So Far, the Prize for Most Ripped Off Kids at Graduation - Northwood HS

Its hard to say whether Northwood HS is charging more or less for the honor of walking down the aisle for graduation ceremonies.

In 2010, Northwood assessed a senior fee of $140 dollars, but let students who only wanted to attend graduation fork over $40.

This year, the senior fee is $75.  We can't say what the fee covers, only that of the three schools reporting in so far, this one is the clear top dollar.

Senior Northwood HS Dues - Class of 2015 Full Payment - Online School Payments_ Montgomery County Public Sc...

Payments go directly through an MCPS website. How convenient is this? But - how do you know the money even goes to Northwood? Where does the receipt of the funds appear in the budget?

Use It or Lose It

This week has been a very interesting one for those of us who watch the MCPS budget.

Its hard to know who is telling the truth  - Valerie Ervin, President of the Montgomery County Council, or Chris Barclay, President of the Montgomery County Board of Education.   Even the ever so unlikely councilmember Phil Andrews sent out an email indicating a problem - but without identifying the key issue.  And, for the chuckle of the day, George Leventhal asks his Facebook friends for advice.

Did the MoCo Board of Education really have an $18 million dollar slush fund?  That's not a term coined by this blogger, but used today in an editorial by the venerable Washington Post.   Clearly, the explanations do not match.

What's the resolution?  Can the taxpayers of MoCo expect to receive more emails this week from its leadership?

We don't have to receive any emails.   We shouldn't have received any in the first place. Resolution of this dispute is easy, and its in the capable hands of those county council members who have been lighting up the internet this week.  

The county council has the authority to conduct an investigation.  Here is the statutory provision from the legislative oversight section of the County Code:

Sec. 29A-8. Power of council to subpoena witnesses and administer oaths.

     Upon request by the director, and pursuant to the authority contained in chapter 2, section 2-20 of this Code, the county council may issue subpoenas for witnesses, and the presiding member of the council may administer the oath or affirmation to any witness who may be examined before the council or a council committee in connection with any investigation, inquiry or survey authority pursuant to this chapter. (1976 L.M.C., ch. 18, § 1.)

Wait, there is more - here is the sanction for not cooperating with the council subpoena:

Sec. 29A-10. Penalties.

     Anyone failing to respond to a valid request by the office pertinent to the matter under consideration for the production of records and information pursuant to section 29A-7 of this chapter, anyone failing to respond to a subpoena issued by the council pursuant to section 29A-8 of this chapter, anyone who knowingly gives false or misleading information in connection with any audit, survey or investigation conducted pursuant to this chapter, or anyone who retaliates against or who threatens retaliation against any person for that person's furnishing of information or cooperation in any investigation or inquiry conducted pursuant to this chapter shall be punished for a class A violation as set forth in section 1-19 of chapter 1 of this Code. (1976 L.M.C., ch. 18, § 1; 1985 L.M.C., ch. 3, § 1.)

Here is my plea to the County Council  - stop the emails and do your job.  In public.  Stop the little private sessions with one or two members of the Board of Education, and stop claiming executive privilege for budget negotiations.  Instead of exercising that send button to your email lists, draft a subpoena and get to the bottom of this.  Don't make those of us who actually pay our taxes held hostage to the County Council and Board of Education behaving badly. 

Lets stop playing with puppets and find out who is telling the truth and who is not.  And if you can't play well together, then maybe its time to step aside and let those who are more capable step up.

Connecting the Budget Dots:Commission for Women Counseling and Career Center to Close

After 35 years of counseling women on everything from domestic abuse, to employment rights of public women, to coping with poverty, to entering the job market, the Counseling and Career Center of the Montgomery County Commission for Women is closing its doors. Meanwhile the Board of Education continues to eat up over half of our county budget, over $2.1 Billion. Everything is connected, folks. Here (below) is the announcement.

Montgomery County
Commission for Women
Counseling & Career Center
www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cfw
401 Hungerford Drive ~ 1st Floor
Rockville , Maryland 20850


Counseling and Career Center Will Close


June 30, 2011
5:00 p.m.


Dear Friends of the Commission for Women:


The Commission for Women Counseling and Career Center will close on June 30, 2011 as a result of reductions in Montgomery County’s budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1st. It has been our privilege to serve the women of Montgomery County for more than 35 years with counseling, workshops, and other services. We thank you for your support and for being a part of the Center’s successful mission to help women experiencing major life transitions.


The office of the Commission for Women will be included in the newly created Community Engagement Cluster. The office will be housed in the Rockville Library building where it will share administrative staff support, equipment, supplies and space with the other entities included in that Cluster.


Please know how very much the staff and the commissioners appreciate your support. The new Community Engagement Cluster will provide opportunities for efficiencies and cooperation. In this new arrangement, the Commission for Women will continue its advocacy on behalf of Montgomery County ’s women and their families.


Our Information and Referral service at 240-777-8300 will continue to be available until June 30 should you need any more information.


Sincerely,


Staff of the Commission for Women