By Trudi Cunningham

How many people read or pay attention to the business section in newspapers? How many pay attention to the Wall Street reports on television? I do read about certain companies or comments about a casino problem. Other than that, I really have no interest in any of it.

If anyone has stocks or mutual funds in excessive amounts, it would be something they may be concerned about if wishing to buy or sell. I do enjoy the “Bamboozle” stories and feel good when something is resolved, but too many people get the “short end of the stick” in definitive situations.

I do have several shares of stock and some mutual funds for the benefit of my son and grandchildren, but I just go with the flow as they will not make or break me. I was taught at an early age not to put all of my eggs in one basket.

I do remember the downfall of City Federal Savings that was so tragic. So many higher-ups invested so much when they purchased shares and lost retirement funds, plus. I purchased 25 shares, being an employee at the time, but for those of you who remember, it went totally “down the drain.” I was able to include my loss on my income tax, and can thank my lucky stars it was a minimal amount in comparison to many others.

I do prefer the advantage of being able to go to a bank to take out what I might need, rather than going to a broker, writing or calling to request what might be necessary because of an immediate need.

As a last comment, I know many people seem to agree with my feelings in regard to the language situation. A definite point, to me, was made in the comics section last month. How many saw Ziggy at Echo Point with a little gadget in evidence and the writing included, “Press One For English!!!” Don’t you just love it? But will it make a dent?

Rev. John Whitehead

By John W. Whitehead

“I often wonder whether we do not rest our hopes too much upon constitutions, upon laws and upon courts. These are false hopes; believe me, these are false hopes. Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it…” – Judge Learned Hand, 1944

The bedrock of the American republic is fracturing. The Constitution is being eviscerated by government leaders and their corporate allies. The system of checks and balances embodied in that document, the mechanism which prevents the United States from sliding into tyranny, is eroding. The walls separating the three branches of government, as well as those separating the government from corporations and the military, have collapsed. With the rise of the national security state, this process has accelerated. Now, thanks to a collusion between domestic police forces and the military, we are being subjected to an onslaught of military drills carried out in major American cities, SWAT team raids on unsuspecting homeowners, Black Hawk helicopters patrolling American skies, and endless foreign wars that drain our national coffers.

Throughout 2011 and into 2012, the cities of Boston, Miami, Little Rock, and Los Angeles have all served as staging grounds for military training exercises involving Black Hawk helicopters and uniformed soldiers. The military training exercises have occurred in the middle of the night, with the full cooperation of the local police forces and generally without forewarning the public. They involve helicopters buzzing buildings and performing landing and take off maneuvers. Justified on the grounds that they prepare troops for urban warfare situations and future deployments, these training exercises also condition Americans to an environment in which the buzz of Black Hawk helicopters and the sight of armed forces rappelling onto buildings is commonplace.

Making good on the Obama administration’s promise to expand national security sweeps beyond airports and train stations, federal agents with the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Operation Shield, a program which seeks to check up on security protocols around the country with unannounced visits, recently conducted a surprise security exercise at the Social Security Administration building in Leesburg, Fla. People who went to pick up their checks at the SSA office in January 2012 were subjected to random ID checks by federal agents armed with semi-automatic weapons.

This is what the death of the rule of law looks like. While slow and measured, this dismantling of our republic has been nothing short of radical.

Over the course of the past several decades, the President of the United States has, through the use of signing statements and executive orders, established a system of decree by which he can circumvent the law at will. Members of Congress, more concerned with getting re-elected than representing their constituents, have utterly failed in their duty to serve as a check upon the president’s powers, allowing him to amass even greater powers with little consequence. All three branches of government—executive, legislative and judicial—have succumbed to an elitist mindset that favors the interests of corporations over the average taxpayer. Corporations, having bought their way into the government’s inner circle, have flooded the electoral process with billions of dollars in order to maintain their beneficial government contracts and to frustrate attempts to regulate harmful business practices.

Meanwhile, private defense contractors flood the coffers of congressmen so they will continue to pass gigantic defense bills, despite the fact that most Americans are fed up with the wars abroad. These corporations have spread their defense manufacturing jobs throughout the country, making any congressman’s attempt to downsize the defense budget political suicide. And now the United States is gearing up for more wars, with the military slowly surrounding Iran and stationing troops in the Pacific region.

The government’s massive defense spending feeds directly into another aspect of the rising power of the state: police officers using military-grade weapons in American cities, as well as the presence of military personnel and federal agents throughout the country. A number of bills passed by Congress have led to the collusion of the military and law enforcement in the American homeland. In 1981, Congress passed the Military Cooperation with Law Enforcement Act, which granted the military the power to help local police forces wage the “war on drugs” by sharing equipment, training, and intelligence. Another bill passed in 1988 allowed the National Guard to participate in drug sweeps in cities and rural counties. In 1997, the 1033 Program was initiated by Congress, which allows the Secretary of Defense to transfer surplus military supplies and weapons to local law enforcement agencies without charge. The 1033 Program has led to over 17,000 agencies across America taking $2.6 billion dollars worth of weapons and equipment from the military since 1997.

Then you have the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 (NDAA) and the Enemy Expatriation Act. The NDAA codified the right of the government to indefinitely detain any American accused of terrorism or substantially supporting terrorist actors. It was quietly signed by President Obama on New Year’s Eve. The Enemy Expatriation Act, which is currently making its way through Congress, seeks to simply revoke the citizenship of any person accused of terrorism, thus making the legality of indefinitely detaining an American a moot point. These bills completely circumvent the rule of law and the constitutional rights of American citizens.

The American people, having lost any true say in the workings of the government, have been relegated to little more than serfs whose only purpose is to serve the elite. We have allowed ourselves to be corralled, compartmentalized, branded, bullied, maneuvered, manipulated, monitored, dictated to, drugged, imprisoned, impoverished, outsourced, outclassed, outgunned, silenced, censored and stymied. In short, we have allowed ourselves to be sold to the highest bidder.

Yet this devolution toward authoritarianism, centered in the presidency and supported by corporate and military interests, should come as no surprise. The power of the executive branch has grown dramatically since World War II, aided in part by the stultifying fish lens that is television news. Under the less-than-watchful eye of the American people and without consulting Congress, the president now declares war unilaterally and commits troops to invasions and occupations of foreign countries. The power to declare war is explicitly granted to Congress in Article I of the Constitution, yet Congress has willingly obliged all military actions initiated by the president, starting with the blank check given to Lyndon Johnson at the start of the Vietnam War.

Since 9/11, the president has amassed even greater powers. The Authorization for Use of Military Force, which was passed right after 9/11, authorized the executive branch to essentially wage war against the masterminds of the 9/11 attacks. Thus began the so-called war on terror, an unwinnable war with no concrete goals other than to enrich defense contractors and entrench the military-industrial complex. Further emboldened, the president now conducts extrajudicial assassinations of American citizens and bombing campaigns using unmanned drone technology in countries—including Somalia, Yemen, and Pakistan—against which Congress has never declared war.

The courts have been equally remiss in maintaining a separation of powers between the White House and Congress. Time and again, when challenges to the president’s wartime powers have been raised, the courts have deferred to the judgment of the president and his advisors, citing the “state secrets” privilege and avoiding the thorny constitutional questions brought about by assassinating American citizens abroad, warrantless surveillance of American citizens, and indefinite detention of terrorism suspects, all in the name of national security. The federal government continues to maintain the position that these programs are completely secret and thus outside of the purview of the courts.

The monolithic American government which no longer attempts to check or balance its own behavior is a threat to us all. Without a vocal and visible response from the American public, this trend will continue, until our constitutional rights are a faint memory. If we as Americans continue to play into the desires of the elite, if we continue to give credence to the political rat race, the foreign wars, and the outrageous government spending, we are simply digging our own graves.

Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute. His new book The Freedom Wars (TRI Press) is available online at www.amazon.com. He can be contacted at johnw@rutherford.org. Information about The Rutherford Institute is available at www.rutherford.org

Alexander Mirabella

By Alexander Mirabella
Chairman, Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders

The national economy is gradually starting to improve, and now is the time for Union County to act swiftly in order to keep those gains and build a better future. The 2012 Chairman’s Initiatives, called “Putting People First,” does just that, by helping Union County residents and business owners connect with the resources they need to do their best.

One key factor is the development of a trained workforce that enables our local businesses to grow. Over the past few years we’ve made great progress in this area with the expansion of Union County College, Kean University, and the Vo-Tech high schools.

This year we will continue to expand our partnership with Kean University, which has just reached an agreement to establish a campus in Wenzhou, China. We expect this relationship to result in new business and career opportunities for Union County.

A new academy for digital media and computer aided design will be added to our Vo-Tech campus, called the Union County Tech School of Design. Vo-Tech has partnered with Kean University to help ensure that the program leads directly to college level career development.

Another area that has shown progress over the years is the work we’ve done with major employers like Wakefern, Whole Foods and Elizabethtown Gas. We’re going to build that out with the “Union County Means Business” initiative. The program is designed to connect businesses of all sizes with the resources offered by local and state agencies, such as loans, grants, and workforce training.

We are also going to keep working to make Union County a great destination for visitors and businesses. Last week I had the pleasure of announcing that in 2016 our own Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth will be the first public golf course in the 91-year history of the New Jersey State Golf Association to host the prestigious New Jersey State Open Golf Championship. We expect that the run-up to that event will generate a whole new level of interest in Union County.

In that vein, we are going to continue to ensure that Union County is in the vanguard of the global transition to clean, renewable energy and new energy-efficient technology. This is a growth sector and businesses are seeking out communities that are leading the way.

A good workforce is a healthy workforce, and Union County has a stellar tradition of promoting public health through recreation. This year in particular we are focusing on innovative new programs, sports and social activities for children and adults with disabilities.

We are also reaching out to Union County veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq with a small token of appreciation consisting of a complimentary use of our fee-based recreation offerings such as golf or swimming, and we are going to use our free outdoor concert series as a platform for recognizing all Union County veterans.

The month of February began with a good jobs report from the federal government, pointing the way to an optimistic outlook. However, we will take nothing for granted and we are more determined than ever to chart a course for long term economic stability by focusing on the people who live, work and do business in Union County.

As Governor Chris Christie prepares next year’s state budget, AARP calls on the Governor and legislature to ensure that the budget addresses NJ’s excessively high property taxes, and includes support for the many people in our state who need the help that key programs provide.

New Jersey continues to have the highest property taxes in the nation. This is nothing to be proud of; it is the major problem to be addressed. Gov. Christie and the legislature have made significant progress in slowing the rate of increase, but more work needs to be done. The Homestead Rebate Credit should be fully restored to help residents pay their highest in the nation property taxes. The Senior Property Tax Freeze should be fully funded as well.

Additionally, safety net programs must be retained, including PAAD and Senior Gold. Many low- and middle-income residents depend on these programs to help pay for their prescriptions. Family Care must continue to enable our citizens to afford the basic necessities, including healthcare. We must ensure that our citizens have the health care they need and that they can afford their property taxes so they can live securely in their homes. Nothing could be more important.

Dave Mollen
State President
AARP New Jersey

by Michele S. Byers, Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation 

Bird watchers are a unique breed. The hobby rewards patience, quiet and stillness… but get a group of birders together and it won’t be long before they’re chirping away about the birds they’ve seen, where to find certain species, and other bird-related esoterica.

But modern times call for modern means, and the New Jersey Audubon Society’s new “eBird Regional Portal” gives birders a 21st century tool. It’s a great resource for all birders.

Since ancient days, bird watchers have recorded detailed notes and observations the old-fashioned way. As a result, a wealth of information has been locked away in the margins of battered field guides and in dusty notebooks buried in closets and drawers.

Modern birders may keep notes electronically, but rarely in a way that allows for effective collaboration or sharing. eBird will change all that by harnessing the power of the internet!

eBird is a free “real-time, online checklist program” that was launched as a joint venture between the National Audubon Society and Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology. It’s a central place where anyone can log on and record observations. The incentive is that eBird maintains individual records for each user, including date, location, and checklists of birds observed.

The data can help give each user insight into his or her own information, without the time-consuming number crunching required in the past. For example, a birder can turn his eBird data into charts, graphs and even interactive maps.

All this individual data is integrated with data from around the nation, which in turn is shared with other bird data networks across the globe. This is the real power of eBird, allowing deeper knowledge for casual birders and invaluable insight for conservation biologists, teachers and others.

eBird is one of the world’s largest and fastest growing sources of data on biodiversity, offering information on where to find specific birds, population numbers, migration timetables, and much more. The global network means, for example, that a species like the Red Knot can be tracked in real time as it migrates from South America to the Arctic Circle, stopping at New Jersey’s Delaware Bayshore to feast on horseshoe crab eggs!

Regional portals – like the one maintained by the New Jersey Audubon Society at ebird.org/content/nj – takes this wonderful tool two steps further.

• Quality Control: Unusual data will trigger automated filters developed by regional bird experts, who will review flagged bits of information before they are included in the database. This ensures that the basic data in the system is as reliable as possible;
• Local Context: While the global data network is eBird’s power, the designers of the system recognized that, as in politics, “all birding is local!” So a user from New Jersey won’t have to wade through data and news from Costa Rica or Romania. The New Jersey Audubon portal means local birders get news, event listings, tips, rare bird alerts and articles focused right here.

eBird is simple enough for beginners, but detailed and insightful enough for scientists and experts. It’s also a great example of using modern technology for the benefit of nature, while retaining the community spirit that is so much a part of birding!

If you’d like more information about conserving New Jersey’s precious land and natural resources, please visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s website at www.njconservation.org or contact me at info@njconservation.org.

By Trudi Cunningham

I’m not usually at a loss when it comes to writing about certain subjects, and this is one of those times. I grew up in an average household, with parents who were supportive of my endeavors. They were not “phonies” and did the best to impress proper values in the family life. Today, I’m beyond the point where I’m impressed with so many things, namely particular cars, particular names of clothing or even food stores.

I’ve been a shopper in all categories when it comes to that, lest I forget, that includes banks, when it would be to my benefit in reference to interest involved. Have I checked second-hand stores? Of course, and how about garage sales? I’m not as agile as I used to be, or possibly as ambitious and also not in need as in my earlier years. I actually had picked up several end tables, stripped them and finished them with varnish, but eventually sold them because I had gotten new ones.

I’ve gotten off my original thought, but here goes. Do I need the latest cell phone? Definitely not, and how many would agree? At this point, I need one for an emergency, not as a status symbol. Why is it such a big deal with a car, when it’s advertised with so much horsepower or how fast it supposedly can go? The speed limit in many areas is 65 mph, but many do exceed it to their downfall. Sure, I’ve hit 70 myself, but trust me, I’m not in competition with anyone and make it a point to give myself time enough if going to a definitive location.

These are things I leave to my son, because his passion is his ’69 Chevrolet Biscayne that he would race on a track. It’s also something I never knew about and what he was doing in his earlier years. Yes, it did come out eventually, when he came home with trophies, plus a few choice words from me.

One last comment – how about some of those name brand clothes? Give me a break, with some of the ones I’ve seen and the prices charged, I wouldn’t give them house room. But then again, as is said, “To each his own.”

By Mayor Antonia Ricigliano

Too often in today’s society we dehumanize people in politics. We only recognize them as opponents. No longer do dignity and respect matter. Our disagreements become personal attacks on character and integrity rather than discussions focusing on initiatives to improving our communities and problem solving. Disagreements should prompt healthy discussions and are part of our democratic process. They should not be character assassinations.

As mayor of Edison Township, the fifth largest municipality in New Jersey, I embrace the daily challenges of this office. Difficult decisions must be made and as we all know, not everyone will be satisfied or happy with every determination. However, decisions must be based on the greater good. Once we stoop to pleasing individuals rather than doing the right thing for the entire populace we slide down a slippery slope. I encourage input from residents but we all need to understand the facts in order to reach a viable solution.

Our focus should always be all that is in the best interest of Edison Township and its residents. By working together we can accomplish many great things.

By Assemblyman Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr. (D-Middlesex)

Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan

Gov. Christie’s proposal to cut income taxes by 10 percent has once again spurred examination of our entire tax structure in New Jersey. While I support reducing the income tax rates of low- and middle-income families, the real villain in New Jersey is property taxes.

We all know someone who has relocated to South Carolina or Delaware because they simply couldn’t afford the property taxes on their home. One of the main causes of foreclosures in our state is not the inability to pay the principal and interest on the mortgage, but rather the entire payment which includes property taxes. In many cases the property tax portion is greater than the mortgage portion.

That is why I am sponsoring an Assembly bill (actually re-introducing A3618 from previous session) that will cap property taxes on one’s primary residence at 7 percent of gross annual income. The national average is between 6 and 7 percent. Any tax paid in excess of 7 percent will be treated as a credit on your state income tax return. This straightforward plan will keep retirees in the homes they have lived in their entire lives, and help our residents who feel they have no choice but to leave their family and friends for a tax friendly state, keep their homes and stay in New Jersey.

I encourage the Governor and all members of the legislature to examine this legislation and give me your input. It’s time that we once and for all come up with a bipartisan approach to end our over dependence on property taxes.

Do not cut our Social Security and Medicare benefits. Instead start cutting from top. Cut the perks and entitlements and bonuses of executives and politicians that we are paying for with money we do not have: they are not impoverished and can never spend all they already have within their life spans. Why bankrupt this country to get more of something they don’t need?

Social Security is money we earned and put aside for our retirement. If politicians want to use it for other purposes, they will be stealing our money to satisfy their greed. This is illegal and if they try it we should have them arrested and put in prison just like any other thief.

Citizens are guaranteed sovereign authority over government officeholders. Officeholders must obey all laws, serve the common good, and cause no harm.

John Kostopoulos
Roselle Park

John P. Paone, Jr., Esq

By John P. Paone, Jr.

African-American history in the United States has been recognized annually since 1926, first as “Negro History Week” and later as “Black History Month.” Carter G. Woodson, an African American historian and journalist pioneered the celebration originally designated for the second week in February, to coincide with marking the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The week of recognition became extended to the full month of February as of 1976.

In modern America, no celebration of Black History Month would be complete without reflecting upon the life of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Without doubt, his work in the area of race relations, justice and human rights has had a rippling effect upon our country and the hearts and minds of every fair thinking citizen. Attorneys understand how words can win a case and improve people’s lives. Dr. King taught us how words can change a nation and the world. On Aug. 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. King said:

“I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’ I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Dr. King’s powerful words continued during his entire time on this earth, including his last address on April 3, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee, where he said:

“Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter to me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. And I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

While it is clear that we have not yet reached the “Promised Land” and there is still much work to be done, no one can doubt that our country has come a long way toward achieving the “dream” envisioned by Dr. King. Especially, for those of us who were children of the 1960’s, we can attest to how the pursuit that “dream” has reshaped our government, our courthouse, this bar association, and all almost all facets of life. While celebrating Black History Month, we stand in awe and are grateful for the peaceful revolution championed by Dr. King.

John P. Paone, Jr. is the 2011-12 President of the Middlesex County Bar Association. He was the 1995-96 Chair of the New Jersey State Bar Association Family Law Section. He is the 2011-12 President-Elect of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers New Jersey Chapter. He practices family law with the Law Offices of Paone, Zaleski & Brown in Woodbridge and Red Bank.