Anti-public school board member stirs up more Controversy to feed her ego

Things have been too quiet in the district for Howell School Board member and teabagger Wendy Day, so she has decided to whip up another controversy aimed at embarrassing the school and bring her more attention in an attempt to feed her huge ego.

She posted on her “blog" that board president Debi Drick violated the Open Meetings Act (OMA) by telling union leaders they could have a private audience with the superintendent candidates the board is currently interviewing, and on Thursday the local newspaper picked up on it and published yet another front page story featuring Day.

Drick denied Day’s claims and said union leaders merely asked her to introduce them to the candidates. That claim was backed up by a story in today’s paper where Interim Superintendent Lynn Parrish said the “events that led the Howell Public Schools Board of Education Trustee Wendy Day to publicly claim her fellow board members broke the law Wednesday was based on a "misinterpretation" of an e-mail she sent to board members the day prior.”

In Day’s warped mind, the real crime is that Drick dared to be respectful to teachers and especially the union members, who are as much a part of the community as parents. She claimed on radio station WHMI that Drick routinely polls fellow board members and conducts public business via email, which is a violation of the OMA. However, only something involving and potentially embarrassing to the union promoted Day speak out on this alleged violation of the law.

She is an extremist who hates the union, and she collaborated with anti-union activist Chet Zarko a few years ago to obtained union emails from union members to try and embarrass them that have ended up in court, costing the district more money in attorney fees.

She has a long history of extreme rightwing activities and brewing up controversy to embarrass the school district she hates so much but gets her name in the paper.

We first heard of Day when she helped co-founded a now dead an anti-gay hate group called the “LOVE (Livingston Organization for Values in Education) PAC” that sprang up in 2006 in response to a diversity flag they mistakenly claimed is a gay pride flag that promotes and endorses homosexuality.

That misguided witch hunt gained her the national attention she so craves, and it helped her get elected to the school board in the spring of 2006, even though she is anti-public school and home schools her children.

It wasn’t long after her election that she launched a book-burning episode in the fall of 2006 by trying to ban the book “The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them.” That led to a book-burning campaign against such classic books as Slaughterhouse Five" by Kurt Vonnegut and "Black Boy" and "The Bluest Eye” by Richard Wright.

That saga finally came to an end in the spring of 2007, but not before she subjected the community to national ridicule and reinforced the image of Howell as a racist, intolerant community, but it did give Day the attention she craves.

But Day kept her name in the paper by helping organize the racist, corporate “tea parties” we were subjected to last year; she remains an organizer in that “movement.”

Day continued to spread hate and discontent among school board members and district employees, but that came to a head last summer when the board fired Superintendent Theodore Gardella after just a year on the job by a vote of 4-2.

Because he was anti-union, Day loved him, and she made the unprecedented move of helping launch and run a recall campaign against her four fellow board members who voted to fire Gardella. The effort, of course, failed, and this appears to be another salvo in that attack. The real funny thing is what Day said in her latest “blog” rant about the board:

“The worst part is that from my seat, the school board is more dysfunctional and less effective than it was the day I was sworn in.”

Ya think? I wonder why that is? It will be much better off when her term mercifully ends this year. This woman is so hated by a community that’s very conservative that she no longer allows any comments on her “blog.”

But the good news is that she again got her name in the paper. Apparently, her ego is even bigger than her hatred of unions, teachers and public schools.

Misguided recall effort fails

HOWELL – Today is the deadline for the organizers of the illegitimate recall of three members of the Howell Public Schools Board of education to collect 5,000 signatures, and despite assurances since the recall began on July 14 that they were “collecting signatures in droves” and they would have no problem, it fell well short of the goal.

That speaks volumes for the good, common sense of this community. As you may know, there was a misguided effort underway to recall three of the four school board members who voted to fire Superintendent Theodore Gardella after just a year on the job last month. The Livingston County Daily Press and Argus is reporting organizers collected about 30 percent of the 5,000 signatures needed. That is not even close.

The paper also reported that they are not giving up, and they want to get it on the ballot in February when even less people vote in elections. The approved recall language is good for 180 days, but the paper failed to mention that there must be 90 days between the first and last signature. In other words they have until Oct. 14 to collect the remaining 70 percent of the required signatures.

Editorial and letter on HPS recall attempt misses the point

The Livingston County Press & Argus has a catchy headline for its editorial blasting those fighting off the illegitimate recall of three members of the Howell Public Schools Board of education – “School board antics mirror 'Spy vs. Spy.'” But, it misses the point of what this illegitimate recall is really about and why the targets of it should be fighting it.

As you know, there is a misguided effort underway to recall three of the four school board members who voted to fire Superintendent Theodore Gardella after just a year on the job last month. Apparently, the organizers and the newspaper are making big deal out of the fact that the spouses of two of the board members targeted in the recall sat in the parking lot of the Baymont Inn on July 9 when the organizational meeting was held.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, and they should be dong that. What they should have done was walk in and take a seat. In fact, they should be doing everything legally possible to fight the recall, and although they have not done that, they certainly have done nothing illegal.

Another issue causing some flack are intercepted emails between Jeannine Pratt and retired teacher and former teacher union president Doug Norton where they joke they should “infiltrate” the meeting. The only thing the recall targets are guilty of are a few ill-advised words, like war and infiltration. The fact is they should have been at that meeting.

The editorial makes light of a line by Norton where he says, that he was “bummed we didn’t have someone inside” the meeting. Then he talks about shadowing those who circulate the petitions.

“We can put this down,” he said.

Put this down?

Exactly.

The simple fact is, if the recall effort gets enough signatures and gets on the ballot, the fight is essentially over, and the paper should know that. School board elections traditionally have a low voter turnout, and the turnout for recalls are even less, meaning the people most motivated to vote are those ticked off. Plus, very few people will ever cast a vote to save a politician’s job, and that’s basically what elected officials at all levels are.

Opponents of this power grab need to be shadowing the people collecting signatures to ensure people get both sides of the story and to ensure they are not putting out false info.

The news editor at the P & A needs to do some research and take a look at some back issues of his own newspaper when he talks about the anti-gay hate group known as the “Love” PAC - (Livingston Organization for Values in Education) in the future.

“Some on the Howell board, including Pratt, seem to feel that the recall is an extension of LOVE — the Livingston Organization for Values in Education, a citizens’ group of undetermined size that frequently criticizes the board. Such thinking borders on paranoia, overstates the power of LOVE and disregards those folks who genuinely are angry over the way Gardella was fired.”

There is no doubt they are involved. The “LOVE” group has an extremist rightwing agenda and is very anti-union. The law allowing recalls is perhaps the most abused law on the books, and most recalls are simply a way to circumvent the election process. This one certainly is.

The editor is right when he says “LOVE” is of “undetermined size,” because they are so secretive. It probably only consists of co-founders Vicky Fyke and extreme right-winger Wendy Day, who, unfortunately, also happens to a member of the school board.

Voters soundly rejected them back in 2007 when the two-“LOVE” backed candidate were defeated by, ironically, Edwin Literski and Jeannine Pratt, who are two of the three board members targeted for recall. There may be no conspiracy, but we know a few things about this recall attempt: we have no idea who the “LOVE” members are, the ones who we know are “LOVE” member are pushing hard for it and this is just an attempt to negate the election.

The editorial ends with this tidbit, “In the last two years, this district has built a $70 million high school it can’t afford to run, fired or forced out two superintendents and been embroiled in countless public controversies.”

The fact is, two of three board members targeted were not on the board when that happened, and Day and Fyke were responsible for hounding the last Superintendent out who spent nine years here.

We already know about Day’s extreme anti-teacher and anti-union views, and that is becoming a theme in this recall attempt. In the same edition of the paper that the editorial appeared in, is an anti-union letter from Green Oak Township Republican Beverly Chiasson called “Howell district's woes rooted in past.” In it, the teacher’s union and unions in general are the enemy, and she uses false stereotypes to try and make her point.

She writes, “Why the Howell school district is such a mess:
Howell Public Schools parents are not old enough to remember or know the 40-plus-year history of Michigan public education.”

Perhaps she made a mistake and meant to say what went on in the last 40 years because public education has been around since the 19th century. In fact, The Michigan Education Association (MEA) was founded in 1852 as the Michigan State Teachers Association, becoming the Michigan Education Association in 1926.

But Ms. Chiasson quickly lays the blame at the feet of the union, writing, “When education associations (unions) began, and a school election was coming up, all those interested in running for school board were interviewed by the union leaders. If the candidates gave the right answers, the unions would publicly support them and required all school employees to vote for their choices.”
How is this any different than a political action committee interviewing a candidate and then making an endorsement and making a recommendation to its members, whether it’s the NRA, the chamber of commerce or Right to Life? It’s a legal and accepted practice.

There is no way union leaders can require “all school employees to vote for their choices.” They make a recommendation just like every other PAC and the ballot is secret.

She claims, “After an election, the union leaders would check the records to make sure every employee in the district voted. The good teachers, not wanting to rock the boat, would go along to get along.”

Voter registrations are public record, and what they are doing is what every group does: it’s called get out the vote. I have no idea why a teacher would need to be prodded to vote in an election that will have more of a direct effect on them than the Presidential election.

Then she goes after the left-wing PTA and PTO, saying “the PTAs and PTOs were school-supportive young parents used by the administration as the nucleus for promoting bond issues, millages and school board elections.”

The Parent Teacher Association has been an important part of education since 1897, and it began when two women from Washington, DC decided that the children of America needed a voice. PTO’s are simply unaffiliated PTAs, but the basic mission of both is simply to improve education for the children.

But her real criticism is reserved for the unions.
“Once upon a time, I attended a union ratification meeting long enough to hear comments like (referring to parents), “We’re baby-sitting their kids all day and they can pay for it.” I have never been able to understand the union mentality.”

The first and last sentences are the most telling. It was a union ratification meeting, meaning there is no more democratic group in the workplace than unions. Her last sentence sums up her feelings, “I have never been able to understand the union mentality.” You think?

The letter ends with what the recall is really all about:
“If the recall organizers are successful, they must be prepared to have and work for replacements for a board majority.”

Prepared? Hell, the very reason for the recall is to get a “board majority.”

Recall group calls fighting back against this intimidation attempt a conspiracy

HOWELL – The group trying to recall three of the four Howell Public School Board members for casting a vote they disagree with is seeing black helicopters and conspiracy theories because the targets of the intimidation tactic are fighting back.

As you know, there is a misguided effort underway to recall three of the four Howell Public School Board members who voted to fire Superintendent Theodore Gardella after just a year on the job last month. Apparently, the recall organizers are up in arms because the spouses of two of the board members targeted in the recall sat in the parking lot of the Baymont Inn on July 9 when the organizational meeting was held, according to a story in the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus.

According to the story, “Members of the group leading the recall effort said they’re worried that their opponents would monitor an organizational meeting and count the number of people showing up. They believe this type of behavior could be the start of more aggressive and possibly illegal activity.” Are they for real? What illegal activity are they talking about? Fighting the false charges?

There was nothing illegal, shady or creepy about it, and they should have gone inside to the meeting. I can only speculate the reason they didn’t go inside was, perhaps, to avoid a confrontation.

Monitoring the recall is a common and accepted tactic, and they should be doing it. You will remember the recall attempt in 2007 when Republicans tried to recall Democrats who voted for the tax increase that kept Michigan’s government up and running. This, like most recalls, is nothing but raw intimidation, and this is also just an attempt to circumvent the election process.

Only the recall of Speaker of the House Andy Dillon was successful, and Leon Drolet and company had to lie and bend the law to get signatures. It made it on the ballot, but was soundly defeated by voters. The other recalls failed to get enough signatures. They fought off the recall by having people “shadow” the people collecting signatures to give the other side of the story and to stop them from telling lies.

There were a few mild confrontations involving dueling video cameras, but that was because Republicans did not like being exposed and challenged. The sane and rational people opposing this recall/intimidation attempt should do the same thing. It’s legal and an accepted tactic.

In a move I have never head of before in 12 years as a reporter covering school boards and local government, the recall group has hired a Lansing-based attorney. It’s unclear who or how he is being paid. He claims, “surveillance is often the first step of more aggressive steps that could be illegal,” and he also he said “their actions and mind-set could evolve into something more serious.” Really; Like what?

The parking lot incident, apparently, came to light because the recall group, allegedly, “intercepted” emails between a board member and Doug Norton, a retired teacher who previously served as president of the Howell teachers’ union. The recall group and extremist rightwing board member Wendy Day are using that as proof of a conspiracy between the rest of the school board members and the teachers’ union.

Day’s anti-union views – as well as her anti-government, anti-teacher and anti-pubic school views – cloud her judgment.

Day, along with her co-conspirator Vicky Fyke, are founding members of the apparently defunct anti-gay hate group known as the LOVE PAC - (Livingston Organization for Values in Education) that embarrassed the community nationally when it tried to ban Pulitzer-Prize winning books.

Day is actively participating in the recall of her colleagues; a rare event, and perhaps the first time that has ever happened The irony is that the board has been criticized in the past for not working together. When this recall fails, how do they expect to work with somebody who pulled this double-cross against them?

It may appear that the “LOVE” group is not dead, and this is their way to circumvent the election, which are what these type of recalls are deigned to do.

“LOVE” went underground following the school board election in May 2007 when voters soundly rejected the two “LOVE: backed candidates in favor of, ironically, two of the three board members being recalled.

Fyke on this very blog wrote, “I look forward to the next election when we will add two more like-minded people to the school board, and get our important changes accomplished.”

She is not waiting for the election, and this is how she plans to get “like-minded people” on the school board.

School board member calls a legit function of a union bullying

HOWELL -- School Board member Wendy Day’s hatred of the teacher’s union is clouding her judgment.

As you know, there is a misguided effort underway to recall three of the four Howell Public School Board members who voted to fire Superintendent Theodore Gardella after just a year on the job last month. The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus is reporting that the Howell Education Association that represents the district’s teacher is taking the same position of many people who believe the recall provision should not be used to circumvent the election process and is urging their members not to sign the recall petitions.

In fact, the union sent postcard to its membership recommending they do not sign the petition, and the post cards read "Do not sign a recall petition.” But Day is - get this - objecting to the postcards, calling them "a bullying tactic." How are a post card and a union engaging in what it was formed to do bullying?

Someone needs to explain to her that a recommendation is the exact function of unions and associations, to look after its members. There are hundreds of state associations in Michigan representing almost every business and group under the sun where the members pay dues to have the association lobby for them, make recommendations for them and to look out for them, such as the Michigan Association of School Boards, The Michigan Association of School Administrators or the Michigan Chamber of Commerce.

One of the criticisms of the school board is that they are not working together. Here’s the irony of that charge: “Day confirmed Thursday she is actively participating in the recall efforts.” You heard that right; she is not just supporting it, she is “actively participating.” So much for working together.

Does anyone really need any more proof that this is nothing but another attempt by members of the now defunct anti-gay hate group known as the LOVE PAC - (Livingston Organization for Values in Education) to circumvent the election process?

If this were truly a legitimate recall effort then all of the four people who voted to fire Gardella would be recalled. Apparently, under election law if a majority of board members are recalled the local Intermediate School District would appoint the members. But they would still be required to stand for election at the first election.

Recalls should be reserved for people who break the law or are in violation of ethics while in office, not for a vote you disagree with. That’s what elections are for.

Roundtable on the firing of HPS Superintendent on tap

HOWELL - A local video production company plans to air a live discussion and roundtable on the firing of Howell Public Schools Superintendent Theodore Gardella, who was fired last Friday after just a year on the job.

HUB TV will air the discussion at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Uptown Coffee House in downtown Howell, at the corner of Grand River and Michigan Avenue. It will be aired live on local radio station WHMI.

Both the location and the panel is a little confusing. The vote to fire Gardella was 4-2, with extreme rightwing Trustee Wendy Day and Bob Parker voting not to fire. The event is billing itself saying, “The intent of these conversations is to help our community understand the recent course of events, the reasoning for the release, and what the future may bring for Howell Public Schools.” The problem is the only school board members attending and will be interviewed are Day and Parker. We already know why Day likes Gardella so much: because he apparently shared Day’s ideology, anti-union bias and anti-business bias.

In fairness, that may change, and when the press release want out yesterday they were the only two attendees. However, if two more members do show up they have a quorum and the meeting has to be posted and follow the Open Meetings Act.

It’s also surprising for something that has generated so much interest and attention is taking place at such a small venue with people walking in and out for coffee. I have been in the Uptown Coffee House, and although it is a great place, it is both cozy and busy.

The panel is a little strange. It consists of former editor of the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus, Maria Stuart, news director of WHMI, Jon King, reporter for Livingston Community News, Tom Tolen, and HUBTV's executive producer, Brent Earl. A better panel should include the reporter from the newspaper who actually covers the board, and the reporter from WHMI who regularly covers school board meetings.

But, it is still worth watching. It will also be aired later on television through providers Charter and Millennium Cable.

Leader of anti-gay hate group resurfaces in Howell Schools

HOWELL - Just when you thought her 15 minutes of “fame” were up she pops up again.

I am talking about Vicki Fyke, the leader of the anti-gay hate group known as the LOVE PAC - (Livingston Organization for Values in Education). Apparently, after doing what she could to embarrass and drive former Howell Public Schools Superintendent Chuck Breiner out of the district after 13 years here, nine as superintendent, he left in March 2008 with a very generous severance package.

Last June the district hired Ted Gardella as Superintendent.He has made some heavy-handed personal moves, and the board has shared in some questionable decisions. The one that I am most aware of is the decision to turn over operation of the Howell Area Aquatic Center (HAAC) to the Howell Recreation Authority last month with no plan in place.

They fired the director who has been there for more than 16 years, even before the pool opened, and the assistant manager and administrative assistant, who have been there for the past nine years. The approved it without even approval from the Rec. authority board or any kind of plan.

I know about this story because I haven swimming there since 2000, and I have worked there as a lifeguard since 2003 and I am currently a Red Cross Water Safety Instructor (WSI). The school board will discuss a plan for the pool tonight, and to my knowledge no one from the recreation authority has even so much as visited the pool or talked to anyone there, yet they have an alleged plan. No one had seen this plan before the school board dumped both a school and community asset.

But the big story is Gardella’s evaluation will be discussed by the board in closed session tonight, and Fyke, according to the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus, is claiming Gardella’s termination is “imminent” and will come at tonight’s meeting. It also reported that “Fyke wrote a mass e-mail to board members and was sent to the Daily Press & Argus. In that note, Fyke says she knows that there is a 4-3 vote coming most likely at Monday’s meeting to terminate Gardella. However, she doesn’t say how she knows that information. She did not return a message seeking comment Friday.”

If that is correct, there is a clear violation of the Open Meetings Act because they can not debate unless they are in open session.

First, who cares what Fyke has to say? I don’t even think “LOVE” is still around anymore. They went underground after their misguided attempt to ban books at the school failed.

The “LOVE” member on the school board, Wendy Day, is too busy organizing misnamed and misguided tea parties and blogging her anti-public school rhetoric on the official unofficial GOP blog to pass info to her leader.

It’s a little disturbing that a public school board member says she is “not a big fan of public education.” Then why are you making decision for a public school? The majority of Americans have a public school education, and it was that education system that helped America build one of the highest standard of living in the world.

Privatization kills union and 40 jobs

Howell Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously Monday to break the custodians union, fire 40 custodians and privatize custodial services by contracting with a Grand Rapids-based company.

The board said their shortsighted and anti-union move was a hard decision, but it apparently wasn’t that hard. The move was unpopular, and according to the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus, “another audience member — Barry Goode, leader of the Brighton Education Association teachers’ union — called the board’s actions “shameful,” saying the district’s highest-paid employees were “advocating cannibalism” of the lowest-paid employees.”

So basically, the company that got the contract, Grand Rapids Building Services Inc., can hire all, some or none of the former dedicated custodians at minimum wage or near minimum wage with no benefits. This is just one more assault on a living wage, unions and the middle class.

Privatization of services and the race to the bottom for wages will soon have a devastating effect on the economy and country. Granted, this case of privatizing is not part of any Republican conspiracy, but overall it fits right into their mission to break unions. Republicans in both the House and Senate have bills pending to make Michigan a right to work for less state, and if that fails, a rightwing extremist who specializes in fraudulent and deceptive petition drives is marshaling money and resources to launch a petition drive to place it on the ballot.

If the decision was so tough why didn’t the board cut from the top instead of the bottom? Howell administrators are some of the highest paid public employees in Livingston County, and the board is also considering giving them a raise. HPS has four assistant superintendent, 12 supervisors or directors and countless principals. Perhaps it would be easier to cut one of those positions or even cut their pay to save jobs.

For an excellent example of how to properly erase a budget deficit Howell does not need to look very far, just a few miles down the road to Fowlerville Community Schools.

Back in 2000 the district found itself facing budget a deficit after it opened a new school building, like Howell, coupled with the overestimation of expected new students. They lured popular long-time high school principal Ed Alverson out of retirement to fill the vacant superintendent position to right the ship, and shortly after he signed on it was discovered the district had mistakenly received two payments of $380,000 and $372,000 a few years ago from the state resulting from some tax abatements that it had to pay back.

Faced with a budget shortfall of more than $700,000 Alverson did everything he could to avoid layoffs. In the end, he only had to layoff the assistant superintendent for curriculum and the finance director. With the education and training they had they were unemployed for perhaps a week. Alverson saw them through that crisis even though the cut in central office personnel meant more of that load fell to him and the lone assistant superintendent, but he still managed to keep the ship afloat and eventually restored those positions.

It would also seem that because the district has already had its $67.1 million budget in place since June it would not need to make more cuts, but public schools are in the same boat Michigan’s public colleges and universities are in: they have to pass their budget without knowing how much state aid they will or will not receive. Since the Senate Republicans have not passed one single budget bill and Senate Majority “leader’ Mike Bishop is holding state government hostage until his demands are met, this is what we can expect.

Shortsighted privatization is just one more assault on unions and reason

The all-out attack on unions launched by the Republicans with the push for right to work for less laws has a new ally called privatization.

This enemy of decent wages and quality workers allows public schools and government to fire quality workers who earn a living wage in order to hire a private company to hire other workers for minimum wage. Granted, this is not just a push from Republicans, but it stinks no less.

The latest assault has come here in Howell Public Schools where the school board is considering a resolution at its regular board meeting Monday to fire its union custodians in order to hire a private company to supply the services. According to the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus, “the union has offered to accept a wage freeze and have members contribute $2,400 yearly to health insurance benefits.” School districts all over the state are struggling to stay afloat with shrinking revenue from the state, but this is a shortsighted move. The board just approved its $67.1 million budget in June with $517,000 from its ending fund balance – money set aside for emergencies - and it expects to save $400,000 or more by privatizing custodial services.

This comes on the heels of news the school board wants to give raises to its top five administrators. Great, let’s give raises to the people who helped get us in this mess, but cut the wages of the people who are making do with less. According to the Press & Argus, those administrators being consider for raises include Superintendent Chuck Breiner, Deputy Superintendent Lynn Parrish, Assistant Superintendents Jeanne Farina and Rick Terres, as well as Paul Pominville, director of technology, and Mike Peterson, director of operations.

Howell is the largest public school in Livingston County, which is also the fastest growing county in the state, and Breiner is the highest paid public school employee in the county, as well as the third highest paid public employee in the county, raking in more than $140,000 a year. He only comes in behind U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers and the county administrator.

Public school administrators are always at the top of the pay scale, and both Terres and Parrish each earn more than $120,000 a year. Howell has the highest paid principal in the county at $111,000. I don’t have a problem with people earning the most money they can, but not on the backs of those below them and if it hurts the quality of the services provided like this will.

Board President Phil Westmoreland is the second board member to make the shortsighted proposal to suggest the swimming pool at the high school be shut down in order to save $100,000. In the interest of full disclosure, one of my part-time jobs is teaching swim lessons to kids at the pool.

But as such, I see the segment of the Howell community it serves, and it provides services from the cradle to the grave, from teaching infants and their parents how to be safe in the water to exercise classes for seniors and those with arthritis. When the millage was passed to add the pool onto the high school in the early ‘90s it was sold to the voters that if they voted to approve it the pool would be a community pool available for use by everyone.

I don’t mind paying school taxes even though I no longer have kids in public school anymore because it’s my patriotic duty to do so, and it’s our responsibility to provide a quality education for all children. However, as such the school and the swimming pool are community assets. It seems the board wants to go back on a promise, and I cannot see the sense of a useful asset like a swimming pool sitting idle when you are asking those who used the pool and don’t have kids in the schools to continue to pay school taxes.

I supported this board and administration when it stood up to anti-gay hate group known as the LOVE” PAC (Livingston Organization for Values in Education) that tried to ban books by Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning authors from Howell High School classrooms, but their financial decisions have left something to be desired. The district's second high school is set to open this fall. But after getting voters to pass a $90 million-plus bond issue in 2003 to build the high school it realized it did not have the money to operate two high schools.

Back to the swimming pool issue, Parker has a new, eight-lane, competitive swimming pool that will, and can, only be used by students and swim teams. They ignore the success the newest high school in Livingston County, located just a few miles east down M-59, is enjoying.

Some three years ago when Hartland opened its new high school it built a swimming pool and fitness center that the community can use, and they can buy memberships to, as well as by the day. The swimming pool is the standard 25-yard, six-lane pool that the swim teams and physical education classes use, but right next to it is an indoor water park that is always crowded and draws people from all over mid-and southeast-Michigan. If it does not actually make a profit, it breaks even. Why that was success was not considered when the new pool was built is anyone’s guess.

The school board has to do a better job that it’s doing with the public funds entrusted to it.