Friday, May 27, 2011

Staff is Policy

"Elections Shouldn't Matter as Much as They Do" – Nancy Pelosi

The real question is why don’t elections matter more. Since 2009, not a single Aberdeen representative on the town council or school board has sought reelection upon completing a full term. (On the school board, Demarest took a break and then ran again when an uncontested seat opened.) This January, Aberdeen will have its freshest crop of elected representatives in a decade. And, yet, the expectation for change is rather subdued.

In Washington, an old axiom declares, “Staff is policy”. A corollary is you can’t change policy without changing staff.

To give a couple examples, in 2007 the school administration maintained the budget had already been cut to the bone and that additional cuts would undermine critical areas. Then O’Malley was hired and the district miraculously discovered millions of dollars that could be cut without impacting the district’s core mission.

We were told controlling expenses for legal and special education was beyond our control. Then we hired a new attorney and new director of special services. Legal expenses dropped by over half and out-districting has dropped by ten percent.

Again and again, policy is driven by staff.

For years, it’s been frustrating to file OPRA requests to obtain copies of town ordinances. Regulations were posted but not ordinances. There was no legitimate reason to not post the ordinances (just as there’s no legitimate reason to not post minutes from the planning and zoning boards) but such was the township’s practice.

Recently, Ken Aitken requested the ordinances be posted. There was no objection from the interim town manager, the town council approved, and presto, they’re now posted. Having said that, some of what’s posted is truly disturbing and points, once again, to the need to change staff.

Bond Ordinance 2-2011 aims to raise $1,709,735 for ” THE MAKING OF ROAD IMPROVEMENTS AND THE ACQUISITION OF NEW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT”.

The title gives the strong impression that the bond is necessary to fund “road improvements” and “information technology equipment.” Not so. As detailed in the ordinance itself, the IT equipment only costs $7,000 and has an expected shelf life of five years; hardly the “capital improvement” you would bond for any more than a homeowner would refinance his mortgage to buy a new stereo system.

Why then did the township include the $7,000 purchase in the bond notice? Because everybody knows that “road improvements” is synonymous with CME Associates, the town engineer and underwriter for the town council’s upcoming election efforts.

These shenanigans will never end so long as the town council continues engaging in pay-to-play. Specifically, the township needs to hire a town manager untainted with the scent of corruption (as is the interim town manager), and replace the town attorney, town engineer, and town auditor. Until that’s done, no matter who’s elected, the townsfolk should expect more of the same.

The same holds true in the school district. Despite replacing nearly every administrator at the district level, educational gains have been modest and will continue to be restrained so long as the teachers are represented by a leadership faithful to former AFT President Albert Shanker’s dictum, “When school children start paying union dues, that 's when I'll start representing the interests of school children.”

Staff is policy and you can’t change policy without changing staff. Every elected representative hoping for change needs to understand this.
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11 comments:

Anonymous said...

so with all new administration and mostly new board members things haven't improved. hmmmm. . . it must be those evil teachers because it couldn't be the kids or parents.

Anonymous said...

No one runs here in 07747 because YOU (that's right you JOEY) take up a smear campaign against anyone who actually runs. I can't blame anyone for not wanting to be subject to your directed rants. Until that ends you will only have "crazies" running for both BOE and council. That is what I want running my town, crazies. Why don't you run? Oh I forgot ..... YOU DON"T LIVE HERE!!!

Governor Cody said...

Tonight on NJN News ( fill-in) Governor Cody made the following statement.

"When powerful, unelected people have power over the governmental process and the control the votes of appointed and elected officials, that is what is wrong with the governmental process"

You can watch the interview tonight at 7:00 on NJN.
It is also able to be seen at 6:30 Monday morning.

As for the Kauffkins watching it and getting informed that will be a lost cause. They drank the Kauff kool-aid.

Think about how much time you have left Kauffkins.

Aberdeener said...

Anon 4:36,

Thanks for the credit. I'm glad you notice my efforts. Maybe you can share your opinion with your friends who keep claiming this blog doesn't matter.

Anon 4:29,

When children aren't learning, it's everybody's fault - students, parents, teachers, and administrators.

If you feel the teachers can't do any better, then why are we spending over $60 million?

Anonymous said...

STOP WORRYING ABOUT ABERDEEN. YOU ARE NO LONGER A RESIDENT.WORRY ABOUT NEW YORK. THIS BLOG MISSION STATEMENT IS A LIE. IT ALLOWS COWARDS TO VENT ANONYMOUS.
NO ONE ATTENDS COUNCIL MEETINGS OR BOE MEETINGS THEY TYPE ON THIS BLOG AND NOTHING GETS DONE.
SO WHAT HAS THIS WONDERFUL BLOG ACCOMPLISH.
1 DIVDIDED THE TOWN
2 ATTACKED THE POLICE DEPT
3 ATTACKED TEACHERS
4 ALLOW POSTINGS SUCH AS CLIFFWOOD PEOPLE ARE DIRTY AND THUGS
THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING ASK THE QUESTIONS AND STOP BLOGGING TO JOEY HE LIVES IN NEW YORK.
PS. FUNNY BLACK SEDANS IN EVERYOTHER TOWN EXCEPT ABDERDEEN.

HAL LEVITT said...

SILENCE DIRTY CLIFFWOOD PERSON! IT IS BECAUSE OF YOU AND YOUR UNCLEAN KIND THAT MR WARREN WAS PUT ON EARTH TO SAVE US!!!

GO BACK TO YOUR DIRTY BUNGALOW AND SMACK THE MOTHER OF YOUR ILLIGITIMATE CHILD LIKE YOU DO EVERY WEEKEND WHILE YOU WASTE YOUR WELFARE CHECK ON VODKA FROM A PLASTIC BOTTLE AND HEROIN!

Rhymes with Loony said...

But don't you know, anon at 4:36pm, the "crazies" will save us!?!

Anonymous said...

so Aberdeener, your goal is to leave that town to the crazies since you admit to trying to chase away regular people from running by directed attacks. Thanks, we so appreciate you. You are the reason that people get on the board of Ed with 20 VOTES from the people. thanks again.

Michael Vail said...

When is the town leadership going to answer the question - which position do we not need in Aberdeen - a full time tax assessor or a full time town manager? Obviously, with one person handling both positions simultaneously, we do not need both? So what is it going to be?

Anonymous said...

"former AFT President Albert Shanker’s dictum, “When school children start paying union dues, that 's when I'll start representing the interests of school children.”"...

Unbelievable what comes out of some people's mouth, although, it is finally the truth.

"FOE THE KIDS"...THAT'S THE LIE.

Aberdeener said...

Coren has been released.