Newsletter: 09/08/2014
Statement
Interior Secretary Jewell Visits the Great Swamp
On Wednesday I had the pleasure of welcoming the Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell, to the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Harding Township where we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Wilderness Act by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This is the third Interior Secretary I have welcomed to this beautiful natural treasure: Secretary Bruce Babbitt and Secretary Gale Norton each visited the Great Swamp at my invitation in years past.
Be sure to read my guest column on nj.com that tells the story of the citizen-led fight to save the Great Swamp 50 years ago from being a major jetport.
Job Growth Still Sluggish
For the 68th month in a row, the nation's unemployment rate remains above 6 percent. Just 142,000 jobs were created last month, the worst month for job growth this year.
Fortune magazine reports that despite the slight uptick in job growth, economist Mike Schenk believes, "We still have a long way to go before we can claim things are better." According to Fortune, Schenck also maintains that it is "problematic that the average duration of unemployment is still about two times higher than historical norms."
With Congress returning to Washington next week, it is more important than ever that the Senate begin passing the more than 40 bills passed by the House to create jobs and opportunity for America's workers. A description of those bills can be found here.
Henry Kissinger: "The Assembly of a New World Order"
Noble Peace Prize recipient and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger provided a fascinating analysis of the geopolitical lay of the land, and poses some thought-provoking questions for U.S. policymakers to consider as we confront the many problems threating peace and stability around the world. It is well worth a read!
It's Not Morning in America
Despite the growing list of problems confronting our country, President Obama seems to think everything is going along just fine. In this perceptive column in the Washington Post, Dana Milbank says the President's "happy talk" is "unnerving" when the country faces so many problems at home and around the world.
A Major Breakthrough in Treating Heart Failure
New Jersey is known around the globe as the Medicine Chest of the World because it is home to many of the world's most productive research pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and life sciences companies. So it not surprising that East Hanover based Novartis made international headlines with the announcement of a new drug to treat heart failure.
Dr. Clyde Yancy, a former head of the American Heart Association, hailed the news, saying, "This is a new day for patients .It's been at least a decade since we've had a breakthrough of this magnitude."
Congratulations to everyone at Novartis for their work in developing this drug and to everyone in works in this industry in New Jersey for their life-saving work.
Back to School!
With Labor Day behind us, students, teachers, and staff at our outstanding public, private, and parochial schools are returning to the classroom. The New Jersey Herald published a "Back to School" guide that includes all sorts of useful tips (covering everything from choosing the right backpack to getting back into the school routine) for parents as their children kick-off another school year.
Salute: The Friends of Great Swamp
With the nation's attention drawn to the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge earlier this week, one group of people that does so much to preserve and protect this beautiful treasure deserves special recognition: The Friends of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, which is marking its 15th anniversary this year.
I salute this great group of volunteers, who are indispensable to the Refuge, providing thousands of hours of volunteer work every year to help preserve and protect for all time this precious natural resource! These men and women deserve our thanks!
The Friends' Fall Festival Celebration takes place tomorrow, September 6, from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm. To learn more about this fun event, and about this wonderful organization, visit its website: http://www.friendsofgreatswamp.org/.
Salute: Mary Pierson
Mary Pierson of Netcong, Morris County, was honored earlier this week by the Netcong Mayor and Council for 50 years of active volunteerism to her community. You would be hard pressed to find a more public spirited citizen than Mary. She is an example to all of the difference that one person can make in the life of one's community. I salute Mary for her half century of community support!
Salute: "Turn The Towns Teal"
September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and a national campaign to raise awareness has been launched from right here in the 11 Congressional District by "Turn The Town Teal: A National Awareness Campaign for Ovarian Cancer," which is headquartered in Brookside.
Now in its eighth year, this nationwide campaign, with supporters in 45 states, is tying teal ribbons in hundreds of towns across the country to raise awareness of this terrible disease. This year, an estimated 22,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer; another 14,000 are expected to die from this disease.
To learn more about how you can participate in this important effort to save women's lives, visit www.turnthetownsteal.org.
Salute: Whippany River Watershed Action Committee
I had the pleasure of attending a celebration marking the 15thanniversary of the Whippany River Watershed Action Committee. This outstanding group helps protect the cleanliness of the river by safeguarding the streams and tributaries that flow into it.
This was the first watershed effort in Northern New Jersey and more than a dozen municipalities have been working to protect the Whippany River watershed for more than 30 years.
The river's total watershed area covers almost 70 square miles in Morris County -- and the river helps provide drinking water to more than one million North Jerseyans. Over the years, the committee has received numerous awards for its work. I salute them for their commitment to the health of the Whippany River!
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