Now 2 bills in NJ legislature

[Tiramisu]

With a new homeschooling bill introduced into the New Jersey State Assembly, there are now two bills in the state legislature. If each bill passes in its respective "body", the new law could go into effect as early as spring, according to a homeschooling attorney friend.

 

To me the scariest part is the leeway each district will have in determining portfolio requirements.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

Do you have any links?

[Tiramisu]

http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2010/Bills/A4500/4372_I1.PDF

 

The highlights:

• Inform school district of intent to homeschool by August 1
  
• Proof of annual medical exam submitted by September 1
  
• Portfolio, contents to be determined by local district, due June 30
  

[5knights3maidens]

Sounds like it's getting closer to PA law. We have the evaluator before giving the portfolio to the school district.

[Rhonda in TX]

Isn't NJ currently a pretty low requirement state? I hate seeing stuff like this. Hopefully it won't pass!

[Wheres Toto]

NJ is currently a no requirement state which means even if this does pass, enforcement is going to be slow and difficult. They are going to have a hard time finding the homeschoolers in order to notify them of the change in law.

[Sahamamama]

How do we fight this?

[Myeightkiddies]

I'm sorry New Jersey people. It's a shame to go from nothing to that. The annual medical exam is odd. To me it seems that they assume homeschoolers are more likely to abuse their children than public/private school - since I'm assuming public/private school students need not have an annual exam.

 

:grouphug:

[Sahamamama]

With a new homeschooling bill introduced into the New Jersey State Assembly, there are now two bills in the state legislature. If each bill passes in its respective "body", the new law could go into effect as early as spring, according to a homeschooling attorney friend.

 

To me the scariest part is the leeway each district will have in determining portfolio requirements.

 

To me the scariest part is that the law states that "children under the supervision of DYFS may not be homeschooled." Imagine the implications of this provision -- even if you are NOT currently under investigation, if someone starts the ball rolling, you have to put your children in public or private school. This applies to children in kinship care situations, too.

 

What power does this give to the State? If they want to curtail homeschooling in certain families, then put the children under the supervision of DYFS -- BAM! -- those kids are automatically enrolled in school.

 

Dottie, would you say that simply not being notified of the law is a protection against abiding by it? If the law passes, will the State be required to track down all homeschoolers and notify them, or is the burden of compliance on the homeschoolers?

[Wheres Toto]

It's because of a recent case where a child died while being "homeschooled" but actually they were just not sent to school. The theory is that kids that go to school are seen by other people outside the family so abuse will be noticed. Vaccination reports are required periodically, the schools do scoliosis checks periodically and physicals are required to do sports or extracurriculars.

 

The same person who introduced at least one of these bills, has done it before when something similar happened (a child dying). Anyone can write to their representatives to protest although the Governor has said he will not sign it even if it does pass.

[Wheres Toto]

Dottie, would you say that simply not being notified of the law is a protection against abiding by it? If the law passes, will the State be required to track down all homeschoolers and notify them, or is the burden of compliance on the homeschoolers?

 

I'm not sure. I've heard that "ignorance of the law is no excuse" but I've also heard that a change like this would require official notification before compliance is expected. Without official notification anyone caught "breaking" the law would only have to comply with the law and would not be subject to any penalties at least for a certain period of time.

 

A completely separate issue is who is going to be responsible for collecting all the materials and checking those portfolios? Many, many school districts in NJ are running very short of funds with heavy staff cuts in the past few years.

[Myeightkiddies]

Dottie, would you say that simply not being notified of the law is a protection against abiding by it? If the law passes, will the State be required to track down all homeschoolers and notify them, or is the burden of compliance on the homeschoolers?

 

Once the law goes live, homeschoolers will be expected to comply. There may be a certain time frame indicated to do so. If a homeschooler does not comply, they could be held truant. They would discover these homeschoolers the same way other states do when people "fly under the radar", which is through relative/neighbor reports, children outside playing, children out with parents, etc. Normally state officials do not stop every child out and about in most states, but if a new law goes into affect they may be out more frequently.

 

Not knowing the law doesn't offer any protection. For instance, if they put into affect a law that mandates the use of seatbelts (which most states require so just an example) and a family did not know so did not comply, an officer could still pull them over and either give them a warning or a ticket, usually it is up to the officer. When the seatbelt law went into affect, the state only needs to put out some public notice. They do not search out all motorists and notify them.

 

The part about no homeschooling if under investigation by Child Services concerns me. Anyone can maliciously report another. Investigations can last 30 days - usual minimum or up to 90 days. This can clearly be abused.

[Spy Car]

The "educational neglect" thread has made me rethink my position on the need for accountability standards.

 

Bill

[Sahamamama]

The "educational neglect" thread has made me rethink my position on the need for accountability standards.

 

Bill

 

Here's the deal, Bill. New Jersey is a mess. The schools to which we would be required to send our children are a mess. The government is a mess, in that corruption has been rampant here for decades. The Division of Youth and Family Services is an appalling mess. The economy is a mess. The one right thing is that strong, capable homeschoolers can focus on teaching their children, rather than living in fear of having their family controlled and manipulated by the State.

 

You wouldn't even think of sending your son to one of these schools, if the same law were applied to you. It's nice to have options, like wonderful public schools (somewhere else) or private academies (beyond our means), but these options are not my reality. The only option we have for our three children is that we homeschool them, with all our resources and energies and abilities applied to the endeavor.

 

I used to be a child and family social worker here in New Jersey for years before I had children. I've seen what that system is and what it can and cannot do to and for children and families. New Jersey's child protective system is dysfunctional, and DYFS itself is responsible for abusing and neglecting children.

 

I have also worked in the local schools, tutored children from these schools (more on that below), and have done literacy work in this community. I've seen what this school system is and how it fails students and parents in even the most basic of educational objectives. Our local schools are inept, and are responsible for failing to educate students.

 

Add up these two factors and you have a die-hard homeschooler. ;) Yet the cash-strapped State of New Jersey and the equally impoverished Board of Education is supposed to be keeping tabs on me? Any irritated person who knows we homeschool could drop a dime on us and send the Division of Youth and Family Services running up my front steps. Really?

 

Part of me thinks, "They have money for that?" :001_huh: We get our trash picked up ONCE A WEEK, they stopped mowing the grass in public parks, they cut funding for art and music and world languages in the schools, people are leaving the state in droves, but they really have the money to send someone out here to keep tabs on me?" It's mind-boggling.

 

I'm doing the school system a favor by keeping my children out of it. My children are so advanced and bright, the schools around here have already admitted they have NO PLACE for them. So we pay taxes for public schools and save the district money by being great teachers.

 

I'm also doing the child protective system a favor by keeping my children out of it. My children are so well-loved and nurtured, everywhere we go they shine and people take notice. So we pay taxes for social workers and save the state money by being great parents.

 

About the tutoring: Social work being a notoriously low-paying profession, ;) I did tutoring to earn extra money when I was single and newly married. After a bit of this, I told my husband, "We are either moving to Scotland, or homeschooling." He doesn't like fog at all, so here we are.

 

I had a student, a fifth-grader, who could not spell his middle name (Edward). He could not spell "many" (menny, manny, maniey, meany, man...). Ore mutch uv ennytheng els.

 

I had a student, also a fifth-grader, who did not know the months of the year ("Um, January... April... November... is that what you mean?"). He did not know the parts of speech, not even to name them, let alone define them, let alone find them or use them properly.

 

I had a student, a tenth-grader, who did not know the meanings of most words which she could read. She had no idea what she was reading, just no clue. It was amazing. Could you really get to 10th grade and not know those words? Spunk? Property? Blunt? Maybe it was me...

 

Anyway, I don't usually rant at you, Bill, but wow, that set me off. Must be because you are a "Bill." :lol:

Edited December 7, 2011 by Sahamamama

[justamouse]

It's because of a recent case where a child died while being "homeschooled" but actually they were just not sent to school. The theory is that kids that go to school are seen by other people outside the family so abuse will be noticed. Vaccination reports are required periodically, the schools do scoliosis checks periodically and physicals are required to do sports or extracurriculars.

 

The same person who introduced at least one of these bills, has done it before when something similar happened (a child dying). Anyone can write to their representatives to protest although the Governor has said he will not sign it even if it does pass.

 

A NJ lobbyist lives three doors down,and we've talked about this. He has no respect for the person who wrote the bill, she's tried to slide stuff in like this before, and he agrees the blame should go to dyfus, but I agree with you. I'm nervous.

 

I do know that Christie is very much for homeschoolers-I actually called his campaign before casting my vote. But, still, the anvil, it looms...

 

And, as much as I despise my congressman, (and yes, I know that's federal) he's a county homeschooler and I know he'd make a stink.

Edited December 7, 2011 by justamouse

[justamouse]

Here's the deal, Bill. New Jersey is a mess. The schools to which we would be required to send our children are a mess. The government is a mess, in that corruption has been rampant here for decades. The Division of Youth and Family Services is an appalling mess. The economy is a mess. The one right thing is that strong, capable homeschoolers can focus on teaching their children, rather than living in fear of having their family controlled and manipulated by the State.

 

 

I love you so much right now I could lick the screen. :iagree: with all of it, but it was a long post. :D

[Spy Car]

Here's the deal, Bill. New Jersey is a mess. The schools to which we would be required to send our children are a mess. The government is a mess, in that corruption has been rampant here for decades. The Division of Youth and Family Services is an appalling mess. The economy is a mess. The one right thing is that strong, capable homeschoolers can focus on teaching their children, rather than living in fear of having their family controlled and manipulated by the State.

 

You wouldn't even think of sending your son to one of these schools, if the same law were applied to you. It's nice to have options, like wonderful public schools (somewhere else) or private academies (beyond our means), but these options are not my reality. The only option we have for our three children is that we homeschool them, with all our resources and energies and abilities applied to the endeavor.

 

I used to be a child and family social worker here in New Jersey for years before I had children. I've seen what that system is and what it can and cannot do to and for children and families. New Jersey's child protective system is dysfunctional, and DYFS itself is responsible for abusing and neglecting children.

 

I have also worked in the local schools, tutored children from these schools (more on that below), and have done literacy work in this community. I've seen what this school system is and how it fails students and parents in even the most basic of educational objectives. Our local schools are inept, and are responsible for failing to educate students.

 

Add up these two factors and you have a die-hard homeschooler. ;) Yet the cash-strapped State of New Jersey and the equally impoverished Board of Education is supposed to be keeping tabs on me? Any irritated person who knows we homeschool could drop a dime on us and send the Division of Youth and Family Services running up my front steps. Really?

 

Part of me thinks, "They have money for that?" :001_huh: We get our trash picked up ONCE A WEEK, they stopped mowing the grass in public parks, they cut funding for art and music and world languages in the schools, people are leaving the state in droves, but they really have the money to send someone out here to keep tabs on me?" It's mind-boggling.

 

I'm doing the school system a favor by keeping my children out of it. My children are so advanced and bright, the schools around here have already admitted they have NO PLACE for them. So we pay taxes for public schools and save the district money by being great teachers.

 

I'm also doing the child protective system a favor by keeping my children out of it. My children are so well-loved and nurtured, everywhere we go they shine and people take notice. So we pay taxes for social workers and save the state money by being great parents.

 

About the tutoring: Social work being a notoriously low-paying profession, ;) I did tutoring to earn extra money when I was single and newly married. After a bit of this, I told my husband, "We are either moving to Scotland, or homeschooling." He doesn't like fog at all, so here we are.

 

I had a student, a fifth-grader, who could not spell his middle name (Edward). He could not spell "many" (menny, manny, maniey, meany, man...). Ore mutch uv ennytheng els.

 

I had a student, also a fifth-grader, who did not know the months of the year ("Um, January... April... November... is that what you mean?"). He did not know the parts of speech, not even to name them, let alone define them, let alone find them or use them properly.

 

I had a student, a tenth-grader, who did not know the meanings of most words which she could read. She had no idea what she was reading, just no clue. It was amazing. Could you really get to 10th grade and not know those words? Spunk? Property? Blunt? Maybe it was me...

 

Anyway, I don't usually rant at you, Bill, but wow, that set me off. Must be because you are a "Bill." :lol:

 

So are you suggesting it may have been a mistake for me to link the Governor and most of the New Jersey State Leglislature to the "educational neglect" thread? :D

 

Bill (who figures if we're lucky they can't read :tongue_smilie:)

[melissel]

So are you suggesting it may have been a mistake for me to link the Governor and most of the New Jersey State Leglislature to the "educational neglect" thread? :D

 

Bill (who figures if we're lucky they can't read :tongue_smilie:)

 

:lol: Well, right now our governor is so POed at the NJEA and the whole school system, I'm not sure he cares much what we're doing at home. Reforming the schools is one of his pet issues and has been since his election campaign. We pay an outrageous amount of taxes for the privilege of avoiding these public schools. However, this is the first time anything like Weinberg's bill has been introduced in BOTH branches at the same time, which is disturbing.

 

Dottieanna, when did he say he wouldn't sign it? Was he referring to this current pair of bills? I agree that it would be ridiculous if it was passed, but it IS New Jersey, after all.

[Sahamamama]

So are you suggesting it may have been a mistake for me to link the Governor and most of the New Jersey State Leglislature to the "educational neglect" thread? :D

 

Bill (who figures if we're lucky they can't read :tongue_smilie:)

 

Very funny. :toetap05:

 

These bills are not funny, though, because the best they could do would be to make a bad situation worse.

[8circles]

 

Part of me thinks, "They have money for that?" :001_huh: We get our trash picked up ONCE A WEEK, they stopped mowing the grass in public parks, they cut funding for art and music and worl

 

Ok - this is a total rabbit trail but ... how often should trash get picked up? Is once a week inadequate? I've never heard of more frequent trash pickup.

[ktgrok]

Ok - this is a total rabbit trail but ... how often should trash get picked up? Is once a week inadequate? I've never heard of more frequent trash pickup.

 

Most places I've lived it is twice a week, but.....when we lived in North Palm Beach, eons ago, my parents were refusing to ever move out of the city because it had DAILY! trash pick up. You didn't even have to take it to the curb. We put it outside the side door and they drove these little cart things right up to the house and took it, every morning except Sunday. I grew up with that and never realized what a luxury it was until we did finally move to the next city over. Now it seems ridiculous.

[shanvan]

:lol: Well, right now our governor is so POed at the NJEA and the whole school system, I'm not sure he cares much what we're doing at home. Reforming the schools is one of his pet issues and has been since his election campaign. We pay an outrageous amount of taxes for the privilege of avoiding these public schools. However, this is the first time anything like Weinberg's bill has been introduced in BOTH branches at the same time, which is disturbing.

 

Dottieanna, when did he say he wouldn't sign it? Was he referring to this current pair of bills? I agree that it would be ridiculous if it was passed, but it IS New Jersey, after all.

 

These comments are all in reference to the first bill.

 

In another thread Robin in NJ posted this...

 

you can hear our governor comment here, http://nj1015.com/ask-the-governor/ it is a few minutes into the segment.

 

I played Robin's link to the Q&A with Governor Christie. I had to listen for quite a while before I heard a caller ask about the bill. When asked point blank, Governor Christie states that it does not sound like something he would sign if it ever makes it through the legislature (which, he stated, he does not think will happen). Though, I'm agreeing, I am starting to get nervous now that another bill has been introduced.

[Spy Car]

This trash pick-up thing has been getting to me too. Since when does one get more than once-a-week pickup?

 

Makes me wonder if waste-disposal is a big business there in New Jersey? ;) :D

 

Bill

[Ellie]

How do we fight this?

For starters, all y'all NJ hsers need to get together and visit all of your legislators, every single one, and lobby against it.

[nancypantsgirl]

I love you so much right now I could lick the screen. :iagree: with all of it, but it was a long post. :D

 

And :iagree: with her! :D

[Tiramisu]

I contacted my local assembly office this morning. The person I spoke with encouraged me to put my concerns in writing and encourage everyone I can to do so. She said there's more impact when something is in writing, though I personally can't say emails have that much impact. ;)

[gingersmom]

Ok - this is a total rabbit trail but ... how often should trash get picked up? Is once a week inadequate? I've never heard of more frequent trash pickup.

 

I'm in in New Jersey and get trash pickup twice a week, recycling pick up once a week.

[TXMary2]

I have to say, it annoys me that the failures (public schools) have the audacity to regulate the successful (homeschoolers). I know I am generalizing, but with few exceptions, this is basically true. I am glad to be in Texas where we aren't bothered much.

[Sahamamama]

Ok - this is a total rabbit trail but ... how often should trash get picked up? Is once a week inadequate? I've never heard of more frequent trash pickup.

 

This trash pick-up thing has been getting to me too. Since when does one get more than once-a-week pickup?

 

Makes me wonder if waste-disposal is a big business there in New Jersey? ;) :D

 

Bill

 

I'm in in New Jersey and get trash pickup twice a week, recycling pick up once a week.

 

Does the trash pick-up thing bug you, Bill? I did try to come up with something irritating. ;)

 

The trash pick-up thing was part of a list of symptoms of New Jersey's decline and demise. No, once-a-week trash pick-up is not a symptom of an apocalyptic crisis. It is, however, part of New Jersey's cutting back nearly every service which our tax dollars are sent in to provide. Our property taxes are the highest in the nation, BTW, and they did not go down. Only the level of service went down, in nearly every aspect of life.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

:lol: Well, right now our governor is so POed at the NJEA and the whole school system, I'm not sure he cares much what we're doing at home. Reforming the schools is one of his pet issues and has been since his election campaign. We pay an outrageous amount of taxes for the privilege of avoiding these public schools. However, this is the first time anything like Weinberg's bill has been introduced in BOTH branches at the same time, which is disturbing.

 

Dottieanna, when did he say he wouldn't sign it? Was he referring to this current pair of bills? I agree that it would be ridiculous if it was passed, but it IS New Jersey, after all.

 

We started homeschooling around the same time that VA schools were being held to account with state Standard of Learning exams. I was also getting my MS Ed around this time (I'm thinking of about a 3 window of time), so I was around a lot of teachers and administrators.

 

As much as individual teachers disliked the impact of the tests (like classes that spent the whole year on the previous year's material, because that was what would be tested), they disliked more the idea that homeschoolers didn't have to take the exams. I guess the point of view was that if they were being held to account, then why should there be other students who weren't held to the same standard - regardless of the fact that those other students weren't in the same system at all.

 

So there may be some agitating by the NJEA or similar interests to tighten down on homeschooling in response to greater scrutiny of the public schools.

 

My sympathies. We started homeschooling when we lived within the District of Columbia a decade ago. There was no way that my kids would have gone to one of the neighborhood schools. We were in one of two areas of the district to have the murder rate go up instead of down. The school system was in the midst of a big overhaul (I think they have been overhauled on a near constant basis since I was in college in the area 24 years ago). They were finding that people were being paid who weren't teaching. Some checks were even being sent to former employees who had passed away (but who were still cashing the checks :confused:).

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I contacted my local assembly office this morning. The person I spoke with encouraged me to put my concerns in writing and encourage everyone I can to do so. She said there's more impact when something is in writing, though I personally can't say emails have that much impact. ;)

 

I would do both.

 

The phone calls are hard to ignore, because a staffer has to actually respond to your comments and questions.

 

However, a written communication (I think I'd use real mail) has a durability and physical presence, especially in the aggregate. They can be bundled and waved around at committee meetings or during debate.

[8circles]

Does the trash pick-up thing bug you, Bill? I did try to come up with something irritating. ;)

 

The trash pick-up thing was part of a list of symptoms of New Jersey's decline and demise. No, once-a-week trash pick-up is not a symptom of an apocalyptic crisis. It is, however, part of New Jersey's cutting back nearly every service which our tax dollars are sent in to provide. Our property taxes are the highest in the nation, BTW, and they did not go down. Only the level of service went down, in nearly every aspect of life.

 

Oh, I agree with your take on the issue, I was just surprised about the trash pick-up. I knew what you meant.

[bbkaren]

Ok - this is a total rabbit trail but ... how often should trash get picked up? Is once a week inadequate? I've never heard of more frequent trash pickup.

 

We don't get pickup at all; we pay $40 a month to Waste Management for once-weekly pickup. It depends on where you live.

 

I love Chris Christie for his tough stance on unions and corruption.

 

I love him more for his vowed resistance to this legislation.

 

What NJ needs is more nanny-state behavior when they can't even keep up with the junk they've already got on the books.

 

What a nightmare of a state...

[Tiramisu]

Update:

 

 

Patrick Diegnan, chairman of the Assembly Education Committee, is in opposition of this bill, according to a friend who spoke with a staffer. :)

[justamouse]

rabbit trail...

 

Most places I've lived it is twice a week, but.....when we lived in North Palm Beach, eons ago, my parents were refusing to ever move out of the city because it had DAILY! trash pick up. You didn't even have to take it to the curb. We put it outside the side door and they drove these little cart things right up to the house and took it, every morning except Sunday. I grew up with that and never realized what a luxury it was until we did finally move to the next city over. Now it seems ridiculous.

 

for the amount of taxes we pay, yes, that should be the service we get. And I should be offered a hot cup of coffee by the collector, too. :glare: There are people that pay 40k in taxes a year in the state, and i'm sure some pay more. I'm not kidding. In my town (which is NOT some huge gorgeous metropolis) there are people that pay 20k. And we pay to have our trash picked up.

 

I contacted my local assembly office this morning. The person I spoke with encouraged me to put my concerns in writing and encourage everyone I can to do so. She said there's more impact when something is in writing, though I personally can't say emails have that much impact. ;)

 

Good to know, I'll do the same today.

[Tiramisu]

About all this garbage talk...

 

We get once a week pick-up. The driver never has to get out of the truck because a device automatically lifts and empties our township distributed garbage bins into the truck. It's not like the old days when there was the driver and two men walking behind who picked up and emptied the garbage cans into the truck. Is this the same in other NJ towns?

 

Most of our neighbors have two huge or even three bins out on the street, some so full the tops can't close. We only have one, and it's usually only half full. Why does everyone else have so much garbage?

 

Getting back on topic...My homeschooling family is creating less work for the garbage truck driver and filling up less landfill space, so why don't you give us a break? :D

[gingersmom]

Update:

 

 

Patrick Diegnan, chairman of the Assembly Education Committee, is in opposition of this bill, according to a friend who spoke with a staffer. :)

 

 

:hurray::hurray:

[melissel]

Update:

 

 

Patrick Diegnan, chairman of the Assembly Education Committee, is in opposition of this bill, according to a friend who spoke with a staffer. :)

 

Really wonderful news.

 

About all this garbage talk...

 

We get once a week pick-up. The driver never has to get out of the truck because a device automatically lifts and empties our township distributed garbage bins into the truck. It's not like the old days when there was the driver and two men walking behind who picked up and emptied the garbage cans into the truck. Is this the same in other NJ towns?

 

Most of our neighbors have two huge or even three bins out on the street, some so full the tops can't close. We only have one, and it's usually only half full. Why does everyone else have so much garbage?

 

Getting back on topic...My homeschooling family is creating less work for the garbage truck driver and filling up less landfill space, so why don't you give us a break? :D

 

:lol: We've only ever had once-a-week pickup my entire life, so I didn't realize it wasn't normal! But yes, we have the same method of garbage pickup. And we never fill our bin either! I've often wondered the very same thing. When we first moved in, Gladys Kravitz across the street stopped by early one morning to let me know it was garbage day. I said thank you, I actually knew, but it wasn't even half full so we didn't bother. She had no idea what to say! I always think people are throwing out recyclables, but then most people have 2-3 recyclable bins out every other week too :confused: So I have no idea. I'm tempted to start peeking though :lol:

[melissel]

So there may be some agitating by the NJEA or similar interests to tighten down on homeschooling in response to greater scrutiny of the public schools.

 

I have no doubt at all that you're correct. There are other factors as well though. The same legislator has introduced the same legislation three times now: the first time after a high-profile case where some "homeschooled" children were found horribly neglected and removed from their home, the second time on randomly three years ago, and now this time after the death of another "homeschooled" child.

 

The legislator in question is the NJEA's biggest cheerleader in the state government, and I've been told, though I haven't yet confirmed, that she and the other legislator introducing the matching legislation are also involved with the oversight and management of DYFS in the state. This past tragedy was a HUGE failure on DYFS part, because they had been involved in the little girl's case all along, up until two weeks before she died, and they refused to allow her godparents to take custody of her so she could be safe :( So there is likely some major deflection of responsibility going on here as well. It's very upsetting.

 

ETA: Ah, yes, she is the Chair of the NJ Legislature's Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee.

 

Here's an enlightening (and heartbreaking) article that gives some good background. One revealing quote:

 

In May 2006, DYFS also assigned a parental "aide" to assist Ovilde, department spokeswoman Lauren Kidd said. DYFS would have required the family to be visited monthly by a caseworker.

 

Children and Families Commissioner Allison Blake called Christiana’s death "a tragedy." "I’m deeply upset by it," she said. "When I saw there was a DYFS history, I wanted to understand what the history was.’’

 

In another article, Weinberg is quoted as saying, "How can children just disappear from view?" Well, they hadn't. People saw what was happening and reported what they saw. They disappeared from DYFS' view :glare:

Edited December 7, 2011 by melissel
Updating incorrect details and ranting :-)

[Wheres Toto]

We have garbage pick-up twice a week and recyclables every other week. On the off weeks for recycling, the recycling center is open for drop-off. I think our recycling is free, provided by the town and our garbage we pay $74 every two or three months for to an outside company. It could be the other way around though. We use regular garbage cans that you can buy at home depot and we do have the driver and two guys riding the back of the truck.

 

It's good to hear there is some official opposition to these bills.

[M&M]

I spoke with one of his staffers and was told the same thing.