.

Anyone with questions about the City’s heat ordinance or any other Newark municipal policy or program can contact the Newark Non-Emergency Call Center at

(973) 733-4311

, from

8:00 am to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday

$449,119 Jersey Cash 5 Ticket Sold in Bergen County

TRENTON (Dec. 3, 2019)

– One lucky ticket matched all five numbers drawn winning the $449,119 Jersey Cash 5 jackpot from the

Monday, Dec. 2

, drawing. T

he winning numbers were: 03, 15, 20, 35 and 36 and the XTRA number was: 02.

The retailer will receive a bonus check for $2,000 for the winning ticket sold. That ticket was sold at Krauszer’s Food Store, 403 Midland Ave., Garfield in Bergen County.

Acting Executive Director James Carey announced that there were 453,181 tickets purchased for the drawing. By adding XTRA, for an additional $1.00 per play, winners are able to multiply their non-jackpot prizes by the XTRA number drawn. For correctly matching four of the five numbers drawn, 61 ticket holders won $573 each and 17 others won $1,146 each with the addition of XTRA. Moreover, for correctly matching three of the five numbers drawn, 2,600 ticket holders won $16 each and 459 others won $32 each with the addition of XTRA. Lastly 5,733 ticket holders each won $2 for correctly matching two of the five numbers drawn with the addition of XTRA on their purchase.

New Jersey Department of Health Reminds Residents It’s Not Too Late To Vaccinate

National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) is December 1-7, 2019

The New Jersey Department of Health is reminding residents to get their annual flu vaccine as part of National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW). While flu vaccination is recommended before the end of October, NIVW was established to remind people that getting vaccinated can be beneficial through the holiday season and beyond.

“As the holiday season is beginning, increased travel and close family gatherings can create a great opportunity for illnesses to spread,” Acting Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said. “Getting vaccinated now can help protect yourself and your loved ones.”

For millions of people every season, flu means a fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, fatigue and miserable days spent in bed. Millions of people get sick, hundreds of thousands are hospitalized, and thousands to tens of thousands of people die from flu each year.

There is a vaccine that can help reduce the risk of flu and its potentially serious complications. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a yearly flu vaccine to everyone six months of age and older as the first and most important step in protecting against seasonal flu viruses.

Certain people at greater risk for serious complications if they get sick with the flu:

Children younger than 5 years old, but especially children younger than 2 years old

People 65 years of age and older

Pregnant women and women up to 2 weeks after the end of pregnancy

American Indian and Alaskan Natives

People who have medical conditions such as asthma, heart disease, and diabetes

“Flu vaccine also has been shown to save children’s lives, prevent serious events associated with chronic lung disease, diabetes and heart disease, and prevent flu-related hospitalization among adults and older adults,” Persichilli said. “Getting vaccinated isn’t just about keeping you healthy; it’s also about helping to protect others around you who may be vulnerable to becoming very sick, such as infants, older adults, and pregnant women.”

Flu vaccines are safe, effective and offered in many locations including doctor’s offices, clinics, health departments, urgent care centers, and pharmacies. Click

here

for general flu information and to find a flu shot near you.

The Department has two ongoing initiatives to promote flu prevention. The

New Jersey Influenza Honor Roll

recognizes institutions that are striving to promote influenza prevention at their facilities. It is open to four categories of honorees: business, community-based partners, education, and healthcare facilities. In addition, the Department is challenging students at 10 participating colleges and universities to engage in a friendly competition to improve flu vaccination coverage on their campuses through the

New Jersey College & University Challenge

For more information about NIVW, visit the CDC’s website

here

Liberty National Golf Club Millionaire’s Golf Course is Back

NEW JERSEY SIERRA CLUB OPINION

Liberty National Golf club is back and billionaire Paul Fireman is pushing legislators and lobbying to get his ultra-exclusive golf course expansion onto the Caven Point are of Liberty State Park. Just two weeks ago,

A4903 (Mukherji)/ S3357 (Cunningham),

the Liberty State Park Protection Act, aimed at keeping public parkland open to the public and away from private developers, unanimously passed out of the New Jersey Senate Environment and Energy Committee. Developers are working to be exempt from the legislation to build their golf course.

The opening of the new golf course is a great opportunity for locals who are interested in golf to start playing the sport. In case you want to play golf but are unfamiliar with the gear and other basics of the game, you should start with a simple, inexpensive golf club set.

Callaway Strata Review

explains all the reasons why this set is so popular among beginners. It’s generally agreed that it is one of the best golf club sets for beginners.

“Once again, billionaire Paul Fireman is trying to play games with Liberty State Park. He is trying to expand his golf course in Caven’s Point, which is a wilderness area. This time he is pushing to weaken

A4903 (Mukherji),

that protects LSP, and land that belongs to all of us. Fireman is behind the scenes lobbying and campaigning to weaken the law and put a loophole in the bill big enough to fit a bulldozer, or a golf cart through. Liberty National Golf want to cut down trees and fill in wetlands for their wealthy members just to see the skyline. They will also be using an enormous amount of water, pesticides, and herbicides to maintain the course,”

said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

“This land is held in the public trust and belongs to all of us, not just to be for a private club. This billionaire is trying to destroy wilderness and take our public land for millionaires.”

The Caven Point Natural Area of Liberty State Park is a 22-acre peninsula located at the southwestern-most area of the park, accessible by the waterfront walkway. This area is frequently used by birders, and fishermen, and people enjoying nature. Proponents of the golf course proposal argue it is not just a golf \”academy.\” It is a proven youth development program where life-changing opportunities are offered and fulfilled every day. They claim that if the proposed land swap that will allow the creation of The First Tee Learning Links funded by Liberty National is needlessly blocked, thousands of youth in Jersey City each year will be denied these same life-changing opportunities.

“This is the only wild are in an urban part of New Jersey. Filling in wetlands and cutting down forests here would be a reckless act for greed. Last year, Liberty National Golf Club put out a public relations campaign to try to grab public land that belongs to all of us. The youth-golfing program is a puppet show to own Liberty National Park. Liberty National Golf Club is trying to take public land from the families of these kids for their private golf course. These families can’t even afford this golf club because membership is over $300,000 a year,”

said Tittel.

“Children are already in nature programs at Caven’s Point. The golf course would deny those children opportunities to explore the environmental benefits and beauty of Caven’s Point.”

In the NJ Statehouse, legislation to protect Liberty State Park is moving forward. The \”Liberty State Park Protection Act\”,

A4903 (Mukherji),

establishes Liberty State Park Advisory Committee and requirements concerning DEP actions related to Liberty State Park. The bill would prohibit the DEP from considering any proposal to commercialize, develop, or privatize Liberty State Park, except as provided in the bill. The bill would prohibit any concession, conveyance, or lease within the 235-acre natural restoration area in the interior of Liberty State Park, and at Caven Point Peninsula.

“Thousands of people use Caven’s Point for environmental programs and recreational uses such as fishing and bird watching. It is a critical area because it is the buffer between Liberty Golf Course and Caven’s Point. It is in an environmentally sensitive area that needs to be preserved. Legislation like the LSP Protection Act will help prevent harmful privatization proposals to be built at LSP. That is why it is critical for our New Jersey State Legislators to move forward on passing this bill,”

said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

“LSP belongs to all of us and Caven’s Point is an important part of the park. It should be left for people to enjoy. It is not a millionaire’s golf club. We have been fighting for 30 years to protect Liberty State Park from water parks, marinas and we will keep on fighting.”

STUDY: Starting drinking young predicts hospital admission for acute intoxication

Newswise — In studies, younger age at first alcohol use has been associated with later alcohol problems in adult life, including heavy drinking and alcohol use disorder. That is the reason why around the world, as in the Netherlands, a key aim of alcohol policy is to postpone the age at first alcohol use. In a report published in the journal

Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research

, researchers from the Netherlands have investigated whether age of drinking onset is a risk factor for alcohol intoxication among adolescents aged under 18 years.

The study was based on data collected between 2007 and 2017 in the Netherlands for the purpose of monitoring trends in pediatric hospital admissions for acute alcohol intoxication. Data from almost 5000 adolescents admitted for intoxication ─ for whom medical staff had logged additional information including age at first alcohol use ─ were analyzed retrospectively.

Among this group of adolescents, half had had their first alcoholic drink before age 15 years, and half when aged between 15 and 18 years. Those with earlier drinking onset were more often female, lower educated and raised in nontraditional family structures than those who started drinking later. Age at first alcohol use was significantly associated with age at hospitalization for intoxication. For those who started drinking at age 14 or younger, the average age at admission was 14.8 years, compared with 16.0 years for those with later drinking onset. The researchers showed that after adjusting for other factors that could influence the results, a year’s delay in drinking onset was associated with a 6 month increase in age at admission for intoxication.

The results suggest that interventions aimed at postponing first alcohol use could help reduce the risk of early acute intoxication, and provide further support for policies in the Netherlands and elsewhere that aim to delay drinking onset. The risk groups identified for young-onset drinking (girls with lower educational background a from nontraditional family set-up) could also help to target interventions to those most at risk.

Age at First Alcohol Use as a Possible Risk Factor for Adolescent Acute Alcohol Intoxication Hospital Admission in the Netherlands.

L. De Veld, J. Van Hoof, S. Ouwehand, N. Van der Lely (pages xxx).

ACER-19-4053.R1

SEE ORIGINAL STUDY

Powerball Jackpot Rolls to $120,000,000 For Wednesday’s Drawing

TRENTON (Dec. 2, 2019) – The Powerball jackpot has rolled to $120 million! Although no one won the jackpot in the Nov. 30, drawing, 20,183 New Jersey players took home an estimated $122,999 in prizes ranging from $4 to $400, according to Lottery Acting Executive Director James Carey.

The winning numbers for the Saturday, Nov. 30, drawing were: 15, 35, 42, 63 and 68. The Red Power Ball number was 18. The Multiplier number was 04. The Powerball jackpot rolls to $120,000,000 for the next drawing to be held Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 10:59 pm.