Diatribes, harangues, heckling, and other infantile dyspeptic commentary on social justice, politics and life.
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Friday, May 16, 2008
IN MEMORY OF LARRY ANGEL
Atlantic City Peace March
Larry and Doofus
5/16/1941 - 5/08/2008
Goodbye Friend
Click here to leave Memorial Words and Wishes
7:20 PM
MONTHLY THIRD FRIDAY PEACE VIGIL POSTPONED UNTIL MAY 30 WILL HONOR LARRY ANGEL
Please join members of the Coalition for Peace and Justice and local area
peace activists for our monthly third Friday vigil is scheduled for Friday, May 30, in
Absecon. In addition to demonstrating our support for our soldiers and for
an end to the Iraq War, we will be lighting candles and honoring Larry
Angel's, our fellow peace and social justice activist memory Meet at
the intersection of Routes 9 (New Road) and 30 (White Horse Pike) across
from Burger King from 5:30-6:30 PM.
7:19 PM
THANK YOU TO WHOMEVER IS KEEPING LARRY'S GADFLY SITE GOING. WE SURE DO APPRECIATE IT.....
LOVE THE PICTURE YOU PUT ON - I never saw Larry and now I can see who he was.
He will not REST IN PEACE - he would not have wanted it that way.
We sure will miss him.
He thought he was the most "Hated person" in Mullica - too bad he did not know how much he was loved by many - - Even Strangers to him loved and respected him for what he did for everyone.
4:31 PM
Heaven will certainly be busy: With Larry now being having passed away who will take his place and try to "keep the PUBLIC informed' about the things that are kept from us. Is there another Larry out there?
3:23 PM
Larry, your spin is already missed by so many. Your death has proven the true ignorance of a handful in this town. Of course it's the same handful who were caught time and time again with their hands in the cookie jar and called out by you. A moment of silence at a meeting was too much for these cowards? Agreeing to disagree apparently isn't even in their thought processes. Neither is doing the right thing or common decency. Did I expect more from some? Yes, but as usual, most of the officials of Mullica never seem to let me down on that issue. It's the one thing I can count on with Mullica Township, classlessness and small mindedness from so many and they came through once again.
Happy Birthday my friend-may you rest in peace and peek in from time to time. What will become of the rest of us now without you keeping an eye on things?
7:17 AM
Larry, you did make some good points, and always with your dramatic and theatrical spin! I am sure you are raising hell from either up above or down below. I used to read your blog like it was the morning paper.
Larry, you have been in the morgue for a week. I have not seen any obituary, or any plan for your burial. I don't know of any paternity issues, like with Anna Nicole Smith. Is any foul play suspected with your death, as you are proclaimed as the "Most Hated Man in Mullica"? You posted on 5/3 (5 days before you died) about recently being interviewed by the police and prosecutor's office.
Will this blog stay open on a perpetual basis for public comments? (Of course, missing Larry's printed 2-cents).
A Gadfly Reader
7:14 AM
If you are "happy" that Larry is no longer with us, then you must truly
question yourself or the decisions you have made. I did not know Larry,
however I enjoyed readings his posts. I knew some of what he said was
written with bias, and he may have had an axe to grind with certain
individuals. I also knew that in those writings was truth. I
appreciated the entertainment and the banter that went back & forth, but
most of all I appreciated that someone took the time to keep our
elected officials in check. If you are "happy" that Larry is gone,
then what does that say about what you are doing as a public official or
how you honestly feel about the decisions you make. Good for you Larry,
you will be missed.
Rob
7:13 AM
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Damn Larry now who is going to take the reins and make sure the SCOFFLAW pays his fine without you he skates away free!!! You will be missed my friend rest in peace. Bob
1:16 PM
WHAT'S UP??? WHY WERE THERE OVER 4 COP CARS AT LARRY'S HOUSE YESTERDAY FOR A FEW HOURS.??? LOOKS LIKE THEY WERE HAVING A PARTY.
9:45 AM
Larry, thanks for years and years of fine entertainment.
7:22 AM
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
I heard through the grapevine they are "picking on Larry" even when he is not here to defend himself.
I am so sad there is no one out there to keep us out of towners up on the news of all those Mullica Township fools.
9:45 PM
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Larry, please check in from above, from time to time.
9:45 PM
Larry should have known how many of us respected him for what he did. The last two postings said it all.
Yes, some in Mullica may be rejoicing that his voice is gone but many of us are sorrowful.
I am thankful Larry left direction for someone to keep the postings going on his site and we can mourn him as we are.
10:04 AM
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
peace&love,
AnnieQ
10:03 AM
Monday, May 12, 2008
Larry, the pedantic, misanthropic s.o.b., Angel, you have taken part of our hearts with you.
You once said that you were proud to be the most hated man in Mullica. Did you realize that you were also the most loved? Whoever said "everyone can be replaced" never came into contact with you. The silence is deafening and frightening . Goodbye, my friend, we loved you. Our condolences to the people of Mullica, who have lost their champion for integrity, truth, ethics and common sense. May God bless and help you in the coming days. Please stand together in your grief. Louis and Jo Ann Vitale
5:38 PM
My Eulogy to Larry: I knew Larry professionally in my position as a union official. We had a mutual respect whether on the same side or opposing. In all my dealings there are not many whose intellect I consider formidable, Larry was one. After reading the posts on the press site I realized that Larry was more a product of Mullica Twp than Mullica of him as some attempted to claim. As I said on that site Larry held public officials accountable and they didn’t like it. That is just too bad for them. Having experienced Larry’s ire I can tell you that it was not easy, he could be pretty tough. However, I also realized that when I accept a position that puts me in the public eye, my salary paid by hard working union members, I should be held accountable. That is what Larry did. When Larry realized he made a mistake he admitted it. When I could convince him his argument was flawed he would adjust his position accordingly or drop it. I had some battles with Larry and they were sometimes nasty. I never looked forward to being on the other side. But he kept me honest, and sharpened my skills. I guess that being basically honest helps when you deal with Larry. If you were dishonest he would eat you alive.
I used to read this blog from time to time and always enjoyed his commentary on issues local and national. Whether or not I agreed did not matter. I found the intellectual content and honesty refreshing and often, amusing. His self deprecating manner and musings were also very interesting. Larry knew who he was. Whether or not I actually liked Larry is unimportant, the fact of the matter is he helped me become a better person, something we should all strive to do.
So long Larry!
Mike Conley
5:32 PM
Larry,
You were one of the most intelligent guys I knew. You were definitely for the people of Mullica. We are all going to miss having you on our side.
3:54 PM
Oh Larry, I wish this was a joke. I'll miss you. I loved how intelligent you were
and how you had no fear in questioning anything or anyone. You are an inspiration to me and I thank you for that. k
3:13 PM
Larry, what is Mullica going to do without you? I agree with the
previous poster, the bad guys are safe now. That makes me sad.
1:29 PM
Larry,
Your influence extended far beyond Mullica, you were a voice for many and although we could count on you to give us a good argument if we disagreed, you always remained a friend and that is how we will remember you.
Bettie J. Reina
1:08 PM
Doofie is comfy living in Philly, taking long walks with her buddy Katy, snacking on treats and having doggie dreams while she sleeps. I miss you very much good friend and wish we could have had more time together. You are one of a kind.
Love
Don
1:06 PM
The Pinelands lost a friend. . . you will be missed. Theresa Lettman, Pinelands Preservation Alliance
1:03 PM
You will be missed by those of us who have come to depend on you to keep Mullica honest. Now who will stop the Foreman and such peoples from doin whatever they want whenever they want?
9:05 AM
R. I P. LARRY, YOU DID A GREAT SERVICE TO MULLICA TOWNSHIP.
WHO WILL KEEP THEM ON THEIR TOES NOW???????
YOU WILL BE GREATLY MISSED,, A FRIEND FROM SWEETWATER,,,,STAN
4:23 AM
Larry,
You always showed a brave side & stood up for what you thought was right.I hope before you left us that you instilled that in other people.You did alot of good for mullica twsp & you were a nice person also.You will be sadly missed.....
4:21 AM
You will be missed by more people than you could have imagined.
Wish you could have seen Obama get inaugurated !!
Sharon Gray
4:19 AM
WHAT A SHOCK TO HEAR WE HAVE LOST OUR HOMETOWN CONTACT FOR THE GOSSIP.
All the bad guys in Mullica are safe now.
4:18 AM
Thursday, May 08, 2008
WHAT WOULD SCOOBY-DO
8:47 AM
Towns may tap sheriff for policing: By THOMAS BARLAS Staff Writer, The Press; Officials from six western Atlantic County municipalities will begin a process tonight that could result in the Atlantic County Sheriff's Office providing the areas with police coverage, something that's been discussed for more than a decade. Should that happen, the Sheriff's Office would take over duties currently performed by State Police and two local police departments. That possibility is one of several officials from Buena Vista Township, Weymouth Township, Estell Manor, Folsom, Mullica Township and Egg Harbor City will consider as part of a study to determine the best way to provide police protection for their municipalities. The study would be funded by a $20,000 grant from the state. It would come at a time when the state is giving municipalities patrolled by State Police the choice of paying for State Police coverage, forming their own police departments, or entering into contract agreements for police coverage with municipalities that have police departments. Those municipalities without police departments - including Buena Vista Township, Weymouth Township, Estell Manor and Folsom - contend all three alternatives could be too expensive for their small, cash-strapped governments to handle. Mullica Township and Egg Harbor City already share an emergency dispatch service and recently started talking about whether merging their police departments would be possible from economic and public safety standpoints. Atlantic County Sheriff James McGettigan said tonight's meeting, to be held at 7:30 p.m. at Estell Manor's municipal building, stemmed from the talks between Mullica Township and Egg Harbor City. McGettigan said his Sheriff's Office would likely wind up being involved in those talks, so it seemed practical to discuss whether the Sheriff's Office should become the patrol agency for the western end of the county. "Towns in the western end have fallen on bad times with their budgets and realize that finding new ways to have police coverage is more of a necessity than a luxury," he said. Two other western Atlantic County municipalities - Hammonton and Buena Borough - have police departments and aren't currently involved in the talks. The state budget presented in February by Gov. Jon S. Corzine cuts state aid to New Jersey's smaller municipalities. The governor favors larger municipalities as a way to improve fiscal efficiency. Smaller municipalities said that, with having to pay for police protection, they're facing dire financial situations. McGettigan said the study would review the economic feasibility of having the Sheriff's Office patrol the western municipalities, along with a fair funding formula. "It wouldn't be fair to tax Ventnor, Margate and Longport for patrol services on the western side of the county," McGettigan said. Other issues to be studied would include the number of officers needed for patrol duties, types of vehicles and internal changes in the Sheriff's Office, he said. That latter would include things such as upgraded training for emergency dispatchers, he said. The Sheriff's Office has about 130 employees, including civilian workers. There's been discussion for years about the Sheriff's Office patrolling the western end of the county, a duty it has never before handled. McGettigan said sheriff's officers currently do some patrol work throughout Atlantic County in connection with motor vehicle regulations. They've issued about 500 tickets this year, he said. Otherwise, McGettigan said his sheriff's officers undergo the same training as members of local police departments. "We are a legitimate police organization," he said.
RESPONSE: Now here is an idea that is worth exploring. Consider, if Mullica were disband its costly police department and offer the Sheriff's Office say $1 million to provide those services to Mullica the savings for Mullica taxpayers would literally be hundreds of thousands of dollars.
8:43 AM
SPRING IS WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE WHISTLING EVEN WITH A SHOE FULL OF SLUSH (Doug Larson)
7:21 AM
MULCHING ON TO SPRING IN MULLICA
Mullica had contracted with Mazza Harvesting Inc of Hammonton to do its annual stump grinding of all foliage, branches and stumps that had been brought out to the Mullica Transfer Station the past year. This to provide free mulch for area residents. That process was bid out and the low bid for the job was a just over $10,000 ... the grinding occurred this week. The stump grinder is pictured below...
...and one of the rows of mulch -- below. Questions should arise as to whether commercial users will be allowed to remove an unlimited amount of mulch this year as occurred last year...leaving households at the end of the season with no mulch available for free.
7:06 AM
YOU BLUFFED ME! I DON'T LIKE IT WHEN PEOPLE BLUFF ME. IT MAKES ME QUESTION MY PERCEPTION OF REALITY (Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, Northern Exposure)
7:04 AM
Subject: Recount Deadlock: How sad-Mr. Carl wasting $8,000.00 worth of taxpayer's hard earned money with "No way. I'm not robbing the people of Mullica that have asked for this re-election." Doesn't he see it? He is robbing the people of Mullica. This past school board election had about 600 voters, much higher turnout than usual. A Special Election, held in the summer, when most are vacationing, busy with family life will bring out maybe, if lucky, 300 voters. Spending $8,000.00 on an election so maybe a handful of residents can come out and vote? The votes were tied between Ms. Hunt and Mr. Carl-let the School Board decide the one vote. It seems apparent to me that Mr. Carl's pride and apparently his Republican guru's won't allow him to think for himself on this. Do I really want someone on the Board of Education who will carelessly throw away $8,000.00 on a special election fueled by vindictiveness, politics and ego? I say, let them both withdraw and both not apply for the board and let Mr. Hahn (who was behind them by one vote) apply for the position. Let the drama end here and now.
RESPONSE: The 'robbing' that would be going on should the School spend $8,000 for a Special Election would be from the education of Mullica students. Let me appeal to Mr. Carl to call Ms. Hunt's bluff and embrace your suggestion -- that they both withdraw and agree not to apply to the Board to fill the then vacant seat ... that would let Rich Hahn, who happens to be a Republican, who many perceive as being supported by the MTEA ... to most likely fill the vacancy on the Mullica School Board.
6:57 AM
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS TO BE FOREVER CURIOUSLY TESTING NEW OPINIONS AND COURTING NEW IMPRESSIONS (Walter Pater)
6:54 AM
Subject: Standardized Testing in Schools: Mr. Rizzo, thank you for sharing the news about the courageous teacher in Washington. He seems to exemplify the very qualities that are in such demand in our public schools. Unfortunately, I am sure the school administrators will do the illogical and attempt to punish and/or rid this very principled educator from their school system. My wife is a school teacher as well. She frequently mentions with disdain about how our public schools are beholden to the almighty standardized test result. As much as Mullica will insist that they don't teach to the tests, its simply not true. Kind of like the notion that the MTEA does not endorse school board candidates. Unfortunately, politicians and beltway bureaucrats always think that they know best - in this case, its education. As Mr. Chew points out, nobody is asking the teachers what they feel is the best way to educate students. The teachers are on the front line. Th ey feel the pressure as educators from their administration, the kids are stressed by the teachers and the whole damn test is biased and meaningless as it does not speak to the well-rounded students that we should be striving to produce. I was also not surprised to read that $56 Million is spent on a private firm (surely politically connected) to grade these meaningless tests. Why does it seem like we can't get the most basic things right? As a previous submission noted, Common Sense is dead and gone! P.S. Larry - I am not so sure who all these people are that you say want to see standardized test results. I don't think its the parents - the most effected taxpayers. I, for one, would rather see all of this wasted test time exploring alternative methods of learning. The most effective learning is done when a child is having fun. Gre at teachers make learning fun and exciting. That's what schools need - dynamic, fun, enthusiastic educators. Signed, Your Pal
RESPONSE: Frankly, I am baffled by this upset at 'teaching to the test.' The problem is? Let's see ... on the math test students are expected to learn how to understand percentages, or fractions and then are tested to see if they know what two thirds of sixty is. That some how is unreasonable? Or expectations regarding vocabulary or reading comprehension in terms of testing is some how unreasonable?
Testing would seem to be a legitimate means for assessment for the benefit of students in terms of how effective the teacher is doing their job. Let's say that a teacher in grade X repeatedly shows a high fail rate for their students in Math. The same group of students each year moves up to grade Z and now the same sample of students are testing at a very small fail percentage. Doesn't that provide an assessment of the fact that a teacher is not performing very well. Of course, the teacher's Union would prefer that information not be known as their goal is that poor teachers are protected from their failure to perform so that they will continue to pay dues into the Union.
Teachers who are good teachers and inspire their students to learn to read and understand math one might think would have little to complain about regarding 'standardized testing.' Those on the other hand who are just teaching because they can't make it the real world...and know they are protected with tenure from being fired, might be less than enamored with 'standardized testing' of their students as that would reveal how poor a job they are doing as teachers. Isn't this at bottom what all the moaning from the teacher's Union is really about?
6:42 AM
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
SICK I AM OF IDLE WORDS, PAST ALL RECONCILING,
WORD ES THAT WEARY AND PERPLEX AND PANDER AND CONCEAL,
WAKE THE SOUNDS THAT CANNOT LIE, FOR ALL THEIR SWEET BEGUILING;
THE LANGUAGE ONE NEED FATHOM NOT, BUT ONLY HEAR AND FEEL (George Du Maurier)
9:04 PM
Subject: Pandering: Hillary Clinton has joined John McCain in proposing the most irresponsible policy idea of the year: suspending the federal gas tax this summer. Both of them know it's a terrible pander, and yet they're pushing it anyway for crass political advantage. The goal is to depict Barack Obama as an out-or-touch elitist, by any means necessary. I could highlight a long debate among economists on suspending the gas tax, but there is no debate. Not one respectable economist supports the idea, unless they are official members of the Clinton or McCain campaigns. For relief at the pump, try tax credits--but not this. Why is the gas pander so bad? Let's count the ways: * It's a direct transfer of money from motorists to oil companies. If the federal excise tax were lifted, oil companies would simply raise prices and pocket most of the difference. Clinton's proposal to recover the $8.5 million with a windfall profits tax on oil companies sounds nice but won't happen. Besides, she already committed that money to developing renewable energy. * It offers taxpayers only peanuts. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials says the average savings to motorists would be $30. That measly number was somehow not included in Clinton's explanation of her support. * It sends more hard earned money to the Middle East, which is terrible for our national security. Remember, 15 of the 19 terrorists on 9/11 came from Saudi Arabia. How did they get the terrorist training? Oil money. * It makes it more likely you'll have a car accident or waste even more time in traffic. The proceeds from the gas tax go for highway construction and upgrades. Because the tax was last raised 15 years ago, our infrastructure is a mess, with potholes and dangerous crossings practically everywhere. Thousands of repair project will be further delayed. * It will cost 300,000 construction jobs, according to Transportation. Which makes it kind of ironic when Clinton starts her rallies saying she wants "jobs, jobs, jobs."
RESPONSE: So we see that only Obama has the courage to tell us the TRUTH!!!
10:24 AM
THE MOST HAPPY MARRIAGE I CAN IMAGINE TO MYSELF WOULD BE THE UNION OF A DEAF MAN TO A BLIND WOMAN (Samuel Taylor Coleridge)
6:04 AM
Subject: Timely with teacher negotiations in the fall: Use the power we have to fight the teachers union; I was fascinated that the president of the Pennsylvania teachers union submitted a Guest Opinion in our very own Bucks County Courier Times. He must be concerned that we're starting to get it. I wonder if he regrets using the Pennsbury School District as a test-model for throwing tantrums over contributing to health care costs. James Testerman says he's proud of the work they do for the children and communities he serves. I guess that includes holding children hostage by throwing them out of school to blackmail taxpayers. Once the strike was over, war was literally declared on us. But I'm OK with war. Sometimes it's necessary to stand up to bullies. That's what good people do. Testerman brags about teachers being our Little League coaches, Sunday school teachers, choir directors, Scout leaders, Lions and Rotary members and other volunteers. How heartwarming. I think I need a tissue. Testerman complains to us little taxpayers that it's low state funding and not high teacher pay that's driving local taxes. He left out the teacher benefits we pay for that many of us can't afford for ourselves. There's more than enough money to do whatever we wish, but the overwhelming inefficiency and underperformance, as perpetuated by his organization is, well, overwhelming. About 80 percent our property taxes goes to salary and benefits in case anyone didn't know. I learned a lot about the teachers union from our strike two years ago and its intoxicating power. Maybe I'm too idealistic, but I strongly believe that the largest and most powerful special interest group is us. We just need to start acting like it. Cory Steiner, Lower Makefield (Submitted by Mary Hunt)
5:57 AM
SCIENCE CAN ONLY ASCERTAIN WHAT IS, BUT NOT WHAT SHOULD BE, AND OUTSIDE OF ITS DOMAIN VALUE JUDGEMENTS OF ALL KINDS REMAIN NECESSARY (Albert Einstein)
5:55 AM
MULLICA TWP PRIMARY 2006-07 SCHOOL REPORT CARD -- SCIENCE: (NJASK4) ... NO BENCHMARK
With this years testing going on right now...GadFly posts last years test results. GadFly will be posting the test scores for Reading, Math and Science as broken down into various categories as per the No Child Left Behind Law. WOW!!! These are indeed impressive scores...sort of makes that 'gem' verbiage seem appropriate...at least for the fourth grade teachers, Shirley Blankenship, Deanna Walker and Christy Rivera.
Group............# students.........% Advanced....% Passed.....% Fail
Total students.......57.................58.9%...........39.3%.............1.8%..
Gen. Ed.................52...............59.6%............39.3%............1.9%..
Special Ed..............5................50.0%............50.0%.............0%..
Limited English.......0....................0%..................0%..............0
Migrant....................1....................0%...............100%................0%
Economically
Disadvantaged.......15...................35.7%............78.6%.............7.1%
White.................36...................77.1%............22.9%.................0%..
Black..................3....................33.3%...........66.7%...................0%
Asian..................1......................100%...........0%.......................0%
Hispanic..............16...................25.0%...........68.8%...............6.3%..
Pacific Islander........1....................0%.............100%...............0%
Other...................0.......................0%.............0%..................0%
5:52 AM
ANOTHER AMERICAN FOR A WORK FREE DRUG PLACE
5:50 AM
Subject: Re: Why This Merge: To the letter writer of "Why This Merge?": Are you serious when you say that folks are breaking the law to survive due to a lack of jobs? Do you really think the vast amount of law breakers are doing so to feed their families? Perhaps a few, but I would suggest that the majority of the law breakers are more than likely breaking the law to feed their habits. Like drugs. Drug addition, I would posit, is the cause of the high crime rates that we see in our society. I feel strongly that our public school system incorporate into their curriculums a scared straight program for children - at young ages - in order to educate and scare the hell out of them regarding the dangers of drugs. Unfortunately, and once again, leaving this responsibility to the parents of these same children has proven to be ineffective and fruitless. Children need to see the effects of drug use....like a trip to the morgue, autopsy photo's, a scientific description of the effects and damage caused by drugs as well as first hand descriptions by drug addicts as to the damage created in their lives in order to effectively educate our children about the dangers of drugs. Our government was never seriously interested in stopping the drug flow into this country. There is simply too much money to be made by folks at the highest levels of our government. You can't convince me that we as a nation could not effectively eliminate the illegal drugs in this country if our government made a concerted effort to do so. We put a man on the moon almost 40 years ago, but we can't stop the illegal drug trade in this country? Huh? If we could eliminate drugs, our society would flourish in so many ways. Lives would be saved, test scores would rise, many families would be kept together, greater contributions could be made to our society and Larry would have even more energy to expose the RepubliCON.
RESPONSE: Ahhhhh, yes the wonderful capitalistic market at work here...it is all about profit. Prohibition is no more going to work with drugs like marijuana and cocaine then it did with alcohol. Other countries have legalized drugs as a more successful way of managing and controlling the problems that evolve from those who are more than recreational users. 'REEFER MADNESS' propaganda would not seem to be the best way to address the problems of low test scores.
Sorry, we are never going to 'eliminate drugs' anymore than we could eliminate alcohol. Hey let's be pragmatic, legalize it and place a very large 'flat tax' on recreational drugs. It would raise enough tax dollars to address so many of the problems we face today and our excessively large and expensive prison system would be cut in half.
5:38 AM
TO PREDICT THE BEHAVIOR OF ORDINARY PEOPLE IN ADVANCE, YOU ONLY HAVE TO ASSUME THAT THEY WILL ALWAYS TRY TO ESCAPE A DISAGREEABLE SITUATION WITH THE SMALLEST POSSIBLE EXPENDITURE OF INTELLIGENCE (Friedrich Nietzsche)
5:33 AM
UPCOMING MULLICA MEETINGS & DATES OF INTEREST
May 7, Wednesday, at 7:30 P.M. - Planning Board Meeting at Town Hall
May 10, Taxes due. With the ten-day grace period falling on a Saturday, you will have until the 12th to pay without penalty.
May 12, Monday, at 7 P.M. - at school library
May 13, Tuesday at 7:00 P.M. - Township Committee Meeting at Town Hall
May 13, Tuesday - Last day to register to vote in June Primary.
June 3, Tuesday - Primary Election.
5:29 AM
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
CLEVERLY DISGUISED AS A RESPONSIBLE ADULT
4:38 PM
Subject: TIMELINE (From The Press) * April 15: Count of normal ballots shows Thomas Carl up by two over Richard Hahn and three over Mary Hunt. Absentee ballots are counted after press time. * April 16: Board releases sheet of unofficial results that shows Hunt up by one over both Carl and Hahn after absentees were counted. * April 18: County Board of Elections says a number was mistyped on results sheet, shorting Carl one absentee vote. He and Hunt are tied. * April 21: Hunt speaks with Carl and proposes a coin flip decide the race; Carl declines. School board, at its first meeting since the election, postpones vote on presidency, a job Hunt had held. Siros Malaspina is voted vice president and de facto temporary president. * April 29: Superior Court Judge Valerie Armstrong approves the candidates; joint request for a recount. She schedules it for Monday. * Monday: Recount shows Carl and Hunt still tied. Hunt proposes both withdraw and apply to board for appointment; Carl declines.
4:34 PM
WHAT IS MADNESS? TO HAVE ERRONEOUS PERCEPTIONS AND TO REASON CORRECTLY FROM THEM (Voltaire)
4:32 PM
Subject: A Rebuttal to the Rebuttal re: "Re: Paying a fair share": Dear LAT, If government is to pay all of its bills, it must spend less of its money needlessly. In conjunction with that, a flat tax on income would greatly simplify our tax laws, level the playing field for ALL wage earners (especially lower wage earners), allow for the reduction of the IRS (a good example of smaller government) and result in the establishment of a much more fair tax system than the one we are currently utilizing. What that percentage of tax would be is irrelevant for this discussion. However, fiscal responsibility and the implementation of a flat tax, to me, are two separate and distinct things. The mechanism to collect the money (flat tax) is one thing. The expenditure of that money is quite another. The fact is that the same percentage of tax would be levied on all wage earners. Let me attempt to articulate a real life example of my experience. Growing up, my father would discourage my mother from working because if she earned just a small amount of money, it would push them into the next highest tax bracket. My father did the math for my mother and she understood that she would not only be working for nothing, but the family would actually earn less because of the increased percentage of taxes that we would now be subjected to because of our wonderful progressive/graduated tax system. My mother did not work because of our current tax system and its overall impact on our families income. Not only did this serve to keep my family "down" (contained within a given tax bracket), it also had other, non-financial effects on my family as well. My mother would have derived pleasure by contributing to the household in a financial manner. My mother would have benefited from the overall interaction with others in a work environment. Working would have helped my mother make new friends and expand her horizo n s. My mother was denied all of this as a result of our "progressive" tax system. Could my mother have done other things to achieve these same benefits in her life? Of course. However, I know for a fact that she was prohibited from doing so as a result of our progressive tax system. You may want to run this scenario by your Stockton professor friends. And trust me, we were not jumping to the highest tax bracket, no, we would have been jumping to the middle tax bracket from the lowest tax bracket. I have to believe that this scenario is being played out all across America in all of the low class, lower-middle class and middle class neighborhoods throughout this country. Now, if folks aren't too good at math, they are getting slammed. If, like my father, folks are pretty good with math, they realize that they need to not exceed an income threshold so as to not exceed such limits and place themselves in a higher tax bracket. That being the case, please posit to me how it is that are current "progressive"/graduated income tax system does not penalize low income earners in this country? This, to me, is a form of institutional discrimination and an attack on the lowest wage earners in this country. I never hear anyone discuss this and even Larry has failed to acknowledge some of these negative effects that our current system has on low income workers as I have articulated this point previously in this forum. In regards to who supports the notion of a flat tax, as Larry has said before, and I am paraphrasing here, it doesn't matter who comes up with an idea or who may support it, but rather the end result/effect/benefits and the idea should be examined and analyzed thoroughly and evaluated on its own merit. Just because Walmart supports the notion of a flat tax, does this mean that you are automatically aga inst it? Why as a nation have we stopped thinking for ourselves? Why are you listening to Stockton professors who teach hard sciences? Perhaps if they were good professors science would be easier. As I have stated previously, I am against smaller government if it means eliminating regulatory agencies. And why should folks have to pay an inheritance tax on money that was already taxed? This is not fair and your notion of using this money to fund Social Security is also not fair. In addition, this notion of a redistribution of wealth as you propose, I would argue is un-American. You posit a redistribution of wealth based on merit not aristocracy of wealth....how exactly do you do this? What merit, how much, to whom and why? From where did you get this notion? Please don't tell me another Stockton professor - let me guess, does he teach philosophy?. America is a pseudo- capitalistic country where everyone has an opportunity to acquire wealth. And your notion that people who have acquired wealth have not worked hard for it is an ignorant statement. Tell Oprah or Bill Gates that they didn't work hard. Capitalism is about opportunity, creating opportunity, its about creativity, ingenuity and innovation. For those that possess these qualities, work hard and are smart, wealth acquisition typically follows. The benefit to the less opportunistic individuals of our society are jobs that are created by this capitalistic society. Where our government has failed us is the fact that they have allowed our capitalistic society to go global without any safeguards in place to protect the American workers. Capitalism is capitalism and capitalism without any regulations demands the cheapest labor, cheapest parts and lowest taxes - all of which translates into higher profits. And isn't that what capitalism is all about? Don't blame businesses completely, blame our government for not protecting American workers. I would be remiss not to state that the blatant bigotry towards the wealthy on display by your postings and Larry's subsequent responses are misguided and wrong - as all forms of bigotry are regardless of the classification or categorization. I would ask that you both reflect upon your postings, review your words and honestly ask yourselves, "Why do I hate wealthy people that I don't even know?" Sign Me, Working Class Superhero.
RESPONSE: Let me speak to the point I have repeatedly ignored...not intentionally...it just seemed the answer was so obvious to my prejudices against the rich...there is no PERFECT system ... everyone gets treated fairly only in theory ... the reality is somehow the rules seem to penalize a few in an unfair way ... LIFE IS UNFAIR at times. I would argue that tinkering with the tax system that makes those at the bottom end of the economic ladder better off, or provides them with better opportunity to succeed is worth exploring. The facts, as I see them simply don't support your position that a flat tax would make anyone other than the rich better off. You consistently ignore the 'Equality of Opportunity" promise of America and the fact that wealth equates with power and that power seeks to sustain its favored position.
By the way the past seven plus years have been a perfect example of what happens when those who have garnered great wealth through the capitalistic system attempt to sustain their advantaged position...as they inevitably do. The notion that the extreme wealth created for most over those years has been garnered by ingenuity and hard work is hard to swallow for me...but then I am not drinking the McCain/Bush Kool Ade. What was it Hillary Clinton said after tax returns were released showing her and Bill having earned $109 million. "I have absolutely nothing against rich people." And this was earned by what kind of hard work and ingenuity and invention that made America better? HUH?
Your embrace of this notion that the rich are magnanimous and their wealth for the most part has been garnered through hard work and inspiration seems strangely based on the romantic notions propagandized by Republicans. Again I encourage you to view the movie. 'Enron, The Smartest Guys in the Room'. When GM killed the electric car the EV1 because of pressure from oil magnates back in the 70s that was because aspects of capitalism are about maximising profits and the public welfare be dammed. The Energy Bill passed seven years ago by the Bush/Cheney axis of evil was against the greater public good and for the rich oil companies who wanted ever greater profits...not merely a fair return on their hard work but an unfair return. The bills pushed by capitalistic corporate America gave us bills that allowed for greater pollution of our air and waters because the capitalistic market wanted ever greater profits and the rest of us be damned.
The sub-prime mortgage scam was because the rich wanted to take advantage of middle class investors and workers who wanted to own a home they could not realistically afford...do you remember the Savings and Loan scandal, the black outs in California from manipulated shut-downs of the electric grid in the name of greater profits. Today's escalation in gas, oil and energy costs, in food costs...are not the result of supply problems...they are the result of a manipulated speculation for the profit of the rich. This is what the hard working rich more often than not are seeking...ways to make more money any way they can...and over and over again...history shows it is done more often than not...by cutting corners and manipulative scams.
You seem to ignore over and over again the point that I have made...of a social contract of fairness that the rich have broken over and over again...and yes, every now and then the system does a 'perp walk' of one in a thousand rich folks who got caught...but thousands of others are living large with scammed profits...from Enron, sub-prime scams, World.com, and we could go on and on here. You continue to ignore the basic human quality of selfish greed as though it was some kind of rare aberration that only effects a few of us. But feel free to vote for McBush and give us four more years of an embrace of unregulated capitalism and the benefits we see today at the gas pump and at the grocery store.
What we have seen over the last seven plus years is the rich buying favors from a Republican administration as they loot the treasury and run up massive deficits for our children all by using their ingenuity and hard work in buying our leaders while telling us as they have...think the oil executives recently, or the cigarette manufactures a decade ago...that they deserve their profits and their products don't cause cancer. The oil companies killed the innovative EV1 for greater profits, the oil companies closed down oil refineries with the strategy of being able to claim they could not make more gas and heating oil because of limited refining capacity...all as a scam to increase their wealth. You and your rich Republican friends can talk about class welfare and redistribution of wealth all you want as you sip their Kool-Ade...some of us just can't be fooled so easily.
1:50 PM
PANIC NOW -- AVOID THE RUSH
1:49 PM
MULLICA APPEALS OF PROPERTY TAX LEVIES LOW
According to an artilce in the May 5th Press, the number of property tax assessment appeals filed by residents of Mullica this year see less than one percent of Mullica residents appealing their property assessment. The cost of such an appeal range from $5 to $150 as a proportion of the property value. The Press article notes that there seems to be an unusually high number of appeals this year. Noted is the fact that often after a town has been reassessed the number of appeals jumps dramatically. According to the Press article a reassessment as has happened in Absecon this year can mean that some property owners see the assessed value of their property triple or even increase by as much as five times its present assessed market value.
Mullica's present ratio of assessed property value to actual market value shows assessments to be less than fifty percent of market value. It would seem clear that a costly forced revale in Mullica is likely within the next few years. The Press article lists half a dozen other Atlantic County towns as likely to have reassessments as soon as next year (Buena Vista, Egg Harbor Township, Folsom, Galloway, Hamilton, Nothrfield, Pleasantville). A reassessment in Mullica is likely to have the most effect on older rather than newly built homes. A reassessment is likely to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and should be postponed as long as possible.
7:09 AM
JUSTICE DELAYED IS DEMOCRACY DENIED (Robert F. Kennedy)
7:00 AM
A Huge Black Splotch: Having just watched the better part of the "John Adams" series on HBO, and having a basic knowledge of the Constitution, it seems to me unlikely that our founding fathers would have stood behind the Bush administration's assumption that offshore detentions at Guantanamo can be justified without sufficient evidence to bring charges. At some point, our detention policies will become too much for the American public and judiciary to stomach. We now see individuals, some taken in their teens, who have spent five years in prison without a trial. When that becomes a decade, it will be a glaring affront to our basic sense of justice. These indefinite detentions without prosecution will end up in the history books alongside the Chinese Exclusion Act, the internment of Japanese Americans and the McCarthy era -- huge black splotches on our record for upholding individual liberties. The moral questions the next President will face also must be posed. In the prosecution and sentencing of detainees, will the courts take into account the years these men have already served without charge, in harsh and inhuman conditions? As for the detainees released, will the United States simply send them to their home countries, where they could be at risk of torture or ill treatment? Will anyone be held accountable for gross violations of domestic and international law? It is no surprise that damage control of this magnitude will be no easy task. How the United States closes Guantanamo is just as -- if not more -- important than how it was operated. But the buck needs to stop somewhere. The next president has no other option than to shutter the detention facility and handle detainees with humanity and due process. LAT
6:53 AM
CALAMITIES ARE OF TWO KINDS: MISFORTUNES TO OURSELVES, AND GOOD FORUTUNE TO OTHERS (Ambrose Bierce)
6:48 AM
Subject: Recount confirms deadlock in Mullica school election; special vote likely July 22: by Eric Scott Campbell, The Press; After a recount Monday morning, the protracted race for the final school board seat remained knotted at 233 votes each for Thomas Carl and Mary Hunt. A special election is tentatively scheduled for 5 to 9 p.m. July 22 at the Elwood section school. Mullica Superintendent Richard Goldberg said it couldn't legally be scheduled until several weeks after the June 3 municipal primary. The district expects the election to cost $7,500 to $8,000 against the 2007-08 budget of $9.9 million. Hunt pitched another idea to save that cost, two weeks after she proposed flipping a coin - Carl declined - to resolve the race. Hunt's idea: Both candidates could agree to withdraw from the race and apply to the school board for appointment. "I would still like to do this without going through a full campaign," Hunt told the Press. "Whoever's interested in being considered can apply to the board. Normally, when there's an opening on the board, that's what happens." In a separate telephone conversation with The Press, Carl responded: "No way. I'm not robbing the people of Mullica that have asked for this re-election." The challenger said he was ready to get his message out anew. "I'm waiting to hear what's going to take place and what the rules are," Carl said. Hunt said she'd be prepared to campaign, "when I need to. ... I just hate to see taxpayer money wasted." The dual withdrawal may not have been an option, though. School board attorney William Cappuccio said of the current situation, "My understanding is that a special election must be held, or the county superintendent of education (Dan Loggi) appoints someone." Current member Lisa Martinez joined the board through appointment in 2006, but after a sitting member resigned. The field of voters in the special election could be different than it was April 15. Residents who haven't registered to vote can do so through July 1 if they wish to be eligible to vote in the runoff. Asked whether recruiting new registrations was a consideration, Carl replied, "It's a consideration now." Hunt said prodding more existing voters to turn out is a bigger concern. She believes teachers and parents are the most-recruited voters because they traditionally vote in favor of school budgets, and teachers apparently aren't behind Hunt. "We have negotiations coming up in the fall, and they would rather I was not on the board," Hunt said. The recount showed a single absentee ballot from Rochester, N.Y., was rejected because it arrived after the election. Hunt believes it is her daughter's ballot, and attorney Rob Herman said he would be "weighing out our options" in looking into the handling of the ballot. "They can contest it if they want to, but they have no reasonable basis," said Allen Littlefield, Carl's attorney. The school board's next meeting is Monday. Counting last month's meeting, the board stands to operate short-handed for one third of the year before getting its ninth member. It's unclear when the postponed vote for board president will take place, but until then, vice president Spiros Malaspina will chair the board. Goldberg, who has seen two other school board elections end in stalemates in his Mullica career, said he didn't believe carrying an even number of members for four months would affect board business. "There's pretty good consensus on the board," Goldberg said. "You don't expect ties." Indeed.
6:43 AM
FICTION IS OBLIGED TO STICK TO POSSIBILITIES. TRUTH ISN'T (Mark Twain)
6:41 AM
Subject: Mullica School Board Election Update: We had the recount today and it is still tied. The irony is, however, that there is one uncounted absentee ballot from my daughter that missed arriving on the deadline. If it had come in on time, I would have won by one. Life is simply like that. I have reached out to Tom Carl to have both of us withdraw and than have the board pick either one of us, or anyone else who may apply, to serve temporarily until the next scheduled election next year but Tom said that no, he wanted to go for it so it will be decided in a special run off election. It is anticipated for June or July. I continue to regret that we will have to use some estimated $8,000 out of the school budget for this unnecessary expense. Most of us know that this is about the teacher’s union wanting to weaken the board and to get me off so that they can try to get the concessions that they want. While most of us would agree that teachers deserve to make a decent living, like we all want for ourselves, the question becomes when is it enough and is it ever enough? When teachers dictate how much they get paid and under what conditions how can that be good for the kids or the community? At what point will the people of Mullica realize that giving the teachers what they want will result in larger class sizes and the loss of extra curricular activities because the salaries and benefits are swallowing everything else in the budget? In this case we have the Republican Club helping the teachers get what they want and using the school board as a stepping stone for regaining pro-development control on Township Committee. We have a school board that has worked well together, without bringing politics in for as long as I have been on the board. Now we are now faced with Tom Carl, Vice President of the Republican Club, angry, ambitious, pro-development, wanting to push his weight around and willing to give the union what it wants to curry favor. We need to stop him and we will with your help. I need to get the word out of what is going on and to get people to care enough to help spread the word throughout the community. If you can forward this to those on your email list, help by putting up my signs, help to distribute literature, go door to door or help with a fund raiser, could you please let me know? Thanks. Mary Hunt
RESPONSE: It is a shame that spending around $8,000 for a Special Election from the budget for the education of Mullica students will apparently now occur...and that some other way around this impasse could not be found. The initial suggestion to flip a coin seemed the fairest and most reasonable. The latest offer by Ms. Hunt to let the Board decide ... was understandably rejected by Mr. Carl. It would seem most likely that Hunt would have the votes on the Board to prevail ... especially after the accusatory outburst of Mr. Carl at the last Board Meeting. One might still hope that reasonable people could find a way around this expensive and wasteful expenditure of our scarce tax dollars.
6:24 AM
FOR THE WORLD WAS CHANGING, AND SWEETNESS WAS GONE, AND VIRTUE TOO. WORRY HAD CREPT ON A CORRODING WORLD, AND WHAT WAS LOST -- GOOD MANNERS, EASE AND BEAUTY? LADIES WERE NOT LADIES ANYMORE, AND YOU COULDN'T TRUST A GENTLEMAN'S WORD... OH, STRAWBERRIES DON'T TASTE AS THEY USED TO AND THE THIGHS OF WOMEN HAVE LOST THEIR CLUTCH (John Steinbeck)
6:18 AM
Subject: To The Littering Ladies of 6th Avenue: To the writer of "Re: Littering v. The First Amendment": How would you know if Mary Hunt's campaign literature was elitist if you did not read it as you claim? So, I have to assume that you read her campaign literature and were put off by her - what? Extensive experience and educational background? It is sad that you classify her and her credentials as elitist. So I guess anyone who has more than a high school GED is an elitist? Your own insecurities as a result of your lack of educational achievement is one in which would better be addressed by pursuing some sort of academic career as opposed to you throwing the word elitist around in describing Ms. Hunt. Ms. Hunt has served on a volunteer basis for a long time on the school board, sharing her knowledge and expertise. Her contributions to the community are significant indeed as are your contributions to the classroom when you send in cupcakes with your child not to mention the hours you spent picking up all of the litter on 6th Ave. As far as using the word "wisely" and "Mayor Kennedy" in the same sentence, you continue to exemplify your inability to grasp reality and the issues at hand. And by the way, how many Mary Hunt flyers does it take to clog up a storm drain? While selective enforcement of all kinds needs to stop, I would also lobby for electric shock treatment for those submitters to Gadfly who lack any sort of common sense. P.S. Sixth Avenue has never looked more litter free - keep up the great work!!!!!!!
6:14 AM
Monday, May 05, 2008
MAYONNAISE, n. ONE OF HE SAUCES WHICH SERVE THE FRENCH IN PLACE OF A STATE RELIGION (Ambrose Bierce)
7:12 PM
Subject: mayonnaise: Most people don't know that back in 1912, Hellmann's mayonnaise was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York. This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico. But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York. The ship hit an iceberg and sank, and the cargo was forever lost. The people of Mexico, who were crazy about mayonnaise, and were eagerly awaiting its delivery, were disconsolate at the loss. Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning, which they still observe to this day. The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th and is known, of course, as Sinko De Mayo. WHAT??? You expected something educational from me?
7:10 PM
DISCONTENT COMES IN PROPORTION TO KNOWLEDGE (Will Rogers)
2:32 PM
MULLICA TWP PRIMARY 2006-07 SCHOOL REPORT CARD -- MATH: (NJASK4) ... BENCHMARK 62% PASSING
With this years testing going on right now...GadFly posts last years test results. GadFly will be posting the test scores for Reading, Math and Science as broken down into various categories as per the No Child Left Behind Law. Note the low State standard here...that just about a third of 4th graders can fail the reading and writing test and the school is judged to be doing an acceptable job. HUH? WOW!!! These are indeed impressive scores...sort of makes that 'gem' verbiage seem appropriate...at least for the fourth grade teachers, Shirley Blankenship, Deanna Walker and Christy Rivera.
Group............# students.........% Advanced....% Passed.....% Fail
Total students.......57.................41.1%...........53.6%.............9.5%..
Gen. Ed.................52...............42.3%............53.8%............3.8%..
Special Ed..............5................25.0%............50.0%.........25.0%..
Limited English.......0....................0%..................0%..............0
Migrant....................1....................0%...............100%................0%
Economically
Disadvantaged.......15...................14.3%............78.6%.............7.1%
White.................36...................51.4%............45.7%...............2.9%..
Black..................3.......................0%...........66.7%................33.3%
Asian..................1......................100%...........0%.......................0%
Hispanic..............16...................25.0%...........68.8%...............6.3%..
Pacific Islander........1....................0%.............100%...............0%
Other...................0.......................0%.............0%..................0%
2:14 PM
EVERY REVOLUTION EVAPORATES AND LEAVES BEHIND ONLY THE SLIME OF A NEW BUREAUCRACY (Franz Kafka)
7:15 AM
Subject: The Slime Smear Machine: Larry I wonder why the media, are being baited into this whole "Is Obama electable?" non-question. Obama leads Clinton in the popular vote, has more pledged delegates and twice the states won. Shouldn't the question actually be: "Is Clinton electable?" Just listen to conservative pundits tout Clinton as the one who represents the best chance to beat John McCain. Why would dyed-in-the-wool conservatives push for such a choice? Clinton has poisoned the Democratic Party waters in her quest for the presidency by slander and the ridiculous math she offers to show her supposed commanding lead over Obama. If the Clinton slime machine succeeds in derailing the candidate who offers change, then history will judge her as the Democratic candidate who facilitated the continuation of the disastrous leadership our nation has endured for more than seven years. It seems to me we are witnessing the Clinton machine's attempt to grease the wheels for a convention coup, wherein the superdelegates overturn the popular will by awarding Clinton the nomination. To do so would damage, if not destroy, the Democratic Party for a generation. Meanwhile we see the GOP smear machine is firing up its greasy engines for a busy season of running dishonest ads designed to frighten less-educated, lower-income individuals whom they see as gullible and not bright enough to vet the candidates and decide for themselves. Shame on the Republicans for peddling lies and distortions about worthy candidates who could do much good for the country. And shame on them for deceiving their own base as if they were a bunch of naive suckers and rubes. It just shows that the GOP is incapable of winning honestly. Do the Republicans still not get it? Now they have decided to begin attacking Barack Obama. Don't they understand that I don't want one presidential candidate telling me what a loser the other is? I want the candidates to tell me what they're going to do for this country. One GOP strategist said: "Hillary [Clinton] is a better target for us. But the more you see Obama in action, the better we're liking him." A perfect example of the GOP mind-set: If the person is a viable threat to the Republican candidate, launch a preemptive strike and try to convince the country that the Democrat is a loser. It's time to move on, people. I don't know about the rest of the country, but I can't handle another four years of war-mongering Republican leadership. Four more years of McBush is not an option. DVS
7:04 AM
PEOPLE DEMAND FREEDOM OF SPEECH AS A COMPENSATION FOR THE FREEDOM OF THOUGHT WHICH THEY SELDOM USE (Soren Kierkegaard)
6:54 AM
Subject: Re: LITTERING V. THE FIRST AMENDMENT: Larry the littering our town with campaign literature by your friends St Amour, Graebener and Hunt by throwing paper into private driveways unsolicited needs to be seen as a violation of the littering laws. My property is not a DUMP for the "NO DUMP" Democrats. The latest ploy was the Mary Hunt Democrat team wrapping her unread elitist campaign literature in plastic and compounding the polluting of our "green" environment as this trash blew down the road and often ending clogging up storm drains. There are other ways like mailing campaign literature for Hunt to pose as superior to the average citizen here in town. So several community concerned residents came out to the last meeting to complain and their concerns were ignored is not the way to get elected. At least one Democrat, Mayor Kennedy, wisely understood how ignorant this littering is. You complain all the time here about selective enforcement, how about it if the littering law is enforced!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RESPONSE: The littering issue regarding campaign literature being left on residents' driveways, or the shoulder of the road by mail boxes is a legitimate concern. As often happens -- it butts up against the First Amendment that calls for a right of citizens to articulate their message. We see circulars placed on car windshields as well as in cities like Philadelphia fliers tossed on to row-homes stoops that advertise area restaurants or merchants sales. This often times ends up as litter in the neighborhood street. Honestly, I don't know how successful attempts to regulate this type of commercial speech have been when challenged with Municipal laws that might seek to regulate it as littering.
The issue of political speech would be even more difficult to regulate as the solicitor Mr. Zlotnick pointed out. The robo-calls that we all seem to get during election seasons are unsolicited and annoying as our the junk political mail that clogs mailboxes ... prohibiting this type of speech however annoying is problematic. Yes, when Republicans have been in control ... Mullica has adopted Ordinances knowing them to be un-Constitutional/illegal...think of Mullica's Megan's Law residency restrictions...but that is much less likely with Democrats in control...not impossible, ...for as you note, the Mayor, bill THE INVERTEBRATE TOADY kennedy who supported the illegal residency requirement ... might be convinced to pass other illegal Laws in Mullica.
It did seem sort of ironic ... after the Republican 'orchestrated' theatrics of the Republican Cheat'em and Buterholf clans regarding the issue of littering by tossing campaign literature...one of the phone book companies distributed within the protected parameters of First Amendment Speech...its phone books, wrapped in yellow plastic by tossing them on the ground on residents private property unsolicited. Will the Republican Cheat'em and Butterholf show up at the May Town Meeting with a load of 50+ yellow plastic bags they took off of other people's property and seek citations for littering? The compromise of a redrawn Ordinance that seeks a reasonable effort by those who exercise their protected free speech rights in others driveways ... that will require that unretrieved campaign literature be removed after an election...seems the best remedy that our community might be able to get that balances the two issues of protected speech versus littering. Will that satisfy, most Republicans? (Note two weeks after the yellow phone books were thrown on the ground they can still be seen lying by the roadway as First Amendment protected commercial speech...the phone book pictured below has been removed ... or indeed the Democrat homeowner would likely be cited.)
6:34 AM
IF WE COULD READ THE SECRET HISTORY OF OUR ENEMIES, WE SHOULD FIND IN EACH MAN'S LIFE SORROW AND SUFFERING ENOUGH TO DISARM ALL HOSTILITY (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)
6:28 AM
THE BUTTERHOLF CLAN AND THE LAUER SCHOOL
At the April 22nd Mullica Town Meeting during public discussion members of the Buterholf clan led by old man Bill Buterholf expressed their disdain about the recent decision of THE CORRUPT MULLICA 5 AKA IDIOTS R US to NOT accept the Mullica School Board's offer to take over the Gertrude Lauer School in Devonshire. Buttrholf lamented that our leaders seemed to 'do nothing for seniors' in our community. Butterholf was dismissive of the FACT that the estimates by both the Township and School in separate evaluations to bring the building into compliance would cost six figures ($100,000+).
It was repeatedly articulated that the options regarding what to do with the Lauer School ultimately had not been finalized and as Mayor Kennedy repeatedly stated, 'now, rested with the School Board.' It was also pointed out that with a First Reading of an ad hoc Ordinance to create a 'Mullica Historical Society' at this very Town Meeting...the Final Ordinance likely to be adopted at the May Meeting...this would be an ideal opportunity for Mullica seniors to get involved in efforts to preserve the history of our Township.
Perhaps it is too obvious to suggest that the Butterholf clan who seem to only take from the community...pony up the money to rehab the Lauer School building...or even consider buying it and running it as a senior center and Historical Society. Hey, these are Republicans who only get involved when their is a buck in it for them it seems.
6:24 AM
Sunday, May 04, 2008
IT IS BETTER TO KNOW SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAN ALL OF THE ANSWERS (James Thurber)
4:35 PM
Subject: Seattle Teacher Refuses to Administer WASL Test to Students: Hi Larry, I thought to send this to you in the hope that you would understand in a bit more depth, the reality of the public teacher's situation. It's just an attempt on my part, to foster well-roundedness in thinking. I do realize that this takes place in the state of Washington, but I would like to tell you that this same type of testing is going on here as well. It's called the NJ ASK, grades 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Also, 8th. grade GEPA. For ELL ( English Language Learners), the test is called, ACCESS for English Language Learners. All of these tests are state mandated tests. Kindly understand that individual districts, in addition to the above tests, are required to administer additional tests to maintain their funding, depending on the guidelines of the grants they have received. How much time truly educating students is used not only in administering the tests, but also training the students to take all of these tests? As the teacher below states, far too much precious time is lost in both testing and test preparation to secure funding for the schools, and ultimately, the teachers' ability to truly educate. One last tidbit, the states mandate these tests but do not fully fund the cost of the tests. I hope that you can take the 5-10 minutes to read the article below. Sincerely, Tom Rizzo
Subject: Seattle Teacher Refuses to Administer WASL Test to Students Please check out the article about 6th grade science teacher Carl Chew. I couldn't agree more with this brave teacher conducting civil disobedience for the sake of our children. melissa
Seattle Teacher Refuses to Administer WASL Test to Students citing multiple harms test causes students, teachers, schools, and parents From: *Parent Empowerment Network PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: April 20, 2008* Contact: Juanita Doyon, Director , Parent Empowerment Network, Spanaway, 253/973-1593 Carl Chew, Seattle Teacher, 206-265-1119 email ctchew@earthlink.net Carl Chew, a 6th grade science teacher at Nathan Eckstein Middle School in the Seattle School District, last week defied federal, state, and district regulations that require teachers to administer the Washington Assessment of Student Learning to students. "I have let my administration know that I will no longer give the WASL to my students. I have done this because of the personal moral and ethical conviction that the WASL is harmful to students, teachers, schools, and families," wrote Chew in an email to national supporters. School District response to Mr. Chew's refusal was immediate. After administrative attempts to dissuade his act of civil disobedience had failed, at the start of school on the first day of WASL testing, April 15, Mr. Chew was escorted from the school by the building principal and a district supervisor. Mr. Chew was told to report to the district Science Materials Center where he was put to work preparing student science kits while district administration and attorneys consulted on an appropriate penalty for what was labeled, "gross insubordination." Mr. Chew attended one hearing at Seattle School District Office, where he was accompanied by a Seattle Education Association representative. On Friday, April 18, Mr. Chew received a letter from Seattle School District Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson which began, "This letter is to inform you that I have determined that there is probable cause to suspend you from April 21, 2008 through May 2, 2008 without pay for your refusal and insubordination to your principal's written direction to administer the WASL at Eckstein Middle School." During his weeklong struggle with the district over consequences, Mr. Chew was supported by allies throughout the state and nation. "Carl Chew is saying 'No!' to high stakes testing and a resounding 'Yes!' to student needs and to teacher professionalism," stated nationally renowned education activist and author Susan Ohanian of Vermont. "There are many more teachers who are ready to follow suit. They just need an example and leader," states one Washington teacher. Organizations and individual allies are now working to replace Mr. Chew's lost wages. "Though a minor gesture in response to your so much larger gift, I plan to contribute to your salary for the two-weeks the schools aren't paying," was the response of one colleague from Washington. Parent Empowerment Network will be presenting Mr. Chew with a check for $200 to help alleviate his loss of wages and is encouraging organization members to also support Mr. Chew with words of encouragement and monetary contributions. The Vermont Society for the Study of Education and Colorado's Coalition for Better Education have also pledged contributions. The following is a full statement of Mr. Chew's reasoning for his refusal to administer the WASL. On April 15 I refused to give the Washington Assessment of Student Learning to my 6th grade students at a Seattle Public Schools middle school. I performed this single act of civil disobedience based on personal moral and ethical grounds, as well as professional duty. I believe that the WASL is destructive to our children, teachers, schools, and parents. g t; It is important for me to note that my disobedient action was not directed at any individual. I love being a teacher; my students are fantastic; my fellow teachers collaborate with and help me every day in numerous ways; and my school administration has always shown a willingness to listen to and support the teachers. I understand that my action has caused people pain, and I am truly sorry for that, but I could no longer stand idly by as something as wrong as the WASL is perpetrated on our children year after year. Though my act of civil disobedience was individual, I do not stand alone in my strong beliefs. Any Internet search for high stakes testing will reveal highly regarded educators, distressed parents, and sensitive teachers with a wealth of thoughtful writing and case studies supporting my views. The WASL is bad for kids. To my mind the measure of successful childhood is that each child learns about who she or he is and how the world works, gains an assertive and confident self image, and feels safe, well fed, and happy. Schools, along with parents and communities, need to contribute wisely to this goal. Unfortunately, the WASL creates panic, insecurity, low self esteem, and sadness for our children. o It is written in the language of White, middle and upper class students, leaving all others behind. o It is presented to children in a secretive, cold, sterile, and inhumane fashion. o There is no middle ground--children either pass or fail--which leaves them confused, guilty, and frustrated. o Numerous questions on the test are unclear, misleading, or lacking in creativity. o It tests a very narrow definition of what educators know children need to become well-rounded human beings. o The WASL is given at a prescribed time regardless of a child's emotional or physical health. The WASL is bad for teachers. For meager pay teachers are asked to work in extremely challenging situations, keep absurdly long hours, and, when it comes to the WASL, function in an atmosphere of fear. o A majority of teachers loath the WASL but feel unable to speak out freely against it due to their fears of negative consequences for doing so. o Because administrators are constantly pushing to meet federal guidelines for yearly score improvements, their relationships with teachers can become strained and unpleasant. o Administrators and teachers suffer under the knowledge that if they do not achieve improvement goals (measured by WASL passage alone) they can be sent to retraining classes, lose their students to other schools, or have their "failing" school handed over to a private company. o Before administering the WASL eachers mandatorily sign a "loyalty" oath promising they will not read any of the test questions. o Teachers feel devalued by the amount of time most of them have to devote to test practice and proctoring--upwards of four weeks for actual testing and many more weeks for WASL prep in many cases. g t; o Teachers feel used and depressed when, half a year after the test is given, they are presented with dubious WASL results--amateurish and misleading Powerpoint charts and graphs telling them next to nothing about their students' real knowledge and talents. o Teachers' relationships with parents are compromised because they cannot talk freely with them about opting their child out or other WASL concerns. The WASL is bad for parents and families. o Parents have been shut out of this costly process. o Most of them are misled by official statements about what the purpose of the WASL is. o Many of them do not realize that they have the right to opt their children out of testing with no consequences, though in practice schools have illegally put inappropriate pressure on parents and children who have opted out. o Many of them do not realize that teachers are, in many cases, not allowed to discuss any reasons why they might want to opt their child out. (Teachers in California went to court to secure the right to inform parents of their right to opt their children out of that state's testing.) o Like children, parents suffer from the same feelings of guilt an d unhappiness when their children fail. o Parents are not informed that the test is biased, culturally insensitive and irrelevant, and not a real measure of anything. o The WASL graduation requirement has kept thousands of families from knowing whether or not their students will be allowed to take part in graduation ceremonies and celebrations--the culminating reward for 13 years of public school attendance and achievement-- with friends and families. The WASL is bad for schools. Even in the best of times purse strings are rarely opened adequately to public education. Where a private school needs to charge $20,000-$30,000 to educate a child well, public schools are given a third or less of that for each student. Simply, schools are strapped for cash, many of them struggling each year to fund their needs with an ever shrinking pot of money. o While schools are generally underfunded, Washington will spend a projected $56 million in 2009 to have a private corporation grade WASL tests. These tax dollars are needed right in our schools providing more teachers, smaller classes, tutors, and diverse educational experiences for our students. o While the federal government requires that school districts use high stakes testing to qualify for federal dollars, tests are not fully funded by the federal government. o WASL is one of the most difficult tests used to fulfill the federal requirements, with one of the highest failure rates. o Instead of safe, exciting, and meaningful places for our children to spend half of their waking hours, schools have become WASL or test mills bent on churning out students who are trained to answer state-approved questions in a state-approved manner. The WASL is just bad. o Most, if not all, teachers will agree that assessment & t;> is vital. Wise teachers know that assessments which are also learning experiences for students and teachers are the best. The WASL categorically is not a learning experience. o I believe that individual students are entitled to their own learning plans, tailored to their own needs, strengths, and interests. Teachers know it is definitely possible to do this in the context of a public school. The WASL categorically treats all children alike and requires that they each fit into the same precise mold, and state-mandated learning plans based on WASL scores fail to recognize individual strengths of students. o Passing the | | |
