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Post by thewildrover on Mar 9, 2006 15:57:24 GMT -5
Facts,
Please advise as to what post you are responding to…I would like to read it… I could not agree with you more RE: "Programs, Music, Sports and Clubs are no longer on the outer ring of the Prime Cuts platter this year!" That exact sentiment was a topic of conversation amongst the parents at my table during the meeting last night.
Nor could I agree more with regards to the “set in concrete budget numbers” sentiment you explained clearly and concisely.
As for the adjustment of your statement “although we may each walk a different path - most of us are all walking to the same goal." …………”most” of us is enough……. And with a sense of solidarity, demanding that the board present a fair and reasonable budget, we can achieve OUR goal.
I ask of you, attend the March 14th Board meeting…your presence will serve as a wake up call to the powers that be, that with the spirit of your last few posts as our rallying cry, WE are a force that cannot be ignored, one that has to be answered to and will not be charmed nor bullied.
You will be welcomed by a group of parents that have a track record of action and doing, and a reputation of not taking NO for an answer. Sit with us. That would really shake the board up.
I think your last few posts have helped in setting forth a new perception…a positive one.
Thank you.
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Post by Go Plainedge! on Mar 9, 2006 16:36:36 GMT -5
{action - Stands up, claps repeatedly}
Great post Wildrover. This is the only way we will move forward.
Thank you for setting a great example for others to follow.
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Post by patriot2415 on Mar 13, 2006 12:14:50 GMT -5
Dear Plainedge Resident WE are being heard ! We have received much feed back from our government officials stating that they are receiving our letters. Keep it up ! If you have not received a reply, write again. If you have received a reply.. write again !!! If you haven't written we are counting on you to do so! We have 800+ names on petitions that were signed at school events and at some senior community centers. We are sending a set of them to each of 51 county and state officials how have input into the State Aid process. Below is the cover letter we used.
************************************************************************** March 2006
Governor George Pataki Executive Chamber, The State Capitol Albany, NY 12224
Dear Governor Pataki:
The Plainedge community has organized to express our concerns 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.
The Plainedge Tax Relief Association (PTRA) has been formed by concerned residents of Plainedge to advocate for additional school funding and tax relief for the Plainedge School District in the State Senate, State Assembly and the Governor’s Office. Residents have been sending letters to our representatives in Albany, as well as signing petitions. We have attached copies of petitions for your consideration as well as the basic letters being sent by residents to our representatives. We are sending this package to all Education Committee members in the Senate and Assembly. We request your action on Bill A.7702 which would allow for a regional cost of living adjustment to be applied to the education aid formula. 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%. Please be aware of the following facts about the Plainedge School District:: • Plainedge has no commercial property so we, the residents, have to pay 85% of the school taxes. • The state aid to Plainedge for operating costs has decreased every year in the past 6 years – from 25.9% to 18.24% of our school budget. • Plainedge has the lowest per pupil expenditure in Nassau County (K-12). • New York State School Board Association rated Plainedge “highly efficient” as compared to other comparable schools. • The Plainedge School budget failed in 2005 and the school is now on austerity. • The Plainedge community formed a grassroots organization and was successful in raising monies to restore high school sports. We request that you provide a special appropriation, or modify the formula to take into account districts such as Plainedge that predominantly depend on residential property tax who have limited or no commercial property. Please remember the children of Plainedge and Long Island when the State Budget is voted upon. Thank you for your help in this endeavor. We look forward to hearing from you soon to tell us what you are doing on this important issue.
Sincerely, Plainedge Tax Relief Association ***************************************************************************
Nassau County officials are using us as an example ! They are rallying all Nassau County School Districts to combine their efforts and put pressure on Albany. They will be starting a County letter writing effort! WE ARE EMPOWERED !!!! HOW ? OUR VOICES and OUR VOTES !!!! Keep up the great work and thank you !!!!! The Plainedge Tax Relief Association Phil
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Post by wwjd on Apr 18, 2006 8:29:58 GMT -5
BOEBUSTER -- you sound like a very angry person. Breath!!! Listen, I've just joined this group and read through many of these posts. There is really no reason to tear people apart. And I'm not just addressing you BOEBUSTER -- it's everyone. I appreciate that people have a place to sound off and give constructive opinions, but spreading rumors and gossiping is just not something we should be doing. We should be thinking ahead. Your references to people and their private lives just isn't necessary. If you took the time check, Mrs. Flanagan is a very accomplished and intellegent woman. She truly has our children's best interest at heart. Honestly, there's not a bad thing anyone can say about her. As to for Mrs. Giardina. Get a smart, pretty woman in a position of power and all of a sudden she's accused of doing things that are inappropriate. Shame on you. Both of these lovely ladies have children i this district and do the right thing. You want accountants and attorneys! I hear that Mrs. Capone, who was being judged by her name in a prior post, is a Certified Financial Planner, a Professor at CW Post and has published financial articles in Newsday. She volunteers her time for CARE and other organizations to help counsel adults and kids about credit card debt and financial planning. This is what we want on our Board! I heard that Mr. Cantatore was asked to help out in the restoration of the drama club by donating advertising space in his paper for various fund raising events and he refused. If he wasn't so interested in our children last year - what makes him so interested now? I heard that the whole CPR group is being backed by a former BOE member who actually owes our District thousands of dollars for missapproprition of funds during her reign. You want more gossip? ? We all hear stuff. As adults and responsible human beings we need to not pass judgement and make our own decisions. Maybe we should just stick to the facts and stop name calling. Every single person - whether they are on the Board presently, or are running, have their personal lives. This is a volunteer position and I commend each and every one of them for taking time out of their lives for our children. I don't believe there is any hidden agenda. I don't believe anyone is trying to fool us. I think everyone is working diligently to do the right thing. Just because it's not what you believe is right, doesn't make it some kind of evil "web" as it is called.
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Post by gopybl on Apr 18, 2006 9:37:47 GMT -5
WWJD - Welcome the plainedge chat board....You may not have realized but this thread died a slow death over a month ago. I would have to agree with you regarding your opinion on Mrs Flanagan....I happen to know her quite well and have had the pleasure of coaching her Children in both Baseball and Football.
I believe Mr. Cantatore is not an OWNER of the LI Press thus his Employers hesitation in donating space for the Drama Club may not have been his decision. I can say that Mr. Catatore is extremely involved with the VOTE YES committee run by the PPAC. I can tell you that Mr. Cantatore has donated his time at our Athletic Fields refurbishing the fields our children play Baseball on... I can tell you that he was very involved in the budget meetings and workshops which took place recently.
I do know that the C_P_R backing rumor was squashed by Frank Presuto back in some of his previous posts..Take a look under School Board Elections.
I also know that the PTA's are very well represented on the Board of Education today. I do know that the Eastplain PTA is definitely represented very well on the Board of Education. Although, Mrs Capone has a strong financial background, I undertstand that she is also very involved in the Eastplain PTA....Mrs Capone's limiting factor to victory might just be that she is running against Mr. Cantatore...
Ultimately, what we are seeking is a BOE which is a good cross section of our community...not lopsided to any one particular group or interest. We are also seeking a BOE which will hold this administration responsible for providing the same levels of education we have grown accustomed to cheaper, better, faster. Every dollar saved on the Administrative side of the budget means that many more programs can be offered to our children with no additional impact on our taxes.
Presuto and Raymond have already demonstrated their dedication to helping the community achieve this during this years past budget meetings. I am a firm believer that History is always an indicator for the future. This is why we must support C_P_R_ to ensure this continues in the future. Also, Please take a look at our VOTE YES thread....This is where we are concentrating our efforts presently. Let's ignore all the negative energy that previously existed on this site and focus on the task at hand....Getting this budget passed on the first try. We are having a Vote YES meeting at the HS Cafeteria this Thursday at 7:30 pm if you would like to come day....Hope to see you soon.
Sincerely, Joey A
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Post by dollywood on May 9, 2006 11:05:30 GMT -5
I am new to this Board and I am new to this process, so I only have a few days left. This has been quite the learning process for me. I do not see what getting a divorce has to do with being a BOE member? Are we to infer that there may be more than meets the eye with Richman and another? That may be grounds for recuse.
I keep hearing how we want a new Superintendent, how richman is arrogant. Yes, I am the first one to say he is a pushy SOB. You see, I look at this as a business. Richman is the President of a fortune 500 company. His job is to run this school. I do not care if he is likable. Is he getting the job done? Ask yourself if not richman than who do we want? What type of Superintendent do we want? I am far from a fan of the man's personality. However, the guy stands his ground, he is stuck up SOB, but our children are getting the very best. He WANTS only top notch for the children. Maybe he thinks we are all idiots who cares-- do we have to like the guy?
If he was working for a company we were running and he was making us all money would we ditch him and give up the money just because we did not like his personality? NO, we would keep the money he was making us and keep him on.
Just my two cents. I could be wrong!
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Post by patriot2415 on May 9, 2006 11:54:36 GMT -5
Dolly, you are correct, a persons personal life is nothing to discuss here.
As for John Richman, you bring up valid points. Has he been good for the advancement of the district, I would believe one would need to say yes.
Does he have a communication problem, yes again. Something he needs to work on. I do believe he wants the best for the children. But sometimes his attitude overshadows that.
Let's not make any mistake, the state of the community and the district are not all his and the administrations fault. Those issues are squarely on the shoulders of the people the COMMUNITY has elected in the past and will elect in the future AND on the community itself. We have been negligent in our duties as taxpayers and as residents by not showing up at BOE meetings, not showing up at budget meetings, not showing up at meet the candidates meetings. That has changed this year, and I believe as we have more and more residents involved, Plainedge will become a stronger more cost efficient district.
We cannot stop on May 16th. There will be meetings to go to, community committees to be part of, information to be demanded, and agreements to be made. I have been saying for weeks, we are in a 2-3 year process of restoration, we have had a great kick-off, we just need to keep it going.
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Post by eggplant on May 9, 2006 11:55:56 GMT -5
(clapping)
Well said Dolly -- and perhaps the sentiments of many of the on lookers who are afraid to speak their mind. I'm sure as you read you'll see that this site is very much one sided. The superintendent is not hired to be our best friend and tell us what we want to hear. Facts are facts -- our kids are doing an outrageous job, the curriculum is incredible and our teachers are the tops. We reap all of these benefits thanks to our superintendent and his assistant administrators.
To comment a little on some of your other posts, which by the way are refreshing, I must ask you to please not discount Mr. Lassman for the last few seconds of his closing. The man is smart, he is professional and he has great ideas. I heard some comments about him not being at BOE meetings in the last few weeks. I believe Mr. Lassman's mom just passed away after suffering with cancer. We certainly need to be a little sympathic to that.
I think Mr. Lassman's final remark is minimal when you look back at the other candidates statements throughout the evening. I believe Mr. Presuto is quoted as saying "I will leave all rocks unturned" -- could that be? It is a taped event, so I'm sure we can follow up on that one. And Mr. Raymond stating that his concerns are with both "scholastics and academics". Did he mean athletics? I have no idea. My point is -- no one is perfect -- everyone says and does things under pressure that do not necessary reflect their true being. We're all human. My only hope is that everyone looks at the facts -- the real facts -- and not the facts as they are perceived by some of the people on this site.
A friend of mine made a statement and it reflects my sentiments exactly: If CPR is breathing new life into the community, we're sure to flatline. My vote is for CLF.
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Post by patriot2415 on May 9, 2006 11:57:18 GMT -5
Dolly, you are correct, a persons personal life is nothing to discuss here.
As for John Richman, you bring up valid points. Has he been good for the advancement of the district, I would believe one would need to say yes.
Does he have a communication problem, yes again. Something he needs to work on. I do believe he wants the best for the children. But sometimes his attitude overshadows that.
Let's not make any mistake, the state of the community and the district are not all his and the administrations fault. Those issues are squarely on the shoulders of the people the COMMUNITY has elected in the past and will elect in the future AND on the community itself. We have been negligent in our duties as taxpayers and as residents by not showing up at BOE meetings, not showing up at budget meetings, not showing up at meet the candidates meetings. That has changed this year, and I believe as we have more and more residents involved, Plainedge will become a stronger more cost efficient district.
We cannot stop on May 16th. There will be meetings to go to, community committees to be part of, information to be demanded, and agreements to be made. I have been saying for weeks, we are in a 2-3 year process of restoration, we have had a great kick-off, we just need to keep it going.
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Post by patriot2415 on May 9, 2006 12:01:02 GMT -5
Egg,
There is a huge difference in making an error speaking in public and having a calculated plan of attack ready.
That is what Steve did, and he turned a PROFESSIONAL debate, into a mud slinging contest.
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Post by eggplant on May 9, 2006 12:04:29 GMT -5
I must have missed something. We should probably bring this thread to another topic. My skin crawls when I see this thread.
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Post by dollywood on May 9, 2006 12:25:32 GMT -5
Thank you all for such a kind welcome. Yes, I too, took notice of Frank's comment of "i will leave every stone unturned". This was a mistake. This I can understand, this I can forgive. It was at the end of a very draining process. I also heard Mr. Raymond's mistake of "scholastics and academics" this was less forgivable as he was only present for two questions. To me it showed that he was unprepared, and he was just going by the seat of his pants. However, it was a mistake.
Mr. Lassman I felt at times I was being lectured about my parenting skills. At one point he took time out to explain to us how we would be amazed at power point as if he was the only one who knew about this. Yes, I know that his mother just passed away hence the reason I did not bring up his attendance record. To be honest I go to the meetings I know that Frank did not have an attendance record before he was OKed for the board position, so to me the attendance record issue is moot.
I have said in another post in this forum, I went there last night a Capone, Lassman, Fox supporter and I left a Capon, Frank P., Fox supporter. I believe that Lassman is a liability to Capone/Fox.
Just my two cents, I could be wrong.
I would love to move this. Like I said I do not understand what the big deal is if a BOE member is getting a divorce. It is not our business.
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Post by Admin on May 9, 2006 13:58:01 GMT -5
Agreed. We don't need this thread coming up again.
To debate the actual candidates please start a new thread in the appropriate section.
Welcome to the message board Dolly!
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