The Bayonne Public Advocate

Note: I sent this out as an email to people who have expressed an interestin attending in person meetings. If you have an interest in being on the email list, email me at neil AT urbannerd DOT com. I hope to see new faces at the upcoming meeting!

January brings the 1 year anniversary of the Bayonne Public Advocate. If there is one thing that I have learned over the past year it is that making things a community effort helps to achieve goals. In 2008 I set out to have a Mayoral Debate. I enlisted the help of a variety of people. In the end, because of this group effort a series of very informative videos were released. I believe that we as a group had an impact. Even if we did not impact a very wide audience, we certainly made ourselves more aware of issues.

In 2009 I would like to take that group effort and capitalize on it. I think there are more group projects we can collaborate on for the common good of Bayonne. With this in mind I have a few goals:
1) An Email list. You are the begging of an email list I am going to grow. This email list will be used only to:
A) notify people of the next meeting
B) notify people of important issues we can take action on as a group.
2) Have a regularly scheduled bimonthly meeting: I think having a regular meeting every other month will enable more people to attend. I think every month will be too often, but perhaps if there are issues occurring we can call special meetings. By the way if anyone has a suggestion for meeting locations please by all means advise me!
3) Create a list of issues that we all agree should be worked on
4) Create a new forum/chat board. I have been thinking about this for a while. I own the domain thebayonneboard.com. I think it may be time for a new forum. One of the ideas for this forum would be that the moderators for the forum would come from Bayonne Public Advocate readers. The board would be run freely, openly & fairly. We would not allow duplicate names and nothing would be deleted unless it was illegal or violated the terms of my hosting agreement. If you have an interest in this please let me know, I would need about 4 moderators to help keep order

The Next Meeting
Date: Thursday January 8th, 2009
Time: 7PM
Location: The Networking Café, 418 Broadway
Agenda: 1) determine the “issues list” for the advocate. 2) the upcoming BBOE meeting

Call to Action: All BayPubAdvocate readers should attend the next Bayonne Board of Education Meeting!
You may have read the recent Jersey Journal article quoting Cliff Doll, the Business Administrator of the BOE. I recently discovered that his statements were misleading if not entirely false. We should encourage as many people as possible to attend the next BOE meeting to challenge the BOE to have Mr Doll account for his statements.
You can read more about this issue here

Thank you
Neil Barton

January 5th, 2009 | by admin | Category: BBOE, From the Advocate | Leave a comment

Here is the entire timeline of the Peter Lilburn & Felicia Ryan V Bayonne Parking Authority legal case. I have included the first document (the original complaint) and the latest document to be filed with the court in pdf format.

January 4th, 2009 | by admin | Category: BPA (Parking Auth) | Leave a comment

Bayonne BOE Agenda and Resolutions from Sept and Oct 2008 meetings.

bboed-sept-2008-part-1

bboed-sept-2008-part-2

bboed-oct-2008

December 31st, 2008 | by LDePinto | Category: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

More developments continue to come out on the story of the Bayonne Board of Education borrowing $30mil to cover their operating expenses. Here is a recap of the story with latest developments.

On Monday December 29th, Ron Lier of the Jersey Journal wrote: “For the first time in at least three decades, the Bayonne Board of Education says it’s being forced to borrow money - probably $30 million - from a bank to get through the balance of the school year.”

While it is factual that the BBOE needs to take out a loan to cover operating expenses (they are awaiting state & federal aid), it is not factual that this is the first time this has happened. Mr. Lier must have been too eager to take BBOE representative Cliff Doll at his word rather than check his own archives. A simple search of the Jersey Journal archives revealed an article written by Ron Lier from June 5 of this year detailing the BBOE taking out an $8mil loan to “finish the school year in the black.” It went on to say “Cliff Doll, the board’s business administrator, said the district is short because it hasn’t yet received this month’s state aid payments.” That sounds amazingly similar to what is happening now.

I called Councilman Tony Chiappone who sits on the Board of School estimates to verify if this loan was taken out. He said it was taken out in order to cover the expenses of the last fiscal year while the board anticipated state funding (as it is doing now). Furthermore an unnamed source within city hall also verified that Mr Doll was being less than accurate. This is the SECOND time (not the first) that the BBOE has had to do this.

It is curious that the Jersey Journal did not catch this inaccuracy, nor did it do any research into the matter. But as I have done research as a concerned Advocate I have discovered further inaccuracies.

In the Dec 29 story, Mr Lier wrote: The board is waiting on about $4 million in federal aid and about $37 million in state aid, Doll said. “And the city owes us about $19 million,” he added.

Both an unnamed source in city hall as well as Councilman Chiappone stated that the $19mil figure is not accurate. In reality the city has been paying its allotted monies to the BBOE on time each quarter. However, according to Councilman Chiappone the BBOE has been spending too quickly and therefore is requesting the additional funds that are not due to it until the next quarter. It is troubling that the BBOE would mislead the public about this. One also must question the Jersey Journal and wonder why they didn’t check with city hall on this figure?

I get the sense from my sources that some in city hall are none too pleased with Mr. Doll’s recent statements. I also get the sense that some action may be taken on the matter from city hall. Stay tuned!

December 30th, 2008 | by admin | Category: BBOE | Comments (1)

(Much thanks to lulu/lizzie & Laura DePinto on this one)

Yesterday I wrote about the BBOE borrowing $30mil+ to cover operating expenses. Ron Lier of the Jersey Journal wrote:

For the first time in at least three decades, the Bayonne Board of Education says it’s being forced to borrow money - probably $30 million - from a bank to get through the balance of the school year.

Well it turns out that is not true. Mr. Lier must have been too eager to take Mr. Doll at his word rather than check his own archives. Here is an archived Jersey Journal article from June of this year detailing the BBOE taking out an $8mil loan:

Bayonne ed board applies for $8M loan
Author: RONALD LEIR
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
Publication: Jersey Journal, The (Jersey City, NJ)
Publish Date: June 5, 2008
Word Count: 316
Document ID: 1211E53B78B32EB8

Board members went along with Doll’s recommendation to apply to the Bayonne Community Bank for a loan of $8 million last

When can we start expecting some straight answers from our city officials AS WELL as our “newspaper of record”?

December 30th, 2008 | by admin | Category: BBOE | Comments (1)

According to the Jersey Journal, the Bayonne Board of Education is seeking to borrow an estimated $30 million (if not more, up to almost 60) in order to cover operating expenses. On a positive note the BOE has not had to borrow to cover operating expenses in 30 years. However, realistically the board should have expected this.

In fact at the Board of School Estimate meetings as early as this summer Mr. Doll stated that he was still waiting on state & federal funds and was unsure when they might arrive. However, as is typical with many city agencies & semi autonomous boards little is done to prepare the public for the worst ahead of time. Mr. Doll could have sought out the papers then and made the public aware that this was a real issue. He did not do so. Time & again we see agencies in this city ignore the concept of information flow.

There is no attempt at public outreach, just attempts at hiding the worst until it cannot be hidden anymore. To be clear, I don’t necessarily object to this borrowing. In this case, the money borrowed is expected to be paid back by next year. This is in stark contrast to the many millions (almost half a billion) in debt that the city & agencies continue to carry on their books year after year. My objection is the way the BOW deals with the public. The taxpayer is the last to know, and is always here to clean up the mess. There is little attempt to make the information readily available to the public in a proactive manner. Why? Because they do not wish the public to have this information.

Let me provide you a case in point. A member of the Bayonne Public Advocate get a copy of all documents relating to Board of Education meetings and Board of School estimate meetings every month. These documents are provided as photocopies. However, every single one of these same documents is computer generated. Why is the School Board unable to provide these documents online or at least electronically? We then have to scan in all the documents to get them online, documents that originated on the computer to begin with. Even the city clerk has been responsive enough to post the City Council agendas online for all to see now.

But I digress. The original issue was one of budget shortfall. Here are one or two other important monetary issues that all taxpayers should be made aware of as well:

- For instance, in this climate of growing economic uncertainty why did the BOE take out a bond of $1million to purchase a new garage when they were leasing a land (debt free) for services of their bus? Why take on more debt when the economy looked to be worsening?
- Are all taxpayers (not just parents who get the newsletters) aware that Bayonne High School is in its 4th year of having been designated a school in need of improvement? This means that parents are entitled to send their children to another school of their choosing at taxpayer expense.

Finally, there are a number of great questions being asked at this time about the BOE. Because of the poor way the BOE has handled this issue, people who are in fact very knowledgeable are coming forward to ask some pertinent questions. Here is a compelling list of questions and criticism of the BOE by a user on the NJ.com Bayonne Forum:

Lizziemdizzy 12/29/08 7:43 ET
Someone has to rein in the BBOE. How much money monthly is needed to meet the salary payroll? Why wasn’t the money placed aside when the board received their revenue generated from our taxes? Why were they allowed to purchase the property at Juliette Street? Why was Pierson made assistant to Cliff? Why was Eric Ryan made acting athletic director? Why is the ICE program still running? Why weren’t the Eng/Hist honors programs separated? Why is an AP class in place with 3 students? Why are there 4 secretaries in the main office of the HS? Why were 2 men assigned to 2 elementary schools, with no schedules? Why doesn’t the teachers’ union president teach? Why isn’t Maribeth’s position abolished? Why create the Twilight school program? Why not seek alternatives to the inclusion classes? Why have so many 12 month directors? Wht did the BOE sanction the huge salary raises? Why? Why? Why?

Wake up Bayonne! Mayor Smith, the Council, the BOE and the public has to begin to take a proactive role as to why, how and where the money is going. Here is where cuts can be made that would not impact the quality of education offerred to our community. If the State cuts our aid, we’re in deeper trouble. Unfortunately, Mr. Doll doles out money predicated on receiving grant money. Had he opted to treat the grant money as a bonus,we be in better shape.

December 29th, 2008 | by admin | Category: BBOE | Comments (3)

It seems that there are deleters from the Bayonne forum on NJ.com don’t value real information.  Another reason why this site is so great.

December 20th, 2008 | by LDePinto | Category: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Both Henry Harris and Woodrow Wilson are designated as “Early Warning Schools”. Woodrow made AYP, Henry Harris did not make AYP.  Once a school doesn’t make AYP, it takes two years to get off “the list”.

Bayonne High School s in its 4th year as rated a school in need of improvement, aka SINI with the following state sanctions:

Year 4 Status

Seventy-two schools received notice that they are now placed in Year 4 Corrective Action status.  Any of those schools that receive federal Title I funding must allot 20 percent of their Title I funds for parental options, such as intra-district school choice, if feasible, and supplemental educational services, such as tutoring; complete or update a school improvement plan and undergo a comprehensive review; and take other corrective actions. Last year, 87 schools were in Year 4 status.

The full explanation of accountabilities including school status, statistical methods and parental notification requirements are found below:

http://www.nj.gov/education/title1/accountability/ayp/0809/

Statistical methods are used for evaluating AYP.  Comparing rigorous statistics used in other industries, e.g. six sigma, SPC, etc., the AYP statistical exceptions (like safe harbor) seem fairly accommodating to demographis that have been deemed influences on AYP attainment like ethnicity, income, special needs and ESL.  Some of these are valid. Frankly, some are not.

Elementary schools in Bayonne seem to be getting better OR are being calculated with the less stringent statistical requirements….which would be a shame. The high school MUST improve.  We really need our district monies to be better spent on Education, not pet projects.  We get adequate funding from the Feds, State and certainly from taxpayers.  These dollars need to be focused on the 3 R’s.

December 20th, 2008 | by LDePinto | Category: BBOE, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

“the county covered their bases… machines and Rutkowski.” That’s what Joe Olszewski, Aide to Assemblyman & Councilman Tony Chiappone and Jersey City Police officer had to say Wednesday the 26th on nj.com’s Bayonne Forum.

I asked him specifically “Joe… Do you believe THIS mayoral election was hacked?” He responded, “Sorry neil I do.”

He explained further, “first the drop off isn’t there, in every special election in the history of new jersey there has been a 10-20% drop off to the Mayor rrace except in bayonne, bayonne’s the only 1. By the numbers the drop off should have been around 2600 not 700. The absentee ballots Doria beat Patty by 250 ,this time around Smith wins by under a hundred. Complaints were filed with the BOE where people stated they voted for President and Smith’s light automatically came on. At the 16th street firehouse, the light wasn’t going on for Wilbeck, so the county had to make the adjustments. Where are the provisional ballots, nobody seems to be able to get a count on them. Smith had a bigger following then Doria, please.”

Olszewski believes that the “county” is in part responsible for this “hack”, when asked if the people involved could also have included Mayor Smith or his campaign he said, “Do I believe there was foul play by certain people invoved with the Smith campaign dealing with those machines,YES I DO! Was Mark doing it ?No”

Unfortunately Olszewski has so far declined to further identify suspects by name. He has also declined to say how he believes the election machines were hacked.

November 30th, 2008 | by admin | Category: Ethics, elections | Comments (1)