Award for Mercer County Office On Aging

We have a lot to be thankful for this time of year and I am reminded of how much the Mercer County Office on Aging contributes to senior issues.

Eileen Doremus, Executive Director of Mercer County Office on Aging, was recognized by the city of Trenton Monday evening, December 19 at the Marriott.

In an email to Staff and Advisory Council Members, Ms. Doremus noted, " This is a team award." and proceeded to include each member's contributions in her thank you.

I can affirm that her leadership and teamwork is what makes this group so effective.

The City of Trenton's Annual Senior Gala is an opportunity to network and to acknowledge the concerns of senior citizens and ways to meet their needs. The presentation of the highly coveted "Community Award" noted how Director Doremus succeeded in helping older Americans "connnect" with the community. Doremus expressed her thanks again to Diane McKnight, Director of the Jennye Stubblefield Senior Center, and Katherine Woods, Nutrition Site Manager, for the certificate recognizing Mercer efforts in this area.

This community "connection", highly debated and funding compromised, is always vulnerable to funding cuts on a regular basis. The Office On Aging gives seniors opportunities to give back to their friends and families while they enjoy nutrition programs and social interaction. Hopefully, dedicated professionals like Executive Director Doremus can ensure that this positive direction will continue.

I read once that a hive of wasps, for example, sends its oldest members to the front of the hive to defend it if threatened. The theory seems to be that the younger wasps are the most valuable to the hive and have a preferred status for survival.

Thank goodness we are not shoving senior citizens to our front lines because they are considered expendable. I like to think we are more advanced on the evolutionary scale and, as such, value seniors and the elderly for the enrichment of our entire society. This is something that sets us above lower forms of life...or does it?

Congress is jammed up again on budget issues. Everytime this happens, there is a hue and cry about Social Security entitlements and the barrel of that cannon swivels around again...kapow!

When a community like the City of Trenton reaches out and acknowleges the Mercer efforts and teamwork for seniors, we all cheer. It recognizes senior issues as a productive direction for the future. The Office on Aging here in Mercer keeps chugging along, hoping for more funding, working on schedules that would knock Rocky to his knees, but always with determination and the gift of foresight that has been finally honored.

Let us keep this in mind in our next election and hold candidates accountable to our needs and issues.

Seniors rock!

Social Security "Entitlements"

I am so steamed up about this debt load from the War in Iraq that words fail me.

Back in July I wrote about this use/misuse of our Social Security Trust Fund monies.

The blog date is July 27, 2011, and the article said it pretty well. Instead of sputtering in frustration today, I invite you to read it again.

This week Congress is again waffling on budget concerns and passed a "two month extension" of approval for budget appropriations. Are they kidding?

Imagine that you are an accountant trying to keep your client organized and projections relevant. Imagine that you are a SSI or Social Security recipient and need monthly income to survive. What are they thinking?

It is time to send a bulldozer down to Washington and flatten some offices. Maybe if they have to stand in the street, like the protesters in New York and Los Angeles, Congress might get down to business faster and have much more focus.

No, I do not consider myself a tea party fancier. I am a frustrated liberal who is appalled by the lack of common sense in our capitol.

Let's cut our military budget back to Eisenhower (pre-Regan days) and let states and private enterprise do their own thing. Ethics and regulation, oversight and supervision is just so much crap. I would dearly love to hear a professorial discussion between Newt Gingrich and Barack Obama. They are both teachers and of high intellect. (Really) I would like to see just what is going on. Then we can turn our sights to Congress and the apparent dim-wits who are really running our country.

To Congress: Get a life. Get some smarts. For crying out loud, get over project and pork barrel swaps and pay attention to what the country really needs.

Get rid of lobbyists because the types of industry and business they foster are not good for the long run. An example: Buffets and catered cocktail parties to sway legislation to build a "bridge to nowhere", or "let elephants perform in the circus", or "count the number of times a shrimp jerks its legs when exposed to nasty stuff".

I am not exaggerating too much; these examples are just a bit altered from the real McCoy.

The kind of changes in our economy that we need are down at the grass roots level. Forget the 50 thousand dollar loans. Do you have any idea how many really small incubator loans can be made for that sum?

There is a church project to buy a $100 heifer for a needy woman in a poverty stricken country. The opportunity the heifer represents is hope. The heifer grows and is bred. It has a calf and gives milk. The heifer is potentially a calf producer, the milk is nutritious and can also be sold. After a couple of years, the calf/cow represents independence.

For our circumstances, micro loans can do the same thing.

Large loans incur a lot of interest and this cost is out of proportion to fledgling business ideas. Micro loans are better able to let a good idea take root and grow.

Lets think about that kind of helping hand at this holiday season.

Seniors rock.

Holiday Thanks for End of Iraq War

Today, December 18, will go down in history as the end of our involvement in Iraq. Well, hopefully that is the case.

From the first step on Iraq soil to our last nighttime trek into Kuwait, this has been a sad sojourn for America and its allies. Gas price per gallon today is $3.05 per gallon at the pump. That has nothing to do with winning or losing the war but it did have a lot to do with why we went into Iraq.

At the time President Bush was trying to convince the world that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction, we were one of the countries that had had trouble negotiating for oil with Saddam. The French were successful but Britain and the US were not getting anywhere. I was not paying attention to oil at the time but did try to affirm those reports of the infamous "weapons of mass destruction". All the quotes and sources that both the Brits and Bush were using seemed to be repeating the same origins. Now wouldn't you think that Hillary Clinton and others who opposed going in would have been smart enough to figure that out?

If everyone else is on the bandwagon, you are labeled as unpatriotic by your peers. It gets harder and harder to stay the course. I applaud those who did have the common sense to vote against our involvement. Locally, Congressman Rush Holt voted against going in. He is and was a very smart man.

What did this war really mean for our country? Now we add up the cost.

Brown University has carried out research and one study is "Cost of Wars Project".
It estimates that it cost the US between 3.2 to 4 trillion dollars to look for the phantom weapons of mass destruction. The Department of Defense cedes 357.8 billion but that was borrowed monies so there is interest due. Expect another trillion or so in the future to care for the maimed veterans who have survived to come home.

Ahem. Borrowed monies. Borrowed from where? Try our Social Security Trust Fund on for size. I am not going to say more but if a Republican Congressman stands in front of me to insist that he "must" cut my social security benefit which I am living on, because it is a superfluous "entitlement"....well, sir, follow the bear over the mountain.

Before I finish today, I suggest clicking on to the following link for a first hand reply to Newt Gingrich's blithe consideration of poverty.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/13/opinion/granderson-poor-families/index.html This is a link to a thoughtful article prompted by recent Newt Gingrich's comments.

The Social Security Trust Fund is this government's largest creditor. Don't tell me you're going to take away my Social Security just so you won't have to pay the interest on the Bush Iraq War Debt!

Seniors rock.

Pre-Holiday Jitters

Andrea Boccelli sang "Amazing Grace" on Good Morning America today. It was a hanky box spot for sure. He is just beautiful and his voice is wonderful for these special hymns. "I was blind and now I see..." just set me bawling in front of my cat and coffee. I managed not to spill my coffee and luckily no one else caught the spectacle. I just couldn't pass it up, even if I would be late to go to school. I just felt enveloped by his warm tenor voice, the Christmas decorations, the whole holiday thing....

Wow, I just took a look at the calendar. Where does the time go?

Aside from the fact that I am a year older...and I feel a year older...But, hey that's not an excuse to stop perking along. If we were roasting coffee beans what kind would you be? (Just not that super expensive kind that is harvested from monkey dung...or whatever...geez, please.)

No, I think I would be Evergreen Mountain berries that think they grew from New England or New Zealand, or some place that coffee doesn't usually grow, because I am a non-conformist for sure. Picture a greenhouse stuffed with ripening coffee berries on the slopes of New England's Mt. Washington...and when the weather gets nippy, imagine being toasted...and then steeped into your by-the-fireplace brew.

I think this nonsense is coming out of a campus-rat frazzled brain. I have a major exam tomorrow, a filming on Friday, and another presentation next week. Phew!
It is supposed to be time for holly and evergreens and I am pricked by exam schedules. I think even my teachers are burned out.

The December angst has not settled in yet and I still watch commercials thinking that "That one is nice." or "Maybe that would be great for my son-in-law." Come to think of it, there are only a handful of shopping days left before Christmas or the other celebrations in December.

I don't think I can handle anymore stress. If you have a computer you probably already shop online. Of course there are shipping costs and waiting for parcels to arrive. I found that calling stores before time to see if they carry an item does cut down on the randomness of the shopping experience. Sometimes, the stores just do not know what they have in stock and you waste a trip anyway.

I am trying not to get overly excited about this but the holidays are almost upon us.

If you know someone who is elderly or disabled, drop in on them or at least phone. Sometimes a cookie gift just might brighten up their day.

Years ago, my mom and two daughters used to get together two weekends before Christmas and bake cookies. Through the years, when grandchildren arrived, they were also included. We have some wonderful photos of the kids helping decorate the sugar and spritz cookies.

When my mother declined to the level of nursing home care, we still kept her supplied with homemade cookies. I brought in platefuls for the nurses and staff with tags that noted that my Mom and Santa had gotten togther in order to thank everyone for their friendship and caring.

If you know anyone who is hospitalized or in a nursing home this holiday season, I suggest that you drop in and pay them a visit. It is appreciated more than you know.

As senses deteriorate in an aging person, the ability to hear lasts longest. Melody and rythmn also stimulate the senses and make everyone feel so good. Try singing with some of these elderly folk and you will all have such a great time.


As the evergreen boughs come out and the ribbons unfurl, think about the end result and having family and friends home for the holidays. Ahhh. So much better this year.

Santa's elves rock.

About Thanksgiving and Rivers and Woods

Thanksgiving. I just finished writing about the holiday and for the second time, watched my article vanish. Somewhere out there there is my neat story about the holiday. I am not sure if it is Google or the prompt that keeps asking me to try the "new page"(that is what happened the last time when I said I would try). It blipped out into the nether sphere.

Oh well.

I feel like Scrooge at Christmas time. My leg is propped up on a cushion and I am not driving to visit family. Bummer. My doctor wrapped it beautifully in an ace bandage and it felt better so I think I will follow his advice and chill.

I do miss family. I miss the connecting and conversation. Phone calls and facebook just are not the same. There is an odyssey quality to "over the river and through the woods". Sometimes we would put a log on the Franklin stove and sit back with peppermint cocoa and feel the holiday seep into our bones. Sitting in the living room, in a house set into the hemlocks and rocks with an address known as "Lime Kiln" or "Bear Cave Road", somehow says it all. It's about history and the journey.

One of the articles on TV today was about an octopus that had left his ocean lair for open air to look for lunch on land. I watched fascinated as he went to dinner "over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's House". I know many of us are also travelling this week in order to greet family and friends and share in this harvest tradition. I guess, looking at this octopus as he felt he had to seek broader hunting options, that we have something in common.

This is the time of year to be celebrating joy and family, of course. The media is full of the usual obligatory story line of giveaways and reunions. We keep tissues at the ready. But come on now, what about the shenanigans in Washington? Once again the Social Security program issue is up for grabs. I am not a Tea Party follower but we have to get a grip on our finances and it should not come at seniors' expense.

Senior centers feature donations of day old bread, damaged fruits and vegetables, foodstuffs that markets are not able to merchandise and there is a scramble as seniors pick over damaged goods to stretch limited pensions. Many seniors have a history that dates back to the Great Depression where salvage skills meant survival.

When Social Security was first designed, it coincided with the growth and lobbying of evolving corporations who were defensive of social oriented programs that might cut into their profits.

I am reminded of the woman who personally thanked President Roosevelt after Social Security was first implemented and she finally had eye glasses and coal for her furnace.

Today, our society is fractured, in most households both mothers and fathers work, and most families today are not able to care for the elderly. Social Security has become a lifeline.

The Protest Wall Street movement has spread all over the world as the basic needs for food and shelter have become global priorities. If we are not going to address these issues now, there is going to be a bigger catastrophy than global warming as social unrest floods our world.

I think back to Thanksgivings where we did celebrate harvest. That was the time when pigs became sausage, beef was canned, frozen or dried into jerky, vegetables were salted down or put in the root cellar to be enjoyed in the winter months. The jars of fruit and pickles were jewels in the basement as precious as a savings account. But now your Thanksgiving basket is likely to be store-bought bread, canned cranberry sauce, canned veggies, and the ubiquitous frozen turkey. That takes money and therefore becomes that perfect example of what has happened to our society.

With all the resources this country has, we should not let Congress lynch seniors on a limb of expediency while most of our country's resources are held by an elite one percent.

I am dedicating my comments today to my family and grandchildren, my friends, and especially to my mom and all those loved ones we lost this year.

Seniors rock.

Death Derivatives Must Be Stopped

In case you forgot: I told you so. Not just once but twice.

Derivatives are bad. Betting on bundles of stuff like life insurance policies and using retirement trust funds to do it is making retirees invest in interests that would profit by their deaths.

Keith Fitz-Gerald, the Chief Investment Strategist for Money Morning, in the October 12, 2011 edition, calls death derivatives the next global "black swan". He finally picked up on what I have been harping on for over 18 months.

Insurance companies should not be in the life and medical business. Life insurance policies that pay out when a person dies, have a liability for the insurance company at the time they have to pay the claim. They are required to keep reserves to pay claims and the longer a policy holder lives, the longer they have to keep money around and the less profit they make.

If an insured dies in an expected time, the company covers it. If it takes longer, that money is tied up until needed. Worse yet is that dropped policies can be rescued if someone invests (picks up premium payments) and plans on a return soon, ie a cancer patient or someone who statistically will not live past a certain point.

Banks pick up these policies, bundle them, make money on the transfer fees or speculating on possible return, so they add them to inventory.

The SEC asked one of these companies, Life Partners to describe how they managed to set a value on their product. Keep in mind that there is nothing tangible to back these bundles up other than the possibility that the insured will die sooner rather than later.

I think derivatives are gambling, a huge Ponzi scheme that will drag down the world economy, because there is nothing tangible to back them up.

See my posts of 5/14/11, 2/14/11 and the initial one about murder derivatives May 3, 2010.

And an afterthought, I imagine that some of the profits of these billions of unsecured dollars find their way to the bonuses of major bankers and enable their lavish life styles. This is not the way our Calvinest hard work ethics is supposed to work.

What ever happened to ethics? Shouldn't Wall Street's way of doing business reflect tangible things like selling a real product instead of gambling?

Maybe those Wall Street picketers are on to something.

Seniors rock.

Is This the New Normal?

I am watching Sunday morning news reports while reading Google computer generated news items and, as the scramble of images fires up my brain, I wonder: Is the ugliness of today and media presentations the sign of a new "normal"?

President Obama is faced with another budget showdown on September 30 if our legislators cannot agree on another budget extension. That means another "a-ha!" moment for seniors who wonder if social security checks will be issued October 1.

And that is not the best part....

President Obama has trumpeted that the challenge facing our country is the choice of taxing our millionaires and billionaires...or making seniors pay more for Medicare. "Its simple math..." he says.

The issues going on behind the scenes break down to scaling back tax subsidies, letting Bush tax cuts expire, or making the investments tax a flat 15%. Presently, many wealthy investors manage to pay much less or even zero dollars as they take advantage of tax breaks and deductions. The Republican alternative is to cut back on seniors' Medicare and Social Security benefits while keeping billionaires tax structure status quo.

Has anyone heard about the protests in Wall Street this week? Protests so large that 80 people were brutally arrested in just one day? There seems to be a media blackout about volatility in the heart of our New York financial district. There are hundreds of protesters, living in the streets, until their point is made. We are covering the events in Syria and Arab countries more thoroughly than we are in New York City.

What is going on here? Do any of you remember the protests of the sixties? I do. I remember Kruschev pounding his shoe at the UN. We were huddled in the Student Center at Rutgers at the time and were sure that a bomb was going to be launched at any minute. I remember protests about the Vietnam war. Getting married and dropping out of school meant that my husband was deferred from being drafted in that ill devised entry which cost thousands of American lives. I remember Kent University and the Black Freedom movement, I remember Michael Luther King before he became charismatic Martin Luther King and the symbol of African American justice in America. I remember those protests and the media coverage that let the rest of the world understand their messages.

So how come there is no coverage about this protest in New York? This "Occupy Wall Street" protest is intended to bring attention to their desperation: "We are the 99 percent...getting kicked out of our homes...forced to choose between groceries...medical care...getting nothing while the other one percent is getting everything."

Some protesters have joined ranks as college graduates with hefty tuition bills, over a hundred thousand dollars, with no job opportunities in sight. Others have lost homes and find the tent city accommodations on the street to be their "normal".

Wall Street has become demonized, but more importantly, what was once viewed as an engine of our capitalist economy is now facing transparency, regulation, more bankruptcies, for a new reality. These 21st century protestors march for the same human basic needs as those in France and Russia a hundred years ago.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Lets hope this is not the new "Normal".

Seniors vote.

Trenton Fog

That mist rolling in off the Delaware River has settled over Trenton's City Hall like that bluish black cloud that follows the actor in the ad. Instead of "feel-good" snake oil, Mayor Mack has got to take some hard medicine.

The latest police director is reported in the Trentonian to be considering a hike. Isn't there anyone in these four wards who is willing and qualified to take on the police department responsibilitiy?

The difference between a city Chief of Police and a Police Director is traditionally one of accountability. The Chief of Police is a rank of the Police Department. The Police Director is a civilian, who may be a former career police officer, but in a city with diversity issues is expected to interface between officers and civilians.

It seems to me that this city will not fill the shoes left by the dismissal of Irving Bradley, Jr. for a long, long, time. This is a position that requires brains and finess as well as a degree of integrity which should both reflect the mores of the administration and the pinnacle of police policy.

So how is it that Mayor Mack has such a hard time filling this job? He got more than he bargained for when Ernie Williams put his foot down. He has not been able to convince the DCA of the suitability of most of his potential hires. Why should we be surprised that this latest Police Director appointee is about to take a hike....

My sinking feelings are matched only by the hole in the boat that is Trenton.

I think that it is time to print more recall petitions. Getting signatures to recall this Mayor one of the last things we will be able to do without holding our noses.

Rock that boat!

Trenton rocks...

Grandparents Day is September 11

This Sunday, September 11, 2011, is the tenth anniversary of terrorist attacks against the United States. While we stop to remember those who died in the Twin Towers in New York, Flight 93, or the Pentagon, we should also stop to honor those who are still with us, our Grandparents.

Television coverage today showed the faces of children who lost their mothers and fathers in the dust and horror of those crumbling buildings. Their faces were full of hope and steadfast love in spite of their legacy.

In that horror, when a huge chunk was torn from a nation's heart, grandparents stepped up. It was both privilege and responsibility to insure that those children were given the support to become the people we see before us today.

The events of 9/11 resonated with all of us. After the dust settled and the thousands of lost lives were tallied, grandparents were there. Collectively we put our arms around the stricken, some of us rememembering World War II, some of us remembering the Korean Conflict, some of us remembering the War in Vietnam....

We held you in arms that had been emptied also from those wars...so we wept with you.

We know pain; we feel pain. May our children's children never again have to feel that boundless and unequaled pain from losing a beloved child... or grandchild, husband or lover in another wartime conflict. So grandparents were there.

Grandparents are unique and the Mercer County Freeholders agreed!

Many people are not aware of this, but Mercer County has created a special spot to meditate or picnic at closeby Mercer County Park. It has been dedicated as "Grandparents Grove" with beautiful picnic tables just off the marina area. There are lovely views and lots of activity. The tree colors at the lake are going to be changing to red and gold soon. so bring your camera.

Grandparents Day Quotes:

"No cowboy was ever faster on the draw than a grandparent pulling a baby picture out of a wallet." Author unknown...
A grandfather is someone with silver in his hair and gold in his heart." Author unknown...
"Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting." Author unknown.

This weekend, we should spend some time with our grandchildren, or even our own grandparents, and say "Thank you."

Grandparents are always there for their families and for the community.

Revere, Respect and Remember.

Grandparents rock!

Burglars Masquerade as Emergency Responders

This is a news flash from the Artfull Codger!

Ewing Township Police have confirmed that there is a team of burglars, pretending to be storm emergency electrical workers, who are preying on senior citizens.

Two Hispanic males presented at the victim's home communicating in Spanish over hand held phones. One was wearing a reflector vest and convinced the homeowner to check for storm damage in the back yard. When the homeowner realized the other male had remained in the house, she went back only to see the him running out of the home and over the fields. The first man then took off. Several items of jewelry and personal items were stolen.

We seniors are thankful for the help and rescue efforts of our electrical service providers as they attempt to bring customers back on line after Hurricane Irene.

However we must remain vigilant.

Do not let anyone into your home or on your property unless you have seen identification. These perpetrators are professional and believable and out to strip you of anything that can be disposed of quickly.

Keep your local police department hot line number at your phone. I cannot emphasize this too much. The local 9-1-1 line goes directly to the New Jersey State Police and you will lose time in a police emergency.

Keep 9-1-1 for medical emergencies like bleeding, breathing, and poisoning.

Be aware.

Be safe.

Seniors rock.

Comcast Subsidies: Are Seniors Next?

Comcast was required recently to make some public relations enhancements in exchange for the Warner Brothers purchase agreement. In the Philadelphia viewing area, the result was that Comcast will service any low income household with school age children for less than ten dollars a month.

About five years ago, under Governor Corzine, New Jersey instituted a tax on cable companies which was to be put into a fund to provide a television subsidy to low income seniors and disabled residents.

When the fund got to $9.2 million, it was put into the General Fund by present Governor Christie and siphoned off to offset the State's budget deficit.

The end result is that many New Jersey senior citizens and disabled residents have had to drop service since they do not have enough discretionary income to cover the cost of cable television.

The government mandate to switch from analog to digital signal a year ago has not been a good thing for low income residents. It was enormous market potential for cable and network providers. Each digital channel can be broken up into many sub-channels so advertising and the variety of programming is potentially extremely profitable.

The hapless low income person who cannot afford to update electronics cannot use the present digital broadcast signal. The only options are to purchase a expensive digital receiver or to sign on with a cable provider.

This is a good time for Comcast to lead the way and make up the difference.

For those New Jersey residents who have been caught short by present Social Security freezes, a subsidy like that proposed for Philadelphia subscribers would mean being able to follow news, weather and emergency reports and, for many elders, would likely be their only form of entertainment.

Seniors rock.

Good Night, Irene

Here's how to describe the day after hurricane Irene: that feeling of dampness, like trying to wiggle into a wet sweatshirt left in the dryer on a tumble cycle instead of perma-press; and the smell...pungent and doggie, mildewy musty and limberger cheese, with so much humidity that water condenses in a droplet at the end of your nose.

This is the kind of stuff you won't find on the Channel 6 news reports. No fancy videos, just moist misery that comes from being surrounded by so much water: Water in the bathtub, water in the sink, water hanging in the air, water bashing against windows when hurricane winds gust past, water-water everywhere, coming down the Delaware in dangerous cascades making folks leave Trenton's Island community once more for safety.

On the one hand we are safe. On the other, Trenton is still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Flood crests are expected at record or near record levels well into tomorrow.

Governor Christie is scheduled for an update tomorrow, Monday, so resuming activites throughout much of New Jersey will probably wait until after his official update and the flood crest emergency is over.

During emergencies such as this one, the urge to find information drives members of the community to share their latest updates with whomever they come into contact. This primitive sharing is part of our social beast persona of course. However, sometimes unreliable sources and inaccurate information can lead to gossip.

Over the past 24 hours, several rumors have flourished in Trenton. Channel 6 unwittingly promoted one about the Trenton Water Company shutting down service "at 9 o'clock" and panicked residents started filling bathtubs.

Calls to authorities resulted in assurances that water was fine and in good supply, but the rumor persisted.

Channel 6, Philly, had a face/book I-pad "app" accessibility that let just about anybody post updates and someone posted a water company shutoff for Trenton. The commentators picked up on it as news.

Saturday night, it took Mayor Tony Mack and his personal interview over Channel 6 to correct the situation.

Today there was an early morning rumor that everyone in Trenton had to boil water...which was also unverified and so hopefully people will ignore that also for now.

The Trenton Police Department assures us that if there are any important changes in Trenton's Water Company service the Mayor's Office will use reverse 9-1-1 to notify residents of the emergency.

We must not spread rumors. Like the game of gossip, what starts out as a simple thought is bound to change each time it is repeated until it morphs into a fact with a life of its own although dead wrong.

The City of Trenton website for city affairs maintains updates on storm developments. That is much more reliable than gossip.

One more thing, those 500 seniors in Atlantic City who stayed behind and refused to be evacuated are doing just fine. I bet some of them are positioned to be the first AC residents into favorite casinos when the Boardwalk night-life re-opens tonight.

Seniors rock!

Hurricane More Than Another Life Lesson

August was a bumpy month. I blasted through a concentrated biology course, was invited to an honors course this fall semester, bought my books, and just when I thought I could get a breather, we had an earthquake.

Now for heaven's sake. That was supposed to be a "once-in-a-life-time event" for the east coast, but then came news of hurricane Irene. Irene has a heck of a press agent and trumps the 5.9 earthquake with "not since 1903 has a hurricane hit New Jersey"!

I think I am out of adrenalin. Yep. Matter of fact here is my laid-back mental checklist:

Fill the bathtub so you can flush the john, find those fifteen year old matches left over from the nanny's wedding so I can light the centerpiece candles from both daughters' weddings,(I have been lugging them around for almost twenty years just because I could not bear to throw them out), run the fridge temperature up to high, fill my tea kettle with tap water, fill bottles to drink and water the kittycat...round up canned ravioli and evaporated milk, go to People's Bakery for a week's supply of torpedo rolls, check out the supply of peanut butter and jelly, change batteries in my flashlights, locate bandaids and antiseptic, surgical tape and duct tape...and of course my new text books.

Worse case scenario, I can study.

I hear that there are 600 seniors in Atlantic City who do not want to leave their high rise housing. Since they are talking about their walking down many many flights of stairs, I can identify with them. If they have comfort issues, like diapering or accessiblity, they may opt to stay in a part of their apartment where they feel they can cocoon.

I hope that they are safe. Let us not forget that seniors have life experience that has gotten them this far.

Some of the persons in our society today have a tendency to label everyone for convenience or reduce individuals to statistics.

Just maybe these folks feel their collective histories give them an advantage over a younger population that has become accustomed to "services". Give these folks room, please, to determine their own fate.

Well, here comes Irene. Stay safe.

Seniors rock.

Senior Art Show 2011 Results

Wow! We are all winners!

This year's contest is history and the broad participation of Mercer senior artists and community members have made it a truly memorable event.

Kudos to the Mercer County Office on Aging, Mercer County Division of Culture and Heritage, Mercer County Department of Human Services, and the Board of Chosen Freeholders for producing this year's successful Senior Art Show.

Mercer County Executive, Brian M. Hughes, pointed out that this was the second time in a week that the Freeholders had attended an art event. That is encouraging for us because funding for seniors is disappearing in so many areas.

Keeping our art alive is important for two reasons: it benefits self expression, of course, but also produces a legacy to pass on to succeeding generations. Seniors have unique perspectives that only come from years of experiences living in worlds that will never happen again.

With that in mind, it give me great pleasure to introduce this year's winners of the Mercer County Senior Art Show.

First Place and Best in Show: Terry Goldstein's work on paper titled "Pain".

First Place and Juror's Choice: Joan Birchenall's watercolor "Waiting for Passengers".

Oil Painting---
non-pro: First Place, Raj Oberol,"Quta-Minar Tower"
Honorable Mention, Judith Tallerman,"Isabella"
pro : First Place, Jean DePietro,"Lilacs in Silver Teapot"
Honorable Mention, Norman Fesmire,"Lucas"
Acrylic---
non-pro: First Place, Carol Johnson,"Senior Tea Party"
Honorable Mention, Gerri Butcher,"Serenity"
pro : First Place,Emily Chapman, "Amsterdam"
Honorable Mention, Jean Lyndall-O'Donnell, "Stardust"
Watercolor---
non-pro: First Place,Joan Birchenall, "Waiting for Passengers"
Honorable Mention, Kuen Liao,"Street"
pro : First Place,Jackie Wouwenberg,"Winter Meadow"
Honorable Mention, Suzanne Hunt,"Hoping Hopewell"
Photography---
non-pro: First Place, Joe Schmeitz, "NYC Skyline"
Honorable Mention, Anne Benedict,"Stowaway"
pro : First Place,Janice Montervino,"Faith"
Honorable Mention, Gerald Sternberg,"Halong Bay, Vietnam"
Works on Paper---
non-pro: First Place, Terry Goldstein, "Pain"
Honorable Mention, Frank Pastore, "Little John"
pro : First Place, Ming Ji,"Landscape"
Honorable Mention, Robert Allard,"Clinton Mill"
Craft---
non-pro: First Place, Ronald LeMahieu, "The Maize God"
Honorable Mention, Pauline Weber,"Victorian Tulips"
Mixed Media---
non-pro: First Place, Nancy Scott, "The View"
Honorable Mention, Ahuva Arie, "King David Playing the Lyre"

Special thanks to the Show Judge, Margaret Kennard Johnson. Her impressive resume includes Pratt Institute, University of Michigan, Black Mountain College, just for a start. I was told that she is also in her nineties! That makes her truly a find for our show. I am so sorry that I did not have the pleasure to meet her.

This was a beautifully presented show thanks to the combined efforts of Eileen Doremus, her staff, and the folks from Meadow Lakes. My notes from the reception are incomplete so I apologize for those hard workers and coordinators I have left out.

You know who you are and I speak for artists everywhere who would not be able to have a forum or platform or venue if it was not for your efforts. Your enthusiasm and support for our art show makes you key to our success.

One more thing, the winners of this show are now going to be heading to the State Show which will be also presented at Meadow Lakes. I will post details as them are available.

Senior Art Rocks!

Uncle Sam: What Happens When A Relative Borrows Money

It has been said many times that you should not lend money to family members unless you get it in writing. Collecting later could be tough because you do not want to cause trouble in the home.

Well, our good ol' Uncle Sam is no different.

Here we seniors thought we were getting straight goods. So when our congressmen told us that, because of the huge national debt, drastic measures were necessary...like cutting our Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits...we listened in disbelief!

Seniors are team players so we thought we were all pulling together...so everyone would feel the pain. Well the miserable sons of guns have been trying to make a case for cutting back "entitlements". "Entitlements" implies that seniors are standing with hands out for doles just because they are older and feel somehow "entitled" just by being retired.

Now People, don't get your shorts in a twist, I know that seniors and disabled have been paying into the system for years, and this is a benefit policy that pays out for eligible persons so they can have some security in the retirement years.

What no one has been willing to 'fess up to is that Congress, Our Government, has been borrowing out of the Social Security Trust Fund and it is now only a paper entry that shows what monies are supposed to really be there. Don't think for a minute that there is a gold depository of trillions of dollars that we are using to send out those monthly Social Security checks.

Reality is, according to my take on the subject, that there are monies presumed to be flowing through the books which enable Social Security Checks to be written and therefore cashed in the system. Social Security automatic deposits serve to make this a real time event but the money still has to come in from somewhere because there is no pot of gold to write checks against.

Now the National Debt figures in because Uncle Sam owes us.

This controversial "national debt", dontcha know, can be summarized by listing each country we owe money to and then adding numbers up to see just who is holding our national mortgage.

The biggest mortgage holder is not China (only 1.6 trillion or 8percent), not Japan (a mere 912.4 billion for 6.4 percent), not the United Kingdom (346.5 billion for 2.4 percent), not Hong Cong (121.9 billion for .9 percent) or even U.S. State and Municipal governments with 506.16 (3.5 percent)....not commercial banks (301.8 (2.1 percent), private pension funds 504.7 (3.5 percent) or even the United States Treasury (1.63 trillion)...nope, THE LARGEST MORTGAGE HOLDER IS THE SOCIAL SECURITY TRUST FUND AT 2.67 TRILLION DOLLARS (19 PERCENT).

The United States Government has sucked out almost all of the Social Security Trust Fund. The Social Security Trust Fund has been lending its money to the Federal Government for decades, and now holds paper that accounts for almost Twenty Percent of the National Debt.

The Social Security Trust Fund is owed 2.67 TRILLION DOLLARS BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

Congress has finagaled for decades with monies paid in by retirees who now are eligible for benefits. So now they have THE UNMITIGATED GALL to ask us to let them cut back our benefits so they won't have to pay back the whole thing.

That is like having Uncle Sam at the supper table, nodding at his sad stories of hardship while knowing full well he has been drunk on power and addicted to ready cash...whoops...our ready cash. Now he spins his tale of "woe is me" and wants us to "restructure" his obligation or better yet, "forgive" his obligation by lengthening years needed to work before qualifying for pensions, making payouts smaller for new retirees, (even if they have paid in the longest since the system was set up) or worse yet...telling everyone to take a payout and just go away.

Why should we let them get away with this? Write to your congressman, no heck, call or email or camp on his doorstep. There were rallies today at Republican Chris Smith's headquarters and not surprising, he was safe in Washington. However the rally at Rush Holt's office did have him communicating with constituents by video and conferencing.

This is a pivotal time for us. If those bozos in Washington do not take responsible action to honor today's obligations, we are going to lose more than our reputation in the arena of World Opinion. We are going to lose percentage points on our national debt interest obligations and Congress is going to use Seniors and the Disabled to mop the cobbles of this floor of shame.

I don't care if Uncle Sam is a relative.

I don't care if he is figurative.

There is much more going on here than bickering about increasing the debt ceiling. We are talking about a demented uncle taking a baseball bat to the family members who have lent him money. He is not being nice at all.

I do care about the way we are being treated. Uncle Sam must be challenged.

There are 52 million retired persons in this country according to AARP.

We must mobilize and make our concerns felt in every corner, of every room, of every house.

This is not just about seniors or the disabled.

This is about ethics and integrity, of honoring one's obligations, which right now seems to be in short supply in Washington, D.C.

Seniors Rock!

Senior Art Show Drop Off Monday

How time flies. Tomorrow is July 25 and the drop off date for all artists who have registered for this year's Mercer County Senior Art Show.

So bundle your work for travel and head to Meadow Lakes in Hightstown. You can drop off your art or craft entry as early as nine a.m. If you are not an early riser, the Art Committee will accept entries up to two p.m.

If you have not been to Meadow Lakes before, follow these easy directions: From the Trenton metropolitan area, take Rt.33 east past Staples, beyond Shoprite, past Roma Bank to 130 north. Go about four plus miles further until you see the exit for Rt. 33 east, and then bear to the right. That will take you past Walmart and a lot of tempting shopping centers, but save that for later.

Halfway down the hill, make a right at the Diner which will take you to the Peddie School. At the stop sign pause, then make a right up the shady street. (I know you appreciate these little touches) and following along the school's campus, make a left heading east. Stay on that road for a short distance and Meadow Lakes' gorgeous gateposts will be on your right.

Now for those of you who will have the hubby driving, here is the official version of "Directions to Meadow Lakes":

From Rt. 1: Take Rt. 571 East into Hightstown. Turn right at the light onto Rt.33. At the Hightstown Diner, turn left onto West Ward Street (please note that I think they mean right because left would head you back to the Rt. 130 part of town)Then turn right onto Rt. 539. (This is up a little hill.) Just past Peddie School, turn left onto Rt. 571 East. Meadow Lakes is 1/4 mile on the right.

Proceed to the third entrance which is marked "Main Entrance, Meadow Lakes".

From Rt. 130: Turn onto Rt 571 East and follow directions above.

From I-195: Take Rt. 539 exit towards East Windsor. Pass over the NJ Turnpike. Go past the Peddie School golf course. Take the second right, Route 571, to Etra Road. Meadow Lakes is 1/4 mile on the right.

They say men like to use route numbers and mileage estimates but women like to go by landmarks. LOL. At any rate, it is a lovely drive and the Committee Memebers from the Mercer County Division of Culture and Heritage and the Mercer County Office on Aging will be happy to see you and your entries before two p.m.

Thank heavens the weather is going to be cooler. Trust me, you will beat the forecast for showers if you can make it by midday.

Well, good luck and have a successful show!

Art rocks!

Seniors Art Show Deadline Wednesday!

This is a reminder to all of you who intend to show in this year's Mercer County Senior Art Show.

The mail in registration deadline is this Wednesday! Your registration must be received by the Mercer County Office of Aging so they can estimate for exhibit space and volume of visitors.

Please note on your registration form that the artwork dimension requirements and limitations are listed. This is important in order for the show committee to plan for the actual hanging of work.

Last year's show had a good number of stained glass entries. They were hung in long windows and glowed beautifully as the sunbeams shone through. Great care was taken to exhibit them safely and to great advantage.

The number and variety of crafts and ceramics may indicate a trend for senior artisans. The results, from these seniors expressing themselves in a tactile way, were unique, nostalgic, and sometimes thought provoking. The range of ceramics last year was truly impressive and showed a lot of expertise.

One wonders if an artist picked up this ability as a senior hobbyist or is a retired professional craft person. The art work was quite surprising and very beautiful.

The water color painting exhibits covered an entire wall at Meadow Lakes. This is a good medium for both beginners and experts and, depending on your level, is either fun or the artist's most difficult and challenging medium.

I seem to remember the acrylic painting division, based on the number of entries, as one of the most popular. Being able to work quickly and clean up with soap and water has helped to make it a good choice for seniors just starting out with painting techniques.

The oil painting division was well represented but with fewer than the acrylic division. Oils take so much time to dry that it seems traditional artists are leaning to acrylic as a medium. This is truly a shame because oils have a translucent quality and permanence that have made them the choice for artists for hundreds of years. Kudos to those die-hards who labor in this difficult medium with such inspiring results.

Now that digital photography is almost fool proof, one would think that the medium would have a common feel to it. Not so. The photography entries from last year were challenging, well composed, beautifully presented and dreadfully competitive. The judge for that category must have had a hard time picking a winner.

A note for visitors this year: If a painting has a price label on it, this could be the perfect opportunity to get a bargain from a Mercer County artist who just might be the next Grandma Moses!

There are many videos and workshops that get senior artists started and this is a great venue for them to show their progress. This is an opportunity for visitors to pick up an original work of art for the home.

Now it is time for the artist entry form to be mailed in. Think up a super clever title, ("untitled" just does not give a judge a clue), check your size measurements, and please make sure it is framed and ready to hang.

And just one more thing: Your painting may be worth a million bucks but, if you put a price on it over $400, you will have to cover it with private insurance.

So mail in your form today. And circle the drop off date, July 25, (9am to 2pm)for the delivery of your work. Keep your Part 2 label for your records.

If you need more registration forms call the Mercer County Office on Aging at (609)989-6661. You will speak to a real person. Promise.

Good luck and hope to see you at the show reception August 5 at 3:30pm.

Seniors rock!

Finally Mack-McBride Yoked Together

I am reading the current controversy about Kathy McBride's confrontation with the Trenton Mayoral Recall Petitioners with some consternation. For someone in the public eye, her behavior is unprofessional and a bit over the top.

She protests that Governor Christie pulled the rug out from the city and thinks the Mayor had nothing to do with it.

I think she is a bit tunnel visioned. I have observed two things about Mayor Mack's efforts to wring funds out of the Governor. Last November, when the transitional monies were promised from the State, there were conditions to the proposed arrangement and that the Department of Community Affairs was to approve new hires for the city. My second observation was that Mayor Mack did not live up to that agreement.

So what's a Gov to do? Maybe tweak the carpet a scooch?

Now flash forward to this weekend's events.

Front page of the Trentonian took colorful note of the "F" word used by Mack supporters who tangled with recall petitioners and press persons. The resulting display has not served Mayor Mack well. Then current Council President McBride drives around the corner to check out the recall petitioners' progress and predictably runs into fireworks.

We know there is empathy between Mayor Mack and Kathy McBride because he promptly hired a member of her family after his election. It is almost a "family" kind of thing.

If you were planning a vacation would you want to bring your kids here,when even a little league game was rubbed out by fear and the perception of Trenton as a place of violence? Of course not. And this city needs tourism dollars.

I would like to point out that when Pellettieri Homes hosted "Meet and Greet the Candidates" prior to the Mayoral and Council elections, Kathy McBride was the only person invited that did not respond or attend. We did not invite all the ward candidates but calls and emails were sent to at-large candidates and persons we wanted to hear from. I used the contact information we had at the Trentonian for emails and phone numbers and attempted vigorously to get a response.

She was the only candidate who did not get back to me. Not even for a "too busy" kind of courtesy. That speaks of bad manners or worse.

Even Divine Allah attended our sessions. He turned out to be charismatic, well spoken, knowlegeable and a good representative of prevailing attitudes in his area. Marge Caldwell-Wilson won the seat but it was an objective opportunity to hear from his point of view in a non-judgemental forum.

Each candidate was given a half hour to discuss anything. And it worked. Too bad that Ms. McBride snubbed the opportunity. Maybe it was because she would be sitting down with a mixed audience and would not be able to hoorah her bias.

Council President George Muschal was sincere and vigorous in his concern for this city. I still cannot get over the fact that someone could object to George plowing out a city resident because he did not live in George's South Ward. Snow fell all over the city if memory serves me correctly...

When a farmer yokes two calves together, it should be done early in their training. Then they eat and sleep together until eventually they move only as one. With Mack and McBride now running the affairs of Trenton, let us hope that they learn to move together and forward. For better or for worse, come hell or high water (and with Governor Christie in the mix, both could happen) they are plowing our "south forty" for another year.

I forgot to mention, sometimes those two calves will never move on.... and then they become veal.

Trenton rocks.

Fallout From Failed Budget

Governor Christie walloped seniors and the disabled over the head last Thursday when he penciled out several items in New Jersey's budget for the upcoming fiscal year, including Medicaid funding.

In one respect, the State kept going. But items that lobbyists and legislators had thought were safely berthed in this vessel of funding for 2012 were clobbered as though with a rogue wave.

That rogue wave would be Governor Christie. Ocean currents are charted and fairly predictable, but every once in a while a ship reports an enormous over-the-bridge specimen that swamps a ship. It remains to be seen if New Jersey is going to sink under this latest wave, but our ship of State is listing.

The transitional aid cuts to cities hits Trenton hard. Last November, Mayor Mack came back with almost $30 million in his package and it was written into the budget. However it came with strings attached and the Mayor has not kept those strings tied in a bow. Hence, no aid in the State budget for Trenton.

Examining the Medicaid issue is also not what it seems to be at first blush. The Governor is pushing for managed care for Medicaid clients. This is a mixed bag.

Insurance companies are quietly buying up doctors groups. This means that doctors will be working for insurance companies. You thought that "panels of death" were something that hung over your head if the Federal Government had everyone on Medicare?

Well, hang on. Here is how managed care works:

I had a rupture in my knee. The managed care doctor was given points if he could keep his patients visits to a bare minimum and at a low tier of service. If memory serves me, the company provider was Cigna.

Well, Cigna did not approve orthoscopic surgery so I was prescribed a brace and sent back to work. I was forced to wear it, hobbling with obviously deteriorating effects, until it got so bad that there was no option but surgery. Next?

The pounding on the damaged limb shattered my ankle (previously broken and healed a decade earlier) which now required surgery on the ankle as well as the knee. But wait...here's the best part....the surgeons wanted to do the surgeries at the same time, same time same day same anesthesiogist...but Cigna said "no".

Yep. Cigna said "no way" and it had to be done as though it was a different injury. The upshot was that we went through the knee surgery, recuperation, rehabilitation, and it was only after the rehab "plateaued", because the ankle injury prevented the full course of recovery and treatment, was the second surgery approved.

Now does that sound like it saves money?

The doctor, who was my primary at the time, was furious with me and told me to get lost! He had been hauled on the carpet by the insurance company, that he lost "bonus points" because I had needed treatment, and he wanted me off his books.

From one point of view, the doctors group will cost less because they will have dramatically reduced their malpractice insurance overhead. They will become part of the process and therefore should be able to concentrate on patient care instead of business matters.

The hospitals will cut down on insurance processing costs because they will have a lower volume of providers to deal with.

But what will patients get? They will have to find new doctors in many cases. However, many seniors are currently going nuts trying to find transportation to get to sites for all the tests their doctors insist on, many times over-testing just to cover themselves for malpractice reasons.

Warning: It seems to me that there is financial incentive to undertreat these needy Medicaid patients. This is the dark side of the Governor's agenda.

Also, in this depressed economy, and with the requirements by the Affordable Medical Care Act that everyone be insured, the income parameters for new New Jersey Medicaid applications seem absurd. I find it hard to believe that making over $130 per week means you have too much income for Medicaid.

My grandparents used to tell me that "money was not important if we had our health".
I do think the State has a responsibility here.

Well, Gov? I am open to developments.

And about the nursing home issues and cuts...that's for next time.

Seniors Rock.

Mercer County Senior Art Show

The Mercer County Office of Aging is so active in our area that we sometimes take their efforts for granted. Their programs range from Jersey Fresh farm vouchers to the senior nutrition programs, meals on wheels, and so many others it would take my whole blog to list them all. But my absolute most favorite is the annual senior art contest.

Here are some quick notes.

New Jersey's 21 counties hold individual art shows and each reflects their regional personalities and regulations. Some even charge for entries but permit more than one piece of art per artist. The county winners go to the New Jersey Senior Art Show in September. This program is a wonderful expression and acknowlegement of our seniors and their abilities.

This year the Mercer County version of the competition is held at Meadow Lakes in East Windsor. This beautiful venue has generous display area and their hospitality makes the entire show a real treat.

Notes for this year's competition:

Please pre-register your art and mail your entry form to the Mercer County Office on Aging, 640 South Broad Street, PO Box 8068, Trenton, NJ 08611. If you need a form, please call 609-989-6661 and they will get one out immediately so you do not miss the July 20 deadline for entries. This is to give the Office of Aging and Mercer Division of Cultural and Heritage personnel an idea of the number of persons in the show and how their work will be hung and displayed.

Bring your art work, (one per senior citizen over 60), to 300 Meadow Lakes, East Windsor on July 25 from 9:00am to 2:00pm. The reception will be held on August 5 from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. All works not going on to the State Show must be retrieved after the reception at 3:30 pm.

This year the competition is split into professional and non-professional categories. A professional is someone who has sold artwork through commercial channels, exhibited in a professional gallery, or holds or has held a professional membership in a guild or organization. Everyone else is considered non-professional.

All works must be original,not previously entered in the county show and must be completed within the past three years. Digging under your bed for old watercolors does not meet the rules...heck that was when you were not as experienced anyway...right? The feeling is that this work truly must represent our seniors and their ablities as they are today.

Categories are:

Acrylic, Craft (no kits or molds) and does include stained glass, Computer generated imagery using a graphics program such as Photoshop and Illustrator,etc. but no scanned images, Drawing with ink or pencil and markers,Mixed Media which combines two or more media, oil painting, Pastel and charcoal,etc.,Photography using a film based, digital or pinhole camera in either black and white or color, Prints such as etching and engraving ranging to silkscreen, Watercolor and gouache... whew!

Oh, one more thing, your paintings 2-D work must meet dimensions: Maximum 36 inches, Minimum 11 inches and no exceptions. Sculpture must not exceed 18 inches in any direction including base. Please frame with plexi if your work is large over 24 inches to prevent damage and if your work is valued over $400, it is suggested that you also carry private insurance.

Wow! Just thinking about those delicious refreshents at the reception on August 5 makes it all worthwhile. Springpoint shows us terrific hospitality.

Hope to see you there,

Seniors Rock!

Art All Night Volunteer Party Tonite

It is coming at last. We have to wait a whole year between art festivals but it proves worth the wait every year.

Yippee!

If you have volunteered to help out, tonight there is a staff introduction and organization party at 7 - 9 pm at the site at the Historic Roebling Wire Works.

This huge soaring structure slumbers all year long. When the Art All Night event opens the doors, the building takes on a whole different persona and for just one night, we are the "Happening Place".

Artists and art lovers flow into the city and find their way to one of the City's success stories. This production is living evidence that this city works, art works....ARTWORKS!

ARTWORKS. ART WORKS. Art Works. Any way it works.

Art All Night and Artworks are proof that volunteers and this city can do something wonderful.

ArtWorks...

Art rocks.

Recall Headache Looms

Two days ago it was just an interesting take on the mess at City Hall. Then the Trentonian filmed the Mayor during an interview making a comment that made my heart sink.

"I'm livin' the dream. I'm living a dream." exclaimed Mayor Mack.

If this mayor seems to think that things are peachy-keen and rosy, maybe he should take his glasses off. His years-long dream of wearing the title of Mayor of Trenton tells us that it just a title for him.

Unacceptable.

Today his law director told him adieu after many civilians filed OPRA requests to investigate his political appointees. Mack hassled him unmercifully about the number of inquiries that could result in possible future embarrassment for the Mayor's Office.

Well, Mayor Tony Mack, what ever is the problem here?

What is wrong with proving to your constituents that jobs are indeed going to qualified and law abiding citizens?

Maybe that is just the problem. Maybe candidates are not going to vet out. Maybe they are not going to be found to be law abiding citizens or qualified for their positions.

I am appalled at the can of worms city residents are left holding, squirming and cannoodling at every turn of the road, of every stroke of a pen.

Tony, Tony, Tony, whatever were you thinking?

Let's be realistic.

A recall is going to be tough because the persons signing should be signed up as registered votors. Trenton has had a hassle getting anyone out to vote.

This present mayor was elected with a token number of persons turning out. Coming up with 9,000 signatures is a monumental task for this volunteer recall effort.

But think of what the alternative would be: three more years of a judgement-challenged, egotistical, narcissistic and racist individual whose legacy right now is the quip:

"Happy Pearl Harbor Day!"

Man, sign those recall signatures everyone.

Trenton Rocks.

Memorial Day Does Hurt

I drove down Hamilton Avenue today and spotted several members of our armed forces in full uniform in the area of St. Francis Hospital.

Trenton High School's crumbling facade in the background struck me as stark contrast to the promise and dedication of these spiffy uniformed young men and women proudly strolling our city streets. It gave me a warm feeling to see them this Memorial Day weekend because this is what it is all about.

Remembering our fallen and acknowleging our present...

There are many ceremonies scattered all over our local area. Multiply that by hundreds of communities throughout the state and it becomes an awesome display of support and affection for our fighting forces.

I had an opportunity to visit my brother's grave a couple of years ago. He was in the Navy when he died and was buried where his wife and sons were living at the time, far from the hills of New Jersey.

The grave was marked by a simple bronzed plate, imbedded in the sod, and embraced by wisps of grass which softened the sharp corners and renewed with the seasons. This weekend it will have an American flag planted exactly a step from its face.

Whether in Arlington National Cemetery or in a tiny village in New Jersey, the method is always the same.

The soldier planting the flag puts his boot in front of the headstone or marker, toe touching, and jams the flag pole at his heel into the ground. This provides a uniform distance for every flag marching down the rows.

Leave it to the military to find a no-nonsense way to honor their fallen conrades.

One of the most touching ceremonies I can remember was back home at our local cemetery. The cemetery sprawled over a long sunny hillside and each year the town chose a different gravesite to honor for the ceremony.

The local Memorial Day parade ended up at the cemetery location with Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Ambulance Corps and Volunteer Fire Department marchers in closed ranks. Businessmen and townspeople, some wearing Memorial Day poppies, gathered and watched local dignitaries lay a red, white, and blue carnation wreath at the chosen spot.

The American Legion Firing Squad fired their World War II carbines three times in salute, thundering through the little valley, sending ground hogs into their burrows and children burrowing into their mothers' shoulders.

Finally closing the ceremony, the lone bugler played Taps.

Then down the long sunny hill, from the deep shady green woods out of sight, a second bugle, softly and unexpectedly, precisely echoed the notes of the first. Note for note.

"Day is done, gone the sun, ...safely rest. God is nigh."

By this time I was always in the Kleenex, squinting against those tears, embarrassed and knowing that my mascara streaked.

That second bugler gets me every time, notes and shivers rushing over me, with years of wishing and waiting and hoping... but knowing that the sense of loss is as sharp and painful as it was over thirty years ago.

When an elderly parent dies, or a friend succumbs to long illness, it just is not as hard as that knock on the door... and the Captain standing before you in full uniform and all that gold braid...to deliver the news.

"Regret...to inform you..."

Back then, it was so very, very personal, that sense of not being able to say good-by, like 9/11 for all those thousands of people who died so suddenly and left so much unsaid.

I cut myself off from a lot of contact with our mutual friends after my brother's death. In fact, I did not even send Christmas Cards for over a decade as I tried to deal with the scars.

It still hurts to write about it today.

Pain of remembrance? And in the end, maybe this is truly the real gem of Memorial Day. Every single one of our tears is a diamond, reflected in a pool of mutual respect.

U.S.A. rocks!

Art All Night Needs Help This Weekend

Here is a flash bulletin!

Art All Night is having a work party this weekend at the site of this year's June event. All workers are welcome. Come at 10 am and coffee and donuts will be supplied to get your energy prepped.

If enough people come, it shouldn't take more than an hour or so.

Please bring:

a push broom (or any broom will do)

a dustpan for the sweepings.

a pair of gloves for safety's sake.

The address of the Roebling Wire Works is 675 South Clinton Avenue. Go to the entrance at the NJ Housing and Mortgage Finance Association parking lot.

This is a great way to get your holiday weekend going!

See you Saturday.

Art rocks.

Attention: Art All Night 2011

Drum roll, please. Save the dates everyone!

Saturday June 18 and Sunday June 19.

Hold the spot on your calendar for the 2011 edition of one of Trenton's hottest and most successful events. Join the more than 15 thousand visitors expected to stream through the Roebling Complex on Dye Street during round-the-clock festivities to experience everything from wine tasting to glass blowing demonstrations. This is the place to be this third weekend in June, 2011.

And of course there is art. Last year over six hundred artists brought in work to showcase in the soaring Roebling Wireworks building. Ranging from professional sculpture to kids' refrigerator art, there was something for everybody.

Art All Night is scheduled for 3 pm Saturday June 18 to 3pm Sunday 19, 24 hours of non-stop paintings and music and crafts and food and demonstrations and sculptures and films and....you get the idea!

We will post news and dates for volunteers...just in...bulletin...bulletin:

More Volunteers Needed! And all volunteers get to party before the show (as we set up) and wear free T Shirts! Register at http://www.artworkstrenton.org/artallnight/volunteer2

And this just in: Lynn Lemyre has just been selected to be the new Executive Director of Artworks! Yea! Lynn! Yippee!

Lynn was the former Director of the Burlington County Arts Center and when Burlington cut back its funding to the Division of Cultural Affairs and Tourism, she lost her spot. She is a find. Way to go Artworks! Way to go Lynn Lemyre!

Art rocks.

"Shared Sacrifice" vs Millionaires Tax

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has insisted time and again that his policies result in "shared sacrifice". The latest information from the Office of Legislative Services seems to contradict this.

The decline in income tax revenue between 2007 and 2009 was disproportionately at the high end. In other words, the wealthiest New Jersey residents paid $1.7 billion less that the previous period.

And our governor wants to continue this?

Our governor cut back schools and teachers, fire fighters and police, medical benefits for many civil service negotiated contracts, charity care for hospitals, tax rebates and senior citizen tax refunds, all in order to maintain his tax cuts for the wealthy.

Is this ethical?

According to the OLS report of the week of May 13, 2011, $1.3 billion was a decline in "tax liability" for incomes over that one million mark.

Get this: People with incomes less than $500,000 accounted for a mere $228 million of the decline. This dramatically illustrates New Jersey's top heavy income tax revenue and what happens when millionaires are relieved of tax liability.

Continued tax subsidy and relief for our states' millionaires, as campaigned by Governor Christie, perpetuate this lopsided contribution from our middle and low income residents.

Case in point is the $175 million dollar tax credit awarded to Xanadu. This financially troubled and probably worthless piece of real estate was propped up with tax payer monies because the Governor seemed to think that there was a need for "high end" retail or entertainment in that area of the Meadowlands.

Personally, I think Xanadu is ugly, worthless, and it makes my skin crawl to think that every hundred dollar bill snagged by this construction jumble is taking something priceless from a senior citizen.

Every dollar going to Xanadu is essentially diverted from being used for Medicaid glasses for a senior, prescription meds for a senior, dental fillings for a Medicaid child, transportation for a wheelchair bound adult who needs to go to a doctor or would just like to visit a library. Every dollar spent on this foolishness could be used to offset the expense of meals for the homebound, home care for recently hospitalized persons, shelter for the homeless....

These "millionaire taxes" are objectionable for our governor's purposes because he is creating an environment he thinks will protect his supporters and fund raisers.

We are thinking about the rest of us.

New Jersey State Senator Shirley Turner has introduced a resolution to place a tax of 10.75 percent on persons whose annual income is over one million dollars. This bill does not affect anyone under that one million limit. Previous bills included adjusted incomes from $400,000 up to one million, but that is not the case here. If you would like to see it on the ballot this fall, please call her office at 609-530-3277 and give her your support.

Senator Turner's bill could energize New Jersey's economy by letting the largest part of the population distribute monies throughout segments where it is needed the most. Instead of a wealthy investor buying a huge yacht, you would see average Americans paying to have their lawns mowed. designing and building a new garage or kitchen. This would put monies in the middle sector of the economy immediately, instead of waiting for the "trickle down theory" to work.

Needless to say, the Governor would like to kill the bill.

Another thing. I am so tired of people telling me so earnestly, "Millionaires are leaving New Jersey." Horse puckey.

According to an editorial in the Trenton Times (April 4, 2011), Charles Varner and Cristobal Young of Stanford found that the average migration of millionaires from 2000 to 2007 was only 459. The newly wealthy increased at this time by 43 percent to about 47,000 in 2006.

Their conclusion was amazing: New Jersey makes millionaires, not exports.

We are looking at smoke and mirrors here folks.

Governor Christie wants to hide our state's momentum and take the credit for growth by crediting his tax subsidy efforts as the reason for blossoming numbers of wealthy residents.

In the meantime, all of us on fixed income are looking at those "Peanut Butter and Jelly Thursdays"....

Seniors Rock.

SEC Finally Takes Look at Insurance Derivatives

I have been clamoring for an investigation into derivatives trading on Wall Street, especially in the trade of bundled insurance policies. The Security and Exchange Commission started an investigation this January into the secondary market for life insurance policies held by strangers instead of the persons insured.

My February 14 column (Artfull Codger, 2/14/11) discussed the bundles of these policies and how they were transferred, like stocks between investors, by companies who profited from fees they made on the transactions. Investors could only make a profit if their insured died soon after the investor took over the "bundle" or they would find themselves paying the premiums for as long as the insured lived. This obviously diminished the anticipated return to the investor.

One of these companies, Life Partners, has been officially notified that the SEC is giving them a chance to explain themselves or civil charges may be filed. The SEC wants to know how "Life Partners" sets a value on their product. Some articles have been critical of the advertising and methods used to determine how long an insured is really going to live.

My original article last year was in protest for what could be a motive for murder. That is a situation where someone would profit from an insured dying sooner, rather than later, for optimum return on investment. I am thrilled that this shady aspect of the derivatives market is under scrutiny and hopefully will be shut down.

Finally the Obama oversight is pecking away at the problem on Wall Street!

Seniors Rock!

Easter Flowers and April Showers

I am almost at the end of my semester and my thoughts are turning to those things I have neglected. Easter was pleasant but it took me several hours of driving to make it happen. And I drove home in one of the worst rainstorms I can remember. Making it worse was fretting about the gas I used.

The last time I looked, I was still living on fixed income. Imagine my shock this week when I realized that topping off my gas tank cost eleven dollars.

That got me a little over two gallons. I used to be in the oil business and remember how markups ranged from reasonable to gouging, and I am incensed by today's greedy gas barons. There is no shortage of product at this time.

War effects in the Middle East do not impact our supply, but they do affect our mentality and therefore market philosophy. If you can convince someone that there is a time limit or a shortage of a desirable item, it will make the sale and reinforce a high price.

Well. President Obama would put some of the nation's reserves into the public supply if there were a shortage. The only explanation for the current price level is greed. It was reported today that oil stocks have increased 60 percent since last year.

The oil companies also get enormous tax subsidy from our federal government. Why do they deserve tax relief?

It seems to me that any relief for our economy is going to be strangled by oil companies and senior citizens are getting the worst of it.

Not only are we on fixed incomes, but we have no recourse. Or do we?

This month one of our AARP members lost 20 dollars at a local gas station.

When she pulled up, the attendant asked her to park at a certain angle. She complied even though she could no longer see the pump. She handed over her cash, and after she got a mile down the road, saw that the gauge was still on empty. She called a family member who put her in touch with Weights and Measures. Subsequently, the station was shut down for some time while they measured and inspected EVERY pump of this very busy station.

I had an incident with the same station. Maybe the same guy. He filled my car but said that the pump did not print receipts and I had to go to the snack store for a receipt. I told him that I was too stiff to get out and, since he had my money, would he please get the receipt. Lots of hulabaloo and finally the manager trotted out with my receipt and an apology.

Another time the same guy told me my car was too small for his "high speed pump" and I should go elsewhere. Same station. So I called Weights and Measures. That afternoon, as I shopped at Barnes and Noble, I got a call from an officer who was at that moment at the same station. I advised him of the location of the pump so he could test and check out the pump.

Now wouldn't you think that they would have shaped up by now?

Another woman at our AARP meeting on Friday volunteered her story involving the same station!

We will give it a week and then check back to see if their performance has improved.

Who says seniors don't count? Think of the sales that high volume company lost while Weights and Measures had him shut down.

Seniors rock.

Illegal Immigrants Benefit Social Security

Immigrant populations are drawn to urban areas like Trenton, but now we senior citizens may want to re-examine our thinking on the subject.

Last Thursday, March 10, Stephen Goss, Chief Actuary for the Social Security Administration, addressed the National Economics Club at the China Garden in Washington, DC. The audience of seasoned Washington insiders was surprised by Mr. Goss' case that illegal immigrants benefit our economy in general and Social Security in particular.

Everyone is concerned about Social Security. Whether you are one of the present beneficiaries,(with a benefit average of about a thousand dollars a month)or one of the baby boomers who will retire in the next decade(wondering if there will be enough left in the Social Security Trust Fund) everyone has a stake in the issue. Everyone except the working illegals. They pay in and account for almost ten percent of total payments each year, billions of the trillions that go in and out of the Treasury and Trust ledgers.

Mr. Goss pointed out that Social Security was a break even up to about 1983 when the birth rate of Americans dropped. From that point on, the number of persons working to support the per person benefit was no longer working. For the average $1000 monthly payment for a beneficiary it takes about 3 people to keep things even. There are fewer people in the work force now because the population is dropping, so there are only about 2 people to carry the load that was paid in by those three. This means that the trust makes up the difference.

The fact is that immigrants have more babies and are helping to bring the birth rate back up. They work and pay into the system and unless they become legal or report under legal names, their payments are straight income to the trust fund because they will not be able to claim benefits.

In those states where there are efforts to control or expel the immigrant population, it is perhaps short sided because they contribute to the economy in ways that have not been recognized. Not only are they producing income for the Social Security Trust Fund, not only are they unlikely to benefit from the system that helps retirees to survive in old age, they use and provide local services and products and enrich their communities.

There is a strong conservative push to tighten up immigration laws in this country. We lost a lot of our naivete after 9/11. The rest of the world does not automatically think we are the greatest thing since sliced bread. We must keep our borders secure in order to survive in this new age of terrorism and no one will dispute that.

That said however, we have to take a second look at the practical aspects of the contribution that these hard working determined people are making to our culture. Unless one is American Aborigine...one's ancestors came from another country.

Perhaps an amnesty compromise now would let us have our cake and eat it too.

People rock.

Trenton High School Rally

It should be interesting, especially if you have to go down Hamilton Avenue tomorrow morning and there is a good turnout for the "Repair the Roof Rally".

There is no question that the Trenton High School building is in need of repair. It is a fading reminder of the architects who designed for this capital city. Our city's legacy of late has not been able to honor and maintain edifices because city resources and residents have been depleted.

This brings us to tomorrow, when many concerned citizens are hoping to create a significant voice, to haul the Governor into line and come up with funding to save Trenton High.

I am of the opinion that this is not on his list of priorities. Save your breath. If funding to keep our firemen and police has been such a hassle and, is still not settled, we have to explore other options to get the job done.

Define the problem.

Is it the whole roof or only a part? Instead of going for the golden goose egg, how about breaking the problen into manageable parts? Instead of panhandling the governor, why not get together and, John Harmon, put your Chamber of Commerce on the job and get some volunteers!

Whoops. Silly me. Volunteer. Seems to be a foreign word. You know what I mean...not for pay, not for profit, just to get the job done.

In the Amish country, if a farmer's barn burns down, there is a barn raising and neighbors get together and build one in a day or weekend. The women feed and keep the workers fueled and they work til they can put a tree on the roof top for good luck.

Why don't you get some of Trenton's very independent and very qualified contractors together and just do this thing? If it works for Habitat for Humanity it should work for Trenton.

Trenton is worth it. Just maybe it could pull this community together.

Go John. Go Eric. Go everyone and lets get this g'dmn thing done.

Sticking your hand out for more funding is not going to fly with this bozo in the Statehouse.

Trenton rocks.

Congressman Chris Smith's War on Women

Shocking reports from the House of Representatives thundered through the media today.

New Jersey's own Representative Chris Smith addressed Congress concerning funding of Planned Parenthood. His presentation was laced with descriptions of abortion procedures so lurid that a Congresswoman took the floor to protest.

Representative Jackie Speier of California admitted that she had experienced an abortion in the '90's, when her fetus was not going to survive anyway, but she strongly objected to Smith's intent.

The San Jose News reported today that the experience was one that she "endured". She said,"I lost the baby. But for you(Congressman Chris Smith)to stand on this floor and to suggest as you have, that somehow this is a procedure that is either welcomed or done cavalierly or done without any thought, is preposterous."

Her spokesperson, Tim Schlittner, said she did not regret the remarks and support was pouring in.

This occured during the debate over funding Planned Parenthood's activities. The Republicans stopped all funding of this extremely valuable service because the likes of Chris Smith channeled the testimony from the benefits of the program to a discussion of abortion.

Planned Parenthood funds totaled $317 million last year and served over 5 million low income people. It provided breast cancer and cervical cancer screening, hypertension and blood pressure checks, vasectomies, STD testing, prenatal care, contraceptive counseling and supplies and many kinds of reproductive outreach.

Roman Catholic Congressman Smith, a Right to Life activist since college days, intended to take full advantage of this chance to expand his anti-feminist views and cut off Planned Parenthood funding at the same time.

So far he seems to be successful.

Well, Congressman Chris Smith, no man is going to tell me, or any of my women friends, what we have to do with our bodies.

I have been furious for years that the men who seem to be yelling the loudest about abortion have an agenda. Both Congressman Chris Smith and Governor Chris Christie are Roman Catholic. Maybe this is the time to re-examine the separation of church and state.

A woman's right to her own body is as valid as a man's.

Interfering with that right, either by force or law, is so wrong.

If Congressman Chris Smith or Governor Chris Christie would like to salvage a fetus that was conceived by rape or incest, how about implanting the fertilized egg into their own abdomens and letting them carry it for nine months, possibly most of that time lying on one's back in bed, legs elevated, peeing and pooping in a bedpan.

The possibility of Mr. Mom carrying a fetus is closer to reality than ever before. Just don't tell me or my daughters or grandaughters that you are taking away their rights to make these horribly personal decisions.

Chromosome screening and DNA is so advanced now that patterns of incest are being picked up in routine screenings. If laws were the only measure of mercy, there will be more of these revelations and broken genetic codes. Abortions do have a place.

Congressman Smith's decisions are not ethical...they arise out of politics and convenience. Some traditions hold a fetus becomes a person only after it is born. The wrestling with the ethics of stem cell research and medical thresholds is not for the faint of heart,for sure, but this invasion of a woman's privacy and right to ownership of her person is just not negotiable.

Revisited: Could Life Insurance Policies Lead to Murder?

I have been reading about an online virtual hedge fund started by Keith McCullough in 2008. Moise Silver Hedgeye, in his Valentine's Day blog for Fortune Finance entitled the "Big Ugly Business of Death", tackles the subject of third party insurance policies from an investor's point of view.

When a person takes out a large dollar value life policy, the policy holder profits when the insured dies. The only way the insured would benefit is by selling it, while alive, to an investor for a discounted amount to live on, like an annuity. When he expires, the purchaser can then cash in for the balance left in the policy.

Sometimes the reason a policy was started no longer exists so the payments stop. A third party can come in and pick up payments so it will stay in effect. However the purchaser will not make money if the insured out-lives the equity.

In 2008 there were over $12 billion worth of these policies sold. Therefore it is a branch of banking that should be regulated,legislated, or even prohibited. I wrote about this in May 2010 and want to bring it up again.

Here is my article from last spring:

Monday, May 3, 2010

Could Wall Street Derivatives Lead to Murder?

AARP is running a cute TV ad asking us to support Congress' efforts to regulate Wall Street but this is no laughing matter. Bills, in both the Senate and House, concern transparency for derivatives trading by insurance companies. The Senate bill would impose the same transaction rules for derivative trading as the rest of the market and they would have to be listed. Banks, who have bundled these "custom" derivatives without previous scrutiny, have successfully lobbied the House Bill and continue to operate without transparency or controls.

Derivatives, up to now, were "futures" intended to lock in the price of fuel or raw materials for agriculture. These futures were bought and sold with definite dates for holders to take delivery. This is vastly different from insurance industry "exotic derivatives", where maturity dates are determined by the death of the named insured.

Derivatives are not like stocks either; they are a form of trading without anything substantial to back them up, a gambler's way of continuing to play the game without something solid behind the bet. Here are some examples:

When someone takes out a large life insurance policy, say a million dollars worth, and then changes his mind and doesn't make payments, one could expect that it would be cancelled. Not necessarily.

Aunt Millie has a million dollar policy but becomes ill. She goes to her broker to cash out four hundred to spend on her bucket list. One could expect six hundred dollars left in the policy. Is the policy over?

Or, Uncle Ed's children do not survive him and he decides, "What the heck". and decides not to make payments....you would expect that the policy is dead.

Since a life insurance policy can now be owned by someone other then the named (in order for a business to carry insurance on an executive who might be hurt in a business associated risk), a climate now exists where ownership of a life policy is possible by a totally impersonal and unrelated entity whose only goal is making a profit.

In each of these above examples, you might think there is no longer a liability for the insurance company as the policies revert to the company which will no longer need to keep reserves for these million dollar accounts. Wrong. Speculators (Banks) bundle these policies together and sell them to investors. Of course, the investors will not get a payout until the person in the policy dies, but they do have to pick up and continue the premium payments. Obviously the longer the person lives, the more payments the investor has to come up with, and the more diluted the value in the bundle.

You might ask why banks do this, but the answer is simple. Banks carry these bundles (derivatives), and make their money by charging fees to move them through the market. Congress is investigating the millions Goldman Sachs made from creating these bundles, reselling them and then trading without full disclosure. Their business practices were like a huge Ponzi scheme, with success being dependent on bringing in fresh clients, fresh money, fresh suckers at the bottom of the pyramid to support the payout to the top. If the bottom does not continue to bring in new accounts, the entire structure crumbles.

My concern is for the morality of these life insurance derivatives. The longer a person lives, the less the policy and his portion of the bundle is worth. For millions of dollars seeping away as the bundle ages, and the ongoing cost of payments to keep it viable, this could be motive for hoping for an early demise.

If I knew that someone had a life insurance policy on me, and I was about to undergo a life threatening medical procedure, I would be horrified if a decision were made to let me die just so a policy holder could cash in. It would make a terrific plot for "Castle" but it really isn't too far fetched in this "insurance derivatives market".

In my perfect world, private insurance companies would not be in the medical business anyway and definitely would not be trading life policies like North Sea Crude.

Have a good day.

Seniors Rock!

Name a Cockroach For Your Valentine

Remember when we found out that Romania was going to make witches pay income taxes? Well, here is another highlight to keep seniors up to date with important stuff.

For the tiny sum of ten dollars, the Bronx Zoo will let you name one of their Madagascar hissing cockroaches. They are described on the website as brown and iridescent.

Their website is http://www.bronxzoo.com/name-a-roach. Pick the name of your sweetheart, a friend, teacher or even your legislator. The money goes to help with the wildlife preservation efforts of the Bronx Zoo.

I checked. These buggers, bugs, are huge. They grow up to three inches and live for five years. The males have horns and both sexes hiss. They hiss when they are happy, they hiss when they are mad... and they even hiss while courting. In fact, whole colonies hiss in unison although my reading did not come up with a reason for that. Imagine a whole seething colony hissing at the same time.

The Bronx Zoo has about 58,000 of these creatures. They sell for about eight to twelve dollars each but you can name one for only ten dollars.

A couple of years ago, New York jewelers sold several live bugs for holiday gift giving, complete with genuine stones affixed to each bug's carapace. One model wore it as a brooch. The prices were in the thousands.

If you have a secret Valentine and want to do something really different, how about doing something for wildlife at the same time? The zoo will email the recipient your Valentine greeting and certification of your donation and best wishes.

I think it sounds screwy but why not? As their website points out, flowers wilt and chocolate will melt, but those roaches live five years.

I am not going to post "roaches rock". Even I have scruples....but I have to admit I was tempted to name one after the Gov.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Seniors Rock.

Are Senior Nutrition Sites Closing?

Last summer was a bummer. We had a free-for-all mayoral election that saw less than ten percent of voters electing a new mayor here in Trenton. It only gets worse. We seem to be mired in a muddy outdated path that would bog down a kid's bike.

It somehow comes as no surprise that a rumor is floating around once again that senior centers are closing.

To be sure, Mayor Mack had some problems keeping his promise to get seniors to and from their nutrition sites in the city, but most of that has been solved by this writing. Whatever van service is available is now overshadowed by the current spectre of shutdown because of Governor's Christie's cutbacks.

A reliable source has told me that senior centers are going to be closed on Fridays.

If you presently rely on the nutrition sites as a food source, you will be able to go Monday thru Thursday. The sites are slated to close Friday thru Sunday, re-opening on Monday.

This latest "collateral damage" of the Governor's quest for fiscal credibility among the nation's Republicans, once again comes at the expense of the elderly, our most vulnerable residents.

I am told the cutbacks are slated for this spring.

When the campaigning Governor visited nutrition sites last year, he was shown the most glamorous and nifty ones. Granted they do exist...Hamilton's even has a swimming pool. But residents from out of the Hamilton area are not permitted to enjoy those facilities. In Ewing and some other suburban areas you can find lovely tables and sunny settings that impress politicians.

That is not the case with many inner city sites. In fact, it is not the case with most of the sites which exist for real needs: a decent meal and safe place to play games and watch TV.

I have to point out that such simple things are not available to many shut-ins. Now they are going to be out of reach to many who have been attending on a regular basis.

Granted, attendance at nutrition sites has not been representative of those who are qualified to attend, either by income or age. The critical elements of transportation and site location have to be just right, or else the person is not able to make the trip. Also those elders who volunteer or still go out to work are not in the 11:00am to 1:00pm window for lunch and bingo.

Some transportation funding is linked to services for seniors and the disabled and is reported to be in crisis mode. I wonder if there is a connection here to the nutrition center cutbacks.

Perhaps the cut to senior programs could be a result of the Governor's restructuring Atlantic City Casino revenue. The Casino Revenue Fund is part of the state constitution and was instituted when gambling was approved. Seniors were to get their monies off the top. We have no update on the status of the CRF but if AC revenues are down it would make sense that the CRF would drop proportionately.

I would personally like to be reassured that the Governor did not plan to lap up our monies the way he did to the TV subsidy monies last summer.

Is your stomach growling yet? Just wait. Its a long weekend from Thursday to Monday for no real dinner for those thousands who have come to depend on the centers for help.

Seniors rock...and vote.

Governor Christie blotted out the television subsidies assessed to cable and network providers and took our money for the state's general fund. It is not farfetched to think he could be using our Friday meal money for his own priorities.

Governor Christie, you were not elected to do this to people who trusted you.

I hope that the Governor's outreach and advisors take the time to garner sufficient information to make truly helpful programs once again available in this state. Closing centers is a step in the wrong direction.

Seniors rock.