I can guarantee you that if the county commissioners were honest that they would confirm the ratio of those for the tax increase to those that are against that it would be the same as the Chattanoogan poll that was 20/80 and of that 20 percent for that they were going to be the ones who would benefit from the additional money. Furthermore if you were to remove those who are paid “organizers” who have called and voiced their demands stand up and tell us as the majority that we are not caring that the ratio for those who want responsible and accountable government would be greater.
It is my opinion that those in charge and responsible need to stop and take a step back and look at the situation from a different angle. In the past we have not quit digging the hole and we’ve not really addressed the problems that we face in public education. As so many have stated it’s not a money problem as it is deeper than that. It is mismanagement and lack of responsibility in so many areas and we have played Wak-A-Mole as our leaders say it’s this or that which is wrong with the school system totally ignoring facts.
Having gone through a Tennessee Sales Tax Audit where by law you have to make a work place in your facility for the auditor and provide all documentation asked for and also supporting information for as long as they see fit. We were blessed with a lady who was very friendly but she was thorough and yes she did find things that we had missed that we hadn’t paid taxes on. This was BC, before computers, and you had to use business forms which we bought from NEBS which we didn’t pay sales tax on and so we had to write the state a check. I know some will remember those days.
If we the citizens of the state of Tennessee or the United States must yield to an audit then shouldn’t the school system? It should be called by one of the commissioners and brought to a vote to bring an outside accounting firm to go over the books of the school system and information should be made public showing the expenditures, recipients and results of such. We are always told it’s about the budget but all a budget is is the allocation and approval to spend money and not on actually how it is spent. You can tell us anything about expenditures and excuse it with those words “it’s in the budget”.
We’ll hear the response that we are self-audited or that the counties auditing firm says that everything is okay by the budget but you see that is the problem. If we can bring outside firms in to tell us our needs why can’t we have an un-biased accounting firm do a complete forensic audit and let us know the true state of our school system and how the money has been spent in the last several years and with that information made public. We might find out who is siphoning money “from the children” for their personal benefit and agenda.
See, we have the Central Office that now has to go back and re-adjust their should I say “wish list” of things that they will deem as essential “for the children” either “knowing” or “not knowing” what monies have been spent in the past and the result of that investment. As so many have mentioned it is about accountability but if you aren’t being held accountable why change? Oh how many times have we heard that it’s about the budget / money and people act on their agenda with absolutely no results.
Let me say this about our local media who aligned themselves with this tax increase, shame on you! Investigative reporting has been corrupted by advertising dollars. If I’m not mistaken the school system has an advertising budget and furthermore combine that with lottery advertisement (which goes hand in hand with the Central Office progressive agenda) we have had reporters turn a blind eye and a deaf ear in presenting the “facts” to their consuming public more concerned with an agenda of greed.
But thanks be to God for those like Roy, Rhonda, Helen, Tom and April who against the “machine” and “status quo” are willing to dig and ask questions and furthermore call things for what they are.
John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Jay Reed
Falling Water