Lies, Lies, Lies Ye-ah

OK. I lied. I’m a politician now, it’s a part of the job description. I told you I haven’t seen a Falls News editorial that has moved me in years. Actually, I have. The most recent was this one. I don’t know what I like about it more, the novel idea of incorporating a song title into the header, or the content itself. This is how you inform people. This is how you begin to get the public to understand how to take ownership and responsibility for their tax funded entities. I was thrilled to see this piece in the Falls News. Board and Council meetings are scary and daunting to many people. Making the process understandable and user friendly is a great service to the community.

There’s a few opinion letters of late that I’ve liked as well. This one and this one are two of my personal favorites. Speaking of letters, there was one that I didn’t like so well. I find the letter to be poorly written and a prime example of where the term “baffle you with bull%#@!” comes from. You can read my response in this week’s edition of the Falls News, but you know they have that pesky 300 word limit. It almost killed me to limit myself to that! I got desperate and used FNP instead of Falls News Press. One word vs. three you see. So I’m going elaborate here because I am free to be wordy. In the past I have submitted letters to the FNP that required files of public record to back up statements I made before they would print it. It was frustrating but in hind sight, they didn’t know me and the fact that I do my homework. So imagine my surprise when I saw this letter from my fellow board member. Notice how there is no facts to back up the claims made. I would like him to cite the pertinent and relevant facts left out of articles. I can’t believe the FNP let him say this without documentation to back up the claim. It’s one of the most unbiased acts I have ever seen from the media.

But the one that really blows my mind is the “certain disgruntled board member” comment. The nerve!! No one even had the decency to inquire if I actually was disgruntled before printing this! And for the record I am not disgruntled. I’m thrilled that we have one elementary school that is the 4th highest per pupil spending in Summit County. Of course you’ll be shocked to learn that they are an “Excellent” school on the state report card. Meanwhile my child sits in a classroom of 28 kids in his “Effective” school and wonders when the promised “more comprehensive reconfiguration” is going to take place. I’m also pleased that the board hasn’t found a way to efficiently and equitably bus our students. It’s good that a proposal to lower the bussing limit and eliminate exceptions was proposed. I’m sure using many busses to haul 12-15 kids is proving cost effective with today’s gas prices. And our streets are so squared off that I know bus stop points every 2-3 block radius is a preposterous idea.

Maybe our new board president will lead this board in a new direction. Maybe we will start focusing on the problems and stop trying to convince ourselves that all is well. Maybe we will finally start utilizing the survey results. Maybe.