Imagine there was a branch of government that was responsible for the most important task in the world and was also responsible for 60% of your property tax bill.
Imagine that the members of the governing board were elected annually and that their budget was subject to voter approval.
Imagine that two weeks before the election few voters knew who the candidates were, how much the budget was and what it was funding.
Imagine that less than 10% of citizens voted in those elections.
With such lax oversight by the people paying the bills, I imagine that such a branch of government would be very expensive. Employees would have high pay, generous benefits, a lot of time off and hefty pensions. The employees jobs would be protected for life.
Two weeks from today New Jersey will hold its Board of Education elections.
Do you know who the candidates are? Do you know how much the budget is and what it funds? Do you know where the polling places are and what time they are open?
Chances are you don't know the answers to all of those questions. They are not easy to find, even in this information age.
A Google search for "Board of Education candidates, Middletown, NJ" did not produce any names.
If the County Clerk's web site has information about polling places, budgets or candidates, I couldn't find it.
A reader informed me that Pat Walsh is running for re-election in Middletown. There's extra incentive to vote this year.
Candidates for any Monmouth County Board of Education are welcome to use this web site to there message out. Anyone with information about candidates and budgets is welcome to send it in.
Let's make an impact in the next two weeks.
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26 comments:
Art,
There is a slate of very strong candidates this year for Middletown BOE comprised of Vinnie Brand, Chris Aveta and Mike Mascone (think BAM). They are smart and get the fact that they can't go around giving out almost 5% raises during a time when unemployment is at 10% and the real world are routinely dealing with pay freezes and pay cuts. Voter turnout is key if we are to address one very important piece of the puzzle.
Adding to your statement, and of the 10% that vote, many of voters have a self interest in the staus quo.
If you notice, Pat Walsh's signs say Elect, not Re-Elect.
Pat Walsh - the best candidate $100,000 can buy!
BS...no BAM, not to be trusted! conflicting interests. I'd rather see Diorio,Caminiti, and Walsh,they have experience and believe change is needed. The BAM team are looking for soccer fields. The 3 CLOWNS running have never been to a board meeting,VOTERS BEWARE
to Anon 9:23 PM
They have experience?
Let's see, raising taxes, wasting tax dollars on two superintendents at the same time...hmmm that's the type of experience that must be thrown out.
None of the incumbents are admitting they are incumbents - all their signs say "elect", not "re-elect".
Wonder why?
Exactly anon 10:16. The incumbants are in the pocket of the NJEA, and that nut Walsh is one of those loony liberals who feels the sky is the limit for school taxes because it's "for the children." How many vice principals do we have in HS South? Six? Seven? Give me a break, or make that, give me a BAM!
KEEP the NORTH JERSEY folks out of our school system. Carteret schools are POOR and the aveta,mascone & brand guys are northerners and have their own selfish reasons for running, also they have self interests in soccer not education! VOte Diorio,Walsh and Caminiti the MOMS think pink! They get it will not take from the children. VOTERS beware this year in Middletown, the guys are no good
The BAM team is the product of the township who has proven they take from children first! Dangerous name ;Bam - they have experience from caretert very poor schools! Save Middletown do not vote the circus clowns in.
Hey Art - looks like the NJEA cartel found your blog. If we want more of the same, then we'll have to re-elect the NJEA puppets. If we want to pay something like 65% of our property taxes to the schools and have them shut our kids out from OUR fields, then we'll vote back the incumbants. If we're happy with giving teachers huge raises when everyone else is in danger of losing their jobs and having more vice principals and administrators than a dog has fleas, then let's vote back the same old, same old. Not for me - vote BAM and the NJEA will finally meet its match!!!!!!
No fields will be happening in Middletown but you can bet school taxes will be rising thanks to Walsh, Diorio and Camminitti. Not one dollar was taken out of the "central administration" building in this budget. Shameful. Time for these three cookie moms to go.
Sorry, Socialists- I have nothing to do with NJEA.
The guys running are no good! I'd rather have the women still sitting on the Board of Education than Fiore's mentality sitting on the Board of Education. I regret voting for him. Yes I have normaly voted republican, but the pick you have for the Board of Education with these 3 clowns Aveta,Mascone & Brand is destructive to the town. I will not stand by and let it happen. We are better off with the same on the board and it's not about NJEA. I dispise NJEA and the 3 men running are no good for Middletown children or taxpayers! BELIEVE ME! Middletown is self destructing. As a long time resident (Republican) I am disgusted at their behavior. We voted you in and we can vote you out. If this pick for the BOE is the best you can come up with, we are doomed! Keep with what we know & have-vote Diorio & Caminiti & Walsh. The State will take care of NJEA and stop their nonsense. Do your investigation and see how many on the committee or on the townships appointed boards have relatives or spouse's collecting pensions from the UNIONS. Signed a disgusted Middletown Republican,who will not vote Republican for those running in Middletown but wil vote Republican for the rest of the ticket. I hope other wise up also. It's up to the public to vote on the budget and cuts, so as long as the voter's keep voting in the budget it will pass. Vote NO for the Budget, then cut central administration portion of the school budget when it heads over for cuts from the township.
I have to say that Middletown is a district that is top heavy with administrators.
They are a perfect example of how larger districts do not save money.
GRIP!!!
Hey Art - regarding anon 9:11 - "The lady doth protest too much, methinks." I suspect this is one of the incumbant BOE candidates who is feeling the heat of being challenged for once. Who else would be kooky enough to actually support Pat Walsh for re-election? That alone, shows a complete lack of judgment and inability to see where the problem lies with our current BOE. And if you want to keep so-called "North Jersey" people out of our schools, too late - Menendez's hand-picked Union County puppets have already been inserted here. I'm sure the members of BAM who have lived here their whole lives will be happy to know their life stories have been re-written by the opposition.
Sorry socialists, the post at 9:11am is from a disgruntled pop warner coach who hasn't had a kid playing pop warner in 25 years. He needs a new hobby. He blames the Republicans in Middletown for not putting millions into Charger Field and obviously has a gripe against one of the council members because he didn't comply with his silly requests. We all know who he is.
he is the same guy that supported "The King" last year who also went down in flames with the worst board of education candidacy known to modern man.
Well, again you think you know it all and again stopthesocialists and his buddies are wrong, as usual.
Typical, you think you know it all and blame everyone else but yourselves! Disgraceful. Do you know the definition of "slander"?
Shows the moron mentality of those running (BAM) and those supporting them! North Middletown will not vote for the BAM team, The word is out. North Middletown republican
Do you know the definition of "slander"?
How does one anonymous poster slander another anonymous poster?
"Hey you, anonymous, are you still beating your wife?"
"Hey anonymous, you're ugly, you like little boys and you cheat on your taxes."
Art Gallagher, where is your class?
Anna would be dissappointed and so am I.
Not all Republicans are good people, just like not all Democrats are bad people. Remember that.
As a lifelong resident of Port Monmouth, I believe it is finally time for a real change on our school board. Those incumbents who wasted our money on 2 administrators should be tossed out on their rumps.
Easy to understand why they don't want people to know they are the incumbents.
Brand, Aveta and Mascone seem to be a decent group who want to do right by the children and the taxpayers. My family and I will vote for change. It's time!
Is this Walsh's husband? This is listed on APP's Data Universe.
MONMOUTH HAZLET TOWNSHIP Raritan H.S. WALSH ANDREW
Salary $79,800
The three (one foul mouthed) clowns running are not qualified for anything but being the republicans lap dogs.. Ruf Ruf Sharfey!!!
Stopthesocialists is the twisted sister from Lincroft and she doesn't know enough to come in out of the rain,Self centered,self serving, knows it all about everything and anything. Right wing...wing nut!!!
Has diarrhea of the mouth.
Vote for experience and remember this may be your kid's education you are voting for!!!
NJ really needs to look into placing more responsibilities on the county sup't of schools, as many states do,and much more regionalization and consolidation needs to be the "carrot" for funding..much more large, regional bids for bus services, supplies, etc.,would bring better and lower pricing..school board elections are a joke, and all of them need to be held each November, not April, and then perhaps a better segment of the voting public will vote down the budgets, until they finally GET how sick of the taxes everyone is!!
Hey peppermint pat - was the $100,000 a bribe? Or just a payoff? Wonder if you ever reported that as income to the IRS?
TO: anonymous April 7, 6:60PM
Is that you, my adoring “ Swimming River Road curmudgeonette”. I was told you were calling out for me in your tactful normal tone. Correction, I am not “stopthesocialists”, I cannot take credit for the posts. I'm a bit busy working and unable to post as you can on your NJEA retired pension. I will ignore the rest of your comments, I was raised to respect my elders, especially in their final years of senility. May God Bless you, be good and the voices will go away, now go get some rest.
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