The Theodore Newsletter

Note:   I recently met with an elected County Administrator to discuss my energy conservation commercial real estate (CRE) plans to reduce the degradation of the environment, provide new jobs, reduce energy costs, increase property values, and reduce the financial load on the County.  Sounds too good to be true?  It is not.  It has been implemented in two New York State Counties, several counties in California and Colorado, and the state of Connecticut.  Technical individuals in the reading audience should consider reading the paper.    The portion of the paper specifically dealing with CRE is highlighted.  Your comments would be appreciated.

Click here to go to paper.

May 1, 2013

There were numerous responses to the last article on the teachers and their union.  Here is one (unedited) that says it all:

“Keep up the good work.  Unfortunately, many have their heads buried in the sand and the others are too ignorant to understand the level of thievery and waste we are subject to.  People have been indoctrinated by the school system, the leftist media, unions, Hollywood and government, that government is good, collectivism is good, and all else is bad.”  Note that I chose to italicize ignorant.

We are back to that time of year.  The EWSD budget vote.  It’s not only the budget but also the Board seats about which nothing can be done.  Keefe, a former teacher union president, who has used his position for personal gain, is running unopposed.  Sloan, an individual absolutely unqualified for the job, is also running unopposed.  What’s left is the budget, and that is what I will key on in this article.

Please note that from here on, I shall refer to Kamberg (I prefer Konberg), the other four Board members, the teachers, the teachers’ union, the PTO and Dr. Elaine Kanas as the EXPLOITERS.

The EXPLOITERS continue to play games with the parents and taxpayers.  In case you haven’t noticed, there hasn’t been a word about Lorna Lewis.  Remember how all of them raved about her.  All of them.  Well, she’s officially gone, and our loss is Plainview’s gain (ha!).  Apparently, Plainview (as with an earlier EWSD Board) didn’t do its due diligence.  If they had, they would have concluded that she was a fraud – something the EXPLOITERS continue to refuse to admit.

Interestingly, the EXPLOITERS also didn’t perform the necessary and appropriate due diligence when they hired Kanas, our new Superintendent.  They obviously believe the taxpayers and parents (in particular) are either indifferent or not too bright, or both.

Kanas may turn out to be a worse nightmare than the EXPLOITER’S earlier favorite – the aforementioned incompetent and unqualified Lorna Lewis.  I had two serious talks with Kanas about budgetary matters, e.g., the $30,000 annual cost per student and the 9.75 student/teacher ratio.  I’ve not heard from her on either of these two issues.  Despite the drop in enrollment, the student cost is now projected to be nearly $32,000 and I was informed the student/teacher ratio has worsened.  Kanas promised to take budgetary action and I was willing to give her a pass even though she misrepresented herself on her application and during the Superintendent’s position review process.  Apparently, nobody cares even though this is grounds for dismissal.  In the meantime, she has obviously chosen to declare war on both our schoolchildren and taxpayers.  Shame on her!

Here is what we presently know regarding specific budget details.

1. The      EWSD per capita annual student cost is nearly $32,000.
2. The      student:teacher ratio is 9.75:1.0 providing further proof of (1).
3. The      average class size is below that reported to the community, a fact that      EXPLOITERS must be aware of.  The      situation is particularly exacerbated at Wheatley.
4. I have      not been provided teacher absenteeism data; it obviously must still be      rampant.
5. The      waste – secretaries, assistants, associates, aides, and yes, some of the      teachers – remains unchecked.  As      reported by the FAC, jobs are not eliminated when they leave or retire.
6. Our      District’s ranking is in freefall.
7. Our      seniors at Wheatley are having difficulty getting into the      college/university of their choice.
8. The      teachers’ position continues to be “we don’t do anything for nothing.”      This is all part of the Susan Bergtraum policies and the “poisoning” of      our teachers by David Israel, the former Teachers’ Union President.
9. Despite      near zero percent inflation and overall decreasing enrollment in recent      years, the school budget continues to spiral upward.
10. No plan      has been put in place, or even proposed, to eliminate the waste and solve      some of the above problems.  Thanks      are due to the EXPLOITERS.

I also need to comment on another matter, I hope many of you had an opportunity to review the survey recently forwarded by the Strategic Planning Committee under Kanas’s letterhead.  How convenient.  The community received the mailing just prior to budget election time.  The survey was unquestionably intended (in my opinion) to give the voter the impression that his/her opinion counts.  The useless survey requested that the community provide academic priorities for the future.  Now, who really believes that the average community member is qualified to render any such judgment?  These are decisions that should be made by competent Superintendents and Administrators.  Please view it as simply another scam.

Is there a reasonable solution that can accommodate the best interests of both the taxpayers and schoolchildren, and at the same time, be fair to the teachers?  Of course!  My approach has been ignored.  But I believe that something other than a weak-kneed Superintendent could pull it off.

The interested reader should continue to visit:

www.theodorenewsletter.com

for more hard facts/information and details regarding the conduct of the EXPLOITERS and what they don’t want the taxpayers/parents to know.  Also, direct your friends, neighbors and relatives to the site.

Bottom Line:  Do yourself a favor, do the children a favor, do the taxpayers a favor, do the seniors a favor, do our home values a favor and vote

NO

on the budget.  It’s ok to vote no.  Help put a stop to the EXPLOITERS conduct regarding financial matters.  Don’t be a glutton for punishment.  Stop being taken for a fool, and stop being an enabler for the EXPLOITERS (especially Kamberg)

NEXT POSTING:  June 1, The Budget Results.