Referendum set for Hamilton schools
Hamilton voters will head to the polls next Tuesday to vote in a referendum on capital improvement for our public schools. Yet again, local taxpayers are being asked to reach into their pocket to fund essential repairs that the state should have taken care of long ago.
Why does Hamilton need to raise our taxes to receive matching funds for the state? Why can’t the state find $55 million to fund failing and outdated infrastructure that threaten the safety of our kids? Governor Christie had no trouble finding an extra $300 million to renovate the statehouse. Clearly, he would rather remodel office space than use our hardearned tax dollars to properly fund our schools.
It is appalling that we are being asked to foot the bill for wasteful spending in Trenton while our schools fall apart. Our taxes keep going up, but that money never comes back to our community.
As a councilwoman and a citizen, I have seen first-hand what a lack of funding can do for our schools. I have done everything in my power working with local leaders in our educational community to fight for fairer school funding, despite the resistance of Christieera politicians.
The problem starts at the top, with the governor and our current state legislators maintaining the status quo. Time and time again, suburban districts like ours are forced to beg Trenton for our own money back. They claim our schools are fairly funded or even overfunded. Well, if Hamilton is what “fair funding” looks like, the funding formula is clearly broken.
Senator Linda Greenstein, who currently represents Hamilton, failed to condemn the statehouse renovations as wasteful spending. Why did she stay silent? Why didn’t she join the courageous group of bipartisan legislators who chose to sue Governor Christie to halt the renovation? By refusing to speak out against this project and many other costly expenditures over the years, she played a role in condemning our public schools to another decade of disrepair.
Hamiltonians and everyone in Legislative District 14 deserves a state senator who will fight to make sure our schools are fully funded and won’t back down in the face of politicians who treat our taxpayer dollars as their own personal slush funds.
We need a senator who will take a bold stand against politicians in both parties. I know that I have what it takes to be a true champion for every family in this district. Linda Greenstein won’t even step into the ring to defend the people who elected her. Our students, our schools, and our taxpayers deserve better. New Jersey’s finances are in dire straits. We need a fighter, now more than ever.
— Ileana Schirmer, State Senate Candidate
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