How did you celebrate the first day of school?
The MCPS Purchasing Card User's Guide explicitly states that purchasing cards are not to be used for meals. See page 3, Exclusions. Certain card members have, however, "been given authorization to use the purchasing card for travel and restaurants," according to the Purchasing Card User's Guide. These select card members have been "given additional instructions under separate cover."
The Parents' Coalition is in the process of determining who has been granted authority to use the purchasing card for travel and restaurants and who granted this special level of authorization.
And this during a budget crisis! WHY do we have to buy lunch for these administrators????? Do we not pay them enough???
ReplyDeleteProcurement cards are SPECIFICALLY NOT TO BE USED FOR MEALS!
What kind of example does this set when the Superintendent abuses these cards?
"Superintendent Jerry Weast, for example, earned nearly $500,000 this year, including benefits..."
ReplyDeletehttp://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2010/12/salaries-of-local-government-brass-top.html
Edwards Brian 156,142.00
Chief of Staff
Hellmuth Robert 140,940.00
Director - Department of School Safety and Security
http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2010/11/mcps-top-100-salaries.html
Yum!
ReplyDeleteSpaghetti allo Scoglio
Spaghetti served with mussels, shrimps, scallops and calamari in a tomato sauce 14.95
Anonymous 4:30pm, I think this sets the perfect example. It makes clear that under this rubber stamp brain-dead Board of Education you elected, the superintendent can do anything he/she damn well pleases, and so can his staff. Do NOT expect that to change with a new superintendent. These patterns will continue because this is what the Board of Education WANTS. This is the Board of Education YOU elected. incumbents all. Conclusion: this is what YOU want. why so outraged, then?
ReplyDeleteI would also add that the narrative the BOE is pushing, which sadly some believe, is that it is all Weast's fault and when he is gone everything will be fine, because the BOE is so responsible but couldn't do their good work because of one public employee. This is NOT the case. The BOE is the elected body responsible for the running of this bloated corrupt school system. No public employee has that responsibility. After this MCPS management team leaves, another will be put in place. Expect business as usual. and, again, this is what YOU voted for. No sympathy for the taxpayers from this quarter.
ReplyDeleteCorrection - this is what the APPLE BALLOT voters voted for! This is what the TEACHERS UNION wants!
ReplyDeleteAgree 100% that meals like this should never be paid for.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I hate the phrase "this is what YOU want". It's overly simplistic and generalized. For one the board is elected by the Voters, not some ambigious "YOU". Also, "this is what YOU wanted" sounds like a lecture where someone is preaching down to others for their stupidity. Perhaps not meant this way, but comes across that way.
On another level it also implies that one must either take or leave all of the BOE and their policies as a group. In reality most people like and dislike policies of those elected to represent them. It's not an all or nothing game.
This has been going on for far too long. The voters have had the chance to vote out the elected officials that eat out on the taxpayers money.
ReplyDeleteThe voters have continued to vote back in to office the elected officials that participate in, and condone this type of spending.
This is what the voters want in Montgomery County. They want elected officials and administrators that treat themselves to lunch and dinner and charge the taxpayers.
This is acceptable in Montgomery County.
Like I said, agree about the meals. Should not be taking place and is.
ReplyDeleteWould agree that the voters continue to vote into office elected officials that allow this to take place. Can't see how one would argue otherwise.
However, I don't think the generalization can be made that voters want this. Despite the existence of this site, I would bet that most voters don't know this happens and that a majority would not condone it.
I have no proof of this other than an opinion, much as your opinion is that votiers want this and that they find it acceptable. I'd disagree with this.
Keep doing the good work of publicizing it and perhaps things can change.
Anonymous@9:25pm, I am so, so very tired of people like you telling people like me to 'keep doing the good work...and perhaps things can change.' No, hon, that is not how change works. Change works, as we see in every other country on the planet, most recently Tunisia, when voters and people get involved in civic life and actually TAKE ACTION. As long as YOU the voters sit back and do nothing, this is what happens. Nothing. The way this county works, the only people that can change this state of affairs are YOU. and no, I am not simplifying when I say YOU want this.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous@8:54pm, in what way am I "generalizing" when every single BOE member was voted back in to office? When almost every single council member was re-elected? Are you stupid? No. are you lazy and uninvolved? Yes. Am I speaking down to you? No. I am speaking TO you. Wake up. Spend 5 minutes reading the BOE budget. Spend 5 minutes listening to the council hearings.
All of you, post here, I would like to know, why don't you vote? Why don't you care that billions are wasted while your taxes go up? Why don't you care that Leggett works hand in glove with the Chamber of Council to raise your energy bill 50% and then you whine that it is PEPCO's fault? It is not PEPCO that raised your bill. It is YOUR elected official, Ike Leggett. The person YOU voted for. Hon, wake up. Get out of the house. Get out of the car. Get out of the shopping mall. All over the world people are risking their lives to participate in democracy. Spend 2 minutes asking yourself, why am I so lazy I can't be bothered to do that?
And then post your answer here.
Thank you.
freestategal
@freestategal---your tone is one who clearly looks downs on others and degrades them without knowing them. I don't visit shopping malls. I vote in every election. I'm sure this applies to many people who visit this site. And I'm certainly not a "Hon" (nice condescending term).
ReplyDeleteI'd propose that if you want more people to support your views the way to do that isn't to insult or degrade them.
My point in saying "keep doing the good work" was meant as a compliment for this site to continue to educate more people and make them aware of what is happening. It was also that voters certainly return the same people to office, but that many/most likely aren't aware of the use of taxpayer money for free food at nice restaurants.
I was trying to nicely say the people that run this site are doing a good service for the public and as more people become aware perahps the voting patterns in the county will change.
Finally, this is exactly how change works. Those in the "know" publicize things they believe are wrong and those not in the "know" gather that information and change their behaviors (or in this case votes). Isn't that the main purpose of this website is to inform the public of things they don't know and aren't aware of?
@Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteMy tone is one of frustration, absolute frustration. People who know me know I don't look down on others. I realize you meant a complement to this blog, however, I hear 'keep up the good work' quite a lot lately from people I see. None of them however can be bothered to send an email to a council member, some don't even know who their council rep is. They believe they are so important and so 'busy' that others should engage in their civic duty for them. That is what my tone was, really. absolute frustration. I hope you are right and this is how 'change' happens. Maybe the Parents Coalition can be out front and work to figure out how 'change' happens and how we can advance in this county to become a functioning democracy. Meanwhile April 15th is coming up and I see I will be paying Deutsche Bank $22million this year.
@Anonymous, can you find out what the $22million was for and post here?
Thanks.
freestategal