Panter Intros Bill to Aid Borough School

[richardkelsey]

Marc posted this in another thread -- and I thought it merited its own thread.

News from
Assemblyman Mike Panter
12th Legislative District


FOR RELEASE: CONTACT:

April 16, 2007 Assemblyman Panter

Keith Rella

[phone]

[phone] (cell)


Panter Continues Effort to Provide T&E Education

Says school funding formula needs to be addressed

(Shrewsbury)- Assemblyman Mike Panter (D-Mercer/Monmouth) has introduced two bills designed to ease the burden of some of the schools throughout the state that fall below the per pupil spending standards for a thorough and efficient (T&E) education.

The first bill would appropriate $14,375,000, which the State Department of Education would distribute to 14 school districts in ten counties throughout the state. The funding would bring the districts per pupil spending amount to acceptable T&E levels.

“While I am happy that the legislature is taking steps to address property taxes, until we revitalize the state’s school funding formula we will continue to see districts fall between the cracks,” said Panter, who represents the Freehold Borough School District one of the 14 districts that would receive aid from the appropriation. “This legislation is necessary to address the disproportionate manner in which state aid is currently distributed.”

In an effort to ensure the Freehold Borough School District does not have to make severe cuts to their staff and programs, the second bill would directly supplement the Freehold Borough School District with $1.1 million.

“The T&E bill would benefit fourteen districts in nearly half of the counties in the state and I am inviting my colleagues in the Assembly to support this necessary appropriation,” said Panter. “This funding is needed so that students in Freehold Borough and elsewhere can continue to rely on guidance counselors and librarians, study art and music, and participate in extra curricular activities that will help make them well rounded adults.”

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[Currently serving his second term, Mike is the first member of the Democratic Party to represent Monmouth County in the State Assembly in nearly 20 years. A former investment banker and corporate attorney, Mike is a 1995 graduate of Harvard Law School and serves as the Vice-Chair of the Assembly Financial Institutions Committee, and as a member of the Transportation and Environment Committees. He was named a member of Phi Beta Kappa as a student at Syracuse University, where he earned his B.A. in History magna cum laude in 1992.]

[richardkelsey]

bump

[sonofsilencedogood]

I can't say that I am surprised...

While I will acknowledge that Panter is doing something, I really think he's just doing this to get his name in the papers.

As we heard at the Town Hall meeting...in fact if memory serves, it came from Panter himself...the idea of the state putting some line item in the budget solely for Freehold Borough is very unrealistic. I am curious to hear about how he plans on convincing the 39 Senators and 78 Assemblypeople who do not represent Freehold Boro that this little town deserves money while no other district should have that same luxury???

I don't know...maybe I am being a bit harsh, but that just stinks of political posturing to me.

As for his other idea...gee, sounds a lot like what Assemblywoman Beck has been working on for sometime now...did he just not want to co-sponsor her bill??? Are things that divided between the Republicans and Democrats that they can't even back each other on the same bill??? Do they each have to draft their own version of the same idea??? More political posturing in my eyes.

Let's remember, Panter barely won during the last election...so he may very well be doing all he can just to give the appearance that he is trying to do something for Freehold Boro, when the reality is that he has come up with one idea that is considered a very long shot at best, and another that is a carbon copy of a fellow Assemblyperson from his same district!!!

I may be wrong, though...I'll have to keep an eye out for more stories on this...and definitely a letter to the Assemblyman himself asking for some clarification.

[Marc LeVine]

While I will acknowledge that Panter is doing something, I really think he's just doing this to get his name in the papers.

It will happen or it won't. You can't fail if you don't try. For our sake, let's hope it happens. We're all big enough to say thank you if he pulls this off. That's $1.1 million in our pockets. You know what I call anyone who produces that kind of money to offset my taxes? FRIEND!

Marc

[admin]

Give a man a fish and he eats for a day.

Teach him how to fish and he eats for life.

Panter is only feeding us for a day, or at least through election day. As nice as the money is, it is not the right thing. We need reform so that the schools can suvive for good.

[sonofsilencedogood]

admin said:

Give a man a fish and he eats for a day.

Teach him how to fish and he eats for life.

Panter is only feeding us for a day, or at least through election day. As nice as the money is, it is not the right thing. We need reform so that the schools can survive for good.

exactly

I am sick and tired of politicians coming up with "band-aids"...come up with a real solution to a problem...deal with something decisively...for cryin' out loud, will one politician stand up on principal and not yield to special interest groups and media pressure!! I really wonder sometimes if politicians actually realize what is right and what is wrong anymore...they're so concerned with sound bites and flashy media pieces to get themselves re-elected that they forget to do what's right.

I didn't want to go on and on about this...but I have to relay one story that we're all probably familiar with.

Historically, voter turnout rates for elections in this country run about 60% for presidential elections 40-44% for non-presidential federal elections, and even lower numbers for state elections (and don't even get me started on local election turnout rates, just look at that post about last nights school budget vote). I know everyone loves to talk about "high voter turnout", but come on...is there really anyone who can argue against the fact that every single election shows us time and time again the apathetic nature of the citizens of this country? By the way...those numbers up there are the percentages of registered voters...not people who are eligible to be registered voters (which would drop the numbers even lower).

Now...just to show what one man can do to make a real change in the thinking and mentality of the voting public, let's all look back at Jesse Ventura's run for Governor of Minnesota. Yeah, I know...everyone just loves to write him off as a fluke, a joke...basically everyone likes to gloss over the fact that when he ran for Governor, voter registration in the state saw historic increases, and the actual turnout rate was the highest in over 100 years (if memory serves, they were well over 70% turnout). Since that election, Minnesota is always at the top of the list as far as turnout rates in the various states.

Somehow, though, Americans have been lulled back to sleep by the two reigning parties, and still seem to believe that you have to pick either a Democrat or a Republican, and so voter turnout rates have stayed stagnant. Even the last federal election, where people where "coming out in droves" to affect change in leadership...sorry folks, 45.3% turnout.

What I am getting at is simple...the two party system that has run this country for the past 100+ years is clearly not inspiring the American public anymore, but no one seems to be willing to step up and oppose them. There is the potential out there, for anyone willing to do the leg work, for third, fourth, or fifth party candidates to win elections, which in my opinion can then truly start to change the things that we all complain about on a daily basis. Will these new parties have all the answers...absolutely not, but the idea is to change our thinking and to motivate that other half of the country that simply doesn't show up on election day.

Alright...I have rambled on incoherently long enough. Just remember, vote for the person, not the party, and if there is no one on the ticket that's worth your vote, write in a name that you feel is worth your vote, but don't just sit back and do nothing, and then complain that things never change.

[Marc LeVine]

Panter is only feeding us for a day, or at least through election day. As nice as the money is, it is not the right thing. We need reform so that the schools can suvive for good.

No question. But this has a two part answer. FB needs $1.1 million for the 2007 budget year to reach T&E education levels. Do we want to wait a year to start properly educating our kids? I don't think so. Who likes putting out fires? It happens, even in business. It helps you live to fight another day. We all know that it doesn't end there, though.

Next, we need a better funding formula for which all the state legislators should be held accountable. Sure, Panter, Karcher and/or Beck can lead the charge. Better yet, suggest the actual fix and push it. The one thing they shouldn't do is - do nothing at all. There's plenty of time to make progress prior to November.

The bottom line, though, is the bottom-line. Take the money this year (if we get it) and move on to the next question, sooner rather than later.

Marc