“Ms. Hauck got elected last time because the West side of Ridgewood voted and the Eastside did not. Check the records. I believe this “committee” came into existence after that election. Most of those in administration, on the board, and doctors from Valley that live in Ridgewood are also from the West side, and, I would be willing to bet, most of this front they call a Financial Advisory Committee live on the West side. Get it ? It is nothing more than a power play by a relatively small group of people with big money and egos that could care less about the overall well being of Ridgewood. And you are right 1:44, that could easily happen, but not just to that neighborhood.”
While others say , ” please don’t make this a West v. East thing. That tears a community apart and it’s insulting. I happen to live on the West side, within spitting distance of the East side – the argument that we are 2 separate groups doesn’t fly.”
Lets face it , “that has been the undercurrent for several years and now with all of the disputes going on, especially with the so called “crown jewel”, a lot of people are making this an east side west side thing… and some postings implying people living near the hospital are suckers, selfish, nimby etc. has done wonders to cement that feeling…and yes it is unfortunate but it is becoming a huge reality…”
“I’ll stick to my original comment for which I think I’m entitled after 33 yrs. It’s a power play, pure and simple. I have not said anything that people who have resided here have not said privately, trust me. But if nothing else, maybe it will get the people in this town to wake up, vote these people and their friends out, and stop the train wreck. That’s what the statement was intended to do. Sometimes being “politically correct “”does not work.”
“I live on the west side and I have email from Gwenn saying the previous administration did not take care of the west side and she and the current administration are making sure that west side is not neglected. So, she definitely tried to play that card.”
I live on the so-called west side. It is my impression that my neighbors near and far. including bright ones and those involved in other issues, are entirely oblivious to town happenings.(I exclude of course Audrey Meyers and Roberta Sonenfeld.) They do not read the local papers and have no idea what is on the council’s plate at any given time. If my theory is correct it could help explain why council members tend to live on the east side. Currently four of the five do, the fifth being Ms. Hauck, who would understandably be tapped to try to appeal to fellow west siders. Of course, that isn’t exclusively the case; for example, Roberta Svarre, former council member and perhaps the first woman mayor here (?), lived in my neighborhood.
To me it is absolutely insane to assume that those who don’t live next to the hospital or downtown feel they would be unaffected by enormous and endless construction projects turning the town into a city. True enough for those living in Wyoming, but c’mon. At the very least they should be worrying about school crowding, which will affect property values and property taxes in a negative way, and the eventual downgrading of the school system–despite its jaw-dropping budget–which in turn will reduce property values as well in a vicious cycle.
It isn’t simply an east side west side thing. Local elections everywhere have abysmally low voter turn-out rates. Successful candidates simply get elected because they organize just enough people to vote them into office. You don’t need that many. Prior stats will accurately tell anyone just how many supporters you need. Clearly, in this particular case, the organized supporters were mostly from the west side.
funny thing about the school budget, when you look at how many students are in the system the cost per student is all that bad.
What is the Ridgewood School District’s cost/student BTW?
There has been no better opportunity than now to unite all Village neighborhoods. Citizens for a Better Ridgewood has its roots on the West Side and favors slower growth in high density housing. The Concerned Residents of Ridgewood is based in the Travel/BF/Somerville neighborhood and favors a smaller-scale modernization effort by the Hospital. Friends of Schedler are in the neighborhoods east of Route 17 and favor preserving the woodlands on that property. Most recently, a group of tax payers from all over town that favors a 4 level garage over a 5 level garage has successfully petitioned to bring that issue to a vote. After 4 years of a “Council majority” that has claimed to know what’s best for the rest of us and has insulted anyone that has disagreed with them, it looks like we might actually be able to take the town back from special interest groups and Council members with personal agendas.
Candidates Bernie Walsh, Jeff Voight and Ramon Hache have the very unique opportunity to unite these neighborhoods in our quest to preserve our property values and the charm of our Village. Please vote for them on May 10.
1:59:
https://www.npr.org/2016/04/18/474256366/why-americas-schools-have-a-money-problem?sc=17&f=1001&utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link
VOIGT, not Voight.
10:46-You make some good points regarding our neighbors on the West Side. After interacting with them for 33 yrs., it really does look to me that most, certainly not all, are paying more attention to making money than what is going on in their town. So when they are spending more time doing that, rather than preventing Rome from burning, guess what, Rome will burn. Don’t get me wrong, it also is happening on the East side as the town has expanded it’s affluence, so to speak. But a bigger problem there, as was made very clear in the last election, is an older, more apathetic group of voters who think their voices don’t count. Well, as the last election showed, they sure as hell do.
But getting back to your comment, I don’t think “worrying” is the term I would use to describe what they feel. They will back a hospital expansion, for example, because how bad can it be to not be on the side of a hospital ? It certainly sounds and looks great on the resume, so to speak, and sounds even better at cocktail parties. And who cares if it takes down housing values, raises taxes, etc, . I’m making enough to offset the downside, AND I won’t be here ten years down the road anyway. This kind of thinking will never benefit the overall long term good for any community.
East Side, West Side, all around the town
The Amigos sang “ring-a-rosie,” “Big Garage is going up”
Developers and VC together, Valley and Hudson Machine
Sat on illegal planters on the sidewalks of New Ridgewood