Matt Lindenberg says ,”I don’t know anyone on the BOE, and I’m not familiar with an RPDP. I’m just a private concerned citizen who respectfully believes that we’re better served when we hold our local elections in November when there is a demonstrated history of significantly higher turnout. My opinions are my own, and not pushed by the BOE or REA.
I know there are those who disagree, and I respect that. I’m willing to have a reasonable discussion of the issues if folks are willing to identify themselves (as I continue to do here) and chat like neighbors.”
Voters need the capacity to rein in the district when it becomes abusive of their pocketbooks. District employees combining with district employees and/or BOE trustees to do things that are good for them, but not necessarily good for the voters or the state of K-12 education in Ridgewood, is the problem. Only when the budget vote is held in April is there even a prayer of putting the fear of the voter in the heart of these (occasionally bad) actors. Often they can be scared straight but not when the budget vote is held in November. In that circumstance, it is party, party, party with the taxpayers’ money. No holds barred.
Mr. Lindberg’s willingness to self-identify happily coincides with his support for a position that every district teacher, administrstor, and BOE trustee also supports. Oppose an arguably self-serving position held by that mid-sized army for any length of time Mr. Lindberg and see whether you begin to reconsider your current low opinion of the employment of anonymity during municipal debates.
One Village One Vote is a closed website as is Ridgewood Mom and Dads with no free speech. How is this scenario conducive to open dialogue with varied opinions? Many of the people administrating these sites are one in the same. Not honest brokers.
Voting is anonymous. No one gets to see how you vote. Likewise, expressing opinions on the BLOG is an anonymous activity. The fact that one person here and there chooses to identify themselves does not make them better people. I for one would be afraid to speak out about anything that the BOE would disagree with because I would not want any backlash against my children. Here on the BLOG I can state my opinion. And my opinion is this: I WANT TO VOTE ON THE BOE BUDGET PROPOSALS. Every time.
Too bad the NJEA and their puppets in Trenton have destroyed the state… https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/19/05/20/new-jersey-gets-lowest-rating-among-states-for-recession-preparedness/
This blog doesn’t investigate the Council on issues like contaminated soil, illegal tree removal and destruction of a bald eagle habitat, Schedler, the Elk’s Club renovation for 30 Ridgewood Water employees, Downes Tree Service “no bid” contracts, nepotism at Graydon,, etc.. Instead it apologizes for Knudsen and her lap dogs. They’ve just stood by while the RPD has failed to fire an employee accused of soliciting sex from an underange girl and possessing drug paraphernalia. There is no accountability, none.
Lindberg ??
Can you really trust ANYONE who is working on behalf of Aronshon?
If you don’t like the articles on the blog or you want other articles, you can write them yourself and submit them to James. Instead you just whine
I used to agree with Matt until I discovered that having local elections in November would mean that we completely lose the vote on the budget. That misunderstanding is something I believe the ONE VOTE group likes to leave unexplained. The fact that the state will not let us “move” the budget vote to November means we are required to have a question on the budget as it currently is.
Bald eagle habitat? Please stop with the fake
eagle nesting and foraging nonsense. An eagle’s aerie is typically about 5′ – 8′ feet in diameter and 4′ to 6′ deep. Every year eagle’s return to their aerie adding 1′ to 2′ of new material to the nest. In other words, an aerie is huge and easily visible. I’ve lived in the neighborhood for almost 40 years and I’ve never seen an aerie or foraging eagles. I have seen the loons and dodos attempting to pull off the Schedler eagle hoax.
it was in Roberta’s report , better give her a call
who mentioned eagles ?
I used to agree with Matt post why do you think it’s a misunderstanding that Matt, Winograd, Furman, loscalzo, and company like to leave unexplained? Isn’t it a lie by omission?
We forfeit the right to vote on any budget within the annual state caps. That is not the same as “completely losing the right to vote on the budget.” You lose the chance to vote on budgets with small increases. Is the budget more than a 2% increase? Then we vote even if we move the election. When was the last budget voted down? What happened then? The council removed the cost of two May elections ($100k) from the budget and sent it back to the BOE. More voters = more voices = greater representation of the community. Why are you Mayday voters so afraid to have more people vote for BOE?
Its same as completely losing the right, the past process without vote didn’t seek residential inputs and ignored calls to correct glaring gaps, this time due to budget vote the process was more transparent, so it’s not just ‘when was the budget voted down’, someone will leave the town to be just run by elected officials without resident oversight, either if they are naive, indifferent or part of the gravy chain
Yes it is a lie by omission and quite likely deliberate.
I’m sorry if any of you feel misled. We’ve tried to address this particular point head-on here: https://onevillageonevote.com/118/fact-3-the-right-to-vote/. Again, we may disagree on the underlying issue as reasonable neighbors may, but we remain simply a group of concerned (and identified) members of the community. There are no attempts here at lies or omissions.
As always, happy to engage in a civil conversation.
Having the right to vote is important but exercising that right is even more critical, else what is the point. Oh and am you people that want the right to vote don’t actually cast a ballot as we only had 14% or so actually come out. Didn’t someone say Sedon didn’t vote, he forgot. That’s embarrassing for council even Voight voted
Matt, I do appreciate your willingness to discuss the matter – but why is the website closed and presented as so exclusive?
If people are blocked from RM&Ds, why would they expect to be included on that site? The blocking issue has become so sensitive – it’s a real turn off. It seems like bad public relations. Isn’t the info on OVOV something you’d want as many people as possible to read and consider?
Leaving the village, county, state and country to be run by elected officials is called a “representative democracy” which happens to be the form of government we have. Here.
It is better to be silent and thought a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt. If someone disagrees with you they are stupid, ignorant or on the take? And what is a gravy chain? Just wow.
Jane, The OVOV site should be open for anyone to read; are you unable to do so?
All this CRAP about safety of the children – where was Bob Fuhrman on safety of the children when he flat refused to have SIDEWALKS on his precious Clinton Avenue. Well Bob? You were willing to have children walk down the middle of a street to get to school in order to avoid having the village install sidewalks on village-owned property. You did not want your property value negatively impacted. So that was more important than safety of the children. Did you have a change of heart, now that you want only one election a year to avoid having people in the schools?
Did anyone hear ringleader Siobhan Winogrand’s unintelligible diatribe last night? She made no sense. None.