| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| seabiscuit |
Posted - Aug 08 2009 : 3:43:56 PM
I found out last night a few of the names that have picked up petitions to run for the two school board positions up for election this fall.
Ian Watson and Steven Hughes will be running again for their positions, also Paula Barone is planning to campaign.
Freshwater supporters, Steve Thompson and Darcy (Myron) Miller have also picked up petitions. Three add'l candidates planning to complete petitions that I think may be Freshwater supporters but am not absolutely positive are Robert Kirk, Chip Street and Joshua Kirby. There may be more but I will need to check further on Monday.
I will certainly have lots of questions for any candidate running. What I don't want to see are candidates with singular narrow agendas (i.e. getting JF's job back, making their religious agenda more important than anyone elses). There are a lot of issues facing our schools right now. Mr. Freshwater's issue may be the most financially costly to the district but there are other issues which are far more important to the education of the children of our city.
Before you vote this year, make sure you know exactly what the agenda is of each candidate. |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| zaubern |
Posted - Mar 07 2010 : 1:41:32 PM
Here are some thoughts on Mr. Thompson:
I still believe he used monies for his election that were not allowed by law, (did same people gave to him as gave to Kirk). Has he ever disclosed where or who gave him the $750.00? He did not list in them in his reports as required by law. ( maybe there has been an amendment to his forms I missed) Was he hiding something?
Where did Mr. Thompson get his education in financial matters, which makes him better to handle money than Mr. Watson? Where was he educated?
As a friend and one that has helped Freshwater raise money; how can he be objective in any Freshwater discussion during board meetings or for that fact with any board member? If he has to recuse himself who is he representing, it is surely not the voters!
Why is he afraid to say why he was not in the executive session but, referred it to a lawyer, is there something he does want the public to know; like why he cannot be in the meeting. Again who is he representing the public or Freshwater?
The public did elect him, but are we now seeing that he was elected because he gave us half-truths and left out facts.
What has he brought to the school board to help improve our school system that has been his idea? What has he to say about the upcoming levy? For or against.
Zaubern |
| belushi |
Posted - Feb 26 2010 : 9:49:22 PM
CM....Freshwater is simply exercising the rights he earned as a result of the contract given him by NEA Bureaucrats.....the same folks who oppose merit pay for teachers and a longer school year and performance based standardized testing.....
I am on a mission from God. |
| seabiscuit |
Posted - Feb 26 2010 : 4:14:27 PM
I want to report that I have now received answers to my questions in yesterday's mail. I planned to post them yesterday but have managed to develop a pretty stiff migraine headache and just couldn't get it done. So here's the scoop:
The response is dated 2/23 and the date on the postage is dated 2/24.
Question 1: Is there a $3 million deficit or is there a $6.5 million rainy day fund?
08/09 Revenue: $30.9m Expenditure: $33.2m Deficit: $2.3m
Year Cash Balances
08/09 $5.8m - Anticipated
08/09 $6.5m - Actual
Question 2: If there is a $3 million deficit, what are your plans to bet the district back in the black?
The Boards plan includes:
A) Establishing a "Financial Advisory Group" to review the current financial state of the school district.
B) Continuing to support the Superintendent and Treasurer on cost reduction measures where possible (without affecting quality of education for students)
C) Supporting emergency renewal levy generating $1.6 m annually
Question 3: What has the district spent on the Freshwater hearing to date?
$479,626 ~ As of 12/30/09
Question 4: Are you still on the Community Council for Free Expression?
No
So in his campaign, Mr. Thompson told a "half-truth". The district is spending at a $2.3m (not $3m as he stated) deficit each year and the previous School Board did, in fact, have a $6.5 million savings to deal with that funding deficit.
The fact that Mr. Thompson used this as a key point in his campaign was irresponsible for several reasons.
1) He could have easily verified this information during the campaign but choose not to because it was more important to defame previous and current board members in an effort to win his seat on the board. It was irresponsible to take a small piece of information received in a mailer and not research it thoroughly to be sure of its accuracy before you build an entire campaign around it.
2) Mr. Thompson will now have to do damage control with some voters. By throwing previous and current board members "under the bus" and stating that they fiscally mismanaged funds (which they obviously did not since there is a savings to deal with deficits), he has created a belief in many voters that the school has had more than enough money to fund the district but has just not managed it properly. (That was pretty much what Mr Thompson said in his campaign rhetoric). I have talked with several people, especially older folks, who aren't convinced that this renewal is needed based on Thompson's ascertion that someone like him can better manage the money that was wasted by the previous board. Unfortunately, people are looking for a way to reduce their own costs and Mr. Thompson has given them a reason to not support this levy renewal.
As far as new ideas on how to better manage the school's budget, I don't see anything that Mr. Thompson has thrown in the ring that previous and current board members weren't already doing. I believe it was another candidate that had stated during their campaign run that they thought it might be useful to establish the Financial Advisiory Group so I don't believe he can take credit for that idea.
I will take him at his word that he is no longer involved in Community Council for Free Expression for now but will monitor that situation to be sure that doesn't change in the future.
"The pen is mightier than the sword", Edward Bulwer-Lytton |
| curious mind |
Posted - Feb 26 2010 : 07:49:23 AM
by manufacturing new evidence? subtle threats of more litigation based upon a black bag in a dumpster in the middle of the night, info shared with him by a "deep throat disguising his voice in a voice mail" retrieved by his minister and armed guard before sun-up then handed over as "proof" of his position two days later?
you betcha
how dare he 
"You might have to fight a battle more than once to win it" - Margaret Thatcher
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| belushi |
Posted - Feb 26 2010 : 07:44:30 AM
due process ain't cheap, ya noed......How Dare Freshwater make the superintendant prove his allegations !
I am on a mission from God. |
| curious mind |
Posted - Feb 26 2010 : 05:34:39 AM
I see the "big picture", sir -a local problem with local solutions
you choose to distort that "big picture" and make it about all of your rantings and ravings about the federal government, which have absolutely nothing to do with a fruitcake educator spending tens of thousands of local monies in order to play martyr and shove his mindset down voters' throats. Well, that's when he's not receiving secret voice mails, from muffled voices, about a black bag in a trash can on mount vernon avenue in the middle of the night, and his preacher finding a pal with a gun to go with him to retrieve that black bag, spend two days sorting through it's contents, then arising from their covert operations to advise the Board of Education that they have new "evidence." All designed to threaten the Board of Education with more litigious bullsh*t.
I see the big picture, guy. And am tired of it.
"You might have to fight a battle more than once to win it" - Margaret Thatcher
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| rigomortice |
Posted - Feb 25 2010 : 3:21:48 PM
cm, yer an abso;ute geneeious as absorbin yerself in picyune gossip while steadfastly ignoring the Big Picture. A true hooot,u iz. Take prayer outta schools, put homosex in(Mao too). obam0 creed. obam0-space-palosi=axis of Evil.
Harold Kick |
| curious mind |
Posted - Feb 25 2010 : 12:04:41 PM
Another newly elected board member, Steve Thompson, also recused himself from Wednesday’s executive session. Thompson declined to comment on his recusal, and referred questions to the board’s attorney, David Millstone.
http://www.mountvernonnews.com/local/10/02/25/new-board-members-recuse-themselves
Hey Seabiscuit - we know Thompson is ignoring the questions you presented to him at the last Board Meeting, but don't take it personally. Seems from the above he doesn't believe he needs to answer ANYone's questions.
"You might have to fight a battle more than once to win it" - Margaret Thatcher
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| belushi |
Posted - Feb 25 2010 : 07:05:56 AM
Read the Bible...the Good Book...
I am on a mission from God. |
| sunflower84 |
Posted - Feb 25 2010 : 06:26:26 AM
Hondo,
This topic has to do with the school board and Freshwater not Obama. Just because Thompson was voted in doesn't mean everyone has to like him. Continue on with the debate but please watch the personal bashing.
Everything happens for a reason |
| curious mind |
Posted - Feb 25 2010 : 05:43:04 AM
quote:
Originally posted by rigomortice
BUT SHUT DOWN ANY SCHOOL THAT MENTIONS JESUS. jesus. "We are done".
Harold Kick
why are you making this what it isn't?
"You might have to fight a battle more than once to win it" - Margaret Thatcher
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| rigomortice |
Posted - Feb 24 2010 : 10:59:43 PM
If they just shut down USA schools, think we'd notice? Think our decline would slow down, speed up...or stay the same? NEA:NO bureacrat left behindt. & our kolleges,like kenyon,Harvard ,OSU ,etc---cranking out credit default swap inventors, racists & hyper sensitive society killers. What about them? We all noed the saudi funded izlam schools here in the USA are darlings of deeversitie tho. That they teach "christians are swine,jews are apes" is merely a reflection of their justified bitterness over western imperialism. BUT SHUT DOWN ANY SCHOOL THAT MENTIONS JESUS. jesus. "We are done".
Harold Kick |
| info88 |
Posted - Feb 24 2010 : 10:16:57 PM
Maybe Ms. Barone and Mr. Thompson left the meeting, the executive session, because neither of them was on the schoool board when Mr. Freshwater was fired or dismissed or whatever they called it. |
| seabiscuit |
Posted - Feb 24 2010 : 9:46:36 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Hondo
Seabiscuit...
Just think of your kids. They are the ones that will pay for what this president...if he's successful will do to this country.
Hondo
You've completely missed my point but that doesn't surprise me.
"The pen is mightier than the sword", Edward Bulwer-Lytton |
| belushi |
Posted - Feb 24 2010 : 9:15:41 PM
Love the Lord...
I am on a mission from God. |
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