The Bridgewater-Raritan School District has traditionally followed a fiscal practice of annually setting aside an unallocated amount of cash in its budget. That amount, not initially charged against any specific expense line items, is commonly knows as “surplus,” “rainy day fund” or, more derogatorily, has been also labeled as “a slush fund.”
However it is described, the surplus-fund apple cart was quickly upset statewide, when Governor Christie announced that he was withholding further monies from New Jersey school districts. With Christie’s announcement, the anticipated $4 million in aid to the B-R School District from Trenton has evaporated.
Consequently, planning for the Bridgewater-Raritan school budget has been thrown into disarray, and the Administration and School Board are now required to hustle under uncertain conditions and to revamp the preliminary budget.
To make up for this loss of state funding, the budget draft for the next fiscal year (2010/2011) beginning on July 1, has been reduced from $136.9 million to $132.5 million, as of Tuesday, February 23rd. Keep in mind that in the past, preliminary budgets have rarely been reduced, but presented to voters unaltered in the April election.
The actual operating budget for the current school year ending on June 30th 2010 is $133.2 million, or $0.7 million higher that the preliminary $132.5 million figure presented to the public last Tuesday for the next school year. Therefore, you might think this means a reduction in your real estate taxes.
But don’t count on taking this to the bank– these numbers are anything but final and further mandates may be imposed on school districts by Trenton.
B-R School Superintendent Michael Schilder described several other cloudy scenarios in his Tuesday evening presentation. According to him, “These cuts are devastating, the likes of which this community has never seen . . . a real first,” he went on to explain. “The deeper the cuts are, the more the (real estate) tax goes up.” This seems to be a clear signal that any more mandates imposed by Trenton will simply be added to your real estate tax bill.
Furthermore: The 4.35% wage hike scheduled to go into effect on July 1st for the Bridgewater-Raritan Education Association is still on the books.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Parents to Board of Education: Share the Pain
Tuesday night’s message from parents of this community to the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education could not have been clearer, more articulate, or more unanimous: It’s time to share the pain.
In the over 20 years that I have attended board meetings either as a community volunteer on committees or as a board officer, rarely have I seen such a sober consensus among such an overflow gathering.
People do not want to see the $4 million reduction in state aid (more about that in another post) imposed only upon selected teachers and custodians. They want equity in reducing the budget. The sense of the gathering last night, judging by the persons who addressed the board and who were roundly applauded after they spoke, is this:
Before laying off anyone and going through hoops to find other places to cut, do one of three things, or a combination of all three: 1. Work to rescind the looming 4.35% pay hike built into the BREA union contract. 2. Beginning with the Superindent, require that all administrators at all levels – whether in a bargaining unit or not, forego their pay hikes. 3. Address pay-to-play for athletics.
Nobody wants to see people lose their jobs while well-paid administrators and surviving teachers get a 4.35% pay increase or more.
It is unrealistic to think that there won’t be additional reductions in the future. Nonetheless, this community wants fairness, and it wants it now. This means that pay hikes scheduled for the 2010/2011 school year be canned before people get canned.
I hope the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education is listening. But there is reason to doubt. After the open-to-the-public period of the meeting ended, board members were asked for their reaction.
Before hushed listeners, only one board member, Jill Gladstone, provided her opinion. Mrs. Gladstone said that she “supports sharing the burden in this (school) community,” and “wants a top-to-bottom solution among union and non-union” members.”
I hope that the rest of the board doesn’t come down on her for having validated what every person in that room thought last night. And, I am certain, what every thoughtful and considerate person in the Bridgewater-Raritan community also believes.
To further punctuate this line of reasoning, at least two teachers came to the podium in support of the public’s comments.
In the over 20 years that I have attended board meetings either as a community volunteer on committees or as a board officer, rarely have I seen such a sober consensus among such an overflow gathering.
People do not want to see the $4 million reduction in state aid (more about that in another post) imposed only upon selected teachers and custodians. They want equity in reducing the budget. The sense of the gathering last night, judging by the persons who addressed the board and who were roundly applauded after they spoke, is this:
Before laying off anyone and going through hoops to find other places to cut, do one of three things, or a combination of all three: 1. Work to rescind the looming 4.35% pay hike built into the BREA union contract. 2. Beginning with the Superindent, require that all administrators at all levels – whether in a bargaining unit or not, forego their pay hikes. 3. Address pay-to-play for athletics.
Nobody wants to see people lose their jobs while well-paid administrators and surviving teachers get a 4.35% pay increase or more.
It is unrealistic to think that there won’t be additional reductions in the future. Nonetheless, this community wants fairness, and it wants it now. This means that pay hikes scheduled for the 2010/2011 school year be canned before people get canned.
I hope the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education is listening. But there is reason to doubt. After the open-to-the-public period of the meeting ended, board members were asked for their reaction.
Before hushed listeners, only one board member, Jill Gladstone, provided her opinion. Mrs. Gladstone said that she “supports sharing the burden in this (school) community,” and “wants a top-to-bottom solution among union and non-union” members.”
I hope that the rest of the board doesn’t come down on her for having validated what every person in that room thought last night. And, I am certain, what every thoughtful and considerate person in the Bridgewater-Raritan community also believes.
To further punctuate this line of reasoning, at least two teachers came to the podium in support of the public’s comments.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Freeze Bridgewater-Raritan School District Salaries
On Tuesday, December 18, 2007, the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education approved a multi-million dollar wage hike which translated into a 12.8% salary increase spread out over three years. Beginning this summer, the last part of that increase – 4.35% – is scheduled to be paid to district employees for the 2010-2011 school year.
The B-R BOE needs to reopen all of its contracts with representatives of school employee bargaining units. Everybody knows that times have changed drastically. The old normal no longer exists. Bargaining units need to agree with the Board of Education that the third-year pay hike is no longer viable. (It wasn’t when originally negotiated in 2007.) It should be rescinded, and contributions to health benefits need to be put on the table.
We finally have a governor who has recognized what all New Jersey citizens have known for years: we have overspent and mortgaged the futures of our children. Consequently, Governor Christie has declared a state of fiscal emergency to plug a $2.2 billion hole in the state budget.
Unfortunately for all of us in the communities of Bridgewater and Raritan, he has also decided to withhold $4.02 million in state funding originally allocated to this district under the Corzine administration. Nobody likes this. I do not. Nonetheless, I’ve seen these problems rising on the horizon for years. To illustrate: The pension fund for school employees is severely underfunded, threatening its ability to pay out future benefits. We’ve been warned about this problem for a long time.
A salary freeze in the Bridgewater-Raritan School District should be established from the top on down – beginning with the Superindent of Schools, then all administrators, followed by teachers, building and grounds personnel, and everyone else. Inflation has been running well below that wage hike of nearly 13%. It has even dipped into negative territory. Bridgewater and Raritan just can’t afford this level of wage increases anymore.
If the sacrifice is not evenly distributed, expect that this Board of Education and its Administration may be forced to enact cuts that could highlight weaker bargaining units or members of the Bridgewater-Raritan employee population for elimination. And that’s not equitable.
Tomorrow night, at 8:00 pm in the Wade Building in Martinsville, there will be a presentation of the second draft of the budget.
The B-R BOE needs to reopen all of its contracts with representatives of school employee bargaining units. Everybody knows that times have changed drastically. The old normal no longer exists. Bargaining units need to agree with the Board of Education that the third-year pay hike is no longer viable. (It wasn’t when originally negotiated in 2007.) It should be rescinded, and contributions to health benefits need to be put on the table.
We finally have a governor who has recognized what all New Jersey citizens have known for years: we have overspent and mortgaged the futures of our children. Consequently, Governor Christie has declared a state of fiscal emergency to plug a $2.2 billion hole in the state budget.
Unfortunately for all of us in the communities of Bridgewater and Raritan, he has also decided to withhold $4.02 million in state funding originally allocated to this district under the Corzine administration. Nobody likes this. I do not. Nonetheless, I’ve seen these problems rising on the horizon for years. To illustrate: The pension fund for school employees is severely underfunded, threatening its ability to pay out future benefits. We’ve been warned about this problem for a long time.
A salary freeze in the Bridgewater-Raritan School District should be established from the top on down – beginning with the Superindent of Schools, then all administrators, followed by teachers, building and grounds personnel, and everyone else. Inflation has been running well below that wage hike of nearly 13%. It has even dipped into negative territory. Bridgewater and Raritan just can’t afford this level of wage increases anymore.
If the sacrifice is not evenly distributed, expect that this Board of Education and its Administration may be forced to enact cuts that could highlight weaker bargaining units or members of the Bridgewater-Raritan employee population for elimination. And that’s not equitable.
Tomorrow night, at 8:00 pm in the Wade Building in Martinsville, there will be a presentation of the second draft of the budget.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Detoxifying New Jersey
Ira Levy’s guest commentary which appeared in Friday's op-ed pages of the Courier News is a shocker. It presents a sobering analysis of the difficulty in dealing with drug abuse in New Jersey.
Levy should know. As a self-acknowledged, former drug addict and now a detoxification expert at Sunrise Detox, he discusses the harrowing reality of dealing with the depth and breadth of heroin drug abuse in this state. “We have some of the purest street heroin in the nation,” he says, underscoring that young people in New Jersey between 18 and 25 are addicted to this narcotic at “more than twice the national average.”
What is just as jolting is Levy’s claim that Suboxone, a synthetic narcotic designed for the treatment of heroin abuse, may itself cause addiction, if used continually as a maintenance curative. At the end of his essay, Levy questions the long term risk of “Suboxone maintenance programs” as merely “switching seats on the Titanic.”
I can’t adequately convey in these few words the personal and societal costs which we all bear in New Jersey, because of drug abuse. No one can, except perhaps those who have lived through what must be the horror of heroin addiction.
Levy’s article can be found on page A12 in the Friday, February 19, 2010 print edition of the Courier News. It is powerful and probably controversial. Nonetheless, it’s well worth reading the full text to understand the issues which he describes in treating drug abuse.
Levy should know. As a self-acknowledged, former drug addict and now a detoxification expert at Sunrise Detox, he discusses the harrowing reality of dealing with the depth and breadth of heroin drug abuse in this state. “We have some of the purest street heroin in the nation,” he says, underscoring that young people in New Jersey between 18 and 25 are addicted to this narcotic at “more than twice the national average.”
What is just as jolting is Levy’s claim that Suboxone, a synthetic narcotic designed for the treatment of heroin abuse, may itself cause addiction, if used continually as a maintenance curative. At the end of his essay, Levy questions the long term risk of “Suboxone maintenance programs” as merely “switching seats on the Titanic.”
I can’t adequately convey in these few words the personal and societal costs which we all bear in New Jersey, because of drug abuse. No one can, except perhaps those who have lived through what must be the horror of heroin addiction.
Levy’s article can be found on page A12 in the Friday, February 19, 2010 print edition of the Courier News. It is powerful and probably controversial. Nonetheless, it’s well worth reading the full text to understand the issues which he describes in treating drug abuse.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Curing New Jersey’s Spending Binges
Vested interests, including some New Jersey public employee unions fought hard to keep Chris Christie out of office, but he was elected governor despite those efforts. This time, the public has had enough. Christie’s campaign promises were very clear, and he’s beginning to make good on them.
One of those promises was to check the out-of-control spending that’s been ravaging governments throughout the Garden State. New Jersey’s fiscal mess is one of the biggest burrs stuck in the side of its residents.
Governor Christie knows that. He also knows that his window of opportunity to effect necessary change could close very quickly. He wants to pull out that burr before his credibility begins to wane.
This governor formally recognized the obvious: He declared an economic state of emergency. Unsurprisingly, cries of anguish are rising to the surface: Implications of impending doom such as reduced services, reductions to the quality of education, and the prospect of higher real estate taxes are already emanating from some governmental entities and school districts.
Christie did not create this crisis. It’s been growing slowly, like a dissonant but foreseeable crescendo of fiscal irresponsibility for far too many years. What this new governor did do is what no one else in New Jersey government has had the guts to cope with: He publicly acknowledged the existence of the problem and decided to tackle it head on.
One of those promises was to check the out-of-control spending that’s been ravaging governments throughout the Garden State. New Jersey’s fiscal mess is one of the biggest burrs stuck in the side of its residents.
Governor Christie knows that. He also knows that his window of opportunity to effect necessary change could close very quickly. He wants to pull out that burr before his credibility begins to wane.
This governor formally recognized the obvious: He declared an economic state of emergency. Unsurprisingly, cries of anguish are rising to the surface: Implications of impending doom such as reduced services, reductions to the quality of education, and the prospect of higher real estate taxes are already emanating from some governmental entities and school districts.
Christie did not create this crisis. It’s been growing slowly, like a dissonant but foreseeable crescendo of fiscal irresponsibility for far too many years. What this new governor did do is what no one else in New Jersey government has had the guts to cope with: He publicly acknowledged the existence of the problem and decided to tackle it head on.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Amore a la Luna Rossa
Here’s wishing that all of you who may have an amorous inclination with someone were able to enjoy a Happy Valentine’s Day yesterday. With so many distractions and violence which permeate the world around us, it’s healthy – both mentally and physically – to take a special few hours of uninterrupted time with the one(s) in your life whom you love.
Priscille and I enjoyed such an evening to celebrate a union that’s managed to stay afloat, despite all the events in our lives which, at one time or another could have easily resulted in catastrophe for our relationship.
Don’t ask me what the secret is, because I don’t have the answer; but, if I had to venture a guess, I’d say that it has much more to do with her blessed tolerance than anything else that I might have contributed to this lifelong affair.
We celebrated Saint Valentine’s Day by going to one of the excellent restaurants within a mile of each other along a stretch of the 202/206 corridor – this time at Luna Rossa, in The Courtyards at Pluckemin. It’s a moderately priced BYOW establishment with excellent service and very good Italian fare.
Last evening, we selected a Portobello appetizer, followed by an entrée of grilled salmon served over a generous portion of spinach flavored with a hint of olive oil. We lingered over good food and a conversation of equally good memories for two hours, with no rush by the wait staff.
I won’t even begin to tell you about that super-rich dessert served with full-flavored espresso coffee.
Before you get the wrong impression, I should emphasize that we don’t like to go out eating very often (far too many calories which can lead to extra unneeded pounds). But, when we do, we like to make a night of it and enjoy.
I hope that you had a good weekend with your own valentine. God knows you deserve it. Thanks for reading, and take care of yourselves.
Priscille and I enjoyed such an evening to celebrate a union that’s managed to stay afloat, despite all the events in our lives which, at one time or another could have easily resulted in catastrophe for our relationship.
Don’t ask me what the secret is, because I don’t have the answer; but, if I had to venture a guess, I’d say that it has much more to do with her blessed tolerance than anything else that I might have contributed to this lifelong affair.
We celebrated Saint Valentine’s Day by going to one of the excellent restaurants within a mile of each other along a stretch of the 202/206 corridor – this time at Luna Rossa, in The Courtyards at Pluckemin. It’s a moderately priced BYOW establishment with excellent service and very good Italian fare.
Last evening, we selected a Portobello appetizer, followed by an entrée of grilled salmon served over a generous portion of spinach flavored with a hint of olive oil. We lingered over good food and a conversation of equally good memories for two hours, with no rush by the wait staff.
I won’t even begin to tell you about that super-rich dessert served with full-flavored espresso coffee.
Before you get the wrong impression, I should emphasize that we don’t like to go out eating very often (far too many calories which can lead to extra unneeded pounds). But, when we do, we like to make a night of it and enjoy.
I hope that you had a good weekend with your own valentine. God knows you deserve it. Thanks for reading, and take care of yourselves.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Oh No! Not More Snow!
Please, No. Not more snow. You might think that it’s hardly possible, but a brief article in Friday’s Courier News states that there is a 50/50 chance that Bridgewater could get 4 to 8 inches of snow by Monday evening.
Yesterday, Priscille spoke to her sister in Cape Coral, Florida who, in turn, spoke to their sister-in-law in Dallas, which experienced at least nine inches of snow. Even Tallahassee in the Florida panhandle was expecting to get some of the fluffy stuff.
All I can say is that we arrived in Bridgewater from Potomac, MD, just in time to get snowbound by the last storm. We were lucky: On the following day, the routes we traversed (I- 270 in Maryland and Interstates 81 and 78 in Pennsylvania) were all closed to traffic.
I still have some clean-up to do around the car and in a few other spots that a plow can’t reach. By the way, have you noticed how efficiently Somerset County and Bridgewater Township have been at cleaning up the streets? Good, very good.
Might as well make the best of it. For years to come, you’ll be able to tell your great-grandkids, “I remember the winter of 2009-2010 when we had these monster snow storms. . . “
Be cautious when outdoors: Even the most adroit among us can have a serious mishap on icy walkways and driveways.
All I can say is that we arrived in Bridgewater from Potomac, MD, just in time to get snowbound by the last storm. We were lucky: On the following day, the routes we traversed (I- 270 in Maryland and Interstates 81 and 78 in Pennsylvania) were all closed to traffic.
I still have some clean-up to do around the car and in a few other spots that a plow can’t reach. By the way, have you noticed how efficiently Somerset County and Bridgewater Township have been at cleaning up the streets? Good, very good.
Might as well make the best of it. For years to come, you’ll be able to tell your great-grandkids, “I remember the winter of 2009-2010 when we had these monster snow storms. . . “
Be cautious when outdoors: Even the most adroit among us can have a serious mishap on icy walkways and driveways.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Snow Storms, as When I Was a Boy
Our trip to the Washington area to visit with family was memorable, one destined to live in our recollections for a long time: Almost three feet of snow in some places; power outages; snow so heavy that plows could not keep up; two days before the driveway could be cleared.
But the compensation was worth it: A solid grouping of days inside with family, doing all the things that families do when there is no electricity to power the electronics and modern appliances that we rely upon each day.
Makes you appreciate the truly basic elements of life: good family, health, conviviality; and, when the power returns, a celebration of thanks with hot food and good wine! We even had our own private prayer service on Sunday morning, right in the living room.
Oh! And did I fail to mention that all schools in Montgomery County, Maryland, are closed for the entire week? Even if the storm in Bridgewater is not as bad as the double punch that struck the nation’s Capital, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Bridgewater-Raritan School District take the next two days to dig itself out.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
A Touch of Global Cooling
(The following post was made ready for publication early Saturday morning, seconds before the power went out for a second time, preventing me from getting it on the Internet!!)
I don’t know if Mother Nature is making a political statement, or if the data reported by the United Nations’ committee on global warming used the wrong noun in its report, but this sure isn’t feeling like global warming.
Nor do I yet know what the official snow depth is in Potomac, MD, where we are temporarily snowbound at the home of our hosts; but a yardstick placed in the snowpack this morning on the deck just outside the window walls to the back yard registered a smidge under 29 inches. And that wasn’t in the deepest spot.
Weekend activities here are either cancelled or postponed to another day. All of the Protestant churches are scrolling cancellations of Sunday services across the TV screen, and the Roman Catholic Archdioceses of Washington and Baltimore have exempted their flocks from Sunday Mass, while encouraging them to tune into Masses on their TV sets.
It will be a great day for the Super Bowl Sunday afternoon, providing the power doesn’t fail again, prompting all of us to bundle up once more, as we might do for a ski expedition.
It is not supposed to happen this way! I called family members in New Hampshire this afternoon, and not a single snowflake fell up there, the usual destination for all this fluffy stuff.
I don’t know if Mother Nature is making a political statement, or if the data reported by the United Nations’ committee on global warming used the wrong noun in its report, but this sure isn’t feeling like global warming.
Nor do I yet know what the official snow depth is in Potomac, MD, where we are temporarily snowbound at the home of our hosts; but a yardstick placed in the snowpack this morning on the deck just outside the window walls to the back yard registered a smidge under 29 inches. And that wasn’t in the deepest spot.
Weekend activities here are either cancelled or postponed to another day. All of the Protestant churches are scrolling cancellations of Sunday services across the TV screen, and the Roman Catholic Archdioceses of Washington and Baltimore have exempted their flocks from Sunday Mass, while encouraging them to tune into Masses on their TV sets.
It will be a great day for the Super Bowl Sunday afternoon, providing the power doesn’t fail again, prompting all of us to bundle up once more, as we might do for a ski expedition.
It is not supposed to happen this way! I called family members in New Hampshire this afternoon, and not a single snowflake fell up there, the usual destination for all this fluffy stuff.
Friday, February 5, 2010
The Limits of Human Ingenuity
Toyota has always been an icon of quality within the automotive industry. For years, it has won the approval of the car-buying public worldwide. It has consistently ranked at the very top in sales and has worked hard to earn its reputation for design excellence.
Yet, that reputation is now on the line due to significant concerns and recalls associated with consumers experiencing sudden acceleration and braking problems, some of which are reported to have led to serious accidents. Governmental regulatory authorities worldwide are getting involved, and there are likely to be hearings in Washington.
Although Toyota has introduced fixes for the problem, it’s not certain that the source has been definitively identified. But one thing appears to be certain: The root cause – though unintentional – seems to be associated with an industry design switchover from the traditional mechanical gas pedal to the electronic gas pedal assembly.
The latter design is far more complex and involves the use of an engine computer, a sensor, and an electronic pedal assembly – elements which are not present in the traditional design. One theory is that automotive electromagnetic interference may be involved as a causal factor, but there is no clear, conclusive evidence that has been presented to that effect.
Meanwhile, of course, consumers who own Toyotas continue to be concerned, just as I would be. Although it’s no consolation, this situation brings to mind the inherent limitations in the design of any product: You simply can’t get everything exactly right, all of the time, no matter how hard you try.
One pundit called the Toyota Motor Company, “the Tiger Woods” of the automotive industry. That was not only an unfair and insensitive comparison, but downright ignorant. No rational person would claim that Toyota willfully intended to shortchange its customers and to jeopardize their safety. On the other hand, Tiger Woods knew very well what he was doing and the potential consequences of his actions.
Yet, that reputation is now on the line due to significant concerns and recalls associated with consumers experiencing sudden acceleration and braking problems, some of which are reported to have led to serious accidents. Governmental regulatory authorities worldwide are getting involved, and there are likely to be hearings in Washington.
Although Toyota has introduced fixes for the problem, it’s not certain that the source has been definitively identified. But one thing appears to be certain: The root cause – though unintentional – seems to be associated with an industry design switchover from the traditional mechanical gas pedal to the electronic gas pedal assembly.
The latter design is far more complex and involves the use of an engine computer, a sensor, and an electronic pedal assembly – elements which are not present in the traditional design. One theory is that automotive electromagnetic interference may be involved as a causal factor, but there is no clear, conclusive evidence that has been presented to that effect.
Meanwhile, of course, consumers who own Toyotas continue to be concerned, just as I would be. Although it’s no consolation, this situation brings to mind the inherent limitations in the design of any product: You simply can’t get everything exactly right, all of the time, no matter how hard you try.
One pundit called the Toyota Motor Company, “the Tiger Woods” of the automotive industry. That was not only an unfair and insensitive comparison, but downright ignorant. No rational person would claim that Toyota willfully intended to shortchange its customers and to jeopardize their safety. On the other hand, Tiger Woods knew very well what he was doing and the potential consequences of his actions.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
“Oh, When Will They Ever Learn?”*
Which aspect of the terms, “enemy combatant” and “military tribunals” do the President and Attorney General Eric Holder not comprehend?
After virtually every high-level elected official in New York City and the State of New York rejected the Obama Administration’s plan to hold the trials of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his 9/11 co-conspirators in Lower Manhattan, the White House is now looking to entice some other U.S. jurisdiction into providing a venue.
The Beltway Boys just keep trying to shovel money into the hands of anybody willing to stick out their hands. You’d think that Obama’s advisors would know better, especially after the broken healthcare bill went south, despite massive multi-million dollar legislative bribes to Louisiana and Nebraska, arranged through deals with Senators Mary Landrieu and Ben Nelson.
But, no. Now the mayor of upstate Newburg, New York is being tempted to accept the $200 million offer of the Obama Administration: That money will go to any U.S. city that agrees to take the KSM trial. (Newburg, with a population of approximately 29,000, is only 60 miles north of New York City.)
It must be the human condition: Dirty money looks very clean when washed by the political machine.
So, the men and women of the Obama Administration are now walking the streets of the U.S. with a $200 million bag of silver: They are prepared to hand it over to any city that wants it – conditionally, of course.
Is there really a U.S. community willing to risk the safety of its residents by taking that bag? I hope not.
*Post title from the lyrics of Pete Seeger, “Where have all the flowers gone?”
After virtually every high-level elected official in New York City and the State of New York rejected the Obama Administration’s plan to hold the trials of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his 9/11 co-conspirators in Lower Manhattan, the White House is now looking to entice some other U.S. jurisdiction into providing a venue.
The Beltway Boys just keep trying to shovel money into the hands of anybody willing to stick out their hands. You’d think that Obama’s advisors would know better, especially after the broken healthcare bill went south, despite massive multi-million dollar legislative bribes to Louisiana and Nebraska, arranged through deals with Senators Mary Landrieu and Ben Nelson.
But, no. Now the mayor of upstate Newburg, New York is being tempted to accept the $200 million offer of the Obama Administration: That money will go to any U.S. city that agrees to take the KSM trial. (Newburg, with a population of approximately 29,000, is only 60 miles north of New York City.)
It must be the human condition: Dirty money looks very clean when washed by the political machine.
So, the men and women of the Obama Administration are now walking the streets of the U.S. with a $200 million bag of silver: They are prepared to hand it over to any city that wants it – conditionally, of course.
Is there really a U.S. community willing to risk the safety of its residents by taking that bag? I hope not.
*Post title from the lyrics of Pete Seeger, “Where have all the flowers gone?”
Monday, February 1, 2010
Bridgewater Township E-News
The last edition of the paper version of Bridgewater News, the official newsletter published by the Township of Bridgewater has been delivered to you by mail. The newsletter is now going electronic.
I had signed up for the E-NEWS version when it was first made available to Bridgewater residents. If you haven’t done so yet, and would like to receive it electronically, just send your name, address and e-mail address to newsletter@bridgewaternj.gov. You may also go to the Township’s home page at http://www.bridgewaternj.gov/ and follow the instructions.
For those of you who still would like to receive paper copies, the Winter 2010 edition states that, “A limited number of paper copies will be made available at locations throughout the Township.” Those locations are not specified in the notice, but I assume that two of those will be the Bridgewater Library, and Township Offices.
The E-NEWS is pretty good. It’s short enough so as not to be boring, yet complete enough to give you some very good information. Can you name all the members of the Bridgewater Township Council?
Matthew Moench is the new Council President. I first met Mr. Moench at my home one day when he was campaigning door-to-door for a seat on the Council.
Christine Rose was elected by the Council itself to replace Patrick Scaglione, who won a seat on the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders. I served with Chris Rose on the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education. In her last year on the board, she was President, and I, Vice-President; I replaced her at the helm when she retired.
As political buffs in Bridgewater and Raritan may remember, those were very challenging years indeed!
Rounding out the list of five Council members are Howard Norgalis, Allen Kurdyla, and Dan Hayes, all of whom were elected by Bridgewater voters last fall. Congratulations to Councilmen emeritus Bob Albano and Michael Hsing who both retired after serving the community well.
A major highlight of E-NEWS is the Mayor’s Message. As Bridgewater Township’s most powerful elected official, Mayor Flannery has the responsibility to give an accounting to Bridgewater citizens. The information outlined in her message goes a long way in summarizing the Township’s activities, the tax impact of spending, as well as other matters that affect us all.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Bridgewater Township E-NEWS on a monthly basis.
NOTE: Some information in this post comes from E-NEWS; Photo of Bridgewater Mayor, Patricia Flannery is Courtery/Bridgewater Township Web Site
I had signed up for the E-NEWS version when it was first made available to Bridgewater residents. If you haven’t done so yet, and would like to receive it electronically, just send your name, address and e-mail address to newsletter@bridgewaternj.gov. You may also go to the Township’s home page at http://www.bridgewaternj.gov/ and follow the instructions.
The E-NEWS is pretty good. It’s short enough so as not to be boring, yet complete enough to give you some very good information. Can you name all the members of the Bridgewater Township Council?
Matthew Moench is the new Council President. I first met Mr. Moench at my home one day when he was campaigning door-to-door for a seat on the Council.
Christine Rose was elected by the Council itself to replace Patrick Scaglione, who won a seat on the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders. I served with Chris Rose on the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education. In her last year on the board, she was President, and I, Vice-President; I replaced her at the helm when she retired.
As political buffs in Bridgewater and Raritan may remember, those were very challenging years indeed!
Rounding out the list of five Council members are Howard Norgalis, Allen Kurdyla, and Dan Hayes, all of whom were elected by Bridgewater voters last fall. Congratulations to Councilmen emeritus Bob Albano and Michael Hsing who both retired after serving the community well.
A major highlight of E-NEWS is the Mayor’s Message. As Bridgewater Township’s most powerful elected official, Mayor Flannery has the responsibility to give an accounting to Bridgewater citizens. The information outlined in her message goes a long way in summarizing the Township’s activities, the tax impact of spending, as well as other matters that affect us all.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Bridgewater Township E-NEWS on a monthly basis.
NOTE: Some information in this post comes from E-NEWS; Photo of Bridgewater Mayor, Patricia Flannery is Courtery/Bridgewater Township Web Site
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