Last November's BoE Election

Well, I just saw the emails below about the status of the flier that was put out against two of our BoE candidates for last November's election.

I just sent the email below to the Edison Council to ask for their assistance in resolving this matter and would ask all you to do the same, in the most convenient manner for you.

There's no place for this type of activity here in Edison and we all need to stand together on this one.

Hello Council Members,

I just saw these two emails below (from Keith Hahn & Sylvia Engel) about the unfortunate incident that went on during last November’s election here in town. Whether you support any particular candidate or not, whether you’re a Dem, Rep or Unaffiliated - there’s no room for this type of activity during one of our local local elections.

So, as our elected officials, I urge all of you to step-up and and join with the rest of the good people of Edison and help expedite the resolution of this matter. It makes us all look bad when it happens and worse if we let it go unchallenged.

Thanking you in advance,

Ralph Bucci

Please see the attached email from Sylvia Engle, Chairwoman of the Edison Republican Party. If unable to attend I would ask each of you to write a letter supporting charges be brought against the anonymous racist responsible for this flier. Republican or Democrat I think we all agree we can not allow anonymous communications such as this to become the norm. 

Thank you,

Keith Hahn

Hello Keith:

I was wondering if you have any friends on the Democratic side in Edison who would join us on August 22. This is not a Republican or Democrat issue this is a human rights issue. No candidate should be mistreated as Jerry Shi and Falguni Patel have been in this last school board election in town. We just want justice.

If you know of anyone who would help us please pass along this email.

Sylvia


Subject: August 22 Council Meeting/Very Important

Dear Edison Residents:

Let's join together at the August 22 Council meeting to speak out and demand that this ugly racist flier is thoroughly investigated so as we do not have a repeat in the next election in November. 

Sadly, I got calls from people who asked if we were responsible for this since we supported the opposing candidates in 2017 for school board

I do not condone nor would we have any part in such a mean spirited personal attack on two candidates who have every right to run for school board.

At the July 23 meeting, Councilman Diehl mentioned that it was under investigation.  However nine (9) months later we do not have any answers.

We cannot allow this to be the new norm in our elections. We are better than that so please join me on August 22 at 7pm in the Council Chambers to ask the Council to pass a resolution requesting the  Attorney General, Gurbir Grewal to charge and prosecute the coward/s who sent out this flier.

We cannot and will not tolerate this ugliness in our elections.

Hope you are enjoying the Summer.

Sylvia

Just so You Know who to thank in Downtown Edison for another year of tax increases!

Well, now that Mayor Tom 'Now 17.1% but Won't Debate' ChoiLankey finally got his 2018 Muni-budget adopted (and no amendment from the 7 processing clerks, of course) with only 5 months left in the budget year, here's where you can see what will happen to Your 2018 Property taxes.

The 2018 Edison Property tax rate is $5.491 (per 100) which is up 11.5-cents or 2.1% over last year's $5.376.

• The school tax rate is $3.044 (per 100) which is up 6.6-cents or 2.2% over last year's $2.978. 

• The county tax rate (including the open space tax) is $0.92 (per 100) which is up 3.0-cents or 3.4% over last year's $0.89.

• The muni tax rate is $1.307 (per 100) which is up 1.9-cents or 1.5% over last year's $1.288.

           
                                     

Anyhoo, it is what it is here in the 'DemBadLands' of Downtown Edison and it will remain what it is until you change it.

Wow! Now I'm 'The Edison troll factory' - bet you didn't know that about me?!?

Well, this is what happens when you ask simple questions of Edison Board President Jerry 'Needs to Step-down' Shi about what's going on over there on Mythomania Lane.

You go from being a 'Disgusting human being' to 'You are the Edison troll factory. Lol'

Now, I recognize that he has a unique style of communicating with the public but it's just Not Nice to be name-calling.

Name-calling isn't a sign of strength in arguing any position taken but rather, a demonstration of weakness - and arguably, Mr. Shi seems to be about as weak a School Board President as we have ever had here in Downtown Edison.

Unfortunately, I don't engage in Name-calling so I don''t return the favor when it happens. All it does is make me want to pay closer attention to what goes on over there on Mythomania Lane and ask a lot more questions.

Anyhoo, I'm starting to think Mr. Shi doesn't like me! Oh..poor me.

Mayor Tom 'Now 17.1% but Won't Debate' ChoiLankey's $138m 2018 Muni-budget up for final adoption on Wednesday!

Just an Update on this post. Just heard that there will be No Council Amendment to Señor Lankey's $138 million Muni-budget for 2018. That now makes the Council 5 for 5 for adopting Señor Lankey's annual tax increases. That's 17.1% introduced by the Mayor over the last 5 Muni-budgets and 17.1% adopted by the Council. What a Shocker!

Well, see from tonight's Council work-session agenda that Señor Lankey's $138 million Muni-budget will be up for adoption on Wednesday. This budget takes the Muni tax rate up to $1.307 from last years $1.288, which is an increase 1-9-cents or 1.45%.

It has Appropriations up by some $4.2 million, Revenue (non tax levy) up by some 2.3 million and the Muni tax-levy up by some $1.9 million.

Ratables are up by some $47.9 million and when you factor in the benefit of that increase, you find that the $pending is up by 2.7%.

So, that's a summary of some of the tax related numbers in Señor Lankey's 2018 Muni-budget that you won't necessarily see in Señor Lankey 2018 Budget Presentation. Now don't get me wrong. I appreciate seeing how we compare to other towns but every town is different and unique - and I'm slightly more interested in a tad bit more detail in the town where we have to pay all these increases to our property taxes.

Maybe it's me but I can find Señor Lankey's Presentation of his 2018 Budget on the website but I can't seem to find the actual Muni-budget itself anywhere on the website as yet - but hey, it's only July.

If anybody knows where it is, please let me know - I'd like to see the details.

Be that as it may, here's what the 2018 Muni-budget looks like for you before the Council makes any amendments to it before adoption at Wednesday's Council meeting:


Anyhoo, guess the only thing left to see is if the Council makes it 5 for 5 in adopting Señor Lankey's tax increases.

Mayor Tom 'Now 17.1% but Won't Debate' ChoiLankey's 2018 Budget Presentation - Blah..blah

Well, just took a look at Señor Lankey's Budget Presentation for 2018. I mean it's only the middle of July and by this time he has more than half the years actual numbers - so really what you have here is a half year budget.

Just a reminder if you want to see what your property tax bill will be for 2018, just look at the June 12th posting in this blog, which was based on the 3rd Qtr. estimated tax bills they sent out. The only difference in this presentation is that they dropped a tenth of a cent from the Muni tax and added it to the School tax - but hey, bet they'll like that over there on Mythomania lane.

But I digress, so let's move on. I'll spare you by not repeating the tax rate numbers in the June 12th post.You can see them there if you want.

Really now, it's hard for someone like me to look at these presentations and not wonder what they were thinking.

You know, I don't have any problem when politicians place the facts in a light most favorable to themselves but geez, Señor Lankey Spins this presentation so much - he makes himself dizzy.

So, let me tell you where he lost me right off the bat. If you notice on the Schedule '2014-2018 Tax Levy Breakdown, he shows you the change from 2014 to 2018 and the Muni tax went up by only 8.38% - not bad for 4 years under Lankey. Not bad until you realize he left out 2014, his first year in office.

Seems if you take the change in the Muni rate from 2013 to 2018, then you'll see that Mayor Tom 'Now 17.1% but Won't Debate' ChoiLankey actually raised the Muni tax by 17.1% since he's been in office.

That's Not Nice!

But hey, here's his presentation - enjoy the blah..blah!



Anyhoo, I wouldn't expect the 7 Processing Clerks over there at 100 Oligarchy Blvd. to make any changes to Señor Lankey's 2018 budget. For the last 4 years, they adopted all of Lankey's tax increases each and every year.

Edison Board of Mythomania appoints new 'Interim Super'

Well, according to Jerry 'Needs to Step-down' Shi, there were 21 applicants for the interim super, 5 were interviewed and 2 were presented to the full board. The board selected Paul Saxton over Dr. Seitz with a board vote of 6 to 2 with one absent.

Shi, Brescher, Ward, Peng, Moroney & Prasad-Madhukar voted in the affirmative and Patel & Destefano voting No, preferring Dr. Seitz.

Best I could make of it, Mr. Saxton was both Super and Interim Super in the following places from 1980 to now (with apologies for misunderstanding the names of and spelling of these places):

• Demarest School District
• Ramapo
• Fort Lee
• Parsippany
• Oradell
• Hopatcong

Apparently, he'll serve from August 3, 2018 until June 30, 2019 on a per diem basis until a final contract is negotiated and approved by the full board.

No mention what that per diem will be other than it won't exceed the max allowed by law.

Here's the meeting and what was said about their pick:




Anyhoo, welcome Mr. Saxton. Top two priorities for the Board of Mythomania - first, having Jerry 'Needs to Step-down' Shi actually step-down as Board President for his ineffective and lack of transparent leadership with both the board and the public and second, getting serious with the Overcrowding.

Time to pick a new 'Interim Super' over there on Mythomania Lane

Well, it looks like the Board of Mythomania will be selecting a new 'Interim Super' at tomorrow night's meeting.

Here's their notice:

Let's hope that the process ends up including all board members and everyone has a chance to their say one way or the other.

Let's face it, under Jerry 'Needs to Step-down' Shi's leadership up until now, if you're a board member and you don't have a seat at the table - then you're on the menu.

Anyhoo, let's hope the final pick is a collective one and a good match for the challenges, complexities, issues and opportunities the school district offers.

Revised School State Aid Numbers for 2018-19

Well, just saw the revised school aid numbers on the DoE's website. The revisions are from the original Gov's budget message and the final budget approval.

Here's some summaries:

Middlesex County:

The Top 25 Increases in State Aid:

The Top 25 Decreases in State Aid:

Anyhoo, let's hope the Board of Mythomania doesn't hoard the extra $3.5 million and returns it to the taxpayers. After all, it's Not Nice to raise school taxes by 6.6-cents (2.2%) this year and then hoard the money that comes later, which is meant to offset it.

What to do..what to do with additional state school aid over there on Mythomania Lane?!?

Well, looks like with the recent passage of the NJ State Budget of $37.4 billion, there's going to be some more school aid. Specifically, the new state aid numbers for us here in Downtown Edison are estimated at $19,766.625, which is up $4.274,601 or 27.6% over last year's $15,492,024.

Now, since our school district budget of $250.7 million already included the Guv's preliminary budget increase in state aid of $774,601, that means there's an additional $3,500,000 in state aid coming our way. That takes our original school aid increase of $774,601 or 5% up to $4,274,601 or 27.6%.

Here's the estimates used subject to finalization for Middlesex County:

So, what's the Board of Mythomania, aka..Board of Cap Bank Munchers Extraordinaire, Board of Hoarders, Board of EDems, Board of Silence and, let's not forget, self-described Board of Dysfunctional gonna do with this additional state aide??

Hoard it and use it to increase the already Bloated Out-of-Control $pending they have every year? Whether you believe it or not, they don't have a Revenue problem with these $250 million school budgets, they have a $pending efficiency problem and giving them more money before they get control of the money they already have will just go down the black hole over there on Mythomania Lane.

Here's a thought - give it back to the taxpayers. Since they already increased our school taxes to $3.044 per 100 with this year's Bloated School Budget, which is up 6.6-Cents or 2.2% over last year's rate of $2.978 - shouldn't they just give it back to us? Isn't this state aid (even if received later) supposed to help reduce the burden on the local taxpayers by reducing the school tax rate? After all, we pay close to 90% of the school tab!

Not Nice to Raise School taxes and then Hoard the state aid money that comes later, which is meant to offset it. But hey, it's not like they haven't Hoarded this kind of additional aid before over there on Mythomania Lane.

Anyhoo, besides Jerry 'Needs to Step-down' Shi actually stepping down as Board President, using the additional state aid for its intended purpose has to be priority number two over there on Mythomania Lane.