East Moriches budget defeated; incumbent re-elected

Tired of increasing taxes, voters in East Moriches defeated the budget by 21 votes but maintained the status quo when they re-elected the incumbent school board member by a slim margin.

[Drowning in school Taxes]

We really need a change in direction and it amounts to nothing now that we have the same board members. We have voted the budget down twice now in three years to send a message to the board and Supervisor of the district. They however, continue to run a muck with a ridiculous plan that includes very expensive "options" such as Westhampton high school. We have had a great opertuinity to merge and/or work with the center Moriches school system but this board and Supervisor continue to relish in their "power" and have foresaken the people that actually have to pay the bill. My school tax has increased close to 60% in the last 3 to 4 years!! Further, this school still has no plan but to raise taxes in the future. Let's not forget we still have to re-pay a 2 million loan!

[catch 22]

How can they fail the budget, but pass the vote to send kids to the most expensive high school. It just doesn't make sense.

[catch 22]

Let them merge with whb, we don't need their financial mess, more of it to come. At least the merger study said to wait until their mess is over, probably won't be for years to come. The arrogance of the school board not to accept the state's recomendation about their budget is obnoxious.

[The Real Long Island]

Brookhaven needs to be split into 2 towns. The town is just too large and overdevelopment in the northern and northwestern portion of the town is skyrocketing our taxes. Soon we will be as bad as Islip.

[C Roy Atkinson]

Just don't merge with CMO, we don't need your mess!

[Center Moriches Mom]

We don't need the East Moriches Mess. I am sick and tired of hearing nothing but negative things from people who don't know what they are talking about.The Center Moriches School Board and Teachers and Parents have done a fine job in our schools. I am proud to say all my children have graduated from CM and went on to college. CM had added many classes and has added many sports so all the children can grow and learn and become great citizens. I know many East Moriches parents that have never set foot in the Center Moriches High School. And all they have to say is bad things that are not even true. So send your kids to WHB and spend money you don't have. So I say we don't need or want their mess. Stay on that path East Moriches School Board and good luck to your future you are going to need it.

[Paul]

This is a perfect example why we need a centralized school district for each county. The boards and the residents are completely out of control. Board members are wanna be politicians who have gone crazy spending taxpayers hard earned money with absolutely no regard for the financial mess they have created. Most board members aren't qualified to be sitting on any type of board. If I'm not mistaken, isn't there a dentist that's sitting on the East Moriches board? What are his qualifications for being there?
If you give the students/parents the option of going to a better school, even though it's more expensive for the district, of course they are going to take that option. Especially if it's a better school. The fact that all of the residents have to pay for it means nothing to those parents. Can someone explain why the district gives them these options?
Another thing...you vote down the budget but return the incumbent...hello??????????

[liner]

Paul wrote:

This is a perfect example why we need a centralized school district for each county. The boards and the residents are completely out of control. Board members are wanna be politicians who have gone crazy spending taxpayers hard earned money with absolutely no regard for the financial mess they have created. Most board members aren't qualified to be sitting on any type of board. If I'm not mistaken, isn't there a dentist that's sitting on the East Moriches board? What are his qualifications for being there?
If you give the students/parents the option of going to a better school, even though it's more expensive for the district, of course they are going to take that option. Especially if it's a better school. The fact that all of the residents have to pay for it means nothing to those parents. Can someone explain why the district gives them these options?
Another thing...you vote down the budget but return the incumbent...hello??????????

What qualifications does a dentist have for school board? Well, he drills holes in your teeth, causing lots of pain and gives you gas. Next question?

[Mike]

Why would Westhampton Beach voters ever agree to a merger with East Moriches. Their tax rate is about a third of that of East Moriches because two thirds of the properties in WHB are owned by non residents who pay for the schools but don't use them. Perhaps altruism will play a roll in such a decision, but I wouldn't bet the farm on it.

[Paul]

liner wrote:

<quoted text>
What qualifications does a dentist have for school board? Well, he drills holes in your teeth, causing lots of pain and gives you gas. Next question?

I would think that he would be more qualified to work in Washington.

[Former merger supporter]

As a Center Moriches resident, I used to think that a merger with East Moriches may be a good idea. However, I no longer think that EM is a good merger candidate...they are a fiscal train wreck waiting to happen, and their Hampton "Wanna-Be" attitude will be their undoing. I am glad that I live in Center Moriches, we have a great school board with vision and we will be better off without a merger. For them to re-elect a candidate that helped put them in their mess is pathetic and laughable.

[Mikem]

Bravo, E. Moriches voters at least you guys had the moxie to vote your conscience. Hopefully someday, Middle Country will follow suit.If the school employees wish to help us out , a good start would be coaches volunteering to coach instead of being paid.Of course the union won't allow it but maybe enough pressure will make them relent.

[liner]

Paul wrote:

<quoted text>
I would think that he would be more qualified to work in Washington.

LOL! But they gotta start somewhere.

[Anthony]

You can always tell when it spring time in East Moriches:
The crickets start chirping.
The grass turns green
and the School Board starts whining.
Bravo to the EM residents for sending a message. The entire school district has become a freight train out of control and it's high time the incompetents driving this train be removed. The comments about the "wannabe Hampton attitude" are right on the money and speaking of money, exactly where do the people of EM "generate" the kind of income it is currently costing to keep up with living here?
In my 12 years as a EM resident I have yet to figure that one out. One last suggestion and that is for the EM teachers to please park their 7 series BMW's where the taxpayers don't have to look at them and possibly trigger bad memories of their last colonoscopy.
Hey, here's a thought...

We already have a dentist on the school board, why not a proctologist?

The qualifications are certainly more in line with the job.

[Victim]

The gall to ask for over 7%. Just after a 10% increase, on top of a 20% increase before that. Compounded that's closer to 40% in three years.

I think I'll need someone from a Special Victims Unit to take a statement from me.

[Anthony]

Victim wrote:

The gall to ask for over 7%. Just after a 10% increase, on top of a 20% increase before that. Compounded that's closer to 40% in three years.
I think I'll need someone from a Special Victims Unit to take a statement from me.

I can't understand why the vote was as close as it was and I suspect when the re-vote occurs the budget will pass and we the taxpayers will be hosed again.

The arrogance of the school board and teachers is quite upsetting. I remember when the new school was being built and the construction firm removed too much dirt from the excavation so the school district had to buy the dirt back!
I believe the cost was about $60,000.
When a person who works in the industry raised this topic at a board meeting he was told to sit down and remain quiet.
The board was evidently too busy discussing what color roof shingles they would be using.
This cost AFAIK was absorbed by the taxpayers.

The people in East Moriches had better wake up and smell the cafe because they/we are being screwed.

The whining about austerity has already commenced.
Get ready for the teachers to be complaining that they can't buy chalk, erasers and supplies.
I guess they've already spent the deductions they can take on their 1040 for this kind of stuff.

[Clueless in EMO]

Mr. Grunseich ran on a platform of keeping choice. Then in his interviews he states that he is interested in "a central school district with Westhampton Beach". If this is not talking out of both ends then what exactly is it? The sad thing is that HE WAS RE-ELECTED!! I am ashamed on just how stupid my neighbors here in East Moriches really are! They complain on how high their taxes are, and then they go ahead and vote to continue to send their kids to the most expensive choice of High Schools. The "hampton wanabee attitude is just as obvious as the "scared of the CM ethnic diversity". Let's just call it what it is......this town is full of bigots

[Anthony]

Very well said and it's the dirty little secret that people in EM don't wish to talk about. I have several neighbors who have not even filed for the STAR exemption because they don't see how it can help them!
Sometimes I wonder if I am completely surrounded by idiots!
They don't even take advantage of free money!
Will somebody please clue me in as to where the *money tree* is located in EM because everyone but me seems to have endless amounts of disposable cash to spend but yet their *careers* don't seem to match the income level.
Something does not add up in this town.
Can everyone be working off the books and not paying the IRS?
The ignorance of some of the people in EM continues to amaze me.
Like you say, people complain but then they just re-elect the same people over and over again. As for taxes, the typical answer is" what are we going to do?" or "The difference between austerity and a passed budget is so small it doesn't matter".
And my favorite " It's all about the kids".
It's never about the kids BTW, it's about the teachers and the teacher's union which is very powerful.
What ever happened to sending a message to the corrupt, inept people running this cartoon show?
You are also correct about the bigots in this town. let's be honest, the only reason EM is a desirable school district is because it is Lilly white and that's a fact.
For some odd reason the drug situation that is going on EM (ask the police) doesn't seem to upset them but sending their kid to a somewhat diverse school does. Yes EM residents with teenagers, chances are real good your WHB students are involved with drugs because the school is infested with them. They just do a good job of covering it up and the drugs of choice are cocaine and Ecstasy instead of the low end crack found in less desirable neighborhoods.
Talk to your teens about this.
I can guarantee you that you will be very surprised.
It's going to eventually collapse because the boomer population is aging, the expense of living on L.I.is going out of control and soon these boomers are going to be on fixed incomes.
Goodbye L.I. because only the wealthy will be able to live here.
That day is coming real soon.
It will be here real soon for me because I'm out of this hole and heading to a state where people question a 0.8 percent school tax increase.
Note the decimal point.
Oh and BTW the students do just fine.

[Victim]

I like how last years budget was touted as only a 2 point something increase in your taxes all over town. True, HOWEVER, a 2% increase in your total tax. In fact it was a 10% budget increase. Very, very slick EMO.
EMO homeowners are the epitome of apathy in its purist form. A good education should not have to bankrupt its citizens.

Wake up EMO, put down the kool-aid and get help.

[Pliny]

Victim wrote:

A good education should not have to bankrupt its citizens.

*
And that's the essence of the entire argument across Long Island. Most reasonable people realize that there is a societal social contract to educate the kids in any given community. But folks....this has now gotten completely and totally out of hand. There has to be controls put in place for the protection of taxpayers. The whole idea of 'local control,' while sounding good on the surface, simply does not work.