TAKEAWAYS: We've just had 15 years of Republicans who
danced with RINOs. Conservatives are coming back to the fore, thanks
in no small part to the Tea Party movement as a counter to Messrs.
Obama, Rockefeller, Gates and Soros, crony capitalism, public / private
partnerships and beneficiaries at such places as AIG, Goldman Sachs,
GM and CountryWide.
Present this information above to your state representative, ask him/her
to dump his pledge card to Joe Straus and write a new one to Ken
Paxton, Warren Chisum, Phil King, Wayne Christian, etc. The word on
Congress Avenue is that Straus and his buddies are promoting Warren
Chisum as an opponent because Straus thinks he can beat Chisum, but
not Paxton; this may or may not be true. As of today, Ken appears to
be slightly stronger, but Wayne Christian and Phil King are also seen as
strong contenders. Also on the short list: Charlie Howard, Dan Quinn.
It's time for conservatives to go back to dancing with elephants. Like
with like. We may not be so light on our feet but we're strong when we
join together -- handy for herding RINOs into corners they can't wiggle
out of.
danced with RINOs. Conservatives are coming back to the fore, thanks
in no small part to the Tea Party movement as a counter to Messrs.
Obama, Rockefeller, Gates and Soros, crony capitalism, public / private
partnerships and beneficiaries at such places as AIG, Goldman Sachs,
GM and CountryWide.
Present this information above to your state representative, ask him/her
to dump his pledge card to Joe Straus and write a new one to Ken
Paxton, Warren Chisum, Phil King, Wayne Christian, etc. The word on
Congress Avenue is that Straus and his buddies are promoting Warren
Chisum as an opponent because Straus thinks he can beat Chisum, but
not Paxton; this may or may not be true. As of today, Ken appears to
be slightly stronger, but Wayne Christian and Phil King are also seen as
strong contenders. Also on the short list: Charlie Howard, Dan Quinn.
It's time for conservatives to go back to dancing with elephants. Like
with like. We may not be so light on our feet but we're strong when we
join together -- handy for herding RINOs into corners they can't wiggle
out of.
| NATIONALIZATION OF 13,900 LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS INTO 70 BY FEDS: Click here for ex-IBM chair Lou Gerstner WSJ op=ed |
| Transparency history Llano ISD FOIA conviction Edgewood ISD PD re FOIA Progress by March 2007 1st year ann'y: Oct. 2007 Gov.Perry & Comm.Scott |
| WHO'S ATTENDING YOUR SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS? Follow the money in our vendor-driven schools: 15 vendors & special interests to look for at your next board meeting. |
| P E Y T O N W O L C O T T |
How we take back our children's education: one person, one question, one school at a time. |
| FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of education issues vital to a republic. We believe this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C., Chapter 1, Section 107 which states: the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright," the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond "fair use" you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. |
| ATTENTION EDUCATORS AND ADMINISTRATORS: Every attempt possible has been made to verify all sources and information. In the event you feel an error has been made, please contact us immediately. Thank you. NOTICE: All individuals mentioned on this site are presumed innocent unless they have been found guilty in a court of law. |
| Copyright 1999-2010 Peyton Wolcott |
"Walk softly and carry a big stick." -- Teddy Roosevelt "Trust but verify." -- Ronald Reagan |
| Just because you can doesn't mean you should. |
| H o w w e t a k e b a c k o u r c h i l d r e n ' s e d u c a t i o n : o n e p e r s o n , o n e q u e s t i o n , o n e s c h o o l a t a t i m e . F o l l o w t h e m o n e y , h o n e y ! |
| AZ CA KS MD MO OH OK KeyWest CreditCards SLAPP TX Senator John Cornyn Edgewood 1 2345 CleburneISD KatyISD BremondISD LlanoISD |
| Check Registers US TX Flyer Ask your district Set goals/organize Ask lots of questions School Board Ethics Pledges Watchdogs: AngryActivist Alert PR |
| Ethics pledges Corruption Team of 8 Nationalization NCLB/Pearson $1.4 B (TX) Transparency 2006 Lax oversight Lobbyists 1 2 3 PassTheTrash 1 2 |
| Edu-Monopoly EduInc Internal Controls Tech Audits ERDI Financial Exigency Laptops Credit cards Supes travel/meals Edu-Conferences TASA MidWinter GORGE-ous Supes/Golf/Vendors 1 |
| Terms & Conditions: Sorry to have to include this; some groups--God bless them--have copied my research and published it as their own. |
| Robin Hood & 22 'equity' failures: MALDEF's 22 Edgewood districts cost Texans billions in failed academics & extravagance. |
| How to persuade your district: Friendly works best-- take the Golden Rule with you when asking your schools to post checks. Testimonials: issues & concerns solved. |
| Welcome, America -- glad you're finding this no-ads website useful! #1 on Google & Yahoo of 256,000,000! |
| Texas Hill Country - Mesquite and Wildflowers Boerne |
| WELCOME, Washington state! Public school checks now online in 34 states, 600+ school districts, in 3 years! |
05.29.09
Questions reporters
& others ask most:
Q1: When did this grass-
roots check register
project start, and why?
A1: We compiled the first
national roster on October
1, 2009. There were
several precipitating
incidents, including this; it
was clear that
administrators, lobbyists
and vendors didn't like
public records requests.
Q2: How many school
districts are now online in
how many states?
A2: As of March 2010
there are over 800 in 36
states.
Q3: How quickly has this
grown?
A3: When we first started
asking districts to
voluntarily post, there
were only a handful in a
handful of states posting.
Q4: How can I find out if
my district is online? Are
any in my state online?
A4: You can look them up
on these rosters:
o Alabama
o Alaska-Louisiana
o Maine-Tennessee
o Texas
o Texas financials
o Utah-Wyoming
Q5: How do I make my
district put its checks
online?
A5: Unless we're
dictators we can't make
anybody do anything -- but
we can persuade. Here
are some easy to follow
directions based on
treating your schools as
you'd like them to treat
you. (The Golden Rule
really does work.) Just
like in baking or anything
else involving special
skills or plans, the steps
we've found that work are
successful 100% of the
time when followed as
scripted; as with making
pastry, shortcuts lead to
failure.
Q6: Why don't you just
pass a law?
Q6: Have you ever tried
getting a law passed? As
the Texas Public Policy
Foundation and similar
groups elsewhere have
learned, the folks who
stand to benefit the least
from public ed financial
transparency are a very
active lobbying force,
especially in larger states
where more money is
involved in public
education. (With just 17
school districts, only
Delaware has a state law
requiring schools to post
their checks online.)a
& others ask most:
Q1: When did this grass-
roots check register
project start, and why?
A1: We compiled the first
national roster on October
1, 2009. There were
several precipitating
incidents, including this; it
was clear that
administrators, lobbyists
and vendors didn't like
public records requests.
Q2: How many school
districts are now online in
how many states?
A2: As of March 2010
there are over 800 in 36
states.
Q3: How quickly has this
grown?
A3: When we first started
asking districts to
voluntarily post, there
were only a handful in a
handful of states posting.
Q4: How can I find out if
my district is online? Are
any in my state online?
A4: You can look them up
on these rosters:
o Alabama
o Alaska-Louisiana
o Maine-Tennessee
o Texas
o Texas financials
o Utah-Wyoming
Q5: How do I make my
district put its checks
online?
A5: Unless we're
dictators we can't make
anybody do anything -- but
we can persuade. Here
are some easy to follow
directions based on
treating your schools as
you'd like them to treat
you. (The Golden Rule
really does work.) Just
like in baking or anything
else involving special
skills or plans, the steps
we've found that work are
successful 100% of the
time when followed as
scripted; as with making
pastry, shortcuts lead to
failure.
Q6: Why don't you just
pass a law?
Q6: Have you ever tried
getting a law passed? As
the Texas Public Policy
Foundation and similar
groups elsewhere have
learned, the folks who
stand to benefit the least
from public ed financial
transparency are a very
active lobbying force,
especially in larger states
where more money is
involved in public
education. (With just 17
school districts, only
Delaware has a state law
requiring schools to post
their checks online.)a
| Fox News mention |
| Texas Education Service Centers posting check registers |
Most of Texas' 20
Regional Education
Service Centers are
now posting their
check registers online.
Hats off to the
following for being
among the first:
Regional Education
Service Centers are
now posting their
check registers online.
Hats off to the
following for being
among the first:
Region 10 - Richardson
Choose your month here:
www.region10.org/administrators/C
heckRegisterPosting.html
Choose your month here:
www.region10.org/administrators/C
heckRegisterPosting.html
Region 1 - Edinburg
Pick a month here
www.esc1.net/1293108141351379
20/blank/browse.asp?A=383&BMD
RN=2000&BCOB=0&C=55565&129
3Nav=|&NodeID=1450
Pick a month here
www.esc1.net/1293108141351379
20/blank/browse.asp?A=383&BMD
RN=2000&BCOB=0&C=55565&129
3Nav=|&NodeID=1450
Region 9 - Wichita Falls
Pick a month here:
www.esc9.net/vnews/display.v/SEC/
Public%20Information%3E%3EChe
ck%20Register
Pick a month here:
www.esc9.net/vnews/display.v/SEC/
Public%20Information%3E%3EChe
ck%20Register
Region 8 - Mt. Pleasant
Choose a month here:
www.reg8.net/default.aspx?name=a
dmin.checkregister
Choose a month here:
www.reg8.net/default.aspx?name=a
dmin.checkregister
Public Ed Commentary
Here they are, the
updated US rosters!
updated US rosters!
- Alabama
- Alaska - Louisiana
- Maine - Tennessee
- Texas
- Texas spending data
2007-08 - Texas spending data
2008-09 (Excel) - Utah - Wyoming
- Beyond FOIA: Why it's
more effective to
persuade your local
school district than to
demand; why it's better
for schools to post on
their sites than for you
to FOIA check registers
then put them on your
private or 501c website.
- Is 'equity' equitable?
More about MALDEF &
Robin Hood
- Printable flyer to share
with your board; print at
100%. Testimonials
from school leaders
who have already
successfully posted
their districts' checks
online countering all
usual opposition points
(cost, technology, etc.).
- Special interests in your
district and at your
board meetings: Do
you know who they are
and what they have to
do with spending?
- If there was a major
precipitating incident
behind the check
registers, this was it.
| CHECK REGISTERS |
| ED PHOTO OF THE WEEK: 2 PRESIDENTIAL TELEPROMPTERS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSROOM (VA) |
| President Barack Obama, accompanied by Education Secretary Arne Duncan, speaks to the media after a discussion with 6th grade students at Graham Road Elementary School in Falls Church (VA), Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010. (AP) |
| Only Texas -- thanks to Governor Rick Perry, Education Commissioner Robert Scott, and our State Board of Education -- all supported by those who cherish individual freedoms and local control of our school districts -- has had the courage among the 50 states to stand firm against the power grab by the United States Department of Education, the school equivalent of what Mr. Obama's crew is trying to do with healthcare. As with healthcare, Race to the Top's national curriculum standards have less to do with education and more to do with being a vehicle for increasing federal control. |
| Bringing you the information and tools you need in order to improve public education and lower taxes and spending; during the past two decades of the voucher debate an entire generation has grown up in the public school system. If you don't think this is important look at the Nov. 2008 election where folks voted based on emotions and hope rather than facts. Let's put a stop to the school-to-prison pipeline -- and keep our public schools locally run, strong and free.. |
Region 7 - Kilgore
Public Information
www.esc7.net/default.aspx?n
ame=pub_info
Public Information
www.esc7.net/default.aspx?n
ame=pub_info
The 13 states who have stood up
to the feds and declined to apply
for Phase II of Race to the Top:
to the feds and declined to apply
for Phase II of Race to the Top:
13
- Alaska
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Minnesota
- North Dakota
- Oregon
- South Dakota
- Texas
- Vermont
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
| PUBLIC ED QUICK NEWS |
| NEW! 1776-2010 TIMELINE |
| About the "Don't Tread on Me" Gadsden flag: "it was in the fall of 1775 when the United States Navy was established. Their main job was to intercept British ships who were attempting to deliver supplies to the British troups in the colonies. To support the Navy, five companies of Marines were mustered to accompany them on their first mission. These first Marines originated from Philadelphia and carried drums painted yellow with a coiled rattlesnake with thirteen rattles. These thirteen rattles represented the original thirteen colonies. The motto painted on these drums was "Don't Tread On Me". This is the first recorded telling of what the future Gadsden flag would symbolize. This flag was designed and named after American patriot Christopher Gadsden." (SOURCE) |
| December 2010 |
| FACT: Closely monitored internal controls are the quickest, easiest, least political, fastest & surest way for your school district to reduce its budget -- and your taxes. |
| Ringside: Don't trust public officials? Why not? The Philadelphia Inquirer Sunday, December 5, 2010 By Paul Davies, Deputy Editorial Page Editor There's a reason a third of Americans in a recent poll said they "almost never" trust the government to do the right thing. It's because too many public officials act entitled or worse. Consider the recent reports surrounding three of Pennsylvania's esteemed leaders: Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille, Philadelphia Schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman, and just retired State Senator Raphael Musto (D., Luzerne). You're excused if you never heard of Musto. He's only been in office for 36 years, and is just now making headlines for getting indicted. Castille, on the other hand, has been in the news more than a judge should. The last time we checked in with the chief, his point man on the plan to build a new $200 million Family Court in Philadelphia had also gone to work for the developer on the other side of the no-bid deal. Somehow, this was never mentioned while the point man, attorney Jeffrey Rotwitt, and Castille played golf together. Not to worry. Turns out it's nothing another million dollars or so in taxpayers' money can't resolve. That's on top of the millions in tax dollars the chief has doled out to produce little beyond a set of drawings for a generic government building. The same Inquirer reporters who exposed the Family Court mess recently detailed how Castille routinely accepts dinners, plane rides, tickets to sporting events, and rounds of golf at exclusive clubs from lawyers and businessmen, including some with cases before the court. You gotta problem with that? How's Castille supposed to pay for all those perks on his lousy government salary of just under $200,000? The taxes alone on his Avalon Shore house keep going up. So in steps blind justice, or lady luck. The law firm of Saul Ewing L.L.P. picked up the tab the last three years for Castille's junket to New York for the Pennsylvania Society confab at the Waldorf-Astoria. That's where Daily News columnist John Baer bumped into Castille in 2007 after he had written a tough column on the chief. They were outside the hotel bar when Castille said to Baer: "I told my staff if I got enough drinks and saw you here I was gonna punch you right in the [bleeping] nose." And some wonder why there's not more regard for the august legal minds on the state Supreme Court. One problem could be that justices have no business schmoozing (and boozing) with politicians and lobbyists. Especially on someone else's Amex card. This ain't traffic court. Sadly, the freebies are legal - because the court said so. Castille says he discloses all the swag and it doesn't influence his legal decisions. Of course, Saul Ewing and lawyers at other firms may just groove Castille because they like to hang out with him. Speaking of grooving, the Philly schools chief and her staff went out of their way to steer some so-called emergency work to a minority firm. Not a biggie, except another firm had already completed much of the work. The contract wasn't put out to bid. And there really wasn't an emergency. Other than that, everything was copacetic. Why get bogged down in a lengthy and open process? It's only tax dollars. And there was an emergency, right? Well, the main contract went to install security cameras in 19 schools that were considered "persistently dangerous." Here's the big emergency: A state report on school safety was coming, and the district wanted to look proactive. Sounds more like a public relations emergency. It is all about the kids, right? Especially when it comes to school safety, where, you may recall, Ackerman has an almost zero tolerance for violence. Remember her deft handling of the attacks last year of 30 Asian American students at South Philadelphia High. Who can forget how she rushed straight down to the school a mere eight days after the attacks. And Ackerman made sure to keep one of her very best principals on the job at South to ensure the racial tensions remained calm - or at least below riot level - the rest of the year. LeGreta Brown was a heck of a principal, except for the fact that she wasn't certified here to be a principal. And she was chased out of the Atlantic City schools. Hey, it's hard to find great educators for $100k a year. And harder still to get chased from the Atlantic City schools. Now months later, all of the cameras have yet to be installed. Some emergency. Seems like it all could have been avoided if proper guidelines were followed. At least the security cameras will keep the kids in line, right? Unfortunately, the same can't be said about our little-known state senator, Musto. Somewhere along his almost four decades of public service, he allegedly crossed the line. In his defense, many public officials in Luzerne County don't even know there is a line. Musto allegedly accepted bribes from a contractor in exchange for help obtaining government grants. It's a mystery why Musto would allegedly go on the take at the end of an undistinguished career when he was thisclose to collecting a fat pension. Only in Harrisburg can a lawmaker retire and actually get a 50 percent raise. That's right. Musto's annual pension of $117,000 a year is almost 50 percent more than he made while in office. There is one upside: If convicted, Musto would lose his pension benefits. Now, that would at least help restore some of the public's trust in government |
GOLF GALORE: Editorial
cites Philly schools supe
Arlene Ackerman, etc.
(public distrust of officials)
Posted by Peyton Wolcott
Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010 / 10:08 a.m.
cites Philly schools supe
Arlene Ackerman, etc.
(public distrust of officials)
Posted by Peyton Wolcott
Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010 / 10:08 a.m.
Or might it be when judges tell us
it's okay for them to accept
goodies from folks whose cases
are before them on the bench --
so long as they let us know
about the goodies -- and then
the judges try to tell us the
goodies don't influence their
decisions?
The bottom line is that three of
Philadelphia's highest citizens --
the schools chief, a state judge
and a state senator -- have all
been caught by the local
newspaper in behaviors both
unseemly and unbecoming. Hats
off to Paul Davis and The
Philadelphia Inquirer for paying
attention.
As they say, read all about it:
it's okay for them to accept
goodies from folks whose cases
are before them on the bench --
so long as they let us know
about the goodies -- and then
the judges try to tell us the
goodies don't influence their
decisions?
The bottom line is that three of
Philadelphia's highest citizens --
the schools chief, a state judge
and a state senator -- have all
been caught by the local
newspaper in behaviors both
unseemly and unbecoming. Hats
off to Paul Davis and The
Philadelphia Inquirer for paying
attention.
As they say, read all about it:
| Arlene Ackerman and her staff "went out of their way to steer some so-called emergency work to a minority firm. Not a biggie, except another firm had already completed much of the work. The contract wasn't put out to bid. And there really wasn't an emergency. Other than that, everything was copacetic. Why get bogged down in a lengthy and open process? It's only tax dollars. And there was an emergency, right? Well, the main contract went to install security cameras in 19 schools that were considered persistently dangerous. Here's the big emergency: A state report on school safety was coming, and the district wanted to look proactive. Sounds more like a public relations emergency. It is all about the kids, right?" (SOURCE--Paul Davies/Philadelphia Inquirer) |
Ever wonder why a third of
Americans say we don't trust
our public officials?
Gee, could it be due to decades
of stuff like when a schools
chief bypasses the bid process
to award a plum contract,
saying it's an emergency -- then
lets the project stall?
Arlene's 2005 San Francisco
meltdown aside, here's an
update on her new boiling pot:
Americans say we don't trust
our public officials?
Gee, could it be due to decades
of stuff like when a schools
chief bypasses the bid process
to award a plum contract,
saying it's an emergency -- then
lets the project stall?
Arlene's 2005 San Francisco
meltdown aside, here's an
update on her new boiling pot:
| Headline from Ackerman's prior gig 5 years ago |
Q: Should schools' chiefs be
more closely aligned to their local
business communities than they are
to parents and taxpayers?
A: Bob Woodward's daughter Tali
reported on Arlene Ackerman's
situation (the "Meltdown" pictured
below left) in San Francisco five
years ago:
more closely aligned to their local
business communities than they are
to parents and taxpayers?
A: Bob Woodward's daughter Tali
reported on Arlene Ackerman's
situation (the "Meltdown" pictured
below left) in San Francisco five
years ago:
| Ackerman has always had a close relationship with the business community, whose support she positively gushed over at SFSOS's annual luncheon on May 17 [2005]. But she has strengthened and leaned on those ties all the more as her other relationships have deteriorated over the past two years. (SOURCE--Tali Woodward, San Francisco Bay Guardian) |
| Texas public school officials playing golf with school vendors. (PHOTO--Peyton Wolcott) |
JOE STRAUS & THE TEXAS SPEAKER RACE
Top 5 ways to tell if your state representative dances with RINOs
By Peyton Wolcott
Updated Monday / December 6, 2010 / 11:53 a.m.
Top 5 ways to tell if your state representative dances with RINOs
By Peyton Wolcott
Updated Monday / December 6, 2010 / 11:53 a.m.
| Current speaker Joe Straus (SOURCE PHOTO--Austin American Statesman) |
Has your Texas state representative switched his/her pledge yet from current
Texas Speaker and RINO-in-Chief Joe Straus to a true conservative? You
say you don't know for sure because you can't get him/her to stop wiggling
long enough to give you a straight answer?
Here are 5 dead giveaways that your state rep is a RINO (Republican In
Name Only) intent on honoring his/her dance card to Joe Straus:
Texas Speaker and RINO-in-Chief Joe Straus to a true conservative? You
say you don't know for sure because you can't get him/her to stop wiggling
long enough to give you a straight answer?
Here are 5 dead giveaways that your state rep is a RINO (Republican In
Name Only) intent on honoring his/her dance card to Joe Straus:
The Texas Speaker of the
House & public education
House & public education
- They won't announce publicly that they've switched their pledge from
Speaker Straus. "You know how politics are," they tell you -- they've got
to play their cards close to their vest. The suggestion is peon voters who
don't write them $5,000 checks shouldn't muddle their pretty little heads
with serious stuff like knowing their reps' allegiance for speaker. Move
along, little lad and lady, leave that to the professional politicians. - They tell you they're just like you, a real conservative, and are in fact
preparing a statement for sometime next week to announce their position --
but they won't tell you, today, what it is or who they're voting for. - They tell you Joe Straus is much more conservative than all of the stuff
you read about him. - They tell you Joe Straus is much more effective than (choose one: Ken
Paxton/Warren Chisum/Phil King/Wayne Christian, etc.) "who's a nice guy,
I personally like him a lot -- but you know, here in Texas in the House we
gotta get real bidness done." The suggestion you're left with is
Ken/Warren/Phil/Wayne, etc. aren't quite up to it. - The deadest giveaway of all: If he/she will admit to any allegiance other
than Straus or an unnamed last-minute glow-in-the-dark speaker candidate,
they might suggest the possibility of someone else, someone Joe Straus
believes he can beat. This is the giveaway that they're aligned with Straus.
The 5 main objections Texas conservatives have to Joe Straus:
- Joe Straus's long-time alignment with "compassionate conservative"
George Bush who has embraced and advanced public / private
partnerships; they go way back Joe & Julie Brink Straus stumping for Bush
in New Hampshire in 2000 when they "worked phone banks, knocked on
doors and stood outside holding signs." Joe's prior Bush job was
employment in the George H.W. Bush White House. - Speaking of socialism, Joe Straus's family's own public / private
partnership is Retama Park, a racetrack operation funded by municipal
bonds.
| The Last Dance of the RINOs in Texas? |
| A private word to President Bush: Thank you for doing your best and for keeping us safe after 9/11. However, your world of public / private partnerships such as No Child Left Behind & the Texas Rangers not only benefited you and your friends at the public's expense but also advanced the cause of socialism, the polite name for public / private partnerships; the other name such schemes are known by, fascism, fell into disrepute in the 1930s and 1940s thanks to earlier proponents, Hitler and Mussolini. |
| How the Straus family financed their racetrack with public money, in their own words: "Dec.21, 1993—Financing for Retama Park was completed with the receipt of $56.2 million of proceeds from the sale of tax-exempt municipal bonds through the City of Selma’s Retama Development Corporation." |
- Strong Straus family ties to gambling and
the expansion of the gambling industry in
Texas: According to Paul Burka in Texas
Monthly, "Straus’s father...helped lead
the successful campaign to legalize pari-
mutuel wagering in Texas in 1987 and was
part of the partnership that built Retama
Park, the local racetrack. The family also
owns a small interest in a dog-racing track."
The Straus family appears to be proud of
Retama's gambling operation -- they mention
and don't try to hide these numbers on the
Retama website: "April 13, 1995: 774 people
wagered $104,598 on seven tracks."
- Joe Straus's way with political money, including -- according to the Texas Ethics Commission -- his accepting a
$100 gift from Democrat and fellow state representative Alma Allen, plus there were his gifts to friends in trouble in
the last election. Since when do conservatives accept camel's-nose cash from Democrat lawmakers? - Joe Straus's 100% rating by pro-abortion NARAL Pro-Choice Texas, the "political arm of the pro-choice
movement in Texas." Joe was the only Republican state representative to receive a 100% rating; his wife Julie Brink
was a long-time Planned Parenthood board member. Here's more from Republicans regarding Joe's voting record:
- Legislation making it easier to perform late-term, third-trimester abortions (SB 419, vote 672 in 2005).
- A public-school sex education bill supported by Planned Parenthood, NARAL & the ACLU. (Co-
authored HB 1842 in 2007) - Co-authoring legislation legalizing embryonic stem cell research and human cloning. (Co-authored HB
2704 in 2007) - Received $1000 donation from Winning for Women, an organization which files PAC reports with the
Texas Ethics Commission as “Winning for Women: A PAC for the Government Affairs Council at
Planned Parenthood of Southeast & South Central Texas.”
How do they say
"Huh?" in Alabama?
Posted by Peyton Wolcott
Wednesday, December 8, 2010 / 6:21 a.m.
"Huh?" in Alabama?
Posted by Peyton Wolcott
Wednesday, December 8, 2010 / 6:21 a.m.
Alabama state education
superintendent Joe Morton's
employment contract is under
discussion this week;
He's currently earning $184.801
annually and his contract ends on
December 31.
Folks are asking if such an expensive
contract should be renewed at
tomorrow's State Board of Education
meeting in light of civil and criminal
lawsuits involving his department --
including his deposition -- regarding
questionable circumstances
surrounding the award of an
Alabama DOE contract and the
alleged firing of a department
whistleblower..
section 5 of the contract, "Annual
Evaluation," uses language
superintendent Joe Morton's
employment contract is under
discussion this week;
He's currently earning $184.801
annually and his contract ends on
December 31.
Folks are asking if such an expensive
contract should be renewed at
tomorrow's State Board of Education
meeting in light of civil and criminal
lawsuits involving his department --
including his deposition -- regarding
questionable circumstances
surrounding the award of an
Alabama DOE contract and the
alleged firing of a department
whistleblower..
section 5 of the contract, "Annual
Evaluation," uses language
This below published Monday night
at WSFA:
at WSFA:
| MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - A former state Department of Education employee says she was fired because she spoke out about alleged unethical conduct within the department. Annette Bohannon questioned the criteria used in awarding federal grants to certain organizations, and whether they were the most deserving. She filed a federal lawsuit over her firing. She worked for the Department of Education in a section dealing with competitive federal education grants. She said she spoke out in August 2008, because a Bessemer-based group named "Better Basics" received a grant. Bohannon said it scored lower on a scale than other school districts and organizations competing for the money. "It's public money and I expressed that to them," Bohannon said. "That what we were doing, we had rules, we had regulations, we had state guidelines, and they weren't following those things." She said after she told her superiors about her concerns, she was later told to cover up wrongdoing related to another grant application. Bohannon said she was terminated after she refused to do so, even though she had received positive evaluations in the past. |
Continue reading here. Will be
posting excerpts from the
depositions; please check back.
posting excerpts from the
depositions; please check back.
| AL state superintendent Joe Morton |
Although I normally stay closely
focused on public education, I have
been paying attention to the Texas
speaker race because I understand how
important it is to have a good
conservative who cares about
schoolchildren and taxpayers and
parents in the speaker's chair. During
the 2007 Lege I watched Joe Straus's
predecessor, Tom Craddick, slow
down a bill close to my heart (check
registers for school districts) and speed
up one close to his (anti-sunshine
legislation targeting parents and
taxpayers). It is my hope that a Ken
Paxton or a Warren Chisum or a Phil
King or a Wayne Christian would
conduct themselves more favorably
towards parents and taxpayers.
focused on public education, I have
been paying attention to the Texas
speaker race because I understand how
important it is to have a good
conservative who cares about
schoolchildren and taxpayers and
parents in the speaker's chair. During
the 2007 Lege I watched Joe Straus's
predecessor, Tom Craddick, slow
down a bill close to my heart (check
registers for school districts) and speed
up one close to his (anti-sunshine
legislation targeting parents and
taxpayers). It is my hope that a Ken
Paxton or a Warren Chisum or a Phil
King or a Wayne Christian would
conduct themselves more favorably
towards parents and taxpayers.