Category Archives: taxpayer money waste

Reverse 911: Right vs. Wrong.

Posted on October 28, 2010 | Leave a comment

The right way to do Reverse 911:

  • contract with a reputable and FREE service like Nixle.com;
  • solicit interested residents to sign up for free;
  • issue alerts, as necessary, to those who register;
  • congratulate yourself on a no-brainer decision.

The Westwood, NJ  way (aka the “Wrong Way”) to do Reverse 911:

  • waste countless hours investigating a contract with C3 to provide Reverse 911 service;
  • waste tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to contract with C3;
  • demonstrate your ignorance and generate ill-will by issuing frivolous and harassing alerts to all residents, even those not interested in being included, simply to justify the huge expense;
  • feel like a dumbass for being a dumbass.

Yup, the Westwood way is much better!  ; )

Nixle.

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How to Block Harassing Reverse 911 Calls.

Posted on October 19, 2010 | 1 comment

Perhaps you have an unlisted phone number and were surprised to find out that Westwood’s Money Pit Reverse 911 called you anyway.

Perhaps you were asleep at 1:10 am on 8/23/10 when Westwood’s Money Pit Reverse 911 woke you and your family with a phone call to say that it was raining heavily and that, guess what, areas prone to flooding were likely to flood!

Perhaps the idea of the waste of taxpayer money on unnecessary services such as a phone call from Westwood’s Money Pit Reverse 911 just really pisses you off.

Whatever your reason, here’s how to stop the harassing reverse 911 calls.  Most phone services offer to block incoming phone calls from specific numbers for free.  In this age of digital communication, the consumer often gets direct control over this action without a middle-man.  The following describes how to block unwanted phone calls using Cablevision’s Optimum Voice interface.

First, log in to your Optimum Voice account.

Next, select the tab marked “Features > Block Unwanted Calls.”

Block Reverse 911 Calls.

At the bottom of the “Block Unwanted Calls” page, you will find a place to input specific phone numbers to block.

Block Reverse 911 Calls.

If you wanted to block Westwood’s Money Pit Reverse 911, for instance, you would enter (201) 403-9565.  Update 10/31/2012: new Reverse-911 number is 973-718-7763.

Hit the “Submit” button at the bottom to confirm changes, and you are done.  No more harassing phone calls.

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Posted in Pascack Valley, taxpayer money waste, Westwood

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Former dump is now a money pit.

Posted on September 18, 2010 | 1 comment

Update on Westwood’s former landfill, otherwise known as Westvale Park.  It looked more like a park less than a year ago when it had grass, a running path, and the obligatory sign pollution so prevalent in Westwood, NJ.

Now, it looks like a demolition site.  But rather, it’s a (re)work-in-progress.  Taxpayers already paid for its completion years ago, and it worked fine until our Borough Council decided to waste more taxpayer money ruining it so that it can be built again.

This time, the plans are more grandiose, and far exceed the health-care and benefits costs provided to municipal employees, or the several new cops hired over the past year, or the patronage job given to the one whose daddy agreed to settle a law suit and retire so that his son got a cushy job that he didn’t earn for himself.

No, this time, the plans include a more significant waste of taxpayer money on more crap the borough doesn’t need.  We had a park, now we have a money pit.

It was recently reported that the cost of methane gas extraction and monitoring is going to cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and will likely go on for many, many years.

Strap yourself in, this is going to to be a rough ride–for us, but not for the contractors and politicians.  They win, we lose.

Here’s how the money pit looks today:

Westwood NJ Money Pit, or Westvale Park.

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Reverse 911 is a Joke and/or We Are Idiots.

Posted on August 23, 2010 | Leave a comment

It’s raining heavily outside; places that are prone to flooding might actually flood.  Did you need a phone call to tell you that?

Only if you’re an idiot.

It’s snowing heavily outside; the roads might be slippery and you should be careful if you leave the house to drive.  Did you need a phone call to tell you that?

Only if you’re an idiot.

A bear was spotted somewhere in Westwood; you should be careful not to approach any bears that you may see.  Did you need a phone call to tell you that?

Only if you’re an idiot.

Reverse 911 is a joke.

Reverse 911 is a waste of taxpayer money.

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