Sunning in San Diego. Dinners billed to the taxpayers as a “professional meeting”. These are just two examples of what we’ve discovered so far about the WBOE’s use (or is it abuse?) of tax dollars.
Today we’ll be looking at what I consider the perfect example of how the educrats view you and your hard earned money. Before you read the rest, just ask yourself - How much do you tip the guy who delivers pizza or sandwiches to your door?
BTW – It was really subs instead of doughnuts. But you know who paid for them. RIGHT?
Also … Don’t Forget -
41 comments:
The people of this county should fire all the members involved. Starting at the top. For the children my a$$ , they been using that lame excuse for a long time. Someone that is a radical could do some damage to these people in this economy.
Well after reading all three installments some of the following thoughts come to mind:
1. there is a "mentality" that comes with being appointed to a BOE that brings a sense of entitlement and superiority.
2. there is no accountability, oversight, and especially no sense of morality to the peoplein Wicomico county that is being exhibited.
3. no one will do anything about it
4. its not going to change.
3.
ok, i get that the money shouldnt be wasted like this at all but yes the tip was correct as far as im concerned. no i dont tip 32dollars at a time but my orders are 20 dollars or less. so i give 5 bucks. if the check was 220, the a thirty dollar tip is the standard 15%. the same as is standard in the restaurant industry. if they want lunch from a restaurant they can pay out of pocket like we do in our office. or if the lunch is an expenditure then the tip could be collected from the staff getting the free lunch. so yep, they are wasting our money but the tip was not too large. in my opinion
2:29 - Agreed
The meal shouldn't be paid for by the taxpayers but the tip amount is appropriate, it's source is not.
Anon 1429 and Anon 1436 -
You see, this is where we disagree. I'm not sure that the money for the lunches was out of line. However, you will never convince me that IF these people had to pay out of their own pockets that they would have given a guy $32 for bringing a box of sandwiches up the street 1/2 mile.
Anon 1504 -
Yes, but you don't work for the WCBOE!
G.A. have you asked about the work done on someone's private property by Board workers on Board time? You can figure out which person in the central office is in charge of the maintenance and facilities department. The whole Board knows that this happened last summer. The guy is still there though.
G.A., on a $250 bill, a lot of places have a set tip and delivery charge, even if it is "just subs." When they don't, most people pay that anyway. I tip my pizza guy $5 on a $25 delivery. That's 20%. He's using his own car. Maybe I'm too generous. Actually, the BOE people stiffed this delivery person if you use 15%. On the other hand, some go by the old 10% for casual food/fast food and 15% for tableside.
When people meet through lunch or dinner times, it's not unusual in government -- or business -- to bring in the meal so people don't break, go out, and have to come
back in.
I think your general complaint is right, but not this specific example. Travel budgets should be used conservatively.
$40.00 steaks WOW
Anonymous said...
G.A. have you asked about the work done on someone's private property by Board workers on Board time? You can figure out which person in the central office is in charge of the maintenance and facilities department. The whole Board knows that this happened last summer. The guy is still there though.
4:13 PM
Are you talking about Asst. Superintendent Bill Cain or is there someone else doing the same thing. I understand Bill Cain had WCBOE employees put up a fence on his property at tax payers expense. If this is not true I want a statement from the BOE stating this did not happen or what did happen.
5:29 is accurate. There are too many employees who know the truth for the Board to deny it.
All I can say is Thank God there is not a 4th installment. This was lame! Complaining about tipping? Come on GA, guess you never worked as a delivery driver, cook, or waitress!
Move on!
5:29
If there is any statement saying this fence incident did not occur, that statement would be a total lie. Theft was committed and allowed. I'm sure there will be some half baked story that he didn't know the taxpayers weren't supposed to give him a fence. This might just blow up if enough of the members of the community get wind of it.
Anon 1729 -
If Anon 1613 is referring to Bill Cain then I don't really think that there is much to go on. Here is my understanding of what happened:
There is a playground in the neighborhood where Cain lives. They needed a new gate put up that would require some welding. The neighborhood purchased the materials. A Vo-tech teacher and some students went out on a Saturday and put the gate up. To the best of my knowledge, neither the teacher nor students were coerced. If this is true, then I say NO HARM, NO FOUL.
If Anon 1613 is referring to another case, then I haven't been able to dig it up yet.
In my opinion, Margo Handy is a total and complete waste of the taxpayers' dollars.
10:05
Please expand...I would have to totally disagree with you. You apparently don't know her as a leader and educator. Sounds like you didn't get your way once before with her.
Dr. Handy concentrates on a certain group of students only. Everything must be devoted to them, and the rest of the kids can just sit around and wait for them to catch on.
G.A., you need a source within the maintenance department at the Board. It sounds like the WCBOE has closed ranks. We all know what happened last summer. Maintenance men TOLD to work on private property during a weekday have absolutely nothing to do with what a VoTech teacher and some kids might have done on a weekend. This is our Board at its finest. They build on what you ask about Bill Cain, fence, people at the Board to create their story. What a den of liars. Hope one of the maintenance men will post on this blog anonymously enough details to let you know this really happened.
GA:
I appreciate your clearing up the fence incident, it seems as if you've done some homework here. In light of the massive amount of public rumor & hearsay, it's a shame this wasn't a full-blown post, rather than buried in comments. I guess you'd rather not publicize a teacher and his students doing something good for a community playgound?
G.A.
Maybe you could write a separate post or article asking people with knowledge about the fence issue to give some details. It happened last summer, and maintenance men and other employees have told enough people that more specific information is out there. So many people know about it that an anonymous comment could not be traced back to one person. The Board is calling many of its employees liars by giving you the story they did. Even if there was a VoTech teacher involved on a different issue, that has nothing to do with theft of taxpayer funds. It is absolutely true that Board employees on Board time last summer worked on his private property and that is illegal.
Anon 1845 -
To each his own. If you think that your tax dollars should be used for Mark Thompson to gallivant around the country or for educrats to treat themselves to free meals, IN TOWN, then be my guest.
When the revenue cap is repealed and your taxes increase because we need more money "FOR THE CHILDREN", I hope you'll volunteer to pay other people's share of the increase.
As for the tip - you just miss the point. I can't find anyone who has ever had a sizable delivery who tipped 15% or 20% for the driver. By your logic, if the order had been $1,000 the WCBOE should have given the driver a $200 tip?
The whole point of all three segments was that these people are spending our money. I guarantee you that they wouldn't be so liberal with their own. They already swear that they are grossly underpaid as it is while earning more in salary, benefits, and retirement than their private sector counterparts.
To add insult to injury, they not only have contempt for taxpayers, they could care less about wasting money that should be going to help educated our county's children.
But that's OK - keep defending them.
g.a. and joe! thanks for exposing some of this waste . i am sure it is just the tip of the iceberg.thompsons trip to the west coast is completely a utter waste of tax dollars. i thought he knew everything any way! so why send him .there operation is the same as obamas ,they preach transparency but when facts are stated they run to close the doors.god bless us this weekend on the health care vote.if it passes its the crown jewel of socialism.
None of this suprises me in the least bit from the BOE! Keep spending the taxpayers money! They keep taking away from bus contractors year after year...this year alone we lost 22K for one bus run....we are barely breaking even! Another few years like this and the kids will be walking to school because none of us will be able to afford to keep the buses! But I'm sure the BOE will have some lame ass excuse for that too!
I"m a teacher and all this mess annoys me....I can't even get help with basic supplies for my low-socio-economic students. Having ninety over the course of a day adds up when you're trying to make sure they have basic paper and pencils to be able to complete their work.
Granted the parents should provide this, but they don't and the kids still need to be educated.
Maybe the board members could bring their own lunch to the meetings like I and the kids take ours to school....then put all the goin nuts cafe, etc. monies to a school account for underprivileged
The question all of these people who use our credit cards need to ask themselves is "would I spend this amount if it was my money". If the answer is NO, then put the card back in your wallet and move on. I am so tired of Frederickson and the Board members defending this behavior. This is theft in another fashion and makes me more aware that we need an elected school board.... one who then would answer to the voters.
8:11
The teacher and kids may actually have done work on the playground gate. This has nothing to do with clearing up any story about the fence maintenance employees worked on for Mr. Cain during workdays last summer.
A 15% tip for 219.20 is 32.88... it's not pretty but the math is logical
Here's the deal. When maintenance employees say they put up a fence on Mr. Cain's property during work days last summer, they have sense enough to know they are not a group of students with a VoTech teacher working on a playground gate on a Saturday. You need to find someone who will tell you the truth about this and give enough details that you can nvestigate. The Board is confident this will go away.
Anonymous said...
Dr. Handy concentrates on a certain group of students only. Everything must be devoted to them, and the rest of the kids can just sit around and wait for them to catch on.
7:50 AM
BINGO!!
Margo Handy is the ultimate epitome of a racist person. Her focus is only on black kids. If you are a white child sorry about your luck. We have been oppressed for so many years now it is our time to move forward. Oh yeah, did I mention at your expense. Thank God we have Obama as president now. If any parent states they don't like Obama then they are label as racist and their kids will suffer in school.
2:56 AMEN! Also Supervisor Dr. Judylynn Mitchell is only interested in helping to promote Black teachers too - oops you probably already knew that, the new Teacher of the Year is black.
Don't anybody talk about the good ole' boy system in Wicomico County because if you are not a minority, you can plan on GOING NOWHERE at the BOE.
They even as much as made it a point to hire a black administrator at each school - don't believe me? Visit each school website.....it no longer matters if you are qualified, only if you are black.
First of all, Dr. Mitchell was my supervisor for many years and I am very much white. She has always been supportive of my career and helped me in many ways. Sure she can be a little odd at times, but loves working with children and has an enthusiasm for education that I admire. Secondly, Mrs. King is an outstanding teacher and her race has nothing to do with her becoming this year's teacher of the year. Did you know she eats lunch with her students most days? Or that she is dedicated to making a difference to economically challenged children? Maybe you should read her biographical sketch at www.wcboe.org and then maybe your eyes would be opened to all the OUTSTANDING things she has done for this community. She is a dedicated professional that deserves respect and her good name not slandered in this blog or any other place. This is 2010, not the early 1900's so get over the race issue. By the way, Westside Intermediate, Northwestern Elem., Mardela, and several other schools do not have black principals.
I worked w/Bill Cain years ago at a state agency called DORS Division of Rehabilitation Services. He was a do nothing there and would disappear from the office on a regular basis and no one ever knew where he was. Or, he wouldn't even come in to the office. Years ago he was in a motel having an affair w/ a woman on state time. This is why our state government is in such shambles. Some of the middle level managers who are approaching retirement are do nothings while those on the front lines are doing the work of several people. Many good employees leave because of the stress from the overload much like the DSS caseworkers have to also deal with. Many state workers are overworked and underpaid. Bill Cain gives state employees a bad name and I'm sure he is doing the same at the Board of Ed.
i left a post yesyerday asking mr a. to find a way to join the boe to help solve problems in a positive way, among other comments about boe. it didn't get posted.
interesting.
8:17 Westside has Mr. Glendon Jones, Mardela has Lori Batts who is married to a black man and was moved back to Mardela from JMB because of her promoting the Hug a Thug program so don't fool yourself...
11:17 PM
Oh, the Board of Ed. let Mr. Cain choose someone to work with employee negotiations. Someone with no experience but a "personal friend" of Mr. Cain who is paid $80,000 a year. Some think that's why the Board didn't fire him for the fence issue because he said he would help her thru her first year and she can't do the job. And the fence workers built on Mr. Cain's property is being lied about in this county. I hope someone from maintenance and facilities at the Board will contact Joe or G.A. anonymously. Dr. F. is calling those workers liars.
3:35:
Mr. Jones is at Westside Primary. The original poster referenced Westside Intermediate.
335 817 was referring to Westside INTERMEDIATE not PRIMARY. Who in the Hell cares who Mrs. Batts is married to idiot.
Wow.....24 of 27 schools do have either a black principal or vice-principal.......is that representative (percentage wise) of the student population? Didn't see any Hispanics...
There are a lot of serious issues at the WCBOE.....and it starts with Frederickson
8:29
No Hispanics and no Asians--there is only one minority group the Board is worried about. Everything is done for them and everything is spent on them.
...Speaking of expendatures....copy from a previous post that may open a few eyes....long but worth the reading in my opinion....(speaking of the Teacher of the Year banquet held on the 18th at SU and cost cutting at the BOE...I am a county empolyee and was employed as an assistant at this school at the time...can't give my name as I would most liley be fired....
1:59
the truth about that coordinator of the event is this - she was once the Principal of Prince Street School, when one day she completely cracked up, telling the staff during a meeting that it was all just too hard for her...now she gets PROMOTED after a breakdown in front of her staff and she gets moved up the chain...Her snoot is soo far up in the air that she must bump into all sorts of things! In an era of budget cuts, surely the BOE needs to look at the top, and this position should be one of the first to go as the woman commands a salary over 90k, and for what? Putting on a pretty party - ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? Certainly the outstanding teachers of this county should definately be recognized, but in this economy, it all needs to be carefully scrutinized. While we are at it, how about canning all of the Principals as well, and just put a lead teacher or two in charge (on teacher salaries of course). Now, let's think about that one - let's say that each Principal/Vice Principal makes 70k a year times two adminisrators per buliding ( I know Delmar has three, as do the high schools, but this is a theoritcal argument)...multiply that by 25(24 schools and the Judy Center) and you get a whopping 1.75 million and that is a low ball estimate! Now, excuse my spelling/grammer as I am just whipped after working 18 hours today on two jobs, so I may not be just so lucid right now. Might I add that I am also a county emoployee, and I have had the wonderful fortune to have been furloughed for 11 days from my second job....where is the equity in all of this?
Could somebody look into the cost of the new "Centralized" Pre-K & Kindergarten Registration Fair? It was held at the Wicomico CIVIC CENTER--at taxpayer expense. Why wasn't this done at a location that was owned by the school district?
I do not understand why this could not be done at the schools. It was chaotic, and took extremely too long register students. This used to be done at the local elementary schools, and only took 10 minutes.
The new system rents the Civic Center for 4 days, relocates tons of employees (who covers for them when they are not at the schools?), and creates a nightmare for parents who have to travel to the Civic Center, and it took an hour to register a student.
I wonder how much this cost taxpayers.....
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