Hackensack, NJ Community Message Boards

I'm a contractor.  Those aren't energy-efficient bulbs.  They are high-power Halogen lights, and each light generates enough heat to quickly make a fire. I had a worker overturn one by mistake in a customer's attic once. It nearly caused a fire in mere seconds.

I remember that one.  Fried Leafe.  The board is called The Zoning Board of Adjustment.

It's all great, but this means it's also time for Hackensack to strengthen its Rent Control Ordinance.  Last I heard, Hackensack allows 5% a year.  Many places are changing to the CPI-U for NY, Northern New Jersey, and Long Island.

It makes no sense for everyone to be maxed out on rent. It's better to have folks with as much disposable income as possible. Consumers power the consumer economy.  Or in the absence of strong rent control, consumers power the greed of landlords, and all that rent money is sucked out of Hackensack and usually out of New Jersey.

When the city investigated this same move 20 years ago, they determined that there would be NO UPFRONT SAVING at all.  The contract would cost about the same as paying the employees.  The entire incentive to move forward with the project was (1) to eliminate the pension costs which would save millions, and (2) reduce exposure to insurance liability costs, because the workers kept filing questionable injury claims against the City. There is always the threat that a claim would exceed the city's insurance policy, and the city would have to shell out money.

To be perfectly honest, I think the city is not going far enough. I would privatize almost the entire city government, including the Health Dept and code enforcement. 

I told you so, this privatization wouldn't be so easy.  In the mid-1990's there were 450 - 500 people attending in protest, which was the largest protest of any kind in the history of Hackensack, so far as I know.  I'm surprised they only massed 250 this time.  20 years ago, it was all about preserving the jobs and especially preserving the pensions.

That's a very historic house, if I recall that is the home of Captain Berry, circa early 1800's.  It's little changed except for the storefront addition.  I hope it is not destroyed

Google earth needs to update their photo, the Bogota tank farm is gone

Cutting public employee pension costs will save additional millions.

Beware of one thing, the city tried this about 20 years ago under the Zisa regime, and there was a huge uprising against it.  The city then backed off and didn't do it.

A smart move would be to negotiate with the company being hired, and GUARANTEE rock-solid that the employees being cut will secure an offer of employment from the private-sector company.