Dreams of Green

"That ain't working, that's the way you do it
Money for nothing and your chicks for free" - Dire Straits

Wonderful news. Aberdeen’s town council has found a way to save a million dollars in electric bills over the next fifteen years and get a free roof to boot. And, if you believe that, there’s more wonderful news. The senior housing center on Church St. will finally be developed. As will the transit village, Anchor Glass, and Aberdeen Forge. And, between the cost savings and new ratables, residents will finally see some tax relief.

Find it all a bit hard to believe? You’re not the only one.

Last June, the township issued an RFP for a company to build and maintain, at its own expense, solar panels for township properties plus install a new roof for town hall and then charge the township for the electricity generated by the solar panels at sub-market rates.

New Jersey has the fastest growing solar power market in the country so you’d think there'd be a lot of competition for such a plum assignment. Yet, only one company responded. Nexus Energy Solutions, a spin-off from Nexus Development, has no experience building or installing solar panels aside from having hired other companies to install solar panels at its office headquarters and parking garage.

By coincidence, I’m sure, Nexus is also a regular contributor to the state’s Democratic Party. Another coincidence, I’m equally sure, is that the town council is all Democrat and has a well-documented history of pay-to-play.

Anyways, despite having roughly the same experience as any homeowner who hired a contractor to install solar panels on his roof, Nexus’ proposals received an average score of 93 out of 100 in the township’s proposal review.
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A Lesson in Bureacratese

Let’s take the following hypothetical from a board member’s perspective.

The state awards your school district nearly $600,000, no strings attached. Your superintendent insists the school district spend the money “for the children”. Yet, you’re reluctant. Your district is being ravaged by high unemployment and a wave of foreclosures. Your district is among the highest taxed in the county and, even discounting the windfall, the district has already increased spending by 4%.

The superintendent sees your reluctance and quickly outlines a plan for spending the money. Over a $100,000 will be spent on books. For the children. Who can be opposed to books? And, to make it more palatable, he insists it’s a can’t fail, “research-based” program to create classroom libraries.

You’re wondering why, if it’s such a sure thing, isn’t everybody doing it? And how does sticking books in a room really improve language arts scores? And why isn’t this concept, that’s “research-based”, listed in the federal Department of Education’s What Works Clearinghouse?
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Reasons to Vote Democrat

Well, you know it’s election season when the town council stops publishing their council minutes. The last published minutes were for June 21st. Can’t say I’m surprised. The town council probably didn’t want to revisit Silver Oak’s $100,000 slush fund, funneled through CME to the democrat’s reelection campaign, so close to the election. Or, that if the transit village ever did get off the ground, all the tax money would go into a PILOT program allowing the council to spend money like a drunken sailor without “raising” taxes.

Still, it’s been quite a sleepy season. Not too much campaigning on either side. They don’t even have websites listing the candidates. (No, I couldn’t name them all, either.)

So, it all goes back to party politics. If you like the Democrats retaining monolithic one-party rule for over a decade, vote Democrat.

If you like the pay-to-play, the crowded schools, and the new residential developments, vote Democrat.

If you’re pleased with the progress at the transit village, Anchor Glass, Aberdeen Forge, and the shore, vote Democrat.
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Remembering 9/11

There are moments, terrible moments, in our nation’s history that become part of our collective memory. Pearl Harbor. JFK. 9/11. And it becomes each generation’s responsibility to ensure the next generation never forgets. But it is also a personal responsibility, from parent to child, to share the memories and the pain and explain its relevance to today.

I was in Lower Manhattan that day. My then-girlfriend (now wife) worked across the street from the World Trade Center but chose to call in sick that day so we could spend the day together. I remember the call, remember the towers collapsing, remember people streaming along South Street covered in dust, and remember the outpouring of grief, charity, and determination across our great country.

However, the parts I remember the most were the pictures - a plane steering into the South Tower and people holding hands as they jumped from a hundred floors high to escape the flames. And knowing our nation would never be the same again.

May God bless America and comfort those in need. >>> Read more!

Found Money

After successfully passing its first tax increase in a decade, the Matawan-Aberdeen School District was delighted to learn it was the proud recipient of an additional $584,217 in state aid.

The district’s senior administrators quickly huddled to determine how to best spend the money. After all, the thinking goes, why should the money go to waste as tax relief during a labor and housing crisis when the school district could put it to good use.

And what was their master plan? Buying books. Lots and lots of books. Why? Because studies show that the mere presence of books in a room magically improves literacy rates among youngsters.

How does that work? I’m glad you asked. You see, according to this theory, kids are tired of watching TV, playing video games, chatting online or texting friends, and surfing the web. No, what children really want to do is curl up in bed with a good read. But they can’t because the school library doesn’t have any good books and Mommy and Daddy won’t take them to the public library. So, against their better judgment, kids have no alternative to social networking and mind numbing entertainment.

According to this theory, given the choice between Grand Theft Auto and Lord of the Flies, children will naturally be drawn to the latter.
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