Stile: While Christie battles NJEA, candidates look for cover
By CHARLES STILE
COLUMNIST
COLUMNIST
The Bergen County GOP freeholder candidates are less-than-enthusiastic foot soldiers in Governor Christie's war with the New Jersey Education Association.
In fact, they are doing their best to steer clear of it.
The candidates — Maura DeNicola of Franklin Lakes, Frank Valenzuela of Rochelle Park and John Felice of River Edge — are not marching in lock step with Christie's battle plans.
Christie, for example, refuses to negotiate with union leaders until Bergen Education Association President Joseph Coppola is fired or resigns over the now infamous "prayer" wishing for the governor's death.
While Christie called for Coppola's head on a platter, the freeholders chose instead to slap him on the wrist in a statement. Yes, the statement read, Coppola's e-mail was "out of the bounds of decent political discourse" and set a bad example for kids, but it was time to "move past the furor" so that everybody can begin "focusing on education issues." There is no call for his resignation.
Christie delivers red-meat rhetoric, portraying the union leaders as "bullies" and "thugs" who wield power from their "palace on State Street." The freeholders offer good-government milquetoast and avoid slamming the NJEA. And instead of depicting teachers as overpaid and over-pampered drains on property tax payers, the freeholders tout them as valuable watchdogs.
"The teachers know where the waste is in their school districts," DeNicola said. "The teachers were instrumental in uncovering the waste in the Bergen County Vocational High School, and I am sure there are
In fact, they are doing their best to steer clear of it.
The candidates — Maura DeNicola of Franklin Lakes, Frank Valenzuela of Rochelle Park and John Felice of River Edge — are not marching in lock step with Christie's battle plans.
Christie, for example, refuses to negotiate with union leaders until Bergen Education Association President Joseph Coppola is fired or resigns over the now infamous "prayer" wishing for the governor's death.
While Christie called for Coppola's head on a platter, the freeholders chose instead to slap him on the wrist in a statement. Yes, the statement read, Coppola's e-mail was "out of the bounds of decent political discourse" and set a bad example for kids, but it was time to "move past the furor" so that everybody can begin "focusing on education issues." There is no call for his resignation.
Christie delivers red-meat rhetoric, portraying the union leaders as "bullies" and "thugs" who wield power from their "palace on State Street." The freeholders offer good-government milquetoast and avoid slamming the NJEA. And instead of depicting teachers as overpaid and over-pampered drains on property tax payers, the freeholders tout them as valuable watchdogs.
"The teachers know where the waste is in their school districts," DeNicola said. "The teachers were instrumental in uncovering the waste in the Bergen County Vocational High School, and I am sure there are