From The Press Citizen's Board, March 22. This is almost the same letter sent into the Gadfly on Friday, March 19.
Times sure have changed. Because of the state of our economy, we no longer can afford to live as we did in the past. I am speaking specifically about our municipal and school budgets. For both, these are dire times. But they are dire times for the taxpayers of New Jersey, too.
Why is it that we have to live within our means, while schools and municipalities don't? I can't raise taxes to supplement my income; why can they? Why don't the municipalities and schools have to tighten their belts, too?
I believe it's time to send a message that enough is enough. We have been taxed to the max. Any school budget this year that contains an increase, even one penny, resulting in an increase in your property taxes should be voted down in April. Any municipality that raises taxes should have its members voted out of office in November. If you want your property taxes to stop going up, this is the first step. It's not easy; there will be pain that comes with it. But it's time to take control. Enough is enough.
RICK NOBLE
Hammonton
Monday, March 22, 2010
Schools, Towns, Don't Increase Your Budget
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23 comments:
Let's start saving tax money by cutting off disability checks to those who are perfectly healthy to go to work...
Is this writer the same Rick Noble that sat on our school board for many years?
He would have been present at the past negotiations with the teacher's union. Did he speak up or vote against the pay increases or high benefit packages when he had a voice in the procedure?
Our present Twp.Committee and School Board are faced with massive cuts from the State and high demands from the teacher's union. Everyone in this State will feel the pain of Christie's budget. It's not fair to blame the people on the local level who have to deal with this mess.
People are more credible when what they say is the known truth - this person can't even be honest about where he lives - is he ashamed of living in Mullica?
Usually the Press will put a "clarifier" under a letter (ie., Member of Mullica School Board) - again - is he ashamed?
Maybe Mullica should be thankful that he can't be associated with them through this letter. Hammonton can have him!
3:08pm
Here we have another case of teacher obstifucation trying to change the subject.
I would like to ask Mr. Noble why he didn't make a public plea to vote out the Republicans in this town who raised taxes for the last 15 years.
All the teacher's raises and employee's generous contracts plus the wasteful spending of the past committees have put us in this position.
It would be laughable, if not so sad, that the people who caused the financial problems of our town are now threatening the new Democratic Committee if they don't find a miracle financial cure for the Republicans' past generosity.
I'm wondering if Mr. Noble is considering running for the Twp. Committee on the Republican ticket this year. The teacher's salaries and benefits went up while he was on the school board. Our taxes skyrocketed.
Mr.Noble is years too late with his letter. He was part of the problem and it is ludicrous for him to make these statements. I have listed him as another very large hypocrite in this very small town.
http://php.app.com/edstaff/results2.php?county=ATLANTIC&district=MULLICA+TOWNSHIP&school=%25&lname=&fname=&job1=%25&Submit=Submit
http://www.city-data.com/township/Mullica-Atlantic-NJ.html
Some stats to remind us that our teacher's salaries exceed the average HOUSEHOLD income in Mullica Township.
Rick Noble has served on the Mullica Township Board of Education for many years and is currently serving. He has been a tough negotiator and has worked hard and continues to work hard for the taxpayers of Mullica. He is not popular with the MTEA, Mullica Township Education Association) because he has stood firm. If you are attacking him, you must be a MTEA member. Thank you Rick for taking a public stance and for standing up against the MTEA. You have my gratitude and appreciation. I am sorry that MTEA members are attacking you but that should let you know that you are doing a great job and MTEA doesn't like it. Thanks again.
Oh, and the fact that it says Hammonton instead of Mullica for where Rick lives, that is not his diong but the fact that many of us in Mullica have either Hammonton or Egg Harbor City addresses. The Press puts down what is in the address. He has been at past negotiations and is involved with current negotiations. If you are a tax payer, support Rick because he has been supporting you.
11:22 and 11:25 PM
Cut me a break. He purposely didn't list his position as a Board member or they would have had the disclaimer. And I didn't leave any of the other comments, but I agree with them and not yours and I'm not an MTEA or a NJEA member.
He was and is being disingenuous. Guess he's not up for re-election this year.
Anyone the local Republicans put on the ballot for the next election must be totally ignorant of what has occurred in the past few years or just stupid. First, Chasey refused to cut anything from the regional school budget when the voters demanded it by voting it down a few years ago.We are now seeing the results of the blank check she gave them. Did Chasey try to fight the huge amount (and unfair in my opinion) Mullica has to pay towards funding the new school?
A few years ago after Bernard and Michael won the November election but hadnt yet been sworn in they asked , begged etc that Chasey not approve all those generous and long contracts for the township employees. She and her friend Forman did it anyway event though they were warned about the probability of consequences down the road for all this reckless spending. Folks have long memories and anyone with enough sense knows that the Republican club is still being run by Chasey and Forman and so will be the puppets they decide to run.
Rick Noble didn't join the board until the very end of the last negotiations. He probably didn't put that he was a board member because he can't speak on behalf of the board. He can speak as a taxpayer and parent.
"Chasey refused to cut anything from the regional school budget"
It was Chasey, Forman and Kennedy (all Republican, by the way) who voted to accept the GEHR school budget increase last year even though it had been rejected by a large majority of Mullica's voters.
"Chasey approve(d) all those generous and long contracts for the township employees."
It was Chasey, Forman and Kherli (all Republicans by the way) who irresponsibly and unnecessarily voted to give 12.5% raises over three years to the municipal employees and to require NO EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTION TO THEIR HEALTH CARE INSURANCE PLAN.
This is the reason why most of Mullica's unionized teachers are registered Republicans, because the local Republicans will vote for their personal interest.
First off, Rick Noble could have put Mullica Township, other do.
Second point, many committee people and mayors from Mullica have written into the Press, from both sides. They always list who they are and they are writing for themselves, not speaking for the whole committee. Mr. Noble could have stated he was a member of the BOE. By not doing that, it makes it seem sneaky. Throughout I have read how the teachers have "plants" in the audience, which is wrong, but how is what Mr. Noble did, not saying who he was, any different from the "plants" in the audience. It isn't.
It's a negotiation year and the gloves are off.
Re 10:15 am
I don't think it was proper for Mr. Noble to call for the public to vote his fellow board members out of office. He,of all people, knows how difficult negotiations with the MTEA are.
I think that the people running for office again are trying just as hard as he is to keep costs down. We need a united board and this letter to the Press didn't help that cause.
The board faces enormous challenges this year and no matter what they do, there are going to be people who will be upset and disturbed by their decisions.
Obviously, Rick Noble did give his name. He did not state that he was a member of the BOE probably because he was not necessarily representing the official viewpoint of the entire board. Do teachers who write to the Press have to say that they belong to the NJEA?
Now I see why very few new people run for the Board of Education. It takes very special people to put in the time & energy and the only compensation is aggravation and incoming hostility.
To the 5:18 post I would add that if you stand for the taxpayers, the MTEA targets you and runs their people against you. There are people on the board who are there to support the teachers. Rick Noble is there for the taxpayers.
The role of a school board member is to be there as a advocate for the education of children; not for the taxpayers or the teachers.
During wage and benefit contract negotiations, the school board's job is to represent the taxpayers and the NJ/MTEA represent the teachers. That's why board members who have family members who work for the schools cannot be on the board's negotiation team. They have a conflict of interest.
The board has a number of duties. It's not only insuring that the kids get a good education. Unfortunately, with a unreasonable union, the board is sometimes forced to make financial compromises during negotiations that hurt the quality of education, which it otherwise would not make.
What does the teachers paying toward their health care benefits for them and their families got to do with the affecting the education of the children other than leave more money on the table for programs, etc?
re 8:19 am
I think you answered your own question.
Mr. Noble repeatedly,for an entire year at BOE meetings, questioned the evasive superintendent about the relationship with Green Bank Schools, and how it saves us money as claimed? After Mr. Noble's persistence, it was finally revealed that the relationship is not saving Mullica Twp. any money, but brings in money for the administrators' services. Mr. Noble then addressed how the $100,000 is not worth the extra workload on the Muliica teachers, and the resultant negative impact on the education of Mullica students. Mr. Goldberg, supt'd, responded how it's a social thing for Green Bank students, and how they will know some students from Mullica when they get to Oakcrest! These statements, of course, may not be in the purged Board meeting minutes.
Union negotiations are handled by Tom Carl (sp?) on the board.
Most of the board members are puppets of the supt'd. It is time to clean house. The only board members who pose pertinent questions or get clarifications are mostly Richard Noble, often Tom Carl, and sometimes Terrance Watson.
Dr. Malaspina, president of the board, last year made a demand to the board members to approve a 3-inch thick policy manual that the board members hadn't even read yet. Board members had just received the manual that day. This was challenged by board member Frank Kelly. Mr. Kelly's typical input at BOE meetings is that every staff member hired must be from Mullica Twp.
Mr. Noble addresses education of the children, and despises waste of money. I am no friend of Mr. Noble, nor do I have any children in the local government-run public school.
Having met Mr. Noble during his election year, I saw in him a desire to do well by both the students and the taxpayers. His letter to the editor, however, shows a lack of understanding and an oversimplification of how the political process works. Rising taxes? Vote 'em out of office, according to Mr. Noble. The problem is the next person might just be worse! Look at the Governor---a lot of people who thought he would be good for the state are now joining the unemployment lines.
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