As usual, nothing to report regarding the wonderful things we are doing for the children and taxpayers. Of course the board president has decided to waste more tax payer money on the board attorney because regardless of how hard I try, they just can’t seem to understand open meetings, public records or why any of the sunshine laws exist.
I have spoken with Attorney General Marc Danns office regarding violations involving this board. When I relay the advice and guidance from Danns office to the board, and strangely enough, the board attorney, I am rebuffed. I again contacted Danns office and asked what remedy is there when the board attorney gives advice contrary to the attorney generals office? They suggested the attorney call them. I suggested this to the attorney. Apparently he hasn’t called them yet.
The Sunshine Laws, in my opinion are the most important laws enacted that touch each and every one of us. In fact let’s quote Dann- “Democracy flourishes when government operates in the sunshine, available to the citizens it serves and open to public scrutiny. To preserve and encourage openness, the Ohio General Assembly passed the Open Meetings and Public Records acts, collectively known as the "Sunshine Laws."
The highlighted parts are reminders to my fellow board members. They seem to not care when Joe Public is misinformed, not notified, and constantly changing meeting times so that “regular meetings” are no longer regular.
The point is clear in my previous blog. I see no need to rehash it. Our policy is in direct violation of the law and needs fixing. Paying the board attorney to come in and say he doesn’t agree with the interpretation from Danns office is pointless. There. Madam Kellie has predicted the outcome of that $250 an hour.
I can’t sign off without mentioning the bus committee. Two parents are on the committee. I couldn’t help but notice they live within 600 meters of each other. None of the administrators live here, and even though I’ve made bussing an issue for three years, and I’ve lived here my entire life, I wasn’t “allowed” on the committee. Was there a fear that I might actually save us some money? Only the shadow knows.
4 comments:
Are the bussing committee meetings open to the taxpayers for observation?
Yes. If you can make the morning meeting. All board commmittee meetings are open to the public.
While I'm pleased to see that the BOE chose to open the transportation committee to more than 1 parent and that they chose parents who have not previously been involved with any district committees, I have to question how 2 people who live only 600 meters apart and are available during the work day can possibly represent the best interests of the majority of families in the district. I would venture to say that the majority of parents in this district work during the day which would make them unable to participate on this committee or even attend the meetings to observe.
The board member whose letter was published in the Falls News last week failed to address how working parents are being represented on this committee or even the question of why special meetings are often not announced until after the Falls News publishing deadline. Frankly, the letter tried to rebut a letter that I had written the previous week, but didn't really even address the issues that I had presented. Seemed to me like a case of just talking circles around your audience...
I think this board has simply become a group of spin doctors, telling the community what they want them to know, rationalizing their own bad behavior and hoping to excuse the laws they routinely break (if they get called on it) with ignorance. They would do well to remember that once you've been warned and presented with evidence that you are breaking the law, ignorance no longer holds any water.
My question is what action can be taken against any government body that violates the "sunshine law"? This is not a CFBOE problem but one that can be found throughout the state.
The law must be followed to the letter.
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