Thursday, June 13, 2013
According to a recent study, state residents are in favor of decriminalizing pot possession. What do you think?
A majority of New Jersey residents support reducing the penalty for simple marijuana possession from a criminal offense to a fineable offense, according to a new poll commissioned by the Drug Policy Alliance. Conducted by Lake Research Partners, the poll found that 61 percent of residents would support a proposal to make possession of two ounces or less of marijuana a civil violation, which would lead to a fine similar to that of a traffic ticket. Currently, possession of that amount of marijuana carries a penalty of up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail, according a release from the DPA. The DPA is a non-profit organization that promotes drug policies that are grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights. Support for …
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Patch wants to know your thoughts.
Republican Town Council candidate Michael Strumolo says Parsippany's current five-member council only goes so far in providing representation for residents and in holding public servants accountable—and its structure should be changed. Township government since 1960 has been of the Faulkner Act model: Parsippany is led by a strong, full-time mayor with full executive authority checked by a part-time lawmaking council of five members. The Faulkner Act also allows councils with seven or nine members. Rockaway Township is one municipality that uses a nine-member council, and Strumolo said Parsippany should follow suit. He suggested cutting the current council member salary figure, now about $14,000 per year, and increasing the number to nine…
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Patch wants to know your opinion.
Mug shots taken by law enforcement agencies in New Jersey would be considered public records, under legislation recently introduced before the state General Assembly by Asm. Ronald S. Dancer. “Releasing pictures of defendants puts a face with a name,” said Dancer, a Republican who represents Ocean, Burlington, Middlesex and Monmouth counties. “These pictures serve important public purposes including protecting the transparency and integrity of our legal process for victims and offenders, helping to identify criminals on the run, and keeping law-abiding citizens informed about the crimes and potential criminals in their communities.” New Jersey law does not prohibit the release of mug shots, giving discretion to each agency. The Asbury Park…
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
The U.S. Senate is considering the Marketplace Fairness Act.
Right now, in most instances, if you buy something online that does not come from your home state, you don't have to pay sales tax on it. But that could change if a bill presently before the U.S. Senate becomes law. Under the Marketplace Fairness Act, as reported by the Huffington Post, businesses would collect sales tax on online purchases and send them to the buyer's state of residence. In 1992, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that businesses could collect sales taxes, but only if the purchaser volunteered to send the tariff levied to his or her home state's tax department. Those supporting the proposed measure say collecting sales taxes for online purchases is more fair for brick-and-mortar merchants and allows state and local …
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Patch wants to know what Parsippany thinks.
The axe fell swiftly: Not 24 hours after ESPN program "Outside the Lines" released video footage showing Rutgers University coach Mike Rice physically abusing his players, the school on Wednesday announced that it had fired him. The video, shot between 2010 and 2012, led to Rice being suspended and fined last year, but after the footage was aired, allowing the public at large—and Gov. Christie—to see and react to the coach kicking and throwing basketballs at players and to hear him hurling bigoted epithets at them, Rice was out of a job. What do you think? Was Rutgers correct to relieve the coach of his duties? Or is the move a step too far? Take the poll. Patch wants to know your thoughts.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Patch wants to know what you think.
Easter, the holiest day of the Christian calendar, comes Sunday. Many people focus on the religious nature of the observance, but those with kids often include a little or a lot of the secular side of the holiday—sharing stories of Peter Cottontail, painting and hunting for Easter eggs and enjoying baskets filled with candy. These days, dentists are front and center with warnings about protecting our kids' dental health. Many parents are responding by filling less of their Easter baskets from candy and having more in the way of healthier options such as dried fruit and nuts and tossing in tiny bunnies, chicks and holiday-themed gifts. But some pooh pooh the warnings and allow their kids to load up on the sweet stuff for the special day—and…
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Take today's Parsippany Patch poll.
The December school shootings in Newtown, Conn., have led to a number of discussions in Parsippany over safety and security in local schools. One of those conversations centers around elections: Is it safe to have voters using school buildings while students are inside having classes? The Parsippany school district is considering that question now. A survey link—accessible only to parents of Par-Troy students—has gone out to elicit school families' views on the matter. The questions included are: "I have issues with conducting any type of election inside the public school," said Andrew Sadowski, an Intervale School parent, who talked with Patch about his concerns regarding access to the school on the last election say, Jan. 22, when the …
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
The Supreme Court is considering both the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act and the 2008 Proposition 8 case.
The U.S. Supreme Court is in the midst of a landmark time in Washington, D.C.: On Tuesday, the nation's highest court heard testimony on Proposition 8, the California law that stripped legal equality from gay couples in that state. On Wednesday, the justices are hearing testimony on former President Bill Clinton's 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, a bill LGBT people and allies call discriminatory—and a law Clinton now says he regrets signing and promoting. Just last week, Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio hit the Sunday talk-show circuit to talk of the need for an end to the national stigmatization against gays and lesbians and their families. Meanwhile, anti-gay churches and groups such as …
Sunday, March 24, 2013
A little more than two months until 2013 primary election
The June 4 primary election is 72 days away. Now that a Democratic ticket has been announced, Patch thought this a good time to take another snapshot reflecting the electorate's current mind. The most recent entrant to the race was Democrat Jonathan Nelson, now a sitting Township Council member, who is running with council candidates Robert Keller and Mihir Oza. The trio, who announced last Thursday, are running on a platform of changing the current state of Parsippany leadership and making "common-sense government common again." On Feb. 21, Mayor James Barberio launched his re-election campaign official, announcing his theme of "Moving Parsippany Forward," and his running mates, present Council Vice President Vincent Ferrara and …
Monday, March 18, 2013
Tell us what you think the most dangerous main thoroughfare in the township is and why.
A road does not have to be slippery to seem dangerous to some drivers and even with warmer weather on the horizon, some of the main roads in the borough may not seem as safe as others. Recently, a report has designated Route 46 as the most dangerous road in Morris County. Now we want to know what you think is the most dangerous main road in Parsippany. Participate in our poll below and let us know in the comments why you think that road is dangerous. Also share with us the smaller streets you tend to not feel as safe driving on and why.
want2say
6:12 pm on Sunday, June 16, 2013
uh oh, that blows the smoke out of some poster's sails... more ›