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Post by justfacts on Sept 16, 2006 0:54:28 GMT -5
One and All
There's another meeting of the Plainedge Library Board on this Wednesday evening.
Come on down.
Hear the reports from the Childrens' service department and their letter of thanks to the "backroom staff" for excellent service! How often does one group in an organization go on record thanking another group for their excellent work?
Some of the topics covered will be recent official decisions about Summer Reading Programs in Schools and where they're good and where they're bad.
Additionally - the monthly and year end Financial statements, including an Auditors report, will be reviewed by the Board.
All Hum-Drum matters that will be spiked up by the usual interactions and discussions by the Board members.
Ask for a copy of any of the paper work - - - and you will most likely get it on the spot!
Ed.
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Post by techie on Sept 16, 2006 11:55:52 GMT -5
Now jus' hol' on a minute!Do you mean to say that if we want the information it is there when we ask for it? AND, do you mean to infer, that if we want a copy of the information and ask for it, we might get it at that same time? VERY UNUSUAL!Let me get this straight. You mean,... I can ask a question, AND get an answer?  Maybe this is part of the point that one resident brought up at the last BOE meeting. In effect the statement (not a question) by the resident, was that the Administration should bring ALL information to the meetings that "might " be required by the BOE and the taxpayers. It was suggested that the information be provided via LAPTOP Computer. The response to the question was that she has to bring her "book" around where ever she goes. ( I guess not to BOE Meetings!) The response included the information that she will bring "her book" to the next meeting. We have been upgraded to "New Tech", but the people "cookin' the books" still use "old tech". It would be very odd in this district to have information at a meeting when you need it.
Would YOU go to a meeting with your Boss without your daily, weekly, monthly reports? What business meeting would YOU go to without the information that is REQUIRED for the meeting? Wouldn't you want to have ALL information at hand that could be asked for, just to show you are prepared, AND worth your money? Don't they realize that IF they use the resources that we pay for, they can rip us off a lot more, and sound SO professional doing it?[/i]
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Post by techie on Sept 16, 2006 12:23:49 GMT -5
I would just like to remind EVERYONE;.....
The BOE is in charge of watching "The Administration".
The BOE are OUR representatives.
We are the EMPLOYERS.
If you have a question when you are at the schools, REMEMBER they work for you. They are not doing you a favor!
Treat everyone with the same respect they give to you.
And ALWAYS remember to get their name!
(it's amazing that once you ask their name they become more responsive!)
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Post by justfacts on Sept 17, 2006 3:30:07 GMT -5
Yeah Techie! One of the meanings of Library does include "source of information"!Several times persons attending a Library Board meeting are taken back when information requested is handed right to them. And if it is not right there at the Board room table the Recording Secretary, or the Director herself just goes to the next room and makes a copy for them! Or a Trustee surrenders their copy of the document to the Library Patron. None of this "its down the hall" or "its too much trouble to get that information - we'll not supply it" as was told even to BOE member Ralph Raymond once at a BOE meeting! As to coming to meeting sans information - how about the School Financial Staff's inability to give the Library Board at a recent joint meeting about the TAN interest charges the BOE wanted to collect. The question was asked by me - "Just how much money was wanted?" All anyone from the District knew was they wanted the Library to pay money - how much, no one could answer! And none of the BOE present showed any embarrassment about not knowing!This is despite the two staff members carrying and armload of manila folders filled with records of their recent signed agreement with Brokers about the TANs they just got! No one did anything to get the answer! I guess the practice by the BOE is to only be prepared to let out knowledge about what they are going to say before the meeting - like a teacher that can't answer a student's question because "it's not on the lesson plan!"  So enjoy a new experience Techie - come down to a Library Board meeting and be prepared to go thru exchanges of information in an Adult-to-Adult manner, not the customary Adult-to-Child manner voters get at the regular BOE meetings! [Sit down and be quite! You're disturbing the class! --- is a classical response when the answer to a question is not known by an "educator"!]Have you ever noticed that the "Coffee Hours" are also derived from the comforting "Papa-to Child" style of the old "Fireside Chats" that FDR gave during WWII? Ed P.S. The answer to the "How much money" question has still not been provided, despite the District mailing to the Library a detailed one-sided contract to have the Library agree to pay interest on this unknown amount of money at an unkown rate of interest next year! It was sent as a "follow-up" action - some follow up! Guess the BOE can't break the habit of always wanting more money, no matter how they get it, or how much it is!
Don't bother them with asking for details of how they spent the last money that you gave them! They'll tell you five different ways. And when the answers don't add up - they'll tell you two new ways of why they need more!
Maybe they really don't even know the details! Why should they?, When we so readily accept the Administration and the BOE's word - or lack of word - on a topic? We just quit asking - like on the e-mail gate topic. Whoosh! Away it went! Along with the Flying Carpet it was swept under! |
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Post by techie on Sept 17, 2006 8:58:21 GMT -5
Now Hol' on jus' a minute!
(reminds me of Quickdraw McDraw)
Do you mean to tell us and convince us that;
The Administration and BOE came to a meeting with the Library Board to talk about TAN payments, and didn't come with the amount that they feel should be paid?
Are you saying that they want the Library to sign a document saying that they authorize payments of TAXPAYER'S money WITHOUT giving an invoice?!?!?!?
I can't believe ANYONE TO BE SO STUPID!!!
How can someone request payment and NOT tell you how much the payment is?
Plainedge used to be called "Four Corners" years ago.
Now it seems more like "GREEN ACRES".
You know what the $$"green"$$ is.
We have are own "Mr. Haney" to watch over our finances.
Ah, I'll sleep all the better tonight!! NOT!!!
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Post by justfacts on Sept 17, 2006 10:08:50 GMT -5
Hey Techie! They not only didn't have an answer to how much money then - they still have not given it yet!
Not only didn't they have that info Techie - The letter they sent to the Library that was on the Agenda, you know the one they didn't want to discuss since they were "only going to look forward" and were not going to discuss the past, was not prepared for.
No wonder they didn't want to expose its contents to the public that was there - the last paragraph had a direct future threat to the Library in it! If you don't believe that a letter from the BOE has a threat in it, come to the Library and ask to see a copy for yourself.
The BOE President was specifically asked by me, that since that paragraph did refer to future actions, would they continue with that action? Her answer was YES!
The threat was that during the fall and Budget time they were going to hold meetings to tell the Community how fiscally irresponsible the Library Board was and how uncooperative it is!
Shades of the world's leading Minister of Propoganda!
Now you have a better idea of what "truths" are given at some BOE meetings.
Ed.
Don't forget - task them to take a nickle from the Bankers & Brokers and put it into Programs, not Capital, this coming year! When they tell you how hard it is to do - tell them it's their job to do!
Don't settle for less than;
Administration__ 10%,
Capital__________ 15%
Programs_______ 75%
Total Budget___ 100%
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Post by thewildrover on Sept 18, 2006 8:54:26 GMT -5
The BOE President was specifically asked by me, that since that paragraph did refer to future actions, would they continue with that action? Her answer was YES! The threat was that during the fall and Budget time they were going to hold meetings to tell the Community how fiscally irresponsible the Library Board was and how uncooperative it is! Shades of Herr Goebble! Facts, A word of caution. They question your credibility as it is…. to use a Nazi assertation only adds to their “lack of credibility” claims. Quite honestly, your "Goebbles comment" could be taken as offensive and inappropriate by many in this community, not just the BOE. Then the true meaning of your messages gets lost, and the good you are trying to do, does as well. In my humble opinion. |
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Post by justfacts on Sept 18, 2006 10:31:30 GMT -5
Wildrover
Sorry - no offense was intended - Just a referral to the leading individual that we all recognize was the master of misinformation, the twister of truth, the reverser of reality.
I've modified the post and I apologize for any offense I may have done to any of my neighbors for making reference to a hated individual from those despised times and events.
However, the message contained in the post is still factual, The BOE Pesident said they still intend to conduct, during Budget hearing times, a campaign of misinformation and untruths about the Library. An attack on the Library is also a personal attack on me - that's the way I feel about it and that's why I react to it in these posts.[/i]
The first charge is to be: fiscal incompetency. To judge this for yourself on facts and truth know that the Administration earned an average 3.8% on investments last year according to them, while the Library earned 4.6%.
The second charge is: failure to be cooperative. Yes. the Library does not go along with BOE on their plan to charge the community twice for a portion of the total TAN interest![/b][/i] The BOE plan added nearly $27,000 to last year's TAN interest overage charges of $62,700. I believe this "failure to cooperate with the BOE" is in the best interest of the community - what do you think!
Discussing better Budgets:
The BOE Budgets for TAN interest add to the TAX Levies are, and have been, collecting far too much money from the public for TANs. The "residual money" in estimates of TAN interest amounted to 40% of the actual cost of the interest for last year. In anyone's Budget book, that is not a tight or close estimate. This is but one area of the budget process that needs great improvement in coming years.
For a dollar perspective: The estimate was $495,000 this year. That means the actual cost might be about $354,000, or $141,000 less money going to Capital!
But, let's say an estimate within 5% or 10% is a close enough estimate - that means the TAX Levy for this charge was at least $108,000 to $120,000 too much! That's not tight budgeting in my book!
Think of what could have gone into the Programs side of the Budget if the above Capital overage was put there instead! The Tax Levy would have been the same - but the Children would have gotten more!
Say!, Now that I think of it, just how much money was involved in that last "adjustment to the final budget" last year? Wasn't it about $100 Grand? About the same amount as was "kited" into the Capital part of the Budget?
Ed.
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