2 partners in the demise of our Schools in NYS

There are 2 partners in the demise of our Schools in NYS, 1) NYS laws extremely favorable to municipal and teacher's unions (Tri-borough amendment, lavish pensions, unfair arbitration process, etc.) and 2) Teacher's Unions which are continuing to demand raises and benefit swaps.  The school systems are disappearing before our eyes.  What will we be left with?  Hopefully, 1) School vouchers and 2) Individual Professional contracts for individual teachers (ie. If a teacher is good they get raises, If not, they do not get raises. We could involve the parents in the "grading" of teachers for purposes of getting individual raises.) Let's move toward excellence, getting rid of unfair group rewards for teacher's unions. 

The Public Schools Need Competition -- Enter Vouchers

The public schools need competition.  If you are serious about ending the decline of public education.  Introduce competition by allowing parents to use vouchers to send their children to the school of their choice, ie) public, private, parochial, charter, etc.  These different schools would compete for students much like public and private colleges compete for students.  Competition breeds excellence.  No Competition breeds complacency and failure.

Call your reps about MOVING election of School Boards from MAY to NOV

To all Taxpayers-- We need your support on a vote that will be coming to the Albany Senate and Assembly.....Let's call all of our NYS Assemblymen and Senators to prepare them to vote in FAVOR of MOVING the election of School Board members from MAY to NOVEMBER (Election Day). To all Taxpayers..if we get this vote day changed, we will be able to elect people who are not buddies of teachers and who will be looking out for the students and the taxpayers... This is a very important NYS issue...Call your representatives!!!

Kingston Mayoral Candidates - Tell us what you will push hard for !!!

We need specific proposals from our City of Kingston mayoral candidates.  For the next mayor, we want to hear specific game-changing things that you are going to push and fight for.  For example, we taxpayers desparately need 1) annual city-wide property assessments. Most of us are stuck at the pre-housing bubble 2006 assessments. This causes Kingston residents to pay unfair county, school taxes. 2) pay-freeze, no-step increase, 25% health contribution contracts, no manning clauses. 3) heavy volunteerism, much less union control of city.  4) Get rid of the Ulster County rule that the City of Kingston has to pay safety net welfare charges by threatening to keep all of the city sales tax from the county. Now is the time to negotiate with the county, since the 1% county sales tax add-on is up for renewal in the assembly.  Unless you candidates are talking specific proposals that you want to push, it sounds like a high school student council election, ie. popularity.  To my fellow taxpayers and bloggers, please post on this blog other City of Kingston initiatives that we can PUSH for together.

Does Cuomo have press conferences or Talk Radio appearances?

I have an important question.  Does Andrew Cuomo have or plan any press conferences or Talk Radio appearances where citizens can ask him questions?  So far, his appearances are scripted.  I want to ask him a simple question.  Andrew, do you support moving the election day for our local school boards from May to November to allow more citizens to participate and to allow for a more equitable election that is not skewed by low general citizen turn out and heavy teacher and teacher family turnout.

ALDERMANIC BULLETIN -- Get to work on the 2011 Contracts, delay term limits

Why are Kingston's Aldermen and Women working on secondary issues such as term limits when we taxpayers want to hear from them about their plans and positions on the PAY FREEZE, NO MANNING CLAUSE, PAY 25% OF HEALTH BENEFITS, NO STEP INCREASES contract negotiations coming up this year.  To my fellow Kingstonians, lets shine a light on the current aldermanic positions on these important contracts that will determine whether Kingston will be a viable place to live and work or whether it will continue to fail.

NO STEP INCREASES, FREEZE WAGES IN NEW CONTRACTS

To all Ulster County School Districts and Towns and Cities:

Please do the following.

1) NO STEP INCREASES (There is NO mandate for these.)

2) FREEZE WAGES IN NEW CONTRACTS. (There is NO mandate for percent increases.)