Friday, April 29, 2016

Congratulations to Dan Michaud - 30 Years of Service to the Edison School District!!

Wow, 30 years - that's pretty awesome, so congratulations to you Dan. Didn't want to let that significant accomplishment go by without recognition. Even as a staunch critic of the EBoE, you have to recognize and give credit where credit is due. And this is one of those occasions.

I have known Dan for many years now and have never known him to provide anything less than excellent service to the school district, the township and the public.

And believe me, I know - I have bothered and pestered him with my share of OPRA requests for BoE documents.

And because of that, we've developed a mutually respectful relationship over the years - I respect his duties and responsibilities as business administrator and he respects my right to access public documents when they become available.

I never ask him questions about things that aren't in the public domain and he provides the documents I do request when they do come into the public domain. Even if I think something is in the public domain and it's not - he tells me that but also when they will be available. Can't ask more than that from a school official.

His professionalism, intelligence and a wealth of knowledge is and has been a major asset to our school district and this township.

More importantly, he's a Cool Dude and a Good Man!

So, Kudos to You Dan and this one's for You:

Anyhoo, and just so you don't get in trouble with Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley for me saying you're my friend, let me say this - I really don't like you Dan Michaud! :)

What did East Brunswick, Helmetta, Highland Park, Metuchen, South Plainfield and South River Ever Do to You?!??!

A political persona that looks at you as persona non grata. Hope they're handing out Snickers Bars to the EDO Committee people when they sign-in for their convention on Monday!?!


Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Top 10 Reasons

why the EDO Committee people should Vote for Rob 'March on Trenton' Karabinchak at their convention for the upcoming open Assembly seat in the 18th District:

10. Because you want Your Vote to be a Race to the Bottom.

9. Because You want Your Mistakes to be Highlighted at the State level.

8. Because Charlie 'I Abstain' Tomaro endorses him and You don't see anything wrong with that.

7. Because You like Helping someone who is Only Looking to Help Himself.

6. Because You want to Confirm that You're the Party that has made Edison Safe for Hypocrisy.

5. Because You like Supporting someone who Doesn't Support the Chairman you Elected.

4. Because You like being Manipulated into Choosing the Least Qualified of the 3 Candidates.

3. Because Appearances are Deceiving and You Like Being Deceived.

2. Because You think Politics in Edison is about taking advantage of the People of Edison - not Helping them.

1. Because You Want to Always be Known as the Party that Chooses Form over Substance when Substance Should Prevail.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Bet Mayor Tom 'Now 11.1' ChoiLankey had to hold back the vomit to support Rob 'March on Trenton' Karabinchak for 18th District Assembly?!?

Kind of laughed when I saw this piece here in the HNT. What made me laugh was this quote from Señor Lankey:



“Experience counts when it comes to our collective voice in the Statehouse,” Lankey said in the statement. “Rob's tenure on the Township Council, his experience as a successful small business owner, and his history of community service are meaningful credentials for our next 18th District Assemblyman. Rob is a "fiscal conservative. Always mindful of the bottom line, he is routinely concerned about how government actions impact our taxpayers. I am confident we can expect nothing less from Rob when he gets to Trenton."
Experience and tenure on the Edison council is a meaningful credential and he's a fiscal conservative who is always mindful of the bottom line and how government impacts our taxpayers?? Really, this is the same guy who can't handle and scours at residents and taxpayers who disagree with him or offer differing opinions at council meetings. His political persona is to treat anyone who challenges or disagrees with him as persona non grata. Silly me, I always thought that performance was what counted, not experience.
And, let's not forget what a great bottom line guy he is and how he's so concerned about how government action impact the taxpayers - he's the guy who actually sat up on the council and denied there was a municipal tax increase when the tax bills with the tax increase in them were already sent out and we already paid half the tax increase. He's the guy who actually claims to be the bastion of protection against property tax appeals when he himself was filing tax appeals for both his home and business and tried to hide it in a council resolution to hire an outside attorney.
There's more if you want - just go back and read past posts in this blog. I particularly like how on the Finance Committee all he could find to cut out of Lankey's some $220 in ambush muni-tax increases was a whopping $9 dollars!
So, with all due respect to my friend Señor Lankey - I respectfully disagree with your choice of and assessment of Rob 'March on Trenton' Karabinchak and can only conclude that you chose to stick it to the People of Downtown Edison and do the Party thing with this endorsement and worse, passing on a mistake to the other towns in the 18th District. They don't deserve that kind of treatment.
From watching what Karabinchak says and then does, I obviously don't think much of his performance on the Edison Council. He's more about himself climbing the Dem party ranks than the people of Edison. He should of never even been on the Edison Council. He lacks any sense of consistency and loyalty and has been on more sides of the fence than anyone I've seen in Edison Dem Party politics.
In my opinion, he lacks the substance and ability to handle any type of criticism and defend positions he's taken or gone along with in an appropriate manner and is, more often than not, unreliable and untrustworthy.
Finally, and unfortunately, he'll blow which ever way the wind is blowing if he thinks it's to his advantage.
Moving on, does it really matter if four of his fellow council members (Michael Lombardi, Alvaro Gomez, Ajay Patil and Leonard Sendelsky) in this one-party oligarchy we call Edison endorse him? Even better, if Charlie 'I Abstain' Tomaro endorses him, then you gotta know that's a problem.
Anyhoo, given his charming personality and lack of depth and substance, don't see how Karabinchak would be helpful in the State Assembly to anyone other than himself.

When you let Politics prevail over People:










Friday, April 22, 2016

Edison School District Numero Uno in median teacher salaries in Middlesex County - 3rd highest paid in N.J.

Saw this piece here in the SL reporting on the top 10 teacher salaries in Middlesex County from the Taxpayers Guide to Education Spending, which was released on April 7.

Seems Edison is No.1 in median teacher salaries in Middlesex County and the 3rd highest paid in New Jersey. It has a database in the piece which you can search. Check it out.

A snipet from the piece about our district; 
Teachers in the Edison Township Public Schools district are the third-highest paid teachers in New Jersey, according to the Taxpayer Guide to Education Spending, which was released April 7.
The median teacher salary for the Edison district in the 2015-2016 school year was $92,194, the data shows.
What are Edison taxpayers getting for their money?
"The mission of the public schools of Edison Township is to ensure that all students achieve at the highest level of academic success," says schools Superintendent Richard O'Malley in a statement to parents on the district website.
Citing past records, more than 95 percent of students who graduate high school in the district attend college, the superintendent said. Students at John P. Stevens High School and Edison High School typically score well on SAT and Advanced Placement exams, the superintendent said.
Edison's median teacher salaries rose nearly 4 percent from $88,855 in the 2014-2015 school year.

Anyhoo, good question about what we get for the money. What are we getting for now $234 million bloated budgets with tax increase after tax increase? A Mission Statement, graduation rates and we typically do well on testing?!?

Took an excerpt of the data from the above mentioned NJDoE database for K-12 median salaries and if anyone is interested in having the file, just let me know:


Thursday, April 21, 2016

Karabinchak for State Assembly from the 18th District? - If you've seen him in action, why would you want him?!?

Saw this piece here in the SL about those wishing to pursue the open Assembly seat from the 18th District once Senator Barnes moves on to a superior court judgeship and Pat Diegnan moves up to his vacated  seat in the state senate.

Looks like there are four who are interested in filling the assembly seat; three Edison Council members and a Councilwoman from Highland Park.

Karabinchak felt confident that he would have the Party's backing. 'I believe the Party has seen me; they believe in what I can do, not just in Edison, but in the county and New Jersey,' Karabinchak said.

Now, not for nothing, but you really have to think about that self-serving statement (after you stop laughing, of course)  - and say Really?!? If you took the time to watch and see this guy in action, then the Party would have to conclude - Anybody but Karabinchak.

Here's a guy that shouldn't even be on the Council, has switched sides more often than anyone I've ever seen here in Downtown Edison, has a political persona that would make anyone watching cringe every time he's challenged or simply asked a question he doesn't like, and all the other thingies you can read about in previous posts.

Now, I'm a Democrat and I pay attention to what the Council says and does here in Downtown Edison and I would never support or vote for Karabinchak for all the above reasons - and you really have to ask this question:

Why would any of the some 340 Middlesex County committee members support a guy who doesn't even Support his own Local Dem Party Chairman. He wants your support but won't give his support to his own Local Party Chairman who was duly elected by committee members?!?

Go with Anybody but Karabinchak for the Assembly seat - we shouldn't pass along our local dysfunctional political abnormalities on to all the other towns in the 18th District. They don't deserve it.


Anyhoo, if the Dems are truly a party for the people, then there should be no place for Karabinchak in the state assembly.

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Good News for Senor Barnes; Bad News to all the other towns in the 18th District?!?

Saw the mention of State Senator Barnes here in the 18th district for a possible superior court judgeship on my Facebook page. Checked the link and saw this piece here in PolitickerNJ.

Well, if that turns out as it says in the piece by the end of the month (and I hope it does), then I'd be really happy for Señor Barnes. Having known Señor Barnes for many years, I have no doubt he will be an outstanding superior court judge.

Following on with the piece, sounds like Assemblyman Pat Diegnan stands the best chance to replace Barnes, which leaves his seat open for three Edison Council Members to make a play for it.

That's Bob 'See No Conflict' Diehl, Rob 'March on Trenton' Karabinchak and Sapana Shah. It goes on to say that Karabinchak is likely to get the organization nod over Diehl.

Karabinchak, the establishment choice - and you thought he was looking out for you here in the 'DemBadLands of Downtown Edison.

'Karabinchak has done what he's told, played ball, facilitated developers and been a good soldier, all of those pre-requisites to be the party favorite.'

Now there you go - he's been a good soldier.

Seriously now, Karabinchak?!? This guy shouldn't even be on the council much less being considered to move up in the Dem party pecking order. I'd vote for Charlie 'I Abstain' Tomaro before I'd vote for him - and trust me, that's saying something.

So, don't want to bore you with all the thingies I find a tad bit disconcerting about Karabinchak holding any public office (you can go back and read previous posts on my thoughts about Karabinchak's performance on the council) so I'll just have a good laugh about it and ask why anyone would want someone who often switches sides, can't handle differing opinions and let's not forget, has a charming public personality to boot. Bet that will be real helpful in the State Assembly.



Anyhoo, putting this guy in the state assembly is enough to make any Democrat here in Downtown Edison who still believes we should be the party of the people - turn Independent.

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Welcome to Edison's $3M Dem-party Oligarchy!?!

Just saw this piece here in the SL - 'The N.J. town that has spent $3M since 2011 - just to settle police lawsuits.'

'The administration has, at times, had to make painful decisions to lessen the cost associated with lawsuits." business administrator Maureen Ruane said in an email. 'We consistently try to reduce the likelihood of future lawsuits through good management practices, transparency, and open communication with our employees.'

Well, we all get what we vote for here in the 'DemBadLands' of Downtown Edison.

Anyhoo, seen enough yet of the party that has made Edison Safe for Hypocrisy?!?