Tom Kean Statement on the Passing of the Brother of Senator O’Toole
Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean, Jr. issued the following statement regarding the sudden passing of Brian P. O’Toole, brother of State Senator Kevin O’Toole (R- Essex/Bergen/Passaic):
“It is with a heavy heart I am announcing that Brian P. O’Toole, brother of Senator Kevin O’Toole, succumbed yesterday to pancreatic cancer. The thoughts and prayers of the entire Senate go out to the O’Toole family for their loss.”
Visiting hours will be held Sunday, May 29, 2011 from 4PM – 8PM at Shook’s Funeral Home in Cedar Grove, NJ. A funeral mass will be held at 10AM on Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at St. Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church.
Tom Kean: “Supreme Court Goes off the Deep End”
Decision Fails Children and Taxpayers
Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean, Jr. (R- Union) issued the following statement in response to the New Jersey Supreme Court’s ruling ordering the state to spend $500 million on the 31 former Abbott school districts:
“The unelected justices of the New Jersey Supreme Court issued a ruling today that created law from the bench despite having no constitutional authority to do so. In so doing, they have thumbed their noses at the residents of the state who elected a Governor and a Legislature to make these policy decisions as is prescribed by the state constitution.”
“The Court is wrong. A thorough and efficient system of education is not solely contingent on dollars, but requires significant reforms to make those dollars work better for students: rewarding excellent teachers for merit rather than longevity, reforming tenure to more easily and quickly remove ineffective educators from the classroom, and capping superintendent salaries to rein in administrative costs. Quality education is about holding the system accountable for student outcomes, and we should not turn to spending as a remedy until accountability measures are put in place.”
