>Bob Hutton addresses James Morgan’s letter to the editor
FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 2012
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
To the editor:
I welcome Mr. Morgan as my opponent for the one-year unexpired seat on the Ridgewood Board of Education (BOE). I believe public dialogue about public education and its finances is a vital democratic exchange.
Given my time on the board, numerous quotes of mine are available from numerous sources. I will be the first to admit that I have said, “We know what the answer is” many times at the board table. In light of our preliminary budget discussion on Feb. 27, I did say that remark in light of the state-mandated 2 percent spending cap and the resulting $1.8 million maximum increase Ridgewood Public Schools could have in its 2012-2013 budget.
Mr. Morgan’s letter in this space last week (“Morgan running for BOE seat; March 2; The Ridgewood News; page A6) classified me as having a “we have it, let’s spend it” attitude. On this point, Mr. Morgan is completely off base and willfully misstating my actual comments. When addressing at the recent board meeting the increase proposed for the 2012-2013 budget, I stated the following facts that cannot be disputed. If one was to sum up the contracted and currently under discussion salary increases, the projected net increase in the district’s health benefit costs, and the cost to roll out the new science program, the district is already in excess of the state-mandated $1.8 million cap. That is not a “narrow view” as Mr. Morgan states. It is simply math.
