Hackensack, NJ Community Message Boards

Is anyone else in town having trouble getting mail lately?

I've had several pieces of mail sent back to senders with a stamp from the USPS saying "address doesn't exist" when I've lived at my address for 5 years.

Trying to contact the postmaster all morning...

Interesting article:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2004-08-24-nonprofit_x.htm

The $350,000 no-bid contract was awarded to the Maywood firm DMR Architects, which also was hired last year to conduct an $89,000 preliminary study of the proposals. DMR and its officers have been generous contributors to Bergen County Democrats, giving $27,050 since the 2002 campaigns in which Democrats took control of county government. Charles H. Sarlo, the brother of state Sen. Paul Sarlo, D-Wood-Ridge, also is an officer in the firm.

What's with "no-bid contracts"?  How do we know that $350,000 is a fair price of tax payer money?

Is there any concern of a conflict of interest with the state senator's brother?

I thought the city had a noise ordinance that loud machinery could not be use before 8am and after 8pm.

If that's true, how is the construction on Essex St -  Essex View Garden apartments allowed to work at 6:30am?

I find it hard to believe that city officials are proud and only taking responsibility of keeping the city's increase to "less than one-half of that increase".

When is the city going to fairly assess all properties in the city?  Why am I paying $1700 more in taxes than my neighbor (who has the same size house) simply because I did remodeling work to my house in the last three years? Does the city really think assess property is effective based on responsible homeowners who apply for permits?

Shouldn't  the city have more responsibilty with school budget increases?  How hard is the BOE cracking down on illegal students attending our school systems?  It can't be that hard if the BOE forces families to provide proof of residency or by tracking children boarding a #163 NJ Transit bus to NYC daily. Annual increases by the BOE - and teachers still have to shell out out of pocket expenses to have effective teaching classes.

Shouldn't there be a reduction in our taxes with the recent grant money the city and schools are getting from the state and federal government? 

Most of the recent increases are due to rising health care costs. Why are we shelling out the difference when most companies are pushing these increases to their employees?

Most family income increases are not meeting these taxes increases, thus we are all taking home less.

There are numerous cities and towns that have enacted restrictions on door-to-door activities. This is a total and massive violation of our FIRST AMENDMENT rights of Freedom of Speech. People don't respect Freedom of Speech any more, since the definition has been broadened and weakened by allowing Freedom of "commercial" Speech in the form of billboards (which is bullshit as far as I'm concerned).

What about my rights and where's my protection for my family and property the time a Jehovah witness stuck his foot in my door and insisting I listen to him after I declined he's "message".  In a split second I had to question his actions and the safety of myself and my family. 

If door to door activities are not registered activities, should an issue occur, I have nothing to report to the police, city officials, etc. 

If I can sign up for a "Do Not Call" list with the state and federal government, I want to sign up for a "Do Not Pander" list in town.

Does anyone know if the city has discussed the latest craze on the streets - mini motorcycles ("Pocket Bikes")?

Kids are riding these mini motorcycles on sidewalks, on the side of streets, down the middle of streets, wrong side of the road. Worst of all - most are riding without helmets.

Aside from the wrecklessness - they are difficult to see while driving since the bikes are so low to the ground. Some models of these mini motorcycles can race up to and over 40 MPH.

I haven't seen much in the news about these bikes, but I guess most towns will not deal with them till someone gets hurt.

For several months ( I posted something back in 12/2003 on the old board) there's been a missing garbage can at the Essex St. bust stop nearest to the Lakeshore Learning Store and garbage routinely piles up

So this AM, DPW crew stops by to clean up the station. Their claim as to why there's no garbage can: "Nobody was using it, dumping trash everywhere anyway". Well after a few minutes they realized how that may have sounded.  A better explaination by them was that residents in the garden apartments use the trash can to dump their own garbage in it.

Can people be this lazy not to dump their own garbage in apartment complex dumpster? If the city is having that much trouble maintaining a bus stop - how difficult is it to move the bus stop/shelter?

In all the time I use the bus stop, the stop was never this dirty with a garbage can in place than without one.  The DPW crew claim they would request another garbage can.

A year or two ago the city was testing with a company new bus stops with advertising.  Maintenance  and upkeep of the bus stops were going to be the responsibility of the company. Has anything more come of this test?