How does a group of elected officials who are always needing more money for "the children" take money that they have been given by the taxpayers and mismanage it in such an incredible way?
The Hamilton County School Board owed the federal government $27,000 and how they turned that bill into one of $650,000 is beyond me. Maybe they need to do some of that new math curriculum that has been bantered around. Maybe a class in computer science would help.
Whatever the case this kind of incompetence is exactly what gives tax payers the heebeegeebees when government entities such as the school board or the county commissioners tell us, "just hand over the dough, and don't worry your pretty little head. We know what is good for 'the people', and 'the children'".
Where is accountability? Where is fiscal responsibility? This group is "shepherding" our children on to becoming accountable and responsible adults when they can't even pay their school board taxes in a timely manner?
Rachel Miller
Signal Mountain
raciemom5@netzero.net
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"How Did $27,000 School Tax Bill Turn Into $600,000?" The answer to that question is quite simple, Mrs. Miller.
The folks at the Department of Education forgot to pay the light bill and the power got cut off so their computers wouldn't work, then the batteries in their hand calculators went dead, and there aren't many of us left who still know how to use a slip-stick...uh, I mean a slide rule.
It isn't their money, at least it doesn't come directly out of their pockets, so they don't have to worry about it too much. All they have to do is increase taxes and everything will be just honto dai jobi. After all, who's going to complain? "Kookie" Thurman? Tim "The Muckraker" Price? John "The Other Muckraker" Wolfe? Everyone knows they're just making a big noise to hear themselves talk and with nothing to substantiate their claims of government waste, kind of like when Erlanger had to ante up with 40 million buckaroos to get the feds off their backs...perhaps to even keep someone from going to jail.
Besides, what's the worst that can happen? The person responsible be forced to pay back the fines they're responsible for the county incurring at 300 buckaroos a month like that lady who got tattooed for embezzling 275 or so grand not long ago? With no interest she'll be paying that one off for close to 80 years. I wonder if they'd ever let some guy who lost his job and, therefore, got behind with his child support get away with such an easy repayment schedule.
And don't even think about firing someone for ineptitude. Mr. Levi can certainly attest to that, at least the firing part. I wonder who picked up the tab for all of those departmental audits he had to endure. Oh, I know...the county paid for those.
La, lala, lala, lala...the world is just peachy keen and dandy. At least that's what County Mayor Ramsey and his "Back Room Boys," Dr. Scales and his eight members of the School Board, and some others would like for us to believe.
I wonder if Commissioner Brooks' step-son would ever toss some water balloons during a government meeting rather than at a meeting of bona fide concerned citizens.
La, lala, lala, lala...I'm going to go practice with my slide rule in case the power goes out. Probably have to use the aluminum one because the bamboo will be all swelled up with this humidity...we must keep in practice you know. Maybe I can even find one of those $400 cups of coffee some county employees are so fond of to help me along...
Royce E. Burrage, Jr.
Royce@OfficiallyChapped.org