In a letter to the editor, Hoboken couple Debbie Jacobus and Bob Conrad explain why they feel the “Kids First” board of education slate will bring honesty and integrity to the board.
Dear Editor,
Our support for the Kids First Board of Education slate is tied to two factors, both of which relate to issues of integrity and character.
First, the public should not forget the irresponsible and unprofessional manner in which the “referendum plan” was developed and unveiled.
Whether you agreed with the plan or not, holding a BOE election without even mentioning it, telling the public during the peak holiday season and trying to jam the vote in on short notice and in the dead of winter was, frankly, unconscionable and representative of the kind of local government we hoped had been left behind.
In our opinion, those Board members who were responsible for cynically putting the plan in front of the public in the manner they did, should be voted out of office at the earliest possible opportunity – -beginning on November 8th, and each year thereafter, until we have a more trustworthy team in place.
Second, we have come to know the Kids First slate over the last few months, and have found them to be honest and eager to make a difference.
It has been said that organizational leaders are “never more objective than they are on their first day on the job.”
We believe that will be the case with this team, which will provide a refreshing, forward look, not be wedded to a plan that has been rejected by a 2 to 1 margin – and remain engaged with the public as a new plan is being developed.
Perhaps most importantly, we hope and believe this slate will rise above the hyper partisan, nasty misinformation being circulated on what we are calling “Terror Flyer 2.0.”
Pavel, Donna and Cindy are better than that – much better. Please give them a chance to show you that by voting for the Kids First slate on November 8th.
Sincerely,
Debbie Jacobus and Bob Conrad
Hoboken 5th Ward residents
Let’s see about that.
(1) Donna Magen:
Did not disclose her membership in the extremist NJ Project (PAC) and its affiliate Fresh Faced Schools: both viciously attack LGBTQ privacy rights in schools, schools authority on medical and public safety intervention (masking, vaccines), the NJEA, teacher’s unions and endorse fringe candidates like PA’s Doug Mastriano, who hangs with Proud Boys, makes antisemitic statements and attended the Jan 6 insurrection. In her numerous Fresh Faced Schools posting, Magen has insulted parents (“sheep, psychotic”) and derided “lib publications” that supported Covid protocol. In spite of her DISHONEST denials, Magen asked the FOUNDER of NJ Project (Nik Stouffer) to endorse her slate, Kids First, and linked it. You see, Stouffer was soliciting online for BoE candidates to endorse, and Magen nominated Kids First. Magen may deny the truth, but here it is on this thread:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/475978033461541/permalink/761400154919326/
(2) Pavel Sokolov
Sokolov has refused to file legally mandated campaign finance reports, including donors and disbursements, with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission for his “Vote No” campaign, while his printed materials were stamped with “Paid for by the Hoboken Republican Party.” Nor has Pavel promised to step down as Chair of the Hudson County Young Republicans should he win. Where are his loyalties? Pavel endorsed the anti-public education policies of Education Secretary Betsey DeVos when he campaigned for her 2nd term with Donald Trump’s re-election in 2020. Pavel has not made any effort to learn about the prevailing issues in Hoboken District classrooms and this incompetence is on full display in this interview with the Hudson Reporter:
https://hudsonreporter.com/2022/10/13/kids-first-slate-eyes-hoboken-school-board-in-crowded-race/
Pavel is not being honest with voters– he really has no interest in education, he is a politician with eyes on bigger and higher party positions at the expense of 3,000 Hoboken kids.
(3) Cindy Wiegand
While her household did petition Hoboken Charter School to get rid of Covid mandates, she did so in July 2022 and not at the height of the pandemic. Weigand does not have Magen’s history of extremist advocacy nor Pavel’s entrenchment is partisan political machine. However, she has not rejected the endorsement of NJ Project; many candidates have asked to be taken off. Wiegand has accepted the endorsement of an anti-NJEA PAC, and could have run independently but chose not to. Lastly, why didn’t she disclose her board position as Secretary of “Friends of Hoboken Charter” in her campaign bio?
I’m convinced that those who support KF are single issue voters too angry or intellectually lazy to understand who these candidates are. They are a sleazy politician who pumped Dark Money into his “Vote No” campaign, an extremist who hid her radical right wing agenda from public view, and a parent who has accepted the endorsement from a group the NJEA has called “homophobic” and “transphobic”.
That’s honesty and Integrity? Too bad the truth had to come on a mailer and not from the candidates.
I’m convinced you need to take your personal attacks back to Westfield. But hey, that’s just us Hoboken residents.
Whoever pushed ludicrous face masks especially harming innocent children, the needless and dangerous experimental injections on them and the BoE today which spoke up for no one but tried to force a $330 million monstrosity on Hoboken deserves to be gone from the BoE.
Every.Single.One
Vote Kids First – 6, 7, 8.
Oh that one from Westfield is back?
Oh yeah it’s 5 oclock somewhere for here even when she is having a hair pulling fight in a bar after her last involvement in a BOE race
All true.
She left Hoboken to avoid the ______ kids in the high school I heard
The level of paranoia in this post is exactly why we need legalized dispensaries.
Talking about honesty and integrity from those members of the Hoboken School Board who tried to sneak a $330mm construction project past the taxpayers is laughable.
and be quiet and go away. That’s the message from these angry BoE insiders who are appalled.
Not appalled that people dared to vote in an obscure January referendum for a monument built to themselves, but appalled you dare to stand up against them.
Take action. Vote Kids First: 6, 7, 8.
Did you see Paul Blanos extremist posts about Biden?
All that’s missing is a ” Let’s Go Brandon” meme
Not just a Mary Matalin -James Carville moderates
She attacks two posts two different women made, yet she sleeps with a guy that posts missles being fired toward our enemies
Or his attack on Colin Kaepernick with a vulgar ” taking a knee ” along with Tanya Harding and Monica Lewinsky
Oh sorry silly me can’t blame the wife for her husband… that’s what the Jan 6th rioters spouses say too
Pavel loved former Secretary Betsey Devos’ defunding public education policies so much, he campaigned for Trump’s re-election! Don’t listen to “honest” Pavel’s denial, read his words.
https://www.insidernj.com/press-release/hudson-county-young-republicans-announce-presidential-debate-watch-party/
“Pavel Sokolov, a Hudson County Young Republican leader and co-sponsor of the event, stated “Republicans in Hudson County are excited for the reelection of President Trump and look forward to the Presidential debates.” Sokolov continued, “it’s going to be exciting to see how sleepy Joe ‘hiding’”
The LTL closet Republicans must be worried
Never seen such a nasty campaign
Magen =
hiding her “Fresh Faced Schools” anti- NJEA, anti-vaxx extremist agenda, solicited endorsement from extremist NJ Project, now LIES that she didn’t ( proof Magen DID at: https://m.facebook.com/groups/475978033461541/permalink/761400154919326/).
Sokolov =
GOP party leader in Hudson County, campaigned to re-elect Trump and continue DeVos defunding public education, won’t step down as Chair of Hudson County Young Republicans
Wiegand =
running on an extremist ticket, has not repudiated the endorsement of extremist NJ Project
VOTE 2-3-4
Stop allowing employees to resign , work on short term campaigns and rehired
Especially when they know he’s coming back
The desperation regarding trying to tar and feather Wiegand keeps growing. First, she was accused of pushing her kids’ school multiple times including early in covid to get rid of all covid rules. Turns out, her husband, not her, asked for a return to pre covid and a consideration of the costs & benefits less than 3 months ago. No there there.
Now we’ve got she didn’t disclose every non profit she’s on. Her bio says she’s involved in **various** education non profits. Another no there there.
And what is there to repudiate exactly. She did not ask for the endorsement and has said she has no idea who they are.
Plenty to go after the other 2. They seem nutty. But this desperate smearing of Wiegand is unfounded and disgusting.
After outing Vijay and Nancy as the ringleaders behind LTL it’s clear why they are grasping at straws. Must be a shame realizing they got their ass kicked by vote no after outspending 4-1. It’s over for the ltl and their lies and losses.
Why is LTL slinging mud? It’s because they want to propose a $400+ million high school. If bond 2.0 fails, they will petition the state to force us to pay for it. Don’t fall for Bhallatics as usual this November.
A 60 year-old, pre-technological age construction, decades old science labs with barely functional through-window ACs is GOOD ENOUGH for GOP Chair Pavel. Pavel doesn’t WANT a state of the art HS, the 60’s era building is good enough!
Was the issue the HS, or the bond? PAVEL and his anti-public school cabal conflate the two.
Newsflash: a plurality of residents support a new high school but if they are paying, they want a seat at the table. LTL will give the community a seat at the table.
VOTE: 2-3-4
They had their chance to give the community a seat at the table, and totally ignored the community. Alex literally approved the rollout. No ones buying what they are selling. Plus any Ivy has centuries old building and yet everyone flocks to them.
Donna and Cindy are not anti public school. Seriously how can people say stuff like this with a straight face when both women send their kids to public schools. Cindy’s family is among the wealthiest in Hoboken and they choose to send their kids to public not private school.
“Newsflash: a plurality of residents support a new high school but if they are paying, they want a seat at the table. LTL will give the community a seat at the table.”
They don’t support that monstrosity of a proposal. They don’t support football stadiums and hockey rinks.
Their proposal was a bad idea poorly executed. LTL put all their eggs in that one rotten basket and failed. Hoboken schools do have a dire space problem, but the BOE incumbents and their supporters failed to solve it. Why? Because they’re incompetent.
Let’s not reward incompetence and failure. It doesn’t matter who you vote for, just don’t vote for LTL.
Yet again, KF lackeys who can’t tell us what the KF plan is, what they want to do, how they will do it. What do they want to do, Debbie and Bob? Beside “learn as much as they can”, which, I dunno, doesn’t seem like a reason to vote for someone.
For the fifth time: What are their plans? Where’s the beef?
Bob and Debbie have been stalwarts in All Saints and many great causes in town
They even supported Zimmer
Long before Dawn, Ravi or Vijay could find Hoboken on a map
Like all the Zimmer / Bhalla carpet baggers, they’ll eventually move- they really hate Hoboken and only moved here for the commute
They never support Black candidates and only want a bigger high school so they can outnumber the lower income students with their little tutored , rugby summer camp snobs
Hoboken taxpayers will not be part of developing a plan or adding their input any construction plan, nor will be allowed to even see our plan until it is too late to make changes. Dr. Christine Johnson is again working behind closed doors with her chosen no bid architect and contractors. When she needs you to pay for what they want they will put it on another take it or leave it ballot.
Honesty and intgrity matter to many of us in Hoboken and, quite frankly, the way the January bond referendum was handled is enough for me to want to see new leadership in the BOE. What Kids First wants to do is bring transparency and accountability to the BOE, improve educational outcomes and build a stronger partnership between the community and BOE. There’s plenty of “beef” there, if you take the time to look.
VOTE KIDS FIRST, 6-7-8.
So, no actually plan, just a few of vague generalities that could safely be said in any campaign for any office, then? Not very beefy.
The creepy trolling and stalking by LTL moms and Charter School ( not BOE ) school parent is getting scary … she and a few of her entitled friends are chasing Pavel everywhere
Arent they happy ?
What are they going to do when the elections over ?
Maybe he should start an OnlyFans account for the LTL moms?
It does seem she is desperate to date Pavel. And in this progressive day and age Cindy and Donna too….if shes not, then I guess we know who the anti LQBTQA+ one is.