Nursing homes like Van Dyk's, Care One, Christian in Wycoff, $350 to $400 per day out of pocket
They drug you and take your money.

The government has proved over and over again how inefficient they are at running businesses. Private corporations are better organized and more capable of running cost effective organizations.

It's a shame that our culture does not protect its most vulnerable citizens, the elderly. It makes good business sense to run a for-profit endeavor but where does that leave the oldest citizens on fixed- incomes and no means of support ? It could be anyones' circumstance based on bad luck and poor health.

We have all gotten so spoiled in this wonderful country. It is time to assume responsibility.

How sad it is how some want to treat the old and poor. This is the direct result of starving our country of revenue by letting the rich pay the lowest they have in taxes in over 50 years. It has nothing to do with the benefits of workers, which by the way mean they wouldn't have to depend on facilities like this when they get old. The great Republican plan is to turn it into a for profit facility and insure a steady supply of future customers by denying employees the benefits that would keep them from needing these facilities. It's been documented that when prisons and colleges go for profit, the care and service goes down and the costs always goes up.

B@B: For 20 years, I was a nursing home administrator. Our facility took Medicare and Medicaid and provided quality care. I would venture to say that our facility provided a higher standard of care than "any government run facility". It is my belief that many facilities endeavor to provide a high quality of care, which is extremely difficult with the poor government reimbursements. Changing the management of a government facility to private management will not be denying care to needy individuals; it may actually provide a higher level of care with better fiscal management. The term "for-profit" is often slanted into meaning "uncaring"; that is not always the case.

Another example of the "greatest generation" destroying something. Greed and abuse of the system did this.

Is this hospital now taking the road that the NJ State Greystone facility had to take for improvement. County and NJ State must still appoint those to RUN these facilities. Not turn over 'profit making' administators.

Aside from politics. I took care of my aging parents. It was not easy. I did the best that I could. It was my honor. A lot of this generation just want the easy way.

Modern medicine and advanced medical technology have allowed people to live well beyond their actuarial life span, but not live well. The current and future problems and cost are a prime example of the law of unintended consequences. If you live to be a super senior, then you only have two choices; either to be wealthy enough to afford the care or poor enough to receive full medicaid or medicare. If you're in the middle and live long enough, then you will join the ranks of being poor enough.

Another endorsement for good ole Doc Kevorkian

There are also the people of lower means whose children served our country with the hope they could then go on to university. Some of those children gave their lives for our country now their parents have no one to care for them as they get old

When my wife says take responsibility, we took in her parents when they needed help
. It was not easy but we prevailed. Everybodyshould look within themselves. ... Toby's husband

That was Roby's husband

Lets see a list of what political cronies work at Rockleigh. That would be interesting.

The discussion has strayed from th e original topic, but has delved into some very important areas. Barry Black is right on target. When life expectancies are extended, there are consequences. One of those consequences is the immense cost of caring for these individuals in nursing homes.
Adolpho Mostaccioli says what many people think, i.e. that if the quality of life is not extended with the quantity, it may not be so wonderful. The assisted suicide laws in Oregon have never been abused and may very well be the correct approach, even if that does not sit well with certain religious beliefs.
Roby Lambert is right and wrong. Many people do shirk their responsibilities and fail to care for their elderly parents. But there are many people who are incapable of doing so, financially and personally. In the Sandwich Generation era, people get caught between responsibility to their children and to their aging, invalid parents. It is very common to have two working adults in a family who do not have the resources to pay for home care while they are at work. These individuals are relegated to the tough choice of having to place their parents in a skilled nursing facility under Medicaid.

Its pretty stupid to have government run nursing homes. Nursing homes should be private.

I agree with BM . and that goes for a lot of other government run programs. If the government built a clock, it would take 6 years, cost 4 million dollars and run backwards. Then we would have to have a bailout package to fix it..

Sad that care for the elderly is second to the style and cost paid for prisoners.

double dipper Donovan failing to keep her promise. Selling off assets is a one-time gimmick that hurts EVERY BERGEN TAXPAYER in the long run.. SHE PROMSIED NO GIMMICKS.. less asset, smaller balance sheet, but what do double dipper donovan, double dipper Trewinski and double dipper Mayor Barrata care, as long as they make there $150,000 per year! (Trewinski at $193,000)

Unfortunately we are not dealing with the problem...we are venting with the outcomes of the problem. The bottom line, it has become too expensive to operate the government and they ( the politicians) know it, but they dont care, they just keep taxing us because we cant do anything except to keep paying and complain about it. If you think how much government has grown over the years, between, salaries, employee benefits and pensions, how can we possibly afford to take care of our elderly. When politicians who claim they are there to fix the problem are the 1st ones who benefit from it. We have life long politicians, who have made a career of serving in office and as long as a certain party achieves power they control the game, and the game is all about money. Now instead of complaining about the outcomes, we need to do something about it. In as much as the movement OWS was well intended it was targeted at the private corporations, and the politicians stood by idled because it removed the focus off of them. If Bergen County is selling its facility it is a result of bad fiscal policies and what serves the people of the community with the least amount of resistance will go 1st, not their salaries, benefits or pensions.

Ridgewood Mom: Don't forget TWO wars that were not paid for.

JUST CAUGHT THIS ARTICLE. JACK I LOVE YOUR COMMENT ABOUT THE CLOCK..

B@B....Sorry B@B , just calling it like it is. That generation didn't leave future generations much. Unless of course, contaminated soil, poisoned water and a government falling apart is considered an accomplishment. They are all about getting the freebie and it has created this problem. And don't forget, its that generation that inflated the health care costs so high that it is unaffordable. YOUR generation, just happen to take it to the next step.

@ Ridgewood Mom...can you have a conversation without having a meltdown? I was highly critical of GW and the war in IRAQ, Secondly, yea we have two unfunded wars, so what do we do??? borrow more money? Can you name me one, just one government agency or program that operates efficiently, just one? It seems you try to defend the government when it suits you but when it doesnt you criticize it...both parties are responsible for this mess we are in, if you think fiscal policy prior this administration was the reason we have a 15 trillion dollars deficit, you are mistaken...if you believe the housing crisis and financial meltdown was caused solely by corporate greed and Wall st, you are mistaken...what is happening in Paramus, Ridgewood, Trenton and Washington is a direct result of bad fiscal and monetary policy and it is not solely President Obama's fault it is the entire system, both republicans and democrats dating back decades and before you are willing to accept this fact, you are errationally having an emotionally charged conversation looking to blame rather than finding solutions. Solutions are we spent money foolishly for years we are borrowing 30 times GDP, at that rate we will have continued unemployment and if government doesnt stop or reduce its spending we will eventually wind up like GREECE regardless who you tax, I am for raising the tax rates prior Bush, it is Obama who extended the tax cuts, so before you loose it try to understand I am for solutions. not arguing

We Spend more money on foreign aid than we do to care for our homeless, sick and elderly...We send our 5th fleet to the Middle East to assure the flow of oil continues to countries in the Pacific Rim, rathen than adopt a domestic energy policy, We allow the Federal Reserve to manipulate our currency 1st by raising rates than by lowering rates to the point that we no longer can afford to purchase food, energy, healthcare and education, due to inflation in the mean while all the politicians in Washington and Trenton continue to have lucrative benefits, salaries and lobbyist contact who assure them the money neccessary to win elections and control power. power to manipulate the system...and we actual have people in the middle class who defend them, that is sad, our liberties are being taking away and we dont even realize it

fact is , the scumbags in washington, and in your local , county and state governments, have robbed us all blind, stolen the $$$, wasted it, threw it away on their own pet projects or wasted it on programs designed to keep them in office- 2.7 trillion in federal income taxes collected per year- can't even count the local, county,state, sin and consumption taxes- and those scum can't come up with a lousy few billion here or there to take care of the ones who need it most- our elderly- they should all hang their heads in shame, or maybe, just hang themselves

The solution as I see it is to vote all Incumbents out who have been in office for more than 2 terms. The problem is that there are too many partisan voters that believe in the donkey or the elephant,

APOLOGIES, I did some research...the current deficit stands at 15 trillion dollars, we are at 103% GDP...that means our governments total debt is equal to our total economy...and people are worried about closures of Nursing Homes...we have serious problems in this nation...serious problems

@ B&B Can I take a shot at what liberties have been taken away from us...the creation of Homeland Security...Requiring me to be fully body scanned everytime I walk on an airline, to have a member of the TSA pat me down...the expansion of the executive branch allowing the President of the US to name CZARs as to the implementation of his policies without passing through the proper Senate Hearing process...the fact that all Politicians in both the house and the senate are exempt from laws they pass. Under the claok of National Security Americans are vulnerable to govt surveliience..."the Patriot Act" At the School level forcing my children to be taught sex education without providing me the parent the right to know if my child is being administered contraceptives through the school.USing tax payer funds to bail out corporations, using tax payer funds to fund voter registration through groups such as ACORN Using tax payer funds to fund organizations which have policy infleunce through lobbyist..I can continue but it is happening and it has nothing to do with 9/11, 9/11 was the excuse to implement it

@ Ridgewood Mom, Apologies on the meltdown crack...I know you are very well informed and research most of what you post, my only criticism is I try to remain politically un biased, I am not a republican or a democrat, although I do tend to lean democratic, with a fiscally conservative nature, I believe I am more Libertarian, but I am no Ron Paul supporter...with that said, we do agree with many of our views I just take a less political stand, I am more on the economics of the dynamics of our economy, not the politics and many of my criticism stem toward the political motivation of our elected leaders and the damages we now face due to political corruption.

So back to the topic of to sell the nursing home to a "for profit" or not. The line in this article that says private homes are required to take in 45% medicaid residents is simply not true. They may take in 10% or 20% at most. Try finding a medicaid bed for your family member in this county. I think the richest county in NJ can find the $$$ elsewhere. Maybe less upkeep on the golf courses!

How can anyone compare the fringe benefits the employees of BCHCC are given as employees of Bergen County, taking care of residents of Bergen County, to any other entity in Bergen County? Show me any other agency that actually creates enough revenue for the county to cover the cost of the facility. I don't know how many people are employed there, but I am sure the nurses, attendants, dietary aides and housekeepers are your neighbors, friends, brothers and sisters. They pay taxes and support their families. They work holidays, they work in snowstorms and power failures. Bergen County employs so many people that receive benefits....but just as happened in 1998 to Bergen Pines, the first thing the county does is try to privatize or sell one of the only revenue producing departments in the county. I believe that proved to be a huge mistake. Rampant rumors of abuse, short staffing and shortages of clean linen and supplies are the norn. But of course, Solomon, the management company that Bergen County gave the Pines to puts profit above care and they are making hundreds of millions of dollars every year while Bergen County foots the bill for the maintainence of the grounds and facility. Kathleen Donovan, wake up, learn from your predecessors mistakes. The health care center is an easy target, but I'm sure there are many other places in the county where some of the pork in the county budget could be cut without a direct attack on the vulnerable elderly the nursing home serves.

"Over time, nursing homes run by for-profit companies will try to gradually reduce the percentage of Medicaid residents, experts said," in your article above.
What "soilent green" world are your experts creating for us? Baby boomers are increasing the numbers of elderly and there will be more need for nursing homes while medicare and medicaid face fiscal problems. But you have for-profit homes reducing medicaid residents, which, in effect, means sacrificing the poor on the altar of their profit god.
"Am I my brother's (and sister's) keeper? " Cain said after killing his brother Abel.
So far, The County of Bergen thinks we are our brothers and sisters' keeper and this is why they run a nursing home in Rockleigh. But your experts are sons of Cain and think otherwise.
Capitalism can have a conscience. But these experts who try to make money off the backs of workers and the poor do not.
And, PS, Doesn't County Treasurer Al Dispoto share the same "$3.8-million" in fringe benefits with the workers in Rockleigh? Has Mr. Dispoto included his own fringe as "running a deficit" for the county taxpayer?
Also, what county division brings in the most revenues?
Answer: the Bergen County Health Care Center. So why pick on them?
Gerry Drummond

@B&B As fas as Acorn, I am not criticizing the means by which Acorn registers voters, the same as I will never criticize Planned Parenthood right to provide Womens Healthcare, My criticism is aimed at the lobbyist paid by these organization to have tax funds poured into their models. It would be the same criticism aimed at Corporate lobbyist that own republican candidates...Acorm has every right to operate and they have every right to raise funds, they dont have a right to tax payer funding for their non for pofit actions. GW Bush deserves to be in jail, along with Chenney and Rumsfeld, the most honest person in that Administration was Colin Powell...as far as your question I am so highly critical of the wrath that Bush brought on this country, he successfully distabalized the middle east...Yet President Obama also needs to be criticized for out sourcing his military opps...earlier Ridgewood Mom belived the military budget had nothing to do with foreign aid...the largest % of the military budget is all foreign aid, with it is drones, apparatus, boots or PRIVATE CONTRACTORS (mercinaries) The military budget should be cut in half, we are accomplishing nothing but making America more hated and less safer

Fair enough, Mario. We are on the same page then. :-)

When the town, county or nation own something, it costs those who pay taxes more. In recently governement releases, it was disclosed that the top 1% of the population pay 70% of the nations taxes and the lower 47% of the population pay no taxes, so you can guess who is going to pay for a county run nursing home.

@ John, It has to do with more than just paying taxes, it not just about taxes...it is about power and control, our system over the years has changed, union representation has moved from the private sector which has forced corporation to move- to the public sector, these unions through massive amounts of membership contributions control hospital contracts, school contracts and public employee contracts,lobbyist for unions control our elected officials, so without any type of accountability union contracts are awarded, benefits are lucrative and the system is being sold to us as "working American people", the cost is unsustainable .It is a fact private sector middle income earners pay scales have remained stagnant for years, good paying jobs are deminishing, and the middle class is dividing itself as we know(public vs private)...Public sector emplyees are good hard working folks, but the unions which control them and the lobbyist (lawyers) who work to structure legislature to the benefit the few is destroying our system and creating a new form of class warfare, as we divide as nation we will fall. I dont believe it can be fixed. The recent financial tsunami is now causing the destruction of our currency, the cost of food, energy, healthcare and education, is crippling middle income America, the credit which was once the driver of prosperity for middle income earners is now gone and most middle income earners do not have the resources to continue to survive. It is scarey

we should be learning from the guys that founded our great nation:
Benjamin Franklin:
I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I traveled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.

seems they know what they are talking about!

the problem today is the people have fallen for the diversionary tacticts that are being used by the government to cement their hold on power, and increase their totalitarian control over all of us- look throughout history and you can see it has happened many times- if they can keep us busy arguing with each other- they are free to do what they want- if they can take my money and give it to their pets- it means i must work longer and harder to provide for my family, and therefore are to busy to watch or stop what the gov't is doing, or, if i am on the rcvg. end of gov't.largess, i will always vote for the guy throwing me other people's money. the gov't. is all about control,gaining total control- and they are out of control right now

and speaking of the soviets-
“We will take America without firing a shot. We will BURY YOU!
“We can’t expect the American People to jump from Capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism, until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism. We do not have to invade the United States, we will destroy you from within”-- Nikita Khrushchev
and boy, how our "elected leaders" have helped this prophecy come to fruition! that little quote explains quite a lot of what is happening, and has been happening, to bring us down the path to where we are now

This country is turning into a predator/prey state, where the workforce is intentionally being driven to despiration by 1% of the population, where 441 individuals control 99% of all the wealth, and 146 corporations hold 97% of all the assets in the form of financial capital. But, blame it all on the middle class. Yeah, it's all their fault....

@Ridgewood Mom, your claims of increasing taxes on the wealthest 1% will solve the disproportinate salary levels of public emplyees versus private will never accomplish your goal of financial security for all...see my previous thread...
I dont blame the officers who recieved the benefits, I blame the numskull politicians from years ago who are no longer in office for negotiating such a ridiculous benefit, but the reason they did was because they wanted votes and through the system which exist of lobbyist...politicans serve the money train, not the contituents they serve...It was not corporate America who negotiated a 4% raise every year to public workers and benefits with no contributions...the disconnect is that public salaries are funded through property taxes and property taxes in NJ are funding salaries and benefits, it is unsustainable...OWS is not due to corporate greed, it is due to a failure in the publc education system, system with no accountability for poor teacher performance...I served 7 years on the Paramus BOE, the system has declined and continues to decline, the OWS are college graduates who have mounted thousands of dollars in student loans, who were led to beleive in an American Dream which has turn into a nightmare because of poor fiscal and monetary policy...although corp greed has its negative impact on the ills of society, taxing the 1% is not going to solve our problems to believe that is ludicrious

you got one thing right- can't tell one from the other- and that is the point- it is that fact alone- that proves it is in fact the gov't. that is the problem- they are the ones mounting an assault on all of us- they are the ones who have sold us out- they are supposed to represent the people- gov't of the people, by the people, FOR the people- all of the people. instead we have a gov't for themselves- and as such must be taken out- charged with treason, hung- if not for their fiscal incompetence , selling out for personal gain, and headlong charge towards socialism, totalitarian rule rule over us, and one world government. we would have no problem in this country taking care of those Americans who have contributed to the society and then found themselvesTRULY in need ( not 4th, 5th, 6th generation leeches) or squatters, here because they snuck in , and are a drain on the system. I feel no guilt saying I want to keep all that I work for for my family- and I feel no need to want what others have- no matter how much that might be- it is theirs.

The President needs another 1.2 trillion, he wants to raise the debt selling...16.2 trillion dollar deficit and Congress has worked for two years without adopting a budget. Congress last adopted a budget resolution in fiscal year 2010. It neglected to do so in fiscal year 2011 and appears unlikely to agree on a budget framework for the next fiscal year, 2012, which begins Oct. 1.
The budget resolution sets spending limits for broad categories of funding and is usually the first step for Congress in adopting a budget. The budget resolutions are important "organization and enforcement documents" to guide Congress through achieving most of what’s in the president’s budget.Without a budget resolution, it makes it harder to enact spending bills because you don’t know exactly what the bottom line is.After the president’s budget is submitted, House and Senate budget committees are supposed to draft budget resolutions, frameworks intended to guide the spending process, which then go to the floor for approval.But that process hasn't been working. In 2010, the then Democratic-controlled House and Senate did not adopt a budget resolution or adopt a single spending bill because the Democrats were afraid of being labeled big spenders. Great way to govern, and than we are played against one another as to class warfare...

@ Ridgewood mom...billionaires? are you kidding? millions yes, but billions? come on you are exaggerating.There is not a member of the congress or the senate that are not millionaires.Did you read my thread regarding elmowood park PD pay on un used sick days, you support this type of payout? you support 4% increase in pay not inclusive of health benefits and guaranteed pension benefits? I am in the benfits business the average healthcare insurance premium cost per family rises by 17% per year in addition to pension cost.according to the Federal reserve inflation just by social security increases, the cost of living over the last decade has remained flat, just look at interest rates over the last decade. when you begin to realize that the Federal Reserve by maintaining interest rates so low for such a long period of time more principal is required to meet public sector pension obligations?R Mom you have very strong feeling toward this arguement, the arguement you press is one from a biased opinion, whether you or a family member is a public employee, but you need to look at the numbers and re re-read my threads...public employee salaries are currently 38% higher than private not inlcusive of benefits, we are all middle income earners, you are falling into the trap of igniting a class warfare amoung our own citizens we are all working Americans, the percentage of millionaire you are talking about are outnumbered by the hollywood left, yet you continue your rhetoric

No Mario. That is not what I said. I said that there are no people who have become billionaires via working the public sector and that there are plenty who have become billionaires via the private sector. I stand by this and take you evasion as further confirmation of its accuracy. A more careful examination will further this point, as even the "millionaires" you describe in congress essentially became so via work outside of the public sector and in the private sector.

Work within the public sector is simply not a place for anyone to get really really rich. At best, it is only a leveraging tool for soliciting the favors of the private sector.

Please examine your own biases here before you go on accusing me of being biased. Are you not showing some subtle and unreasoned preference, here, for the workings of those you regard, more so, as kin?

Ridgewood Mom...I asked you if it was an accpetable practice for the people of w paterson to pay un used sick days to retiring officers and you did not respond. I am not attacking public workers, they do deserve an opportunity to make a living. It seems your point of view is that all private sector employees are comprised of bankers and corporate executives, or that because of the obscene high paying salaries of this group, it is a reason why public sector workers are deserving of lopsided contracts, And I am not biased on the contrary I will openly admit I have family members emplyed by school districts and my son is a PO...I am agaisnt any type of class warfare, I am also against lucrative contracts funding inefficiencies which are unsustainable, especially inefficiencies funded through property taxes...if you review my thread I have pointed out, the wages for MIDDLE INCOME EARNERS employed through the public sector are currently 38% higher than the private not including benefits, but it seems the arguement focuses on the 1% highest wage earners in our society, the 1 % do not reside in w paterson who are ultimately responsible for paying the retiring PO 1.3 millionin un used sick days it will be middle incoem familes who reside in w paterson, In as much as we go back and forth, i beleive it becomes arguementive without understanding our points, I think we have philosophical differences in opinion, I am certainly not bias, I am in fiance and the numbers are unsustainable.

the problem with allowing politicians to steal more money-
In 2003, when the Democrats took over, the Bergen County tax levy – which is the total amount of taxes collected – was $224.7 million. By 2010, the last year of Democratic control, the levy reached $352.7 million, records show. That’s about a 57-percent increase over eight years.-- Where is the $128,000,000.00 extra? why do they need more? they got it! what the hell did they do with it? no matter how much of our money is stolen by leeches, it is never enough- the answer is not give more, the answer is hold them accountable, and starve the beast.

Ridgewood Mom Again you are not understanding my point, you yourself stated divided and conquer, you your self have said the disproportinate income levels between the 1% and the rest of societiees does not warrant any type of reform within the public sector work force...now is as much as i agree with you and much of your substance you are accusing me of defending the financial community, My dear you dont know me at all, for my years employed as VP of Operation at a firm i was the most critical executive within my firm in 2005 I resigned from a position at a firm because of practices i did not agree with...Today I own my own firm based on my ethical standards in the business community not to mention my constant cry for lack of regulation, with that said, again I will state my poistion and please try not to distort it, I am not for class warfaare , this accomplishes no positive step forward for society, I am for tax reform and incresasing taxe son the wealthiest 1% ,I am agiants rasing tax to fund the US war machine which has destroyed nations and murdered millionsin the name of freedom, I am for downsizing the roles of all branches of government and to reform public employee benefits, not salaries...now would you answer my point on W Paterson...do the property tax residents deserve to pay 7 retiring PO 1.3 million in un used sick days? yes or no will do :)

@ Ridgewood Mom, In fact my biggest critism recently which was publishe din the Bergen Record was directed at the SEC for allowing a pass to former Governor Jon Corzine, not allowing him to be re tested for his neccessary secuirties license and continuing education requirements prior to his return to MFGlobal, it seems due to his influence he was somehow given a pass and th erequirement was waived...this is the problem with the Government, they only seem to want to govern who they seem needs to be governed

@Ridgewood Mom...I hold everyone accountable from both political parties, there are individuals who are truly terrific public servants than there are those that are puppets, and their only goal is to be part of the political machine and gain an advantage from it. As far as W Paterson and the specifics, public employees throughout the State, Police and teachers negotiate their salaries and benefits through the BOE or Municpal govt. over the years these negotiations hav egranted some ridiculous perks, (sick days) sick days are simply that sick days, your sick and you get paid, really simple, but if your not sick, in the private sector you loose them, in the public sector, they are banked, which means as they accumulate when you retire they take your average daily wage in some fashion and give you a payout. I am not blaming the PO for this, good for them for getting such a ridculous perk, I am blaming the stupid politicans for negotiating the perk in the contract. On top of Defined Benfit Pension and healthcare with no contribution for life...Listen everyone would love perks like that, it doesnt exist in the private sector, so as long as these muni, and county budget are paying out these benefits, the Nursing home closes, becaus ethe budget cant sustain it. Picture a pie chart and teh salaries benefits slice growing year in and year out, at some points other parts are elliminated...NURSING HOME

Mario and Rmom, I respect both of you and am happy to see that even when debate gets heated you two show the rest how to be civil. I tip my hat to you. Keep on truckin'.

Ridgewood MOM, you seem to constantly single public sector workers. Police/Teachers As a matter of point, many police/fireman and public employees don't receive sick days in pay when they retire it is use them or lose them period. You can attempt to bundle all unions employees in the state with the benefits but not all have the same. Mario you state they are receiving a ridiculous perks, well to you they may be but to those that negotiated in good faith to receive them it is not. They did't steal them they negotiated with their towns or received the benefits through an arbitrators award after both parties could not reach an agreement. As for Ridgewood Mom, Lincoln freed the slaves many years ago, no one has
no police officer has to work without pay in Parades or on holidays, if you wish to volunteer your time for free do it. Enough dumping on the Public Sector. I guess we will all face Obamas death panels sooner or later. One more point, everyone is knocking Romey for Baine, now obama wants to do the same thing by incorporating government agencies to make government smaller and 2-3,000 government workers are going to lose their jobs. Slynadrone went under with out tax money which the government funded it. It failed and now the company went under and 4,500 people have lost their jobs and are unemployed. One difference Romey used HIS money Obama used our tax money so he lost nothing. THIS IS CALLED CAPATILISM IS IT NOT??

@Ken...Ridgewood Mom is a genuine person who is very passionate and I trylu respect her, we agree on much and yet the ecomics of it, I think because of my background is less socially motivated...when I was studing Maynard Keynes studies on Keynesian Economics, his study on paper made tremendous sense, but when you add human nature to it, corruption and greed and motivation for self interest, Keynesian doesnt work, and I think Benankhe and Geitner are beginning to realize this as they try to impose it in Europe...Cultures do not see it the same and it is why Europe is falling into an economic black hole, again I really enjoy blogging with Ridgewood Mom and respect her opinions, there is no need for us to be disrepectful toward one another...we are all Amercians and I believe we all stand for one another.

@ Ridgewood Mom...I read this morning in the Newspaper about the REA not partciapting in the fund raiser because of a lack of contract of an association which is paid 27% higher than their peers around the state...it seems this whirl wind of contract negotiations, is going to domino throughout the state, I am not previed to the REA contract, but the Record did not portray them in a good light, that is the reason why we have such an animosity toward teachers and other public workers in this state...Dialougue is turning to retribution, I think the REA made a mistake not to particpate in the fundraiser, they are still part of the district and they still need to show solidarity to the students who they teach

Lets talk about politicians - Obama spending over 600 million in failed SOLYHDRA plus the loss of jobs now for those workers, ,SUN POWER AND BLUE MOUNTAIN OTHER COMPANIES THAT ARE GOING UNDER WHICH THE DEMOCRATS BACKED FINANCIALLY WITH OUR TAX MONIES and ROMNEY is attacked for (BAIN) spending his own monies losing it or making it, Yes taking over failed companies letting workers go to keep and grow the company and the companies do fail at times. I myself went into a business venture with 2 partners and we eventually lost the business because of the slow acconomy

(Con't) My point being this is our capitalist business in America, either you succeed or fail but with your own monies. The government should bot be in this field with our tax monies attempting to start businesses. It is as if we have our town open a restaurant or hot dog stand and attempt to make money with our tax dollars , would any where be happy with this and then the business go under I believe all home owners would be out raged mis-use of their monies. I have a great idea lets have all our towns have their own ATM machines, banks, restaurants, gas stations and then we won't have to worry about high taxes, thats if they all don't fail - whats all your opinions

@Thoungduc...I agree with your point of the Governments involvement in capitalist ventures, It shouldnt, but government should invest in its people through education and it should be done through the states not the Federal Govt, The Federal govt is too inefficient to successfully develop education, The Govt should adopt an energy policy, it hasnt, the govt should get out of the business of supporting civil wars in other lands

Mario, you clarify my point exactly, lets not knock our capitalist society that we live in, without it we only have the Government which to me is to large and to intrusive at this time and never should be.

Republicans pledged to keep the same services and got the support of the unions. Now they want to sell the Rockliegh nursing home property to a developer who want to put up McMansions and fire the union members and throw the patients to Bergen Pines.

Ridgewood Mom, I agree to an extent with your blog, however i believe the Government should step aside and let the free market work for itself, stop all these regulations that hinder small businesses from expanding or even hiring., Also stay out of attempting to use our tax payers money to interject themselves into private enterprises. Just look at the failures in million of $$$, SOLYNDRA, BLUE MOUNTAIN & SUN POWER, I'm sure you will agree that amount of monies could have been used to better our schools, roadways and helped the not so fortunate, however it is lost with thousands of workers now unemployed after these companies have gone under with our tax dollars. The government does have an obligation to main essential infrastructure but not attempt to invest in private enterprises. Why even have individuals attempting to expand into the capitalist world investing their monies and possibly losing in an investment if the Government is going to do it with Americas tax dollars$$$. Step Aside Government your out of your league and let us lose or make our monies the capitalist way.

I was under the impression that the nursing home. which had formerly been St. Joseph's Orphanage. was donated to Bergen County by the Catholic Church for the expressed use of care of the elderly or children. The facility currently houses the nursing home in front and the several schools and a day program for autistic young adults, a boarding school for troubled boys, a drug rehab counseling center called Touchstone and the Bergen County Ambulance station. How could they sell the land? Many families count on these programs. I do believe you are correct that Bergen Regional is somehow in consideration if the nursing home is privatized. All very convenient I think. But consider this freeholders....ageing is a chronic condition we shall all suffer from....BCHCC has a reputation for excellent care. You may need them some day!

Bob, I do have an outrage about the millions spend in Iraq and Afganistan, yes a Republican President sent us there, but lets look back in history in Wars and Police Actions that kept us in these countries for years, Spanish American War, 1st World War, Vietnam, Korea etc and so many other countries we have given millions in the blood of our young men and women, lets start adding up the billions that could have been spent here in the USA for our infrastructure, school, roads etc Lets talk about 150 countries in the world give or take a few that change yearly, we give financial aid to all of them, in Monies, Supplies and Military bases with our military protection while our borders are being over run, these are priorities we should talk about and eliminate half of them or more. Why are we in Panama, Germany, Japan. South America etc, we just can't be the military (POLICE) of the world in my opinion any longer or should we???????????????? Your are absolutely correct!!!!

@Thoungduc...our foreign policy has been a total disaster, and President Obama is no different and no better, the escalation of military intervention by this country around the world is at the root of the problem of creating terrorist and putting Amercians at risk...Each President has had there share of intervention, but more over to try to solve the Middle East Problems was by far the stupidest thing this country ever did...The middle east will never become democratic, ever regardless on how much money you spend, regardless hown many troops you send...It is the middle east the political system there is MONARCHY...and the countries which have converted are Military dictatorship...so to think democracy and to call Libyan Rebels freedom fighters is a joke...not to mention China has been lending us the money to create the most destabalized region in the world...Iran has nukes because we went to war with IRAQ, with Sadam there IRAN would have never developed nukes...it is a game of chess, and we are lousy chess players

Speaking of nursing homes, insurance companies raked in record breaking profits last year:

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2011/industries/183/index.html