Tuesday, January 13, 2009

The New Britain School Board Adopts Its New Budget!


Without singling any member for their comments but comments were made that the proposed budget by the Superintendant was “a responsible budget”. Agreeing, with their affirmative vote, every penny of spending was needed.

An increase of 7.8 Million dollars being proposed, with this new budget, considering the current bad economical times our taxpayers are experiencing.

Many layoffs and bankruptcies face our workers. By the administration’s own documents presented to the public they indicate a lower student enrollment but request additional teachers to be added. Why?

The Mayor and the city council members will have the awesome duty to scrutinize this increase with the current horrible economical times out taxpayers are facing.

They will have their shot with three upcoming budget hearings to be held on February 9th. , March 23rd. , and April 13th. The Proposed 6.6% increase to the current budget that is already too high must be carefully addressed by the city council.

This Budget meeting of the school board can be seen on channell 95 Tuesday at 6 P.M.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

A New Britain Resident Said;

I can't pay anymore taxes so I am moving out of town. Moving my Business too.

The school board members can go scratch.

Anonymous said...

Like always, the union thugs get their massive raises while the rest of us, who are facing pay cuts and layoffs, are left to pay the increasing tax bills to fund their lavish lifestyles.

Anonymous said...

My business currently pays over $10,000 a year in personal property taxes. I am moving my entire business out of this ridiculous state to a state that doesn't even tax the personal property of businesses, so you liberals can all stick your tax system where the sun doesn't shine. Thank God for the Republican South. And you wonder why the young people are graduating from college and moving out of state in record numbers?

Anonymous said...

The Board of Ed meeting of Jan. 12 can also be seen on Channel 95 this Friday, January 16 at 6:00 p.m.

Anonymous said...

Universal Health Care Bill is a Failure...

Universal health care has been tried by another state of the union. It has turned up to be a failed policy. Reason for the failure cost for the government. It was not feasable for it to be run by the state. CT would be the third state trying this failed policy.
Even our president elect said for the economy in the whole it is not feasable for his policy of change to happen.

The only winner is the insurance companies not paying or providing services or trying to find doctors who will not accept it. This policy in place would see our health professionals move to other states or see it close their doors. Leaving our health care at risk.

We know from fighting insurance companies for 2 years paying services that they thought were elective surgery. The insurance companies just drag their feet in paying for services that were rendered. Thinking that the client would give up.

Anonymous said...

In this economy they want an increase like that? I say get rid of the superintendent and those elected to represent us the taxpayers. At least the mayor has the chutzpah to tell them where to go every year and slash their budget. The council didn't even do their charter mandated action of amending or for that fact even voting on the budget last year when even more cuts should have been made. Look for more of the same people with this group of enablers.

Anonymous said...

In this economy they want an increase like that? I say get rid of the superintendent and those elected to represent us the taxpayers. At least the mayor has the chutzpah to tell them where to go every year and slash their budget. The council didn't even do their charter mandated action of amending or for that fact even voting on the budget last year when even more cuts should have been made. Look for more of the same people with this group of enablers.

Anonymous said...

instead of raising people's taxes to pay for more teachers to teach less students, should we be laying off teachers, since the student enrollment is down, and then cutting the budget accordingly?

Who is the brain surgeon who came up with the idea to hire more teachers to teach less students?

Sounds like something Sherwack would propose through his nutjob puppet.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the Board of Ed should take a lesson from Mohegan Sun's management. Faced with the need to cut expenses, and not wanting to be forced to layoff employees, they decided to reduce the salaries of every single employee from the CEO right on down. Think the Superintendent of schools would miss a small pay cut from her 6 figure salary?

Anonymous said...

Although many of you want to bash the superintendent's salary, you are, perhaps, unaware that all of the top several administrators and all of the fourteen principals are making six figure salaries with every conceivable benefit. Their salaries go as high as $130,000 or even more. There are teachers in the system earning over $80,000 a year.

Please watch the newly televised BOE meetings. Watch Wolski jump to support Kurtz's every word, followed by Kochel. Notice the high vote getting people who never ask a question or open their mouths, except to vote for whatever Kurtz wants.

Anonymous said...

Our household cannot absorb another
property tax increase either. The re-assessment caused an increase to
our mortgage of $50.00 per month and our home is no longer valued at
the amount Vision Appraisal determined. Add to it that our main bread winner is on a salary increase freeze and a higher contribution to our health insurance. This year is a backward
spiral like many others but we are thankful for still having employment. Employees of the New Britain Board Of Education need to be thankful for all that they have too and should be coming forward with concessions to keep their jobs
intact not looking for more. Talk to many of them and they are miserable, complaining all the time
about Doris, about the working conditions, about the pay, about the kids. Enough. Time to draw the line.

There are plenty of good people, teachers and administrators that would be glad to step up into a job
in NB and probably for less
money and will do a better job.
Remember, everyone can be replaced.

Anonymous said...

Our household cannot absorb another
property tax increase either...

Get ready to pay higher taxes to fund the hiring of more teachers even though enrollment is dropping.
Who in their right mind would be authorizing hiring under these circumstances?

Anonymous said...

Our household cannot absorb another
property tax increase either...

You might have to get a part time job to pay your higher taxes, but according to the new Vice President it will be "patriotic" for you to pay higher taxes, so stop complaining and start working harder to be a better patriot.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous has left a new comment
on your post for the "New Britain School Board Adopts its new budget"

"Frank,
Remind your viewers to tune in to Ch.95 at 6:00 PM tonight,Friday to view the BOE support the school budget.

If you do not know how the individual board members think and vote, how can you vote for the BOE members responsibly. Wish we could end ethnic and partisan voting. We have been getting what we deserve!

Wolski, Kochel and Jacobs were on the BOE that hired Kurtz. Sanders voted against her from the start. She was a mistake and those who stand by her every word are in reality defending their pitiful choice for New Britain,s superintendent.

Of course, she will get a big raise. She only need six votes from the BOE and she can count on Wolski, Kochel, Saavedra, Jacobs. Riley and Holley. The rest of the BOE and the community and the students mean nothing to her.

Publish this comment.

Reject this comment.

Moderate comments for this blog.

Posted by Anonymous to Frank Smith Says NB at January 16, 2009 5:49 AM

Anonymous said...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "EDITORIAL":

This has nothing to do with the New Britain Herald. Frank, yesterday we received a new addition of The District Communicator. It is a magazine style, full color, envelope mailed
informational from Doris Kurtz to
keep parents informed about the school district. I am disgusted!
What did this cost? At a time when
layoffs are being felt everywhere
and salary freezes and salary cuts
are being delivered to save jobs, our working class city can still afford "extras" like The District Communicator. If overpriced items
like this can't be cut for cost savings, we should prepare ourselves to have continued increase requests crammed down the
taxpayers throats. Enough!

Read through the Communicator and you will find a section for "Ideas"
Here's the first idea, cancel the magazine to save money. On the back cover is a survey for parents, another place to let the BOE and Doris know to stop wasting
money on this useless BS.

This product probably equals a teacher's salary and we will have
to hear her crying to parents how we are going to have to cut staff this year.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

Did anyone notice that the New Britain School system is the only one without a delay this icey morning? It is dangerous out presenting a risk to our students.
My son indicates that because Thursdays are now half days, there
is no room for a delay and a half day? The day would have to be called off. Thanks again Doris Kurtz.

Whatever happened to people like
Mr. Friday, Ms. Gustin or Mr. Rhinesmith? I remember when Marie
Gustin took so much heat for her
salary and that she was a woman!!
Oh to be able to return to the day.

January 29, 2009 6:25 AM

Frank Smith said...

To Anonymous who stated the following:

Anonymous said...
Did anyone notice that the New Britain School system is the only one without a delay this icey morning? It is dangerous out presenting a risk to our students.
My son indicates that because Thursdays are now half days, there
is no room for a delay and a half day? The day would have to be called off. Thanks again Doris Kurtz.

Whatever happened to people like
Mr. Friday, Ms. Gustin or Mr. Rhinesmith? I remember when Marie
Gustin took so much heat for her
salary and that she was a woman!!
Oh to be able to return to the day.
January 29, 2009 6:25 AM
Your point is well taken and what has mystified me is the half day edict by the Board of Education calling for the half days on Thursdays.

When the Board is always touting that their primary mission is to educate our youth and with their taking a half day away from the students leaning schedule is certainly missing their so called mission.

With all the money they waist in doing studies that wind on the book shelves collecting dust they certainly could have arranged the funding to pay the teachers the overtime for their mandated appearance for these conferences.

Yes I agree the Board of Education is not doing its primary job and that is providing every minute of the day for teaching our students.
As to the Ice issue and no delay for the schools in today’s opening you and the press should really go after the Superintendant of the Board of Education for placing our students at risk.

Frank Smith

Anonymous said...

You have to make the best decisions regarding the weather that you can.Doris Kurtz relies on Joe furry for that info,Sometimes you get it right and sometimes you don't,That's why
Joe Furry has weather on every six
minutes

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