Cell tower off of Knapp Ave. - HNT piece

Update: it's my understanding that at last night's meeting (3/31/15) the cell tower matter was tabled until May 19th. Apparently, the attorney's for the board and applicant disagreed on what was remanded by the judge and they wish to seek clarification. 

You can see an update here. Kudos to the Edison Zoning Board!

Here's a piece in the HNT on the Cell Tower, which is back up before the Zoning Board tonight at 7:00 PM. If you can, please take the time to help out your fellow residents by attending the meeting and requesting the tower be placed in a more appropriate location on the site.

Time to Revisit Wards in Downtown Edison?!?

Saw the piece here in Tapinto.net

Edison Democratic Committee Selects 08820 Candidate Slate

Seems the north end of town with an estimated 38% of the population will have 100% of the representation in the at-large system we now operate under. 

Unlucky for us in the 08817 and 08837 zip codes! But hey, good to see that the EDO is concerned with equal representation across the town in their selection process.

Maybe we can get some help to get this back on the ballot. Remember Charlie 'I Abstain' Tomaro? He was Against switching to Wards before he lost his election in the Jun 'RForMe' Choi years and then, miraculously, he was For Wards! Maybe he can help get this back on the ballot. You think?!?

Then there's Anthony Russomanno, you know, the guy with more titles in Downtown Edison than anyone else. Maybe he can help now with all his titles.

Back then, he was 'Neighborhoods 1st' Chairman and he wrote this:
'To understand the need for Wards form of government, Edison residents must understand the unbalanced power our current at-large system provides. In a nutshell, too much control and power into a few hands is problematic. Our forefathers designed a system of checks and balances, a system designed to ensure solid debate amongst our politicians and citizens alike.' (Sentinel 10/17/2007)

Gee, I wonder if he still feels the same and wants to help?!? You think?!?

But that's not even the worst news in that piece. They showed the results of the committee vote. With 78 districts and 2 committee members in each district the vote was as follows:

Robert Karabinchak*        90

Michael Lombardi*           88

Leonard Sendelsky            72

Ajaykumar 'Ajay' Patil      50

Ralph Errico                      42

Wayne Mascola*               41

William Araujo                  38

Dr. Sudhanshu Prasad*     33

Jonathan Teitelbaum         22

Sheila Angalet                    9

* Incumbents

Congratulations to Rob 'March on Trenton' Karabinchak for being the top vote getter but seriously - if that doesn't tell you what's wrong the EDO and their selection process, nothing will. Here's a guy that shouldn't even be on the Council much less their top vote getter. Maybe he can 'pinch' some more pennies for us and continue to represent himself better than he represents us. Oh wait, I forgot - there will be no representation on the south-side of town if the residents go along with this ticket.

Your top vote-getter - must be his willingness to listen to differing opinions with an open mind and, let's not forget, his charming personality:

Anyhoo, guess I'm wrong -  we will have a Ward System here in the 'DemBadLands' - a Ward of One!

Yeah..and how is this moving us forward day by day?!?

Saw the piece here in the SL today. Clearly, I'm not a fan of the EDO and have very little interest in it's pecking order, internal feuds or power struggles. It's always been my belief that the EDO is the party that made Edison safe for hypocrisy and any vote for them is a vote against yourself and your pocketbook.

Be that as it may, I'm still a Democrat here in Mayor Tom '8%' ChoiLankey's 'DemBadLands' and this latest stuff is just a tad bit disconcerting and embarrassing.

Here were my thoughts after reading the piece:

Geez...really?!? how is it that internal power struggles in the Local Dem party that made Edison safe for hypocrisy rises to this level? Someone challenges something that can easily be proved or disproved and all of a sudden complaints are being made? Can't the party deal with challenges from within without resorting to things like this?

With all due respect to Mayor Lankey, how does this happen under your watch? You're the highest ranking public official in Downtown Edison and I would of expected more from you. Haven't you and the party done enough for Anthony Russomanno at our expense?

It's embarrassing to be a democrat in this town.

Now, seems to me that if the highest ranking Dem party official here in Downtown Edison, aka Mayor Tom '8%' ChoiLankey can't mediate what goes on with his own troops - both for and against, then we got a bigger problem than I thought. There's no reason why this couldn't have been resolved by him. As far as I know, any party member can challenge anything that goes on in their little group there - even those who are looking for a new direction for the party.

So, I look to him for this latest Local Dem party newsflash.

Anyhoo, enough with the dysfunctional political drama - try and settle your own differences and give us all a break.

Cell Tower off of Knapp Ave. (Festival Plaza) back on Zoning Board Agenda!

Well, the unanimous decision in 2014 by the Edison Twp. Zoning Board to deny a Verizon Cell Tower  Application on the above has been overturned by the courts. It is scheduled to be back before the Zoning Board on March 31, 2015 at 7:00 PM.

You can find details at stopcelltower.org here.

Please take the time to visit the website and attend the Zoning Board meeting and share your thoughts.

Cell Tower mock-up off of Knapp from March 27, 2014 post:

Charlie 'I Abstain' Tomaro and the MC Freeholders score up another tax increase for 2015!?!

Well. just saw this piece here in the HNT. Seems the Middlesex County Freeholders have adopted their 2015 budget - and it comes with what they describe as on average, about a $20 increase in the county portion of your property tax bill here in the Downtown Edison branch of the 'DemBadLands.'

They also say that 'The amount to be raised for taxation in the 2015 county budget is less than one cent more than last year.' That's nice.

Of course they don't tell you that 'less than one cent more than last year' was on a 4 cent or 5.4% increase or that's some 15 cents since 2010.

Bet you can't wait to see what kind of tax ambush Mayor Tom '8%' ChoiLankey comes up with in this year's budget. Oh wait, Council Member Rob 'March on Trenton' Karabinchak will come to our rescue - he said he's against any tax increase this year from Mayor Tom '8%' ChoiLankey - as he was preparing to screen for reelection, of course.

Anyhoo, at least we're comforted in the knowledge that the county portion of your property tax bill only averages about 5% over the last 5 years.

JM $28.1 million Bond Referendum passes - 2,022 to 1,263

Congratulations to the Edison Board of Mythomania on getting this bond referendum passed. According to the piece in the SL here, the unofficial vote was 2,022 in favor and 1,263 against.

That's 3,285 people (5.9%) out of 55,279 registered voters in Downtown Edison making the call.

The people who show up to vote decide - and so they did.

You know, Politics is just about dealing with people - not excluding them!?!

Always thought NO Means NO - but not on Mythomania Lane in Downtown Edison!?!

Just saw this piece here in the HNT - 'March 10 voter support needed to rebuild James Monroe School.'

Not for nothing but just another rehash of Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley's and the board's 'facts' about the referendum (you can see them in a previous post).

But there is a difference in that the article links a Letter to the Editor from Board Members, Dr. Frank, Ward & Moroney supporting the referendum. Now there's a shocker but at least they said they were only speaking for themselves and not the entire board in just rehashing some more board 'facts.'

You really have to chuckle at this stuff. Where else but in Downtown Edison can the residents Say NO to something and they won't accept and respect the wishes of the residents (the people who have to pay for it) - and tell You they'll try to bond for it again and if You Say No again, they may go to the DoE Commissioner and try and get You overruled by appealing!

Whoa..aren't you impressed with the use of power of the Board of Mythomania to try and negate You out of the picture?

So much for the voice of the people in Downtown Edison.

Do your self a big favor and Vote No on this $28.1 million cost and make them bond for it again in September and Vote No again. Let them take it to the DoE Commissioner. Since no one ever really had a say about the $28.1 million, we got a better chance in public hearings there than we would have here in Downtown Edison.

Anyhoo, as I said in the beginning when I first saw the $28.1 million - chalk me up a No Vote on March 10...Really:

Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley's latest update on the $28.1m JM Bond Referendum!?!

Well, just saw the above on the school district's website here but don't know what's new about it. It's the same spin he's been trying to sell from day one. Take it he thinks that if you repeat the same things enough, someone would actually buy into it.

But you know what I find most amusing and begs a big question to be asked? It's this paragraph in there:

'A referendum approved by the voters is the ONLY means in which the district an obtain this state debt aid. Therefore, by passing a referendum, Edison taxpayers would save close to $6 million in costs ($1.9 million contractual penalty plus $4 million in state debt aid). If the referendum fails, these costs would be shared by ALL the taxpayers in Edison.'

First, you have to understand what the Board of Mythomania calls a savings - it's a reduction in a proposed or potential increase in a cost. Now, I don't know how that's a savings other than in the Land of Mythomania since savings only happen when your actual costs go down. A reduction in an increase is just that, a reduction in an increase. Your costs still go up. So, blah..blah to that line of thinking.

Next, and most peculiar is the statement that the $6 million in costs would be shared by all of us here in Downtown Edison, if the referendum fails!?! Really? Does that mean they already have a double secret agreement for the town or the state to overrule the will of the people of Edison in case of a No vote on March 10?

According to their own facts about the bond, (you can see it in a previous post) it would only cost us the $4 million in state aid if they're unsuccessful in two bonding attempts and appeal to the DoE or they go to the town or state to bond.

And seriously, with the $1.9 million penalty? Under their own facts again, one of their options is to redistrict and not build a new school. That penalty can be avoided under that option.

So, with all due respect, a failed bond referendum doesn't cost us anything unless they try and make it so by circumventing the residents of Edison in case of a No Vote on March 10th. And the only savings that exist on this bond - only exist in the Land of Mythomania.

Anyhoo, recognize that you're being asked to commit now to a tax increase for the next 30 years pretty much based on them telling you what will happen to you if you don't vote Yes on the Bond. That's not Nice!

YUP! - their Cattle Call for a Yes Vote on March 10th for the JM $28.1m Bond Referendum, Should Mean a Lot to YOU!

But hey, at least we're comforted in the knowledge that the township is moving forward day by day, albeit it under a new grading curve!