Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.

                                                                           Edmund Burke

The mismanagement and folly of the Pontiac School District Board of Education goes back several generations.  I propose an attempt at explaining, what I consider, the latest generation of mismanagement, misappropriation, malfeasance and misery.  For brevity we will just call it THE MISERY.

The seeds of THE MISERY were planted many years ago however, the germination process probably started on February 5, 1991 when the voters in the school district approved 2 propositions. 

          The first was titled, “Deficit Elimination Proposition” with the stated purpose of “borrow(ing) the principal sum of not to exceed Nine Million Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($9,200,000) and issue it’s general obligation unlimited tax bonds or notes therefor, for the purpose of funding he School District’s operating deficit or projected operating deficit.”

          The second was titled “School Improvement Bond Proposal”, for the purpose of “Borrow(ing) the principle sum of not to exceed Forty Eight Million Four Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($48,450,000) and issue its general obligation unlimited tax bonds therefor, for thee purpose of defraying the cost of remodeling, equipping, reequipping, furnishing, an refurnishing buildings and erecting additions thereto; purchasing school buses and textbooks; improving and developing sites, athletic fields and playgrounds in the school district and refunding the outstanding bonds of the school district issued asbestos abatement purposes.”

At the time the above proposals were being voted on I recall being at meetings when members of the School Board were saying things like: “This will get us and keep us solvent far into the future.”  “We must do this now, we cannot allow the buildings to fall into disrepair.”  In 1991 I well remember being convinced they were right, in fact I was so sure I voted “yes”.

For clarification, that $57,650,000.00 is the 3.87 mills that expired in the middle of 2015.

Let’s try to “follow the money”.

Before we start down the road of following the money, let me remind you of what happened in May of 2005.  That’s a mere 10 years ago and this is when I think the Pontiac School Board lost their collective minds,  Remember, the student count was still dropping from 25,000 down to the present 4,000. School buildings are being boarded up all over the district.  School District employees are starting to be accused (and ultimately convicted) of stealing money. The economy in general was in a dead fall.  Along comes a proposal asking for a millage increase in the amount of $99,900,000,00 to build two new schools. That’s right the school district has mismanaged it’s self into a sinking ship and they want to take on more ballast.  Fortunately the voters overwhelmingly defeated this lunacy.

On to the money.  So they started the MISERY with what they thought was enough money to carry them far into the future.  How did that work out? Not well. Somewhere between 1991 and 2013 they managed to get themselves in debt to the tune of $51.7 million. The Superintendent claims the District has reduced that debt by $12.6 million, which leaves a debt of $39.1 million.  Here’s the problem, because the school district is so inept and so mismanaged they failed to pay their employee’s, the teachers, health insurance premiums for a long period of time, in the amount of $7.8 million.  In 2013 the courts ordered that the tax payers in the school district had to pay a onetime 3 mill tax to cover the districts inability to pay its bills. I have to assume they counted that $7.8 million as part of the $12.6 million they’ve paid off.  That means they have only paid off $4.8 million.  In the mean time the Treasury Department has made 2 loans totaling $20 million.

When you add up all the numbers and by the way the numbers are their numbers, the school district is now $59.1million in debt.  So in the last 2 years they have increased their debt by $7.4 million.

It’s time to put the Pontiac School Board of Education out of their MISERY!!

The metaphoric "Pants on Fire" approach (Oakland Press article of 9-12-15)

There is so much misinformation and so many falsehoods in the above names article that I hardly know where to begin.  I suppose the best thing to do is take them one at a time. I will address them in the order which they appeared, not in the order of importance

The most glaring thing about the story is that the district’s Board did not all the sudden decide to "regroup and not place any millage increase on the November ballot" The fact is they were attempting to break the law, which clearly states that a taxing unit cannot put a proposal on the ballot more than 2 times in a calendar year. November would have been their 3rd failure in 2015.  At first when this was pointed out to them, they decided they would go ahead with it regardless.  However, when the CARE group of concerned citizens made a request to the County Elections Commission and they in turn pointed out the error of the way, the district reluctantly withdrew the proposal.

As to all bluster by the Board President and Superintendent about exploring other options, it has already been decided to submit the proposal again in the March 2016 election. This is particularly disturbing in light of the District having spent over $75,000.00 to have the proposal on the August ballot, as well as the cost already incurred for the doomed November election.

 Concerning the sinking fund millage of 2.87 replacing the retired 3.87 millage, one has absolutely nothing to do with other.  This is an attempt to mislead the tax payers of the district into thinking they were getting a 1 mill decrease in their taxes.

 Superintendent Williams stated, "We are taking the pulse of the community to see what concerns there are and what we can do better."  Well they've taken the pulse twice so far and both times the community has responded by telling them, "enough is enough, learn how to spend the money and assets you already have before you ask for more"

 The Superintendent went on to say, "We're continuing to reduce the deficit."  Using the districts own numbers, it's pretty easy to refute this statement. At the time of the state take over the district claimed to be $51.7 million in debt.  They claim to have paid the debt down by $12.6 million to a total of $39.1 million.  Nobody knows if this "pay down" includes the mismanagement and ultimate one time 3 mill tax levy ($7.8 million) for tax payers of the district to pay for the MESSA insurance mess.  Regardless, the district has gone to the State twice for $10 million "loans" each time interest free for 5 years each.  Simple addition would suggest that not only is the district not paying off their debt, but are more likely another $7.4 million in debt. 

WHY I MUST VOTE “NO’’ ON THE PONTIAC SCHOOL TAX INCREASE

It has taken me a while to get this blog and a face book page underway.

So my plan is to start from my first Op-Ed that appeared in the Detroit News just prior to the vote on the Pontiac School District proposal for a "sinking fund" millage in August 2015.  It was submitted as follows:

Over the last several years members of the Pontiac School District Board of Education have stolen, lost  or mismanaged more than 50 Million dollars.  To my knowledge, one person has gone to prison.  Is there anyone out there who thinks that one person cheated our children out of the whole $50 million?  How did this happen?  It happened because of backroom, illegal, closed door deals and decisions.

I know each and every one of the present board members, having gotten to know them while campaigning with and against them.  I am confident there is no longer the skullduggery of previous boards. These are hardworking, dedicated people who care about our kids and our community. That being said, until they make some fundamental changes in the way they conduct their business, I cannot and will not vote to give them another cent.

 When I ran for the Board of Education last year, my goal was to make the board more accountable and to function according to the Open Meetings Act and operate in the sunshine.  Fellow citizens, “it ain’t happenin”.  A Board member said to me, “We’re doing what the Open Meetings Act allows.”  I disagree with that statement, but that aside, they are not following the spirit of the Act and that’s exactly why all the shadiness took place before. It’s also why there’s continuing distrust of the board’s actions.

Do you want my vote?  Make these changes in how you conduct your business:

     >When there’s a motion on the floor allow for public comment during the discussion.

     >There were 24,000 kids in the district, now it’s 4500.  Do away with two trustee seats.

    > No longer allow members to show up at meeting for five minutes and leave.

 > Stop allowing members to participate and vote over the phone.

    >Stop holding “special meetings” making the public think they are not   welcome.                                       

  >Stop having meetings “offsite” with board members when it constitutes a quorum.

    >Start posting agenda notices and meeting minutes in a timely fashion.

    >Make videos and podcasts of meetings available to ALL seven communities.

    >Board members make $81.50 for ANY meeting.  Make the compensation $11.50.

Here is the argument against making any of the above changes, as offered to me by a past President of the Board, “We operate differently than other boards, we have different rules.”  NO YOU DON’T.     Here’s another example, I was talking on the phone to Board member the other day as he was trying to get into a parking lot, when I heard this:   “I am too allowed to park here I’m an elected official.”   That’s the attitude of entitlement that got us to where we are today.

People in EVERY voting precinct in the District tell me they want change.  OK folks, here’s your chance. Cut their money off and they will have to change.  SAVE THE CHILDREN!  VOTE NO!

NOTE:  Since I wrote this I have found that the Board of Education doesn't follow it's own policy concerning pay for attending their own meetings. Through the Freedom of Information Act, they inform me they get a "Stipend" of $70.00 per meeting.  Therefore I amend my suggestion that Members receive $11.50 per meeting, but rather $7.00.