WCBOE – The Big Field Trip (Part II)

On Wednesday, we looked at the Wicomico County Board of Education’s (WCBOE) attempts to hide information from the public regarding use (and abuse) of taxpayer dollars for travel and entertainment.  We also caught a glimpse at WCBOE to junkets to Disneyland, Disney World, Las Vegas; as well as trips by superintendent John Fredericksen and WCBOE board member Mark Thompson to sunny California.

Yesterday, we saw a disturbing pattern.  If you are a WCBOE educrat, why sit through boring meetings at the central office when the taxpayer will foot the bill for a nice meal.  Why worry that teachers can’t get needed supplies for their classroom (without dipping into their own pocket) when it’s FAR MORE IMPORTANT to eat out, IN SALISBURY, on the taxpayers’ dime.

Today, we’re going to look at at something that upsets me more than all of these other things put together.  While costing the citizens of Wicomico County very little, I was dismayed to see that WCBOE employees have so little regard for the taxpayers that they don’t think twice about leaving large tips when they pick up sandwiches, doughnuts, etc. for various meetings.

WHY NOT?  IT’S ONLY THE TAXPAYERS’ MONEY!

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WCBOE – The Big Field Trip (Part I)

Junkets to Disneyland.  Junkets to Las Vegas.  Junkets to DisneyWorld.  These are just a few instances of where Wicomico tax dollars go thanks to our infamous Board of Education (WCBOE).

Oddly enough, I don’t believe that junkets such as these are the worst examples of the WCBOE’s travel / entertainment profligacy.  I don’t doubt that many of these trips afford some marginal benefit to our public schools.  Some may even be necessary.  Some examples, such as employees going to Hooters on the taxpayers dime are actually amusing.

No.  What frustrates me most is the attitude shown by superintendent John Fredericksen and his merry little band of bureaucrats towards the taxpayers of Wicomico County that I find most disturbing.  To Fredericksen, et al, we are a giant cash register; nothing more.

Eating out at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.  Fredericksen going out to lunch with county parks director Gary Mackes or county executive Rick Pollitt and then charging it to the taxpayer.  The response is that this is allowed in the private sector.  This is true.  However, the private sector does not take funds from citizens by force.  Those same people in the private sector don’t have lifetime job security or a retirement package like WCBOE employees.

HIDE THE EXPENSE ACCOUNT

What is even more despicable is Fredericksen’s belief that he can hide this information from the public.  Last summer, Wicomico County councilman Joe Holloway requested information on the WCBOE’s travel expenses for the last two years.  Here is Fredericksen’s response.

Note that Fredericksen (in his most obtuse bureaucratic lingo) says that he would love to comply, BUT, before he could “assist our County counterparts”, Fredericksen must explain that it’s going to cost a small fortune to provide the information to Holloway.

Now, that might be a valid concern – EXCEPT …  Fredericksen wasn’t being exactly truthful with Joe Holloway.  Holloway is tighter with the taxpayers’ money than he is his own (and Joe can pinch a penny).  So, after receiving Fredericksen’s response he didn’t push the matter any further.  Until … at a council meeting in the Fall of 2009 the usual suspects from the WCBOE showed up for a budget transfer.  WCBOE comptroller Bruce Ford had a printout of some expense categories.  Holloway asked Ford how difficult it was to get that information.  Ford replied that all you had to do was enter the account code(s) and the time period and VOILA!

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WCBOE Fiddlin’ Along With Board President Mark Thompson

This is an update to last night’s story regarding the misstatements of Wicomico County Board of Education (WCBOE)  President Mark Thompson.

WCBOE “Public Information Liaison” Tracy Sahler is back in her office today, but she’s hiding the facts from the public.  To understand the extent to which the WCBOE will go to prevent citizens (and even our elected officials) from knowing the truth about what goes on at the corner of Mt. Hermon Road and Long Avenue (the WCBOE offices), we’ll give you a little background.

After reading Thompson’s statements in Thursday’s Daily Times, I decided to do a little research.  A couple of things didn’t ring quite true.  After finding out more about the Reading Forever Fund (an admirable charity) and how it works, I asked two SPECIFIC questions of the WCBOE:

 

1. Where does the money which is given by schools to the Reading Forever Fund come from?
2. If the WCBOE (or an individual school) did not order the books in question, who did?

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It’s Been A Rough Week At the Wicomico Board of Education

Wise people learn from their mistakes and view adversity as opportunity.  This may be a cliché, but true none the less.  One thing we have learned this week is that the people running the Wicomico County Board of Education (WCBOE) are not wise men and women.

After being denied a budget transfer by the Wicomico County Council for the first time in memory, members of the board and senior staff were then hit with the public revelation that one or more school libraries were stocking material wholly inappropriate for school students.  Has the WCBOE learned from its mistakes?  No.  Are they turning a bad situation into an opportunity for improvement?  Hell No!

Instead, we have Superintendent John Fredericksen flip-flopping right and left as to what will be done.  Basically it depends who is interviewing Fredericksen as to what will be done about the book scandal dubbed by one public official as “ComicGate”.

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