Post by justfacts on Dec 20, 2005 3:33:39 GMT -5
CU - any day of the week! -
Although you expressed very strong opinions about some of the Board members and their interactions - some of which seem to include the Superintendent - we, unfortunately, don't have facts (evidence) to support these interactions.
But let's take a little imaginary trip to see what could happen if we did have evidence. Suppose there were records, say like e-mails exchanged on their personal PCs, or other evidence, that showed certain discussions and decisions were made among them regarding the awarding of the 5% raises, and better yet, the 5% cash up front Bonuses to the Superintendent! For the past three years that would amount to about $60,000 to $70,000 of money taken from this community by collusion between some key Board members and the Superintendent.
One could speculate that a Court of Law would find that illegal, and a class action suite might be brought to get that money back. Wouldn't it be a fine thing if that money went into a Scholarship Fund for the car-washers of this District? It might include Triple Damage extra money! Now that would make a fine addition to the scholarship fund!
The insurance that public officials carry for protection against lawsuits would not come into play (costing the District higher insurance rates) since their collusionary actions would be considered "wrongdoings" under our laws.
I wonder now - do any of their spouses have access to the PCs? (Say, didn't some belong to the District?) It'd be nice if someone knew a lawyer with connections to the DA's office that has subpoena powers!
This would also allow the District to easily "break" the 5 year contract recently extended (a convicted felon can't hold, nor perform the required duties of that office!) - that contract dissolution would also cut out the $10,000 per year for 10 year payoff at the end of his contract and the cost of all the "forever" health benefits! Hey!, the suite could even include recovery of the $20,000 per year the Board agree to pay into a deferred wages plan for each of these past years! (Not included in his salary calculations)
Now - that's some windfall for the District. And some bountiful Scholarship Fund! What would it be named if this fanciful and imaginary trip did turn out to be true? The Car-Washers Revenge Scholarship Fund?
Away from this fanciful trip and back to reality. You seem to be "hot" about the topics you brought up. I"m "hot" too about those I brought up - lousy incompetent budget material presented to the public full of obvious mistakes, and terrible shortcomings for getting the most money into Programs for the kids. On top of that there's squirreling of unentitled monies into unreported Fund Balance accounts - for instance; there's another $390,000 going into the Fund balance this year over and above the like amount of Packard Fund money returned to the General Fund.
They also got an "accelerated Cash Flow" as it's known as in the trade, of $1.5 Million Property Tax money during the prior year. They did this by "flim-flam" means. In January they calculated the State aid to be about $14 Million on the State forms but told us in the Budget made in April that they only expected $12.5 Mill. The actual State Aid was a little more than the $14 Mill they first estimated to the State - but did not tell us about for the budget. Had they done so, it would have lowered the Property tax by $1.5 Million!
Then there's that little matter of the $600,000 first part of the Packard Fund they transferred into the Fund Balance in the year before last. They told us in the Budget Summary mailing that it would be used to reduce Property tax - BUT It DID NOT!
This District has suffered enough from the undisclosed "Creative Accounting" that's been going on since the Rich Man has been here. Too little of the money is going to Programs - and too much into other accounts. I just wish some more of us could "roll-up-our-sleeves" at Budget time, or hire a CPA do it for us, and give the Budget the good going over it deserves --- before it is put up for vote! Certainly the Board members have not been doing this - they seem to be doing something or someone else!
I just wish that the Hevisie Audit had been a Forensic Audit! Even the one that they paid for ($30 plus thousand) which they continue to call a "Forensic Audit" - wasn't a forensic audit! The guys doing the work clearly pointed out that it was not - it was done only to the limited areas dictated by the Administration.
Although you expressed very strong opinions about some of the Board members and their interactions - some of which seem to include the Superintendent - we, unfortunately, don't have facts (evidence) to support these interactions.
But let's take a little imaginary trip to see what could happen if we did have evidence. Suppose there were records, say like e-mails exchanged on their personal PCs, or other evidence, that showed certain discussions and decisions were made among them regarding the awarding of the 5% raises, and better yet, the 5% cash up front Bonuses to the Superintendent! For the past three years that would amount to about $60,000 to $70,000 of money taken from this community by collusion between some key Board members and the Superintendent.
One could speculate that a Court of Law would find that illegal, and a class action suite might be brought to get that money back. Wouldn't it be a fine thing if that money went into a Scholarship Fund for the car-washers of this District? It might include Triple Damage extra money! Now that would make a fine addition to the scholarship fund!
The insurance that public officials carry for protection against lawsuits would not come into play (costing the District higher insurance rates) since their collusionary actions would be considered "wrongdoings" under our laws.
I wonder now - do any of their spouses have access to the PCs? (Say, didn't some belong to the District?) It'd be nice if someone knew a lawyer with connections to the DA's office that has subpoena powers!
This would also allow the District to easily "break" the 5 year contract recently extended (a convicted felon can't hold, nor perform the required duties of that office!) - that contract dissolution would also cut out the $10,000 per year for 10 year payoff at the end of his contract and the cost of all the "forever" health benefits! Hey!, the suite could even include recovery of the $20,000 per year the Board agree to pay into a deferred wages plan for each of these past years! (Not included in his salary calculations)
Now - that's some windfall for the District. And some bountiful Scholarship Fund! What would it be named if this fanciful and imaginary trip did turn out to be true? The Car-Washers Revenge Scholarship Fund?
Away from this fanciful trip and back to reality. You seem to be "hot" about the topics you brought up. I"m "hot" too about those I brought up - lousy incompetent budget material presented to the public full of obvious mistakes, and terrible shortcomings for getting the most money into Programs for the kids. On top of that there's squirreling of unentitled monies into unreported Fund Balance accounts - for instance; there's another $390,000 going into the Fund balance this year over and above the like amount of Packard Fund money returned to the General Fund.
They also got an "accelerated Cash Flow" as it's known as in the trade, of $1.5 Million Property Tax money during the prior year. They did this by "flim-flam" means. In January they calculated the State aid to be about $14 Million on the State forms but told us in the Budget made in April that they only expected $12.5 Mill. The actual State Aid was a little more than the $14 Mill they first estimated to the State - but did not tell us about for the budget. Had they done so, it would have lowered the Property tax by $1.5 Million!
Then there's that little matter of the $600,000 first part of the Packard Fund they transferred into the Fund Balance in the year before last. They told us in the Budget Summary mailing that it would be used to reduce Property tax - BUT It DID NOT!
This District has suffered enough from the undisclosed "Creative Accounting" that's been going on since the Rich Man has been here. Too little of the money is going to Programs - and too much into other accounts. I just wish some more of us could "roll-up-our-sleeves" at Budget time, or hire a CPA do it for us, and give the Budget the good going over it deserves --- before it is put up for vote! Certainly the Board members have not been doing this - they seem to be doing something or someone else!
I just wish that the Hevisie Audit had been a Forensic Audit! Even the one that they paid for ($30 plus thousand) which they continue to call a "Forensic Audit" - wasn't a forensic audit! The guys doing the work clearly pointed out that it was not - it was done only to the limited areas dictated by the Administration.