" Teachers and Nurses Need our Support"

Sincerely,

Mayor Adrian O. Mapp

City of Plainfield

""Los Maestros y Enfermeras

Necesitan Nuestro Apoyo""

Querido(a) Jazz,

Como alcalde de Plainfield, considero imperativo abordar un tema crucial y apremiante que ha estado afectando profundamente a nuestra comunidad: el estatus, el reconocimiento y la remuneración de nuestros maestros y enfermeras. Esta cuestión se ha vuelto aún más urgente a la luz de la huelga de enfermeras que comenzó en agosto de este año en el Hospital Robert Wood Johnson. Es una situación que no solo resalta los desafíos que enfrentan nuestros profesionales de la salud, sino que también arroja luz sobre la cuestión más amplia de cómo valoramos a quienes son esenciales para el bienestar y la educación de nuestra sociedad.

En primer lugar, es crucial reconocer que tanto los profesores como las enfermeras desempeñan funciones que son parte integral del tejido de nuestra comunidad. Son, en todos los aspectos esenciales, los primeros en responder. Este término se ha asociado tradicionalmente con la policía, los bomberos y el personal médico de emergencia. Sin embargo, los acontecimientos de los últimos años, incluida la pandemia mundial, han demostrado irrevocablemente que los docentes y las enfermeras también están en primera línea, aunque en capacidades diferentes pero igualmente vitales.

Los maestros siempre han sido pilares de nuestra comunidad, dando forma al futuro criando y educando a nuestros niños. Son responsables de algo más que de impartir conocimientos; Desempeñan un papel fundamental en el desarrollo emocional y social de nuestra juventud. Durante crisis como la pandemia, los docentes han demostrado una notable resiliencia y adaptabilidad, haciendo la transición a la enseñanza remota y encontrando formas innovadoras de involucrar y apoyar a sus estudiantes.

Por otro lado, las enfermeras han sido los héroes anónimos de nuestro sistema sanitario, especialmente durante la pandemia. Su huelga desde agosto es un duro recordatorio de los problemas de larga data que enfrentan: personal inadecuado, cargas de trabajo abrumadoras y remuneraciones que no son proporcionales a la naturaleza crítica de su trabajo. La huelga no es sólo un llamado a mejores salarios sino una súplica desesperada por respeto, seguridad y reconocimiento del invaluable servicio que brindan a nuestra comunidad.

No se puede subestimar la necesidad de compensar adecuada y justamente a nuestros profesores y enfermeras. No se trata simplemente de una cuestión financiera sino de un imperativo moral. Estos profesionales tienen la tarea de algunas de las responsabilidades más cruciales de nuestra sociedad: educar a nuestras generaciones futuras y cuidar nuestra salud y bienestar. Se les exige que posean una amplia formación, muestren resiliencia emocional y, a menudo, trabajen en entornos desafiantes y estresantes. Su remuneración debe reflejar la importancia y complejidad de sus funciones.

Como comunidad, debemos solidarizarnos con nuestras enfermeras en huelga. Necesitan y merecen nuestro apoyo. Esta situación debería servir como una llamada de atención para abordar los problemas subyacentes que han llevado a este punto. De manera similar, debemos abogar por políticas que reconozcan el papel vital de nuestros docentes. Esto incluye no sólo salarios justos sino también ambientes de trabajo y recursos de apoyo que les permitan desempeñar sus funciones de manera efectiva.

Como alcalde, estoy comprometido a defender esta causa. Es hora de reevaluar y remodelar la forma en que vemos y tratamos a nuestros profesores y enfermeras. Son más que simples educadores y proveedores de atención médica; son la base sobre la que se construye una comunidad sana, educada y resiliente. Trabajemos juntos para asegurarnos de que sean reconocidos, compensados y apoyados como los socorristas, trabajadores de primera línea y miembros invaluables de la comunidad que realmente son. ¡Págales!



#LovePlainfield #AmoPlainfield

Creando Un Plainfield. Un Futuro.

Alcalde Adrian O. Mapp

Ciudad de Plainfield

This program provides property tax relief to New Jersey residents who own or rent property in New Jersey as their principal residence and meet certain income limits. The current filing season for the ANCHOR benefit is based on 2020 residency, income, and age.

Homeowners age 65 and older making up to $150,000 annually are now able to receive benefits totaling $1,750. For homeowners ages 65 and older making more than $150,000 and up to $250,000 annually, benefits now total $1,250. Renters age 65 and older making up to $150,000 are now eligible to receive $700.

For homeowners under 65, benefits remain $1,500 for those making up to $150,000 annually, and $1,000 for those making more than $150,000 and up to $250,000 annually. Renters under 65 making up to $150,000 annually remain eligible for a $450 benefit.

Filing Deadline

You have until Friday, December 29, 2023, to file an application.

Payments will continue to be issued on a rolling basis. Most applicants can expect to receive their payment approximately 90 days after filing the application unless we request additional information to process your claim.

Check the status of your benefit.

How to Apply

Taxpayers who received a green or purple filing packet  should follow the instructions in the packet to apply for their benefit. If you meet the qualifications for the benefit based on 2020 residency, income, and age eligibility - but you did not receive a packet from us - you may still apply for the program.

Homeowners. Most homeowners may file online or by phone with an identification number (ID) and PIN. However, if you bought your home in 2020, altered your deed, or had certain life changes such as a divorce or death of a spouse, you must file an application by mail.

Renters. Renters may file using the online option. They do not need an ID and PIN

Scam Alert

Scammers often send you texts or emails to steal your identity. We will never initiate a text exchange to request personally identifiable information regarding your ANCHOR benefit. Contact us directly before providing personal information in response to communications you receive claiming to be related to the ANCHOR program. Visit our Scams page for more information.

UNION COUNTY, NJ — The Union County Board of County Commissioners is announcing two emergency food distribution events that will take place on Sunday, December 17, beginning at 8:00 a.m. at the campus of Kean University, located at 1000 Morris Avenue in Union Township.

This event operates on a first-come, first-served basis, and will take place rain or shine. Participants must have proof of NJ residency with them. The first 2,000 residents will receive a special holiday food box with produce and trimmings.

Participants are reminded to clear a space in their trunk or cargo area. Event staff will load the food into their vehicle. Boxes may include perishable items, so please make sure all fresh produce and items with a limited shelf life are refrigerated.

For more information about the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, or to find other food distribution locations, please visit https://cfbnj.org/findfood or text FINDFOOD at 908-224-7776.

For updates on all Union County COVID-19 services, please visit www.ucnj.org. General information about COVID-19 is available through the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.

When Oscar-worthy movies or critically acclaimed shows are filmed in New Jersey, it’s more than just glitz and glam. It goes beyond A-list celebrity sightings and lavish wrap parties. Sure, it’s bragworthy when a top film franchise or high-rated television show is filmed in your hometown and it’s fun to point out iconic landmarks when they appear on the screen. But when Tinseltown meets the Garden State, what does it mean for everyday New Jerseyans? With the actors and writers strikes now resolved, New Jersey’s film industry is back open for business. I recently led a delegation of state officials on a trip to California to pitch the value of filming in New Jersey. We met with executives from major studios and production companies who are excited to start filming in the Garden State.

This is good news for New Jersey because when productions film in our state, it creates good-paying jobs, supports small businesses and strengthens our economy. Since Gov. Phil Murphy took office in 2018, New Jersey’s film industry has exploded. With the help of the Film & Digital Media Tax Credit, which Murphy enacted in his first term, production spending skyrocketed from $67 million to over $700 million annually over the past five years. From 2021 to 2022 alone, production spending increased by $150 million. Last year, the film industry created 8,500 jobs across New Jersey, a majority of which were union jobs. When productions set up shop in the state, they need security, stage and film crew, set designers, and support staff. Local vendors such as construction and transportation services, as well as costume and florist shops are also needed during productions. Plus, the cast and crew need to eat during long hours of filming! Local mom and pop bistros, bakeries, and restaurants benefit when productions are in town. Across the state, productions have supported the revitalization of small towns and big cities, provided a boost to the local economies, and employed thousands of residents.

This is just the beginning, and New Jersey is poised to build upon this momentum. Last December, Netflix announced a $1 billion investment to build its East Coast flagship production studio at Fort Monmouth, creating 3,500 construction jobs and 1,500 permanent jobs, all while marking an extraordinary chapter in the redevelopment of the Fort after its closure over a decade ago. To the north, Lionsgate is building a major studio in Newark, and the largest ground-up movie studio complex in North America, 1888 Studios, will soon call Bayonne home.

Other studio projects are being proposed in Atlantic, Essex, Hudson, and Middlesex counties — all of which will contribute to the growth of our economy, and further the state’s leadership in film and television. Recognizing the success of the Film & Digital Media Tax Credit, Murphy signed a bill in July to expand the program through 2039 and increase the annual allocation to $430 million. The law increased the base tax credit available to Studio Partners to 40% and allows the New Jersey Economic Development Authority — or NJEDA — to designate up to three large studio facilities as Film-lease Production Facilities. The expansion of tax credits and increased focus on supporting large scale studio facility developments will help generate even greater industry spending. Additionally, the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission, an entity of the NJEDA, is working to welcome back large-scale productions through its “Film Ready New Jersey” program. This innovative program supports municipalities and counties as they work to accommodate location filming and market their communities as filming destinations, positioning the state as a top production destination.

The film industry’s Golden Age might have taken place on the West Coast, but the industry’s birth was right here in New Jersey. Motion Picture technology was pioneered at Thomas Edison’s laboratory in South Orange and the capital of the film industry in the early 20th Century was in Fort Lee. New Jersey is perfectly positioned to reclaim our historical place at the forefront of the film industry. With the resources committed by Murphy and the Legislature, along with our leading talent and diverse landscapes, we are poised to continue our record-breaking growth. New Jersey is ready for its closeup.

DECEMBER 14, 2023

President Biden will visit the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland to announce that dozens of pharmaceutical companies will be required to pay rebates to Medicare for outrageous price hikes on prescription drugs that over 750,000 seniors take per year. For the last quarter of 2023, 48 Medicare Part B drugs raised their prices faster than inflation, and some drug companies raised prices of certain medications faster than inflation for every quarter over the last year. President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act cracks down on this exorbitant price gouging, requiring these companies to pay rebates back to Medicare, saving seniors who take these drugs between $1 and $2,786 per dose on their medication.

President Biden vowed to lower prescription drug costs for seniors and families – and he is delivering on that promise. His Inflation Reduction Act finally allows Medicare to directly negotiate lower prescription drug prices, capped the cost of insulin for Medicare beneficiaries at $35, made recommended adult vaccines free, requires drug companies to pay rebates if they raise prices faster than the rate of inflation, and locked in savings of $800 per year on health insurance for nearly 15 million Americans. While Republicans in Congress fight tooth and nail to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and put money back in the pockets of Big Pharma, President Biden won’t back down from the fight to lower costs for hardworking Americans and make sure every family has access to affordable health care.

• The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a new list of 48 Medicare Part B drugs that raised their prices faster than inflation, and may be subject to inflation rebates in the first quarter of 2024 as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act. President Biden’s prescription drug law cracks down on price gouging from Big Pharma, requiring companies to pay back Medicare if they raise prices on seniors at a higher rate than inflation. Starting in January, some Medicare beneficiaries who take these 48 prescription drugs – including drugs used to treat cancer and fight infections – will have lower coinsurance than what they would have paid otherwise, and their out-of-pocket costs may decrease by $1 to as much as $2,786 per average dose.

Over the last four quarters, 64 drugs in total had prices that increased faster than inflation and may be subject to inflation rebates because of the Inflation Reduction Act. Some drugs, such as Signifor, used to treat an endocrine disorder, raised prices faster than inflation every quarter since the Inflation Reduction Act’s inflation rebate provision went into effect. Some Medicare beneficiaries who take Signifor could save $311 per monthly dose starting January because of the law.

The Administration is focused on making sure medications developed with taxpayer funds are available to Americans at reasonable prices. On average, Americans pay 2 to 3 times more than consumers in other developed countries for prescription drugs. Last week, the Administration announced a proposal to put drug companies on notice if products developed using federal funds are not made available to the public on reasonable terms, including based on price. The proposal would promote the federal government’s ability to license a patent — such as those used to create life-saving drugs — to a competitor with the goal of increasing competition and bringing costs down for families.

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Questions or Concerns? Reach us at:

Call: 908.753.3015

Email: communications@plainfieldnj.gov 

|THE CITY OF PLAINFIELD NJ|

515 WATCHUNG AVENUE | 908-753-3310| MONDAY-FRIDAY | 9 A.M.- 5 P.M.|

Volume 12 - Issue 2