posted November 7, 2009
Several days ago a caller to one of the national talk radio shows made the comment "just because Medicare and Medicaid are bankrupt doesn't mean they're failures."
Now, in a previous stage of life I would probably have commented something akin to "Dude. Like, what have you been smoking?" But I've promised one of my tree hugging buddies that I'll get in touch with my kinder and gentler self, so these days all I do is shake my head and wonder what universe someone like that is living in.
About that same time the city of Chattanooga had requests for $120 million in new capital expenditures. That's, like, real money. It's also real money they have to take away from someone else, taxpayers, before they can spend it. This week the City Council, as reported on the Chattanoogan.com, is looking at $58.4 million is capital expenditures. The city's debt service is rising faster than at any other time according to Chattanooga's finance director, but that's okay. It still isn't as bad as other cities of similar size. One must wonder if all those others were filing bankruptcy and jumping off a bridge, would Chattanooga do it too. But East Ridge and Red Bank should voluntarily submit themselves to Chattanooga's bad deal?
Cash out got to be equal to or less than cash in. That's the final word in fiscal responsibility. An operating budget is simply pluses and minuses. There are no advanced calculus and analytical geometry requirements, those Greek hinkies, or statistics. Only pluses and minuses. The only time calculus comes into play is when those elected officials, and their appointed functionaries, start trying to put a hoodoo hex on the taxpayers. Government is the only outfit I know of that has a guaranteed source of income each and every year, but they consistently over extend themselves.
The only ones held accountable are the taxpayers, the folks who have to pick up the tab for frivolous waste of tax dollars.
Last year the Hamilton County school system was a mere $11 million over budget, and they said they'd do better. This year they were $20 million over budget. They certainly did better, if we use that government math nobody who's ever studied real math will ever understand. They must be using calculus.
Last year the kids at Howard High couldn't make it to school on time. What was the outcome? Our appointed, from out of town, director of schools said the boys were "going to pull up their pants" and then he set the start time an hour later. That's an option they'll certainly have when they get out in the real world of profits, losses, and getting fired because they won't work the hours required by their employers.
This week we had 12 schools with F's on their state report cards and an over all grade of C for all schools, even though they had over a year to prepare for what's being touted as stricter requirements. They're still trying to teach our children and grandchildren to read, write, and cipher with el spiffo systems that have been shown not to work. Here in Hamilton County we have more teachers and administrators per student, a lower teacher/student ratio, and higher per student expenditures than almost any other county in Tennessee ... but Johnny and Janie still can't read. Could it be that if they had been doing the right things in the first place, they wouldn't have to worry about strict requirements?
And the schools are falling down around our children's ears, with schools eating up 60% or more of the county budget.
Then along comes Dr. Scales to make the statement "Our school system has not failed."
Dude. Like, what have you been ... oops, almost forgot. Kinder and gentler. One might, however, expect someone in that position, and being paid that level salary by the tax payers, to have developed some critical thinking skills. We might additionally expect him to address a problem honestly rather than trying to snow Frosty the Taxpayer.
What, exactly, does an F mean? Back when most of us were in school an F in a class meant we failed the class.
Oh, he goes on and on to the media that they're working on the problem, but what, exactly, does that mean? The 2011 plan? At the rate they're going by 2011 the budget deficit will be something on the order of $66 million, they'll still be asking for more jing from us taxpayers, the buildings will still be falling down, and Johnny and Janie still won't be able to read, write, or cipher.
But Dr. Scales will still have a paycheck coming in, and will be held accountable to no one. He has a contract ... a contract with no penalty clauses, no performance benchmarks, no negative repercussions at all for a failure to perform.
In 2001 we had 11 failing schools. This is improvement? Jesse Register moving up to Nashville and now that system experiencing similar problems as what we've had here is strong evidence of the incestuous nature of the current system.
There was a time that if we failed a class we were held back or had to go to summer school, at our parents' expense. I have a cousin who repeated a couple of grades. If memory serves correctly, by the time his momma got through explaining some facts to him, assisted by a hickory switch, he paid better attention.
There was a time when parents were required to ensure their precious progeny attended school until the age of 16 or 17, whether they had passed the second grade or not. There was no such thing as social promotion. Either the child could perform at grade level and was promoted or he could not perform and was held back. Today? It's too traumatic to hold a child back. As reported in the media, our director of schools believes it's better to keep them in school, even if they pose a danger to both their teachers and other students, than to have them out running the streets.
I've wondered recently what ever became of that "one strike and you're out" mandate the feds made for public housing residents.
It all boils down to a lack of accountability. Dr. Scales once told me, when I asked a question in a public meeting, that students would be held accountable. He never did define accountability.
We have lawyers who write contracts for consultants and administrators, but there is no accountability for poor performance.
We have rules in our schools that aren't enforced. Even if they were, there is no accountability. What ever happened to the girl who caused a serious bump in Coach Eller's path?
Then our elected officials, and their appointed functionaries, wonder at the rage building in the tax paying population. Some presume to call us names and treat us like children. They grab for our wallets with impunity. They grab our property as if was theirs to take. They attempt to run our lives as though we don't have sense enough to come in out of the rain. They forget they were elected to the offices they hold, that they are not royalty, and who actually owns those offices.
I sure wish I could have been a fly on the wall in that deposition the other day.
Royce E. Burrage, Jr.
Royce@OfficiallyChapped.org
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Royce, I can't believe I'm saying this because I usually disagree with your position on numerous topics. Your latest post requires that I say, "Bravo and amen!"
I agree with you completely, but let's not let that come between some good debates we've had in the past or the future. Just thought I'd throw in a little humor there, very little. Seriously, I do enjoy your posts on the "Chattanoogan," whether I agree with them or not. Your eloquence in presenting your particular view always makes for interesting reading.
Rod Dagnan
roddagnan@comcast.net
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