All News & Blogs
MP Majority May 22, 2013 at 04:06 pm
Although it wasn't unexpected, I am very upset that this budget got passed as is. I know that BOE…Read More is a thankless job with long hours, but I challenge the new team and remaining members to do what is right by the kids. We need to stop punishing our children at the expense of rising administrator and teacher cost.
I already stated this on another post, but I recommend the following to the new board - do not waste your time nickel and diming over what programs can be cut and which remain. Instead, focus your time on the BIG COST ITEMS that you have the ability to control; namely, salaries and healthcare costs.
By increasing healthcare costs across the board, which are commensurate with private sector contributions and commensurate with industry rising costs, that, and that alone, can cover a significant part of your budget, which can then be spent on the kids. It is ludicrous that cap employee healthcare contributions at only 15%, when the industry norm is clearly about 50% (and higher). You will be met with objections, of course, but it is important that open people's eyes as to what is clearly and industry problem.
Go for the big ticket items during contract negotiations, and bring education back to the kids, and not the Unions and Administrators.
Thank you in advance for these efforts.
ARCH STANTON May 22, 2013 at 10:46 am
ALL I CAN SAY IS, I DON'T EVER WANT TO HEAR ANYONE COMPLAINING ABOUT HOW HIGH THEIR TAXES ARE. IT'S…Read More NOT THE TOWN, POLICE OR ALL OF THE INCIDENTAL TAXES THAT WE PAY, IT'S THE SCHOOL TAXES THAT ARE DESTROYING US.
Janet May 22, 2013 at 04:44 pm
I agree and have agreed for 37 years that the LI schools are out of control. I vote no every year…Read More and no matter how ridiculous the budget is it passes. It comes down to the absent NO vote. We are moving in 2 years so it will then become all elses problem. I certainly hope I can sell my house. Who would want to buy into this district with high taxes and poor results.
ARCH STANTON May 22, 2013 at 03:00 pm
DON'T BLAME ANYONE BUT YOURSELVES. ALL I HEAR IS HOW HIGH OUR TAXES ARE ON LONG ISLAND. TWO THIRDS…Read More OF MY TAXES PAY FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WITH THE REST GOING TOWARDS THE COUNTY, BROOKHAVEN, POLICE AND INCIDENTAL TAXES. THE NEXT TIME WE HAVE ANOTHER STORM LIKE SANDY, DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT SERVICES NOT RESPONDING FAST ENOUGH, WHEN THE MAJORITY OF OUR TAX MONEY IS GOING TOWARDS SCHOOLS.
Thomas Lynch May 22, 2013 at 07:51 am
hmmm, I find these results UNDERwhelming? And therein 'lies' the great disconnect between the spin…Read More and hype of the Adminstration and the Community/Taxpayers. Hopefully the new BOE will begin today to get this right long before next year's process and budget is ~revealed~. The 871 - yes, to 486 - no, budget vote might be a relief to some and considered an "overwhelming margin" by others but at 64 percent (out 1,357 voters) it is actually just a majority. Let's stop today and not kid ourselves any longer, 1/3 or 36% of the voters DISAPPROVE of the budget. These folks are likley paying the BULK of the taxpaying "income" to the district and are on the high side of the per household increase that this and the previsous budget increases have affected over th last many years. I would like to point out that the library vote might be considered more "overwhelming" by mathmatical stds with 1,102-249 (1,351 voters) over 80%. I want to congratulate and then challenge the new BOE to aim at not playing the piercing and cutting games and taking programs hostage shenanigans and try to get 80% plus budget approval as a goal for next year? Let's aim high and start TODAY!
ARCH STANTON May 22, 2013 at 02:47 pm
ALL I CAN SAY IS, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYONE COMPLAINING ANYMORE ABOUT HOW HIGH THEIR TAXES ARE.…Read More THE BULK OF OUR TAXES, PAYS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, NOT THE COUNTY, BROOKHAVEN, RIVERHEAD, POLICE OR ANY OTHER INCIDENTAL TAXES. THE NEXT TIME WE HAVE A STORM, WIND, RAIN OR SNOW, DON'T BLAME THE TOWN, BLAME YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR NOT GETTING A FASTER RESPONSE TIME. THAT IS WHERE THE MAJORITY OF OUR TAX MONEY GOES.
Tom May 22, 2013 at 11:42 am
So your one of the ones that have greed running through your body. Maybe you shoud read some of the…Read More other posts to educate yourself as to the feelings of others. You will find most are against you and yours. BTW I'm smarter than you because I'm street smart. At least I admit my mistakes. See ya!!
LI Mom May 21, 2013 at 12:40 pm
Peterboy, how is that possible? I remember from a meeting one time there was a family that became…Read More homeless for some reason or another and they couldn't even stay in the school district temporarily to finish the school year. Is this a case of bait and switch....using someone else's address and pretending it's yours? Just curious.
DSmiley15 May 21, 2013 at 09:50 am
I have to agree with you on this one. I usually always vote yes, but the increases never seem to…Read More stop and, I don't know about other families, but our budget is stretched as tight as it can be. The school needs to figure out how to stretch theirs as well, just like all the families have to do in RP. We can't just have increases like this every single year when no one is getting increases in their paychecks.
Captain Howard Hawrey May 22, 2013 at 11:56 am
Yes, that is exactly what I was told. But let me defend the BOE here regarding that comment. First…Read More of all resubmitting the same budget is one of the options available to them. Secondly, we have (in my opinion) a very hard working BOE. One that has put in many unpaid hours trying to hash out our district's budget and with many immovable issues in their way. One that is very proud and somewhat arrogant because of what they feel they have accomplished. A BOE that was 100% sure the Budget would pass. And they were correct. I get that because I am very arrogant and passionate about things I put time and effort into too. It is also a BOE that thinks they have been transparent with the community while many of us feel they have not been. With social media the way it is today the BOE should be getting it's message out to the community in other places instead of just the Library BOE meetings. The meeting minutes posted on the District Website is of little if any use to the community. It is a BOE that though will respond appropriately to challenges to their decision making they do not like to be challenged. Again due to my occupation I understand that too. Many of us who post here on the Patch are the "fly that won't go away" for the BOE members and Administration. I find it very strange that there any never any "Yes" Budget voters weighing in on the Patch. I wish they would.
Wlodek May 21, 2013 at 06:24 pm
Captian,
Am I understanding you correctly tha a BOE member told you:
"...to be told (and to…Read More no surprise) to go ahead and vote down the Budget. We (the BOE) will just put the same budget up for vote again."
I hope I misunderstood. But, if true, the voters must realize that if the budget is defeated twice the tax levy increase is zero as in:
NO + NO = NO tax levy increase
Captain Howard Hawrey May 21, 2013 at 06:10 pm
I voted NO! My NO vote was plain and simply a Frustration Vote. I'm frustrated that our district has…Read More (as Scott has implied) little wiggle room regarding increases we have to pay. Frustrated with a BOE that I do feel has the districts best interest at heart but has yet to get tough with our oversized Administration and pass those saving on to our district. Frustrated that our BOE seems to think that a 4.17% increase is OK. Frustrated that the residents of our community really don't understand that we are not getting the quality education for our children when you factor in how high our taxes are. Frustrated that our residents fail to realize that if you are not getting a raise per year of 4.17% this year you are losing personal income because of the increase in school taxes. Frustrated to be told (and to no surprise) to go ahead and vote down the Budget. We (the BOE) will just put the same budget up for vote again.
knee jerk May 21, 2013 at 12:06 pm
Claudia is a classic NIMBY. Where do you think the natural gas is going now? Its' a byproduct when…Read More drilling for oil. On the famous Alaska pipeline project of the 70s' it was (is) burned off since it was uneconomical to do anything with it at low prices. The USA selling nat gas overseas would offset the oil drilling costs, thus making gasoline, jet fuel,diesel fuel, motor oil etc cheaper.If it is still being burned off, what does that do to our "carbon footprint."
Ted Ratter May 18, 2013 at 04:41 pm
And somehow Ed Romaine and Jane Bonner helped make that happen? Well at least that's what I'm…Read More getting from the photo op. Maybe they did maybe they didn't, but how about your 2 stooges get to the work of the people and cut it out with photo ops that are self-serving face time for name recognition for whatever next election you guy are running for? Here is a grand idea! Next time a major snow storm is forecast for our area, how about you two stick around in case you are needed and not be in Jamaica and Costa Rica!
Memorial Day BBQ? 8 Money-Saving Tricks (Sponsored)
0 Recommend Stephanie Wagle (Editor)