Temper, Temper
It was rather surprising and certainly embarrassing to be at the Henry Hudson Board of Education meeting last night and hear Dr. Beams fly off the handle, raise the audio on her mike to a painful hearing level and say more than once “it doesn’t’ matter what Tara Beams thinks” when it comes to the regionalization issue.
She was simply asked why it appears she is so against Sea Bright being part of any planned regionalization until maybe, sometime in the future.
Silence is Deafening
What made matters worse, was neither the board chairman nor any member of the Board of Education said a word about this $180,000 a year paid professional employee sounding like a spoiled child who can’t get her way. I can only hope they reprimand her in private and take steps to ensure taxpayers are never subjected to such antics again.
Opposed to Sea Bright?
Of course Dr. Beams gives every sign she is opposed to Sea Bright being included. Last night she pinned the blame for all the delay on the New Jersey State Board of Education Commissioner. If that is true, it would have been nice to hear her say she has contacted the Commissioner and asked what could be done to at least get the question on the ballot.
The Oceanport Connection
With so many delays, and so much blame for nothing moving forward, the question does come up quite often. If it’s true Oceanport would lose a bunch of money if Sea Bright switches from there to Henry Hudson and if it’s true Dr. Beams lives in Oceanport and pays taxes there, then wouldn’t it be true also that she would have an opinion on whether Sea Bright should be included?
Here again, the boards of education in the Henry Hudson district don’t say anything about her being the primary spokesperson on the regionalization issue. They don’t seem to think there is any conflict here. For that matter, has any board member, on any of the three boards of education, ever said anything publicly about what they know about regionalization? They defer to Dr. Beams, just as the Hudson Board Chairman did last night when I specifically directed questions to him.
Let the Taxpayer Decide
What is so very wrong about letting the taxpayers decide whether they want to take a chance on getting more money into the towns to help cut the cost of education without cutting the quality? What is wrong with thinking the taxpayers should have the right to say what they want? If they could vote, and if they say no, no regionalization, then there’s no need for more attorneys, more mediators, more time wasted in talking about something they don’t want.
If they say yes, it sounds like a good idea and it sounds like it will save money and maybe offer more educational opportunities to the kids, then, with everyone working together, maybe the Education Commissioner would act faster if indeed that is the problem now. Maybe state legislators would push for quicker action and try to save the taxpayers some money in attorneys, delays, mediators and more studies.
The Silent Majority
Maybe the taxpayers should get more vocal. Within the first hour after midnight last night when that first story on the Henry Hudson board meeting appeared on venividiscripto, hundreds had read the story. After midnight. By 9 a.m. this morning, several hundred more read it.
So there must be interest. There must be opinions. There must be at least some of those people who read these stories who think the public not only has the right to know, but also has the right to be heard.
It’s time to quit stalling and let regionalization for all three towns get on the ballot.
