Wasser triggers NJ law

[DoucouBlepons]

NJ is discussing a law to beat on jerks like Breyer State graduate James Wasser who buy degrees. Good idea, finally. Go Garden State!

[Martin Eisenstadt]

NJ is discussing a law to beat on jerks like Breyer State graduate James Wasser who buy degrees. Good idea, finally. Go Garden State!

Presumably you refer to stories such as this one:
Wasser, FRHSD Inspires Statewide Ban on Diploma Mills

Legislation placing new rules on the kind of course work for which school district employees can be compensated could be put to a vote next week.

Both the state Assembly and Senate are expected to hear a modified version of the measure Jan. 11, according to one of the sponsors, Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, R-Monmouth.

The legislation was inspired by the 2008 discovery that the Freehold Regional High School District superintendent, H. James Wasser, and several current and former staff members received doctoral degrees from an unaccredited university.

H. James Wasser is just the tip of the iceberg in Freehold Township.  E.g., looks like Lorraine Taddei-Graef tried to BSU herself into a pay raise, and that retired Assistant Superintendent of Freehold regional, Frank Tanzini, also had one.
School district staffer wants title, pay raise back

Meanwhile, H. James Wasser keeps drawing his $200,000 salary.  
Superintendent to keep full salary after taking lesser role

Wow, almost as much as the entire Gollum household combined!  

The question we never see answered (or even asked) in these stories is, if it's so-o-o-o-o incredibly important that the degrees be accredited, why don't the people spending the taxpayers' money take ten seconds and verify them?  Shouldn't the people who approved those raises be getting reamed in the local press too?

State asks school chiefs to verify degrees

Yeah, there's an idea, let's verify those degrees before we start paying off on them, rather than waiting until after somebody notices and starts complaining.

Dubious diplomas challenge area school districts   

...The state Department of Education licensing code does require that teachers get their bachelor’s degrees and supervisors and administrators get a master’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.

“The examiners check all applications,” assistant commissioner Jay Doolan said, using the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and other Web sites that are also available to local districts.

Substitute teacher certificates are reviewed only by the county offices of education, but credits also must come from an accredited college.

Robert Higgins, the DOE’s director of licensing, said a handful of applicants are rejected each year for having degrees from unaccredited colleges, but it is not a huge problem. ...

Not a huge problem for Higgins, because he gets paid whether he does his job or not, and the NJ taxpayers pay for his mistakes.  Instead of passing more useless "diploma mill" laws, how about passing a law that makes dereliction of duty by a public official a crime?  (No, I won't hold my breath waiting for that.)

[Armando Ramos]

Meanwhile, H. James Wasser keeps drawing his $200,000 salary.  
Superintendent to keep full salary after taking lesser role

Wow, almost as much as the entire Gollum household combined!  

Fake degree or no fake degree, two hundred large for a high school administrator?  Does no one in NJ have a problem with this?  Surely not everyone in that tiny little state is an Obamunist drone who don't understand whose money the government takes to pay these ridiculous salaries?

Do you think they would have any trouble finding a guy with a real PhD who would show up and actually do the work for half that amount?  

[ham]

passing a law that makes dereliction of duty by a public official a crime?

Let's make things clear: those people have probably been sucking oysters and tasting foi gras in the company of the big guys just last week...and you want to make a criminal of them?
Come on...
Derelict?
You know who's a true derelict?
The little hulkster who's fired because he's late at Walmart's...
Security catches Pedro with an apple in his trousers: he stole it...
Newspapers catch Madoff squandering 800 billions: he was a victim of the stock market...