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September 30, 2008 The last 2-3 years in Downe Township have been fascinating…with the last few months even more so. We must have set some sort of a record for letters to the editor and total number of articles written about our recent school-committee issues. I find it amazing that within our population of 1603 people we can generate so much personal hostility and bad feelings toward each other. I have to take some of the blame. I started the trend of holding elected officials accountable by attending meetings and paying attention. I
began paying attention to Downe Township government after an illegal
garbage
dump was built about 250 from my property line. Prior to the building
of the Inconvenience Center, I had lived at the end
of Sharp Lane for 25 years enjoying the animals and natural beauty but
not paying any attention to local
politics or school board actions. Having the dump built as an act of retribution against me for not selling my property was a real wakeup call. I haven’t
missed more than 10 meetings of the township committee in almost 20
years. I don’t plan to miss many more. My
point can be best described with this phrase: “All it will take for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing.” The evil in
Downe Township has historically been driven by certain special
interests and a few family connections which extend back many
generations. For at least 50 years in Downe, certain families have “run
the township” through influence peddling, buying votes, social shunning
and generally being downright nasty...and doing what ever they wanted. I’m
accepting some responsibility for a few of the changes because I
decided to not allow evil to prevail. I decided to do everything within
my power to change things for the betterment of all…not just for myself
or for a group of people who happen to have lived here for a few
generations. I take
credit for showing that a few caring people who want good to be done,
can change things. The change was done by attending meetings, speaking
out and forcing our elected officials to do the right thing. Bluntly
described, I have been a pain in the ass to officials in Downe
Township...both Township Committee and School Board...and the Planning
and Zoning board. I'm the
only person to sue all three in separate and unrelated litigation. If a
resolution can't be found for the unsafe conditions at the
Inconvenience Center I'll be litigating over that also. I’ve done
this by becoming involved, informed and educated in both the ways of
government and in the laws of government. I’ve used the powers we have
to keep track of activities by requesting minutes, documents and audio
tapes. I’m not nicknamed “Mr. OPRA” for no reason. It is a
fantastic feeling to pop up from my reserved seating in “front row,
right” and be able to count 25, 40 or even 50 people in the audience at
a committee meeting. Not every meeting, I admit--at least not yet--but
there has been a very big change from the years when Leonard Ford and I
were
the only two faces in the audience. A
few people can make a difference. A few people have
made
a
difference. I'l be the first to say that many of the "Old Guard" of
Downe Township don't particularly appreciate all the "outsiders" who
come in thinking they should be treated fairly, honestly and in
accordance with the law...and common sense. We
now have a five-person township committee, a recreation committee, a
historical
committee, an official township calendar and a female mayor. Never
the less, the recent petition to place a change of school board type on
the
November ballot is not the kind of difference that Downe Township needs
at the
moment.
Attend meetings. Pay attention. Get involved. Speak out and speak up. You can
make a difference! September 9, 2008 This is an editorial correction for the September 6th entry. I incorrectly referred to Downe Mayor Blizzard as being involved in school administration. She is school Business Administrator for the Lindenwold, NJ district. The corrected sentence should read as follows: As the school Business Administrator in a district 10 times larger than Downe Township, Renee has more intelligence and more experience in the area of school finances, budget creation and general school operation than any union sheet metal workers living here in Downe. September 6, 2008 I want to clarify something I wrote on September 2, in the
material below, where I ask that Downe voters vote "NO"
on the November ballot question to change the type of school
board. The fault is not with the person
doing the appointing or those who are appointed. Did you see the comment in the Friday BEN column mentioning my name and sighting in the night sky? It appears that someone thinks that I saw a UFO a few weeks ago. I did not see a UFO. What I saw was a huge meteor. The meteor was probably a remnant of the comet Swift-Tuttle which has created the annual Perseid meteor showers during July and August for over 2000 years. The meteor I saw caused a brilliant flash as it entered an area roughly 85 miles above the surface of Earth called the mesosphere. This is the area where most meteors break into many pieces. What made the meteor that I saw so amazing was the brightness and the many huge pieces into which it broke. No matter what area of the sky or how high: it was very exciting. September 4, 2008 Think about the BernieSayers.com website as the place where you can visit regularly--or make copies of for friends without a computer-- for popular and current information about Downe Township. September 2, 2008 So...what do you think of the following idea? Vote in November to change the type of school board so the following will be possible:
But...it looks like a question to allow such activity will be on the ballot in November. Here is a little background and why you should vote against it. For the last 6-7 years there have been many questions, acquisations and personal attacks because of discontent among the residents of Downe Township. This discontent is because of issues related to the Downe Township School and, more correctly, the school budget and budgetary process. Specifically, representatives of the school--either members of the Administration or the President of the Board of Education--have made statements at annual school budget hearings, in the presence of attending residents, that the particular school budget being presented at the hearing was the absolute leanest budget possible to provide a through and efficient education for our children. I personally listened to the superintendent, the principal and the Board President say, "There is no fluff in this budget. There is no air in this budget." Much to the surprise--and anger--of the taxpaying residents there is always enough excess appropriations available for tax reduction through a carry forward for subsequent years. Here is what Lucille E. Davy, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education wrote to Mayor Blizzard: “You
are correct that current year funds should not be used for subsequent
year expenditures, and you are correct that the department does not
condone underestimating of surplus or over budgeting of
appropriations. It does appear that historically Downe has
overestimated appropriations and regenerated surplus, but it also
appears that such activity has been reduced.”
What the above means is that the Downe Township School has historically overestimated appropriations and regenerated a surplus. Or, saying it another way, they told us they were going to need more than they actually did. They then used the excess--that we paid for in our tax payments!--to generate a surplus for subsequent years. The generated surplus was put into an interest bearing account which generated additional revenue for the district. Of course, while the money was in the School's bank account generating money for them, it WAS NOT in YOUR bank account, or your neighbors bank account, generating interest income--FOR YOU! The quote above is from Ms. Davy's letter. Notice the absolutely classic phrase in the last sentence which reads: "...but
it also
appears that such activity has been reduced.”
The above quote must be read with
a phrase from the first sentence:
"...the
department does not
condone underestimating of surplus or over budgeting of
appropriations...but it also
appears that such activity has been reduced."
Given the implications of this historically occuring activity one
begins to wonder what purpose the Commissioner of Education really
serves.Why would the Commissioner allow the school to take more from us than it needs; generate interest revenue from the excess--and thus prevent us from benefiting from the interest income--and pretend that they are helping us by not raising taxes...when the Commissioner does not approve of such action. The thing is very much like a shell game to create a slush fund to be used to off-set subsequent year taxes. As abhorent and offensive as the lying and deceit surely is the act of changing the type of school board to stop this activity is NOT the solution to the problem. The residents of Downe Township were astute enough two years ago to realize that increasing the number of Township Committee members from 3 to 5 makes for better government in a number of ways. Best of all, having five members of the committee allows for greater diversification of opinion stemming from different life experience of each member. More members brings better overall understanding of many areas required for efficient oversight of the school. It scares me to think that one person--The Mayor--will have the power to select the entire board of education. If
Chester Riland as the Emperor of Downe
Township was a rotten way to
run our government why would Mayor Blizzard as Omnipotent School Czar be any
better?
Think about this. I'll be writing more soon. In the time being, mark on your calendar for Election Day 2008: VOTE
"NO" ON THE SCHOOL BOARD TYPE CHANGE.
Labor Day, 2008 A large number of Downe residents are ready to change the Downe Township Board of Education. They want to make the change by changing the type of the school board. The intent is to change from the current Type II board to a Type I board. If my source is correct, a petition was submitted to Diane Patterson, Downe Acting Clerk, on Thursday. A petition to change the school board type must have a number of valid signatures on a petition equal to 15% of the number Downe of voters in the last general election. 90 signatures were required. If the Clerk certifies the number of signatures on the petition as being sufficient a question will be placed on the November ballot which reads: "Should
the Downe Township School Board be changed from Type II to Type I?"
If a majority of voters approve a change the following will happen:
The Mayor appoints either 5 or 7 members? The Mayor appoints members? I do not like this idea at all. I don't see anything of benefit to the residents, taxpayers and parents of Downe Township with this intended change of Type for the school board. This is a terrible idea. More in a few days. August 30, 2008 It's nice to get compliments. The following is from a recent e-mail received the other day First
off, we love your website. When we researched the
township for our family to buy a home your site had the most realistic
view point. It gave us a feel for the town, like we were talking
over
a fence with a neighbor, thank you. Mary W.
Thank you, Mary!It's nice to know that what I write is appreciated. I love Downe Township! It's rather special. Lots of people feel that way. Attendance at committee meetings have been extremely well attended. Last meeting I counted 56 people. August 27, 2008 Gossip and comment... In last few weeks I've had two dozen people ask me what job I've taken at the Thunderbolt Racetrack. I haven't taken any job there. I don't intend to take a job there. I have been working on the final touches of the latest version of my CyberTank which I'm going to show to racetrack officials in the very near future. I would love to have the first AI Command game facility at the track. At the school bashing session the other night, I had about eight people ask me if I had applied for the $500/day computer consulting job at the school. Two people showed me paperwork having to do with the contract and the rate is definately $500 per day. This is a reasonable rate quite in line with fees charged by computer consultants in the area. John Castaldi, the person the Downe BOE has contracted for the job is very capable. He is extremely good at network trouble shooting. I have met him quite a few times. He's a good choice for the job. I am a better choice for the job. I charge the Downe School the same rate I have always charged them: $25.00 per hour. Some day, real soon now, I'll write up an article about why I am not the consultant the school calls when they have problems. Did you hear about the petition being circulated around the township? There
is movement within Downe Township to recall the members of the Downe
School Board.
I don't have alot of detail at this point. I'll write something about it when I know more. I was glad to donate blood at the Senior Center a short while ago. Last year I promised Janice Laws but something kept me from doing so. This year I did it. It was actually fun talking to a whole bunch of people I haven't seen to say hello for years. If I'm not mistaken, 56 pints were donated this year and 52 pints last year. Why don't you donate next year? I spoke with a NJ Department of
Transportation engineer a few days ago about the dangerous situation at
the Downe Inconvenience Center.
I've been complaining for years about the unsafe traffic situation at the facility. I had two VERY close calls where people shot out from the dump and into my path. Both drivers had a look of terror on their faces we came so close to smashing. This has been happening for the entire existance of the dump. Traffic on Sharp Lane has been mostly local people. My project is getting greater and greater attention and I'm showing the vehicle to many out of township potential investors or franchisees. My visitor's lives--and yours--are all in jeopardy because of the totally unsafe situation at the facility. After speaking with the DOT engineer, who suggested that I call the township engineer regarding the unsafe conditions at The Dump. Much to credit of our township engineer, they visited the facility a few days ago and determined that I have been correct regarding unsafe conditions due to an insufficiant sight triangle at the facility. I'll be reporting more as things develop. August 23,
2008 The Burning of Mr. Taylor's Ears...Read
all about the roasting of Downe BOE President Stultz Taylor at the
Wednesday Downe Committee meeting. Be sure to tell everyone that you
read it in the DDT
Newsletter. Click HERE. August 6, 2008 Is Downe School Board President Stultz Taylor disclosing everything about his Downe Township land transactions? If you live in Downe Township you know there is little love between the Township Committee and the School Board. Ever since being on the Downe School Board, Renee Blizzard--current Downe Mayor and long-time School Business Administrator for the Lindenwold, NJ school district--has been pointing out that the Downe School Board and Administration has been less than forthright regarding how money is budgeted and accounted for within the Downe School system. Mayor Blizzard campaigned for lower taxes which she said could be accomplished by adjusting the way the school does business. Downe voters listened to her and three things happened:
One of the first things Mr. Taylor did after the school budget defeat--maybe even before!--was to write letters to Trenton about various real estate land deals by Mrs. Blizzard and her husband and a handful of other Downe residents. Stultz is a very persistent and persuasive person; I'm sure he left no stone unturned in finding someone to investigate Mayor Blizzard. No member of the public is fully aware of just what Stultz got the Attorney General's office to investigate or look into but a subpoena was mentioned at the July meeting. As I indicate below, other people and I have attempted to get a copy of the subpoena with OPRA requests. Today, August 6, 2008, I received a written response to my OPRA request from Downe Township Deputy Clerk Karen Campbell in which she wrote:
Mr. Taylor gives one the impression from how he is quoted in the paper that he thinks Mrs. Blizzard et als have done something legally wrong by requesting a lowered assessment, and associated lower tax bill, because of a major change in use of the property. What the "Blizzard Group" did isn't illegal, Stultz. It is prudent business practice. A fascinating part of this story is that Stultz doesn't address other people's re-assessments because of a change in use. He seems to be fixated on Mayor Blizzard's group of real estate dealings only. Much, if not all, of the land in question was zoned for mining extraction of sand because the property was owned and mined by U. S. Silica. Newspaper articles leave the reader with the impression that Mr. Taylor thinks Mrs. Blizzard et als have received special treatment because of her position as Mayor. The fact is Mrs. Blizzard was not even a candidate for the township committee when she and her consortium purchased the land. Oddly, Mr. Taylor neglects to mention the pertinent fact that the purchases and modified assessments took place before Mrs. Blizzard became the Mayor. Mr. Taylor always mentions the huge amounts of money the township isn't receiving because of the "Blizzard et als" reassessment. He fails to mention land deals by himself and others which caused a loss in revenue for Downe Township. Mr. Taylor fails to mention--as a matter of full disclosure--that he purchased a 1 acre lot, suitable for a single family home, with an assessed value of $10,000 for the paltry amount of $500. More interesting is the fact that Mr. Taylor sold this same 1 acre plot a few months ago for $25,000! Many residents think--as I do!--that the Attorney General needs to look into the circumstances under which the Township of Downe sold a property clearly worth $10,000 to Mr. Taylor for $500 which he then sold for $25,000. Something is *really* strange about that transaction, Attorney General. Stultz, if you are worried about the effect of real estate land deals on our Downe taxes why didn't you tell us about your deals? Here are the facts regarding Mr. Taylor's land purchase and land sale from the on-line authority, so to speak. The information is located on the New Jersey Association of County Tax Boards website. See the association's main page HERE. To go directly to the pertinent information regarding the questionable Taylor transaction click on the link below. Be SURE to click the BACK button on your browser to return to this page.
REMEMBER: Click your BACK button to return here. On-line real estate tax files for the Taylor/Lakeside parcel If you are curious about other properties in Downe Township--like what your neighbor or an enemy is paying--please click on the below link. Tutorial for using the online real estate tax files The link goes to a tutorial page that I wrote a number of years ago. You'll be able to investigate property taxes while sitting in the privacy of your own home for almost any property or person in any city or municipality in New Jersey...not just Downe Township. Make it easy on yourself: print out the tutorial so you can follow along as you learn to use the Tax Assessor search page. And stop back here for more developments on issues dealing with Downe Township. August 5, 2008 Downe Township not releasing copies of the subpoena from the Attorney General I have an OPRA request pending for the subpoena served by the New Jersey Attorney General's office and received by Downe Township in early July. Rumor is that OPRA requests for the subpoena are not being fulfilled. The Downe Deputy Clerk called me today and left a message on my service that she was giving me a letter indicating why the OPRA request couldn't be met. I have a number of OPRA request pending. More on them in the near future. August 4, 2008 I experienced something last night which moved me. Matter of fact, it scared me...greatly. Here are a few things I wrote about the experience:
Read the whole story as sent to the BEN column of the Bridgeton News. Click here. August 1, 2008 Look at the above picture which I took looking across one of my ponds. All of the trees are dead. Some people wonder why. I claim because of global warming. Things are getting interesting in Downe Township, aren't they? News articles report that the New Jersey Attorney General's office has issued a subpoena to Downe Township asking for Committee and Planning Board minutes back to 2004.Acting township clerk, Diane Patterson, provided at least 300 pages of documents. Everyone is pretending that they don't know what it's all about. I'll tell you what it's all about: It's all about lies, personal attacks, preferential treatment for certain families and groups and, oddly, more lies. For those of you new to Downe Township--within the last 20 years--you will be amazed at the way the quality of your life change in the near future. The elected officials we now have are working for the residents...instead of special interest groups and Newport families who have been here for many generations. Letters to the Editor are flying across the Internet and into the computers of our local newspapers Downe seems to be in the news at least twice a week and often more. I've been extremely busy with business related stuff and haven't had time to reduce to readable format all of the interesting stuff I have to share with you here on BernieSayers.com. I'll do my best over the next few days to post every day with interesting stuff related to your taxes and quality of life. May 30, 2008 The Downe Township Inconvenience Center will continue to be highlighted on the Home Page for BernieSayers.com... until actions are taken or that I'm contacted by an attorney or engineer from the Downe Township Committee to tell me that my concerns regarding the facility are actually being addressed. And maybe longer. In other words, much like the Downe Township
Committee's practice of keeping citizen concerns and complaints on
their agenda until resolved, I'm keeping a focus on the Inconvenience
Center until I see some action to address the entire facility situation. No one should accept the placement of an unlicensed garbage facility at an environmentally damaging location when there was NEVER a discussion or vote to build the facility at either the committee level or at the planning and zoning board. Furthermore, no licensed engineer had anything to with the design, permitting, placement or construction. The law requires that a licensed civil engineer design and oversee municipal projects in the State of New Jersey. I have a letter from the Township Engineer, Fralinger Engineering, which indicates they had nothing to do with the design or location of the facility. No environmental impact statement was ever done. The Downe Township Inconvenience Center is within the CAFRA zone; in a 25 year flood plain; it obstructs an intermittent stream corridor; is within a wetland buffer and is a feeding and breeding area for many feral animals. No meeting was held to allow residents and neighbors the opportunity to comment and question regarding the facility. Matter of fact, our civil rights were violated and our property devalued because of the facility location, design and unsafe operation. I endanger myself and the lives of my clients, investors, friends and family are in dangerous jeopardy every time we pass the Inconvenience Center on a busy Saturday. The removal of a few trees doesn't come close to meeting the safety design requirements of a proper sight triangle for egress at the exit of the facility. And the situation will only become gravely worse if the township attempts to erect the required six foot high perimeter fence. Which, of course, will be in violation of the Institutional Zone set-back requirements. It appears that the existing fence is within the right-of-way of Sharp Lane. It is my plan to scan and post to this website all pertinent maps, photographs, engineering drawings and legal documents supporting my claims regarding the facility. I think I'll check if the domain name DowneInconvenienceCenter.com is available. Stay tuned. I'm just getting started.
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Downe Township
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NEWPORT - Violation Videos at the Downe Inconvenience Center. VIDEO ONEVIDEO TWO VIDEO THREE Note: If you connect to the Internet with a dialup connection you will not be able to view any Downe Inconvenience Center Violation Videos. See HERE. The Cumberland County Health Department & The Cumberland County Improvement Authority have performed a number of joint "Drive By" solid waste facility inspections over the last few years. Both organizations have allowed multiple violations to continue for many years at the Downe Township Inconvenience Center. The Downe Inconvenience Center is a dangerous, unlicensed garbage dump. The facility will ultimately cost Downe Township residents tens of thousands of tax payer dollars in legal and engineering fees if it becomes necessary for me and my investors to sue Downe Township. The video shows FIVE refrigerators with their doors still in place. UNSAFE! And stupid. SEE THE VIDEOS HERE |
Common sense says: "This is not right!" State and Federal laws have been on the books for years regarding the storage of refrigerators with doors in tact. Why has Downe been permitted to run the Inconvenience Center in this manner? You have no idea how many kids play on Sharp Lane. A disaster is waiting. One of many breaches. The breach shown above is used so often that a path has been worn into the ground from the amount of foot traffic. Why wouldn't Cumberland County cite the township for this violation which has existed for as long as the gate has been in place which is six years.
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