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Post by supportstudents on Mar 16, 2007 23:29:38 GMT -5
Wild and Devils,
I agree. Go you need to get on board FULLY with the program. This is a new Plainedge. A Plainedge that is run by the people for the betterment of the children, OUR CHILDREN. What has happened in the past is just that the PAST. What has happened in the past 2 years is what I would describe as remarkable and unprecedented.The momentum continues to build, forget the no voters. They would vote no for either a 1% or a 10% increase. I give them NO credence as they are trying to hurt my ( our ) children. If I sound passionate about this it is because I am. I would love to see how they voted when there kids were in school. When you buy a house in a community you look out for the entire community and not be selfish. If you want to be selfish, sell your house and get out. With that being said, fire up the engines because the train is loading up and ready to go. The BOE and administration are working closely with the community to formulate a budget that works for everyone, the entire COMMUNITY. Restoration of programs to the pre-austerity level is what everyone wants and will support.
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Post by Go Plainedge! on Mar 17, 2007 9:33:24 GMT -5
Wild and others:
I can understand and respect your opinions. However, please don't attempt to try and place me in a category as "others". I don't think you know who I am, what I really stand for nor what I have done.
That being said....I take offense to those that vote against my children. I am here to grow my family and get my kids the best, most well-rounded education possible. However, I would be shortsighted if I didn't recognize ALL the reasons for this yearly battle. To say forget 2000 potential YES votes, in my opinion, is just that, shortsighted.
I take offense from those people that have taken programs away from my children for their own selfish reasons. Negativity, unfortunately, spreads quickly like a cancer. But if you can cut if off early you can save or heal areas not affected. You can reach out to those that don't vote at all or are on the fence. However, the uninformed negative voters will continue to spread their disillusioned diatribes to all that will listen. So, what does one do? Inform, educate and lead by example to those negative voters.
I am grateful for those that have jumped in to continue striving for a better Plainedge as personal life has me busy lately. I am optimistic that with "Captain Idiot" gone from the helm and with two new BOE members, that this community will take a major turn for the better.
Sour Grapes?...nah
Same goals as everyone else?..Yes!
Analyzing the battle from different angles and perspectives? Absolutely!
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Post by devilsrus on Mar 17, 2007 10:02:13 GMT -5
Good morning GP, You are clearly not part of the negative minority, and always bring an interesting perspective/viewpoint. Your point about the undecided resonants however I dont believe we should even concern ourselves with those who will continue to vote no. I believe we should devote our energies to those of our community who have the most to gain/lose with the passage of the budget. Unfortunately those who will always vote no(and some have valid concerns) will do so despite our best efforts. That being said lets keep drinking the Plainedge Kool-aid and get the programs back. Enjoy St.Patricks Day even though I bleed Red, White and Black today I'll go green
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Post by workingmom on Mar 17, 2007 11:04:06 GMT -5
Below please find an updated form letter that can be printed, signed and mailed to all our representatives in Albany requesting additional state aid. Please, please get this letter out to people to sign and send up to all the representatives listed on the letter. EACH voter in EACH home should send INDIVIDUAL letters!!! We made a difference last year with the letter campaign and we can make a difference this year. A similar letter has been sent by the Plainedge Tax Relief Association (PTRA) to Governor Spitzer, et. al., with copies of the petitions almost 800 of our residents signed last year. More state aid for Plainedge would mean a lower tax burden for our residents and more support for a YES vote on the budget!!
We are trying to email the letter to as many people as possible. If you need me to email it to you, please email me at aweeks1215@aol.com. Please get hard copies out to people as well.
The Plainedge Teachers Federation is also mobilizing to write letters to our representatives. We can make a difference if we all work together!!
The letter is as follows:
March 2007
To: Governor Eliot Spitzer Executive Chamber The State Capitol Albany, NY 12224 Joseph Bruno Senate Majority Leader Room 909 Legislative Office Building Albany, NY 12247 Sheldon Silver Speaker of the Assembly Room 932 Legislative Office Building Albany, NY 12248 Dean Skelos Deputy Majority Leader 55 Front Street Rockville Centre, NY 11570
CC: Senator Kemp Hannon 224 Seventh Street 2nd Floor Garden City, NY 11530 Joseph S. Saladino 200 Boundary Avenue Massapequa, NY 11758 Senator Carl Marcellino Room 812 Legislative Office Building Albany, NY 12247
Dear Sir: I am writing to express my concern over the state education funding formulas and to request that Plainedge School District receive an increase in state aid. The Plainedge community is made up of voters from Massapequa, Bethpage, Seaford, Farmingdale and Levittown in Nassau County. I am requesting you consider smaller school districts such as Plainedge with little or no commercial property tax base, lower income levels and higher regional costs in finalizing the education aid formula. Plainedge residents pay the most in school taxes in Nassau County at a rate of $69.23 per $1,000 of personal income (the highest in Nassau County) while maintaining the lowest per student spending in the County and still achieving academic excellence (*see chart below). Our combined wealth ratio is 1.23 while the Nassau County average is 1.50. It is estimated that almost half of Plainedge residents earn under $80,000 per year. As you are aware, Nassau County school districts only receive 17% of their school funding from the state, while other areas of New York State receive an average of 37%. Plainedge has no commercial property so the residents have to pay 85% of the school taxes. The state aid to Plainedge for operating costs decreased every year in a six year period until this school year (2006-2007). Newsday reported Plainedge would receive 2.78% less state aid in the Governor’s budget for 2007-2008 (due to decreases in BOCES and Building Aid in part due to the fact we were on austerity in 2005-2006). We appreciate the slated increase of $330,246 in Foundation Aid, but the district is struggling to recover from austerity, has worked to push administrative costs down and is rallying to restore children’s programs that were eliminated due to austerity. Therefore, this means the taxpayers will have to pay more in taxes going forward, despite the fact that Plainedge has the lowest per pupil expenditure in Nassau County (K-12). This issue is uniting our community, from Senior Citizens to young adults for the past two years. We all believe the state must make education funding equitable for all New Yorkers and must take into account smaller communities such as ours. We request that you provide a special appropriation, or modify the formula to take into account districts such as Plainedge with low incomes in high cost regions that predominantly depend on residential property tax. Thank you for your help in this endeavor. I look forward to hearing from you soon to tell me what you are doing on this important issue. Sincerely, Print Name: ________________________________ Address: __________________________________ Name of Plainedge Resident __________________________________________ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE - 1999 ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE - 2004 4th Grade ELA 68% 4th Grade ELA 93% 8th Grade ELA 66% 8th Grade ELA 85% 4th Grade Math 90% 4th Grade Math 100% 8th Grade Math 52% 8th Grade Math 91% Regent’s Diplomas 47% Regent’s Diplomas 90% Regent’s English 86% Regent’s English 97% Regent’s Math 80% Regent’s Math 95% 4 Year Colleges 55% 4 Year Colleges 66%
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Post by devilsrus on Mar 17, 2007 12:25:50 GMT -5
great job MOM! Once again a member of the community steps up and provides what was requested of the BOE weeks ago.
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Post by pedgeneeds on Mar 17, 2007 18:00:04 GMT -5
workingmom, excellent post. Thank you for the effort.
Wild/Devil I think GO P has a point. Maybe..just maybe some no voters are voting on emotions rather then fact. Maybe 500 votes are in protest of the administration and have nothing to do with the budget or tax increase. Maybe 500 votes are because of distrust of past BOE. If we just cast them aside, instead of educating them we are doing the district a dis-service. I don't see many of them at meetings so maybe they have just given up hope.
remember, if you forget the past it WILL come back to haunt you again.
If anyone knows a no voter, point them here, get them in touch with Wild, Go, Devil, Patriot workingmom, student or anyone else that regularly posts here. Lets provide them the information they need.
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Post by thewildrover on Mar 17, 2007 19:55:01 GMT -5
Needs , I appreciate your position,….I can see how you can come to the conclusion that we can perhaps sway the no voters. As you might or might not know, a great many of the current posters were intimately involved in the fundraising of 2005 and the VOTE YES committee of last year, ......including this one. Against advice that it was a negative message, a TON of private money was spent on those 3x5, 4x6 and 8x4 signs that you saw everywhere with the message “DON’T HURT THE KIDS…VOTE YES”. WITH THE SPECIFIC INTENT TO ATTEMPT TO CHANGE THE MINDS OF SOME OF THOSE 2000 NO VOTERS. To change their minds that their anti-admin vote was mis-cast and mis-directed. You know what happened…..over 2000 no votes were cast… .. IT JUST DOESN’T MATTER!!!! I have a memory like an elephant BTW, and I will always remember and never forget that there ARE, HAS BEEN AND WILL ALWAYS BE 2000 NO VOTES.To "work smarter not harder" ?? It is proof positive, after last year’s effort, that it is SMARTER to leave those 2000 in the dust and motivate the “silent majority” to VOTE YES!!!!! 3700 votes smarter.....
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Post by pedgeneeds on Mar 17, 2007 20:09:14 GMT -5
Wild,
As I said in my previous post:
if you forget the past it WILL come back to haunt you again.
If these 2000 voters have been casting a NO for a number of years.. perhaps more then a lawn sign will be needed.
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Post by supportstudents on Mar 17, 2007 22:05:53 GMT -5
I am sorry, I respectfully disagree with your postion on the No voters. There minds were made up many years ago and they are not interested in being educated. Where would I find them, I don't see them at the BOE meetings, on the sports fields, at the plays and concerts, or at back to school night. If you no where I can find them let me know. They do not care about the concept of community, if I had to guess many do not have children in the schools. Forget them and make sure the YES voters and the people not inclined to vote because they are too busy get to the ballot boxes. These are the people that stand for community, support children, and want the best for there children. This is my last post on this negative topic. Restoration of programs lends to a new and vibrant Plainedge community.
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Post by pedgeneeds on Mar 18, 2007 0:00:08 GMT -5
I'll just say one more thing on this subject.
Much talk about community here, but little effort on inclusion.
You are correct, VERY few no voters are found at meetings and as I said previously, maybe some have given up hope of a "New Plainedge".
As Wild said before... little things bother little people
Well, a closed mind is even worse!
subject closed in my book...
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Post by getitpassed on Mar 18, 2007 8:41:21 GMT -5
I agree with Wild. You may change a few of the No voters but that number will probably stay about the same. So we need to hit the fence sitters and the uninformed and the voters who just need a push to go vote. And I do believe most of these will be found at the elementary level. Before I'm bashed, let me state for the record that I am at the elementary level so I have some insight into this. It would be interesting to know how many voters in that 30-40 age group came out last year because I'll bet it was a much higher percentage than the year before. We just have to make sure they come out again. So spread the good word on the ball fields and at the concerts because that's where we all meet. The PTA meetings can only reach those that are there. Just my 2 cents.
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Post by pedgeneeds on Mar 18, 2007 8:58:14 GMT -5
getit.. you got it..
My exact point... some believe that because their children are in elementary, a no vote doesn't affect them. It does and those people need to be educated.
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Post by thewildrover on Mar 18, 2007 9:10:26 GMT -5
Needs, This is absolutely not meant as confrontational, please do not take it that way ….I am anxious to hear your POV and welcome your perspective… I have to ask, how have we not been inclusive? Who are we excluding? Was attendance at the communities Budget Awareness Day and Parade by invitation only? Are the views posted on this public board here not respectfully listened to? This is a place for an exchange of ideas and opinions and some healthy debate. All of us have been enlightened, educated… and set straight … on more than a few occasions by Just Facts, Go Plainedge and a few other senior members of this board Also, btw, I am quite fond of great quotes, and the one you refer to, “Those that cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” is one of my personal favorites. It is so very fitting for us here in Plainedge who have been through what we have been through with the 2005 austerity. One would not wish that experience on any other group of parents or any other community. Hence the involvement and effort of so many newly active Plainedge residents be it at BOE meetings, getting the vote out or on this board. Again Needs, I respect your opinion, I will defend your right to express it and will always be welcoming to new thoughts, ideas and discussions. Debate is healthy….and at times, for some of us…educational.
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Post by pedgeneeds on Mar 18, 2007 9:20:24 GMT -5
Wild,
Here is a quote:
" It is proof positive, after last year’s effort, that it is SMARTER to leave those 2000 in the dust and motivate the “silent majority” to VOTE YES!!!!!"
not too inclusive... would you agree?
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Post by thewildrover on Mar 18, 2007 9:59:32 GMT -5
Wild, Here is a quote: " It is proof positive, after last year’s effort, that it is SMARTER to leave those 2000 in the dust and motivate the “silent majority” to VOTE YES!!!!!" not too inclusive... would you agree? PN, OK, I got the picture your painting.....How do WE reach those people and how do WE ,with the limited resources we have, best try to influence them? If, in fact, WE can influence them , it will only benefit OUR children, so I'm all for it.
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