Last night the Board of Education forum took it on the chin when one of the three slates didn’t appear.

It’s unclear the full details leading up to the final date selected but the word is the Quality of Life Coalition first attempted to hold the forum on the same evening as the monthly Board of Education meeting. Three commissioners on the board are candidates in this election. That meant the date had to be changed.

Parents for Progress stated they were given an alternate date two weeks in advance but no one checked to clear the date. One BoE observer said one of its members was out of town on business making it impossible for the slate to appear.

Helen Manogue who oversees the QLC sponsored forum reportedly voiced complaint saying the no show was disrespectful to the organization and the public. It was suggested one candidate did not respond at all.

The two Old Guard slates according to one observer piled on with a verbal assault on their opponents not in attendance. Perennial candidate Patricia Waiters complained she was not handed an appointment to the BoE as a minority when Carmelo Garcia had to step down earlier this year.

And so it goes…

Talking Ed Notes:

Update 1:20 – MSV hears from multiple independent sources the audience received a handout from QLC’s Helen Manogue. It’s reportedly private email communications from one Parents for Progress candidate on the scheduling conflict for the forum. (It’s uncertain for the moment if the candidate cleared its release.)

While that was going on prior to the start, another QLC board member of more intrigue reportedly blogged on a Hoboken forum how she was “looking forward to meeting you tonight” adding “I know I have been critical of Kids First…  I hope you realize that all I intend to do is find out who I’m voting for.”

Where was this communication being publicly posted? At 6:52 it hit the Hoboken Mom’s forum. 
It’s clear QLC and its board members in attendance were well aware the Parents for Progress slate would not be attending.


How is obvious sandbagging acceptable action by a QLC Board member working an event for a Hoboken public interest group?

Updates will be done here in a public, transparent manner so:

The Elks Club hosted the BoE forum last night but a third of the election candidates were not in attendance.

Who did what and why Da Horsey can’t say as MSV was not in attendance. (A gallop was made over downtown to City Hall for the special council meeting.)  In the end will it engender controversy and impact the election outcome? As MSV has noted, the most important factor to date is two Old Guard backed slates lacking a full six candidates.

If Patricia Waiters is selected as the third place choice for both, she’s going to be elected as a BoE commissioner.  What does that say (cough, cough) about Hoboken? Talk amongst yourselves.