Excuse Me Teacher, What Is "Evidence?"

Simon Says - Any Evidence, Perhaps???

Anybody who knows anything about Manalapan's school district knows two things - Great Teachers and James Wasser. Now, add a third - Tenure-Gate.

It seems da principal of Manalapan High School has not been behind his desk lately. In fact, Principal Jeff Simon hasn't been allowed to walk the halls of his high school since December when he was put on paid leave. Why was Simon put on paid leave? Da problem was - nobody knows why - apparently not even Simon's lawyer!

So, Simon says, I'd like to know why I can't work but am still getting paid to do nothing. Simon says - Hire a Lawyer. Da question is - who should Simon hire?

Simon says - get da best lawyer available? Simon says - Hire da Mosked Man!

Does Simon really need a lawyer? Simon says - You Bet'cha!

Da other day, it was reported in da local online newspaper that da Board of Education voted in CLOSED session after a meeting to certify tenure charges against Simon, and then walked into a crowded B of E meeting to let everyone know what they did without public knowledge, to da dismay and ire of da people in attendance. It seems, in reality, da board had no choice, as da Mosked Man had done what any good legal eagle would - asked them if before da Mayan calendar predicts a doomsday that they might find in their hearts to actually charge his client with something!

So, not only did da B of E announce three tenure charges that have been filed against Simon by the Freehold Regional High School District Board of Education - they also announced they have a high-powered (and guess who's paying for this one) law firm of Schwartz, Simon, Edelstein & Celso handling their case!

Now, da even bigger question -- Did Simon deport children? Did Simon leave his wife like that California teacher for a student? Were "Birthers" looking into Simon's birth certificate? Is he daTruthSquad?

As far as can be determined, none of these claims were made, although da process is still young.

Here's what Simon has allegedly been accused of --- (1) alleges mishandling of student activity funds and accounts --- (2) alleged missing money from a Manalapan High School event --- (3) alleges he took $2,000 from da till of a high school play, and (4) placed kids at risk.

Now, to be fair, these are all serious charges on da surface. Also, to be fair, in one of these charges, Simon had originally made whistelblower claims against da very person who now claims he took da money.

Simon claims, and it was apparently done 2 years ago, according to da Manalapan Patch, "Simon alerted Board Secretary and Business Administrator Sean Boyce about Louise Dellasala, who had opened a checking account in both her name and “Manalapan High School” as well as gained a debit card from the account and established a credit card in her name and the high school’s name."

According to da Mosked Man, "She had access to all of the money, she handled all of the money, she’s got these bogus accounts and she’s the accuser saying he stole the money." Could this be a "he said 2 years ago/she now says" situation? Moskovitz adds, "all play funds are collected after the play has completed its run. Dellasala approached the play director and asked for the money before the play completed its run; the play director did not comply and rather gave Simon the funds once the play run had ended. Simon later gave the funds to Dellasala when she requested it. In Dellasala’s affidavit, she indicates that Simon provided her with money to deposit, but she later found envelopes in a plastic bin drawer beneath Simon’s desk that listed the amounts of the funds on them and she is alleging that Simon provided her with $2,000 less than the amount listed on the envelopes."

Now, it appears both Simon and his extremely highly competent counsel are not going to take this sitting down - and while we're at it - what was she doing looking under his desk for things?

Simon and da Mosked Man attended da B of E "surprise," and tells da newspaper he is “unfairly being victimized by a retaliatory, revengeful act in violation of the Conscientious Employee Protection Act”. Simon went on to say that “not a single one of the 12 charges is valid, truthful, substantiated with evidence, warranted, legitimate, or reason for tenure charges to be brought against [him].”

To be fair, da B of E released a statement of their own, including "Many of the comments and allegations (made by Simon) are highly inappropriate and wrongly impugn the credibility of employees in good standing." So, they are standing with da people Simon accuses.

Of course, da Mosked Man would never let an inflammatory statement like that sit by, sending out one of his own from da Patch that says "Not one word of Mr. Simon's certification is untrue. Not a single word. Had the District truly wished to 'take the necessary steps to preserve and protect the integrity of this institution'as they claim in their press release, they would not have maliciously impugned the character and reputation of a highly respected principal with not a shred of evidence other than the bald statements of those with an improper ax to grind, they would have taken action against those who in fact have perpetrated misdeeds at taxpayers expense, they would not have insisted on voting to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on this witch hunt prior to hearing the public, knowing hundreds of people were in the auditorium waiting to be heard on the matter, they wouldn't have chosen to cavalierly jeopardize the admissions to the colleges of their choice of dozens of students who deserve better from their school district, and they wouldn't do all of this at the direction of a law firm they had removed as Board counsel due to bad advice, poor judgment and questionable billing in the past."

Now, if you didn't think this would get even more interesting, you probably don't know much about Manalapan buearacrats.

First, you have one person alleging a crime was committed by Simon - a person who Simon alleged some wrongdoing about that person 2 years ago. Then, you have another school individual who claims Simon walked off with a couple of hundred dollars - and that person too was once disciplined by Simon!

Oh, and then there's da other "wrongdoing" alleged committed by Simon which includes "alleged mismanagement of several fire drills." Yes, that's not a typo. He allegedly "risked the safety of students and employees" during those fire drills."

DaTruth is, you have in Simon a highly popular and hard-working leader, who now faces charges against him brought by someone he had already whistleblew on and another whom he once reprimanded. And, you have da district now contending that he ran fire drills that somehow put kids at risk - an allegation that yes, we have to admit, even shocked daTruthSquad!!! By da way, they have apparently not yet released why they believe there was "alleged" fire drill "mismanagement." Was he not wearing a shiny red fireman's hat?

For that, untold "hundreds of thousands of dollars" will be spent at taxpayer expense to go after Manalapan's High School principal, who, ironically, is now is on unpaid leave after his lawyer demanded to know da charges against his client.

DaTruth is, and this is from da Manalapan legal eagle's themselves, claiming their charges might be "perhaps, criminal in nature.” Note da word, "perhaps." "Perhaps" they are, "Perhaps" they are not. Here are some other questions to "perhaps" consider - Who "perhaps" directed the secretary to go through da office of da principal to locate alleged envelopes? Did these alleged envelopes actually "perhaps" exist? What "perhaps" was the status of the whistleblower claim made by da Principal against da secretary prior to "envelope-gate? How far did da "alleged investigation" into Simon really go? Who actually did da "investigation, who "perhaps" ordered it, and were actual crime-fighting investigators even "perhaps" involved? Did da board "perhaps" just take da word of employees who were either disciplined/and or whistelblew on?

Any lawyer will tall you it's not whether you are guilty or not - it's what you can prove. In this case, are the charges actually able to be proved against Principal Simon? Is da B of E's 120-minute closed-door meeting worth a six-figure taxpayer-funded investigation? Is it possible da B of E is either, knowingly or unknowingly, moving forward without all 100% of da facts proven in da allegations?

DaTruth is, we have seen in da last five years well-over six-figure taxpayer-funded lawsuits fought by da Township of Manalapan against daTruthSquad, against da Mosked Man, against da former Police Chief, and also ridicule heaped on Manalapan and da Manalapan-Freehold Board of Ed over "Diploma-Mill-Gate." Now, we have da principal of Manalapan High School facing charges, with allegations in part brought by someone he whistleblew on, and another he once reprimanded. There are too many questions indeed that are going unanswered, and those are just in this blog!

Now, to be fair, nobody is saying that da teacher and da secretary have done anything improper, and we will not be saying anything regarding that nor should we. What is being asked is - is da "evidence" that has been submitted bonafide, da character of da witnesses completely unquestionable, and is this a case that deserves to be given merit? Those are questions any lawyer representing a client would in all liklihood ask. Have those questions been asked?

Maybe it's time da state performed an impartial investigation into this. Otherwise, taxpayers could, "perhaps" be potentially on da hook for a six-figure fishing expedition.

Simon says - do da right thing and properly investigate this matter. Let daTruth be told.

And that's daTruth!

Da GOP & Manalapan GOP - Family Resemblences?

Now that Manalapan for the first time in a number of years has a mayor that will work in da best interest of all da people, and one who will put da people before da land grabbing self interests, we can take da time to look at what you could actually call an offshoot of Manalapan politics -- da Republican primary for president of da United States. If you look at da four participants, you could actually see a bit of Manalapan in each and every one of them.

Thanks to da GOP'ers and their efforts to one-up each other at da expense of their own party.....

First, you have Ron Paul, who, if he lived in Manalapan would best resemble one of those called a "renegade" back in the 2007-2009 era of Manalapan politics. Yes, Ron Paul is a Republican, and that cannot be denied. However, he is also not one of those GOP'ers who fit into da mold of da current politburo of Manalapan GOP politics. He's cast as an outsider, as he was at CPAC. He's cast as someone not in da mainstream of da GOP's far right establishment, much like some of Manalapan's great GOP foot soldiers were in 2007-2009. Because of that, he has as much chance to win as Land Baron Andy Boy has of having longer hair than Mrs. Land Baron.

Next, you have Rick Santorum. He's ultra conservative. He's apparently never met an earmark he didn't like. He'd spiral woman's rights back to a day when man shot dinner, and woman plucked it and cooked it while wearing da Muslim equivalent of a Burqa. In a way, he's da Jordan Moskowitz of Manalapan politics. Santorum has principles he believes and doesn't shy from and will stand for them like Jordan "Stu." He's a man's man, like Jordan "Stu." He believes in law and da truth, and has never voted for a Manalapan earmark as far as we know.

Then, you have Newt Gingrich. It seems da Newtster has never met a reality he's like to change and make into his own. It seems as if da truth, to Newtonian, is whatever best suits him at that given moment, much like a former recent Manalapan mayor. While he went after Bill Clinton for having "sex with that woman" who was not his wife, Newton was busy cheating as Speaker of da House - da #3 position in politics - cheating on his own wife with "that woman" who would become wife #2, before he left her for wife #3 (or was that cheated on wife #1 for wife #2)? While Steve "Iron Girth" McEnery has never cheated on his only wife, his hair color and prodigious girth are most like da eye of da Newt.

Which brings us to Willard "Mitt" Romney. He claims he's a working man, just like us. He claims to be an ultra-conservative, and just a guy like any guy. I guess that means every father in Manalapan has eight-figure trust funds for each of their kids, administered by some blind trust guy who parks more money in da Cayman Islands than we'll all ever see in 20 lifetimes. He governed from da left (appeasing Democrats), even though he now claims he's always on da right (to appease right wing Republicans). He was for universal health care and abortion before he was against it.

Now, who does he remind you of??????????

DaTruth is, while none of the GOP'er candidates for President reside in Manalapan, their current politics are akin to what we've all become used to in Land-Grab Acres. Da way things are, this primary will go straight through to da convention, with Mitt being bashed for being too rich, too out of touch, too left and too unelectable for GOP'ers, while Santorum is bashed for being too close to earmarks, too out of touch, too right and too unelectable for independents. Then there's Newt, who is too untruthful, too right while being too left, married way too many times and too unelectable for everybody, and Ron Paul seems to be too much of a wack-a-doodle for everyone in da GOP who isn't too libertarian. Add to all of this an economy growing, and unemployment falling, and businesses getting busier, and all of a sudden 4 more Obama years is becoming too much a possibility.

Da reality is, come October when both sides negative campaigns are in full swing, da GOP won't be able to say da Obama folks are lying or being too negative, because they will most likely be using commercials released by da GOP primary campaigns who were bashing their standard-bearer from January to da convention. And, da closer da primary stays, with Mitt not able to seal da deal, Rick wanting to take women's right and stow them in da stone age, Newt changing his tune like Pandora changes songs and Ron being Ron, then da Obama campaign will have more political ammo than da GOP ever had with candidates named Dukakis and Tsongas and Kerry combined, and it will be a bad night for GOP'ers in November.

Of course, you can also add to this that for da first time since Kennedy was President, a Democrat has kept our great nation safer than his GOP'er counterparts (nailed Osama, other big al-Qaida names, made "drones" a household word) and seems to be bringing us out of da great Recession while saving da auto industry and da banking industry and many other industries, all of a sudden he doesn't seem like this radical, out of control Muslim / Communist / Socialist / Marxist / Leninist / anti-American / anti-Business / anti-Job / anti-Jewish / anti-Democracy / anti-White / pro-Radical / pro-universal health care / pro-tax / pro-social warfare / pro-Europe / pro-Islamist guy who would doom America making us unsafe, unsuccessful, unDemocratic and unlike what da hard right of da GOP want us to believe we actually are.

DaTruth is, as da GOP campaign against itself continues, President Obama is looking better and better each day. Da polls say it, da people and Independent voters seem to say it, and soon da Obama campaign spin machine will be saying it too.

Maybe Mitt and Newt can move to Manalapan and run for Township Committee? Of course, it'd be tough for Mitt to own more land than Land Baron Andy Boy wants to own, and even Newt is smart enough to know da name of his own sister and not vote to give her a high-paying township Rec job.

And that's daTruth!

Da Color Of Failure Is Green

You have to admit that Manalapan's GOP did something right in empowering da GOP'ers "First Lady" as Mayor during the town's annual reorganization. After two years of rule under da wealthy landowner and soon to own more land Land Baron Andy Boy, Manalapan handed da keys to da mayor's office to Susan Cohen, da most highly qualified person of da now all-five super majority ruling class of 2012. Rest assured, Manalapan's elegant First Lady will represent not da interests of her party bosses, but instead work for da people of Manalapan, a very refreshing change to say da very least.

Now, who is da color of failure in Manalapan Green?????

Gather around da campfire TruthTellers and hear a tale of woe as only daTruthSquad can tell it:

Once upon a time, a young man flush with political ambition and a thirst for power saw how some benefited and wanted in to da party. So, in walked Ryan Green. He quickly rose through da political ranks, dutifully at da side of his somewhat rotund party boss backing his political masters at each turn.

He rose through da ranks to become "Deputy-Lucas," but that is not where our story ends.

In a thirst for power, he saw a Monmouth County Freeloader position may be within reach. Believing he was perfectly suited to be a Freeloader, Green tossed his beret into da ring and proclaimed with perceived political backing "Yes, I want to be a Freeloader!!!"

However, his ascention to da ranks of da Freeloader Board would prove not just to be a failure, it would prove to be both a miserable and an embarrassing failure, and prove even more to be an extremely embarrassing failure that would make da Manalapan GOP look like a rudderless ship.

Finding his own campaign gaining all da traction of a mule stuck in 10 feet of mud, da "Green Brigade" launched a political cheap shot at front runner Serena DiMaso, claiming she was part of a group attempting to sell Green Acres-funded land with a last-minute accusation that they must have at da very least assumed would throw a wrench into her very positive-run campaign. Green's Hornets tried everything, except maybe calling DiMaso a "Vulture Capitalist" or a "Socialist Marxist Communist."

However, DiMaso, who you can call da "Susan Cohen of Howell" for her elegance, grace and willingness to stand for all da people, instead fired back calling what Green's Goblins did nothing in effect nothing more than 11th hour politics by a failed candidate who couldn't tell da difference between a tomato and da Empire State Building. She released a statement, saying "The Plum Lane property that Ryan ‘read’ about was not purchased with Green Acres money. It was donated to the Township and is surplus land" and then said "If Ryan wanted to engage in a genuine debate about open space, why wait until the 11th hour with a press release? I saw Ryan on the campaign trail three times this week. He has my number and my email. He could have brought this up anytime. This type of last minute distortion is very disappointing coming from a so called Republican. Maybe Ryan’s ambition and NJEA DNA is more dominant in his character than his status as a Republican, especially one who promised to run a positive campaign. If he broke this promise to a fellow Republican, what promises will he break to the Monmouth County taxpayer? ”

Poor "Lyin' Ryan." He should know after working hand-in-hand with da Manalapan GOP Axis of Evil that rule #1 is "When your already deep in a hole - stop digging," and rule #2 is "If you are a perceived Crony Capitalist who backs a land grab that made statewide headlines as a perceived 7-figure partisan political payout, don't shine a light on what you did by falsely claiming someone else is doing it too - especially if they are not."

Well, TruthTellers, da proof is in da GOP'er pudding on this one.

Da GOP'ers all pulled up to da trough and had their nominating event. With daTruthSquad neatly tucked away in da corner and unknown to da GOP'ers in da room, we all watched as da official proceedings took place. Da nominations began, and while da great Jennifer Beck nominated Serena DiMaso, since it appears nobody else wanted da honors, da Manalapan Party Boss Steve "Iron Girth" McEnery nominated "Lyin' Ryan," becoming da only actual party boss who did not hold a county or statewide office to make a candidate nomination!

Then, da vote. With nearly 500 county committee people and a room filled with dignataries and others, and let's not forget daTruthSquad neatly tucked away, Serena took nearly half of all da votes in da first round of ballots - Serena with 243, Howell Mayor Walsh with 140, another guy with 64 and trailing da pack - there was Lyin Ryan with a mere 39 votes!

Walsh, who decided not to allow a runoff, graciously withdrew, leaving Serena just a swearing-in away from becoming a Freeloader!

But, back to Private Ryan.

What became embarassingly clear to everyone in da room was da Green Monster's mere 39 votes. Not only did he prove that his 11th hour political stunt backfired worse than an Edsal with a bad carbourator, he also pulled down some of his supporters with him, but before we go there, why is the number 39 so demeaning to da Manalapan GOP???

Well, TruthTellers, it means that with Manalapan having 52 county committee members, he couldn't even get their full support!!!!! This means that at da bare minimum, 13 Manalapan GOP'er County Committee members -- 25% -- didn't even vote for their own alleged "favorite son!" This means one of two things --- one, a bunch of Manalapan County Committee people picked a very wrong time to all take a smoke break together as da vote started, or Iron Girth doesn't have his own house in order!

Making matters worse, da great MoreMonmouthMusings called McEnery's GOP'er leadership in this case an "embarrassing failure." and Green and McEnery "damaged."

DaTruth is, my TruthTellers, Triple M is right. First, da Green Eggs and Ham team violated Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment. Second, da Green Cheesers picked on da wrong person. Serena DiMaso is beyond reproach, and with style and grace took her size-8 high heels and rammed it squarely in da unprotected hind parts of da 11th commandment breakers. In other words, Green now squarely finds himself in a deep hole that his mentor not only helped him dig, but left both shovels in da hole as evidence! Green Beans had da chance to be da next Manalapan mayor, but instead saw a bigger political salary at da Freeloader trough in his sights, even more high-paying than da town job he voted to have his sister take before that got exposed and Lyin' Ryan was forced to tell da world he didn't recognize his own sister's name!

Instead, da Greenie Baby became political fodder, his "elect ability" for bigger office can now be considered political poison, his party boss was exposed, and even more interesting, Land Baron Andy Boy even seemed to distance himself from this one, not even nominating his now alleged protege, and not even coming out with a statement fro da newspapers standing by his side in da "Green Acres-gate" they tried to tie to Serena, and this of course leads to an even bigger question --- was Andy Boy part of that group who took a smoke break when da vote was going on?????

Or, an even bigger question -- was there another agenda in place to explain Andy Boy's absence from Saving Private Ryan? Under whose orders did at da minimum one-quarter of all Manalapan County Committee folks not vote for their own alleged "favorite son?"

Just another day in da political life of Manalapanistan - and definitely political "Green Meat" food for thought.

And that's daTruth!