Thursday, April 27, 2017

Top 10 Reasons

Why the Board of Mythomania, aka Board of Hoarders, Board of EDems should Vote Yes on their $238.2M 'Bloated Pot of Money' they call a Budget on May 3, 2017:

10. Because it was already approved by the County Super and it doesn't really matter anyway what the people who pay for it think.

9. Because you like how Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley talks about the Fiscal year School Budget but never bridges the Gap to what actually shows up on the tax bills of those who pay for it.

8. Because you like to use the phase 'It's All About the Kids' and conveniently forget that it's also about the administration, staff and those who pay for it, the taxpayers.

7. Because you like creating sophomoric performance bonus criteria goals for the Super that lack substance yet provide for a big payday.

6. Because you like the 2% Cap with all its exceptions and the availability of the Cap Bank when you need to take the money back that you already claimed as a savings.

5. Because you like a Big, Fat & Bloated Pot of Money School Budget that grows exponentially every year since you moved the elections to November.

4. Because you just don't want to recognize the 'Staffing Shell Game' going on in your budget that shows the lack of control, reporting and disclosure and what it all means to the taxpayer on the single largest expenditure in the school budget.
3. Because you're grown to like the lease purchase agreements which are used to bypass voter approval for capital additions.

2. Because you like to Whine about not getting our Fair Share of State aid rather than focusing on what you're doing with the $238.2 million you already have.

1. Because when you Lead from Behind with $230m plus School Budgets, you leave an awful lot of money in the hands of Super Dr. Richard 'Looking for the Exit Ramp' O'Malley and you think that's just fine.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Board of Mythomania's $238.2 million Preliminary School Budget 2017-18

Well, they just put their preliminary up on their website today. Good to see they're passing their $4.1 million Out-of-Control $pending increase right on to Your tax bill. Also, good to see that the Staffing 'Shell Game' they got going on over there is still alive and well.

If you compare the 2016-17 column on page 32 in this budget to the 2016-17 column on page 32 of last year's budget - you'll find the numbers are different for 2016-17.

The difference being all those non-budgeted heads they've added to the payroll and failed to disclose to you in this or any other school budget they've ever put out. Don't think this is a tad bit deceptive and misleading and can and has led to large additions to the payroll, then go back and look at prior posts in this blog on this Staffing 'Shell Game' and see how many non-budgeted heads they've added to the payroll over the years and never told you about in their budgets.

Last I looked back at this stuff was the School Budget for 2015-16 and here's what it was:

And you can add another 5.5 non-budgeted heads hidden in this School Budget for 2017-18.

Someone really has to step up over there and make the necessary disclosures at monthly meetings about these non-budgeted additions to the payroll.

So, just another in a long-line of Bloated 'Pots of Money' that should get a Big No from the Board of Mythomania ..aka Board of Hoarders ..aka Board of EDems when they vote on May 3, 2017. Wait, what am I thinking? It's their budget they've already got approved by the County Super.

Now, let's see who on the Board has the courage on May 3rd to take a stand against these constantly Bloated and Out-of-Control $pending Pots of Money and vote NO.

Even if the board is looking at this budget with their usual eyes wide-shut, they still can't miss what's wrong with it. Here's their budget, see for yourself:



Haven't watched the video of last night's Action Meeting but as I understand it Paul Distefano was selected to fill the vacant board seat.

You can go to the April 18th post and run Your assessed home value and see what this School Budget for 2017-18 means to Your pocket book.

Anyhoo, at least we're comforted in the knowledge that the ratables went up so the board could squeeze some more $pending into this budget and Not let it benefit You.

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Edison's Board of Mythomania - playing Hide & Seek with the $238.2 million School Budget for 2017-18?!?

Well, a couple things going on this coming week with the Board of Mythomania..aka Board of Hoarders..aka Board of EDems over there on Mythomania Lane.

First, take a look here at the agenda for Monday's Public Meeting. Seems there's nothing about the $238.2 million School Budget for 2017-18, which is up $4.2 million over last year's $234.0 million and which we locally fund some 90%. You know, their latest 'Bloated Pot of Money' offering they call a school budget that comes with a School tax rate of $2.988, which is up 5.6-Cents over last year's $2.932.

...until you get to the end, that is, of the agenda and you see there's a Public Meeting scheduled for the 2017-18 School Budget (a budget document they've left off and not provided for on Monday's agenda) on May 3, 2017!?! Now, maybe it's me, but how is it you schedule a Special Public Meeting on a budget in 10 days or so when

You've NOT Provided the Budget to the Public?!?

That's at tad bit Not Nice! Even though we don't get to vote on these budgets anymore, seems it might be nice if they gave the public a chance to see how they came up with this latest $pending Plan to pick your pockets some more -  before they vote on it on May 3, 2017.

So, what now? Are they going to add it to Monday's agenda and you have to be at the meeting to know it's going on or are they going to delay the May 3rd Special Meeting? Guess we'll have until tomorrow night to see what the heck they're doing over there on Mythomania Lane.

Second, seems from their Wednesday caucus meeting (you can watch it on their website), they were unable to pick a replacement to fill the vacant seat on the board. Looks like Dr. Frank couldn't come up with the 5 votes necessary to fill the spot. So, the saga continues on into tomorrow night's meeting where, I guess, they'll try again.

Now, make no mistake. It really doesn't matter what I think since I don't get a vote and they'll pick whoever they want anyway - but, for what it's worth, I'm aware of most of the candidates and from what I know and have seen over the years, they're all fine people in their own right who would bring a unique talent to the board. Would never question any of them wanting to help the district.

Having said that though, I don't really see anyone on the list fulfilling what's important to me in a candidate - someone looking out for and making sure all the stakeholders in the school district are heard in the decision-making process, and that includes the often forgotten one - us, the bill-paying taxpayers in the decision-making process.

So, as they say, while I don't really have a horse in this race - here's the 6 candidates again, and according to Dr. Frank in the order they sent in their application (left to right, top to bottom):


My only concern is we, once again, have Margot Harris - a former board member and the Vice-Chair of the EDO looking to fill the spot. Now, as I said before, I don't know of anything that prevents anyone from holding these two positions and not suggesting there's anything wrong with it but it just doesn't seem right that the Vice-Chair of a Local Political Party that controls the entire Muni-Government side of town should also be part of the decision-making process for the Edison School District. These are autonomous entities and kind of think there should be something in place that says maybe that's not something you want to do - even if you can.


Anyhoo, someone has to be picked in the World of Mythomania so here's my picking-pecking order - either Elizabeth Conway or Joyce Ship, then Carol Bodofsky, Paul Distefano, William Araujo, Margot Harris. 

But hey, what do I know? Since they like me so much over there on Mythomania Lane, they'll probably pick from the bottom of my list!






Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Board of Mythomania..aka Board of Hoarders..aka Board of EDems - caucus meeting tomorrow night

Well, looks like at tomorrow night's Board of Mythomania's Caucus meeting they're going to fill the vacant board seat. As I understand it, there are six candidates (if I misspelled anyone's name or have an incorrect name on the list, please advise and I will correct):

Margot Harris - Vice-Chair of EDO and former School Board Member
Willie Araujo - Planning Board member
Carol Bodofsky - former teacher in the district
Elizabeth Conway - former teacher in the district
Joyce Ship - teacher in another district
Paul Distefano - don't know him

Apparently, they'll have a chance to speak and the Board will pick one to fill the seat that night.

Also, don't know when they're going to open up the 2017-18 Preliminary School Budget to the public (don't see anything on their agenda for tomorrow night's meeting) but if nothing changes from what they said in an earlier meeting, here's what you're looking at. The $pending is $238.2 million, up $4.2 million or 1.8% over last year, and all that $4.2 million increased $pending is getting passed right on to your tax bill.

And if they didn't change anything, which I doubt they will, here's what this latest Bloated, 'Pot of Money' offering they call a school budget does to You:


Anyhoo, it's a good thing you don't get to vote on these budgets anymore - it lets them automatically increase their bloat and discretionary spending exponentially every year.