Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Will Da Manalapan Township Committee Balance Their Budget On Da Backs of Kids?

Following the response to our latest blog about the proposed 2010 Manalapan Township Committee budget, it seems that maybe we struck a raw nerve about how some things don't seem to be adding up - and it seems we were right again.

It was daTruthSquad that first explained how da state has cut $1 million dollars from Manalapan's municipal aid, and how despite that, da Manalapan proposed 2010 budget is over $300,000 more than last year's budget was. In addition, while other towns are cutting staff and even some services and people who work for taxpayers are taking pay cuts, there are absolutely no layoffs in this new 2010 budget, and no salary cuts of any kind to any worker in Manalapan Town Hall - and da tax rate is expected to go up despite mandates from Trenton, because plain and simple according to their own budget numbers da burden on Manalapan taxpayers for da local municipal budget is increasing by about $1.4 million dollars.

Those numbers are not in dispute.

Our embedded sources within da walls of Manalapan Town Hall however are hearing that da budget may become leaner - or will it - courtesy of smoke and mirrors.

DaTruthSquad was hearing a number of possible scenarios to cut da municipal budget, and every one of those scenarios revolves around da school budget voted down by Manalapan voters. We originally heard that da Manalapan Township Committee was crunching their numbers, and were expected to cut anywhere from $800,000 dollars to $1.5 million dollars from da school budget that has already been pared down, with one person on da committee wanting what amounted to "draconian" cuts.

Of course, that sounds like a good thing, but that's where da smoke and mirrors come in.

Now, one might think that this is a job for "fiscal conservatives." However, what seems to be happening here is you have one budget - da Manalapan Township budget, that will be higher in 2010 than it was in 2009, with no layoffs and no staff reductions or salary or pension cuts of any kind. Then you have their new job - cutting da school budget. Simply put, in order for da Manalapan Township Committee to get their own budget across da finish line with no cuts whatsoever, they would have to trim about $1.4 million from da Manalapan-Englishtown school budget to achieve their goal.

Guess what happened?

Manalapan Township Committee "fiscal conservatives" Queen & Andy Boy have put together a school board budgetthat cuts -- and get this -- $1.4 million from da school budget! They couldn't cut a dime from their own budget, but they certainly could take a few erasers and pencils away from a few teachers -- and a few teachers too. With this now being da case, what will da cause and effect be for Manalapan's kids in our public schools?

Already, our school friends are saying a number of teaching positions are being cut, and this was prior to da Manalapan Township "fiscal conservatives" carving up da school budget.

Now that da Andy-Boy led Manalapan Township Committee has agreed to cut $1.4 million dollars from da school budget, is anyone surprised that da $1.4 million dollar figure is pretty much an exact match for da dollar figure that da overall tax burden on municipal tax payers went up from 2009 to 2010?

What this means is, da money lost when da state cut Manalapan aid, and da added number from last year to this year's budget is ECAXTLY what da Manalapan Township Committee cut from da school budget!

This means, no job cuts in Town Hall, no pay cuts in Town Hall. In order to not have cuts in Town Hall, da school budget has been decimated!


Now, it's important to note something TruthTeller Joe "Joey D" DePasquale noted when he told the Asbury Park Press newspaper that it never even had to go this far. He said "the bulk of the cuts could have been avoided if the Manalapan-Englishtown Education Association had agreed to a wage freeze, as other bargaining units in the district had. The freeze would have amounted to a $1.2 million savings, district officials said."

Maybe TruthTeller "Joey D" would make a good Manalapan Township Committeeman?

What is even more interesting was da Queen's "No' vote on da Manalapan-Englishtown school budget. Apparently she voted "No" not because of da budget cuts, but because they weren't big enough cuts!

This could be interpreted as either:

1. Da Queen may be more of a "fiscal conservative" than we gave her credit for.

2. Da Queen may be more of a "fiscal conservative" than her GOP'er mayor Andy Boy.

3. As a Democrat, da Queen may have turned her back completely on her political base.

4. Maybe this was Queenly revenge for not getting da endorsement of da NJEA during her failed State Assembly campaign - - one of only two districts da NJEA didn't even give an endorsement to!


DaTruth is, while daTruthSquad is happy that da Township Committee did what it was supposed to do and cut da budget, da bad news here is it wasn't da budget they should have been cutting. They cut da school budget in an effort to soften da blow of da fact they couldn't properly cut their own bloated budget. Da bottom line - da local tax burden went up for Manalapan taxpayers with no appreciable cuts to Manalapan Town Hall at all - no salary cuts - no benefit cuts - no layoffs - not even a moratorium on pencils or pens!

What this amounts to, using $1.4 million dollars in cuts to da school budget to plug a $1.4 million dollar tax burden increase, is simply a one-time gimic to balance their own bloated budget - something we, as a state, hired Chris Christie to stop on da state level.

Why no cuts to staff in Town Hall? Why no infrastructure cuts? How much money has been or will be spent on lawyers for da "legal malpractice" case that was started against both da Mosked Man and now da defamation case by Manalapan Police Chief Stu Brown?

Or this famous precedent-setting First Amendment case?

Will they every really tells us?

Ironically, da Manalapan Township Committee overwhelmingy and unanimously approved to support a $4.5 million dollar cut to the Freehold Regional High School District budget. All well and good, but Dr/Mr/Lord Wasser is still superintendanting a salary of over $200,000 dollars!

DaTruth is, as a GOP'er you should have expected more from Mayor Andy Boy for not making cuts to his own budget before he tinkered with someone elses. It's easy to take from someone else, but when you can't cut your own budget, that shows a lack of leadership and residents should expect more. By cutting da budget of da kids and teachers and not your own, you show you are not a friend of da schools. You don't have to be a friend of da unions, but da teachers are a totally different matter, and this school budget cut to save your own budget will only harm da teachers and da kids - and nobody else. By not cutting your own budget, you show you're not a "fiscal conservative" like da Queen claims she is.

We think it will be interesting how many teachers will be filing for unemployment before July 1, while it appears at first glance that not one Manalapan Town Hall employee will apparently even lose one thin dime from their salaries. That could make for a very interesting November.

And that's daTruth.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Joey D knows all and sees all. Joey D a common man looking out for the common man and woman.

Anonymous said...

I think if the Squad's scenario here is true then it would be truly disgusting that the TC has to balance their budget on the backs of kids. I expected more from these people.

Anonymous said...

Is Joey D a Republican or Democrat or Independent?

Anonymous said...

What is really silly here is the fact that some of you sycophants aren't happy about anything. The Manalapan Township Committee cut the bloated school budget by $1.4 million. But you're not happy. Neither am I. I think they should have cut double that. Why should I with no kids in the school system have to pay more money? Fire them all!

Anonymous said...

Why is the township buying a 50 acre plot of land for 2.8 mil ?
And how much money was spent on lawyers fees fighting with the property owner for the past 8 years ? Now the town is going to buy the property ? How can they ask teachers to take a pay cut..to fund an 8 year property/zoning battle with a land owner ? Remember in November!!

Anonymous said...

Joey D is a republican who is turning into maverick independent who won't lower himself to kiss the rings of the old ego driven party bosses. Old tyme politics and the 2 party system is over. The fashion trend in politics is Joey D and his independent movement. The Dems are tax and spend Obama Socialists and the republicans are lead by a pack of losers. Joey D we excite the citizens to vote out the old broken system with Joey D's lower expenses and taxes platform. Joey D will save Manalapan like he saved the school board. Get aboard the Joey D express to lower taxes.

Anonymous said...

Take a lesson from Arlen Spector. Vote out all of the ones currently on the TC.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad they cut the budget, but I won't be happy if even one teacher loses their job. Other towns cut school budgets without losing any teachers.

I don't always side the the D-Squad, but in this case I'll make an exception. It is curious how the exact dollar figure was cut to balance their own budget. Whoever the incumbent is this year who voted for it just lost my vote.

Anonymous said...

take a lesson from arlen spector--reject slimy old lawyers who switch political parties, like stu moskovitz.

Anonymous said...

Fred, Fred, Fred. Your obsession is showing.

Anonymous said...

Obsession? Is there anyone at all that's read these blogs for the last two years that haven't figured out that Larry R. and Freddie S. are psychotically jealous of Stu? And why not? Stu has a thriving career. Larry's working out of his house to keep his business afloat and Fred is hiding in a tiny office ever since Eliot Spitzer exposed him.

Anonymous said...

I'm all for cutting the budget. The way taxes have gone up in this town I can't afford to live here anymore. But if what the Squad says is true, then while I applaud the TC for cutting the school budget, I am appauled that they could not sufficiently cut their own for the town. No layoffs? My husband got laid off from his job. I took a pay cut at my job just to keep my job. The fact Manalapan Town Hall is business as usual and the people in charge can't make any cuts shows a lack of discipline. Unless I see differently, I'll be voting incumbents out this year.

Anonymous said...

I'm a fan from Cranford. I'm surprised you guys couldn't even cut a dime from your own budget. Even here, we cut jobs and salaries to make our ends meet. Sounds like cronyism is alive and well and living in Manalapin.

Anonymous said...

More than 30,000 rally against Christie. It looks like the honeymoon is over!

Anonymous said...

Nine million people live in NJ and only 30,000 showed up ? The other over eight million citizens will back whatever Joey D. says. Joey D a real man for Manalapan.

Anonymous said...

Wow, great blog. I just discovered it. Im in Freehold and can't believe they pay the assistant superintendent of the Freehold High School District $189,000 per year.

Anonymous said...

FRHSD has a whole phalanx of supernumeraries like the assistant superintendent earning astronomical salaries for mediocre performance.

Anonymous said...

Freehold should know about how Joey D. stood up against higher taxes.

Anonymous said...

hey, dipstick--most secretaries on wall street make that.

Re: 'most secretaries on wall street make that' said...

Unless you have a citation, that statement stands as just more useless crap from a know-nothing-but-thinks-he-knows-it-all. And if it is anywhere near accurate, it would be just another testament to moral bankruptcy of the Street.