We've Got to Stop Gov Christie!!!!

For those of you who don't live in NJ or in any of the neighboring communities (NYC, Philly, CT, DE) our new Governor, Chris Christie (never trust a man with 2 first names, thank you CJ), has the grueling task of closing up the state's deficit of $11 Billion. One of his ideas is cutting $820 Million from education. Are. You. KIDDING ME? He wants to put a spending freeze on teacher's salaries for a year, suspend pension payments, and also let go 1,300 people. He wants to open more charter schools -- hmm, maybe because the current Commissioner of Education OWNS a charter school? and they are not publicly funded so therefore cutting public funding to education doesn't effect his buddy....http://www.goldendoorschool.org/principal-msg.html

Good schools mean more than just quality education (which should really be enough of a reason). Two years ago when Mike and I were looking for our first home, we looked in over 10 different towns.... you know what to know what one of the top three "must haves" was? Good school system! Why? because good schools mean you have a more desirable town, you have an active community and even if we move before we have kids, the next owners may have kids and need a good system and if its between my house in a crappy school system or one in a desirable system, i'm gonna loose -- and then that snowballs into crappy housing markets... it just goes downhill from there. My girlfriend as 19 month old -- she wants to move to an area that is being redeveloped for an arts enclave in Orange/West Orange borders. The apartment sits in the town limits of Orange... first thing I said to her was "you know, Orange doesn't have great schools... i'm just saying you should consider that" -- and everyone I know who has bought a house considers the school system.

Gov Christie is an evil, evil man who will just slash and cut and not think about the residents in this great state. I'm pretty sure you went to school, Mr. Christie, and you wouldn't have had the foundation you needed to get you to your current position (altho, having friends in high places probably didn't hurt either... man politics are nasty). without the help of your teachers teaching you to READ and WRITE.

I ask you, readers, to think of how many people you know personally who is a teacher -- I bet those numbers add up REAL quick. Now, do you want any of them to lose their job? OF COURSE NOT -- so get vocal, write some letters, make some calls and tell Christie to think again -- cutting education is not CUTTING IT WITH US!

next post will deal with allll the other "lovely" things Mr. Christie plans on slashing 'for the greater good'

Mailing address for Gov Christie

Office of the Governor

PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625
609-292-6000

Back in the Saddle... and looking for artists...

OK, I am going to try and be a LOT better about blogging! I started off strong and then.... poof... nothing... I'm making a stand now to jump back in and get blogging!

I am trying to get a small business (but one day a BIG business!) off the ground. Its kinda like a gym for artists.... myself and Katie C (or Kate as she is now known, but she will always be Katie C to me!) are getting all our ideas streamlined and then we'll write a business plan and look for money (if you are out there with some extra dough laying around and want to help new art-centered project, let's chat) . Basically, the idea is this:

we'll have a space that will be multi-functional - a workspace, studio, gallery, event site, classroom, resource place, all-around-very-cool-place-to-be environment. We would offer different levels of membership which would provide certain perks. You wouldn't have to be a member, but it would be beneficial in the long run. It would be a place that different artists - fine arts, theatre and music -- can come and work on said craft. If you're a painter, we would have an area you can set up your easel, or drop or whatever you're working on , and provide storage area/bin/shelf/locker (still working that out). I know when I was an apartment dweller, there wasn't a lot of room for much more than my personal stuff, let alone any type of work space. Also, if you wanted to have an art-opening, we would provide our studio space to double as a gallery! Want to teach a class? We can be your classroom! Same could be said for staged readings, caberet nights, the possibilities are endless. So this is the call to arms:


ATTENTION ARTISTS!
If you're looking for a place to be around other artists, a place to perfect your craft, WE HAVE IT! (well, we will soon). It is in the West Orange/Orange bordering neighborhood and its going to be GREAT! It will be affordable (because hello, we're a-r-t-i-s-t-s, not investment bankers*) and will be a creative, inspiring, family-friendly place.

I'm serious. Very serious.

*we do not discourage investment bankers nor would we turn you away, just saying.. you are probably a bit more financially secure (perhaps you want to invest in our little company??) :)