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,
The School Board election is upon us and
"Starve the Schools" philosophy and as always,
every vote will make a difference.
I'll be hitting the streets talking to voters,
I'll be hitting the streets talking to voters,
and I hope you'll be out there with me.
Dawn
Views: 7
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by truthseeker on -
All I know is what I read in the Hoboken Reporter. Theresa Minutillo said Dr. Romano, the superintendent hire, didn't want to use the lawyer to negotiate the contract so she and Markel went along with that. How dumb is that?
And Markel also admitted that Romano resigned on a Thursday and she didn't get around to telling anyone else on the board until the next Monday. And conveniently enough it was after the deadline for filing board of ed election petitions. It's just a little too cozy cozy don't you think?
I can't believe there is anyone on Revolt who seriously thinks Markel should get another shot at hiring a superintendent or cutting taxes (she says in her letter to the editor that tax relief was never part of the KF plan) or negotiating a contract (in the debate she admits the custodians contract was a big mistake.)
Meatloaf said:Since Maureen won't disclose where her kids go to school at, it obviously isn't the public school system. (I know this for fact)
Also Maureen, Rose Markle and Therese Minitillo did use the Board Attorney. Just because you were not allowed to sit in on it does not mean it did not happen. What proof do you have that it didn't? Or do you just want the world to revolve around you?
Ivette, did you take into consideration that Carter had 3 days to do the budget. 3 days only. That is a very short window to sit down and do something. I feel he did the best he could with what he was given. And no one from the Real Results ticket is using the school system. The ones that do have kids, send them to a Charter school. If we are going to compare school districts, find ones that have so little kids, Abbott funding, very little parent involvement. etc. Then we can sit back and ask them how do they do it. Every school district is unique and different and all situations are different. If you sit in on a board meeting you will see there is way more to this school system than what is posted on this site. And for the record Chatam is a rich area so of course they have a smaller budget with a less cost per pupil.
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Permalink Reply by truthseeker on
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This is officially creepy. I didn't think my opinion of you could get any lower, tony, but dude, you are verging on stalker territory.
Tony Soares said:Ivette not political?
http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?28990662379
Is this you:
Collazo, Ivette Icap/Director $250 09/12/2008 G OBAMA FOR AMERICA - Democrat
Collazo, Ivette Icap/Director $250 08/29/2008 G OBAMA FOR AMERICA - Democrat
Collazo, Ivette ICAP/Director $250 05/02/2008 P HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT - Democrat
Collazo, Ivette ICAP/Director $250 04/24/2008 P HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT - Democrat
Collazo, Ivette ICAP/Director $250 04/16/2008 P HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT - Democrat
Collazo, Ivette ICAP/Director $250 03/06/2008 P HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT - Democrat
Collazo, Ivette ICAP/Sales $500 02/07/2008 P HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT - Democrat
Ivette said:Mr Soares,
As I have stated previously, I do not have any affiliations to any of the candidates. I'm voting for my taxpayer dollar to be used effectively. I'm not beholden like some to any of the political affiliations in this town.
Don't include me in your attack for asking a question and then you chime in with something that is not legitimate or useful information. Why don't you add something of value than attacking a taxpayer and others who care about the city checkbook and the future of our education system in this town?!
Are you saying you are ok with this budget with the amount of $$ we are spending per pupil? Let us hear your thoughts as a concerned citizen. This decision should have nothing to do with politics but rather what can we do for this town to have the best educational system for our dollar spend. Like to hear your views on this since you have been a long-time resident and have seen the transitions in various administrations.
Respectfully,
Ivette Collazo
restated "taxpayer, resident, VOTER- no affiliation to Kids First or Real Results"
Tony Soares said:Duh!
An attorney is not a recruiter. This is too funny.
And why would we need a trustee with legal backgrounds? We pay lawyers already AS YOU STATED!
Since you are supporting Red Results , shouldn't you already know if they have any legal experience?
Ivette said:Thanks Ms Sullivan, good to know! Believe Mr Soares the point is that we already pay a retainer to qualified legal counsel who should be part of these negotiations, NOT left out of. If they are there for our use and already being paid, why not use them in lieu of not having a legal opinion? Yes, we all try to save legal fees but what is the true expense if a contract not negotiated properly. I for one am disappointed we did not get a better deal on custodians contract and hope that candidates i'm looking to vote for will do a much better job with teacher's contract. I concur with Mr Kaplan, a mixed slate may do wonders...
Tony Soares said:They would?
Would they also hire one of Liz Markevitch's recruiting industry friends to pay a big fat commission/retainer check to?
Maureen Sullivan said:Ivette asked, any candidates with legal/labor backgrounds?
The board uses the respected educational law firm Porzio, Bromberg based in Morristown. Our lead attorney is Vito Gagliardi Jr, a specialist in contract negotiations. None of the board members or candidates has anywhere near that kind of experience.
But it should be noted that when board president Rose Markle and personnel committee chair Theresa Minutillo were finalizing the superintendent contract with Dr. Romano, they decided not to use Mr. Gagliardi. They handled the (obviously) delicate negotiations on their own. (this was reported in the Hoboken Reporter).
Real Results would use a lawyer experienced in education administrators' contracts when hiring the next superintendent.
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Permalink Reply by Tony Soares on -
Really? Election donations are public record and since the writer said she wasn't political, I looked up to see if her name was real (ie: Fernanada Patterson )
Another fake name.
Anyway, this popped up. Big Friggin' deal!
Any Different than the public disclosure Eric Kurta does of people's beach homes or campaign donations or voter registration violations many (myself included) consider a PUBLIC SERVICE!?!
You can't come on here and attack, disclose my info and think that's okay and not expect YOUR public information to be noted.
Creepy or Whiney?
"Creepy"?
"Stalker"?
Creepy is the coward who runs for public office while posting under fake names.
This is public information.
truthseeker said:This is officially creepy. I didn't think my opinion of you could get any lower, tony, but dude, you are verging on stalker territory.
Tony Soares said:Ivette not political?
http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?28990662379
Is this you:
Collazo, Ivette Icap/Director $250 09/12/2008 G OBAMA FOR AMERICA - Democrat
Collazo, Ivette Icap/Director $250 08/29/2008 G OBAMA FOR AMERICA - Democrat
Collazo, Ivette ICAP/Director $250 05/02/2008 P HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT - Democrat
Collazo, Ivette ICAP/Director $250 04/24/2008 P HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT - Democrat
Collazo, Ivette ICAP/Director $250 04/16/2008 P HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT - Democrat
Collazo, Ivette ICAP/Director $250 03/06/2008 P HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT - Democrat
Collazo, Ivette ICAP/Sales $500 02/07/2008 P HILLARY CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT - Democrat
Ivette said:Mr Soares,
As I have stated previously, I do not have any affiliations to any of the candidates. I'm voting for my taxpayer dollar to be used effectively. I'm not beholden like some to any of the political affiliations in this town.
Don't include me in your attack for asking a question and then you chime in with something that is not legitimate or useful information. Why don't you add something of value than attacking a taxpayer and others who care about the city checkbook and the future of our education system in this town?!
Are you saying you are ok with this budget with the amount of $$ we are spending per pupil? Let us hear your thoughts as a concerned citizen. This decision should have nothing to do with politics but rather what can we do for this town to have the best educational system for our dollar spend. Like to hear your views on this since you have been a long-time resident and have seen the transitions in various administrations.
Respectfully,
Ivette Collazo
restated "taxpayer, resident, VOTER- no affiliation to Kids First or Real Results"
Tony Soares said:Duh!
An attorney is not a recruiter. This is too funny.
And why would we need a trustee with legal backgrounds? We pay lawyers already AS YOU STATED!
Since you are supporting Red Results , shouldn't you already know if they have any legal experience?
Ivette said:Thanks Ms Sullivan, good to know! Believe Mr Soares the point is that we already pay a retainer to qualified legal counsel who should be part of these negotiations, NOT left out of. If they are there for our use and already being paid, why not use them in lieu of not having a legal opinion? Yes, we all try to save legal fees but what is the true expense if a contract not negotiated properly. I for one am disappointed we did not get a better deal on custodians contract and hope that candidates i'm looking to vote for will do a much better job with teacher's contract. I concur with Mr Kaplan, a mixed slate may do wonders...
Tony Soares said:They would?
Would they also hire one of Liz Markevitch's recruiting industry friends to pay a big fat commission/retainer check to?
Maureen Sullivan said:Ivette asked, any candidates with legal/labor backgrounds?
The board uses the respected educational law firm Porzio, Bromberg based in Morristown. Our lead attorney is Vito Gagliardi Jr, a specialist in contract negotiations. None of the board members or candidates has anywhere near that kind of experience.
But it should be noted that when board president Rose Markle and personnel committee chair Theresa Minutillo were finalizing the superintendent contract with Dr. Romano, they decided not to use Mr. Gagliardi. They handled the (obviously) delicate negotiations on their own. (this was reported in the Hoboken Reporter).
Real Results would use a lawyer experienced in education administrators' contracts when hiring the next superintendent.
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Permalink Reply by Meatloaf on -
Actually Truthseeker, the charter schools don't follow state laws and rules. Go look it up. And yes I do feel that Markle has done a great job. Things don't get fixed over night and Kids First has done so much to help the district so far that they should continue. And can you show me where it says that they were going to give a tax relief in their Literature? I didn't read that. It says fiscally responsible not tax relief. Learn to read.
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