HOPATCONG, NJ – A Hopatcong municipal councilman is under fire this week after saying the administration of Governor Phil Murphy is ‘raping’ suburban school districts and helping ‘urban crack heads’ through a proprietary school funding formula that to this day remains a state secret.
Ryan Smith posted a link to a petition that read, “Sign this petition to implore our Governor to stop raping our school system to support the urban crack heads. $8M of cuts in State Funding is NOT ‘we support education.’ It is simply forcing our schools to raise taxes,” read the original post. It has since been taken down.”
Smith, a Repbulican is being slammed by Democrats for his post.
Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz, Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin and Assemblywoman Shanique Speight released the following statement today in response to the comments made by Hopatcong councilman:
“In reading the councilman from Hopatcong’s words regarding ‘rape’ and ‘crackheads,’ the women Representatives from Newark have words of their own to share. First, the seriousness of the term rape should not be used so recklessly, it diminishes the severity of such an act. Furthermore, we are well aware that the term ‘crackheads’ is just a loud dog whistle,” Ruiz said. “Now, it is time for us women to school the councilman from Hopatcong on the Fair Funding Education Formula. The current school funding formula provides every student the same funding per their classification regardless of school district. For years, 80% percent of school children were underfunded while 20% were overfunded. The bill referenced, S2, ensured that all schools would get 100% of their formula aid plain and simple.”
“We don’t know to who he is referencing as crackheads because the S2 formula supports our children,” Ruiz said.