The Hoboken Tax Reform Coalition
DAWN: DO YOUR HOMEWORK!
(I sent this letter to Mayor Dawn Zimmer earlier today in response to her attack, attached below, on the Real Results candidates for School Board.---- Maureen Sullivan, School Board Member)
Dawn:
I was shocked by your email to Kids First supporters yesterday in which you say that Real Results, the school board team I am endorsing, has a "starve the schools philosophy." It's apparent that you don't understand a thing that is going on in the Hoboken public schools or in the state of N.J. The financial situation in this state is critical and demands real leadership and not warmed-over propaganda.
It's also apparent that your talk of cutting the city's budget down to size is just rhetoric. This town is still reeling from a 47% increase in taxes last year. It's irresponsible of you to claim that candidates who want to bring tax relief to our beleaguered residents are trying to starve the schools. Are you trying to starve the police and fire departments? Do you have any idea how much harder you make if for us board members who have to go into negotiations with the teachers union in a few months? No doubt the union will play your "starve the schools" card at the bargaining table.
Last year, the Hoboken public schools spent $24,500 per student, the second-highest of the state's hundreds of K-12 districts and nearly double the state average. This year we are on track for a similar expenditure. The Real Results team of Liz Markevitch, Perry Lin, Kathleen Tucker and John Forsman backs me, a former Kids First member, in saying that cutting out decades of fat is hardly starving the schools. That slate put out a very detailed list of potential budget cuts that you can read on RealResults2010.com. Not one of those millions of dollars worth of cuts affects the classroom, so your claim of "starve the schools" is completely baseless.
As someone who very publicly supported your campaign for mayor last year-and took a lot of heat for it--I was disappointed that you didn't make any attempt to reach out to me before jumping in with your semi-endorsement of Kids First's launch last month. But it's now clear that you are not only endorsing the failed policies of Kids First, but using a bludgeon to attack Real Results with lies.
After years and years of mayors picking school board slates and superintendents, I thought you would be a different kind of mayor, one who didn't use her City Hall office to muck around in the schools. I was very, very wrong.
Sincerely,
Maureen Sullivan
Dear Friends,
I'll be hitting the streets talking to voters,
Views: 6
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Meatloaf on -
So let's discuss the fallacies here, Maureen. The Comparative Cost Per Pupil is $24,808. This IS NOT the money that is spent per pupil. That number is $18,581. So who is the liar now. Jersey City spends $17,094 per pupil. And Newark $18,378. If we are going to compare our district, lets not use non-Abbot districts. It just doesn't work.
http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc09/dataselect.php?c=17&d=2210...
Check the facts.
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Permalink Reply by Kathleen on -
Mr. Meatloaf,
I'd like to address #2 in your comment regarding 'Real Results hideously funny statements' .
>>2. Who in god's name came up with the ignorant statement "Students who don't read well or don't know their times tables by the end of third grade will probably never be good at these crucial skills." PLEASE..do some research. This is so ignorant and without merit.
Please view video from CSPAN starting at 23:18 of the video. Dr. Marc Lamont Hill an Education Professor from Columbia University explains this very well:
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/program/id/220101
Regards,
Kathleen Tucker
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Permalink Reply by ditto on
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Here's what starving the students will look like and keep in mind this same evening Sullivan voted for a $1400 student fishing trip. In addition when Sullivan was asked after the vote by Coach Judy Burrell if she would change her "no" vote if the students fund-raised (which they have) all she could say was a terse, "no comment."
http://hobokenhorse.blogspot.com/2010/04/guest-of-stable-gregory-bo...
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Permalink Reply by Meatloaf on
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This talks about how they are more likely to not succeed in school, not be good at crucial skills. Unless you consider attending classes a crucial skill.
Kathleen said:Mr. Meatloaf,
I'd like to address #2 in your comment regarding 'Real Results hideously funny statements' .
>>2. Who in god's name came up with the ignorant statement "Students who don't read well or don't know their times tables by the end of third grade will probably never be good at these crucial skills." PLEASE..do some research. This is so ignorant and without merit.
Please view video from CSPAN starting at 23:18 of the video. Dr. Marc Lamont Hill an Education Professor from Columbia University explains this very well:
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/program/id/220101
Regards,
Kathleen Tucker
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Permalink Reply by Maureen Sullivan on
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Tony, that's Madame Trustee Sullivan, not Maureen. I have also grown quite fond of Maureen First and Queen Maureen.
Tony Soares said:Maureen, you wouldn't have been on The Board of Ed if it wasn't for Dawn Zimmer's political, financial and volunteer support of YOU and Kid's First last year!
Did you talk to Dawn Zimmer BEFORE YOU, went on a suicide mission against Kid's First?
No, is fine answer because You owe Mayor Zimmer Nada, and Mayor Zimmer owes you nothing either.
And really Maureen She's Mayor Zimmer, not Dawn.
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Permalink Reply by truthseeker on
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"Starve our Schools"??? Did Mike Lenz make that one up or did it come down from the HCDO clubhouse? I read in the Hoboken Reporter today that Dawn is making deals with the Democrat bigwigs to consolidate power in Hoboken. A lot of us thought Dawn was different but she's as big a hack as Corzine or McGreevey.
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Permalink Reply by Tony Soares on -
Nope the HCDO club house spokesperson, Paul Swibinski is busy working as a paid consultant to Beth Mason.
You should have taken the banker's offer, one more suitcase left
truthseeker said:"Starve our Schools"??? Did Mike Lenz make that one up or did it come down from the HCDO clubhouse? I read in the Hoboken Reporter today that Dawn is making deals with the Democrat bigwigs to consolidate power in Hoboken. A lot of us thought Dawn was different but she's as big a hack as Corzine or McGreevey.
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Permalink Reply by truthseeker on
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meatloaf, keep spitballing. First you say the cost is 21,000, then it's 25,000, then it's 18,000. It only makes sense to use the actual figures.
I recommend this info http://www.state.nj.us/education/guide/2010/.
Total Comparative Cost Per Pupil (Definition)
07-08 Actual Costs Amount per Pupil: $19,465
07-08 Actual Costs Rank per Pupil: 68
2008-09 Actual Costs Amount per Pupil: $24,471
2008-09 Actual Costs Rank per Pupil: 68 (of 69)
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Permalink Reply by truthseeker on
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Leon Gold doesn't even know that the Teachers Union is the most powerful union in the country? This debate on 78 is a riot. Who does he think it is? United Autoworkers? Steelworkers? Hodcarriers?
Leon comes across as a mean angry man stuck in the 60s. What did Revolt see in this guy?
Revolt steering committee: did he give you the indication that he was in favor of lower taxes? If so, he seems to have abandoned that belief now that he's joined up with the Machine (oops, I mean Kids First).
Tony Soares said:Since we're talking Columbia University, I wonder if Dr. Hill knows Mr Leon Gold of Kid's First. Leon teaches at Columbia!
Kathleen said:Mr. Meatloaf,
I'd like to address #2 in your comment regarding 'Real Results hideously funny statements' .
>>2. Who in god's name came up with the ignorant statement "Students who don't read well or don't know their times tables by the end of third grade will probably never be good at these crucial skills." PLEASE..do some research. This is so ignorant and without merit.
Please view video from CSPAN starting at 23:18 of the video. Dr. Marc Lamont Hill an Education Professor from Columbia University explains this very well:
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/program/id/220101
Regards,
Kathleen Tucker
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Permalink Reply by Meatloaf on
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Read the state website it's $18 and change for per pupil. The facts don't lie.
And by the way, Leon is not a mean angry man. Why don't you go talk to him in person and find out what he has to say, or are you too scared to do that?
truthseeker said:meatloaf, keep spitballing. First you say the cost is 21,000, then it's 25,000, then it's 18,000. It only makes sense to use the actual figures.
I recommend this info http://www.state.nj.us/education/guide/2010/.
Total Comparative Cost Per Pupil (Definition)
07-08 Actual Costs Amount per Pupil: $19,465
07-08 Actual Costs Rank per Pupil: 68
2008-09 Actual Costs Amount per Pupil: $24,471
2008-09 Actual Costs Rank per Pupil: 68 (of 69)
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Permalink Reply by Joe Brennan on
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Now the 'reformers' are basically arguing that Hoboken doesn't spend too much on schools. That's just a really hard one to swallow for a lot of the people who voted for Mayor Zimmer. It does seem that cutting taxes was just rhetoric. I do appreciate, as I've said before, having people of integrity in the mayor's office and city council. Compared to what we've had for most of my 23 years in Hoboken, it's a step up. But it's not enough. Taxes have to come down. And, making the spending cuts to make them come down will always be termed 'starving' by critics; very unfortunate position and rhetoric by the mayor. It makes it even harder to imagine she'll fight the fights she has to to get taxes down on her side of things. That credibility is now measureably reduced.
I'll be looking for alternatives for mayor and council next time if it doesn't change. And the threads on this forum are a big part of my decision to vote for RR for school board. I was undecided until recently about that. But of course I'll vote 'no' on the budget, that's an easy decision. If you vote 'yes' on that kind of distended budget it doesn't make you a bad person, but there's no way you can pretend you're part of a 'tax revolt'.
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Permalink Reply by Jack Dawkins on
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No union is terribly powerful these days, but my 2cents on the most powerful union would be Screen Actors Guild, not the teachers.
truthseeker said:Leon Gold doesn't even know that the Teachers Union is the most powerful union in the country? This debate on 78 is a riot. Who does he think it is? United Autoworkers? Steelworkers? Hodcarriers?
Leon comes across as a mean angry man stuck in the 60s. What did Revolt see in this guy?
Revolt steering committee: did he give you the indication that he was in favor of lower taxes? If so, he seems to have abandoned that belief now that he's joined up with the Machine (oops, I mean Kids First).
Tony Soares said:Since we're talking Columbia University, I wonder if Dr. Hill knows Mr Leon Gold of Kid's First. Leon teaches at Columbia!
Kathleen said:Mr. Meatloaf,
I'd like to address #2 in your comment regarding 'Real Results hideously funny statements' .
>>2. Who in god's name came up with the ignorant statement "Students who don't read well or don't know their times tables by the end of third grade will probably never be good at these crucial skills." PLEASE..do some research. This is so ignorant and without merit.
Please view video from CSPAN starting at 23:18 of the video. Dr. Marc Lamont Hill an Education Professor from Columbia University explains this very well:
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/program/id/220101
Regards,
Kathleen Tucker
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