BREAKING NEWS - DEMOCRACY REALLY DOES
DEPEND ON IT !
PUBLISHED BY TEANECK VOICES
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Contents View this issue in your browser/Teaneck Voices Listens
Democracy Really Does Depend on it
Breaking News: Moving Teaneck Backward -
Far Over the Line Ethically
Let the Facts Flow Down: Katz & His Tax-Supported Health Care
An Early Report on Council Campaign Spending
Teaneck Voices Endorses RISE FOR TEANECK
The Way to Vote NOW in Teaneck's 2022 Election
This Week in Teaneck - 11/6-13/2022
Vote for Teaneck Council - Column 2, All 4 Names
Belcher, Gee, Goldberg & Young
Announcements
- Contacting Teaneck Voices
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DEMOCRACY REALLY DOES DEPEND ON IT! | |
Voters throughout the nation know that their choice of candidates Tuesday will shape whether America’s 246 years as a democracy will survive.
Teaneck Voices believes that the choices Teaneck voters make tomorrow can restore the integrity of governance and preserve quality of life of the suburban town that most of us chose when we came here. For that reason, Teaneck Voices chose to endorse Denise Belcher, Danielle Gee, Hillary Goldberg & Chondra Young - all four of the Rise for Teaneck candidates
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BREAKING NEWS: MOVING TEANECK BACKWARD -
FAR OVER THE LINE ETHICALLY
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Teaneck Voices been concerned that as the final days of the campaign for 4 Teaneck Council seats approached, candidates might be increasingly drawn into using ruses intended to deceive voters, whether by
- accusing their opponents of positions/facts which were not accurate; or, alternatively
- making claims about their own support or positions or achievements which were untrue or seriously misleading.
Voices had previously identified untruthful claims (Lies) about the positions taken by the 4 Rise for Teaneck candidates (Click Here to go to that article on our website).
Teaneck Voices was, however, unprepared for/shocked by what was apparently sent to thousands of Teaneck voters on 11/7, the day before the November 8 election in the form of a campaign ad which included claims about who and how the Moving Teaneck Forward slate (Katz, Kaplan, Garcia, & Ramos-Reiner) is being endorsed by organizations or individuals.
Because the deceptive endorsement claim was made by utilizing unreadable font to define the endorsement claim, Teaneck Voices has converted that claim into an image which demonstrates the brazenness of the deception.
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Anyone observing this election knew that the two incumbent candidates for the most senior elected positions in this election were Congressman Josh Gottheimer and Bergen County Executive James Tedesco.
Both of these senior officials has meticulously AVOIDED making endorsements on the hotly contested Teaneck Council race.
But anyone reading this new ad with normal eyesight would have MISSED the fact that tiny fonts which defined both sets of endorsements were meant to mislead the voter.
Teaneck Voices has confirmed that neither Gottheimer (who has said today that he endorses "All of the Teaneck Council candidates") nor Tedesco ("NO" as to his endorsement in the race) as this ad's ruses became clear, hesitated before confirming again that they were not making endorsements here.
Is this late campaign trick a sign of desperation? Teaneck Voices has often seen this kind of behavior from the Katz team leader. Indeed, suspicions that the campaign would end in this sort of disgrace had a good bit to do with why Teaneck Voices had made its unambiguous endorsement of the Rise for Teaneck women.
Happily we have new candidates experienced and prepared to govern with both competence and integrity.
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LET THE FACTS FLOW DOWN
Incumbent Elie Y. Katz and the
Taxpayer-Supported
Healthcare He Receives
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An important Fact about Incumbent Elie Y. Katz that Teaneck Voters Should Know:
For 24 years, incumbent Elie Y. Katz has been a member of Council. He wins elections in part by misleading voters about his opponents and hiding certain facts about himself.
In its October 31 issue, Teaneck Voices published an article, "What Should Candidates Standing for Election Do When They are Lied About?" (Click Here) making clear that Elie Y. Katz's lied outrageously about his RISE for Teaneck opponents.
Here now is an Important Fact about Deputy Mayor Elie Y. Katz that we suspect he is not eager for you to know:
FACT: In 2022, your property taxes paid over $33,000 to give Elie Y. Katz and family the best NJ State full-family Employee Medical Plan that New Jersey offers. (Click Here) He has received this first-class coverage for 24 years!!
Does anyone else on our Council receive any healthcare because of their Council position? NO
Why is this the case? Prior to 2010 all elected municipal councilmembers received healthcare benefits for themselves and their families as employees of their municipalities. In Teaneck, this was in addition to the $7,000/year stipend they were paid.
In 2010, Governor Christie signed into law, Chapter 2, P.L. 2010 on Local Units Health Benefits Programs. This new law ended the healthcare benefit for municipal Councilmembers. BUT, sitting councilmembers in 2010 were grandfathered under the new law as long as they continued to sit on the council OR until they graciously exempted themselves from the grandfather clause. Most affected councilmembers in New Jersey have given up their healthcare benefits.
Not incumbent Elie Y. Katz!
Since this expense is significant, a majority of a council (4 of 7 members) can vote to end the benefit for grandfathered members. Such was the case in Rockaway Township, NJ. For the past 12 years, Elie Y. Katz has controlled the majority of the Council.
In early 2016 a minority member of the council, C. Alan Sohn, asked Katz if he would give up his state healthcare coverage as a benefit to the Teaneck taxpayers. Here is a 2-minute excerpt of the exchange between C. Katz and C. Sohn that every Teaneck Voices reader should see.
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Assuming every year Katz received healthcare he was receiving the equivalent of a $33,000 plan – 24 years of healthcare insurance in 2022 dollars means Elie Y. Katz has received the equivalent of $792,000 of tax-free family healthcare paid for by Teaneck taxpayers.
Employees’ contributions to their healthcare are based on a percentage of their compensation. Because Elie’s compensation from the Town is modest, his contribution last year was $1050, or 3% of the premium. Compare that to 17% of the health premium he would have paid had he been a $60K employee, or 29% of the premium had he been a $100K employee.(Click Here for the State’s SHBP employee contribution data)
Since the total amount in compensation the Town paid Council members last year was $86+K, that means that the Katz’s share of the total – as one of 7 Councilmembers – was 46% while each of the other 6 members got 9%. (Any 5th grader can do the math: Click Here)
But these cost figures are about to get much worse since the annual 2023 increase for State Health Benefit Program premiums is 20%. It is unresolved exactly how that 20% will be divided between what we taxpayers pay for all employees’ health insurance and what the increase will be for the individual employee contributor. (Click Here) The $60K Town employee who takes the same plan as Katz takes probably contributed @$6,000 in 2022 and that may jump to $6,800 in 2023. By contrast, Katz, if re-elected, will likely see his total family healthcare contribution go up $200 to $1,250.
That would likely make the Katz family’s total health care cost significantly less than any other Teaneck family – including those on Medicare
Are these FACTS, that incumbent Elie Y. Katz, the self-announced protector of the Teaneck taxpayer, does not want you to know.
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AN EARLY REPORT ON 2022
COUNCIL CAMPAIGN SPENDING
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Tracking campaign expenditures in the midst of an electoral campaign – even campaigns for municipal governing boards – is complicated and any conclusions must be tentative. The only data on which one should rely is what is found on the website of the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC). And because of complex reporting rules, what is found there is at best a snap-shot in time of when and what election candidate campaign committees report.
In 2020, the Moving Teaneck Forward slate (Orgen, Pagan and Schwartz) did not submit a radically amended report on its 2020 campaign contributors & expenses until January 21, 2021 – 8 months after the election. Hence, the few generalizations Teaneck Voices makes here should be considered, at best, good guesses based on what the Council candidate campaigns have submitted.
Since the race to elect 4 members of Council on November 8 has evolved into a race primarily between two four candidate slates, we have focused attention here on what can be learned from the financial reports submitted by the two four-candidate slates in their latest ELEC reports.
Several generalizations are: the Katz Kaplan Garcia & Ramos-Reiner Friends of the Teaneck Block Associations slate [Friends] ] appears to have raised more than twice as much ($71,400) as had the R1SE for Teaneck slate -Belcher, Gee, Goldberg, Young- ($31,5580) as of the slates’ 11/3 submissions to ELEC that include 11 day pre-election reports and 48 hr. reports
However, Friends reported having spent $84, 229 which meant that slate reported being in debt by nearly $13K. By contrast in its latest filing, Rise for Teaneck shows expenses of $18,119 with resources in hand to spend.
Put simply, this Council race is on track to have shown unprecedented candidate spending.
Teaneck Voices checked to see where the money was coming from and what were the largest contribution amounts from individual sources. Again, we focused on data from only the “slate” accounts, which makes data reports on these issues tentative and incomplete.
Nevertheless, it is significant that the Elie-led Friends slate has
- Received donations of $500 or more from 29 donors.
Note: Only five of the 29 were from Teaneck.
- Elie's Friends slate had donations of $10K or more from 6 donors, only one of whom was from Teaneck.
(Question to ponder: Why would:
- real estate professionals from West Orange, Lakewood and Farmingdale NJ; and
- builders from Montvale and Clark NJ
be making maximum or near-maximum allowable
contributions to a Teaneck Council race? )
The Rise slate has contributions/loans of $500 or more
- from its own candidate campaigns and two other contributors, both of whom were from Teaneck.
Teaneck Voices will track the post-election reports as they arrive in late November.
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TEANECK VOICES ENDORSES RISE FOR TEANECK | |
Teaneck Voice’s Endorsement for 4 Open Council Seats
THE RISE FOR TEANECK SLATE
Women Working to Make Teaneck the Best It Can Be
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Denise Belcher
I was a “civil rights baby” going to meetings with my mother. I absorbed the commitment to equality and equity and the power of Voters’ Rights. I will give back by mentoring young entrepreneurs, supporting Affordable Housing initiatives, and give what I know to support my clients and community. I am inspired by the many who have come before me on whose shoulders I stand. They are my rocket fuel that propels me.
(Denise is endorsed by the Bergen County Real Estate Board (Click Here)
Danielle Gee
My life experience and the education I was privileged to received prepared me to advocate for the people in my community of Teaneck. When you have authority, you have an obligation to look out for the less fortunate, the weaker, the have-nots. There is nothing more important in governing and leading a diverse community with different beliefs and needs, than to remember that the “least” have the same rights as those that have the advantage.
Hillary Goldberg
No one ever told me “Listen and learn – you have a legacy to use for the good of your community.” But I did listen and learn about my grandparents’ roles in the Jewish Center of Teaneck and their support for the desegregation of the Teaneck Public Schools. They were my heroes. I think that my grandparents would be thrilled that I am carrying on their legacy – civic and Jewish – by running for Council of their Teaneck.
Chondra Young
I grew up in Teaneck and volunteering was always a part of my life. I was a Girl Scout and I volunteered at Shelter Our Sisters, (now The Center for Hope and Safety). In college I volunteered at the local Boys and Girls Club – it was a way of life for me. As a young wife and mother I became involved in PTO and my daughters’ sports. In 2011 I was invited to a political cottage party and met Teaneck trailblazers. I listened and learned, met so many homegrown community activists. I wanted to be part of that world!!
Rise For Teaneck Platform
Economic Development – Advocate for Small Business, revitalize business districts, development consistent with the Master Plan.
Fiscal Responsibility -- Ensure needed services are provided without debt or tax liability by eliminating waste from our budget
Advocate for Seniors – Provide services and resources to age in place.
Infrastructure and Emergency Services – As we grow, we must ensure we can provide all with full police, fire, DPW, etc. services
Trust and Transparency – Ensure residents are well-informed and encouraged to share concerns
Civic Engagement – Reinstate Civic Leadership Education programs to engage youth and all residents
Affordable Housing – Make Teaneck Housing affordable and accessible for everyone
Why is it important to vote for all 4
RISE UP TEANECK candidates?
Teaneck’s Council is made up of 7 members, each elected for a 4-year term. Any decision by the Council requires 4 “yes” votes (a majority of Council)
This year Teaneck’s voters have the opportunity to elect a new majority who believes in sound economic development, fiscal responsibility, support for seniors, up-to-date infrastructure and emergency services, trust and transparency, civic engagement, and affordable housing!
BELCHER, GEE, GOLDBERG, and YOUNG
can make Teaneck a model government once again!!
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THE ONLY WAY TO VOTE NOW IN TEANECK'S
2022 GENERAL ELECTION
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Updated to Monday evening, November 7
1) If you have not voted, please plan plan to vote on Election Day,Tuesday November 8. To do so you need to go in person to your specific voting location (one of 23 in Teaneck) from 6:00 am to 8;00 pm
To find out what is your voting location, Click:
https://nj.gov/state/elections/vote-polling-location.shtml
What you need to bring to the polls: ID is not required in New Jersey unless you are voting for the first time in a federal election (Presidential or Congressional), or if you are a first-time voter who registered by mail and did not provide identification with your registration.
Valid forms of ID include any current and valid photo identification, or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address.
However,
2) If you have voted by mail, and want to make sure that the County has received your mail-in ballot, you can track your ballot. Click:
https://nj.gov/state/elections/vote-track-my-ballot.shtml
You will be able to tell now if the County has received your ballot. But the ballot's choices will not be counted until Election Day (Tuesday) and then you can find out – via this same website – whether your ballot was accepted or rejected.
What do I do if find my mail-in ballot did not get to the County? Be in touch with the County Board of Elections (Phone 201-336-6230) they will look for it. Mail-in Ballots postmarked by USPS by 8 pm 11/8 have until 11/14 to get to the County.
Note Early Voting in Teaneck Ended Sunday 11/6 at 6pm
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THIS WEEK IN TEANECK - 11/7-13 2022 | |
This Week in Teaneck November 7-11-13, 2022
Like all NJ municipal managers, Dean Kazinci is required to conduct individual public departmental budget meetings in November as he begins preparation for the Township’s 2023 annual budget. These meetings can provide residents with a unique opportunity to understand what input the Town’s department heads are giving as the 2023 budget is constructed. Every resident is invited
The image below details the dates and time of those meetings which will occur on Wednesday and Thursday this week and Monday next week. Previously those in-person meetings (pre-pandemic) had occurred in the Manager’s executive conference room, but, as the schedule states, will now be held in the downstairs conference room in the “new” town hall building. (Take the elevator or stairs down and look around to your left.)
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Other Meetings this Week
Municipal Open Space Trust Committee (MOST) –Wednesday, November 9, 2022 at 6:30pm
- Public access and opportunity for input limited by the Advisory Board ordinance (*See ordinance below)
Parks, Playgrounds and Recreation Advisory Board (PPRAB) Wednesday, November 9, 2022 at 7:30pm
- Public access and opportunity for input limited by the Advisory Board ordinance (*See ordinance below)
Board of Education Workshop Meeting – Wednesday November 9, 2022 at 7:30 pm The meeting will be conducted virtually via the ZOOM (Click Here) ) Agenda: to be posted
Planning Board – Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 8:00pm In=Person only in the MP-1 Room of the Rodda Center. Click Here for the Agenda
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*Quote from Ordinance 15-2020 on Advisory Boards adopted by Council on August 11, 2020:
“Council’s advisory Board meetings are closed to the public. The public can submit items for discussion to the Council’s advisory board chair and council liaison for review and potential for inclusion on their meeting agenda. If the item is placed on the agenda, the chair, with approval of their Council’s advisory board, may invite the member of the public to come and speak to them about the specific issue they want to have discussed”.
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VOTE FOR TEANECK COUNCIL
COLUMN 2 - vote ALL FOUR NAMES
Belcher Gee Goldberg Young
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Contacting Teaneck Voices
By Email: teaneckvoices@gmail.com
By Phone: 201-214-4937
By USPS Mail: Teaneck Voices, PO Box 873. at 1673 Palisade Ave., 07666
Teaneck Voices' Website is www.teaneckvoices.com
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