To the Editor:
Be careful what you wish for! My daughter works in Bayonne and brought home the October 2, 2013 Bayonne Community News. As an outsider, the Community News was impressive. In a letter to the editor by John R. Cupo, he was recommending an elected Board of Education. My personal experience and opinion disagree. I graduated from Weehawken High School in 1968 under the auspices of an appointed BOE. I had to address the BOE as a student to rectify a bad decision on its part. The members listened and reversed their decision. As an adult living in New Milford, NJ, I had many issues with an elected BOE and was ignored or dismissed. With an appointed BOE there is accountability, but with an elected board, there is no accountability. Both situations are political by nature but the appointer is the elected official and can be voted out if the BOE is ineffective. An elected BOE cannot be voted out because it is a staggered election and those in power tend to stay in power without any consequences for their decisions. One other point is that the voting is different than a general election with opposing parties. It is based on votes cast. The ones with the most votes win. For example, if you have three openings and vote for three candidates you diminish votes for the candidate you may want. Casting only one vote has more power for your choice candidate since you added votes to the others. I personally feel the appointed BOE was more sensitive to the wants and needs of the community without the added cost of an election.
CHRIS NEUSCHWANTER