New Wine and Old Wine-skins

$14,000

Last time I checked, a goverment employee didn't get a raise that high. Last time I checked, a government employee wasn't allowed to earn more than the President. I needed some time to digest this bit.

Prince William County Superintendent Steven L. Walts stands to earn an extra $14,357 this year, based on proposed fiscal 2009 school budget figures that call for 6 percent merit and cost-of-living raises for all eligible employees.

(God help this poor blogger who made one-day's worth minimum wage canvassing on a street corner asking complete strangers if they "had a moment for the environment.") 14K is a nice cushion on top of an extremely comfortable salary, but 14K is what many people need. Sorry school board, you're not in control of things as much as you'd like to think you are. Fortunately, we have the BoCS who can sweep in and say, "I'm in charge now" and fix the school budget if necessary... I have a feeling it's getting very close to that point. Get your amour ready, and spit-shine that helmet! We're in for the long haul; extra rations optional but highly recommended.

By the way, I saw the Edward L. Kelly Leadership Center. I had always thought the building was going to be built right there on Joplin Road. It's not. I guess you can't erect a new building on old grounds (hence the title).

I wonder if the saying "You can't put old wine into new wine-skins" applies to school board members.

hmmm...

By Request

There is much to be said about the power of the ballot. "VOTE 08" signs dot college student centers and libraries. Reading material gets distrubuted either in-person or through the inbox (both electronic and real).

However, what about those who elect not to participate in the election process? There could be several reasons for this.

1. They are not interested in politics


2. They did not conduct their research on the various candidates beforehand and feel that they should not vote


3. They are so fed up with the current system that they do not vote out of spite


4. Or the current electorate is satisfied with the incumbent's work. If the candidate is running unopposed, then the spot has been secured

Which bring us to the mayoral elections of PWC. In Occoquan, Haymarket and Quantico, the mayors pretty much have their positions guaranteed to them by the time the May 6 elections roll around. It would seem that the voters are happy with the work their mayors are doing.

Good luck to all candidates! My favourite to win is Earnie Porta. :)

Too True

Cruising the 'Tube has its benefits

Daylight Savings Time

Time to set our clocks forward... and subsequently fool our bodies by missing lunch and losing sleep. Good luck to the BoCS as they gear up for Tuesday. The PotomacNews reports

Prince William supervisors will begin the process of sifting through 500-plus pages of fiscal 2009 budgetary items with scheduled work sessions in the afternoon and evening.

(Some undergrad students will scoff at this number.) Just as important, the tax rate to advertise will also be addressed. Tic-tac-toe, 4 ties in a row was last week's outcome of the tax rate discussion. Hopefully, the supervisors will be able to reach a consensus tomorrow. March 18 is the deadline.

Here we go!

Sisyphus: The ten worse countries for women

We will be learning about this in Global Realities tomorrow. It's hard to imagine that this is acceptable on any level. But it is.

Sisyphus: The ten worse countries for women

Shields Up!

So you may have noticed that about 42% (I) and 65% (II) of the abovementioned links do not lead anywhere. I took them down for the sake of convenience. It was fun while it lasted, though.

I've been told that people are just starting to notice. Let's start some discussions and take down some names. I live for this :)

“Plans made after advice succeed; so with wise guidance, wage your war.”

Proverbs 20:18

-^_^-

Many thanks to BLACK VELVET BRUCE LI for listing this blog on their site. Please be sure to visit them!

New Trade Winds

Hey, Stevie Wonder! How's the weather in New York? It's a bit cold, isn't it. And it's not because you travelled a few degrees higher in latitude... it's the cold look your old system is giving you. And what's that smell? Oh, it's the Stink Eye. Your reign of tyranny is coming to an end. Pretty soon, no school board/board of education will be folly enough to accept you as its school's chief. So let's take a look at your oh-so-stupendously colourful background:

1. EEOC discrimination charges (Age is the trademark, Retaliation almost always accompanies it)
   
   
2. Mainstreaming schools out of their special education programs just to save a few bucks. Note: few students come with success stories
   
   
3. MATH INVESTIGATIONS. $2.4 million down the crapper thus far WITH MORE TO GO. It doesn't take two eyes and a pair of ears to see the number of concerned and pissed-off parents flooding school board meetings
   
   
4. Questionable prior fiscal activity. Wow, the draft audit from my lemonade stand looked better than the one coming from Greece

Holy smokes...

And if you haven't already heard, the school board sent its opinions to Richmond. I wonder why they thought House Joint Resolution 245 was "detestable." Just to give a quick rundown, the PotomacNews says:

The measure would amend the Virginia Constitution so that schools could be supervised by "a local governing body and locality’s chief administrative officer," if the General Assembly enacted legislation toward that effect, according to the bill. In other words, laws could be passed giving the county supervisors and executive, say, authority to run the schools in place of the School Board and superintendent.

OOPS, I guess this came at a bad time for the school board; with all the fire they've been under recently, it's almost implying that someone else could do the Board's job better... which might not be too far from the truth.

Right now, please make like the school board and take both hands and place them on each buttock cheek. There, you've just made a sorry attempt to cover your derriere. That's what happens when you try to support a bad employee. And when something comes out of this, you'll go right down the drain with him because you didn't disassociate yourself from his actions.

Anyways, it's the weekend, a time to recharge and recover from the workweek's blows and near-misses. We will return in not-quite full form for another 8 days of this blogger life.

24 months ago...

Don't you just hate the "It's-that-time-of-year-again" feeling??? I'm feeling it now, and it's not helping things any being an even-numbered year.

It's never a question of when our pasts let go of us, but when WE decide to let go of our pasts.