Saturday, February 28, 2015

Out of the 'DemBadLands' comes Edison Mayor Tom '8%' ChoiLankey to endorse the JM 28.1m School Bond Referendum!

Well, read the mayor's State of the 'DemBadLands' speech here and I guess I can kinda understand that, as mayor, he has to support the $28.1 million school referendum regardless of its cost - but with all due respect, do we need one tax-ambusher telling us to vote for another tax-ambush? Are we that gullible?!?

Do we take the advice of someone who ran on a campaign of stabilizing taxes here in the 'DemBadLands' and, once in office, immediately raised the sewer tax by 35% and 50% for residents and commercials, respectively and then threw in a whopping 8% increase in the Muni-tax rate on top of that and let's not even get into the amount of debt he created.

Anyhoo, the issue isn't that we don't need a new school - of course we do, and much more to deal with space issues all over town, but do we need to spend $28.1 million on this single one and set an outrageous precedent for what's to come down the road? Doesn't look like anyone on either side of town wants to address that question.

But hey, what do I know? I still can't figure out why anyone here in Downtown Edison would agree to voluntarily tax themselves based on the information for this bond on the table right now from either side of town.




Monday, February 23, 2015

Top 10 'New Rules' for tonight's Council Meeting - after Super O'Malley's presentation on the JM $28.1m Bond

..with apologies to Bill Maher!

10. Any council member working in the education field, has family members working in the school district or is a former EBoE member should not ask any questions of Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley. Scratch: Council President Bob 'See No Conflict' Diehl and former EBoE member Council Vice-President Sapana Shah!

9. Any council member who promised to March on Trenton with former ETEA Pres. Emil Ferlicchi to get our fair share of state aid but never did should not ask any questions of Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley. Scratch: Rob 'March on Trenton' Karabinchak!

8. Any council member who, after seeing this bloated $28.1 million, thinks we should allow this Board of Mythomania to bond for all the space needs Now at these costs should not ask any questions of Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley. Scratch: Rob 'March on Trenton' Karabinchak - again!

7. Any council member who didn't even know what was in his own budget and the residents of Edison would be better served by leaving the seat vacant should not ask any questions of Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley. Scratch: Rob 'March on Trenton' Karabinchak - and again!

6. Any council member who disrespected your wishes to cut the school tax levy after rejecting school budgets at the polls time after time should not ask any questions of Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley. Scratch Diehl, Karabinchak (one more time), Gomez, Prasad and Mascola - and let's not forget former council members Lankey and Perilstein (if she sticks her head up).

5. Any former council members who show up to support the 'Fresh Start Tour Entourage' in the DemBadLands should not ask any questions of Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley. Scratch: Charlie "I Abstain' Tomaro!

4. Any council member who is up for reelection this year should not ask any questions of Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley. They know who they are.

3. Any council member who lets Super O'Malley try and play the community or kid cards rather than looking at the $28.1 million cost should not ask any questions of Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley. They know who they are.

2. Any council member who believes the wishes of the people of Edison at the polls should be overruled even before the vote is taken should not ask any questions of Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley. They know who they are.

1. Any council member who drags out their questioning so Super O'Malley has to run out the door to make his 7:00PM BoE meeting should not ask any questions of Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley. Let the Residents who wish to speak and/or ask questions do so!

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Top 10 Reasons why you gotta like the Board of Mythomania's Facts about the James Monroe $28.1 million Bond Referendum!?!

You can see their Facts here.

10. Because you've been out of town (in the cold) for a while and actually believe that with all that's going on in this town a school for 483 students should cost $28.1 million.

9. Because you're comfortable with facts and numbers coming from Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley - the inventor of the $80 fiscal year tax rate in the 2011-12 school budget, when a Yes vote at the polls was really costing you three times that or $242.

8. Because you like being misdirected over to the fight for insurance monies for the school and away from what really matters - the Cost of $28.1 million.

7. Because you like how everything is state mandated and the $28.1 million estimate comes from the architects - and don't wonder where..oh..where is the board.

6. Because you like their pre-announced plan to go around you and try and negate your vote if you Vote No on this Referendum.

5. Because you get a warm, fuzzy and trustworthy feeling from this board that failed to achieve 75% of their own goals, most notably, achieving only 2 out of 12 tasks to improve NJ ASK scores and a perfect score of 0 out of 5 tasks to improve relations with the public.

4. Because you really want to give this board another $28.1 million to Spend when they hoard taxpayer relief money and use it to increase $pending and, my favorite, continue to play the staffing shell game where, last I looked, they added some 394 heads to the payroll over the years and hid in in their school budgets by failing to disclose it to You on all those budgets they asked you to vote Yes on.

3. Because you like how they tell you about the $4.0 million in state aid but don't tell you that the state only pays a % up to a Max of $143.00 per sq. ft.

2. Because you like how they tell you the $28.1 million cost but don't tell you that the Cost per Sq. Ft. is a whopping $415.02.

1. Because this school district has serious space needs all over that need to be addressed and this $28.1 million by this board makes a mockery of the bigger picture and of the people of Downtown Edison.

Well, the March 10th Board of Mythomania $28.1 million Bond Referendum is approaching quickly!

You have to say one thing about those public servants over there on Mythomania Lane - they never give up trying to ambush us with these bloated bond referendums that are all over the place:

But hey, they got as good a chance as any to catch you sleeping and slip one by - so, heads up!

Saturday, February 7, 2015

2014 NJ Property Tax Data - NJ Department of Community Affairs

Saw this link here on their website. It has property tax information for 2014 and prior years by town and county.

Here's an excerpt of the data for Middlesex County for 2014 and 2013 - sorted by largest increase:

Here's an addition to this post from the same data source. Where Middlesex County towns fall in Total Rateables out of the 565 state-wide towns listed:


Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Like they say 'What's another $21 a year added to Your School tax bill?!?'

If you don't go for it on March 10th and they're successful in going around you and getting the town to borrow for it, it'll cost you $25. But hey, that's nothing new. They've been going around you for borrowing approval for years using Lease Purchase Agreements - you know, like the new wings on Edison & JPS.

Anyhoo, something how those 'It's only' amounts add up.