Tuesday night I attended my first Wicomico County Board of Education (WCBOE) meeting. After witnessing the complete disdain in which Wicomico taxpayers are regarded by this merry little band, it won't be my last.
The reason I chose to attend the meeting was twofold:
- To comment on my extreme disappointment with Superintendent John Fredericksen's decision to use taxpayer dollars in opposition to County Executive Rick Pollitt's decision to request a waiver from the state's Momemtum of Effort (MOE) rule.
- To state my oppositon to the Board's proposal to increase the taxpayer share of retiree health benefits from 55% to 70%
According to the board's self-proclaimed fiscal conservative - Brian Kilgore - this proposal isn't going to cost the taxpayers any money. This is only one area where Kilgore and I differ on this subject. Approximately $357,000 (of the estimated $430,000 that this benefit will cost NEXT year) is to come from "savings" that are to come from merging the Salisbury, Wicomico County, and WCBOE plans. These "savings" are the taxpayers' money.
If the seven members of the WCBOE were truly concerned about the taxpayers of this county they would have done two things:
- Forbade Supt. Fredericksen from opposing the county's request for an MOE waiver.
- Implemented the savings in the employee health plan (along with several other available savings) WITHOUT increasing retiree healthcare benefits.
Some of you may think that $357,000 is just too small an amount to worry about in a budget the size the WCBOE's. You certainly have a right to your opinion. However, this amount will be growing each and every year. We were told by board members supporting this measure that IF the savings don't materialize or IF they aren't large enough to pay for this benefit increase that the benefit increase will be rescinded. Ask yourself IF you can remember the last time any government rescinded a benefit.
What is even more startling is the very fact that the WCBOE claims that it cannot perform common sense tasks on behalf of the taxpayer without the consent of their employees. Think about it for a moment; when was the last time your employer asked YOUR PERMISSION to make changes to your health benefits? Unless you work for the government the answer is probably NEVER. Yet, you are are expected to pay for this assault on your wallet.
A starting teacher in Wicomico County is paid $42,140 for NINE MONTHS of work. Annualized, that comes to over $56,000 per year! Where else is someone fresh out of college going to get that kind of pay?
An employee of the WCBOE has the most generous health benefit around. The taxpayer picks up 90% of the cost of that benefit for the employee and 73% of the extra cost if they have dependents. If you are fortunate enough to receive healthcare coverage from YOUR employer, how much do you have to pay?
Yet, the WCBOE claims that they can't implement savings on behalf of you and I unless the four employee unions agree. It's a vicous cycle that the taxpayer continues to fund because a group of appointees, wholly unaccountable to the local taxpayer, are told that they need to in order to provide a good education for the county's kids. And guess who keeps telling them that foolishness? You guessed it, the same teachers, administrators and staff that benefit from a never ending cycle of taxpayer funded wage inflation.
It's time for the members of the WCBOE to start standing up for their fellow citizens and stop caving in to the unions. It's time for County Executive Rick Pollitt and our county council to start standing up to the WCBOE.
34 comments:
Amen Brother. What are they thinking? Thanks for being there and reporting back for us, GA.
Kilgore got in the County Exec race as a Republican and then got out. How could he say something so stupid! He's out for himself and his great big ego. Always has been. Always will be.
I believe you are incorrect. Wicomico County and Worcester County employees have the best health benefits. The BOE does not have the same benefit as other county employees. Remember that not all Wicomico County BOE employees make a lot of money. Food service workers and assistants are not paid a living wage.
what do you expect from a free education? your expectations are waaaaay too high. send your kids to private school if you're so worried about their education. and your kids are probably so stupid because they are smoking too much pot and sniffing prescription pills, but you don't even notice that because your head is up your own a**.
Mr Harrison,
You are entitled to you opinions, and I was not there to witness your behavior last night. However, let me say if you ever stepped in front of my wife, and repeatedly blocked her path in my presence...as I was told you did to Michelle Wright. I can assure you, such rude behavior would result in you sitting on floor in quick fashion. Such behavior borders on assault and harassment, and does not win anyone to your cause.
You can have different opinions and still conduct your self as a gentleman. Please try it.
Even the City Council has more sense than the BOE morons!!
"In the past decade, even benefits for eligible city employees have been put on the chopping block, according to City Clerk Brenda Colegrove. Prior to 1999, the city gave 100 percent coverage to retirees, but that year voted to change the policy. Retirees after July 1, 1999, under the age of 65 would foot 70 percent of the cost and those over 65 would pay the entire bill, while still receiving the city's group rate. In 2002, the policy changed again so all employees, regardless of age, who retired after July 1, 2002, would pay 50 percent of their health benefits, Colegrove said."
From today's DT
I am a retired teacher who believes that the current teachers do very well. I retired not so many years ago at less than a starting teacher now makes. Paying 50% of a retiree's medical is quite generous, I think. Someone has to draw the line somewhere!
12:47pm GROW UP
And get your head out of your a**
Your exactly right GA, thank you for all you do.
12:47 You need to relax and back up. FYI GA's kids do go to private school but he still pays taxes to fund the over budgeted WCBOE.
first of all, its not "free" education, our taxes are supposedly paying for schools. and as far as drugs and drinking, the private school kids are just guilty of partaking as any other kid. the more cash they have, the better the illegal remedy they can get. it is pathetic that almost all of our elementary schools are located in the seediest areas of salisbury, the smallest children that can't defend themselves are right in the middle of the drugs deals and shootings and prostitution. the whole education system in our county is deplorable and only those who can afford a 6,000 dollar or more tuition have a chance at anything better. the public school system has failed us.
12:53 - WRIGHT was WRONG on this one. Trying to make GA out to be the bad guy won't cover for her ignorant vote. you weren't even there so how can you know what you are talking about?
Good work on bringing this to the public. People are losing jobs and the BOE is giving money away. I can't retiree after 30 years on my job and get 55% of my insurance paid for by taxpayers. Now they raise it to 70%. I can not believe this. I read on an earlier post someone commented on Ms. Wright's mom working at one of our schools and ready to retire. Should she have even voted? Is this a conflict?
my bank account thanks you all for your taxes!
1:19
I intentionally stated I was not there so I could be up front that it was second hand. I do believe the source. Mr. Harrision knows how he conducted himself. If I am wrong then I apologize, however if it is true then a decent man would apologize to Mrs. Wright.
12:53
Anon 1247 -
For your information I do send my children to private school.
As for public education being "Free"; unless you live outside of the US or don't pay ANY taxes, there is no such thing. What disturbs me most about your comment is that you may be a teacher. If that is the case, and you would even make such an argument, you have made the case that teachers (at least in Wicomico County) are overpaid and are protected from incompetence via tenure.
Who is protecting our children from people who would even make such an argument?
Anon 1253 -
FYI, I NEVER blocked Ms. Wright's exit. I happened to be standing among the auditorium seat and she had a WIDE aisle to navigate out of the building. Her mistake was attempting to defend the indefensible. My mistake was attempting to engage a woman like Ms. Wright in an intelligent exchange.
That will be the subject of a future post.
12:44 Prove your info about Wicomico County. What is paid for employees and what is paid for retirees? We can get Big Ricky and Big Johnny to tackle that one. If they can't solve it heavy weight Joe and Ms. Stevie will!
12:44 "Food service workers and assistants are not paid a living wage."
They better go back to school and become teachers since we are giving such generous handouts. If this is about the poor cafeteria workers and custodians, then why did all the central office bureaucrats get it also?
Teachers might make good money but the bus contractors that take the kids back and forth to school everyday certainly aren't getting paid anything decent! No we are not in a classroom with them 8 hours a day but maintaining their safety is very important.
Maybe an elected school board would be better stewards of the taxpayers' money.
The bus contractors got their health insurance taken away. Use to be under the Board. If it was not for us, then teachers could not teach because they would not get to school. How about even paying 15% of our costs
12:53 & 1:29 again Seems too righteous and defensive. Take a pill.
Anon 1435 -
???
Do bus contractors receive any benefits from the WCBOE? In all honesty, I never even thought about them even though several friends of mine are bus contractors. I thought that they were just paid as contractors.
Please enlighten us on this issue.
The way I see it you can't just keep throwing money at education. Obviously...that system is not working. Budgets are growing out of sight but the kids are not the ones benefiting by it. Parents need to take back the reigns & discipline their "little darlings" without being afraid of "I'll call the police on you" mentality. Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about beating or abusing a child. Then maybe teachers could focus their time on actually teaching & they're would be money enough for everyone to have a decent wage.
Bus contractors are exactly that. They receive no benefits. They must buy their own however way they can.
Eventualy you will probably have to pay the bus contractor to ride to school. On a side note,(why are there no seat belts on the bus for the kids?).
To get the 70% subsidy, all you have to do is work 10 years (a BOE policy) and be age 60 (which meets the State's pension plan eligibility). This iS a terrible burden on taxpayers with people living so much longer. You could start at age 50, retire at 60 and get 70% of medical coverage paid for 25 years assuming you live til 85. Applicants should be lining up at the door at the BOE.
Do Brian Kilgore and Michele Wright pay 90 % of their employees and 70% of their retirees medical costs at their businesses? I hope so since they are so free wheeling with our money. Thank you Robin H for your vote and making sure money goes for real needs. From a PTA parent.
GA...
You asked "when have you seen a gov't agency take back a benefit". I will tell you when...this year! The BOE rescinded their stance on ENP. They are no longer funding this benefit to future retirees.
By the way, you are a better writer than speaker...you sounded like an idiot the other night!
It doesn't take much to guess who anonymous 9:56 is.
Just think of teachers as part-time city council members who deserve health benefits. It isn't like teachers suck from the system like Jonathan Taylor. Since teachers make such great money, they also buy homes and pay local property taxes. They buy cars and other items on which they pay sales tax. They aren't sucking the well dry, on the contrary, they contribute more than the average citizen in Wicomico County.
Are there ineffective teachers? Yes. Should tenure be tougher to get in order to adequately determine if teachers are really effective? Yes. Tenure should take at least 4 years to attain and ineffective teachers should be weeded out.
Go back to school, get your teaching degree, and come join the fun times. After TEN MONTHS (not nine) of being cursed at, spit on, kicked, scratched, your salary posted for all to see, as well as your performance (test scores)...You'll be glad to have 2 months off without pay.
As a parent, the public schools in wicomico county are terrible. my daughter was in fruitland for her first 3 yrs. Now this was a great school, the teachers were great and the admin took control. then we moved back into sby and all hell broke loose. the children are terrible. the teachers have no control and the admin basically tells them not to do bad things and sends them back to the class. i go into her classes reguarly and i am not suprised that all of the kids are picking up the bad habits of this out of control kids. their parents send them to school for free babysitting and to grow up. no life skills, manners or any of the important things are being taught to these kids. and my parents wonder why i have a degree in teaching and i am not in the classroom. NOT! just think teachers could be rich. pay them $10 dollars a day for each kid to babysit them, same days as they do now ( and as babysiters they can disapline them and send them home) they would be rich. and parents could not complain. i think that would be the best way to go!!!
Anon 2156 -
What did you disagree with that I said Tuesday night? Given that I was one of only 3 people in the room that weren't tied to the WCBOE I'm sure you didn't like it.
BTW -
According to the board, ENP isn't a benefit, but a personnel planning tool. Your comment makes me believe that the problems at the WCBOE are even bigger than I thought.
ENP as a planning tool? People sign up to retire in three years and leave after one or two. Some sign up to leave, take the ENP bonus and stay. There is no penalty for leaving early or staying longer. This 10% bonus was proposed by the central office and they got the most money from it especially one of the assis. superint. who got the big bonus and then stayed. Now the program is ending. They knew all along it could not be funded for long, but the bigwhigs who thought it up got what they wanted from it.
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