tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722263422968684230.post767068503660271951..comments2024-03-28T12:39:05.941-04:00Comments on Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland: George Leventhal's Questions to MCPS on $2,042,000 AppropriationJanis Sartuccihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17027024806736232367noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722263422968684230.post-40617734818649037202012-11-09T09:48:02.411-05:002012-11-09T09:48:02.411-05:00Councilmember Leventhal has asked important questi...Councilmember Leventhal has asked important questions. Mr. Leventhal, would you please ask these same questions regarding FieldTurfTarkett?Paula Bienenfeldnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722263422968684230.post-70947932488236865202012-11-09T09:45:44.686-05:002012-11-09T09:45:44.686-05:00@Anonymous, thanks for your comment. I understand...@Anonymous, thanks for your comment. I understand that the original purchase is not through the e-rate rebate. However, MCPS purchases the 'technology' at retail (no comment), and that inflates the amount that the rebate is. They then frame the rebate as if it can only be used by MCPS. Libraries are part of this program, too. Why not spend the money on our stressed libraries, as an Paula Bienenfeldnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722263422968684230.post-27592203805201621892012-11-08T18:50:22.149-05:002012-11-08T18:50:22.149-05:00It is the way the E-Rate program is being used tha...It is the way the E-Rate program is being used that drives up the MCPS budget. MCPS is paying full price for covered services. Then they hang on to the rebate money. Instead, they could buy the covered services at a discount and the county would never need to fund them to pay for the full price of the covered services.<br /><br />E-Rate has nothing to do with the purchase of Promethean Boards.Janis Sartuccihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17027024806736232367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722263422968684230.post-42401341743612293282012-11-08T15:22:06.998-05:002012-11-08T15:22:06.998-05:00@Paula (question 5 comment). The e-rate system do...@Paula (question 5 comment). The e-rate system does not work the way you describe. First, Promethean boards are not eligible for e-rate funding. The fund only supports purchases of telecommunications services and some networking. Second, even if the purchase were eligible, the fund's rules require competitive bidding as a way to try to minimize the costs. Many schools lose out on fundingAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722263422968684230.post-44156199325735705722012-11-08T10:30:28.039-05:002012-11-08T10:30:28.039-05:00Regarding Question 5, MCPS, under the fiduciary ey...Regarding Question 5, MCPS, under the fiduciary eye of Council, purchases Promethean boards at full retail cost, even though it is possible to purchase them at a much lower cost. In this way MCPS 'jiggers' the system, so they receive more funds as e-rate rebate monies. Of course, this assumes all the e-rate monies go back to MCPS, which Council is not required to do. So, the answer to Paula Bienenfeldnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722263422968684230.post-60534281314907426742012-11-08T10:25:41.320-05:002012-11-08T10:25:41.320-05:00The residents and taxpayers of the County would li...The residents and taxpayers of the County would like Council to direct staff to answer Councilmember Leventhal's questions. The staff report did not answer them. In addition, we ask that Council direct staff to provide independent research to answer these questions. The staff report continues to quote MCPS rather than provide the taxpayers with independent answers. We also want to remind Paula Bienenfeldnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722263422968684230.post-42138516367864147362012-11-07T20:08:57.844-05:002012-11-07T20:08:57.844-05:00The total market capitalization of PRW is currentl...The total market capitalization of PRW is currently £34 million -- or about $54 million US. In comparison, PRW's major competitor, SMART Technologies (NASDAQ:SMT), has a market capitalization three times as high, and their most recent financial report -- just released today -- shows that they are still profitable, whereas PRW showed a huge loss in their most recent income statement.<br /><br Local Tax Experthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06521599693099512062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-722263422968684230.post-25196834483419177562012-11-07T19:08:34.828-05:002012-11-07T19:08:34.828-05:00In response to Councilmember Elrich's concerns...In response to Councilmember Elrich's concerns about the price of Promethean World stock (00:26:00 in the video) -- he mistakenly says that "PRW is trading between 16.25 and 17 pounds" [British Pounds Sterling]. In fact, PRW is trading at about 16.25 pence (about 25 cents US) -- which is 1/100 of 16.25 pounds. Mr. Elrich corrected his misstatement after the meeting (on Facebook), Local Tax Experthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06521599693099512062noreply@blogger.com