Lauren Bright Pacheco
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Comments
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On the article Developer Appeals to Town for Tax Abatement
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On the article Developer Appeals to Town for Tax Abatement
Lauren Bright Pacheco
10:45 am on Monday, April 30, 2012
ReplyAccording to the above article, the final hearing and vote for approval by the Township Committee is TOMORROW May 1. Below are the email addresses of the Township Committee members listed so you can cut and paste them easily into an email that expresses your opinion on the issue:
v.deluca@twp.maplewood.nj.us, k.leventhal@twp.maplewood.nj.us, ILarrier@twp.maplewood.nj.us, JRyan@twp.maplewood.nj.us, mbrownlee@twp.maplewood.nj.us
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On the article Town to Adopt Lower Pool Fees for Seniors, Caregivers
Lauren Bright Pacheco
10:17 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
ReplyBig thanks to our Mayor and to the entire Township Committee for reviewing - and adjusting - the caregiver rate for this year's Pool fees!
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On the article Mayor Says Pool Fees' Release Was a Mistake
Lauren Bright Pacheco
3:17 pm on Wednesday, February 8, 2012
ReplyFor those who find the 40% 'caregiver' overcharge unfair, here are the email addresses of the Township Committee members - as well as the Rec Dept. Director - listed so you can cut and paste them easily into an email that expresses your opinion:
v.deluca@twp.maplewood.nj.us, k.leventhal@twp.maplewood.nj.us, ILarrier@twp.maplewood.nj.us, JRyan@twp.maplewood.nj.us, mbrownlee@twp.maplewood.nj.us, recdirector@twp.maplewood.nj.us
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On the article Mayor Says Pool Fees' Release Was a Mistake
Lauren Bright Pacheco
10:22 am on Wednesday, February 8, 2012
ReplyFamily (3-7 members) $375 $415 $210
Family (8+) $460 $500 $250
Family & Caregiver $560 $600 $300Again- the 'caregiver' charge is SUCH a rip-off. Caregivers are TAKING THE PLACE of parents during the week, NOT taking up ADDITIONAL space. Why not create a M-F only pass for employed caregivers?! As the fees stand, they flagrantly take advantage of working parents.
Why would the town allow this? And why should folks accept it? It is flat out UNFAIR.
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On the article Township Committee to Introduce New Pool Fees
Lauren Bright Pacheco
2:23 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2012
ReplyWhy in the world is there a 40% additional charge directed at families that employ a caregiver to join our ‘community’ pool?
It makes absolutely NO sense: If my caregiver's at the pool with my kids it's only because my spouse and I are at work: She's taking our place -NOT taking up additional space, so it doesn’t make much sense that the pricing system has caregivers set up as an ‘additional person’. PLUS, what if you have one or two kids?! Not the 'up to 5' obviously allowed in the 3-7 person 'family' range?
It is a COMMUNITY pool, and working parents - and their families - are part of Maplewood. Wouldn’t a M-F status for the caregiver - with a photo ID - at no – or slight- additional charge to family membership be a fair proposal? Such a change would be much more fair and more in keeping with common sense than a 40% overcharge.
Shouldn’t the policy be updated to reflect the reality and needs of our community?
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On the Blog Post It's Christmas, Darn it!
Lauren Bright Pacheco
10:36 pm on Wednesday, January 4, 2012
ReplyAh, but Nick - he was ranting about YOU at the top of that post:
"Nick Muson seems to have a "chip" on his shoulders regarding Christmas and dare I speculate "Christians" as well."
By the end he's moved on to this "Munson" character...no worries! If that was just a typo, you'd think he'd of caught it, typing so slowly and all....
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On the article Man Killed on Millburn Train Tracks
Lauren Bright Pacheco
11:39 pm on Tuesday, November 15, 2011
ReplyMy heart breaks for this man and his family. Many will point out that suicide is a VERY permanent solution for a temporary problem, but the pain this man must have been in to consider it his only solution must indeed be Hell on Earth.
If time really does heal all wounds, I only hope it helps his loved ones deal with the loss they will navigating in the days, weeks and years going forward. My thoughts and prayers are with them. -
On the article An 11th Anniversary on 11/11/11 — Propitious or Suspicious?
Lauren Bright Pacheco
1:45 pm on Friday, November 11, 2011
ReplyI think it's safe to say Eric hit the jackpot, too! Happy Anniversary, you two!
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On the Blog Post Herman Cain and the Confused Right Wing Crazy Machine
Lauren Bright Pacheco
8:48 pm on Thursday, November 3, 2011
ReplyFrom some of the above comments it would seem that some people seem to think the so-called liberal media traveled back in time and created events in which multiple women were harassed to the point that they were paid out and/or forced to sign confidentiality agreements in exchange for silence - BECAUSE of Cain's actions and the position he held within The National Restaurant Association .
Between Mark Block and Cain, you've got the perfect smoking gun of unscrupulous American politics at its worst...and quite the depressing mess.
Racism in this country still seems to chafe. Sexist behavior?! Not so much...that's just politics as usual.
Lauren Bright Pacheco
11:07 am on Monday, April 30, 2012
Here's what I sent:
Dear Township Committee,
I'm emailing to express my concern over the potential Tax Abatement being solicited by Elite Properties.
Our school district will see none of the PILOT (the town gets 95% of the PILOT and the county gets 5%), and yet it opens the doors for a flood of potential students into our already burdened system that the rest of Maplewood's tax already strapped tax-paying citizens will be forced to cover.
According to the Patch article on the issue, if the property owner were to pay property taxes on the improvement, in the first year it is estimated that the town would see $129,475, the county would see $79,677, and the school district would see $288,830.
Sure, the initial influx of cash to the town - as well as the 'pay you tomorrow for a burger today' may sound appealing, but in reality it is short-sighted and little more than a shell game in which the taxpayer ultimately loses. Period.
I am asking you to vote with your conscience and with the best interest of the voters who placed you in positions of power in mind - not those of the developers who are appealing for this Abatement purely out of self-serving financial interest. They're in this, after all, to make money- not build a better community or protect our schools. That is something we look to all of you for- and I sincerely hope you will protect the faith we have placed in each and every one of you.