Merchantville.com offers a brief history of events that have occurred up to now, and offers commentary on The Facebook posts and comments from this blog!
3/16 UPDATE : Courier Post Article
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- Mville Citizen
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140 comments:
Some people get nasty when they feel that they have lost their upper hand. I also checked the facebook and they have clearly lifted a comment meant for friends and claimed it to be a statement to the press. That's beyond crazy. That sight has lost all credibility.
Agreed. They are bitter because they feel they have lost their upper hand. Thought that sight was just supposed to be impartial information about the borough. Apparently not.
Really? I found it very insightful.
What I just read changes my feelings about this merger plan.
Sight should be "site".
It would change my feelings if I believed it were true. But I don't think it is and the study/ proposed merger has my vote now more than ever. Trenton stood by the Petitioning Group as well - unanimously!
1. "insightful" is spelled correctly
2. The informaion on Merchantville.com was lifted directly off of Facebook pages - how is it not true?
3. Trenton didn't stand by the petitioner's group, they changed a law to make it more flexible.
However "information" is not... :)
The Merchantville.com article is as expected. I feel like the writer has been trained by Fox News.
Long before this summary of events appeared, the perception of the community is that the mayor and borough council do not want the merger. There is no credibility to the notion that the mayor and council are impartial. They are against it. As the community takes sides, those against the merger side with the mayor and borough council. The mayor and council do not distance themselves from those who are against it. The involvement mayor and council seek in the study process is perceived as a subterfuge to get control of the process and stop a merger from happening.
Clearly, a large part of the community wants a merger to happen and an even larger part wants a fair and unbiased study to happen. That local government does not aspire to advance these aspirations is a discredit to local government. The citizens group may be going around the elected government but it is not going around the citizens. It is the local government which is going around the citizens. Shame on the mayor and local government.
The designated commissioners of local government, distinguished though they may be, are a farce as far as being fair and unbiased are concerned. The preponderance of them are widely expected to vote against putting the merger question on the ballot no matter what the study says.
Cherry Hill is an observant stakeholder in all of this. They are smart people. There would be no sense for them to go through the effort and expense of a study process which is doomed before it begins. They perceive the same things the people of Merchantville perceive.
The law of the land will soon be carved in stone (by unanimous Senate and Assembly votes, no less) that citizen committees for these matters are perfectly legal. There is nothing wrong or improper about them as this article would have you believe. To restore their credibility, the mayor and borough council should distance themselves from the essence of the article. They would best become supporters of the citizen committee in this matter in whatever way the committee deems appropriate.
I thought the Merchantville.com website belonged to the borough. Who runs it?
I don't see the conspiracy. We all get to vote in a referendum. That's direct democracy. Why should council be so entitled. Yes, they are elected, but they are a self selected group of volunteers. We should all be greatful for their service, but I don't see the harm in letting people get to vote on this.
Does anyone know if the citizens of Cherry Hill get vote on the merger or is just the Mayor and his council that get final say?
Why would someone impersonate the borough on facebook? And for what? It's unbelievable how comments not to thier liking are deleted with out cause. Look at what happens to regimes like this around the world today.
Joan Brennan runs the Merchantville.com website - thought she was the administrator? Obviously, it is not impartial. Someone not involved in the politics of this borough should run it if that is the case. Not hard to believe this "regime" is going down. The majority of people do want the merger and you can't blame us...
Merchantville.com is a privately owned website.
Merchantville NJ on Facebook is also privately run by the same people.
Merchatvillenj.gov is the official website for the Borough of Merchantville. They do not have a Facebook page.
Looks like the Courier reporter read Merchantville.com and Facebook in researching this article. I'll bet CH government looks at it too. Could Merchantville.com be the reason that they seem to prefer cooperating with the people directly.
From Merchantville.com's mission statement:
What organizations are currently supporting the web site & directly involved in creating content ?
Merchantville Borough Government agencies
Merchantville Business & Professional Association (MBPA)
Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP) Main Street Merchantville.....
Will their be an apology?
"Sight" was being corrected not "insightful". Merchantville.com is untrue given who privately owns it and runs it. Trenton did stand by the Petitioners group by unanimously changing the law. Oh Please, wake up!
Anon 3/15 10:43 - just to clarify a point. You indicate, what is the fuss because we will all get to vote in a referendum.
We only get to vote in a referendum if 3 of the 5 Merchantville study commissioners approve of having a referendum. If 3 of the 5 are against a referendum, then there is no referendum. Thus, if the Merchantville commissioners are stacked against a merger, the whole process would be stopped.
"Fringe group"?
aside from the fact that this is rude, it's also not true. Everyone on my street and everyone I know in town supports this going to referendum. Nobody is calling the two or three people who write that web site a "fringe group", although that would appear to be more accurate.
And lifting comments made in jest on the group's facebook site and then claiming them to be statements made to the press is highly unethical. A timely and heartfelt apology might restore some credibility at that site.
Why does Merchantville need two websites anyway?? Merchantville.com should fold and let the Merchantvillenj.gov site report the news. Oh, yeah, and as Merchantville Mom said, apologize first!
The petitioning group has faith in the citizens of Merchantville to see through the bias in Joan Brennan's posting to merchantville.com. We have faith that the citizens of Merchantville are intelligent, inquisitive, and will decide for themselves whether a merger for Cherry Hill makes sense once we have the facts of a study. We know, because we've talked to so many of you, and in fact: we are you - neighbors, friends, citizens of Merchantville.
Its unfortunate that the Brennan's choose to use the merchantville.com web site this way. It provides a valuable community service, often the first website to post news links relevant to the community. Yet since this question of consolidation began Joan Brennan has willfully injected her opinion into the site and presented it like news. There is a reason newspapers have Editorials - so the Editors can present their opinions, and they have the integrity to identify it as such. Here we have a complete break in trust. A useful community service is used to advance a private agenda.
The fact is there has been no "sidestep" of local government.
-The petitioning group urged Council to investigate a merger with Cherry Hill last spring.
-Council did not act on it, so in September the petitioning group formed its own application with Cherry Hill which was rejected based on the mixed format.
-Council passed a resolution in the fall to make an application with Cherry Hill, but after 4+ months they failed to do so. In March Council retracted their resolution, something that Joan Brennan failed to mention.
-Legislation has now passed which will allow the format of the petitioning groups application with Cherry Hill to be accepted. And so the petitioning group will proceed with that.
The whole notion that the petitioning group somehow sidestepped the local government is absurd. Council failed to form an application with Cherry Hill through their own actions. It does not take much to understand Cherry Hills reluctance. The bias exhibited by Joan Brennan on the merchantville.com web site, in this article and others before is very clear. Yet Council advanced Joan's husband, ex-mayor Pat Brennan to serve on the Study Commission. Its no wonder they would resist forming an application with Council. And in fact Mayor Platt expressed this to Mayor North during their last conference call with DCA - Mayor North reported this in his description of the call during the 24Jan11 council session. Council was unresponsive to these concerns, and hence they failed.
The petitioning group had no sway over the fate of these events. Council is solely responsible for the failure of their own efforts.
This will not be the last time that distortions will be distributed to the public. The petitioners offer to talk to anybody in town who has reservations, or feels persuaded by what appears to be shocking or slandering news. We are neighbors and homeowners just like you, and as the Study process moves forward our interests remain the same as your interests.
It doesn't need to fold, but they should apologize for the sake of their credibility and then follow a code of ethics.
Facebook is a social media platform. Anyone who thinks that information posted there is private is sadly mistaken. Employers use it to research potential employees and creditors use it to assess risk.
The only mistake Merchantville.com did was not post their entire conversation and do it in order. Here's hoping that they do.
No, Merchantville.com ethical breach lies in claiming that a tongue in cheek facebook comment was a pronouncement to he press. This is extremely dishonest. Merchantville.com will now be viewed as a tabloid.
No one is saying that what is on Facebook is private. That is no defense to being unethical and reposting what is there to put your own spin on it. There was nothing said on Facebook that would hurt any of the quoted parties as good employment candidates. Merchantville.com painted itself in its own light as malicious. What a shame to do that to your own town. As The Donald would say "You're fired."
No one should be using Merchantville.com. It is a rogue website that should have given up it's URL to the town long ago. The official town website is www.merchantvillenj.gov!
Who's believing that any of the Facebook posts were tongue in cheek?
Sorry, I just re-read that Dec.27 facebook thread. Lavardera was clearly just blustering in jest. In context it's sort of funny.
The paranoid tone of the Merchantville.com article has back- fired faster than Glenn Beck's raitings. I don't even think that a tabloid would pull the stunt of passing off Facebook comments as an announcement to the press for God's sake. Mostly though, I'm a little afraid of anyone who would study through months of Facebook comments and then pull this dirty trick. A cornered rat can be dangerous indeed.
I doubt that their are more than a handful or so in town who are against this study. Council members and one noisy person with a website. Big deal. Let's get the facts and have the people decide. What are they afraid of?
Obviously they believe that they will lose...
one noisy person
Can we get THEIR and THIER STRAIGHT? And THEIR and THERE?
You have me thinking that maybe, just maybe, NOISY may mean NOSEY. Or does it?
They probably will lose. And they obviously can't come to grips with the reality of what is happening so they are desparately looking to wrongly discredit people through Facebook postings. Yes, take down Merchantville.com. Consolidate the two websites for this town. It would only be appropriate, after all...
The petitioners picked a fight with a warlock...
Really, whose the warlock? And where's the fight? The new legislation is all fair politics, unless you want to dispute it with the unanimous supporters in Trenton. Good luck with that, not happening, no fight, the study is going to be a done deal.
Nobody likes to have their typos and spelling corrected. It's rude and is that all that you've got? Really??? This indicates a deep character flaw in you- who ever you are. I really hope that the blogmaster would consider deleting every pointless spell check remark.
As stated in point number 8 of my little manifesto from Aug. 2009, I encourage everyone to not get too caught up on minor spelling and grammatical points. I will be more active on this point in moderating future comments. Unless, you butcher the word voyeur.
Also, a post from lavadera and Gail got caught in Blogger's spam filter. They have now been published to this thread.
I looked through the comments in question. What sort of self impotant (woops) desperate tpye points out spelling errors that aren't there. (oops). Get a life and let's examine substance!
@Mville Citizen - Thank you for bringing us back to focusing on the discussion and not on typos and grammar!
Don't believe the hype - Merchantville can survive!
It's not hype. Have you bothered to look at the Courier this morning. All talk about regionalized police forces and also trash consolidation. This is just not a problem for Merchantville - it spreads way beyond our borders. Be smart and use whatever resources we have to improve things. Get your head out of the sand that this is hype - this is real.
Merchantville will survive either way. We'll all still be here regardless of where our services come from. We just need to examine and choose what will work best.
Sure that sounds fine you dummy
Pave paradise and put up a parking lot.
Really, this is paradise? Are you kidding? Why don't you go tell the governor how happy you are and he will stop sitting in on all of these consolidation meetings. I'm sure you will change his mind. Vote for the merger or he can single-handedly change things for how you never wanted them to be. Then see how happy you are. Thank goodness the good citizens of Merchantville realize there is work to be done and are actually not sitting around pretending this is paradise and doing something real about it.
Of course this isn't paradise, but we have alot to lose. Just take a look at what we have. Wake up! We live in a tight knit community with tree lined streets and an increasingly prosperous downtown with businesses like McFarlan's, Aunt Charlotte's and the Blue Monkey. We don't belong in a town with a big mall, condos, strip malls and corporate office parks. Why throw it all away?
Tight knit? Not from my experience in the last 12 years. Those businesses will come and go as they always do. Merging does not mean chopping down trees and closing down businesses. It will mean real prosperity. People will always have their circles that keep them tight knit whether it's a small town or a larger community. Keeping Merchantville a town is just too nostalgic for this day and age in 2011. Sorry but we can't afford to keep your paradise. Time for some much needed improvement by active citizens or Trenton will step in - it is on its agenda and you have to stop living in lala land a/k/a paradise. Time changes all things.
Thanks for telling of your experience in Merchantville for 12 whole years (wow). You are living in Merchantville, but you are not "of" Merchantville. Big difference. My family has been here since the 60s and many others have family dating back to the founding. What gives you the right?
If you have lived in Merchantville for 12 years and not experienced its tight knit community, then you are the exception not the rule and have only yourself to blame. You can't avoid it what makes our community special. You stumble across it everywhere you go.
Our sense of community centers around everything in this town - from the people to the school, from our special events to Borough Hall. To eliminate any of it will change the make-up of this town. To not think so, is truly sticking your head in the sand. If you are OK with that or don't care, then that's fine. Embrace it. But please don't try to convince me that my home - with all of its wonderful, quirky, not perfect parts - will remain the same.
How did this get so far? Mark my words I've warned you all before. A merger with Cherry Hill will change the nature of this sweet town. Properties will be snatched up by speculators and rents will go way up. This will be a yuppy town.
Hey can't help it if I'm not that old that 12 years wasn't enough for your standards. Just like it doesn't matter to me that your family has been here since the 60's - wow. This is a town divided. There is more than one elementary school and churches that pull education and religion from many different communities, not just people from Merchantville. A very diverse community that will benefit from the merger and compliment what is already here - not what used to be here. You refuse to see the reality of the situation. Does Crown Fried Chicken help? Tattoo parlor, what used to be there when your family was here in the 60's and why does it matter now? It doesn't!
Prosperity, real estate speculation, better education? That sounds sweet! Not a town with a gun shop down the street from Merchantville elementary that needs leadership that gives a damn. Property values going back in the right direction - have you looked at yours lately - mine is not "sweet" and neither is anyone elses for that matter. Do you have any idea what that beautiful Victorian home on Maple Ave. is listed for - not "sweet" more like "scary" if you own a home in this town. Those people are already in Cherry Hill but not all of us are in that position. Bring on the merger and leave if you don't like what it brings.
The town became divided because of the petitioner's group.
Pennsauken Highschool has kept this town affordable for years. I hope you like Tai food and male fashion boutiques, because that's what we're going to get with a merger. What's to stop some rich doctor type from buying the building I live in and turning it into a single unit?
Bring on the merger and leave if you don't like what it brings.
Better idea. Simpler too. Leave the merger and leave if you don't like what is here.
Let's cut the CRAP, the reason for merging is the High School Issue and the high school issue alone. That was the driving force behind this idea and it is really what is keeping this alive. Consolidation may accomplish removing what remaining children we have out of Pennsauken and into Cherry Hill. But don't kid yourself it is not a panacea, there are radicals on the left and right of this issue, don't be drawn into their ire. Attend a council meeting and ask questions, do the same at a school board meeting, ask the tough questions. It boggles my mind that virtually no one attends school board meetings when the biggest issue in town involves the school board. Only one new candidate is running? Do we just put all our eggs in one basket and give up? I wonder what the consolidation group will do if their efforts fail? What will the group oppossed to consolidation do if consolidation goes through? Seems to me we need to find some common ground here and work together on the issues at hand. He said she said is getting very tiresome. Maybe the radicals need to step aside and let cooler heads prevail.
Saying it is just the high school is oversimplifying the situation. People want this merger because they want to improve this town and not see it go down more than it has already. It's a shame what has happened here - the status quo went out the window a long time ago. It's about way more than the high school which is exactly why things have progressed this far. People disinterested in council meetings and school board meetings speaks volumes. What people don't say sometimes says more than words themselves. They want change such as the merger and even if it doesn't happen at least they have spoken and at least it may help improve things. Blaming it on the petitioner group is wrong. They are not why people are dissatisfied with the current state of affairs and wanting to be rejoined with Cherry Hill.
That lowes it gonna look real good where that merchantville school is now.
Rmember, the first thing that will happen is that your school will close. Your kids will be bussed. That is 100% guaranteed!
No more dropping off and picking up from school?
That sounds great!!!
Unfortunately Cherry Hill will need to keep the school open for various reasons. I have a neighbor that looked into this.
I wish that we had a bussing option. My husband and I both work long hours. I've also heard that Cherry Hill would need to keep the school open. That's fine.
Cherry Hill will not keep the Merchantville school building open. Cherry Hill has closed all of their older school buildings. Once you allow Cherry Hill School District to take over the building and the fields they can do what ever they want with it. The school district will own it not the Township of Cherry Hill.
To try to keep it a K-5th they would have to bus in a number of kids in from other areas just to fill the class rooms. The school was not designed to handle busing. The school only owns a limited amount of land around the building. The other land currently used by the school for parking is privately owned. The private owner will not allow multiable buses driving on their land twice a day.
The School building will be closed. The fields will be sold. Cherry Hill will use the money as revenue.
Remember the merger group has told us over and over again that this is the sacrfice we need to make because in the end it is all about the money.
You're so full of nonsense. What can anyone know before a study? Why play the clown? Let's all debate this afterwords.
People disinterested in council meetings and school board meetings speaks volumes.
Cruiser used to say that residents trust their local leaders and that is why they do not feel a need to go to council and school meetings. I pretty much agree with that. And the yearly voting results --keeping incumbents in office-- show that many are happy with the "status quo", as you call it.
My own perception of local government is that it is slow to respond but it does respond. The merger resolution is a case in point. But more importantly, are the budget cuts coming. Public works is now two employees. Most services are contracted out. Other salaries will be flat at least in total expenditure.
yeah, but they "responded" after burning through our surplus. That's like deciding to ride your bike after your car has been repossesed.
Get your facts straight! They are not burning through surplus. If fact there was a point that they were carry to much surplus and made an effort to bring it down! Stop trying to scare everybody!!! It is making this whole process very painful for a lot of people.
Merchantville is not crumbling to the ground right before our eyes! It has been here for a very long time. If change is needed then we need to take our time and look at all the possibilities. Not just jump at the first thing that comes down the pike. In one hundred and thirty seven years this town has been through a lot of ups and downs. Running scared will never be the solution.
"If fact there was a point that they were carry to much surplus and made an effort to bring it down!"
Really? So we ran an operational deficit on purpose for how long???
Not for the past three years!
Every year while on Council I pointed out the $300 deficit spending plan we had, and how it needed to be reduced in a controlled manner, and I made a variety of proposals to reduce the deficit and bring the surplus down gently.
Instead, like auguring an airplane into the ground to land it instead of bringing it down saferly on a runway, I was ignored, and so was the revenue shortfall. The surplus will cover it!
Yes, I argued that the surplus was too high - until the last year, when it was about 10% of our budget. There was NO PLAN to "flare out" from the deficit spending when the surplus ran out. Anyone who says otherwise doesn't know what they're talking about. But don't take my word for it - ask Denise Moules (CFO) to see the plan that was adopted two or three years ago.
Running Scared is right about one thing - the borough is not burning through surplus. That's already been done. It's essentially gone. They're cutting your services now instead.
It's just begun. Watch for the next steps - they'll be doozies!
okay, so let me try to understand. Merchantville's been spending more than it brings in for at least two (maybye three) years and 10% of last year's budget came from burning the surplus? Money gets taken from the surplus in quantity and is not replaced- so now the party's over. Gotcha.
$300,000 annual deficit? Holy crap! It's time to drop the denial and cut $300,000 in spending ASAP.
Does anyone know if the citizens of Cherry Hill get vote on the merger or is just the Mayor and his council that get final say?
Mr. Brunton,
Is the money all gone or do we have one more year to splurge? What all can we cut to balance the budget (300K)?
I think that question is better directed to someone on the current council at the next Board Meeting
So we can assume that Mr. Blunton proposed $300K in cuts, right?
Police and/or the school must be cut drastically and soon
Other than teacher salaries that we can do nothing about, the school's budget is extremely streamlined
Isn't this what happened in Camden? Could not make cuts in the schools anymore so they hit the police and firefighters.
Is anyone upset over the budget and the school and taxes and tattoo shops and guns? Is it all getting you down? Is that the reason this blog has bristled with commenters this year?
Well, a review of more than 160 studies on the connection between a positive state of mind and overall health and longevity has found "clear and compelling evidence" that happier people enjoy better health and longer lives.
In fact, evidence linking an upbeat outlook and enjoyment of life to better health and longer life was stronger even than that linking obesity to reduced longevity, according to a recent review published in the journal Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being.
Does this finding make you think it might be better to get out on the bike path instead of worrying yourself "to death"? With a little smile you might outlive Merchantville.
http://www.wiley.com/bw/journal.asp?ref=1758-0846&site=1
Wow. I just looked through some of the comments that Mville.com links to. It is a very selective group of comments from both the blog and the Facebook. Only the comments that the administrator wants people to see.
Yeah - we covered that.
Today there is an editorial in the Courier about possible "forced" consolidations. Makes you wonder why people would fight the study at all. It is the BEST shot this town has at looking at its best alternative for a merger plan. Can't stand it when people are so oblivious that this town is okay the way it is - not - maybe the way it WAS. Stop living in nostalgia...the fat lady (it's a saying, pick your gender!) is definitely warming up to sing...
Yeah, and everything I read in the Courier Post is gospel! They do not even bother to do fact-checking research on their own articles.
They just regurgitate whatever information is given them. I think they figure one reads it anyway. Guess that is why they are down to just a few employees now. Could you imagine if we went around basing all of our life’s decisions on what is printed in the pages of the Courier!
This was the Editorial and based on meetings held by Mr. Sweeney in Trenton. Not a tabloid, not fiction. Can't believe that is the only response you have to what is going on in your State government. How discouraging that you do not see the reality of the situation. Is that the best you've got - really?
I don't know any numbers but I hear some residents saying they do not care about other services being contracted out (or merged) but when it comes to the police force they will not vote for merging.
Am I hearing things?
An editorial is an article written as commentary by the Editor of the paper. It's not fiction but it certainly is not fact either. It's opinion from the editor's perspective and it's not required to be objective. It's helpful to keep this in mind when reading that article.
Thank you for clarifying the definition of an editorial. My college education apparently did not cover that. Thank you, but no thank you, did not need your definition. However, facts are facts and the meetings did take place in Trenton.
There is nothing to discredit there at all.
Big cart before the horse.
First there needs to be a study....not sure this will ever happen. Cherry hill will not pay one dime toward a survey. Therefore either dca will pay or merchantville. Won't happen. Then the study needs to show cost savings and that the school can absorb the students...not...
Then 3 out of 5 on both sides need to agree to referendum. I don't think so.
Then cherry hill needs to vote in the affirmative. There are 20k others like me that know there is nothing in this for cherry hill. You folks ate very nice but you need to clean up your own mess. We can't solve everyones problems.
It looks like had don heights will take your kids. I suggest you take them up on it before they change their mind.
The two posters that said the school can't close are totally incorrect.
If this merger happens, merchantville will feel tremendous pain.
Be careful what you wish for, you just may get it!
anon,
don't know where you heard this but not very realistic.
Does Cherry Hill have rent control?
It looks like our favorite Miss Crazy had a few drinks last night and made posted a half dozen comments..... I live in Cherry Hill and I think your kids are dumb, sorry LOL. We're going to turn your police station into a Camden jail or some other nonsense. Be scared....
Sure looks to me that the string of Anons from 11:27 PM to 12:10 AM are the same person. The opposition is getting delusional. You may rest assured that anything factul said in the string are not factual.
Cruise, seems to be both sides need help with facts.
Cruiser: string of Anons...are the same person.
Good assumption! And if not, those who cannot come up with monikers should be considered to be one person.
Anon 3/20 10:32 AM - well, right now, the facts as I see them, are that there are three camps on this issue
1. Those who realize that a merger of Merchantville and Cherry Hill is the best possible financial, sevices and educational deal Merchantville could possibly get. A Cherry Hill merger will best preserve the community. As I have said many times, it is Merchantville's golden opportunity. Merchantville is going to have to merge within the next five or ten years. Without a merger, the tax burden will become more crushing than it already is. According to this blog, the Courier has indicated forced mergers may be coming. In a forced deal it will not be with Cherry Hill. A merger with Cherry Hill at this time is a golden opportunity.
2. Those who are just emotionally attached to the concenpt of a separate government for Merchantville and will not give it up, no matter what. Many in this camp will go to Camp No. 1 when the study results are finalized and communicated.
3. Those (and their families, friends, etc.) who have a personal financial interest in keeping things the way they are, such as employees, contracted services, etc. Their situation and their advocacy are completely understandable and proper. Certain among them who are well protected by the law (teachers and police) will become less negative on a Cherry Hill merger as they become more aware of their protected status.
***********************************
Cruiser, what anon said from yesterday is fact. The school will close immediately. There will be pain felt in merchantville. Housing prices may rise, but taxes will not decrease.
Go to your school board meetings. What is being said about the subject. They do not want to merge and are still pursing had don heights.
Cruise,
there are still no facts in your statement especially part 1. part 2 and 3 you may have hit the nail on the head, however, your argument about consolidating with Cherry Hill is based upon assumptions not even a shred of fact other than quoting an opinion out of the Courier Post. I understand your view based upon your feelings when you were on the Board of Education.
Cruiser has some good points although I doubt that consolidation would come by force. Surely that would invite litigation and the State would be hard pressed to find legal argument in the New Jersey constitution or statutes for disbanding "township" autonomy. Furthermore, the State is in such a precarious position in its funding of "Thorough & Efficient" education, it could not get away with cutting funding to small municipalities solely based on size.
However, setting aside the premise of forced consolidations, I would add another argument for consolidation which Cruiser has not mentioned.
Typically in education, small classes have fewer smart, advantaged students who can become leaders in the class to help the teacher and classmates master the course of study. Many teachers would agree that a class with three student leaders makes for a pleasant instructional year.
The same could be true of small towns. Perhaps the Merchantville school and borough draw from too small a population to find a continuous supply of excellent leaders to create and maintain good education and efficient government.
Taxes will go up, merger or no merger. The school board thinks everyone will buy that we can just go to Haddon Heights and keep the elementary school. That's not realistic, either. Eventually, that school will have to close. Another school district will gladly take our tax dollars. And as for those forced consolidation meetings just being opinion - track Senate President Sweeney's agenda - the meetings have taken place. The State is going to dissolve small districts and cut aid to municipalities who do not cooperate with its agenda. The school will be forced to close and our students to go elsewhere.
No not gonna happen,
forced mergers by the state are a scare tactic. Much has been discussed over the years about shared services, consolidation etc. This is not a new topic don't be hoodwinked into thinking we will be forced to merge with anyone. Yes we can keep our own elementary school, and yes we can afford it, seems to me the school budget is calling for a tax decrease while still making some capital and educational improvements.
Okay, but Christie priming himself for President is more than a scare tactic. He is going to the podium with results from New Jersey to prove his quality for top seat in Washington. Don't be fooled that it is a scare tactic. A lot of people will support him and will gauge him according to what he does in this state. He will make his impact felt before his term is up - he has to and he will.
WHO SAID MERCHANTVILLE IS POORER THAN CHERRY HILL?
There are 10 school budgets printed in Friday's Retrospect and Merchantville's cost per student is the 3rd highest, after Collingswood and Haddon Heights.
Relax "IS A FACT". Ya know, when comedians tell a joke that doesn't get a good laugh, they move on to another. You do not need to keep repeating your lines hoping for a delayed hit.
W.C. Fields: I had a camel once. Yeeaahh, lost it in the Grande Canyon.
...those who cannot come up with monikers should be considered to be one person.
I like it.
Let's call this Wrong's Rule and it may be invoked against any anonymous commenter in a single thread.
How about a revaluation thread? There must be some rumors out there to be debunked.
I recall that the Master Plan said we need new and modern police facilities.
Also suggested was a police station (my word) in the West End.
The question of police presence in the West End is probed in the West End Neighborhood Survey currently distributed to West End residents of all three municipalities. Most likely, results will be discussed at the coming March 29 meeting in the Pennsauken libary.
Anon 10:25-
This is about much more than schools and as far as this being 10people?! My entire street favors consolidation as well as everyone I know in Merchantville and Cherry Hill. It just makes sense. I am sorry CH resident impersonator. You're a clown and we're all tired of reading your redundant posts.
I am not a clown. I am someone that cares about my community and doesn't play politics. we are ready to mobilize if this moves any further.
again, this is what it will come down to...the schools.
we cannot absorb this population of students that are not proficient.
we are not about to compromise our community or students.
play all the politics you like, believe what you want, but when your cherry hill friends see what this will do to our school their attitudes will change...you'll see.
I promise.
Merchantville Mom has you pegged - you are a clown. You sound like a teenager who lives in this town who is anti-merger because your family has been here for so many years and you think things should be the same. You need to put your energy into making something with the community that is left here - like the rest of us. We need help and the merger is our best option. And Cherry Hill WANTS US!!!
The post was not removed because it was anti-merger. It was removed because it was foul.
Hey, Blogger,
I'm missing all the dirt. Can't you wait a few days before cleaning the comments?
About to have our pockets picked. They already have been - ha!
Courier Today: 56 schools join school choice program.
Merchantville is one of them. Interestly, Cherry Hill is not. I thought they wanted more students? I thought they wanted the Merchantville students? has anyone read the Cherry Hill School Bd notes? they have hired a demographer to have a study done. possible school closures and redistricting. how about the mayor not running and the new candidate for mayor. i was sure to get his opinion on the merger.
merchantville is not on the radar. never will be.
Whatever troll...
Sadly Cherry Hill isn't opening the door to well deserving children from Camden. It's nice to see that we're going to do the right thing. Even if it's only because we're desperate for the funds.
All school districts are in need of extra funding. Haddonfield, Moorestown, and even your beloved Cherry Hill. That is the only reason Cherry Hill is breathing down our back.
They want our MONEY!
Hate the idea that we are opening our doors to Camden. What makes those children so well deserving?? We need to take care of our own first! Cherry Hill wants our money - damn straight!! People think that this school choice thing will be another obstacle to the merger efforts - wrong again. Money talks and you know the rest of the saying. Goodbye Camden kids, this will make even more residents vote for the merger.
Camden kids?? Where do you get this stuff? It amazes me that people who do not have a clue of what they are talking about make up some over blown stupid scenario then tries to use it to further their merger cause. I am sure that is exactly what the Governor of New Jersey and the Merchantville School Board had in mind. Fill the place up with Camden kids. Be scared. Be very, very scared!
Why don’t you pack up your white sheet and move back to what ever squeaky white slice of heaven you hail from.
Yea, Camden kids. School choice will allow them to apply to our school and our school will be glad to take the tax revenue. No white sheet here - a fact is a fact. Our school wants the money and doesn't care about the impact on our kids. Don't try to get around it with sly remarks. MERGER NOW!!!
Our school needs the money. Towns like Haddonfield and Cherry Hill won't participate because they have more money and are more concerned with testing than helping the less fortunate. If taking kids in from Pennsauken and Camden, is what we need to do to preserve our identity and history, then it's a good thing to do. I applaud our school board.
Our school board needs to go just like the school. They are anti-merger and only care about keeping their agenda like the fear of preservance. Give it up. It can no longer be tolerated or afforded. Thank goodness there are other alternatives on the table.
What has the school board done that has you so turned off? I think having some specifics would help.
Lots of great things went on at school this week. Someone is doing something right!
Sorry but don't want to go into specifics as it is just what it is. Years and years and years of disappointment with the same old, same old. Why keep beating a dead horse? Nice things do go on in the school, that's not the point. The point is keeping it viable in an outdated building. Not very promising. And what happens when that staff that has been there for so many years retires? There will be too much new blood at one time. That's not good either.
...too much new blood at one time. That's not good either.
New blood in school and board sounds great. Could never have too much.
If all one knows about "too much" is putting oil in engines, stick to that. Schools and learning require lots of fresh blood, always.
It doesn't work in education. Too much to ask for people to trust too many new people with their children. Kids are not cars.
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