Harambee!

You've got to be kidding.

How about enough with Hamabee, Iraq and bike boy and let's get down to the problems at hand.

Lower taxes, safer streets, accountability in office.

Once you've done those things, then we can talk about "environmental sustainability" and West African fist raising.

Please....

Coincidentally, at the last swearing-in ceremony, Ted Mattox shouted "Nimekasirika!" to which Ed Remsen replied "Ninakula!"

This is beyond ridiculous. Recall Baskerville!

And later tonight there will be a bonfire at Edgemont Park where we will all sit around and sing "Kumbaya." Lord help us.

Yeah, screw all of this optimism.

I say nanu nanu. I'm off to Ork for the weekend.

Good luck to the new council... They're going to need it to survive this bunch of cynics.

But, "relax people" is right about making sure our priorities are in order.

Tell the BOE to cut their budget 15% from what it was this year: 10% to ease the tax burden and 5% to invest in "environmental sustainability."

"relax people" of course this site is the center of all snark, but you are probably in the wrong town if environmental sustainability and Harambee are going to annoy you so much.

Drob,

But, don't you understand? The people of Montclair (well, the majority of the 33% who bothered to vote) handed the new Town Council a MANDATE!

And we know full well that a MANDATE! is always an effective thing to be handed by the swift, immediate and efficient withdrawal from Iraq we experienced after the Democrat-led Congress was handed theirs.

I have full confidence that this new council will have slashed taxes in half, Fired Hartnett, re-built the Marlbor Inn, and run Plofker, Grabowsky, and the rest of the developer sharks out of town by this time next year.

... or at least that's what the MANDATE! that I voted for calls for.

Pessimism Rules!!

A swearing-in ceremony should be a place where those being sworn-in show some professionalism.
Enthusiasm is nice,and beneficial, but there should be a way to show it by mixing in mature professional behavior.
I'm not condemning her enthusiasm, which
Montclair needs, it just should have been done differently.

Could it be that Fried is pictured smiling because of the deal cut with Remsen that had the old team push through the increased budget at the last minute?

Could it also be why they were not there?

Not me, Mike.
I voted for AMANDATE!

But seriously: what I want to know is, will the new council be able to stop every single one of the grass strips between the sidewalk and the street from being bricked over?

As if there wasn't enough pavement to bake in the sun!!!

My brother in law goes on man dates all the time, but that's his lifestyle choice, not that there's anything wrong with it.

The only person who cut anything was Mattox, he cut the cheese!

Why the need for a new budget when it's not really required until 8/1?

Political cover, that's why.

But Amandala, you could easily fit a one bedroom condo, with eat in kitchen on those grassy strips. We should be going the opposite way, by closing our eyes and bending over to whatever decvelopers suggest.

BTW my parents front lawn has space for a 150 unit condo complex - any offers?

BossofdaBeach

Ask Remsen
Ask Tobin
Ask Michaelson
Ask Mattox

don't both to ask Schlager- she'll only give you Michaelson's reply

don't bother to ask lang - you'll be bitten

I send a hearty--

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

To all!!!

Good luck governing. Try to cut taxes...

Less is more.....

I send a hearty--

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious !

To all!!!

Good luck governing. Try to cut taxes...

Less is more.....

Ok, Mayor, let's see those wheels start turning...bike paths everywhere!

This council needs to get down to business. I have taken the liberty of drawing up a 100-day plan for our new leaders.

Days 1-8: Write, introduce and pass a resolution condemning the war in Iraq.

Day 9: Honor the outgoing Mayor by declaring a new unit of measurement to be used in the town: 500lbs = 1 remsen

Days 10 - 17: Host a 7 day Montclair bike-a-thon, banning all auto traffic from Bloomfield Ave, Valley Rd, Grove St, Bellevue Ave. Orange Rd and Walnut St. with the goal of reducing carbon emissions by 500 remsens over the 7 day period.

Days 17 - 46: Vacation

Day 47: Write a resolution condemning war in Iraq.

Day 48: Receive memo from the town clerk reminding the council that they already passed a resolution condemning the war in Iraq.

Days 48- 56: Edit resolution by replacing "war in Iraq" with "Big Oil" and pass new resolution.

Day 57: Authorize Dr. Alvarez's request for a new Olympic size indoor swimming pool for the BOE staff. Hire team of skilled Italian artisans to design ornate tile border for swimming pool.

Days 58-73: All expenses paid trip to Vegas sponsored by Steve Plofker.

Days 73 - 100: Presentation from Joe Hartnett on 2008 township budget. Begin writing new resolution blaming old council for current financial problems.

Days 90 -100: Pass resolution doubling salaries of council members.

Boy it never felt so good to not live in Montclair..lol

Harambee really means "Up yours!"...

Funny yet cynical.

The new Montclair inside joke is to refer to the remsen. ie. "The 1.6 remsen gorilla in the room is..."

The way Ms. Baskerville did this excited hand in the air and strange word shout, without explaining it first, was weird and off-putting.

Thank goodness we've now got a mayor who cares about the most urgent issue facing humankind: the state of our planet. Please, Mr. Mayor, come out with a plan to make Montclair not merely carbon neutral, but carbon negative. That's right, we must do more than our share to alleviate global warming.

For a start, we should tax property based not solely on monetary value but also on environmental value. Grass lawns don't absorb as much carbon as forests, so lawn owners should pay more than those with trees on their land. Paved driveways should be taxed because they use tar, which is made from petrochemicals. We should give tax breaks for vegetable gardens, which take some of the strain off the food system. I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

The bottom line is we all must do more, and town can help.

(I just renamed my compost bin "mathilda".)

I can see that I made a mistake in a post of a few days ago, concerning the spirited Montclair High grads and their impromptu "greetings" offered to certain posters here as they zoomed by on their chartered bus.
I see now that what was really being shouted to one and all was "harambee!".
Sorry to all concerned.

harambee?
seems a little rude -- at minimum, exclusive--as one of the first public official things to say/do. i already feel shut out. eek.

Posted by Amandala: "...will the new council be able to stop every single one of the grass strips between the sidewalk and the street from being bricked over? "

Is this serious? Have not heard of this, where did you get your info?
That would be horrible if true and must be prevented..

Posted by Amandala: "...will the new council be able to stop every single one of the grass strips between the sidewalk and the street from being bricked over? "

Is this serious? Have not heard of this, where did you get your info?
That would be horrible if true and must be prevented..

You know what's scary? Mathilda is serious when she posts that stuff.
I am hopping into my huge SUV and driving around for an entire tank of gas ONLY in Montclair just for fun. I will stop and idle in places for no particular reason just for the sake of leaving a larger carbon footprint. Thus any hope of carbon neutrality for Montclair will be left behind as so much roadkill in my huge SUV rearview mirror... .......muhahahahah!!!

Weird and strange event. Different folks swearing in various council members. Somehow, Roger Terry was sworn in as "Solicitor" by Judge Booker. (or another guy in a robe?)Fried needs a booster seat on the dais. From the audience, he looked like a five year old on "Take My Kid To Work Day." Inappropriate sour grapes rant from Tobin, who is still licking his wounds. It's the Township Council and government business, for goodness sake. If Tobin has any behavioral or etiquette issues, I suggest that he contacts Miss Manners about congeniality. I don't care if the new Council beats the crap out of each other as long as they take care of what's important, and cut funding for the frivolous frilly "nice-to-haves" not necessary in the budget. My mortgage payment is going up $1200 a year in August,due to projected tax increase. That's what I care about, not mixing global issues with the order of business in Mayberry. Weller's new baby daughter is a cutie. Baskerville will calm down once the thrill of the new is over. Bet your bottom dollar she'll be a forceful and effective 4th Ward counselor. And Erica--loved your fabulous red shoes. Mazel Tov and Gesundheit.

Tobin doesn't need to contact Misss Manners as Montclair has it's own etiquette czar - Lisa Finan.

"...the system was threatened by "insults and innuendo" against elected officials. "I'm not going to mention an names or any media carrying these messages, but you know who they are,"

Hmmm...

Harambee & Buona Fortuna!

What's scary is that there are still people like you, Cheese With Your Wine, that insist on keeping their heads in the sand, denying the looming crisis facing us all. I don't blame you for it. It's probably something to do with your own childhood, some trauma or so forth that causes you to take a stand against humanity. If humankind is going to continue, we must all draw together and make a stand. We must change our lives to be sustainable. If you are unwilling to do it voluntarily, you should be forced to do it. You'll have to anyway, eventually, but we right-minded people would prefer that you do so now, before the waters are up around our ears, than later, when the atmosphere is thick with carbon and the world has been reduced to weeds and vermin.

I don't care if the new Council beats the crap out of each other as long as they take care of what's important, and cut funding for the frivolous frilly "nice-to-haves" not necessary in the budget.

When the initial pronouncements focus on the Iraq war and "environmental sustainability," you're dreaming to hope for any budgetary rigor.

Of course, I would be thrilled for this council to prove me wrong!

(My compost bin is soooooo feisty--- I love it!!!)

And for the record, I will fight the weeds and vermin for my little slice of heaven here in Baristaville!!!!

Carbon be damned!

Yes Mathilda, as a "right-minded" person you have me figured out. I was dropped on my head as a child (several times if you believe Lasermike), thus causing me to have to be irrational and a conservative at the same time. Seriously though, while I do think the whole global warming thing is still a load of crap, I don't think you had to have been molested or something as a child to believe differently. I wish you well in the "Peoples Republic" where the "green" people run your socialistic government, condemn all wars, and in your fantasies tax the evil oppressors of the environment. I'll keep my coach seat in reality thank you very much. Harambee!!!

Don't worry. When you're sitting stranded on the rooftop I'll give you a space in my canoe. Tonight when you're sitting in your home, at a quiet moment, try and feel your appreciation for the planet and all its creatures. Let your heart fill with love, and you will join us. Love is the way.

>"Let your heart fill with love, and you will join us. "

Sounds like a scary cult. I'll pass...

mathilda,

Once again, "The sky is falling."

Run and hide.

mathilda,

Fun aside. I will. I usually do as I gaze outside and wonder how it all got here.

But I'm just not sure about joining you-- I don't believe we're doomed. Because somewhere, right now, in a lab or a garage, someone is creating the power source that will make it all better.

Until then. Drill. Please.

Welcome to the People's Republic of Montclair. Chairman Freid and his comrads will no doubt begin four years of bashing the United States instead of confronting the issues they were actually elected to deal with. The last time I checked, U.S. foreign policy is not the responsibility of the Montclair Town Council. Stick to issues like taxes, parking and housing and don't embarrass us all with calls to impeach the President.

Everyone should read the last post by "His Grace".

Very well put, my new friend.

(Shhhhhhh..... His Grace, by doing all the other stuff, they don't have to address our local needs and they can feel good about themselves at have done "something.")

As far as I can tell, Mayor Bike Boy was elected to build a more sustainable Montclair. Which means we get the mayor we deserve.

We, the Idiots.

Just to keep the conversation going.....

Ted Mattox?s 2008 Budget Message

The 2008 Montclair Municipal budget is once again a testament to the wasteful spending and lack of courage on behalf of this council. Even in this council?s final hours, it fails to summon the courage it needs to pass a responsible budget. To pass along a double digit municipal tax increase and a township-wide increase of more than seven percent proves that even without the pressure of re-election, this council has no concept as to how much Montclairians are hurting financially. With increases in the sewer/water tax, parking rates and application fees, all residents are feeling the effect of the recession. Just look at gas and home heating fuel hitting historical highs just as many Montclair residents fall victim to corporate cutbacks. Additionally, this council could have shown compassion for those here in town living on fixed or retirement incomes, but they chose to ignore this important segment of Montclair?s diversity.

In my 2007 budget message, I asked the question ?how long can Montclair?s residents continue at this pace? Municipal taxes are rising more than three times faster than the nation?s wage increases. Many residents in Montclair will tweak their personal budgets to compensate for the additional taxes and fees. Many more won?t be able to absorb the increases and they will leave. The disproportionate number of these people will be minorities and seniors living on fixed income.

I said in 2007 that it boils down to a ?value proposition.? I believe that is still true today. What are we getting for all the taxes and municipal related expenses we incur? While Montclair residents? taxes rank within the state?s highest top ten percent, our high school does not rank academically among the state?s top ten percent. For the most part, our school facilities are in poor condition and the furniture is even worse. Many of our streets and curbs are in terrible condition and with the price of asphalt rising more than 70%, fewer roads will be repaved or repaired. Our pools are lacking and our cable station is still not ?ready for primetime.? We don?t have a community center. Our municipal owned buildings and remaining infrastructure are failing. Many Montclair residents are discovering that communities just a few miles away offer the same level or more services at a little more that half of Montclair?s taxes and fees.

Once again, our township officials attempt to explain the increase in taxes by blaming the state, the county or increases in the pension plan, etc., all the while neglecting to act fiscally responsible at the local level. Of course what the state does effects us. Of course what the county does effects us. But what we do right here in Montclair has the greatest impact on us locally. To that end, we must gain control over our fiscal spending and become more fiscally responsible.

Financial times are tough. As we begin our decent into a full blown recession, we will need to reduce local government?s role as a matter of financial policy. The things that make Montclair ?Montclair? must be privately funded and not maintained by a municipality that is currently on the path to insolvency. We have already bonded two million dollars to compensate for tax revenue shortages created by our recent reevaluation. We are borrowing money to pay for tax revenue we won?t collect.

The municipality should be reduced in size and scope to provide only those essential services as required by state law. The Council should reject any budget put fourth by the Township Manager that does not accomplish this fiscal approach.

While I?ve come to understand that this council will never have the courage to accomplish this task, below are a few of the cuts I will continue to seek?

? A one year freeze on non-union salary and wage increases and the implementation of a bonus system based on departmental savings.
? Privatization of garbage services (I called for this change in 2007 ?
our lost opportunity cost now exceeds $300K.
? A two year hiring freeze, with the exception of the Clerk?s office.
? Demand the return of $800K from the BOE?s over-funded insurance reserve
? Reduce ?administrative? positions in the police and fire departments held by senior officers. These non-emergency positions can be cut without affecting emergency response.

Understanding that these cuts won?t happen with just my support, I hold that the 2008 budget put forth by the township manager for adoption still doesn?t reflect the taxpayers? priorities. This reflects the council?s priorities, the same council that was voted out of office unilaterally. The council?s priorities reflect that of special interest groups like the Montclair Economical Development Corporation (MEDC) and the Montclair Arts Council (MAC). Ed Remsen?s MEDC do not provide a ?return? on our town?s investment. Yet year after year they receive municipal funding. Programs like the Montclair Community Pre-K (a nationally recognized award winning early childhood development program) received a funding cut of approximately twenty percent. Let?s be clear, I?ve had differences with the Pre-K?s funding formula but to put the MEDC?s need to do nothing more than engage in self promotion above the needs of the Pre-K which prepares many of our children for elemental school is not what we should be about. The Pre-K, which offers scholarships to families who qualify for aid, consistently delivers children to the Montclair Public Schools ready to learn from day one, reducing the strain and financial burden on the district. So while we continue to fund less than effective special interest groups, this council under-funds a library system and cuts funding to pools and pre-k education. The township and school district?s lack of concern regarding our children (the district eliminated many after school programs) amounts to kids having nowhere positive to spend their time. Will we increase police overtime to manage the kids hanging around with no place to go? Is that what we are about?

If Montclair residents don?t voice their concerns regarding the Township?s uncontrolled spending, it will have serious tax implications for Montclair?s moderate income families, further erode the Town?s diversity and severely limit our ability to bond large scale municipal projects.

In Summary:

For all the ?work? Ed Remsen and the Board of School Estimate claim they put into the budget process, the fact remains that they got it wrong and they misrepresented the figures to the balance of the council and the public. Ideally, I would like to recast my vote for the record. But a lone voice for local tax reform is pointless unless it is supported by the residents, residents who want real change.

I half expected our new incoming council to take on the responsibility of the 2008 budget, to fix what has been broken. Watching our freshman councilors participate and seemingly approve the 2008 budget is quite frankly disappointing, especially since many of them ran as agents of ?change.? The next four years will be a major challenge and avoiding difficult situations such as passing a budget won?t be possible. My hope has always been that ?real? change is coming?.we shall see?

Just to keep the conversation going.....

Ted Mattox?s 2008 Budget Message

The 2008 Montclair Municipal budget is once again a testament to the wasteful spending and lack of courage on behalf of this council. Even in this council?s final hours, it fails to summon the courage it needs to pass a responsible budget. To pass along a double digit municipal tax increase and a township-wide increase of more than seven percent proves that even without the pressure of re-election, this council has no concept as to how much Montclairians are hurting financially. With increases in the sewer/water tax, parking rates and application fees, all residents are feeling the effect of the recession. Just look at gas and home heating fuel hitting historical highs just as many Montclair residents fall victim to corporate cutbacks. Additionally, this council could have shown compassion for those here in town living on fixed or retirement incomes, but they chose to ignore this important segment of Montclair?s diversity.

In my 2007 budget message, I asked the question ?how long can Montclair?s residents continue at this pace? Municipal taxes are rising more than three times faster than the nation?s wage increases. Many residents in Montclair will tweak their personal budgets to compensate for the additional taxes and fees. Many more won?t be able to absorb the increases and they will leave. The disproportionate number of these people will be minorities and seniors living on fixed income.

I said in 2007 that it boils down to a ?value proposition.? I believe that is still true today. What are we getting for all the taxes and municipal related expenses we incur? While Montclair residents? taxes rank within the state?s highest top ten percent, our high school does not rank academically among the state?s top ten percent. For the most part, our school facilities are in poor condition and the furniture is even worse. Many of our streets and curbs are in terrible condition and with the price of asphalt rising more than 70%, fewer roads will be repaved or repaired. Our pools are lacking and our cable station is still not ?ready for primetime.? We don?t have a community center. Our municipal owned buildings and remaining infrastructure are failing. Many Montclair residents are discovering that communities just a few miles away offer the same level or more services at a little more that half of Montclair?s taxes and fees.

Once again, our township officials attempt to explain the increase in taxes by blaming the state, the county or increases in the pension plan, etc., all the while neglecting to act fiscally responsible at the local level. Of course what the state does effects us. Of course what the county does effects us. But what we do right here in Montclair has the greatest impact on us locally. To that end, we must gain control over our fiscal spending and become more fiscally responsible.

Financial times are tough. As we begin our decent into a full blown recession, we will need to reduce local government?s role as a matter of financial policy. The things that make Montclair ?Montclair? must be privately funded and not maintained by a municipality that is currently on the path to insolvency. We have already bonded two million dollars to compensate for tax revenue shortages created by our recent reevaluation. We are borrowing money to pay for tax revenue we won?t collect.

The municipality should be reduced in size and scope to provide only those essential services as required by state law. The Council should reject any budget put fourth by the Township Manager that does not accomplish this fiscal approach.

While I?ve come to understand that this council will never have the courage to accomplish this task, below are a few of the cuts I will continue to seek?

? A one year freeze on non-union salary and wage increases and the implementation of a bonus system based on departmental savings.
? Privatization of garbage services (I called for this change in 2007 ?
our lost opportunity cost now exceeds $300K.
? A two year hiring freeze, with the exception of the Clerk?s office.
? Demand the return of $800K from the BOE?s over-funded insurance reserve
? Reduce ?administrative? positions in the police and fire departments held by senior officers. These non-emergency positions can be cut without affecting emergency response.

Understanding that these cuts won?t happen with just my support, I hold that the 2008 budget put forth by the township manager for adoption still doesn?t reflect the taxpayers? priorities. This reflects the council?s priorities, the same council that was voted out of office unilaterally. The council?s priorities reflect that of special interest groups like the Montclair Economical Development Corporation (MEDC) and the Montclair Arts Council (MAC). Ed Remsen?s MEDC do not provide a ?return? on our town?s investment. Yet year after year they receive municipal funding. Programs like the Montclair Community Pre-K (a nationally recognized award winning early childhood development program) received a funding cut of approximately twenty percent. Let?s be clear, I?ve had differences with the Pre-K?s funding formula but to put the MEDC?s need to do nothing more than engage in self promotion above the needs of the Pre-K which prepares many of our children for elemental school is not what we should be about. The Pre-K, which offers scholarships to families who qualify for aid, consistently delivers children to the Montclair Public Schools ready to learn from day one, reducing the strain and financial burden on the district. So while we continue to fund less than effective special interest groups, this council under-funds a library system and cuts funding to pools and pre-k education. The township and school district?s lack of concern regarding our children (the district eliminated many after school programs) amounts to kids having nowhere positive to spend their time. Will we increase police overtime to manage the kids hanging around with no place to go? Is that what we are about?

If Montclair residents don?t voice their concerns regarding the Township?s uncontrolled spending, it will have serious tax implications for Montclair?s moderate income families, further erode the Town?s diversity and severely limit our ability to bond large scale municipal projects.

In Summary:

For all the ?work? Ed Remsen and the Board of School Estimate claim they put into the budget process, the fact remains that they got it wrong and they misrepresented the figures to the balance of the council and the public. Ideally, I would like to recast my vote for the record. But a lone voice for local tax reform is pointless unless it is supported by the residents, residents who want real change.

I half expected our new incoming council to take on the responsibility of the 2008 budget, to fix what has been broken. Watching our freshman councilors participate and seemingly approve the 2008 budget is quite frankly disappointing, especially since many of them ran as agents of ?change.? The next four years will be a major challenge and avoiding difficult situations such as passing a budget won?t be possible. My hope has always been that ?real? change is coming?.we shall see?

TM, take a chill pill or go get a real job, or hobby, or something. Your five minutes of infamy are officially over.