"A Blue Xmas Tale" published in The Ridgefield Press Dec 23, 2010

Attention Kmart Shoppers. We have a Blue Light Special on Worker's Compensation Insurance.

We also have a clue about those tacky blue lights in front of Carnall Insurance that litter our beautiful Main Street every holiday season. I think it involves MIRMA.

Whatza MIRMA? Well, boys & girls, MIRMA is an insurance pool that Ridgefield joined in 2006 because it was $200,000 cheaper than Carnall Insurance. Except MIRMA went bust and Ridgefield has been nicked for about $1 million as our share of MIRMA's troubles which means we're taking an $800,000 bath.

A little history is in order.

In 2004 MIRMA was $2.2 million in the red. In 2005 the state Insurance Commission suggested shutting it down. Yet in 2006, with MIRMA's losses mounting, Ridgefield moved the town worker's compensation insurance to MIRMA. Why?

That's question 2.

Question 1 is who did due diligence on MIRMA & recommended it?

By 2010, 3 years after Ridgefield left MIRMA, its debt was up to to $10 million.
Sixty communities joined MIRMA. Nevertheless, according to some lawyer's calculations, Ridgefield's share of that debt is the aforementioned $1,000,000.

But if you divide $10,000,000 by sixty you get $166,666. And yet we're told we have to pony up $1,000,000. Huh? What happened to the $166,666?

This situation stinks as far as I'm concerned. I don't think we should move ahead with additional payments (we've already handed over $174,000) until all taxpayer questions have been answered in an open forum.

Don't you think a $1,000,000 is a good reason to call a town meeting? I do.

Finally, is it possible that Carnall put up the blue lights to indicate their displeasure when we left them? If so, how cheesy can an insurance company get?

And that, boys and girls, is the tale of the Blue Light Special. Ho, Ho, Ho.

Politics > Filling a vacancy on the Board of Selectmen

My opening statement delivered to Ridgefield's Board of Selectmen, December 1, 2010.

A reporter asked me what in my experience makes me a good candidate for Board of Selectmen? It was a good question. I'm going to endeavor to answer it.

I have enjoyed living in a small town for the last 29 yrs, Pound Ridge for 17 years, Ridgefield for 12 years.

In Ridgefield I have been excited by, frustrated by & have admiration for, our form of government, i.e. the town meeting, the direct connection between the citizen & the governing bodies.

As for my Ridgefield experience,

I served on the Charter Commission before this one which made several substantive changes in the way Ridgefield currently functions, an accomplishment I'm proud of.

I am familiar with many town issues because I have attended most Board of Selectman mtgs for the past 3-4 yrs, Board of Finance less so, Board of Education, Police Commission & P&Z only sporatically. Montly I rcv & review the finance reports. I understand some of it. When I don't, Kevin Redmond can atest to the fact that I call him for an explanation.

Over the years I have been a frequent contributor to the Ridgefield Press on issues that concern me. No one has ever challenged the facts of my articles or letters to the editor. In fact I have been asked to write editorial pieces -- especially around budget time -- and I have done so.

I am a frequent contributor to discussions about town issues on the Ridgefield Forum which is supported by the Ridgefield Press.

As the members of the board know from reading my resume, my professional life was spent in television -- both news and entertainment and you may be wondering how my background has relevance to my candidacy.

I'd like to say that while past experience at a particular post can be very useful, it is also just as true -- in my opinion -- that a fresh look at an old problem can be just as rewarding and I think I would bring a fresh perspective to this board.

In the case of my television career -- as both a producer and director -- both management positions, I had to work with diverse groups of people.

1. Being a director/producer teaches one the necessity of working in concert.
2. Television also teaches creative approaches to problem solving.
3. While directing Live Television forces one to make decisions
4. Directing Live Television also requires thorough preparation so, hopefully, one can make appropriate decisions.

I have never been afraid to ask 'why' or to say 'I don't understand' or 'will you explain that to me?" or to research or to investigate independently.

My news experiences, working with luminaries like Walter Cronkite, Mike Wallace, Don Hewitt & others taught me to deal in facts, rather than dwell on wishful thinking.

In various positions at the networks, as with startups, working on prime time specials & for independent projects, I've had to formulate & was responsible for, million dollar budgets & working within those budgets.

I served on the national board of the Directors Guild of America, & in that capacity, took part in negotiating a number of labor contracts.

I think it's very important for you to understand that I'm pretty much a W-Y-S-I-W-Y-G person, what you see is what you get.

I have no hidden agenda. I don't have kids in school, I don't aspire to higher political office, I don't belong to a political party.

My Ridgefield acquaintences are varied: home owner, senior, young parent, shop keeper, service worker, upper class, middle class, working class. Some individuals in that circle are more liberal or more conservative than I am. Yet I thoroughly enjoy open discussions with all of them.

Although I understand partisan politics I don't believe in partisan governance, i.e. for me, as I'm sure it is for all of you, governance should be based on what is beneficial to all constituents, a balance for the entire community.

So why am I sitting at this table just now?

1. You should know this was not a snap decision on my part.

2. For many, many months I have been considering the possiblity of running for a BoS seat in 2011

3. Many people encouraged me to come out from behind my computer to do so but I never felt comfortable about doing it from a Democratic or Republican party platform.

4. The application of CT Statute 922 has now permitted me the luxury of not having to make that political decision & has allowed me, as an un-affiliated candiate, to volunteer my time to this board.

I like to think of this opportunity to serve as the kind of citizen candidate the founding father's envisioned, rather than as a member of the political class.

Given the opportunity, I can only hope that I could be half as wise as some of them turned out to be.

Thank you for this opportunity to address you & -- of course -- I will be happy to answer any of your questions or any questions that the audience might have for me. 

I was not the selected candidate for the open position. There will be more on this little saga in future posts. 

Finally entering the fray

Three seek Ridgefield selectman seat

Written by Kate Czaplinski, Press Staff
Saturday, 27 November 2010 06:20

Marty Heiser

Maureen Kozlark

Jan Rifkinson

At least three candidates — a longtime Board of Finance leader with GOP backing, a former school board member who served nearly a decade, and a vocal spending critic who decided to “get out from behind the computer” — are applying to fill the vacant seat on the Board of Selectmen, left by Joan Plock’s resignation.

First Selectman Rudy Marconi said a few other Ridgefielders have voiced interest, but so far, the board is scheduled to interview finance board member Marty Heiser, former schoo board member Maureen Kozlark and Jan Rifkinson, who is a regular at board meetings and vocal on town issues.

They will be interviewed publicly at the Wednesday, Dec. 1 meeting, Mr. Marconi said. The selectmen are expected to choose a replacement the same night to meet a 30-day satuatory deadline ending Dec. 5. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. in the town hall large conference room.

Mr. Heiser, a 14-year member of the Board of Finance and local weekly television show host, was supported unanimously by the Republican Town Committee last Thursday.

“I feel honored and humbled by the endorsement and prepared to serve if the sitting Board of Selectmen members so decide,” Mr. Heiser said.

The GOP committee formed a five-member subcommittee to find the right candidate to recommend. Ms. Plock, who resigned for health reasons, was a member. Before voting for Mr. Heiser the committee named Ms. Plock a permanent ex-officio member and touted her many accomplishments through the years.

GOP Town Chairman James Carroll said the group’s goal was to not makes this “a political situation,” but chose a candidate who was best for Ridgefield. Mr. Carroll said Mr. Heiser’s experience meant “zero learning curve” and ability to jump in and see the town through the upcoming budget season and continued economic difficulties.

“Marty has the experience of town budgets and has demonstrated collaborative work not only within the town government, but additionally outside the town organizations for various town related causes,” Mr. Carroll said.

Mr. Heiser served as finance chair for 12 of his 14 years. He ran a losing campaign against Rudy Marconi for the first selectman seat in 2003.

He has coached youth hockey, girl’s youth lacrosse and basketball in town and still serves as a hockey referee. He is also on the Boys & Girls Club board and Ridgefield Young Life board. Among his accomplishments serving the town, he said he was proud to be part of Lounsbury Farm land acquisition through “development rights,” Tiger Hollow project, Ridgefield Playhouse development and open space acquisitions.

If appointed a Republican would have to be chosen by the Board of Finance to fill his seat.

Republican Maureen Kozlark applied for the position through Mr. Marconi’s office, and did not appear before the GOP town committee. Ms. Kozlark served nine years on the school board.
“It was the November election that inspired me, with everyone working so hard, my civic duty kicked in and I decided to throw my hat in the ring,” Ms. Kozlark said.

Ms. Kozlark, a full-time Realtor, has been involved in a number of organizations in town through the years, including RACE and efforts to make Ridgefield an “anti-idling town.” She also teaches catechism at St. Mary’s.

“Just in general, I’m a hard-working board member — I do my homework, learn the different issues so I can speak to them at the meetings,” she said.

Despite some initial confusion with the Board of Selectmen appointment process, town counsel found that State Statute allows for unaffiliated voters or those registered with small parties to apply for the seat. Ms. Plock was a Republican, but unlike other elected town boards she does not have to be replaced with a Republican.

That attracted Ridgefielder Jan Rifkinson, who is unaffiliated.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while and a number of people had suggested I run and others said ‘get out from behind your computer’ and see what it’s really like,” said Mr. Rifkinson, who is active commenter on town issues on the Ridgefield Forum and usually in attendance at board meetings.

Mr. Rifkinson has lived in town for 12 years, served on the Charter Revision Commission a few years ago and is retired from a career in television where his credits included working as director and producer with Good Morning America and 20/20.

He became a vocal spending critic a few years back, before the economic collapse. During the last few years he has asked questions, done the research and learned a lot along the way, he said.

“Ridgefield is a lovely town and I think everyone tries very hard and I like everyone involved,” Mr. Rifkinson said. “At one point it was a little town and now it’s a big corporation, a $120 million corporation — we have outgrown some of our little town ways of doing things.”

He said he is grateful for all the hard work the Board of Selectmen does and he believes he brings an entirely different perspective from current members.

“I think I might bring an opportunity to take a different look at some of the problems before us,” Mr. Rifkinson said. “I bring my own personality and my own sense of questioning — I’m retired so I have more time, I don’t have a constituency and I think that’s good. I don’t have kids in the schools, no business in town. My focus is sort of town-wide rather than one particular thing.”

More than anything, Mr. Rifkinson said he is excited with what he sees as a very “democratic” process for choosing a new board member.

“First of all, I wish there were more candidates and second of all I hope the room is packed,” Mr. Rifkinson said. “It’s an opportunity for people who have not started in through normal paths to get into town government — I think that’s very good.”

If the Board of Selectmen fail to choose a new member by Dec. 5, according to statute, the town clerk would ask Republicans elected to town boards to choose a replacement.

Mr. Marconi has not set a deadline for interested applicants. They can contact his office at 203-431-2774 before the Dec. 1 meeting.

Fairfield County > bye, bye, seniors.

From the Ridgefield Patch: "Connecticut's senior citizens are scrambling for the border, much to the dismay of local elected officials." Read the rest of this important story. Click here.

Poverty is working its way into the suburbs > I think an argument can be made that this is affecting Ridgefield.

24/7 Wallst.com

Poverty is supposed to be primarily an urban problem. Many believe cities are home to the chronically unemployed and minorities and young people, who traditionally find it hard to get jobs in a recession.

In theory, people in the suburbs are more well-to-do and better able to keep jobs, or find them fairly quickly when they lose them.

The Brookings Institution says the suburbs are no longer safe from the poverty and low wages that unemployment bring. The think tank released research on relatively new trends:

In 1999, large U.S. cities and their suburbs had roughly equal numbers of poor residents, but by 2008 the number of suburban poor exceeded the poor in central cities by 1.5 million. Although poverty rates remain higher in central cities than in suburbs (18.2 per­cent versus 9.5 percent in 2008), poverty rates have increased at a quicker pace in suburban areas.

Here's the complete article

Here's the original source for this article

See a problem > Report a problem

An interesting experiment called SeeClickFix. Click the link to see what it's about.

Opinion > Ms. Low Gets a 2% Raise (Ridgefield Press Sep 16, 2010)

During my time working on Sesame Street many years ago, there was a game called “One of these things is not like the others”.  Children were to compare a grouping of several objects and be able to point out the one that didn't belong. For example: Four green vegetables and a yellow banana.

Let's play the same game here:

1. Ms. Low is quoted as saying she is not a big fan of 'Race to the Top' and said “non-educators try to prescribe narrow quick fixes, and I think there was a little bit of that in Race to the Top.”

(I'm told Ms. Low has reduced the number of parent-teacher conferences. So much for feedback and accountability.)

2. Ms. Low instituted full day kindergarten under false budgetary pretenses.

3. From NewsTimes: "The percentage of New Canaan Public School students who achieved goal-level scores in the Connecticut Mastery Test [CMT] and Connecticut Academic Performance Test [CAPT] was significantly greater than the state average in each subject at each grade level, according to test results, which were made public earlier this month. [snip] Ninety-one percent of New Canaan third graders met or exceeded goal, as well as 89.9 percent of fourth-graders, 91.9 percent of fifth-graders and 94.9 percent of sixth-graders, according to data from the Connecticut Department of Education. Each of those four grade levels boasted the higher percentage of students meeting goal than neighboring Darien, Fairfield, Greenwich, Westport and Wilton.”

(Ridgefield didn't even make this list in the DRG. Actually, I think we were seventh in eight districts.)

4. Ms. Low “found” hundreds of thousands of dollars for non-educational expenses that WERE NOT in the budget and then couldn't afford to hire a literacy teacher that WAS in the budget.

(So much for educational priorities.)

5. Ms. Low gets a 2% raise

That dreaded Lyme disease & those damned ticks

Especially if you are a young family with kids running around the yard, read this WSJ report here.

Ridgefield Town Clerk 13 foreclosures for 2009 & 13 for the first 8 months of 2010.

From Ridgefield Patch:

One of every 622 houses in Connecticut is in foreclosure, according to a newly released report by Realty Trac, which follows the housing market. And while the numbers might not set any records, foreclosures jumped 22 percent statewide from June to July. Towns from Darien to Ridgefield and Wilton to Westport aren't immune from housing issues, according to the latest statistics reported by area Town Clerk's offices.  Read the entire article here.

CT lost out on $175,000,000 in Federal education grants. Now what?

From "The Day - State News"

Hartford (AP) — Connecticut's school superintendents will get a briefing on new education laws and how the state will cope with losing out on $175 million in federal school reform grants.

The superintendents and officials from the state Department of Education are planning to gather Wednesday at the Capitol for their annual update before the start of the new school year.

One topic will be revising Connecticut's school reform plans now that the state has failed to qualify for the Obama administration's "Race to the Top" education grants.

Connecticut requested $175 million to pay for a package of reforms passed by the legislature this year. State Education Commissioner Mark McQuillan is expected to tell the superintendents on Wednesday which reforms can still be enacted.

Zillow > Tracking Ridgefield Property Values

Town of Ridgefield Zillow Home Value Index

Town of Ridgefield Home Values - Interactive chart

Ridgefield Press Letter to the Editor > Financing a New Library

Does Marty Heiser speak for the Board of Finance or is he just Bored of Finance? 

Regarding the notion of a new $20 million library, Mr. Heiser is quoted in the Ridgefield Press as stating: "I told them [if] they want to build their Carnegie Hall, they’ve got [to] find their Carnegie.” It looks to me like they have. His name is Heiser. 

Mr. Heiser, referring to the Board of Finance, said “...This board can help shape the deal.” I ask: What deal? 

Furthermore, in Heiser's world “...If it’s $15 million private and $5 million public, I can see getting behind that, because we’d have to spend $5 million to fix it, anyway.” I say: Really? If the library can raise $15 million, raising $5 million should be a breeze. 

And finally the former Board of Finance chairman stated “This thing’s got architect’s renderings and ads in the newspaper — this thing is coming.” So I say if 'this thing is coming', why should we waste money on a referendum? Let's just call it "Fiat by Marty". 

Here's some more of what I think. 

(1) If the library can only raise $15m, they should build something for $15m. 

(2) Their current rendering described in the Ridgefield Press & the Danbury News Times doesn't even include the old Webster bank building which could house a gift shop, a coffee house and other appropriate businesses that could help support their kingdom. 

(3) If, in fact, taxpayers are asked to chip in $5 million, the quid pro quo should be the gradual zeroing of the library's annual stipend which is $1.64 million this year and use that money to pay down the taxpayer $5 million contribution. 

(4) I dare any member of any board to raise these politically un-popular propositions publicly. It's always MORE, it's NEVER LESS.

Washington Post > D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee has launched a rigorous evaluation system that will make some District teachers have their job security tied to standardized test scores.

Finally some sanity may be seeping into our public school system. Read this important article here.

Related articles by Zemanta

• D.C. Fires 241 Teachers for Incompetence -- By: Daniel Foster (corner.nationalreview.com)
• Q-and-A with Michelle Rhee (thehill.com)
• New woes for D.C. teacher merit pay plan (washingtontimes.com)

High salaries lead to high pensions > Where does Ridgefield stand?

CA city seeks resignations of high-paid officials

By JOHN ROGERS, Associated Press Writer

BELL, Calif. – The City Council in this small, blue-collar suburb of Los Angeles intends to ask three administrators whose salaries total more than $1.6 million to resign Thursday or face possible firing.

The officials include Chief Administrative Officer Robert Rizzo, who earns $787,637 a year — nearly twice the pay of President Barack Obama — for overseeing one of the poorest towns in Los Angeles County.

The others are Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia, who makes $376,288 a year, and Police Chief Randy Adams, whose annual salary of $457,000 is 50 percent more than that of Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck.

Councilman Luis Artiga said the panel planned to request the resignations during a closed-door, afternoon meeting that was called to consider dismissing the officials. A public hearing is scheduled for Monday.

Rizzo was hired at an annual salary of $72,000 a year in 1993, and the council rapidly increased that amount over the years. His most recent raise boosted his salary more than $84,000 a year.

"All right, somebody wasn't paying attention to that," said Artiga, who joined the council a little more than a year ago. "But we are acting on that today."

Adams was recently hired at a relatively high salary, while Spaccia was paid $102,310 when she was hired in 2003 and received hefty raises since then, Artiga said.

All three officials under question have contracts that protect them from being fired without cause. If they refuse to quit, the city might have to shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy out their contracts.

Revelations about the pay in Bell has sparked anger in the city of fewer than 40,000 residents. Census figures from 2008 show 17 percent of the population lives in poverty.

Enraged residents have staged protests demanding the firings and started a recall campaign against some council members. "Woo-hoo, the salaries. Wow. What can I say? I think that's unbelievable," Christina Caldera, a 20-year resident of the city, said as she stood in line at a food bank. Caldera, who is struggling after recently losing her job as a drug and alcohol counselor, said she generally was satisfied with the way the city was being run but felt high-paid officials should take a pay cut. 

"What are they doing with all that money?" she asked. "Maybe they could put it into more jobs for other people."

Attempts to leave messages with city representatives seeking comment from Rizzo and Spaccia failed because their voicemails were full. A message left for Adams was not immediately returned.

The council members are paid well themselves — four of the five members, including Artiga, each make about $100,000 a year for the part-time work. The county district attorney's office is investigating to determine if the council's high salaries violate any state laws.

The City Council also intends to review city salaries, including those of its own members, according to Artiga and Mayor Oscar Hernandez.

"We are going to analyze all the city payrolls and possibly will revise all the salaries of the city," Artiga said. 

However, both men said they considered the City Council pay to be justified.

"We work a lot. I work with my community every day," the mayor said, as he shook hands with and embraced people leaving the food bank Thursday.

Council members are on call around the clock, and it is not uncommon for them to take calls in the middle of the night from people reporting problems with city services, Artiga said.

Though many residents are poor, Hernandez said they live in a city they can be proud of, one with a $22.7 million budget surplus, clean streets, refurbished parks and numerous programs for people of all ages. He pointed proudly down a street to a park filled with new exercise equipment.

When Rizzo arrived 13 years ago, Hernandez said, the city was $13 million in debt and on the verge of bankruptcy. Rizzo obtained government grants to aid the city, the mayor said.

The Los Angeles Times reported the salaries last week, prompting a large protest Monday at City Hall in which residents shouted and demanded that Rizzo be fired.

If Rizzo leaves, he still would be entitled to a state pension of more than $650,000 a year for life, according to calculations made by the Times. That would make Rizzo, 55, the highest-paid retiree in the state pension system.

Adams could get more than $411,000.

Spaccia, 51, could be eligible for as much as $250,000 a year when she reaches 55, though the figure is less precise than for the other two officials, the Times said.

Essay > Boo! Another surprise & it's not even Halloween

Once upon a time there was free parking at the Branchville train station. As we know, it's a small lot with about 150 available spaces. It has a few ruts in it.... oh... and a speed bump. 

Then poor little Ridgefield got into financial trouble by spending beyond its means so it starting looking around for more income. 

Sensing a possible revolt of two thirds of its residents if property taxes continued to rise unabated, it turned to another possible source of income -- the Parking Authority -- to come up with a plan. 

And lo & behold, it did...... in the form of parking permits for the Branchville Station. But, as usual, how the fees were computed didn't make any sense. We have a history with this kind of miscalculation. 

At the BoS meeting at which these parking fees were introduced, it was suggested that a $250 annual fee & a $6.00 daily fee were reasonable. The parking permits would be decided by lottery. A variety of people stood up to say they were comfortable with this arrangement. A fair number of these people were from Redding. 

I asked (1) how this fee structured had been calculated and (2) why was it necessary this year, it being another difficult year financially. 

The Answers: (1) By comparison, the fees were higher in neighboring towns. (2) Our Highway Department had to fix the ruts in the parking lot out of their current budget. No one added this had caused any hardship, that the time it took to do it was excessive or that this project had put the department over budget. 

Since no one was getting my drift, I decided to change tactics & stated that I thought we were going about the process 'bass ackward' [sic]; that it made more sense to first figure the costs of whatever was required to maintain the lot (or we wanted to do to improve it) & from that, to extrapolate a parking fee to support the project, thus causing no expense to slop over to anyone except those who used the facility, i.e. commuters. 

'Oh', said, the First Selectman, 'we know the costs: repaving costs about three thousand dollars and we are thinking about putting in new lights and a few other amenities so we pretty much know what it's going to cost'. JR: 'Oh.... and how much is that'? RM: 'Like I said: three thousand dollars to repave the parking lot'. 

So now you know how the fee was calculated. 

I don't know about you but I feel better now. 

Well, here's another suggestion. A committee comprised of a Parking Commission member, the First Selectman, the head of the Highway Department, some commuters, the town engineer & the Financial Director sit in a room and they: 

1. make a list of all the improvements wanted or needed 

2. cost out those improvements 

3. figure annual maintenance to keep it all in tip top shape, another selling point for Ridgefield 

4. decide on the simplest system using the least amount of time/energy to administer it (parking kiosk or a lottery?) 

5. create a spreadsheet to see how these costs could be absorbed by the users, i.e. commuters w/o any costs to non-commuters. 

Suppose I said that by doing it this way, we could reduce the $250 parking fee to $200? 

Or suppose I said that, as a result of this exercise, we discovered that the suggested fees would not cover the costs so those extra costs would have to be added as an expense line in the town budget & thus paid for by property owners (in which case, we would also be paying for commuting Reddingites)? 

Or suppose I said, the one & only reason this subject has come up at all is that Ridgefield is looking for extra income via a back door (like the Police Department tried with the flagman episode) & that this fee is not really necessary at all. 

Well, I have my opinion. What's yours?

Myths & Obfuscation > published in the Ridgefield Press 04/16/2009

Several items caught my attention during this year's budget debate.

1. A woman stands before a group of parents at a town budget meeting holding cups from Starbucks to say that we should give up three cups of their coffee to support the school budget. This is not what I call a comprehensive approach to the very serious problem of funding education in Ridgefield. Don't you understand this was the height of arrogance, elitism and a cheap shot besides? There are many people in this town who don't go to Starbucks because they can't afford the overpriced, pretentiously named, fattening coffee and those people must also be considered during budget debates. It's not all  about you.

2. From the Ridgefield Press April 9, 2009, in a letter to the editor titled: Please Protect crown of the town, RoseMary Frederick, a former leader of the Ridgefield NEA, writes of the organization "We worked collaboratively for the best interests of students and district."  Let's not obfuscate the truth. The Raison d'être of the NEA is to represent teacher interests, pure and simple. It's a union. That's their first commandment. Your kids come second.

3. Again, from the Ridgefield Press April 9, 2009, in a letter to the editor titled: Infinite Campus was worthwhile, Sue Fernandez, current president of the RHS PTA, wasted an entire letter to the editor defending the purchase of a $100,000 data system when she should have been arguing for educational excellence. Debating the merits of this IT system is a red herring and besides the point.  The real point is making sure we spend money on education first, administrative IT systems second. It is a myth that any IT system will improve your child's education. It only facilitates administrative duties.  

I don't care about facilitating administrative duties. 

Budget Centers > Ridgefield Press article published 01/11/2010

Long have I wondered the real cost of some of our 'assets'. Right now we don't have a clear picture and it's no one's fault. It's the old "Does the golf course make money" dispute.

There are a lot of costs that are not obvious in the school and town budgets.

For example: What is the 'real' cost of operating the Venus building, Recreation Center, golf course, playhouse, athletic fields, library, senior center, recycling and dumping centers, Barlow Pool and Tiger Hollow?

Arguably these are valuable assets but I believe taxpayers have a right to know exactly what they cost to maintain. Currently this is not possible because of the way the budget is organized.

At a Board of Finance meeting (June 23, 2009), to which I was invited to speak, I suggested that cost centers be developed, i.e. that all costs (and income) associated with a center be stated together; including capital as well as operating costs.

For example, how many Parks Department man hours are spent on the athletic fields and golf course? What does it cost to maintain the Venus building and how much income does it earn?

Sitting across from me, the chairman's eyes glazed over as I made my pitch. He checked his Blackberry messages and tuned out. A board member stated they had a good handle on labor costs which represented most of the town's expenses (ergo, my suggestion seemed not worth further effort). Another member asked how many cost centers were involved. The last member present said they were 'sort of' following that path anyway (could have fooled me).

Finally, the chairman thanked me for my time and interest, excused me and moved on. It was if I had never been there.

Wrong.

I'm going to keep bringing this up until we taxpayers get some answers in black and white.

NYT > In Budget Crisis, States Take Aim at Pension Costs

This is an extremely important story as I believe it is a realistic harbinger of things to come. It will eventually filter down to towns like Ridgefield which is why we should be doing something about it now. Read the entire story here.

By MARY WILLIAMS WALSH published June 19, 2010

Many states are acknowledging this year that they have promised pensions they cannot afford and are cutting once-sacrosanct benefits, to appease taxpayers and attack budget deficits.

Gov. Pat Quinn said an overhaul would save Illinois’s pension system $300 million in its first year. But the fund is weakened.

Articles in this series are examining the consequences of, and efforts to deal with, growing public and private debts.

Illinois raised its retirement age to 67, the highest of any state, and capped public pensions at $106,800 a year. Arizona, New York, Missouri and Mississippi will make people work more years to earn pensions. Virginia is requiring employees to pay into the state pension fund for the first time. New Jersey will not give anyone pension credit unless they work at least 32 hours a week.

“We can’t afford to deny reality or delay action any longer,” said Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois, adding that his state’s pension cuts, enacted in March, will save some $300 million in the first year alone.

But there is a catch: Nearly all of the cuts so far apply only to workers not yet hired. Though heralded as breakthrough reforms by state officials, the cuts phase in so slowly they are unlikely to save the weakest funds and keep them from running out of money. Some new rules may even hasten the demise of the funds they were meant to protect.

Lawmakers wanted to avoid legal battles or fights with unions, whose members can be influential voters. So they are allowing most public workers across the country to keep building up their pensions at the same rate as ever. The tens of thousands of workers now on Illinois’s payrolls, for instance, will still get to retire at 60 — and some will as young as 55.

One striking exception is Colorado, which has imposed cuts on its current workers, not just future hires, and even on people who have already retired. The retirees have sued to block the reduction.

Other states with shrinking funds and deep fiscal distress may be pushed in this direction and tempted to follow Colorado’s example in the coming years. Though most state officials believe they are legally bound to shield current workers from pension cuts, a Colorado victory could embolden them to be more aggressive. [snip]

Is a college education really necessary?

From a Huffington Post article:

The notion that a four-year degree is essential for real success is being challenged by a growing number of economists, policy analysts and academics. They say more Americans should consider other options such as technical training or two-year schools, which have been embraced in Europe for decades.

As evidence, experts cite rising student debt, stagnant graduation rates and a struggling job market flooded with overqualified degree-holders. They pose a fundamental question: Do too many students go to college?

"College is what every parent wants for their child," said Martin Scaglione, president and chief operating officer of work force development for ACT, the Iowa-based not-for-profit best known for its college entrance exam. "The reality is, they may not be ready for college."

President Barack Obama wants to restore the country's status as the world leader in the proportion of citizens with college degrees. The U.S. now ranks 10th among industrial nations, behind Canada, Japan, Korea and several European countries.

But federal statistics show that just 36 percent of full-time students starting college in 2001 earned a four-year degree within that allotted time. Even with an extra two years to finish, that group's graduation rate increased only to 57 percent.

From the Ridgefield Press > The fence is ok

"A painter survived getting impaled on a metal fence stake Tuesday morning after falling two stories off a ladder.

Ridgefield Fire Chief Heather Burford reported that the man, working with a crew at 263 Spring Valley Road around 11:20 a.m., fell about 24 feet from a ladder, onto a metal fence post that was more than an inch in diameter.

The fence stake punctured the man’s lower left side and went through his body and out near his clavicle, suspending him above the ground.

His fellow crew members removed the distressed man from the post before the ambulance arrived. The fall did not budge the metal stake, Chief Burford said."

Map > percentage of adults age 25-34 with college degrees listed by state

If the United States is to meet President Obama's goal of becoming the world's best-educated country by 2020, there is work to be done. Young adults with college degrees outnumber those without only in Massachusetts and the District of Columbia. Click here for the map.

Denver Post > Teacher evaluation measure signed into law

Written by Jeremy P. Meyer
POSTED: 05/21/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT
UPDATED: 05/21/2010 02:52:04 AM MDT

A controversial teacher effectiveness bill that fractured the Democratic Party, made some lawmakers weep and led union members to protest on the Capitol steps is now law.

But Gov. Bill Ritter's signature Thursday ended only the first chapter of what is likely to be a long process to change the way Colorado educators are evaluated and how they get and keep tenure.

"This bill is about enhancing that profession through high-quality evaluation systems that will move us one step closer to the day when all Colorado students are taught by highly effective teachers in schools led by highly effective principals," Ritter said.

The law ties teacher and principal evaluations to student academic growth and changes the way

Sen. Michael Johnston, D-Denver, who wrote the bill, said the legislation is about recognizing and celebrating great teachers and leaders who never give up on their students.

"That is what this bill, at its heart, is all about," Johnston said. "We as educators are going to say, 'We're going to be there in the hardest time to let you know that we believe in you, regardless of how severe the circumstances outside of this schoolroom are.' "

Yet teachers, parents and students won't see the effects of Senate Bill 191 until it is implemented statewide in the fall of 2013.

The law now goes into its developmental phase — leaning on a 15-member council to define details behind the legislation.

The Governor's Council for Educator Effectiveness will have its third meeting today in the Colorado Education Association's boardroom. Its first order on the agenda: "Understand the implications of SB 191 for the council's scope of work and timeline."

"Now it's time to roll up our sleeves and do the work that the legislature was so kind to give us," said Kerrie Dallman, president of the Jefferson County Education Association and a member of the council.

By March 1, the council must define what makes an effective teacher and principal, develop a high-quality statewide evaluation system for both teachers and principals, and create performance standards for each category of licensed educator — among a host of other duties.

The council's recommendations will go to the State Board of Education, which must vote on the rules by September 2011.

"Right now it feels like an amazing amount of work as we head into the third meeting," said Dallman, who testified against the bill in both the House and Senate education committees along with other union representatives.

The CEA — the state's largest teachers union, representing 40,000 members — mounted a strong campaign to defeat the bill but also worked with lawmakers to add numerous amendments.

On Thursday, the union issued a news release saying it was committed to making the law work but still had concerns about the cost the bill would impose on school districts.

"We are pleased that some of the changes we suggested to the bill were included, but we still have a number of concerns about the implementation of this new law," said Beverly Ingle, CEA president. "For example, the law defines the outcomes of a new evaluation system before the council has had the chance to do its work of determining the system."

Ritter, however, praised the union in a news conference before the bill's signing — saying the CEA has been a strong partner in educational changes that have occurred in recent years. But CEA representatives didn't attend the event.

"I understand that (the CEA) considered Senate Bill 191 a bridge too far," the Democratic governor said. "There are a lot of people who said this was this big fight and that this would splinter things for a very long time. I have a different way of thinking about this. This is something that had to happen."

The bill isn't meant to be punitive and it will lift teachers up to being effective, he added.

"Over time," Ritter said, "we're going to get to a place where we are working together."

DETAILS OF NEW SYSTEM

• Evaluations: Beginning in the fall of 2013, teachers will be rated "highly effective," "effective" or "ineffective."
• Young teachers: "Probationary" teachers, currently those in their first three years, who earn three consecutive "effective" ratings become "nonprobationary."
• Veteran teachers: "Nonprobationary" teachers who get two consecutive "ineffective" ratings return to "probationary" status and will have a year to improve or face termination. Lawmakers estimate only 3 percent of teachers would lose their "nonprobationary" status under the new system. Teachers displaced from jobs would have 12 months, or two hiring cycles, to find a position before being cut from district payrolls.

Writer Contact: 303-954-1367 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com

* * * * *

Other Links of interest on the same story

• Time for House to act on tenure
• Panel OKs teacher reform bill

Memorial Day 2010 > my small town at its best & why I love it so

Parade Grand Marshal: Doris Ventres, the letter lady, is in the spotlight

Written by Macklin Reid, Ridgefield Press Staff
Monday, 31 May 2010 05:52

After four decades of quietly writing letters and sending clipping and photos to service personnel from her hometown, Doris Ventres is making a splash.

She’ll not only be the grand marshal of Ridgefield’s Memorial Day Parade today, but to do it she turned down an invitation to lead a parade in New York — an honor that came her way now that her television and Web profiles have been growing.

“It’s an honor. I’m glad that I can do it,” she said of leading Ridgefield’s parade.

“I’d rather do it here than New York City” she said. “New York City wanted me down there. They wanted to send a limo and pick me up. It told them they could find someone down there, I’m sure.

“Being on Fox News, that’s what started everything rolling,” she said Monday, May 24. “Last week, I guess it was Sunday, I was on all day, on and off, and that started the ball rolling.”

She gave in to the Ridgefield American Legion’s request that she lead their parade after trying to talk them into making someone else grand marshal.

But she’s happy to do it.

"I’m very proud to be here, and with all my family here for many many years, I’m glad I can be in the parade,” she said.

As grand marshal she’ll be riding in a convertible — probably Fred Whipple’s Mustang — right after the police vehicle at the front of the parade.

“I wanted to walk, but they don’t want me to walk,” she said.

She still seems a little awkward about going from behind-the-scenes worker to so public a role. “I said ‘This gray-haired lady?’ But I’ll still sit there and wave, anyway, I guess.”

Ms. Ventres earned the honor because she has been regularly writing letters to men and women from Ridgefield who are in military service — all of them, to the degree she can get their names and addresses — for as long as many people work in their careers.

“Forty-two years — and I’m not about to give it up,” she said.

“The pen hasn’t run out of ink yet.”

How many letters does she write?

"Fifty-three this month,” she said. “I put a lot time in this month.”

She sent along clippings and pictures of the town hall display honoring service people which the Military Pride Committee put together, and the crowd that turned out for the display’s May 2 opening ceremony.

She says it doesn’t feel the letter writing is a burden.

“When you enjoy it, it just doesn’t seem like work,” she said.

“I’ve got a very understanding husband,” she added.

That would be George Ventres, who is active in veterans work in Ridgefield.

“Of course, he was in the service,” she said. “He’s just come in from selling poppies now.”

The couple has two grown sons, Tad, who’s in Ridgefield, and Dale, now in Montana.

How much time does Ms. Ventres put into the letters in a typical week?

“Maybe about 30 hours. Because I do both sides of an 8-by-10 sheet, usually,” she said. “And I like to send pictures from home — they enjoy that. Articles. I cut articles that I see in the paper...

“And I take a lot of pictures around town — the fairs going on in the summertime, and the pumpkin patch in the fall in front of the church, anything that’s going on. Tell them about going to the ‘Oklahoma’ play that the high school put on, the kids.

“They just like to hear news from home, really, when they’re away like that,” she said. “And if someone else from the unit doesn’t have any mail, I tell them to pass it on.”

Soldiers don’t need to be deployed overseas to get letters from Ms. Ventres.

“The stateside mail, I feel, is just as important as the deployed. They’re away from home, and they’re training.”

Ms. Ventres is one of the dozen or so Ridgefielders who worked on the Military Pride Committee’s town hall display, featuring photos and memorabilia of some 50-odd Ridgefielders in military service — most of them names garnered from Ms. Ventres’ address list.

Working with the other committee volunteers was something she really enjoyed, “That committee was fantastic,” she said.

As with the letter-writing, she couldn’t say how much time she put into it.

“I don’t know. When you’re having a good time, you just don’t count the hours,” she said. “You just don’t seem to, when it’s something you enjoy.”

How many service people does Ms. Ventres figure she’s corresponded with over 42 years she’s been writing letters?
 
“Oh, my, a lot,” she said.

“They’ve served, retired, and one of them I’m still writing. They want to write back, and the children want to write to me. They become like a family after a while.”

She recalled one service woman who went to high school in Ridgefield and ended up with a long military career that took her to American bases all over globe.

“She lost her parents during that time,” Ms. Ventres said. “She wrote and said, ‘No matter where I was, you never forgot me.’ So, the mail did mean a lot.”

Reactions like that keep Ms. Ventres at her desk.

“I always say, ‘Write, just take the time. Write. You can take time to pray, you can take time to write. Just write,’ ” she said.

“When you go to bed, you can figure, I made somebody happy today.”

Politico.com > More charter schools.

The UFT be damned. NY, CO, DE & TN have come to their educational senses.  How long will it take for our little CT to follow suit?

In a huge legislative coup for Mayor Bloomberg at the statewide level (where has has not generally enjoyed great success over his first two terms), New York's two houses of the legislature have passed bills approving a hike in the number of charter schools permitted statewide.

The bills also called for other reforms, including teacher evaluations tied to student performance - similar to measures that have passed in Colorado, Delaware and Tennessee (the latter two were Race to the Top fund winners in Round One) - concepts that were not exactly favored by the teachers' union in New York.

Read the rest of the article: click here

Letter to the Editor > Ridgefield Press

The 2010 budget vote demonstrated an increased focus on real world economics. 

While those who supported the full day kindergarten initiative  could post: "Woo, hoo, it passed" on the Ridgefield Press Forum like some silly first grader, others of us who opposed the school budget could take solace in the fact that more of us actually considered the real fundamental issues and came out to vote our conscience. 

This is no small matter. Thirty-one percent of the voting population, or about five thousand residents, participated in the highest voter turnout in recent history. 

The result? In what was clearly NOT a mandate, the school budget passed by a mere 200 or so votes while the town budget passed by a three to one margin. 

A win is a win, but for those of you who sometimes feel "What's the use, nothing changes", take notice, change IS possible, clearly tied to your interest and active participation. So keep it up; ask the hard questions, go to meetings. Don't be embarrassed to speak out. 

The last time the budgets were rejected, an elected official was heard to say: "Clearly the wrong people voted" and this year an e-mail blast titled 'Vote Update Urgent' went out with the following message "... Based on the people entering the polls this afternoon things are getting worse. The majority of people voting do not appear to be 'parents'". 

Both ignorant statements by any standard, it demonstrates a mindset that clamors for change. This is not 'their' town. This is 'our' town. Does one have to be a certain 'type' to care about Ridgefield's future including education? I think not. 

Because of this year's decisions, next year the Boards of Selectmen and Finance will face even tougher decisions or be held politically responsible for Ridgefield's diminution.        

Ridgefield Press > Flagger ordinance fails at town meeting; Police Commission will explore regulation

Many construction or utility companies already hire police as flaggers, but they are not required to use officers.

Voters overwhelmingly opposed two versions of a flagger ordinance Wednesday night, requiring companies and private citizens to hire police for traffic control in specified work zones.

An amended and expanded ordinance failed in a 60 to 23 vote. Then, the Board of Selectmen’s more limited proposed ordinance, requiring citizens and companies to hire off-duty police during excavation, construction, or repair of any highway road or street that impedes the flow of traffic on 24 town roads, failed by a larger margin, in a 71 to 11 vote.Though the ordinances failed, the town may still have a flagger regulation passed by the Police Commission, if it so chooses, Chairman Tom Reynolds said.Written by Kate Czaplinski, Press Staff  > Wednesday, 26 May 2010 23:27For the rest of the story click here.

New York Time's article written by Steven Brill > UFT vs Education

MICHAEL MULGREW is an affable former Brooklyn vocational-high-school teacher who took over last year as head of New York City’s United Federation of Teachers when his predecessor, Randi Weingarten, moved to Washington to run the national American Federation of Teachers. Over breakfast in March, we talked about a movement spreading across the country to hold public-school teachers accountable by compensating, promoting or even removing them according to the results they produce in class, as measured in part by student test scores. Mulgrew’s 165-page union contract takes the opposite approach. It not only specifies everything that teachers will do and will not do during a six-hour-57 ½-minute workday but also requires that teachers be paid based on how long they have been on the job. Once they’ve been teaching for three years and judged satisfactory in a process that invariably judges all but a few of them satisfactory, they are ensured lifetime tenure. For the rest of the article click here.

Vote 'No' at the May 26 Town Meeting > My take on the proposed flagman ordinance

"Police Chief John Roche and other commissioners agreed that though the ordinance was brought forward for economic reasons, it is a safety measure that would benefit the town."

Well, now it's too late to change the sense of the ordinance.

If the police union and the First Selectman could not come to a wage agreement across the negotiation table, then it should have gone to arbitration. End of story.

The problem is that Mr. Marconi agreed to the proposed ordinance as part of the town's contract negotiations with the police union. Therefore, for the police union, it is rightfully an economic issue. No matter what anyone else wants to call it, it is built in overtime for police officers & the town has to proceed to present the ordinance for a vote at a town meeting. This will happen Wednesday, May 26th.

Never should a proposed vote by the public be part of a labor contract. It becomes a hidden tax rather than the town's cost of doing business which is budgeted annually.

If it was purely a safety issue -- which I believe it is -- it could be handled by the Police Commission as part of their charge. The Police Chief can shut down any job that he considers a traffic or safety hazard and, by his own admission, he currently has the right to determine if an assignment is a 'special duty' assignment (i.e. offered to any off duty officer) or as part of the regular work day or if a non-police flagman is sufficient to handle the work.

A 'special duty' assignment requires a four hour minimum assignment at time and a half or -- on special occasions -- double time. Except for rare exceptions like a private party or something along those lines, I believe all this could be handled within a normal work day. If it became too much for the current force to handle as indicated by a rise in the crime rate, an outrageous increase in overtime, overworked police officers or something along those lines, the Police Commission could recommend the hiring of an additional officer to take up the extra load in the future. 

In my opinion, this is just another example of why Ridgefield should hire a town centric labor relations firm to negotiate ALL town contracts in the future. Had that been the case, this entire matter would probably not have arisen because it would have been foreseen by a professional negotiator. 

In this case, I don't think the town was well served by our First Selectman.

May 26, 7:30pm @ Veteran's Park Elementary School Auditorium > Special Town Meeting on Flagger Ordinance vote followed by BoS Meeting

Policy: Board of Selectmen meetings will be conducted under Roberts Rules of Order with comment invited only on agenda items that are action items not subject to formal public hearing.  Individuals will be recognized for three minutes after Board of Selectmen discussion but before Board of Selectmen vote. 

Agenda (immediately following Special Town Meeting)

1.   Vendor Permit Application:  Redding Creamery

2.   Ridgefield Prevention Council Intv: Margaret Stamatis

3.   Appoint of Dir of Social Services: Carole Konner

4.   Workers Comp & Liability Broker Recommendation from IRMC

5.   Potential Leash Ordinance Discussion

6.   Children’s Corner Lease

7.   Electronic Waste Recycling Contract

8.   Paul Roche Lease

9.   Selectman’s Report

10. Approval of Meeting Minutes:  4/28/10, 5/12/10

Note:  Anyone requiring special accommodations due to disability is asked to contact the First Selectman’s office at 431-2774.