Camden County Progressive Groups Picket Norcross Rally held at CC College

Blackwood, NJ February 29, 2020–A coalition of progressive groups picketed the Norcross Rally luncheon today, calling for state leaders to demand changes to New Jersey’s electoral structures, ethics reforms and real progressive change. The luncheon, which is a fundraiser for Congressional incumbent Rep Donald Norcross, brought together unelected power broker George Norcross, his brother the Congressman Donald Norcross, Governor Phil Murphy and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. It cost $2800 per person to attend the event on the Camden County Community College campus.

“For the price of one lunch with the Norcross Brothers here at Camden County Community College, you could almost attend an entire year of full time study. Are you kidding me?” Said

Susan Druckenbrod, of South Jersey Women for Progressive Change

“Representative Norcross is attempting to steal the progressive label, but is anything but progressive on a number of key issues. He is bad on the environment- he takes money from Covanta, one of the worst examples of environmental injustice in our country today. He aligns himself with anti-environmental organizations criticized by Greenpeace and other progressive groups. Norcross has a record of not supporting public education in favor of school privatization, and he is also the recipient of tens of thousands of dollars in defense contractors.” Noted

Kate Delany, President of the South Jersey Progressive Democrats.

“Unlike Bernie Sanders whose small dollar donors make up over 50% of his campaign funds, a tiny 1.75% of Norcross’ donors are small dollar; he is a favorite of corporate interests. Norcross is in Congress in a deep blue district, because his brother is the most powerful man in NJ, not because he is some kind of progressive hero. Why would Nancy Pelosi come here of all places, for a fundraiser? What about the swing districts?”

“Donald Norcross pretends to be the candidate for the common man, but these high dollar donations are out of reach for most people. Instead of small donors supporting him, Rep Norcross is influenced by big money donors, and that is out of step with this progressive district.” Said

Gary Samuels, Camden City resident and community organizer.

“Donald and George Norcross are two sides of the same coin. It’s a good cop/ bad cop routine. George pulls the strings and Donald executes the plan. The Economic Opportunity Act, which awarded over a billion dollars to Norcross connected companies is the clearest example of this.” Said

Crystal Evans, a resident and community organizer in Gloucester Township. “

We are frustrated that otherwise good Democratic leadership is hobnobbing with someone who is likely under FBI criminal investigation and his brother who has followed his marching orders. The national conversation is highlighting how we need change in political leadership- and that starts here in the Democratic Party, the party we are part of, the party we believe in, and the party we love and would love to improve.”

“Speaker Pelosi has successfully called out Donald Trump for the same behavior— from speaking poorly about immigrants, to using public government for personal and private gain. Why won’t she do the same for the Norcross family? George has spoken about immigrants in a racist way; he leverages his political power to gain public contracts. Pelosi has stood up to Trump’s undermining of national elections, and here in NJ, George Norcross is an unelected power broker who uses his muscle to put the thumb on the scale of our elections in the form of the Line and other mechanisms.” Said

Chris Emrich, Elections Director of South Jersey Progressive Democrats.

*HELP WANTED: WINSLOW TOWNSHIP LABORER 1 POSITION PUBLIC WORKS

WINSLOW TOWNSHIP, seeks one full time Laborer’s in the Public Works Department. Under supervision must perform varied types of manual and unskilled laboring work, handle property maintenance, grass cutting and cleanup. Must be a resident of Winslow Township. Must possess a driver’s license valid in New Jersey. Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) is preferred or must be obtained within 1 year of date of hire.

Gloucestercitynews.net graphic files

Employment contingent upon completion of a satisfactory background check. Salary: $18.35 per hour, 40-hour work week, Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Benefits available with position. There will be a 90-day working test period. Winslow Township is an equal opportunity employer. Send application to Personnel Office, Township of Winslow, 125 South Route 73, Braddock, NJ 08037-9422, or email

personnel@winslowtownship.com

. Applications can be downloaded at

www.winslowtownship.com

under forms and documents/employment application.

Deadline for submitting applications will be March 13, 2020.

Address/Location

Township of Winslow

125 South Route 73

Hammonton, NJ 08037

Contact

Emergency: 9-1-1

Non-emergencies: 609-567-0700

Davida Jacobe-Hart

Administration

djacobehart@winslowtownship.com

609-567-0700

Shenandoah Adams Sr., Arrested For Mortgage Fraud/Defrauding The Orange Library

NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man was arrested today by federal agents on charges of mortgage fraud and scheming to defraud the Orange Public Library, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Shenandoah Adams Sr., a/k/a “Shane Adams Sr.,” 54, of New Providence, New Jersey, is charged by indictment with six counts of wire fraud and two counts of making false statements in connection with a mortgage loan. He is scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court.

According to the indictment:

Adams was a principal of Adams Property Management and Investment Group Limited Liability Company (Adams Property Management), which purchased property on Hilton Street in East Orange, New Jersey, in 2014. The following year, Adams arranged for a close associate (Individual 1) to obtain a $153,562 loan from a mortgage lender to purchase the Hilton Street property from Adams Property Management. Adams knew that Individual 1 did not have the money to pay the balance of the purchase price of $225,000. At the closing on March 25, 2015, Adams directed Individual 1 to issue a fraudulent check in the amount of $90,280.47 (the balance of the purchase price) to give the false impression that Individual 1 had paid the closing balance. Adams reassured Individual 1 that Adams would not negotiate the check. Adams signed a settlement statement, falsely certifying that Individual 1 paid the closing balance and that the settlement statement was a true and accurate statement of all receipts and disbursements made in connection with the sale of the Hilton Street property, when Adams knew that Individual 1’s check was fraudulent. Adams used Individual 1’s loan proceeds to pay off Adams Property Management’s $100,000 mortgage loan to purchase the Hilton Street Property and to obtain a $26,335.30 check for Adams Property Management.

Although Adams reassured Individual 1 that Adams would fund Individual 1’s mortgage payments, by May 2016 Individual 1’s mortgage payments on the Hilton Street property were substantially in arrears. Adams arranged for Individual 1 to sell the property to another associate for a price of $255,000. The closing on that sale commenced on May 31, 2016; the total amount to pay off Individual 1’s mortgage was $210,565.34. On June 1, 2016, Adams and Individual 1 had a telephone conversation with an out-of-state representative of the mortgage servicer for Individual 1’s lender, during which Adams made false and fraudulent statements to induce the lender to reduce the payoff amount. The lender agreed to reduce Individual 1’s payoff amount to $190,000. At Adams’s direction, Individual 1 cashed the check for the amount of the reduction, $20,665.34, and delivered the cash proceeds to Adams.

Adams also was a principal of VH Electrical and Plumbing Limited Liability Company (VH). On March 11, 2015, Adams, on behalf of VH, entered into a contract with the Orange Public Library to replace the library’s HVAC/Chiller unit for a price of $49,000. The project was funded by a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant to the library and Orange.

Before getting the contract with the library, Adams sent the library’s executive director, Timur Davis, two fake quotes purportedly from two vendors to give the false impression that VH would replace the library’s chiller for less than those other vendors. After VH had been hired, Adams sent Davis records to give the false impression that Adams was taking steps to order a replacement chiller. Adams received $40,000 from the library, but did not replace the chiller. Davis pleaded guilty on Feb.13, 2020 to making false statements to HUD in connection with the project.

The charges of wire fraud carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine. The charges of making false statements in connection with a mortgage application carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum potential fine of $1 million.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark; special agents of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christina Scaringi; and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge John R. Tafur, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J Imbert and Cari Fais of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Defense counsel: TBD

Real Estate Ponzi Scheme

Rhode Island Woman’s Fraud Preyed on Friends and Neighbors

Monique Brady\’s house in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Prosecutors said fraud proceeds paid for the home\’s $9,400 per month mortgage, with a total of $342,243 in mortgage payments made during the scheme.

A Rhode Island woman who preyed on the trust of friends, family, and neighbors in a dubious investment scheme—one that gilded her reputation and lifestyle while fleecing her victims of $4.8 million—was sentenced this month to eight years in prison. She was also ordered to pay back her victims.

Monique Brady pleaded guilty last July in federal court to running a fraud scheme prosecutors have described as “reprehensible,” “insidious,” and “depraved.” Brady, 45, of East Greenwich, claimed her property preservation company, MNB, had contracts to rehabilitate New England properties. She said she needed investments of $20,000 to $80,000 to pay subcontractors to perform the work. In return, investors were promised a 50-percent yield once the rehabilitation work was complete.

In the end, investigators determined it was all a $10 million charade. There were no large-scale property rehabs and only a few legitimate low-dollar contracts—almost all the money was used to prop up Brady’s Ponzi scheme and support a lavish lifestyle on the backs of friends who thought they knew her.

“She had lifelong friends who were just totally and completely betrayed by her,” said Pepper Daigler, a special agent in the FBI’s Boston Field Office who worked with Internal Revenue Service special agents on the case.

Brady’s victims—among them, multi-millionaires, firefighters, young, and elderly—represented a cross-section of the tony community 30 minutes south of Providence. Most had a very close connection to Brady. Investigators identified 23 individuals who lost their investments in the scheme, which encouraged investors to roll over purported gains to increase their stakes and potential windfalls. Some lost everything in the scam, which went on for at least four years before Brady was arrested on April 25, 2019, as she prepared to flee the country.

“She had life-long friends who were just totally and completely betrayed by her.”

Pepper Daigler, special agent, FBI Boston

“The burden of this loss is nearly impossible to put into words,” said one victim, identified as J.L., a week before Brady’s February 11 sentencing. “The stress my family has endured is beyond measure. Even my children’s futures are altered forever.”

The scam came to light after the IRS criminal investigators discovered inconsistencies between Brady’s spending and her business. That led to closer forensic analysis and then a deeper dive into financial records that showed repeated deposits of large checks, including some for $50,000 or $60,000. The high-dollar figures are not that unusual in real estate, where flipping houses and extensive remodels can reach into six figures. But the sham fell apart quickly when federal agents began interviewing Brady’s “investors.”

“That’s essentially where the wheels came off for her,” said Special Agent Mark Homsi of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division. “We were presenting them with records from these vendors where she did little or no actual work and they are providing us with these promissory notes for $50,000 or $60,000 investments. That was really the turning point—the interviews with these people.”

A 67-year-old victim with a quadriplegic husband and elderly parents with Alzheimer’s and dementia said in a statement to the court that she lost both her life savings and her parents’ savings to Brady’s ploy.

“I cannot articulate the guilt that haunts me for having made such an irresponsible decision that was grounded in emotion instead of common sense,” L.R. said in a victim impact statement. “Monique was fully aware of who I was as a caregiver, and she exploited that knowledge for her own selfish and criminal gain.”

In all, the self-styled preservation expert solicited investments for projects on 171 properties; no work was ever performed on 98 of those. Prosecutors said Brady’s conduct was as bad as they have ever seen in a Rhode Island fraud case. Brady even continued her scheming while incarcerated and awaiting sentencing, according to a February 6 sentencing memorandum. Her misconduct included making more than 200 unauthorized phone calls from prison using other inmates’ personal identification numbers.

Investigators said Brady’s case is a cautionary tale for anyone considering a get-rich-quick scheme. Her victims thought she was their friend and that she was doing them a favor—letting them in on something too good to pass up. But in this case, it was all too good to be true.

IRS Agent Homsi said Brady’s affluent friends were just as taken in as those who could least afford it: “Oftentimes, these are people who are very successful in the business world. And they would say, ‘If it wasn’t Monique, I would have done much more due diligence.’ But they just had that implicit trust in her.”

Meanwhile, the investments were paying for Brady’s extravagances, including a $9,400 monthly mortgage; trips to the tropics, Europe, multiple Super Bowls; a luxury shoe collection; and elective plastic surgery that she paid for in cash.

It wasn’t until the scheme fell apart that its breadth became apparent. Evidently, Brady encouraged secrecy among her investors—another common ploy of scam artists and Ponzi schemes. She eschewed talking business in social settings, said FBI Special Agent Daigler. Potential investors might have seen that as a sign of class, while others might see a potential red flag.

“I guess if somebody tells you to keep a secret, always be weary of why you have to keep it a secret,” Daigler said.

“Oftentimes, these are people who are very successful in the business world. But they just had that implicit trust in her.”

Mark Homsi, special agent, IRS Criminal Investigation

Resources

Rhode Island Businesswoman Sentenced in $10M Ponzi Scheme That Defrauded 23 Individuals

Green Party Senate Candidate Hoffman: Another Democratic Party Dinner for the 1%

February 29, 2020, 6:53 pm | in

Madelyn

Hoffman, NJ Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate in 2020 released the following prepared statement prior to Saturday\’s fundraiser for Congressman Donald Norcross.

What does it mean when Senator Cory Booker, Senator Robert Menendez, Governor Phil Murphy and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi all gather in Camden to support Representative Donald Norcross for a $2,800 a plate meal?

It means that big money controls this election cycle once again. What does it matter if there is a “D” or “R” next to your name when all that matters to these politicians is how many $2,800 plates and big donors attend to donate big money? This leaves little room for the voices of those not so wealthy; people dealing with issues of healthcare, making a living wage, addressing environmental concerns, and ending non-stop military spending.

Join the Green Party of New Jersey and Hoffman For Senate in a protest at Camden County College, 200 College Drive, Blackwood, New Jersey from 12pm to 2pm on Saturday, February 29th. Help raise awareness with the 99% on these issues and many more not being addressed by either mainstream party.

“The politicians who represent us are completely out of touch with the people they are supposed to represent,” said

Madelyn

Hoffman, NJ Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate in 2020, challenging Senator Cory Booker. “My campaign accepts no corporate money or PAC money. Instead I can fight for what the majority of people need — as I have all my adult life. It’s time for us to elect representatives who are dedicated to addressing the needs of the 99%.”

Kim Meudt, Co-Chair of Green Party NJ and life-long resident of Camden County said, “The Norcross Machine wants $2,800 per plate but what’s being served up to the residents of Camden?”

Craig Cayetano, Co-Chair of Green Party NJ said “We are inviting all our allies to come out, even those still associated with the Democratic Party, to stand up and say that this shouldn’t be the new normal. We denounce these dinners which leave the majority of the NJ electorate on the outside of policy-making and just pandered to as the election season ramps up.”

The Hoffman for Senate 2020 campaign will be at the protest and in a symbolic protest offer food and a drink for attendees at $2.80 to show that the interests of big money and the interests of the vast majority of people in this country are not the same! Instead, we need to:

Stop supporting endless wars.

Move the money into our communities and into public education, tuition-free college and student debt forgiveness.

Move the money into Improved and Expanded Medicare for All.

Support a real Green New Deal that confronts the bloated military budget and creates sustainable jobs for all.

Increase grassroots democracy and stop allowing those with the big money to control the party interests.

Enact Rank Choice Voting to allow more voices a fair chance at being elected and abolish the corrupted “Line” currently used in New Jersey.

If you cannot attend, please consider sharing, volunteering and donating! Check out the Hoffman For Senate website, Facebook page, on Twitter and Instagram all year as we will be a progressive voice on the ballot on November 3rd!

https://www.hoffmanforsenate.com/

https://www.facebook.com/HoffmanforSenate2020/

https://twitter.com/hoffman4US2020

https://www.instagram.com/hoffmanforsenate2020/

Rev. Howard E. Muhlbaier, Retired Catholic Priest; Teacher and Alumnus of Gloucester Catholic HS

Rev. Howard E. Muhlbaier

Cherry Hill – Rev. Howard Edward Muhlbaier, retired Catholic Priest of the Camden Diocese passed away on February 22, 2020 at St. Mary\’s Villa in Cherry Hill, with devoted friends and caregivers by his side, at age 81. Rev. Muhlbaier was born on June 16, 1938 to Sebastian Muhlbaier and Dorothy Kennedy Muhlbaier. He was raised in Swedesboro, NJ and was a graduate of Gloucester Catholic High School class of 1956. He continued his studies at Saint Charles College, Loyola College and Saint Mary Seminary having received his Master\’s in Theology. Father Muhlbaier was ordained May 22, 1965 in Camden, NJ by Archbishop Damiano.

First assigned as parochial vicar at Incarnation in Mantua, Rev. Muhlbaier went on to serve the parishes of Our Lady Queen of Peace in Pitman, Saint Andrew the Apostle in Gibbsboro, St. Maurice Church in Brooklawn and Saints Peter and Paul in Turnersville. From 1992 through 2000, Rev. Muhlbaier was the pastor of Assumption Parish in Atco. He then served as a chaplain at the former Kennedy Hospital in Washington Township until 2008. His final assignment was senior priest at St. Andrew the Apostle. From 1965 through the 1980\’s, Rev. Muhlbaier served on the faculty of Gloucester Catholic High School, Paul VI High School and St. Joseph\’s High School in Hammonton.

In addition to his parents, Father Muhlbaier is predeceased by his brothers, Sebastian, Charles, Vernon, Norman, Esq. and James. He is survived by his brother, John \”Jack\” Muhlbaier of MD; sister-in-laws, Patricia Muhlbaier and Anna Muhlbaier, as well as dear friends, Ritamarie and George Simmons and many loving nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews.

Viewing will take place at 8:30 AM on Wednesday, March 4th, 2020 at St. Clare of Assisi Parish, St Joseph\’s Church, 130 Broad St., Swedesboro. Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan will celebrate his Mass of Christian Burial at 10 AM. Burial will follow at St. Joseph\’s Cemetery, Swedesboro.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to Gloucester Catholic High School Alumni Fund, 333 Ridgeway St., Gloucester City, NJ 08030. Please memo, Rev. Howard E. Muhlbaier.

Condolences and Memories may be shared at

www.mccannhealey.com

under the obituary of Rev. Howard E. Muhlbaier. Funeral Arrangements and Inquiries through: McCANN-HEALEY FUNERAL HOME, Gloucester City. Ph: 856-456-1142

LINE OF MARCHSAINT MARY’S/GLOUCESTER CITY FIFTH ANNUAL SAINT PATRICK’S PARADE SUNDAY, MARCH 1

by CNBNews Staff

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (February 29, 2020)—-The annual St. Mary\’s Parish/Gloucester City St. Patrick\’s Day Parade is scheduled to begin at 1 PM sharp rain or shine. The parade will take the same route as last year, forming and staging at the Martin’s Lake area, at Johnson Blvd. and Baynes Ave. marching on Johnson Blvd. to Monmouth Street, up Monmouth Street to King, and dispersing at the former Coast Guard Base parking lot, King and Cumberland Streets.

It will begin at Johnson Blvd and Baynes Avenue, north to Monmouth and Johnson Blvd., move west on Monmouth Street to King Street and south on King Street to Proprietors Park.

The following bands and marching units will be in the line of march:

South Philadelphia, Quaker City, Fralinger, Woodland, Avalon, Aqua, Uptown, Duffy, Durning, and the Gloucester City String Band.

The Camden County Emerald Society, Second Street Irish Society, Trenton AOH, ACFD Sand Pipers, and Brian Boru Pipes and Drums Bands.

The Misty Dewers and The Broken Shillelaghs Irish Bands.

The Two Street Stompers Comic Brigade. The Jordan-Hunt and the Emerald Isle Irish Dance Schools.

The parade\’s Grand Marshall is Ed Beckett, principal of Gloucester Catholic High School and the Celebrity Parade Marshall is Bob Kelly from Fox 29 News. Honor guest is the Deputy Consul General from Ireland Sean O’Hay

Gloucester City’s own radio disc jockey Kathy Townsend Suckiel from the B101.1 radio station will be present with the B101 mascot,

Buzzbee!

Gloucester City PD Issues Road Closures/Parking Restrictions for Parade

Below is the parade line-up set for 12 noon at the staging area

Camden County Emerald Society (Gloucestercitynews.net file photo)

LINE-UP IS AT 12:00 NOON IN THE STAGING AREA

POSITIONS #A-#G LINE UP IS ON JOHNSON BLVD. BETWEEN FRANCIS ST. & BAYNES AVE.

POSITION “A”-VFW & AMERICAN LEGION COLOR GUARD & ROTC COLOR GUARD FROM GLOUCESTER HIGH SCHOOL WITH USMC MARINES BRETT & DALTON KENNEY

POSITION “B” CELEBRITY PARADE MARSHAL BOB KELLY AND QUAKER CITY STRING BAND WITH MSGR. HODGE, DEPUTY CONSUL GENERAL FROM IRELAND, MAYOR DAN SPENCER

POSITION “C”-2020 GRAND MARSHAL ED BECKETT AND GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL PARTICIPANTS

POSITION “D”-KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS WITH ST. PATRICK’S STATUE

POSITION “E”-DURNING STRING BAND

POSITION “F” CITY COUNCIL, COUNTY FREEHOLDERS, STATE LEGISLATORS, OTHER DIGNITARIES AND ELECTED OFFICIALS, CAMDEN COUNTY MASCOTS

POSITION “G” THE MISTY DEWERS

POSITIONS #1-#5-Francis Street and East Brown Street

SOUTH JERSEY MOBILE BILLBOARD TRUCK

ANYZEK FUELS ANTIQUE TRUCKS/CARS-JIM PARENT, 1939 GREEN BUICK

GARDEN STATE CORVETTE CLUB ON FRANCIS STREET

GLOUCESTER CITY OLDTIMERS STRING BAND

ANTIQUE CARS/TRUCKS-JIM PARENT IN HIS 1939 GREEN BUICK

-DONNELLY-GATTO FUNERAL HOME ROLLS ROYCE HEARSE & STAFF

POSITIONS #6–#21-HIGHLAND BLVD DOWN TO GREENWOOD AVENUE

PUBLIC WORKS TRAILER WITH LADIES AOH, CATHOLIC DAUGHTERS OF AMERICA’S, AND LITTLE MISS/MR. GLOUCESTER CITY

TRENTON AOH BAGPIPE BAND

GLOUCESTER CITY FIRE DEPT COLOR GUARD & MARCHERS

GLOUCESTER CITY FIRE DEPT. APPARATUS

DUFFY STRING BAND

GLOUCESTER CITY IRISH SOCIETY

GLOUCESTER CITY HIGH SCHOOL COLOR GUARD, MARCHING BAND, & SCHOOL CLUBS

UPTOWN STRING BAND

GLOUCESTER CITY MIDDLE SCHOOL & COLD SPRINGS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

IRISH SETTAR CLUB OF SOUTH JERSEY

CAMDEN COUNTY EMERALD SOCIETY

CAIRDEAS IRISH BIRGADE (JOHN SCILLIG-SCHILEEN’S TAVERN-WESTVILLE, NJ)

MARK’S ANTIQUE FIRE TRUCK???? AND/OR FOUR LEAF RESTORATION COMPANY

AQUA STRING BAND

AOH GLOUCESTER COUNTY DIVISION I-COMMODORE JOHN BARRY-LARRY PRELLE, DIRECTOR

BRIAN BORU PIPES AND DRUMS BAND-KEVIN FLATLEY DRUM MAJOR

POSITIONS #22-#38 KLEMM AVENUE TO SYLVAN AVENUE

AVALON STRING BAND

GLOUCESTER CITY YOUTH SOCCER

JORDAN HUNT SCHOOL OF IRISH DANCE

GLOUCESTER CITY LITTLE LEAGUE

SECOND STREET IRISH SOCIETY PIPES & DRUMS

MINI HORSE’S PONY CLUB-LONG ACRES FARM-MARY LEDGER

WOODLAND STRING BAND

CUB SCOUTS TROOP OF GLOUCESTER CITY???/ QUINN FAMILY WITH IRISH WOLFHOUND SEAMUS

FRALINGER STRING BAND

COMMUNITY ROCKS CORP.-ERIN OSLER/SARA O’BRIEN

ATLANTIC CITY FIREFIGHTERS SAND PIPERS

EPIPHANY CHURCH OF GLOUCESTER CITY-PASTOR JOE MARLIN

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA STRING BAND

HIGHLAND TAVERN FLOAT WITH BIG DADDY

EMERALD ISLE ACADEMY OF IRISH DANCE

TWO STREET STOMPERS COMIC BRIGADE CHAMPIONS

TAVERN ON THE EDGE PRESENTS “THE BROKEN SHILELLEGHS”

Gov. Phil Murphy hugging Brooklawn Mayor Teri Branella at the 2018 parade

COVID-19 a Reminder of the Challenge of Emerging Infectious Diseases

This transmission electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2—also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19—isolated from a patient in the U.S. Virus particles are shown emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab. The spikes on the outer edge of the virus particles give coronaviruses their name, crown-like.

NIAID-RML

What

The emergence and rapid increase in cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus, pose complex challenges to the global public health, research and medical communities, write federal scientists from NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Their commentary appears in

The New England Journal of Medicine.

NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., NIAID Deputy Director for Clinical Research and Special Projects H. Clifford Lane, M.D., and CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, M.D., shared their observations in the context of a recently published

report

on the early transmission dynamics of COVID-19. The report provided detailed clinical and epidemiological information about the first 425 cases to arise in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.

In response to the outbreak, the United States and other countries instituted temporary travel restrictions, which may have slowed the spread of COVID-19 somewhat, the authors note. However, given the apparent efficiency of virus transmission, everyone should be prepared for COVID-19 to gain a foothold throughout the world, including in the United States, they add. If the disease begins to spread in U.S. communities, containment may no longer be a realistic goal and response efforts likely will need to transition to various mitigation strategies, which could include isolating ill people at home, closing schools and encouraging telework, the officials write.

Drs. Fauci, Lane and Redfield point to the many research efforts now underway to address COVID-19. These include numerous vaccine candidates proceeding toward early-stage clinical trials as well as clinical trials already underway to test candidate therapeutics, including an

NIAID-sponsored trial of the experimental

antiviral drug remdesivir that began enrolling participants on February 21, 2020.

“The COVID-19 outbreak is a stark reminder of the ongoing challenge of emerging and re-emerging infectious pathogens and the need for constant surveillance, prompt diagnosis and robust research to understand the basic biology of new organisms and our susceptibilities to them, as well as to develop effective countermeasures,” the authors conclude.

Article

AS Fauci

et al.

COVID-19: Navigating the uncharted.

The New England Journal of Medicine.

DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp2002387 (2020).

Q Li

et al.

Early transmission dynamics in Wuhan, China, of novel coronavirus-infected pneumonia

The New England Journal of Medicine.

DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2001316 (2020).

Public Support for Program to Cut Pollution/Modernize Transportation in Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States

“It’s a Big Hit!”: More Than 9 Out of 10 Back Transportation & Climate Initiative

WASHINGTON, DC – February 28, 2019 – The message from residents of Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states to lawmakers couldn’t be clearer: The proposed Transportation & Climate Initiative cap-and-invest program to modernize transportation in the region is a winner.

A strong 91 percent of public comments from 12 states and the District of Columbia support the Transportation & Climate Initiative’s policy, according to a review by the Our Transportation Future (OTF) coalition of the 8,308 public comments filed

in the public portal

since mid-December.

An improved regional transportation system would mean more electric cars and trucks and charging infrastructure, reliable mass transit, walkable and bikeable communities, less congestion and pollution, and increased investments in projects that connect everyone, including those in underserved and rural areas.

Speaking on behalf of OTF, Jordan Stutt, carbon program director, Acadia Center said: “For elected officials who have been waiting on the close of the comment period to gauge public sentiment, the outcome could not be clearer: Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Americans want to fix our dirty and broken transportation system. No amount of oil industry-funded propaganda will change the fact that there is overwhelming public support for the important goals of the Transportation & Climate Initiative. It’s a big hit.”

OTF reviewed the comments submitted through an online portal between December 17, 2019 (when the states released a

draft memorandum of understanding

) and 9 a.m. ET today (which had previously been announced as the target deadline date for comment submissions). The 12 states are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.

A sampling of comments from the public includes:

“…People in northern New England would be willing to utilize affordable public transportation if it was an option. Connecting the mid-Atlantic would also increase people\’s ability to travel and spend money in other states, which would ultimately boost the economy. Lastly, it would allow people with medical conditions, disabilities or other impairments to access more services in a greater area because there would be accessible and affordable public transportation. Please consider funding this project and allowing residents in even some of the most rural areas to be able to access public transportation …”

Alexandra Sturtevant, Portland, ME

“We need to focus on reducing pollution from transportation for climate sake, as well as to ensure our communities are livable. Maryland should formally join the plan to reduce emissions and should take important actions to ensure the protection of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Any transportation policy should prioritize clean investments and should assist those areas that don\’t have access to clean investments. I appreciate the bipartisan creation of this policy and stress the need for regions to move forward, especially at a time when our federal government seems to be reversing course.”

Ed Trever, Silver Spring, MD

“As a member of the Republican party, I strongly support the Transportation and Climate Initiative. I have grandchildren, and I want them to live long, happy lives, where they don\’t have to worry about the status of our planet. I want them to have clean air to breathe and safe water to drink. Even though this program may raise gas prices, I think what we have to gain from doing so is more important than a few extra dollars spent. I think this is a relatively conservative approach to climate change, and is a market-based solution, which I appreciate as a conservative. I think that New York should join TCI, and that other states should consider joining as well.”

Paulette Arena, Rochester, NY

“I strongly support the TCI and hope that it is implemented. Not only will it help to address emissions from the transportation sector (the largest source of emissions in Massachusetts and across the region), but it will also raise funds that are desperately [sic] needed to upgrade public transportation as well as to transition to being powered by 100% clean renewable energy…”

Logan Malik, Great Barrington, MA

“TCI is a once in a generation opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and re-invest funds to much needed transit improvements, including safe and reliable public transportation, electric vehicle infrastructure, and ‘Complete Streets’ for bikers and pedestrians. Unreliable transit is taking time residents should be spending at work or with their families. Those without choices have to drive and the resulting traffic congestion is further damaging our environment, public health, and quality of life. Please choose the most aggressive greenhouse gas emissions cap. Please make sure the [sic] TCI policy has equity and investment in overburdened and under-served communities as a first and foremost priority.”

– Sara Holmes, Chester, CT

Members of the public were asked to weigh in with their support or opposition to the draft policy via a comment portal organized by the

Georgetown Climate Center by February 28th

Our Transportation Future

is a coalition of 74 local, regional, and national organizations committed to modernizing transportation across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region. OTF is focused on improving our transportation system — the ways we move people and goods in the region – to spur economic growth, make us healthier and safer, clean up the environment, and improve our quality of life.

Healthcare Expert Edward Eichhorn Lectures on the Ills of Medicare-for-all

at Stevens Institute of Technology School of Business

Hoboken, NJ, February 28, 2020 –

Echoing the sentiments of Democratic candidates Biden, Bloomberg, Klobuchar and Buttigieg from their debate podiums in South Carolina earlier this week, healthcare expert and author, Edward Eichhorn, spoke of the ills of Medicare-for-all as a guest lecturer yesterday at the School of Business on the campus of the Stevens Institute of Technology in

Hoboken, NJ.

Said Eichhorn: “It is time for us to embrace a practical universal healthcare plan for America that maintains choice and reduces cost. The Eichhorn & Hutchinson plan does that. Medicare-for-all does not.”

The Healing American Healthcare Coalition endorses what it refers to as a well-conceived universal healthcare plan co-authored by Mr. Eichhorn and Dr. Michael Hutchinson. According to the Coalition, if the United States were to adopt this approach, employers would be required to provide healthcare plans, but could choose between being self-insured, buying private insurance, or selecting a competitive public option.

By fostering competition in the private insurance market with a cost-effective public option, the Eichhorn-Hutchinson plan is expected to reduce employer healthcare costs by as much as 30%.

The Coalition believes that implementing the Eichhorn-Hutchinson universal healthcare plan would not lead to an increase in government funding, and it is likely that federal and state costs for Medicaid would actually decline. In total, it’s estimated that the Eichhorn-Hutchinson plan could save up to

one trillion dollars

per year.

Key Outcomes Under the Eichhorn-Hutchinson Plan

All employers provide health insurance

Public option funded by tax on employers who choose this option for their employees

Substantially

lower

than current health care costs incurred by employers

Public option will create price competition

Preserves a role for private insurers

Healthcare costs can be reduced to 12 percent of GDP over ten years (from the current 19%)

Medical billing will be simplified

Medical-related bankruptcies in the U.S. will decrease by 50 percent

Drug prices will be negotiated on a national level

Life expectancy in the U.S. will improve

Insurance premiums will decrease by as much as 30 percent

Up to one trillion dollars in cost reduction annually

For more information about the Eichhorn-Hutchinson plan visit

HealingAmericanHealthcare.org

About Healing American Healthcare Coalition

The Healing American Healthcare Coalition is an independent organization dedicated to providing its members with timely and insightful information and reports concerning universal healthcare proposals and programs. The Coalition is not a political action committee, nor is it affiliated with any political party. The Coalition’s mission is to be a trusted objective source regarding the current discussions on potential healthcare initiatives that could have an impact on the health and well-being of Americans today and in the future.