Posted on 04/21/2010 5:42:18 AM PDT by ml/nj
New Jersey voters took a stand on school spending and property taxes Tuesday, rejecting 260 of 479 school budgets across 19 counties, according to unofficial results in statewide school elections.
In the proposed state budget he unveiled last month, Gov. Chris Christie slashed $820 million in aid to school districts and urged voters to defeat budgets if teachers in their schools did not agree to one-year wage freezes. The salvo ignited a heated debate with the state’s largest teachers union.
Christie said the cuts were necessary to help plug an $11 billion state budget gap.
In many districts Tuesday, the governor made himself heard as 54 percent of the spending plans were rejected, according to unofficial returns. If the trend continues, it would mark the most budget defeats in New Jersey since 1976, when 56 percent failed. Typically, voters approve more than 70 percent of the school budgets.
Key districts where budgets failed yesterday included Edison, Parsippany, Bridgewater-Raritan and Woodbridge. Budgets passed in Mountain Lakes, Piscataway, Livingston and Jersey City. In wealthy Somerset County, voters defeated 15 of 17 spending plans; in Hunterdon County, 23 of 28 budgets failed. In the governor’s hometown, Mendham Township, the budget was narrowly approved
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
It's all houses and condos here. I suppose there are some people who rent, but probably not too many. And anyway any of them with any brains know that they are paying these taxes indirectly.
ML/NJ
The teachers were really pushing hard on this, passing out buttons at our local little league games and calling households numerous times to campaign for the passage of these budgets.
I think it might have backfired. Turnout was at an all time high. I think the teachers inadvertently prodded people who normally wouldn’t vote in these elections but are generally opposed to funding increases to vote.
Yes, Vernon.
Me too! So disappointed the budget passed.
The ballots are very misleading, too. They simply state "do you approve of the budget resolution of $x.xx", with no explanation of whether that represents an increase or funding continuation, and an implication that not passing it means no money at all for the school.
There needs to be clearer descriptions of the resolutions on the ballot - but then again, no one would approve them if they did.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.