Coalition Demands Verizon Stop Treating NJ As 2nd Class Citizens By Forcing Substandard VoiceLink Service

For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, March 19th, 2013


“Don’t Hang Up On NJ” Launches Website & Petition Calling For Telecom Companies To Stop Forcing Customers Onto Unregulated/Untested/Outdated Product

(TRENTON, NJ) – Today, “Don’t Hang Up On New Jersey” – a coalition of more than 30 consumer advocates and labor/community organizations representing over one million New Jerseyans – announced a campaign demanding telecommunications giants, like Verizon, immediately stop forcing customers off traditional copper line phone service and onto a substandard, unregulated wireless product called VoiceLink. The coalition has launched a petition on their new website, calling on the NJ Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to take action and investigate VoiceLink’s feasibility for widespread residential and commercial use.

You can view – and sign – the petition at www.DontHangUpOnNJ.org/bpu-petition/

Today’s launch comes amid revelations that companies are actively cutting service lines to copper-wire landline phones and forcing customers onto wireless alternatives, rather than repairing the cables. Widespread VoiceLink deployment will have a devastating impact on New Jersey’s residents, in terms of both their safety and economic future. Seniors, the disabled, first responders and small businesses all depend upon reliable, quality, affordable phone service. And VoiceLink fails to meet any of these criteria.

The coalition also hailed the recent advancement of A2459 - a bipartisan-supported bill mandating a moratorium on forcing customers onto VoiceLink while its feasibility is considered. Last week, the bill passed the Assembly Telecommunications Committee without a single vote against it. Coalition organizers said the legislation is necessary because the BPU is failing to protect consumers and exercise its regulatory authority.

VoiceLink is an unregulated product that relies on obsolete technology that powered mobile phones over a decade ago. Essentially, it’s just a router affixed to a customer’s home or business, delivering substandard wireless service through their phone.

· If the power goes out, VoiceLink will not work unless its battery back-up is constantly filled

· Many medical devices - such as pacemakers - that require tests over phone lines are unable to be transmitted

· Credit card transactions won’t work – affecting small businesses

· Fax transmissions and deaf relay services won’t work

· Many burglar and home security systems will not work

· Network congestion could slow down 911 calls during emergencies

· Emergency calls could be routed to nearby call centers instead of the closest one, meaning precious seconds could be wasted waiting for the correct local agency to be found

While SuperStorm Sandy brought out the best in so many New Jerseyans, it brought out the very worst in Verizon. Following the hurricane, Verizon decided that rather than rebuilding infrastructure to make our communities stronger, the company would unilaterally evade long-standing consumer protection laws by cutting copper service in places it deemed repairs as too expensive. Instead, they’re forcing customers to take wireless service. Although initially sold to the public as a solution solely in Sandy-ravaged areas, Verizon executives recently admitted VoiceLink will now be deployed across the state regardless of a community’s impact from the storm. Although Mantoloking has received attention for its VoiceLink issues, Verizon executives confessed that 96% of all installations are happening outside that municipality.

To add insult to injury, while Verizon ceased VoiceLink deployment in New York and consented to build high-speed networks in Sandy-devastated areas like Fire Island, the company continues moving full-speed ahead in treating New Jersey as its VoiceLink guinea pig. At last week’s Assembly hearing, Verizon executives admitted that 25% of all VoiceLink customers in America are in New Jersey.

“Verizon is cynically using the shadow of Sandy to install VoiceLink everywhere,” said Ann Vardeman of NJ Citizen Action. “Whether or not you have access to quality communication services shouldn’t depend upon the luck of where you live, how rich your neighbors are or whether your community was harmed by the hurricane.”

“New Jersey’s seniors need access to quality services at an affordable price, and VoiceLink fails to come anywhere close to meeting those standards,” said Douglas Johnston, AARP NJ Manager of Advocacy. “We remain concerned that monitored home services, burglar alarms, medical alert services like pacemakers and communications equipment for homebound and hearing-impaired simply won’t work with VoiceLink.”

“It’s simple: if small businesses can’t communicate, they can’t stay in business,” said Corinne Horowitz, of NJ Main Street Alliance. “Many New Jersey businesses are still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Sandy and struggling to survive. Forcing them onto a telephone product that won’t allow them to do business could be the nail in the coffin for many of our state’s small businesses.”

“Substantial areas of New Jersey are being left out and left behind,” said Bob Master, CWA District One Legislative and Political Director. ”On the other side of the Hudson, Verizon tried forcing VoiceLink onto Fire Island customers. But following public outcry, the company committed to building a fiber optic network and install FiOS services. It’s inconceivable to me that New Jersey will allow its residents to be treated as second-class citizens. VoiceLink is merely outdated wireless technology masquerading as traditional landline service.”

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The “Don’t Hang Up On New Jersey” coalition currently consists of over thirty organizations. As more groups continue to join the cause, please continue to check www.DontHangUpOnNJ.org for updates.

For the latest news and action updates, please follow @DontHangUpNJ on Twitter and join on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DontHangUpOnNJ

CWA Testifies Against Christie Civil Service Changes

For Immediate Release:
Monday, May 13th, 2013

“Broad Banding Titles” Would Open Civil Service to Patronage, Corruption & Nepotism With No Public Input

(NEW JERSEY) – Today, Communications Workers of America’s New Jersey State Director Hetty Rosenstein is testifying at a State Government Committee hearing on Governor Chris Christie’s scheme to gut Civil Service and eliminate most competitive promotions with nearly no public input. The hearing will be held at 11 am in Statehouse Committee Room 16 and was called by Committee Chair, Assemblywoman Linda Stender. Others representing those hurt by this wrong-headed proposal – such as the disabled, veterans, LGBT and people of color– will testify, as well.

“Broad banding” titles would hurt hundreds of thousands of workers, as well as expose every single New Jerseyan to higher taxes due to corruption, cronyism, nepotism and patronage. The plan is a wholesale attack on New Jersey’s working families, women, the disabled and people of color. Moreover, it will virtually eliminate veterans’ preference in hiring and promotions.

“This latest Christie scheme will create more patronage and more corruption at all levels by subjecting Civil Service promotions to the whims of political pressure,” said Hetty Rosenstein, CWA NJ State Director. “Christie’s proposal erodes basic worker protections by gutting a long-standing, transparent, objective system of merit-based promotions. Disabled workers, veterans, LGBT workers, women, workers of color and older workers will all have a major barrier to discrimination dismantled. Amazingly, this is the most radical civil service change in half-a-century, yet the first time requests for public hearings have been flatly denied.”

Governor Christie’s proposal essentially abolishes nearly all objective and transparent measures for promotions and replaces them with "advancement” that will be open to political pressure at all levels of government – municipal, county and state. The Civil Service Commission is seeking to bypass mandated requirements by "broad banding" titles, even though New Jersey’s Constitution requires public jobs be awarded through a competitive testing process wherever possible. Now, management would have latitude to unilaterally “advance” favored workers through the band – based solely on managerial assessment – rather than requiring competitive examination or any formal testing procedures. This would eliminate objective, transparent measures – such as lists of promotion-eligible workers and public postings of who was awarded the position. Moreover, since veterans preference is tied to promotions, this scheme virtually eliminates veterans preference for promotions.

The Christie Administration held a single public hearing in Trenton on the proposal at 3pm on April 10th - a workday. It was virtually impossible for workers opposed to Christie’s proposal to have their voices heard. Those people directly affected deserve a true public process and an opportunity to have their concerns addressed their concerns. Even several legislators, with more flexible schedules, had difficulty attending this sole hearing. Christie has continuously denied requests for more hearings at times and locations when working people all over the state can have a chance to be heard. So, CWA launched a petition for supporters to call on the Civil Service Commission to schedule additional public hearings locations, dates and times. The petition can be viewed and signed at www.cwanj.org.

The Communications Workers of America (AFL-CIO) represents both private sector and public workers. CWA represents more than 70,000 working families in New Jersey, including over 40,000 state workers, 15,000 county and municipal workers, and thousands of workers in the telecommunications, airlines, health care and direct care industries. It represents thousands of public workers both in Civil Service jurisdictions and those that have not adopted Civil Service.

1/16/13 Middletown Library Board Meeting: Library Closing Debated; Video

Last week the Middletown Library Board of Trustee met for its first regularly scheduled meeting of the year. After going through the normal routine of reorganizing the board - which seemed to take longer than necessary due to the relative inexperience of the current make up of the board -  a number of members of the public voiced their objections to the Board concerning the previously announced planned closure of Bayshore, Lincroft and Navesink branches the Middletown Library.

I couldn't attend this meeting myself  and have only been able to watch about half of the video below thus far. But thanks to the many articles popping up in the media about the potential closing of these branches and a concerned library patron and MiddletownMike reader named Tara, I've been able to keep abreast of what transpired during the meeting and what has happened since.

Tara was kind enough to share with me her notes from the meeting - which I've posted here -  so that when you watch the accompanying video, you'll be able to identify areas of concern:

Many residents made impassioned appeals to keep the libraries open. The young lady whose petition you posted on your blog spoke and mentioned studies where property values of homes within 1/4 mile of a library are higher than those further away. Of course, she also spoke about the many wonderful things the library offers.

A woman, Bernadette Masi, made an appeal for the Bayshore Library. She mentioned how Sandy had water surrounding the library but that it survived. She said, "God spared it from Sandy and now this board might take it away". She also talked about how so many residents of that area are using the computers there to fill out FEMA and insurance claims. Also mentioned was how the Bayshore area schools require homework to be submitted electronically and how many children in that area do not have computers. I was surprised, as were many others, when Vivian Breen commented a little later that nobody was making an appeal on behalf of the Bayshore Branch. She made a mistake saying that! That did not go over very well.

So much to write about but I have to rush! A new member of the board looked at the budget and asked how could the health insurance for 30 full time workers be $800,000 when the annual salaries for the entire staff is $1,600,000!? The new member was told if he had been at the meeting when the CFO explained it he would have known. When a resident asked the board during the public part of the meeting that, since they were at the meeting with the CFO, why don't THEY EXPLAIN IT. New board president, Brock Seibert, then acted in a rude manner to that man. But the man said he had every right to express himself for 5 minutes without being interrupted. Seibert told the new board member to speak to the CFO and/or the town administrator in the morning. A women from Lincroft said, "Let's ask the administrator now! He is sitting in the back row!" Seibert seemed very annoyed and basically ignored the request.

Many people offered to volunteer. Susan O'Neil said the workers union does not want volunteers to take away a job from a paid employee. Michael Vitkansas protested that, saying if people want to volunteer to save money to keep a library open that should be encouraged!

Some people said fundraising. Some people said fundraising does not work. I think those people just don't know how to throw a good party!

Michael Winchell of Duryea Navesink Libray Association spoke and mentioned reduced hours, which I also suggested to the board. He also said he was informed 20 days ago and told to keep it quiet.

Another woman spoke about the claims filed by the library staff. She said she the claims of the employees cost $500 but the township charged the library system $100,000 for the claims!

Vivian Breen said to the residents 'that you should have been taking to the township committee'. Someone said, we would have if we knew what was happening, if the library board did not first post this on Jan 11th, when residents have library cards with contact information. Notices could have been mailed to everyone with a library card.

Steve Monaghan and Michael Convery, along with the board's attorney, seemed the most willing to let the community come up with solutions. So the board voted to delay voting on the budget until Feb 20th. The residents came up with three representatives. One will represent each branch. Each will work among their local fellow residents to get a plan, then each representative will meet with the board to show a planned solution for each library.

Susan O'Neil said she could work to do that but I will mention that she did say that she was surprised how nobody mentioned what a beautiful library the main branch is and how she feels that the main library could become the hub of the community. Sure! Children and seniors will walk from their homes, along Route 35, to get to the hub of the community. How long would it take someone from Navesink, Locust, Lincroft or Bayshore to walk to 'the hub of the community'?

There was objection among the newly appointed Board members, enough that the Board decided to hold off on the closings until other methods of funding could be sourced. The Board selected volunteers from each area of town that has a branch to work with the Director and the Finance Committee on alternate funding, in addition to the portion of property taxes already designated for Library funding.

Here is a copy of the meeting agenda which includes the minutes from the December 18,2012 meeting of the library board.

In praise of those life-saving libraries

There's an interesting editorial piece today appearing in the Newark Star-Ledger pertaining to the importance of our public libraries. The piece was written by Brian Regal, a professor at Kean University.

 As an anonymous commenter so eloquently stated on the previous post;  "This should be read by every member of Middletown's Library Board of Trustees and especially by the Middletown Township Committee members..., Library service in Middletown is one of the most important functions of public service to this community. Education is a primary concern for a progressive society. An excellent library system is a primary ingredient to meet the public's need. We had that requirement until politics as usual is endeavoring to destroy our library. The politicians appear as a self serving bunch of incompetent individuals who put political priorities above the educational needs of the community the Middletown Public Library System serves." . 

I happen to agree.

 If you also agree, read the editorial written by Mr. Regal below, then sign the petition to save the Navesink branch of Middletown's public library:

"The mayor of Plainfield wants to cut the city’s public library funding by half, and that city is not alone. Never mind the lost jobs. There is a larger issue here. There is a growing perception in some quarters that, in the internet age, libraries and books are useless dinosaurs from the dusty past. This is a terrible attitude and a lie.

A community that gives up on its libraries has given up on its prosperity. It has written off all but its wealthiest citizens and made knowledge acquisition — one of the bedrocks of a free society — seem a pointless exercise.

Rather than fiscal prudence, cutting or eliminating libraries shows economic and cultural shortsightedness along with an abandonment of values and the concept of the public good: something for which elected officials are supposed to fight. Public libraries are one of the most cost-effective means of producing intelligent, literate and successful citizens. They also help reduce crime, gang activity and drug use by the young. I know this from personal experience...."  

....Continue reading

MTPL Board of Trustees: Please stop the closing of the Navesink Public Library

Maile McCann, a 15 year old Navesink resident has started a petition to save the Navesink library branch from being closed. She has compiled survey results from patrons and other statistics demonstrating how property values are enhanced when located near a library branch.

To:
MTPL Board of Trustees

The Navesink library is the hub of a small, close- knit town that provides locals with educational resources as well as family programs. Closing the library would devastate the community and strip the residents of their convenient access to these resources and programs. Elderly can walk or drive over at their leisure to access resources that normally wouldn't be accessible at the main library. Families with children come for story time and Reading Buddies. The love of this library felt by the community is indescribable. It's closing would decimate the hearts of patrons. On behalf of all the residents of Navesink, please reconsider the closing of the Navesink Public Library.

The vote to close this branch takes place Wednesday night at 7pm when the Library Board of Trustees  meets at the main branch of the Middletown Library on New Monmouth Road.

Currently 200 people have signed the petition, hopefully more will follow to let those on the Library's Board of Trustees know that closing this or any other branch of the library is unacceptable.

You can sign the petition.... HERE 

Sign The Petition Calling For Term Limits For Members of Monmouth County Boards and Commissions

A petition in support of establishing term limits for members of Monmouth County’s independent Boards and Commissions as proposed by Freeholder Amy Mallet is making the rounds.

Establishing term limits is an idea long over due, for the life of me I don't understand how Freeholder Mallett's colleagues on the Board of Chosen Freeholders can be opposed to implementing them after what has gone on around the County over the past several years.

It shouldn't matter if board or commission members serve voluntarily or not, no one should sit on a board for nearly 50 years like some will be doing once their current terms expire. It leads to graft, corruption and complacency.

The petition states:

That the recent events at Brookdale Community College, which revealed a disturbing lack of financial oversight, occurred during the tenure of a Chair and Vice Chair of that Board of Trustees who have enjoyed terms of 23 and 16 years, respectively.The fifty-six (56) volunteer members of our county's seven (7) Boards recommend policy, oversee budgets, make purchasing decisions, become involved with contracting and hiring, and generally oversee the operation of programs and services that spend tens of millions of taxpayer dollars. They are not elected and most residents have little understanding of, or access to, how they carry out their responsibilities. The Board of Freeholders appoints Board members and frequently allows them to serve for decades.

This petition advocates for the rotation of these important Board members. Term limits are set policy for many professional and business boards. Shorter terms promote more objectivity, creativity and accountability while lessening the chances of complacency. Freeholder Amy Mallet has proposed a Resolution to be voted on by her fellow Freeholders that would establish such term limits. By signing this Petition you are expressing your support for this Resolution which limits Board members to terms that do not exceed 10-12 consecutive years. You will also be taking a significant step toward increasing the accountability of these Boards and the likelihood that their members will carry out their duties in the best interests of the citizens of Monmouth County.

To sign the petition click >>> Here