Counties are subdivisions of the State. They are not independent from the State.

Here is a Legal Opinion by Appellate Judge Syvlia Presseler on Shopping Centers at the time the Blue Laws were enacted: As best I can recall.

"Shopping centers (Malls) have become the Community recreation and gathering places of today's Society. And that is as it should be. There will be many more Malls in the future and should not delegated to any one County.

Time to repeal this Law and refer it to the NJ State Justice Appelate Division for consideration.

The county executive pushed the decision up the chain.

Bergen County Executive Donovan is expected to resign soon, with a pending scandal involving the hiring of her past girlfriends to lucrative County government jobs, she will resign. She tried to sneak in the changing of the blue laws to help her cronies make millions at American Dream shopping mall and water park.

Kelly, should have picked up on your comment earlier: please provide details of improper hiring, explain how that relates at all to Sunday closings, or stay on topic; it will help us all have a better discussion.

You can be sure that real constitutional law experts have looked this over. Citizens have voted over and over and don't want to change.

Honestly, did you not check out business practices when you moved in? I agree that there are some contradictions, but overall they are widely supported by the residents—the last referendum was to keep them, 2:1 (or more). I wish you had done more research on our fair county before you moved in; hope you are satisfied otherwise or find somewhere else that suits you better.

Cat litter can be bought on any day in the supermarkets. AND, so can scrunchie's. I've lived in Bergen County for over 55 years and I love that we have peace and quiet on our highways on Sundays. The traffic on Saturdays in Bergen County near the Malls is horrible. There is nothing that anyone needs on a Sunday, they can't get the other 6 days of the week.

Feel free to move back to MI any time you wish. For those who live here it is a single day free from the traffic and confusion. If you can not get what needs to be done in 6 days you need to work on you organization skills. I travel for business 4 days a week and have never had an issue purchasing what I need.

Then change them at a freeholder session, not during a disaster when the power is out

I guess you don't live in Paramus.

Ok Andy moved here from Michigan, lets change the law..

Can't agree more!

Power was not back on by Friday. After a week without power and normalcy, I needed to buy clean pajamas for my children, and other items not usually available on Sundays. It was a huge help to us to have the blue laws suspended.

That is my big concern, along with a lot of long-time residents.

I do not live in Paramus but welcome driving through there on Sunday's without additional traffic. If people want to shop they can go to Wayne or Clifton or Hudson County.

Agreed, we must watch carefully to protect our way of life. I intend to contact both the county executive and the governor to express my displeasure (while praising the governor for his overall handling of the storm—and I am generally not a fan).

@john q public: how would you feel if New yorkers say the same thing 7 days a week..... about people from NJ? This is absurd talk....... New Yorkers or anyone else has all the rights to go anywhere in the union....... This is a very narrow minded approach and shows a lack of maturity.....

I agree, that comment was thoughtless at best. I would amend it to concern with too many cars on the roads, whether local, from NY, Penn., Conn., or California—or anywhere else! Whether Bentleys (Bentlies? to be whimsical), VW vans, Hummers, Smart Cars, Chevy Novas, Ford Foci, you name it—we need better mass transit. Then we can talk.

Thank you for the research; it verifies my interpretation.

Absolutely. Bergen County's Blue Law is a quality of life issue. It's one day a week residents get a reprieve from traffic congestion, retail employees have one day they can spend with their kids and the rest of us get some peace and quiet. Basic necessities are available and if one so chooses they can travel somewhere else to make other purchases. There are numerous examples of quality of life laws on the books nationwide. Closing times for retail establishments, noise regulations, zoning restrictions, aesthetic regulations -- Vermont banned large billboards (I'd love to see the rest of the country go that way). It's really very simple. If the residents of BC wanted to change the law they could. But most of us don't.

minckey,
in total agreement about billboards; the new lighted ones, especially with changing photos are especially bad—I even wonder if they have been shown to distract drivers and cause fender-benders? Anyone have any information?

Agreed—he was touting/trying to justify that now-renamed “Xanadoom” project (on which he wants to spend lots of taxpayer dollars, despite his much vaunted fiscal discipline) and trying to justifying it. Did not buy it then, do not buy it now.

Let's hope the suspension doesn't become permanent.

The malls negotiated with Paramus when they were built, they use lots of our services and pay accordingly. I agree that taxes are low in Paramus, but the blue laws are not novelties; they have been in place longer than any of us have been residents. Other places loosened theirs, because of the volume of stores/malls in Paramus, we did not. Voters consistently vote to maintain the closures.

Try living here. Just daily traffic where you can't go too far because of traffic more than compensates for our taxes. If your taxes are too high in Hawthorne, move to Paramus and then tell us what you think.

A liitle mean spirited. Don't you think?

The restaurants, theatres, and food stores (i.e., Whole Foods at the Bergen Mall—oops, Town Centre) are generally open on Sundays even with the blue laws; they did not need to suspend them for charging stations and warmth. Building supplies? Not enough, in my opinion, as those purchases could have been made yesterday and tomorrow by most people. I would put a higher priority on saving gas and keeping roadways clear for utility workers.

If you, and everyone else, go out to the malls on Sunday, then I do not have the quiet and freedom to travel as I have done all my life. Please do not move into the county where I grew up and expect us to change to accommodate your preferences; you knew—or should have known—when you moved in what the rules were.
Forgive me if I sound grumpy—E-mail has no emotional tone, so often comes off harsher than intended.

Sally don't take the tone of this question wrong, but do Paramus residents actually feel the needs of Paramus citizens are more important then the citizens surrounding you? People there should actually be thankful that businesses think of the area as being vibrant and economically sound enough to even put their stores there. If they had to depend just on Paramus residents for business they be out of business. This is NOT just a Paramus issue, it is much larger then that and any referendum on whether the Blue Laws remain or not should be open to many more people then just Paramus. Your town (and you personally, as well as every other Paramus resident) benefits from the rest of us shopping there.

The ONLY people whose opinion matters about the Blue Laws are the residents of Bergen County, who have voted several times to keep them. It is essential to our quality of life. Paramus is the most profitable retail real estate in the US -- even with stores open 6 days. I have lived in Bergen for over 20 years and have never been inconvenienced by them. If you live outside Bergen, you have numerous choices -- go to Palisades in Rockland County or Wayne, or Livingston, etc. No one's "need to shop" is more important than what residents have to live with. You don't have to like them -- but if you don't live here, your feelings about our "archaic" laws are meaningless! Deal with it.

JP, actually, I am a former Paramus residents, now living in Woodcliff Lake. My parents remain in Paramus.
Remember, the last vote was in favor of keeping stores closed by a margin of 80,000 votes; Paramus residents are clearly not the only ones in favor. Kath H is one nonresident who has spoken of the benefits of clear highways for others who live in towns bordering Paramus. Currently, you and others wanting stores open are in the minority—I have not added up the pro/con commenters here, but obviously there are strong feelings on both sides. I believe that I, and others here, have made a good case, and there is a reference among these comments to a court that agrees, saying that closing laws are constitutional if for a secular purpose—which relieving congestion clearly is.

I agree Bob. And Sally G., it really doesn't matter how long you've lived here. We all live here and pay taxes and have a right to our opinions. If you've lived elsewhere, then you know that Saturdays aren't as hectic anywhere else as they are here...because of these antiquated laws.

Beth, I have lived elsewhere, but have the lifelong habit of not shopping on Sunday, so never saw the advantage to having stores open in those places. I was working in the theatre then, so not much driving on Saturdays—always working a matinée and evening performance—so no real comparison data. I have been in some pretty heavy traffic in Rockland County, so Bergen traffic is not unique.

No, thank you; I now live in Woodcliff Lake and still support Sunday closings. There are so many other options, and our quality of life would be diminished. The laws have been placed on the ballot periodically, and have always been soundly defeated. This is—we believe—still a democracy, and the majority has spoken—repeatedly.

Sally, how come your quality of life isn't diminished from Monday to Saturday? Do you suddenly blossom on Sundays? Bet your life isn't one iota different, is it?

JP: My quality of life is a cumulation of the experience of all 7 days of the week. I make every effort to stay off Routes 4 and 17 on Saturdays, especially at this time of year, until after the holidays. We joke in Paramus that one must be home by noon on Saturday—acknowledgement of the frustrations of trying to travel the highways. Knowing that I can travel easier on Sunday helps me put up with Saturday; not having that break would be less pleasant.
I generally try to avoid crowds, whatever I do—wait to see movies until after the first few weeks; go really early to the shore when I am staying for a week (can count the day trips on one hand; just not worth the long drive), so that I am there in 2 hours, not the 4 that most suffer through, not leaving for home until 3 or 4 p.m., even if I have to leave the rental house by 11, making my drive up the parkway more pleasant. I have rarely worked a 9-to-5 job; when I took a job with flexible hours in the late 90s, I chose 10 to 6, rather than most people’s choice of 7:30 to 3:30, to avoid crowded commutes. Currently, I do not own a car, travel by bus and train (and those schedules, particularly train schedules, could use improvement), but live within a mile of a car-rental agency that I use when grouping events into a single weekend—otherwise pay to share rides, take public transit, etc. This started out as necessity when I could not afford to replace a car; became a choice, possible because of my location.

News Man,
We still believe that we live in a democracy, and when the attempt to repeal the law was defeated by a wide margin in the county that it most strongly affects, it is hard to argue that outsiders, who already have Sunday shopping, should be able to tell Bergen what to do within its borders.

Thank you, Kath!

:)
45 min from maywood to fair lawn @ Xmas time??? YES kath, you are right on the money!

Amen Kath!!!

You are completely correct! Paramus has become one huge mall, not a town anymore.

Sorry, our police, fire department, ambulances—all are used heavily by the malls, which is why they pay so much in taxes. We are hardly holding anyone hostage, there are so many out-of-county places to shop on Sunday if you must do so.
Do you own a car, where in the county are you located? How long would it take you to get to the Palisades Center, Paterson, Willowbrook, etc.? Do you need all you buy, or could you do with less and cut down on the workload?
I am asking a lot of personal questions, and they are really not directed at you, but at our sometimes very materialistic, 24/7 society, which I believe needs to take a step back and relax. I do not think that weakening the blue laws would help that goal. I am a Woodcliff Lake resident, and I support the blue laws.

It is not just Paramus residents who want the Blue Laws. Just as you and your husband work all week long, so do those people who work in the stores in Bergen County. Closing the stores gives everyone a chance to have a day off and rest. The mall owners cannot impose a workday on Sunday for their workers and that gives them time to enjoy rest and family once a week. NY is only 20 minutes away from Paramus. All of their stores are open, so you can shop there. There is the Palisades Mall and many other shops to get your errands done. Lets give those small shops in Bergen County a chance to close, especially when they have to work 6 days a week. Once a week gives us all a break.

Sorry but you knew the Blue Laws existed when you moved here. There are other malls open Sunday that are only an extra 20 minutes away. Consider the nightmare of the roads on Saturday -- we do not need that for yet another day!

Sally -- I so agree with you!!

Wouldn’t it have been better to have the county offices open today, instead of the malls?

Maybe you should take some of your own advice and put some "gratitude in your attitude."

Hello A, so relax on Sunday that way you'll be ready for your taxing jobs on Monday. And Lisa, are you saying the Red Cross was sending you to Union City or Mahwah on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday?

we just went thru a horrific storm, and you are worried about recycling?

It sounds as though you have solved your problem quite well; we do not mind losing the tax revenue, we prefer our mall employees be guaranteed a day off of their own. We prefer that owners of our smaller businesses not have to cover 7 days a week with limited resources to hire employees. How tied to the county are you; maybe you would be better served moving to an area that has business practices with which you agree? Please excuse the fact that E-mail has no emotional voice; this probably sounds much harsher than it is intended.

Those of us who live in Bergen County - and NOT just those who live in Paramus, but also those who live in Hackensack, and Maywood, and Rochelle Park, and Saddle Brook, and Fair Lawn, and Glen Rock, and Riveredge, and Ridgewood and all the other towns affected by the insane traffic caused by having 5 MAJOR malls in a very small area VOTED to keep the laws. WE the people of Bergen County do NOT want them repealed - a vast majority. It has nothing to do with the 21st century. It has to do with the Democratic process - MAJORITY rules.

It's really not that difficult to deal with closed stores for one day a week. There is nothing you absolutely need that you can't already get in the supermarket or a pharmacy like CVS. They are all open and usually fully stocked. If you need something else, you have several choices - buy on Sat., wait until Monday night (the stores are all open until 10pm), or go outside Bergen to buy it. Those of us who have to put up with the traffic 6 days out of 7 only have ONE day to live with out it.

I was a working single Dad living in Paramus since 1979 with 2 girls I raised by myself till they grew up and left for Colleges. I managed to get ANYTHING I WANTED between Mon. and Sat. so if you can't, either MOVE ELSWHERE are learn to manage your time better!!!

Won’t convince me! I intend to let the governor know that, while I approved his handling of the storm overall, I am angered by this decision.

The blue laws have broad support across Bergen County. If Paramus was the only place who wanted them, the laws would be voted down when the issue appears on the ballot

Aliie wrote "These laws are solely in place because the people of Paramus wanted them. I say they knew there were malls on their town when they moved in so don't complain about the traffic. While they are complaining they should realize that their taxes are lower than they would have been if there were 't any malls and probably lower still if they allowed Sunday shopping. "

Jeeze doesn't ANY ONE read - these laws are there because the WHOLE county voted on them NOT just Paramus! The rest of us DO NOT get lower taxes (if anything we pay higher taxes because our police have to deal with the overflow from Paramus) and we had NO say in whether the malls are built or not. If Paramus puts in 10 more mails we are still stuck with the damn traffic.

Paramus is the most profitable piece of retail real estate in the US. WITH 6 DAYS PER WEEK. County residents want the Blue Laws -- end of story!

AMEN!

Blunt, but to the point and accurate.

I agree, we in Bergen County do not want stores open on Sunday. Until the day comes that the majority of the residents in this county oppose this law and it is changed we will continue to have our Blue Laws. Move to another county where you can enjoy your Sundays shopping. And we will enjoy our peace and quiet. This area of the country is fast paced enough. Thats why I love Sunday here in Bergen County. Nice and quiet.

Yep!

DITTO!!!!!

At least parts of the malls are open anyway—Whole Food, theatres, restaurants. They did not need this for humanitarian purposes. Watch for the rest of the camel—it will try to force its way into the tent.

LOL - thanks! Someone who can read! I have no problem with them opening the stores for the emergency - but when it's over I want my Blue Laws back. Maybe we should call them Quality of Life laws instead, because that's really what it's about. And most of the traffic is from NY anyway.

I don't care which day of the week it is - if they want to be open on Sun - then let them close on Sat. We need ONE day without horrendous traffic. I sit in traffic on my way too and from work every day. I would like one day when I can visit with family on the other side of the county without sitting in traffic.

Just as I was going to respond, I saw Kath’s response—it was exactly what mine was going to be. IF—and that is a big IF—you can get all nonessential businesses, schools, etc., to close on any other day of the week instead—Saturday, Tuesday, Friday, I care not—that would be just fine with me. I do not see it happening, so I continue to support Sunday closing. Remember, there are many who consider Sunday the sabbath, so you would be asking them to break their sabbath just as you feel that you are being asked to break the Saturday sabbath.
300-year-old law names are irrelevant; I would be happy to have the laws renamed the quality-of-life laws.

Josh I hope you aren't arguing that because you exercise your right to observe saturday as a religious day that others don't have the right to vote to close stores on a sunday. That would be pretty hypocritical, and these cases have been argued in court and already decided against that position, and rightfully so.

Gov. Christie has done very well overall with the storm (I also find myself surprised to say that). This, however, does not fall into that category; it was totally inappropriate.
And Ms Kathe Donovan should have had the courage of her convictions, if it was so important, and not pushed the hot potato up the chain of command.

Well said, Ken. Accurate and diplomatic. Thanks!

You can't buy a pair of socks because the citizens of our county made a decision. They decided to suffer through Sundays without shopping for socks. In return they eliminate congestion. Bad idea? Then start a movement to end the blue laws.

The stores have particular departments closed in order to create a level playing field—if the store sells food alone, it is totally open; but being open to sell food should not allow them to sell clothing, when clothing stores that sell nothing else must remain closed. I agree that when walking into Costco, it can be confusing if you are not aware of the details.

Thank you, Kath; well said.

Thank you for this thoughtful comment. I can walk to a ShopRite, bank, laundromat, rental-car agency, post office, and convenience store within a half-mile of my home. Gave my car up out of necessity, did not replace it by choice (rental-car agency within .5 mile makes that easier). We need to think about the hidden costs of instant everything, total convenience.

Owners of small businesses would find taking a day off almost impossible if there were no universal closing day; employees of large chains would have schedules rewritten to include Sundays—they would not have a choice or get overtime. Does anyone remember the change.org petition by a retail worker—Target?—who objected to being forced to start a shift at 11p.m. on Thanksgiving when the store wanted to open at midnight at Black Friday?
Please, let’s control the businesses, and not let the drive for an everything-24/7 society to control us.

jp cleary you do not work in retail!!! there is NO reason for a store to be open 24/7!!! this will not create more jobs, just more broken familys. as a long time mall employee i remember stores closed on sunday for a day of rest, religious observasion and family time. if you know anything about business, stores do not pick up more foot traffic when opened 24/7. it is mearly an accomodation.

I believe the small businesses in Paramus were polled a while back and they WANTED the Sunday day of rest to spend with their families. It is only the greedy Foreign owners of these big malls who want to open on Sunday.

tonee and Bernard, I posted, to another Patch article on the subject of blue laws, quotations from Carl Shaw, owner of Norton Paints on Route 17, in support of Sunday closing. He said he tells his customers to plan ahead! Not sure how serious he was with that comment, but was clearly in support of a 6-day shopping week. The article where I read the comments was in a Daily Freeman in March 2010. It also quoted Dennis McNerney and Paul Sarlo in support of Sunday closing.
To your point, tonee, a famlly only has so many disposable dollars to spend, no matter how many hours they can shop, so it stands to reason that business will not increase dramatically after a base level of hours—in other words, on a 7th day. Hanging out may increase, but there are other places for that.

Last two votes, according to a Daily Freeman article from March 2010:
1980, opening defeated by 35,000 votes; 1993, defeated by 80,000 votes
Neither is a small amount, and it increased over the intervening decade +.

Please explain what a minor majority is. Last time I looked in a dictionary Majority meant more than half. That's the way democracy works. We have Sunday Closing Laws aka Blue Laws because an overwhelming majority of Bergen County voters - NOT JUST Paramus voters - voted to keep them.

I don't know why people can't understand that although Paramus has the malls and the tax breaks ALL the rest of us have to put up with the traffic. Those cars do not just drop from the air into Paramus and leave the same way. They use county roads and our town roads - WE have to pay the upkeep. They back traffic up into our towns and our police have to respond to incidents caused by the extra traffic.

If you do not live in Bergen County or you do not live in one of the towns bordering Paramus, perhaps that's why you don't understand, but as long as we get to vote on it - the stores are staying closed.

MINOR MAJORITY???? DO YOU CONSIDER OVER 70% A MINOR MAJORITY WHICH INCREASES EVERY YEAR?? GET REAL AND GET THE FACTS STRAIGHT!!!

I will fight Xanadoom being open on Sundays, just as McNerney did in 2010 when the governor tried to force the issue. Think about the traffic with that mall and the sports arena in the Meadowlands! (In fact, there has already been a lawsuit—the Giants, I believe?)

You want to try backing out of a driveway on Century Rd, Paramus Rd, Spring Valley Rd, Rochelle Ave, Passaic St, Saddle River Rd, Midland Ave and any of the streets leading up to these roads - they are all congested with local drivers trying to avoid 4 & 17 - because we know better. If the issue was JUST 4 & 17 it wouldn't be a problem but you can not move - especially from now until after Christmas on ANY local road that leads through any town surrounding Paramus.

Some roads that run parallel to the main highways become channels for those with a smattering of knowledge of the area as an escape from the highways. That is why we just say “forget it” on a Saturday after Thanksgiving if we are not out by noon—we may be able to get from our street to a bigger street running parallell to Route 17 (nameless for privacy), but would not be able to get out of the neighborhood without a long wait and much risk, especially if we were trying to make a left turn to head south.

i LIVE ON Farview Ave and I can't get out of my driveway on anyday of the week EXCEPT Sunday. Neither can people who live along Paramus Road. From Black Friday till after New Years Day It sometimes takes me up to 15 minutes just to get out of my driveway even if I'm facing outward.

Bernard,
Farview Avenue was the street that I had in mind. I have often thought that those of you who live on such streets need a big lazy Susan in your garage so that you can both pull in and pull out facing forward. Backing out must be a nightmare!

Exactly. BTW the "don't like it, don't live here" sentiment can be turned around on Paramus residents too. The other thing people don't seem to realize about the Blue Laws don't allow businesses offices to have employees working either. You can't even have a data center operating unless it can be manned remotely (which is what some companies do). Now that IS ridiculous.

The Westfield Mall operators of Garden State Plaza did do the research and found thier chain stores do better in 6 days then the same stores do in other areas. Also they found that although stores are open on Sunday people use it more as a social outing and revenues are not as high as other days and in mant cases it is not profitable to be open. Small store owners in malls are forced to be open giving them no quality of life.

Jim, that's reverse logic. How well does GSP do on a Sunday now compared to the other malls? 0% vs 100%? If Paramus opened on Sunday they would ALSO do better then the other areas seven days a week.

Most chain stores in malls use part-time employees, who have little if any say in their schedule. They do not hire full-time employees so that they do not have to give benefits (that is the subject for a whole ’nother post).
Scrooge wanted Bob Cratchit to work 24/7, Christmas and all, with little heat—laws are supposed to prevent that sort of thing. Obviously, retail conditions are not that bad, but I think my point is clear.
Yes, it is true that business offices are also required to be closed; that is a problem for online companies, I guess, but not for most businesses, which work a 9–5 Mon. to Fri. schedule. There is lots of room for expansion without Sundays, and I do believe that ensuring that nobody works at a single job more than 6 days a week is a good thing for society.

JP, I do not believe that you are correct. In part, it is because chain stores at GSP are only 1 store of the company; being open would likely take business away from other area stores, such as Willowbrook or Palisades Center. So the overall difference, when considering the expense of keeping 2 stores open, is not so great: to oversimplify, 50%+50% on Sat., + 100% + 0% now, compared to 40% +40% on Saturday, 80% + 80% on Sunday with opening, with expenses increased by 50%, leaves a 10% increase—is it enough to change a law that was in existence BEFORE any of the malls opened, of which every store that has moved into the area since was aware? Forgive the clumsy math—I am not sure if it makes the point clearly or not.

Actually, a lot of businesses don't work a Monday-Friday, 9-5 schedule. For many industries, i.e. retail, restaurants, etc., Saturday and Sunday are bread-and-butter days. The fact that most of these places only hire part-time employees is yet another reason why forcing stores to close on Sunday doesn't make sense. Some people could use that income, especially in this economy. Not to mention, some people HAVE to work on Sundays to meet their basic financial needs or to supplement their income in some way. Many retail & restaurant employees end up working more than one job and to not have the option of working on that day does affect their income. Many people do not have the luxury of moving and/or finding a job in another county nor should they have to because some people feel inconvenienced by traffic. As far as "quality of life" is concerned, that is highly subjective. Not being able to work on Sunday could greatly affect someone else's "quality of life."

Monica, my 9-5 comment was made in response to one about business offices. You do realize that restaurants are not closed by blue laws in the county? The main topic is, indeed, retail. Food may be bought on Sunday, liquor between noon and (I believe) 8 p.m., pharmacies/newsstands/convenience stores are open to sell food, drugs, newspapers. Stores with multiple departments are limited to selling what all can sell—no clothing, regardless of what else the store sells, for instance, to keep the playing field open. Technically, Kmart could open on Sunday to sell food only—they choose not to because of the expense of opening the whole store for a single department. Yes, some will lose part-time employment opportunities in the immediate area; others who might be required to work Sunday hours without overtime pay will instead be guaranteed that day off.
I come down on the side of Sunday closing; you, on the side of opening. So far, more voters agree with keeping businesses closed.
BTW, do you realize that ChickFilA chooses to stay closed on Sundays even in malls where other food-court restaurants are open? That corporate decision is based in religious principles.

Have you talked to any of these workers "who can't work on Sunday?" I'll bet you that over 80% of them are glad they don't have to work on Sunday. Otherwise these greedy mall store would force them to work 7 days a week for the lousy wages they pay them. Hell, most of those stores fire any employee who works over 6 months so they don't have to give them a payraise.

"Have you talked to any of these workers "who can't work on Sunday?" I'll bet you that over 80% of them are glad they don't have to work on Sunday. "

I actually was one of these people, so I speak from experience.

DKS, all the big malls except 1 are in Paramus. Paramus has just 2-3% of the Bergen County population. And the county votes 2-1 to keep the blue laws. Clearly, more people support the blue laws than just Paramus residents. This is much more than "not in my backyard".

DKS

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about - the vote is published by Town and universally supported by an overwhelming majority of Bergen county residents, not just Paramus Residents.

You might want to check your facts before posting your narrowly drawn, highly uninformed interpretations.

Well, that is an overgeneralization. My parents lived in Paramus BEFORE any mall was here. Anyone moving into the area knew the rules when they moved in, or did not do sufficient research.
Do you suggest that we make zoning laws for Sussex County subject to approval by Cape May County? It does not make sense; why should nonresidents have a say in store-opening hours that affect our communities, our police and fire departments, and not theirs?

Why should laws that govern and apply only to Bergen county be open to all residents of the state? All residents of the state do not live in Bergen County. Perhaps those of us who live in Bergen County should be given the opportunity to tell people who live in other counties that they must CLOSE their stores on Sunday. AFAIC the people with the selfish attitudes are those of you who DEMAND we change our way of life - one the majority of the people in Bergen County chose (how many times must we point that out???) - to suit you.

I work 5 days a week. I commute 45 minutes each way. And I still manage to get all my shopping done in 6 days - with very little problem.

Quite frankly I don't think anyone should have to work 2 or 3 or 4 jobs or 7 days a week to earn enough to support their family. You want to talk about antiquated. I thought we left the sweatshop life behind decades ago - now, it seems some of you want to bring it back. Maybe those mall workers might like a guaranteed day that they can be with their families instead of slaving away at minimum wage. - but no one is asking them. We need to work to get legislation passed that will ensure that people get a living wage working 35-40 hours a week, instead of 7 days a week. Try that instead of trying to change laws that the citizens of Bergen County have voted every time it's come up to keep.

yes, typical christie, push his archaic views on the population. Dictator.

ONe of the differences is population density—ours is very great, and we have Manhattan just over the river. Agreed about majority rules; the last two votes have been clear, with an increasing number of voters supporting the closings.

Property values DO NOT GO UP when traffic is horrific. Use some common sense, If I were to be moving to this area of Bergen County with all this traffic and no Quality of Life day off, I would NOT move here

Well said G R. The Supreme Court decided in 1961 that Blue Laws are constitutional as long as the laws are not based upon religious doctrine.

Thank you G R - I second your suggestion!

Paramus has only 17,000 voters; the closings passed by a 80,000-vote margin last time. So it is more than Paramus residents.

much of the year you have SAt. night, and then on the rest of the time, you have later fridays.

Paramus does not dictate to the rest of the county, in fact the laws in Paramus and Midland Park are even stricter than they are in other towns in the County. They put it on the ballot in my town and we voted to keep our stores closed as well.

Takes one to know one is what my mother always told me

Have you seen any detailed study that supports your comments about traffic? Judging by Monday of this week, after the stores WERE open on Sunday, there would be little if any difference. About 4:30 my parents picked me up in Woodcliff Lake, drove me to Staples on 17 S and then to the Garden State Plaza to return an item. (A friend would meet me there later and we would go together to a meeting in Maywood.) It took us well over an hour—actually, it was almost 6:00 when we got there; the stop in Staples was maybe 5-7 minutes. I thought it was holiday traffic; never expected that volume BEFORE Thanksgiving. AAARRGH!

If virtually all businesses were not closed on a single day—schools, banks, and especially all retail businesses, the traffic would be bad 7 days a week. If there were a way to change the day to any other day, I would not be opposed, but I do not see that as a practical solution.

Not really; see my response to her. Granted a single experience, but not an improvement. If there have been detailed studies done, I would like to see them, but the indications are just more mall trips. (This is why many retailers prefer to do their business in 6 days, rather than 7; not enough more business expected to justify increased costs.)

Mari,
I appreciate your perspective: my “if you don’t like it, move”-style comments were directed at those who moved into the county KNOWING about the Sunday closings. They are of the same ilk as my comments to those who moved in to newer houses behind Forest Ave. near the pizza place—Grimstad’s!—and then complained about the business. They knew it was there before they moved in, if they did not like it, they should have chosen another place to live. You are in a different situation; we have an honest disagreement based on a different view of what type of community we want.

You alone don't get to dictate OUR lifestyles either. We, the LARGE MAJORITY of Bergen County residents have voted time and time again to keep the stores closed on Sunday. This is NOT Communist China or Russia so THE MAJORITY RULES or do we have to fight the revolutionary war all over again.

Art, 300 years ago, the blue laws were based on religion. Then they were tradition, and now they are anticongestion, and in some cases people are in favor of one-day-a-week closings (that day being Sunday because of historical precedent and the impracticality of changing that day for such a vast majority of businesses, etc., at this point) for reasons of conscious consumerism, voluntary simplicity, and the desire for mall employees to be guaranteed a day off. There are lots of informative posts here on both sides.

Ya know, this reminds of me of the idiots who move into a neighborhood next door to an airport that has been there for decades and then complain about the noise.

Bernard,
Do you remember Grimstad’s on Forest Avenue? They had that sort of problem; when new houses were built in the area, the new owners had the audacity to complain about that neighborhood bar and pizza place (I remember my dad driving me there to pick up pizza when I was a kid—I would have a ginger ale while we waited, Dad probably had a beer). It eventually became an Italian restaurant—forget the name, started with an S?, gone now.

Good point. Actually, when I worked in the theatre I enjoyed having Mondays off—good skiing and shopping—though it was not always easy to get together with nontheatre friends and family. I now have a more traditional schedule, still appreciate Sunday closings and try to do most stuff at “off-peak” times, whatever the peak for that particular activity.

That's how it's been done in the past, There are 911,000 estimated people in Bergen currently, only 26,500 live in Paramus. Simple math would tell you they hold less than 3% of the vote. It has lost overwhelmingly in the past and will probably continue, I like it because it is one control I personally can affect against corporate greed. I may not be able to stop them from killing the mom and pops but I have a vote in the control they have in my area. I am in favor of the temporary suspension for certain stores but not carte blanche for every store and not for more than the Sunday before Thanksgiving. I don't want this for the shopping season.

Because then the county could then say Paramus you have all the malls you must stay open whether you like it or not.

You can buy underwear and gloves in both the supermarket and the drug stores like CVS. The people in the Bergen County malls are mostly from NY because the sales tax is cheaper - and none on clothes. Those same people and more would be on our roads on Sunday.

It doesn't even have to do with a day of rest, but rather a day of sanity, where you can go to a movie (which are open on Sunday) or out to eat, or to visit a friend a few towns away without spending an hour in the car to go 5 or 10 miles away.

DON'T YOU GET IT??? WE THE PEOPLE OF PARAMUS HAVE SPOKEN LOUDLY!! NOT ONLY NO BUT HELL NO!!!

Actually, the county administrator told me they would be requesting a return to normal this week.

The perception unfortunately will be skewed for just that reason though. No one is going to really see the actual impact because we are going into the holiday season. Let's hope that with the spread the holiday traffic will decrease. That's really the only judgement we are going to get. Paramus has every right to create and enforce their own Blue Laws as well. While the largest shopping it's not the only shopping in Bergen nor will it remain so if they are repealed. Other areas will develop to take the Paramus slack. There is still plenty of land in parts of Bergen for development that any CEO would be salivating for the opportunity to build on.

If Monday was an example, it made no difference at all—the trip across Paramus, 17S to Linwood, to Paramus Road, to Garden State Plaza took from 4:30 p.m. to ~6:00 p.m., with about 5-7 minuntes at Staples along the way. Could have been December. AAARRGH!

The suspension should happen this week. The crisis is reduced enough to restore shopping hours.

People don't seem to get that Hikers, I personally have voted to keep the blue laws 4 or 5 times now I think, and each time I think the number of people voting to keep them closed grows. I hope they don't allow them to be open more than 1 or 2 weeks or we will be into the Holiday shopping season and you won't be able to go anywhere let alone shopping. And if you did you couldn't find a parking space. I shop in my town or online. I don't go near the malls from Nov 1 to the first week in Jan. It's bad enough trying to get to the Shop-Rite in Rochelle Park along Passaic St/Rochelle Ave.

They will simply go shopping both days. Half the time they aren't even shopping, they're just hanging out at the mall. Nice of you to call the majority of your fellow Bergen County residents "insane, inane, anachronistic, medieval and out of touch with the reality of life as it is lived today." since we are the ones who have voted time, and time and time and again to keep the stores closed. I don't shop at BJ's or Costco on Sunday or any other day, so I don't see those items roped off. I have on occasion gone to Whole Foods on a Sunday - when I can get there in less than 10 minutes and find a parking space without having to ride around for an hour. They have jewelry and scarves roped off, and you know what - I don't think it's silly. In fact it doesn't bother me at all. I can live without buying a scarf or a piece of jewelry on Sunday. I don't need a t-shirt on Sunday, or a jacket, or shoes, or a blender or any one of a ton of things. I can live without it until the next time I find myself in a store on Sat. We live in such a materialistic world - it's not healthy.

Until such time as you can convince the majority of people in the county to vote otherwise - you can complain all you want & you know what we don't care whether you like it or not, since you obviously don't care what the majority of us want.

It keeps the playing field level for all stores—if Macy’s, for instance, cannot open to sell clothes, why should Costco be allowed sell clothing? Conversely, why should Costco NOT be allowed to sell food if ShopRite can? Hence the roped-off departments and shelves.

I am in the process of drafting letters to both Gov. Christie and Exec. Donovan, stating my dismay and making it clear that laws should return to normal ASAP.

Why bring up "Republican" when the Republicans including me do NOT want the Blue Laws changed any more thanany other citizen does. We like our peace and tranquility just as much as anyone else does.

Well said, Cece - I think people forget as they rush along the highway (or more likely crawl) to the malls to buy the next bigger and better things that there are real people that have to live with those malls and the greed and the consequences. Most of us didn't ask for the malls - quite frankly, I'd be content with one instead of 4 or 5 - and we don't get any tax benefit from them. Perhaps some of you other towns in North East Bergen county would like to take a few off our hands.

Thank you, Cece.

Cece

Great point about Willowbrook, I had forgotten (because I hate the traffic there, I never go anymore) and I used to work there when I was a teen - traffic was WORSE on Sunday with no noticeable reduction on Saturday congestion.
Now that does mean that some sales are lost which is a legitimate concern in these financial times for both merchants and municipalities, but ultimately, the voters are and should be the final arbiters of what's best for their communities

As Kath pointed out above, Willowbrook gives the lie to that argument—it is just as crazy on both Saturday and Sunday. I would stick with the precautionary principle—leave the status quo unless there is a definite reason to change.

I think Gov. Christie learned when he 1st brought up doing away with the blue laws, about our feelings on the matter when he 1st got elected. He would lose 60-70% of the Bergen county Republican vote. We would run any politician out of town on a rail along with Tar & Feathering them to boot.

You seem to be a sensible shopper—unfortunately, on Saturdays our roads are clogged with those who are not, as well as anyone trying to get anywhere. We prefer to put some restraint on shoppers on Sunday for the sake of those other drivers.

Yes, I want my things that I need NOW. I can't wait till Mon. to get WHAT I WANT.
Well, what about what we the citizens of Paramus WANT??? We live here, don't we count?

Actually, my understanding is that the closing laws were not so much passed as that counties were allowed to exempt themselves from the state statutes; each of the other 20 counties chose to opt out at a different point; Bergen has not.

If anything there are many more conveniences now, and shopping is easier, not harder than it was when these Malls were built. You have several options from Teaneck - Wayne, Clifton, W Nyack, that are a short drive, not much further than Paramus really, if at all.
There's nothing "unfair" about people in a community determining major issues about their lives - and quite frankly you are one of the minority incurring an "expense" (the inconvenience of having to go elsewhere on Sunday), and wish to impose your views on the many (the people who overwhelmingly and consistently vote to maintain these laws).
You can do all your food shopping, go to a nursery, get fuel, go to restaurants on Sunday, just not shop in Bergen County for clothing.
Without being disrespectful, its almost comical to read these posts about what a horrible imposition the Blue Laws impose on so many, because they cant go to a certain Mall.

Lets see now, you work 50 hrs per week, you sleep 56 Hours (assuming you sleep 8 hours per day), that leaves 62 hours left in the week that you are free to shop. What's the problem???

Well said, GR.

Some excellent suggestions. I usually plan my shopping stops for on my way home. Planning is the key. I also do a lot of shopping on line - very convenient - saves gas and I can often support small home-based businesses rather than big corporations. Most take Paypal so you don't have to risk your credit card (which it seems you do in too many stores these days). Wouldn't bother me in the least if all the malls in Bergen County moved elsewhere, but since they keep expanding, I seriously doubt if they are hurting. I'd say they are getting quite a lot of business even if they are closed on Sundays.

Yup but none of those support local business. Amazon is a great saver but certainly doesnt help Bergen County.

I leave at 6:40 every morning for work in the city. I get home around 7:15 when I leave early/on time. By the time the kids are in bed I have at most an hour before the stores close at 9:30 or 10. So that leaves Saturday to squeeze in shopping. Some weekends it is fine but others it is nice on Sat and raining on Sunday. I hate wasting the nice day, or we have plans, or whatever. Bottom line is I have been to GSP like 2x in the 16 months since I moved back. I order online or buy stuff in the city instead. That hurts our local businesses but I have no way around it.

Brian,
Another suggestion that would help you is better mass transit. The roads are incredibly clogged at “rush hour” (crawl hour?); we need incentives for people to take buses and trains. The last gasoline tax increase was some 14–20 years ago; since then, there have been FIVE fare increases for buses and trains. That is creating incentives for just the sort of behavior that we want to discourage—single-occupant cars. The EZ Pass system has a little known carpool option, not widely known, that can decrease carfare to as little $3.50 (though one must register for the program ahead of time and go through the cash lane). We need more programs like that one.

Art, it appears that Westfield (owner of Garden State Plaza) does not think so, as former count exec. McNerney reported and a commenter echoes above. Also, smaller stores are often--though not unanimously, almost no large group ever is--opposed to being open, as they would have to hire extra employees or cover 7 days a week.

Your last line needs a source to avoid being considered slander (libel?--I never remember which is which); please post in 24 hours to avoid being flagged as inappropriate. (BTW, I am not especially a Donovan supporter, but object to unsupported allegations.

East enough to Google Sally G

http://www.northjersey.com/news/crime_courts/Son_of_Bergen_County_Executive_Kathleen_Donovan_arrested_on_drug_charges_.html

O.K., the basics of your comments about Ms Donvan’s son are correct.
Still, to what current “scandal” do you refer? I have a—strong—policy disagreement with her, I consider her actions ill-advised (though her letter to the governor was at the request of one or two mayors [not sure why she had to send it up the chain to the governor]), but I do not consider what she has done “scandalous”, nor do I believe that it is right to bring her son’s actions into it. I see no reason for a recall; maybe vote for someone else next time, but she has taken no ILLEGAL action that i can see, especially after the court ruling in her favor.
I trust that the county administrator told me the truth and that the letter requesting a return to normal will go out this week.

Why aren't Veterans upset in the rest of the state or in Maryland or VA just outside of Washington, where shopping is going on?

What groups are upset? I would love to see your source?!

Shopping on Sundays.. What a scandal?! Give me a freaking break!

Best Buy at Garden STate Plaza has a sign of Nov. hours listing Nov. 18 and 25 as closed, as of Nov. 11. Please cite sources and stay on topic.

Again and again, I have to say that many of us - myself included - DO NOT LIVE IN PARAMUS. We do not get tax benefits - all we get is overflow traffic clogging our streets and using police resources that should be used elsewhere.

Monday in Paramus—outrageous. Single anecdote, of course.

If you read my post - you will see that my trip was on Sat. And if you read my post I parked quite far from the store (I have no idea what you mean by gates???) There probably wasn't much traffic on Sunday because the people in NY don't know the Paramus malls were open. What I was saying is that the fact that the stores were open on Sunday did not ease the traffic on Sat as some have pointed out.

And you have no idea what so ever what I believe in or don't believe in - no need for snide remarks. I have no idea why some people can't carry on a discussion without making nasty personal remarks that have nothing to do with the discussion.

Kath: Relax....... take deep breaths... now we know why you need Sunday off...

I have only Saturday for shopping too as I work in western jersey. I have no problem shopping. And why is people refuse to realize that Paramus has NO power to dictate to the rest of the county at all> The MAJORITY of the rest of the county has VOTED time and time and time again NOT to open the stores on Sunday. The MAJORITY of people who live in Bergen County DO NOT WANT THE STORES OPEN ON SUNDAY

I'm done repeating the same thing over and over to people who do not want to listen. And it looks like we're done with having them open anyway - http://www.northjersey.com/news/business/Bergen_County_officials_to_ask_Christie_.html

Troll
Her name is Kath, as has been repeatedly pointed out to you.
Her negative tone was in response to yours, so do not discuss hypocrisy or learning to read.

Why do you think you will continue to have Sundays off if this progresses? Why would you want to take away the Sundays off of others?

Good question, Bellair.

I like the law. I find it quaint and necessary. We live in such a go-go-go society. Having one day that kind of forces you to slow down is much appreciated, and heck, well-deserved after the drama of a full work-week. I can think of nothing that I have ever needed on Sunday that was of such a dire emergency that I could not have obtained it at some store in Bergen County. People are acting like Bergen County completely blacks out on Sunday. Nothing could be further from the truth. Relax.

What's funny is that I avoid Paramus like the plague on Saturday. It's not worth the hassle or the headache to navigate that nonsense.

Tee Smyth,
As a long-time Paramus resident (now in Woodcliff Lake), we used to say “be home by noon on Saturday or forget it”. Still avoid the malls pretty much, certainly on Saturday.

You should work on Ridgewood allowing fast food restaurants in your town first.

I'm too lazy to actually affirmatively do anything about any of this but for what it is worth I do disagree with Ridgewood stance on food establishments as highlighted by the Red Mango vs. Quiznos debacle.

BellaireBerdan,
I understand the rationale for your comment, but was mad as anything when the landlord of The Fiesta Hut on Rte. 17 in Paramus refused to extend their lease after 27 years and put up a big McDonald’s instead. For years I would not eat in a McDonald’s; have NEVER stepped foot in that building since, wince when I go by.
There are more than enough fast food places around; love Ridgewood’s great restaurants, even if I cannot afford them nearly as often—prefer to eat at home/brown bag and save up for a restaurant treat.