Saturday, October 1, 2011

Tax Payers First

42 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't believe that to be true, but what is true
Over 60-65% of our tax dollars go to the schools
To feed large pensions, benefits, salaries and waste. So don't blame the Township committee, blame the
School system and the voters for not demanding reductions there! Keep listening to the NJEA and you will continue to
Feed the monster!!

MiddletownMike said...

Anonymous 9:46,

the chart is accurate, it has nothing to do with the school tax or county tax rate, this chart is reflective of the municipal tax rate that Tony and his other republican friends have supported for over 5 years.

If you include the 3 years prior to Tony Fiore being on the Township Committee, the municipal tax has increased over 40%.

It is as clear as can be, the amount needed to balance the budget through taxes has gone up every year for the past 8 years.

Again this chart shows only the 3 years since Fiore has been on the Township Committee.

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:46 Nice try to deflect the focus away from the tax increase on the Municipal Budget.
I believe the voters demanded reductions by voting all the BOE incumbents out and voting down the budget. Thanks to Mr. Scharfenberger and Co. who successfully influence the voting public by blaming the BOE and teachers union for our tax increase.
No accountability on their part for the mismanagement and incompetence of the TC. It never their fault, yet they've been in charge for over 30 years.
Those signs saying tax payer first make me want to vomit.

Anonymous said...

The bigger the signs the bigger tales these republicans tell. They believe their own fabrications. Last year's municipal tax rate increased by nearly fourteen percent. And what about the"two percent" Scharfey kept having delusions over. Fakers.all of them !

These clowns believe their own fiction !!!

Anonymous said...

The SCHOOL TAX IS A SEPARATE ISSUE and the people vote on the school budget !!!!!

We don't get a chance to tell these hypocritical characters to take a hike and to peddle their distortions elsewhere .

Get rid of them all starting with two in November.

Anonymous said...

Yes, the school tax IS a separate issue and yes, we DO get to vote on the school budget. The problem is that when the voters vote down the budget, the school board goes to the state and gets its way anyway. My husband and I would go every April, year after year, and vote down the budget, and WIN, just to see our votes get overturned. We stopped voting for school budgets years ago. It just wasn't worth it anymore.

9:46 AM is right in one way: 60% of our property taxes are going to the schools. There are too many districts and too many administrators, vice principals and what have you. Too much money is being spent and from what I've heard, not enough of it is being spent on the kids (or the people actually teaching them). There are a bunch a greedy, overpaid hogs feeding from the trough of our tax money. Cut THOSE jobs and find another way to fund the schools and maybe people like me will be able to stay in this state and keep living in my two bedroom, over-taxed bungalow in Middletown. The way it looks now, I won't be able to afford to live here after my retirement.

So yeah, maybe the committee should be blamed for mishandling their budget, but face facts: the municipal share of our taxes is peanuts compared to what we're laying out for the schools.

Anonymous said...

The chart is correct and it does reflect the Town’s budget in those years that are mentioned. … How uneducated and stupid are these people to confuse school tax with the municipal town tax. And, yes Scharfy lied to them…he raised taxes that he was responsible for (Town/Municipal tax) 13.4% and had those to believe it was only 2.4% …dopes!

Anonymous said...

The chart is correct and it does reflect the Town’s budget in those years that are mentioned. … How uneducated and stupid are these people to confuse school tax with the municipal town tax. And, yes Scharfy lied to them…he raised taxes that he was responsible for (Town/Municipal tax) 13.4% and had those to believe it was only 2.4% …dopes!

Anonymous said...

Consider all the ways this Republican majority has wasted money ( e.g. the Sewage Authority as a lifelong perk to past TC members and party faithful with their cadillac healthcare and pension rights) for patronage.

Politics in Middletown is a really sick republican affair....and it all costs the taxpayers money....lots of money for politics and patronage.

The laws of this country demand we educate our children,,,, they don't demand we coddle lousy,greedy politicians.

Anonymous said...

anon 7:59 You are misinformed. If the school budget fails, it goes before the TC and they decide how much to cut.
As far as the perception that we pay too much for administrators, you need to compare us to other similar districts. From what I know, we do not.
Take for example, Karen Bilbao was making $185k when she resigned.
Our Governor Christie decided to cap all Superintendents salary which played very well to the public outcry over administrator's salaries.
We've been paying 2 interim superintendents $600 per day since Ms. Bilbao left.
Now we are hiring a new superintendent @ $197k plus $23k in perks and benefits.
The public voted out the BOE due to strong influence from Mr. Scharfenberger who blamed our high taxes on our school taxes.
So here we are a year later, with a new BOE and paying more for a superintendent. Makes a lot of sense doesn't it.(sarcasm)
One thing you may not realize is when Gov. Christie took office he took over $3mil in reserve funds which was supposed to help reduce our school tax burden.
People blamed the BOE and administrator's for the increase in the budget and the budget failed.
The past BOE had done a better job in keeping the tax increases low in comparison to how the MTC has done with the township budget.
The MTC does a great job deflecting and blaming everyone else for the circumstances we're in and the voters fall for it every time.
Ignorance personified.

Anonymous said...

Bottom line, the largest portion of our tax dollars goes to the schools, not the township or county. My taxes are high due to the schools not because of the township or county portion. That is fact, without smoke and
mirrors, regardless of any increase by the township the school is and always has been the cause of our high taxes.
Voters are smarter than you giving them credit for MM.

Anonymous said...

Dopes? If give the opportunity to take a reduction in your taxes, would you want the county and township portion (with the increases you stated)deducted or the school portion deducted? enough said

Anonymous said...

Whose a dope? Those who think a public education is free are either stupid or in denial.
No one wants to see our tax dollars wasted, but if you think we shouldn't be responsible for educating the youth of America you are very short sighted.
An educated youth will contribute to society and pay for your social security and medicare benefits.
Cuts in education is like cutting off the hands that feed you.

MiddletownMike said...

Anon 10:14,

Just an FYI for you , over the past 5 years the BOE tax increases have been much lower than anything the TC has offered to residents.

Good schools are import for many reasons to a community. Property values increase with the quality of the education children in the community receive.

Most people understand this and are happy to support the school system through their taxes.

I suppose your kids are no longer in the school system and were well educated by it, so now that they have benefited to hell with everyone else.

Anonymous said...

anon 10:01: And how would you pay to educate over 10,000 students in this town and run 17 schools?
Sure we can always cut out some waste, but the school budget is always going to be the largest portion of your tax bill in every town in NJ. To think otherwise is just insane.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Mike, You beat me to the bunch.
The people in this town who complain about our school taxes obviously don't have kids still in school or pay for private schools.
They don't realize that the value of their home is directly impacted by the quality of education the town provides. Good schools equals good property values. After all most people move to a town because of the school system.

Anonymous said...

For starters how many superintendents , VP's, Principals, assistants to them and so on in the high schools? How many layers in the administration? You keep throwing
money at the schools, the children are getting less and less year after year and test scores are not improving, ask the parents how many of their children need tutoring? Pay for tutoring? It's amazing how many teachers tutor after hours and how many tutoring businesses have opened. that's an eye opener in itself, so don't preach how good it is
there is plenty of room for improvement and room for elimination of positions and start grading teachers performance, For starters

Disgusted and Unaffiliated said...

The LAWS of this country require that we educate our youth.

The laws of this country DO NOT require that we pay taxes for patronage and greedy politicians.

The republicans in Middletown are great at the blame game. Sound like little kids....it's never their fault about anything.WILL NEVER CLAIM responsibility for anything that they heap on the taxpayers!

Worthless bunch of trough swillers that only serve what they consider their own entitlements.......

VOTE with intelligence this Nov.8.....not the party line....this town deserves much better than this blind and one sided,egotistical.horse manure shoveling gang of lousy self serving politicians.

Everyone in this town deserves a voice....not just the patrons of the Republican party. Every last resident of this community.



NO,don't have children any longer in our schools but do value what an education is worth always and realize all things of value have a price.

Do not be hood winked by the diatribe that the clowns running the government in this town want us to swallow. They only want your votes and you can then go to hell as usual after election day. The only service they provide is to the "party faithful" and it has been going on for over THIRTY YEARS .

To think otherwise is as delerious as they are !!

Anonymous said...

Well at least he's not in the state pension system looking to double dip. Can you say that about your new candidate?

Anonymous said...

What we don't need are candidates who can only name call and are without substance, like the Dem's candidates.
As an independent you Lost my vote for not accepting the fact that the taxpayers are overpaying for the lackluster quality of schools in Middletown. It's not as great as they want you to believe. Voters know better. The denial is pathetic, do your children a favor and demand more from the education system not less. Democrats candidates seem to favor abusing our tax dollars by condoning and ignoring the faulty system as it exists today. no democrat gets my vote this year!

Anonymous said...

No person elected to serve in municipal government should qualify for health or pension benefits and it's time the big mouths in Trenton puts a stop to that entitlement for anyone in government serving on a PART TIME BASIS!!!

NOT ONE OF THEM REGARDLESS OF PARTY AFFILIATION.........


That's not a party thing, it's a COMMON SENSE issue....period and a report !!1

Anonymous said...

Anon 11:48: If you think you can run this school system with fewer administrators then why don't you apply for the BOE. Maybe you might learn what all the current BOE members have learned. Its easy to criticize. Everyone loves to jump all over how many administrators we have, but people do not understand what those administrators do.
So until you educate yourself, shut up or do something about it.

Anonymous said...

And the Democrats continue to ignore the high taxes due to the schools...nothing new, they say the "IT's for the kids" BS..and they preach how important a good school system is and think giving more money to teachers, administrators, etc is the difference between a good school system and bad...it's bad in their eyes when the taxpayers do not fork over more, and good enough when we do, and the children never benefit. They continually take more away from the kids,but not from their salaries or benefits. The kids never benefit first! That is the truth and the demise of the education system.

Anonymous said...

Ano 9:56 AM and 10:01 PM and 11:48,

For thirty years the Township Committee has taken/borrowed money from educational funds (BoE) created from tax dollars.

In 2011 the township passed a "deferred tax" ordinance that allowed the committee to take/borrow $1 million from the BoE to supplement the municipal budget.

When Fiore, along with other Republicans, cut $2 million from educational funding two years ago, they also took/borrowed over $1 million from educational taxes to supplement the municipal budget.

Over the past 30 years the Republican majority has taken over $50 million from the BoE to use in the municipal budget.

Have you ever read an article in Middletown Matters that tells you how much money the township committee has taken from educational funding?

This is a municipal election bringing the BoE into the conversation is a attemp to avoid talking about municipal spending policy that increases our taxes.

Anonymous said...

Anon 7:59 PM

A $61 million budget with $45 million of it being raised through taxes isn't peanuts.

The municipal budget is slightly less than about half of the $120 million Board of Education budget.

Anonymous said...

Get rid of the Special Charter Township Government System and we will have balance in "them there Halls". Then and only then will we have ourselves to blame!!!

Anonymous said...

anon 11:44 Excuse me? The Dems continue to ignore the high cost of education?
Our elected TC has nothing to do with the BOE. They are 2 separate entities. So stop trying to blame the high cost of education on the Dems.
The Chart shows the municipal tax increases under Fiore. You want to justify that by comparing it to the school tax?
This post has nothing to do with the School tax. It's a separate issue and one which we can vote on. Just like the BOE members. All the incumbents were voted out last year, but that won't stop our taxes from going up.
The BOE is supposed to be non partisan, so stop making it partisan. By the way, I beleive most of the BOE members are Republican now which makes your comment even more nonsensical.
Take it out on them, not the Dems.

Anonymous said...

Not the Dems, that's funny. The Dems believe in tax and spend, other times its a shell game giving and giving to the unions. fact

Anonymous said...

anon 11:44: That's funny, now its the Dems who ignore the high cost of education. The Dems don't control the BOE so stop trying to politicize that issue. I believe our current newly elected board members are mainly Republican.
Our school taxes went up because our Republican Governor took over $3mil in reserve funds which the former BOE managed to save.
So take that up with the Governor.
Your comments are right down there with Scharfenberger's when he ran last year. Another brilliant diversion from the municipal tax increase which he successfully distorted.
Stop trying to compare the two. It's like comparing apples and oranges.

Anonymous said...

Our taxes are high due to the schools. Not the township's portion. Just look at your tax bill

Anonymous said...

Nice try with the tax & spend, but your argument doesn't hold water. The Republicans have been the tax and spend party in this town for over 30 years.
Clinton was a fiscal conservative and left this country in great shape with a huge surplus.
GWB didn't tax but sure spent that huge surplus and nearly drove this country into bankruptcy.
Now we have a hysterical Tea party who are now complaining about the deficit during a world wide financial crisis and high unemployment when the focus needs to be on job creation.
Yeah, whoever screams the loudest, gets all the attention. Well now you people are going to get an earful. The silent majority is waking up. The protests on Wall St. are only the beginning.

Anonymous said...

A$$HOLE REPUBLICANS as far as Middletown is concerned 10:26 p.m.

The republican mutts and mongrels all concentrated in township government for over thirty plus years annoy 8:04 p.m.
the school budget is a separate issue and proportionately greater in every town. Until the state reforms the school funding formulas.

That is no excuse for the nonsense that occurs in the local municipal excesses except patronage and politics and arrogance and ignorance.

Anonymous said...

Question to the "one" anonymous who is responsible for most of these "tax and spend" posts- who is going to buy all those nice big homes in Lincroft if the schools stink?

Anonymous said...

One question still seems to be ignored. Is one of the Democratic candidates for the township currently in the state pension system or not??

I looked it up on data universe and guess what I found???

Anonymous said...

9:16 a.m.

What did you find ...that Carol Fowler works for the Veterans Museum in Sea Girt and many of her family are connected to the Middletown fire dept that Jim Grenefege is retired from private industry.

LOL nitwit !

Practice what you DUMB republicans preach !!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 9;06 a.m. on 10/3.......

Arrogant,defiant,brazen "Fibber" probably already has his seat reserved on the Sewage Authority for "good behavior".

When someone agrees to run and "serve" I hardly think thought is given to double dipping as you declare. Put your money where your mouth is because you sound ridiculous spouting off about something you can't possibly prove !

Anonymous said...

Wow, the Republicans must be really desperate to find any dirt on Grenafege & Fowler. Can't wait for the lies, because they can come up with some beauties.
I also can't wait to hear Steph Murray aka Casandra talk about the kind of books she writes and why she's kept that a secret.
See, the Dems don't need to make up lies.

Anonymous said...

Is Fowler in the pension system or not? According to Data Universe she is. More double talk from the Double talkin democrats!

Anonymous said...

anon 8:45: What does Carol Fowler's pension have to do with Tax Payers First? I don't know whether she is or not and why its important since most of the Republicans holding elected and appointed positions in Middletown are in the pension system.
Should we talk again about the sewerage authority? Dr. Scharfenberger I presume?

Anonymous said...

Anon 8:45: And your point is what?
Don't know if Ms. Fowler is in the State pension system. Should that now be a litmus test?

Tell It Like It Is said...

Is it a requirement now to run for "public service" that you not be employed by an entity that provides a civil service pension or a state pension? Don't think so and so stop trying to discredit an individual who currently is employed in serving the public in whatever capacity that may be.

The republicans in this township should muzzle the mutts that consistently grasp at straws with their ridiculous diatribe and character assassinations e.g. the vicious ,broom riding ,slippery and forked tongued cheerleader from Lincroft.

Character assassination is her forte' and it's time to recognize she is detrimental to the republican party at large. Nothing gives her the right to demean others for political purposes...nothing and no one. Her signature handiwork stands out on the blogs and in the newspaper comments sections under a manure pile high of aliases and psuedo names.

The message is always the same and is easily recognized.

The current crop of cronies of this individual should take note of an old adage,"show us the company you keep and we can tell you what you are!".

MiddletownMike said...

Anon 10/4 - 12:03 AM

Double Dipping is when a person retires from a state job and collects their state pension then goes back to work for the state and takes a salary while still collecting their pension.

Pension Padding is when some one is in the state pension system for a at a lower salary for a majority of their career then takes a new state job at a higher salary for just a few years to earn higher pension benefits.

If you think that Carol Fowler quailfies as either you are delusional.