My gosh, don't you Republicans ever tire of your own BS? Don't you have even an iota of integrity -- to check your 'facts' derived from the Alt Right alternative universe? Here's your BS, debunked on factcheck.org:


"Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina says that ?so little? of the charitable donations to the Clinton Foundation ?actually go to charitable works? ? a figure CARLY for America later put at about 6 percent of its annual revenues ? but Fiorina is simply wrong.

Fiorina and others are referring only to the amount donated by the Clinton Foundation to outside charities, ignoring the fact that most of the Clinton Foundation?s charitable work is performed in-house. One independent philanthropy watchdog did an analysis of Clinton Foundation funding and concluded that about 89 percent of its funding went to charity.

Simply put, despite its name, the Clinton Foundation is not a private foundation ? which typically acts as a pass-through for private donations to other charitable organizations. Rather, it is a public charity. It conducts most of its charitable activities directly."

Just donated. We live near Hamilton Park, but we're grateful for all the work that goes into making Van Vorst a fantastic public space. The gardens are glorious -- and our kids love the sand box! We're good for $25 a year.

Hi Folks,

Tomorrow please vote for all four (4) candidates endorsed by Parents for Progress:

Jessica Daye ? Ballot Position 1-i

Micheline Amy ? Ballot Position 3-i

Carol Lester ? Ballot Position 6-j

Ellen Simon ? Ballot Position 1-p

Under new leadership, the culture of Jersey City public schools has begun to change. Drop-out rates are finally being accurately measured (!) ? and they are down. College readiness rates ? again, finally being assessed -- are rising. Far more seniors are taking the SAT. This year we welcomed seven new principals, after extensive searches ? all committed to transforming outcomes. And in a sure sign that our community is feeling confidence, enrollment in our public schools is up, reversing a 10 year decline.

Yet make no mistake -- our new Superintendent, Dr. Marcia Lyles, was barely approved by the Board. Holdovers denigrate recent achievements and focus on distractions, hoping to drag us back to the old status quo -- when failure was accepted and ?who-you-know? favoritism prevailed.

We at Parents for Progress believe these Board candidates will work with Dr. Lyles ? not against her ? to realize their joint vision for the schools. At the same time, they will provide oversight, and appropriate checks and balances ? believe me, these women are not wall flowers! They have the vision, passion and professional experience to oversee the changes that our schools so desperately need. They will demand accountability, professionalism and student achievement at every level in our schools, which after all, belong to all of us.

To succeed, they need your support ? please vote tomorrow for Daye, Amy, Lester and Simon, and ask your friends and neighbors to do the same.

Thank you,

Don Mankoff
Parents for Progress

Parents for Progress is proud to endorse Jersey City Board of Education Candidates for Excellence: Ellen Simon, Jessica Rosero Daye, Micheline Amy, and Carol Lester. We are at a critical point for the Jersey City School District. Our Superintendent is entering her second year with a clear mission and clear plans to help our district schools better serve the children and families of our city. We need board members who are dedicated to moving Jersey City Schools forward and are willing to fight for the best interests of the children in our district. We believe these four candidates have the personal passion and professional credentials to build schools that give every child a chance at an excellent education.

Jersey City Board of Education Candidates for Excellence will be holding their campaign kick-off breakfast this Saturday September 28th from 10 AM ? 12 PM at Zeppelin Hall. Please come out to show your support for better Jersey City Schools. We encourage you to learn more about the candidates at: www.jerseycitycandidatesforexcellence.com and ?like? them of Facebook to learn about upcoming events: https://www.facebook.com/Jersey.City.Board.of.Education.

Most importantly, come out Tuesday November 5th and vote for these qualified and passionate candidates. We know they can help make the changes we need, but they need your support.

P.S. The deadline to register to vote is October 15th. If you are not currently registered, please click here to download the voter registration form or visit the Hudson County Division of Elections for more information.

Candidate Bios:

Ellen Simon is the co-founder and ex-president of Parents for Progress. Before stepping down to run for the Board of Education, Ellen worked tirelessly as an advocate for a national superintendent search to bring new leadership to the Jersey City Public Schools. She successfully fought to expand the free breakfast program and brought attention to the problem of lead tainted water. Ellen is a leader and a fierce advocate for putting children?s needs first in the public schools. Ellen is the mother of one child in the Jersey City Public schools.

Jessica Rosero Daye is an advocate for the educational rights of New York City children with disabilities. She is a Jersey City native and a proud graduate of P.S. 16 and McNair High School. She holds Master?s degrees in education and psychological counseling from Columbia?s Teachers College and has a passion for education, particularly for ensuring that all children have a right to equal educational opportunities. She lives in the West Side neighborhood and is the mother of two children in the Jersey City Public Schools.

Micheline Amy is a human resources executive with a passion for improving education in Jersey City. She works to ensure that the human resources help attain strategic business goals. She is an expert in human resource best practices and day-to-day management. She is active in JC Moms and the Hilltop Neighborhood Association where she lives with her two young children.

Carol Lester is a current member of the Board of Education. In her three years, she has served as an outspoken advocate for Jersey City students. She served as Vice President in 2011 and was chair of the Superintendent National Search Committee, which resulted in the hiring Dr. Marcia Lyles. Carol?s deep experience in school governance began as a co-founder of Learning Community Charter School where she served as the Board President for six years. Carol has one college-aged daughter. Carol is running for the one-year position.

DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 26th:

Be part of the change.
Run for the Jersey City Board of Education
By Don Mankoff, Parents for Progress Selection Committee


If you are interested in running for the Jersey City School Board, which oversees our district schools and leads them towards success, I urge you to fill out the online Parents for Progress questionnaire, available here: http://www.parentsforprogress.com/2013-boe-endorsement-questionn/. We have extended the deadline for candidates to submit their questionnaires to April 26.

We are seeking to support four candidates who have the skills, experience, courage, intelligence, and perhaps most important, follow-through ? to best serve our students for three years. It?s a volunteer position with a tremendous responsibility: the chance to oversee a budget of $660 million and the education of 28,000 school children. To succeed in those goals would be a profound achievement ? with a lasting impact on the lives of many students.

Board members work with our District?s new Superintendent, Dr. Marcia Lyles, who has a clear-eyed assessment of critical benchmarks ? including graduation rates and college readiness ? to continue to construct a comprehensive plan to move forward and tackle these very significant challenges. You can read her report here--
http://www.jcboe.org/boe2013/images/p ... _Presentation_Nov_v13.pdf.

We will be conducting rolling interviews of selected candidates, based on submitted questionnaires. While the deadline has been extended, earlier submission is welcome. If you have any questions, please email me at parentsforprogressjc@gmail.com.


Best regards,

Don Mankoff


PARENTS FOR PROGRESS IS an all-volunteer group of parents and Jersey City residents. Our goal is excellent neighborhood public schools. We are beholden only to the 28,000 children in Jersey City who depend on our schools and have a right to a quality education.

After going to Paris a few years ago, I came away feeling that bread in America is a pale imitation. I know there are Italian bakeries around, but no French in donwtown JC that I'm aware of -- anyone please correct me if I'm wrong. Anyway, a traditional, high quality French bakery would be my choice for a new bakery.

Like our democracy, this site is only as good (or bad) as those who participate in it. So many posts with racist innuendo -- about the "thugs" who play basketball, those noisy cricket players, or teens who have the gall to actually hang out with friends in a group. And then whenever there's an accident, numberous posters will torture the facts -- or just make them up -- to blame the victim. Now we have someone using a tragic accident as a jumping off point to wish that similar misfortunes befall others.

The internet allows people to vent their real thoughts/feelings without fear, and as we see, many people are small-minded, judgmental and downright cruel towards those they view as the "other". I thought I might call it out, at least this one time, to give voice to what I hope is the silent majority -- those of us who feel it is NOT ok to summarily judge others, be dismissive of them, or even wish ill upon them. I think I need to start spending less time on the internet, and instead start volunteering, so I can be around more compassionate influences.

Open Letter to Hamilton Park Neighborhood Association:

cc: www.jclist.com (Posting)
Mayor Healy
Councilman Fulop

re: Hamilton Park Closure

To: Jen Steve, and the rest of HPNA:

Hi, my name is Don Mankoff, and I?ve lived in the neighborhood for 5 years (first at 8th and Coles; now at 8th and Erie). I?m writing about the closure and renovation of Hamilton Park.

First, a big thanks to your organization for advocating on behalf of the Park and the community.

Now I?ll cut to the chase: as you know, Hamilton Park is truly the lynchpin of recreation for the community, especially during mid March through mid November. I play tennis there twice a week; my daughter?s in the playground daily; I walk my dog there every morning; etc. And I?m typical. I understand it?s about to be closed for an extended renovation. I?ve got serious concerns. I don?t blame you by the way ? I readily admit that like most residents, I haven?t been very involved, and I don?t know who to blame. But I value your group and its mission, so I wanted to share my concerns and ask you to take action:

1) Why close the Park for nearly the whole spring and summer? Nothing can justify closing this Park over the peak season -- there must be another way! If this will take 8 months (as I?ve heard), shouldn?t it start in October? I can?t believe the City would choose April to close this Park, which is the main (only!) recreational outlet for so many residents. Even if the renovation would take 2 years instead of 1 to complete over two winters, it would be a million times better than closing the Park over the summer. Whatever the reasons for starting now ? the funding just became available, they can?t work over the winter, etc. ? it?s baloney. There must be another way!

2) If this absolutely must be done during the peak season (which I will never accept), then at least close the Park in segments, no?

3) Why no advance notice to the community? -- posted around town, online, in newspapers, etc., announcing on the start date and (most important) finish date. The (non-existent) notice should have discussed alternative park areas -- both existing park areas and temporary facilities the City could make available. Better late than never, by the way.

4) Are we protected if the project takes longer than planned (like every municipal construction project in the history of time!)? There should be severe penalties in the contract, along with contingency plans and notice requirements if there are delays.

Bottom line: could you imagine the non-emergency closure of Central Park, or a major park in Montclair or Maplewood -- for an entire summer no less? Of course not ? those governments wouldn?t THINK of being so unresponsive (and even cruel) to the needs of their citizens. And the citizens wouldn?t stand for it. Only Jersey City would do this to its own residents. I?m asking you to mobilize your supporters and the community to get the City to find another way to do this.

I?d be happy to discuss this further, or to help out if I can -- feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,
Don Mankoff (tel # omitted from jclist post)