Roberts: Scrap vote on school budgets?

[SAdams]

See Roberts trying to make brownie points with the NJEA. Imagine paying all this money and nothing to show for it except huge tax bills. That's right, give NJEA more power to control the budgets. I think every one of you elected formalities are overdue for an old fashion can of whoop ass. None of you have the brains you were born with. My day used to tell me "Boy, if brains were cotton, you couldn't make a kotex for a pissant." And that fits everyone one of the elected formalities to a "T".

Take the budget vote and just vote for things over the cap? Like what cap ever worked in the State of New Jersey? NONE! All I know Roberts is that you better get working on that Budget. Don't be worrying about making brownie points with the NJEA Extortion Association.

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Roberts: Scrap vote on school budgets

By TOM HESTER Jr. • Associated Press • April 19, 2008

TRENTON — Public votes on school budgets should be eliminated and April school board elections moved to November, Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts said Friday.
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Tuesday's school election drew 14 percent of voters, while no school election in the past 25 years topped 20 percent turnout.

"It's time for New Jersey to wake up to the reality that the April school elections are a poor way to decide the direction of public education in districts across the state," said Roberts, D-Camden.

New Jersey is the only state where voters in most districts can give direct approval to their entire school property tax bill. The average homeowner in the state pays about $6,800 per year in property taxes -- the highest in the nation. Schools get the largest share of that.

But Roberts said the votes should be eliminated, except on spending that would exceed a mandated cap.

He said the moves would lower election-administration costs while attracting more voters.

"If we want to make school board elections meaningful, they should be rescheduled for November, when voters are most engaged," Roberts said. "If you want to have real accountability, you have to start with real elections."

He said he plans to move legislation before the end of June to make the change. The Senate and Gov. Jon S. Corzine would also have to approve it.

The state's largest teachers union, the New Jersey Education Association, said it would support eliminating votes on school budgets, but would oppose moving school board elections to November.

[oldhardhead]

Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts, didn't the budget in your district pass???
Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts, are you fishing for some NJEA campaign cash?

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"Public votes on school budgets should be eliminated"
- Right, the all-knowing, all-seeing and all-powerful rulers know better than the lowly voters. Phui! Spit on them!

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"and April school board elections moved to November"
- No. Here's the plan: First we do away with income tax witholding, and make everyone save and write a check so they can see how much they are paying in taxes. Everyone can feel the pain. Everyone writes a check on April 15. Elections are on April 18.

Same thing with property taxes, county taxes and school board, municipal, county and state elections.

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"the April school elections are a poor way to decide the direction of public education in districts across the state"
- As a colleague used to say "the problem is, he's NOT SHARING those drugs".

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"the votes should be eliminated, except on spending that would exceed a mandated cap"
- Don't allow any spending to exceed the mandated cap.

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"the moves would lower election-administration costs while attracting more voters"
- Doing away with elections would "attract more voters"? Is he getting PAID for this?

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"If we want to make school board elections meaningful"
- And why aren't they "meaningful"? Because budgets didn't pass? Because the state can over-ride the decisions of the township committee? Because the township committee can ignore the fact that a school budget was rejected by the voters and pass it anyway, unchanged? And who's fault is that, Mr Assembly Speaker ???

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"If you want to have real accountability, you have to start with real elections."
- Oh, so these are pretend elections? And who's fault is that?

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"The state's largest teachers union, the New Jersey Education Association, said it would support eliminating votes on school budgets"
- Well, DUH...

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My favorite quote is the one about how "the moves would lower election-administration costs while attracting more voters". Doing away with elections certainly would "lower election-administration costs". How much can a school election cost? Doing away with elections would result in "attracting more voters??" Hey Joe, I think you have a future as a comedy writer!