THANK YOU, GOVERNOR CHRISTIE!

Christie supports Roxbury school board member censured over protest
By MATT MANOCHIO • STAFF WRITER • June 11,
2010

ROXBURY — Gov. Chris Christie criticized the local
school district's tactics in censuring a member of
the school board, while also addressing upcoming
nominations to the Lake Hopatcong Commission
during a town hall style meeting Thursday.

"The whole idea I think for a public official is, you
should speak up," Christie said, referring to the
school board censuring fellow board member
Maureen Castriotta for appearing on Roxbury High
School property unannounced during a student
protest against the governor's school aid cuts. She
had criticized school officials for allowing the rally
during school hours.

Christie, of Mendham Township, spoke to a
standing-room-only audience of more than 200
people about his proposal to put on November's
ballot a measure to cap state and local property tax
increases at 2.5 percent with certain exceptions. He
also discussed his plans to disband the state
Council on Affordable Housing, returning the
obligation to build affordable units to municipalities
using a market-based approach.

In speaking about Castriotta, Christie was
responding to a question posed by township
resident Marie Felix at the Roxbury Performing Arts
Center on Eyland Avenue. Castriotta and fellow
board member Chris Rogers, both of whom attended
the meeting, had voted against the school budget
and against the censure motion last month.

Christie rhetorically asked the audience whether
school administrators would have allowed a student
rally critical of the New Jersey Education
Association.

"That protest was permitted by school officials
because it supported their political point of view,"
said Christie, who chided what he described as
bully tactics used by teacher unions who sought to
intimidate school boards.

He stressed his objection was with union leadership
and not with rank-and-file members.

Castriotta smilingly applauded the governor's take.
Schools Superintendent Michael Rossi and board
member Greg Somjen, both of whom supported the
censure, left the meeting together before it
concluded, and did not comment when asked if they
wanted to address Christie's criticisms.


The governor also addressed a resident's concern
about the cash-strapped Lake Hopatcong
Commission, which oversees maintenance of the
state's largest lake.

"Right now, I have to be honest with you, we don't
have the money for it," Christie said, adding that
should revenues pick up in the years to come, he'd
look to readdress the matter.

During a press conference following the town hall-
style meeting, Christie said he would make
appointments to the commission within the next
week. When asked whether he would nominate
Jefferson Mayor Russell Felter, who currently sits on
the commission, to be its chairman, Christie
wouldn't say, but praised Felter.

"I have great admiration for Russ," Christie said,
adding he's known Felter for 16 years. He said if
Felter was interested in working for the state "he's
someone who I would clearly love to have."

Later in the day, state officials announced that Felter
Advertisement was nominated to chair the Commission, replacing
Mount Arlington Mayor Art Ondish.

Christie's primary purpose in being in his home
county was to prod supporters of capping property
tax increases at 2.5 percent a year to write and call
Democratic leaders in Trenton to allow the question
to come up for a vote in the Legislature to put it on
the public ballot.

"They may not post it for a vote, so you won't know
whether your legislator voted yes or no," Christie
said. He said he wants every lawmaker to go on
record whether they support the ballot initiative.

'Those people who vote no on that are going to hear
from the governor in 2011," Christie said of the next
time statehouse elections will be held. He said the
only way property taxes could be increased above
2.5 percent is to address debt service, or if the
residents vote to raise them.

Regarding COAH, Christie said a bipartisan group of
lawmakers was working to eliminate it.

"I said one of my first priorities was to make sure we
gutted COAH," he said, later adding, "we're going to
have a funeral for COAH, respectfully bury it and put
it away forever."

Matt Manochio: 973-428-6627;
mmanochi@gannett.com

THE VERDICT: CENSURE

"You know, so much of the time we're just lost. We say, "Please, God, tell us what is right; tell us what is true." And there is no justice: the rich win, the poor are powerless. We become tired of hearing people lie. And after a time, we become dead... a little dead. We think of ourselves as victims... and we become victims. We become... we become weak. We doubt ourselves, we doubt our beliefs. We doubt our institutions. And we doubt the law. But today you are the law. You ARE the law. Not some book... not the lawyers... not the, a marble statue... or the trappings of the court. See those are just symbols of our desire to be just. They are... they are, in fact, a prayer: a fervent and a frightened prayer. In my religion, they say, "Act as if ye had faith... and faith will be given to you." IF... if we are to have faith in justice, we need only to believe in ourselves. And ACT with justice. See, I believe there is justice in our hearts."....from the movie "The Verdict"

Last night, eight members of the Roxbury Township Board of Education voted to censure me. The following are the links to related news story on the matter and the statement I made during the hearing:

http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20100525/UPDATES01/100524110/Roxbury+school+board+censures+member+for+attending+rally

http://www.nj.com/news/local/index.ssf/2010/05/roxbury_school_board_censures.html
CENSURE HEARING ROXBURY BOARD OF EDUCATION
MAY 24, 2010

Firstly, I firmly and without reservation deny all the allegations of wrongdoing that have been made in what is a campaign to malign my character and to fetter my speech. As a member of the Roxbury Twp. Board of Education, I have not taken any actions which are inconsistent with my obligations as a Board Member or detrimental to the best interest of the district students, the Superintendent, the high school principal, and the Board of Education as a whole nor have I exposed the Board of Education to potential legal liability. As a Board member, I have been responsible to the State Board of Education for complying with state laws and regulations and, within the bounds established by Roxbury school board policy, to the voters of the district for carrying out their wishes in matters of public education.

In fact, I ask that the record show, that the Board has not submitted a single question to me to ascertain the facts prior to holding this hearing.

I will now state the facts that took place on April 27, 2010:

During the evening of April 26, media sources reported a statewide high school student walkout to protest school state aid cuts would be taking place on April 27 on school grounds during school hours. A community member also called me the morning of April 27 who had heard that our high school students would be taking part in the walkout and expressed concern about whether this would be allowed. This demonstration followed the student demonstration that took place before school hours on April 15th. The Board did not receive any communication from Dr. Rossi or John Moschella that a student walkout would be taking place, nor did I expect them to answer my questions, as they had never responded to my emails regarding the demonstration that had occurred on April 14th.
In any case, since the state aid cuts, the school budget election, and the ultimate defeat of the Roxbury school budget had been matters of profound public concern in Roxbury and state-wide, I drove to the high school the morning of April 27th and parked in the student parking lot at approximately 9:30 a.m. to see if the walkout would actually take place.
After I parked, I stood at my car. I observed the presence of news reporters. When the class buzzer sounded at approximately 9:40 a.m., I observed several hundred students filing out the high school’s front entrance into the roadway in front of the school. I immediately called Dr. Rossi’s office because I did not know if he was aware of the walkout and thought I should tell him. A secretary in the office answered and I asked her if Dr. Rossi was there. She said he was not so I told her I was at the high school and there appeared to be a student demonstration going on. She said Dr. Rossi was on his way over to the high school and I said ok, I’d talked to him when he arrived. From the parking lot, I then observed Principal Swanson, on or near a grassy median near the roadway in front of the school. I approached Mr. Swanson from behind and asked him why the walkout was being allowed to take place. He said it was because he could not accommodate the discipline for the number of students involved in the walkout. I asked if he knew about the walkout ahead of time and he said yes and I asked how he knew about the walkout and then ended my conversation with Mr. Swanson, and moved back to the parking lot area. At no time during my conversation with Mr. Swanson did I raise my voice to him, criticize or berate him, give any directives, or seek to involve students in my conversation with him. Moreover, at no time did Mr. Swanson tell me I have to leave the school grounds.

Shortly after speaking to Mr. Swanson, I observed a small group of students rushing towards the parking lot and Mr. Swanson instructing them to go back to the area in front of the school. I also saw a small number of students carrying anti-Christie signs chanting slogans and another small group yelling “Let’s Grill” while most of the other students milled around and talked with each other. I then noticed Dr. Rossi and Mr. Swanson talking with each other near the grassy median and approached them from behind. I said Mike, but Dr. Rossi didn’t appear to hear me so I said his name again. Dr. Rossi then turned his head but not his body and I asked him what was going on. He replied “This is not your business” in a nasty tone and turned his head away. I said, “what do you mean it’s not my business?” and he again turned his head towards me and said “You’re trespassing” again in a very nasty tone. I was upset and incredulous that Dr. Rossi was so antagonistic and confrontational and told him I was not trespassing, that I was a school board member, a long-time taxpayer and resident of Roxbury and my children went through the school system. I asked him who he was to tell me this was not my business and that I was trespassing. Dr. Rossi replied, “I am the Superintendent of Schools”. I then walked away from Dr. Rossi and Mr. Swanson. I stepped back to the parking lot and then observed Dr. Rossi walk away towards the high school. I never gave Dr. Rossi any directives or sought to involve students in my exchange with him.

When Mr. Swanson walked away, I moved forward again to the grassy median and stood and observed the students, the central office assistant superintendents standing near the far entrance of the school, the h.s. vice-principals monitoring the students, and a police officer near a police truck. While the group of students with signs gathered together and chanted slogans, they were video-taped by a newsman and the news reporter interviewed students. Another group of students sat on the curb in front of the school and one student periodically yelled out “I like Christie”. I then saw a student I knew since he was a small child and also whose family I knew well hanging out an upstairs window holding a small sign. I waved up to him and said hello. I then moved towards him and asked him if there’s any classes going on and he said yes. I then moved away and stood in the roadway near the group sitting on the curb and stood there for about 5-10 minutes.

I then moved back to the grassy median and I spoke to the reporter briefly before he left. I said hello and he said he would call me later. As time passed, I observed a Domino’s Pizza vehicle arrive and the police officer stopped it from entering. I saw a group of students attempting to go towards the parking lot to the vehicle but Mr. Swanson stopped them and said they could not accept the delivery. I did see one student walking back with what appear to be a pizza box and other food. I then saw the Domino’s pizza driver come over to talk to Mr. Swanson. She said she had orders to deliver but Mr. Swanson waved her off and said she couldn’t deliver them and not to take any more orders.

Not long after, most of the students went inside the building except for the students demonstrating and chanting .At approximately 10:46 a.m., the last of the students went back into the school building with the exception of a few who were cleaning up the litter that was left behind. I then entered my car and left the high school premises. At no time did I enter the high school building as a visitor from the time I arrived on the high school grounds until the time I left and therefore, did not violate any district policy or procedure and at no time did my behavior contribute in a negative fashion to the proper operation of the school and to student safety.

When I arrived home, I opened an email sent from the Governor’s Press Secretary with a statement that said “students belong in the classroom and we hope all efforts were made to curtail student walkouts”. It also included a statement from Department of Education Commissioner Bret Schundler that said, “Schools should enforce their attendance policies. They should not be permitting students out of class.”

Sometime afterwards, the reporter from the Daily Record who was present at the Roxbury high school walk out called to ask me my opinion of the walkout. I told him, as I always do when giving my opinion about school matters, that I was speaking on my own behalf and not that of the school board. I then stated my opinion, as an elected state official, about the student walkout because it was a genuine issue of public concern. This was also the case when I gave my opinion about the student walkout in subsequent interviews with another reporter from the Daily Record and with Fios news. At no time, when giving my opinion, did I publicly state that the administrators should be reprimanded for sanctioning the event and violating policy. I gave my opinion that the school board should review the matter and decide if school policy was violated and disciplinary action was required.

In closing, I want to again emphatically deny the accusations made against me as stated in in the Resolution of Censure by the Roxbury Board of Education. They are false and malicious, an attempt to violate my constitutional rights, and clearly in retaliation for my viewpoints on the student walkout which they simply did not want to hear.

Gov. Christie Leadership Style Is Just What NJ Needs: "Honest and Refreshing"

HEY GOVERNOR CHRISTIE, LOVE YOUR STYLE...YOU'VE GOT TRENTON COVERED AND I'M DOING JUST WHAT THE PEOPLE IN ROXBURY ELECTED ME TO DO!

Gov Christie calls S-L columnist thin-skinned for inquiring about his "confrontational tone"

VOTE "NO" ON THE SCHOOL BUDGET AND STOP THE MADNESS!

The following is an op-ed piece by Chris Rogers and myself which was published in the April 15th issue of the Roxbury Review and the April 18th @Issue section of the Morris County Daily Record.

SCHOOL ELECTIONS:

Vote 'No,' and stop the madness

By MAUREEN CASTRIOTTA and CHRIS ROGERS
April 18, 2010

Well, here we go again. Thanks to an 8-to-2 vote by the Roxbury school board, the proposed school budget will increase Roxbury residents' property taxes by yet another 4 percent, but sadly, our students will not benefit from the extra dollars. Why? Because the majority rule in the Roxbury school system has made "shared sacrifice" verboten.

Despite the fact that our school district's financial system and productivity are collapsing under the weight of a depressed economy, overspending and excessive employee salaries and benefits, never once has this blunted the demands of the
administrators and teachers union or strengthened the resolve of the school board to put on the brakes on the runaway train of reckless spending.

The very ones who are crying that Roxbury's school district is on the "brink of educational destruction" have now been given a second chance to help rectify their own part in bringing our schools to this precipice, but once again, their own self-interests have taken priority over working for the collective good of our school system and community.

Thus far, the Roxbury teachers union has not made any concessions to help alleviate the school district's financial burden. The teachers will get their 4.7 percent salary increase and not have to pay a penny toward their health insurance premiums.

And then we have our multiple layers of administrators, supervisors and directors. Although most have agreed to a wage freeze, there will be no cuts in their hefty salaries, or sensible elimination of administrative positions despite the demand by
the public to do so.

The school board is supposed to ensure the tax dollars spent go to places where they are most needed to improve student achievement, so how can they justify continual increased spending for the existing administrative positions without any data
proving this results in direct positive gains for our students?

In our opinion, egos, greed and arrogance have displaced the purpose we seek to pursue in education. The end result is the students, parents and taxpayers will be bearing the brunt of a school budget that will raise property taxes while eliminating teachers, programs and electives, and force the implementation of pay-to-play for sports and extracurricular activities.

As school board members, we voted "No" on this school budget. Now it's up to you to make your voices heard and assume ownership of your school system.

Cast your "No" vote on Tuesday and stop the madness.

Maureen Castriotta and Chris Rogers are members
of the Roxbury Board of Education. The opinions
expressed are their own.

Thank you, Gov. Christie, for your political courage

“In whatever arena of life one may meet the challenge of courage, whatever may be the sacrifices he faces if he follows his conscience – the loss of his friends, his fortune, his contentment, even the esteem of his fellow men – each man must decide for himself the course he will follow.”~~~John F. Kennedy

Gov. Chris Christie speaks to Star-Ledger's editorial board about "day of reckoning" budget cuts

By Kelly Heyboer/ The Star-Ledger

March 17, 2010, 10:33PM
John O'Boyle/The Star-Ledger

Gov. Chris Christie answers questions on his proposed budget during a meeting with the Star-Ledger editorial board today. Christie has hit the road to campaign for support of his budget.
A fired-up Gov. Chris Christie visited The Star-Ledger editorial board today to make his case for a proposed state budget that he believes will be the first step in solving New Jersey's financial problems.

The governor made no apologies for his plan to slash school aid, property tax rebate checks, municipal aid and dozens of state programs and departments. He said he is prepared to fight to get the budget through the state Legislature, even if it costs him re-election.

"I've got to fix it. Or I'm going down trying," Christie told the editorial board at The Star-Ledger's Newark office. "I think the public has just had enough."

Christie did not back off his plan to cut taxes to the rich. He said he will not call for renewing an income tax surcharge on families who earn $400,000 or more. The surcharge, which expired last year, would have raised $1 billion for the state coffers if renewed.

The governor said if Democrats legislators wanted the surcharge, they should have passed a bill before it expired last year.

But Christie saved his biggest criticism for the state teachers unions, including the New Jersey Education Association. Teachers may have to give up pay raises and contribute more to their health care plans if school districts can't make ends meet after the proposed state aid cuts.

"The teachers union has a choice here: Do they want to lose members? Or do they want to reopen contracts?" Christie said.

Christie said he suspects the leaders of the NJEA are "crass union bosses" who have little interest in compromising with Trenton lawmakers.

"Those people have been the bullies of State Street . . . and they're not going to bully me," Christie said.