Schoolhouse Shenanigans

by conan | Mar 1, 2015 | 3 comments

Mr Smith goes to Washington

Mention government corruption, wasteful spending, crony politics and most minds will undoubtedly go straight to the sleaze pit we know as Washington D.C.  Try to convince your neighbor that that same ooze may lie closer to home at the municipal level and you’ll likely run into some opposition.  After all, we’re talking about our neighbors.  Our co-workers.  These are local heroes who take time out of their busy lives to make ours better.

They are also human.  Just as corruptible and just as likely to misuse public funds as the parasites in DC.  Let me explain.

Last year the Keene School District unabashedly spent $24,000 of our money to advertise its very controversial Article 1 that dealt with the acquiring of a $13 million bond for school renovations and the subsequent closing of Jonathan Daniels Elementary.  They placed pro-article 1 ads in the Sentinel, the Shopper, on WKBK radio, and blanketed the city in campaign signs.  For those unaware, the act of using government property to influence the results of a vote is known as electioneering and is illegal in the state of NH (RSA 659:44-a). The school board justified this act by claiming a need to “educate” the folks on current affairs.  This is nothing new, really.   Governmental departments across the country are guilty of using public funds to perpetuate their own agenda. The problem is no one is calling them out on it.

When asked what he thought of this misuse of taxpayer money, KSD attorney, John Wrigley, had this to say: “I think the school board has an obligation to inform and to educate…  In 30 years I’ve been doing this I’ve seen the board over-extend itself more than once.  I sit there and I look at something and I say,  “Whoa I hope no one asks me about that.”  But those are specific details that sometimes I trip across.  I think on the whole, the board does it right, it has public hearings to inform and to educate.  …but, I think sometimes  they over-extend themselves.  But I think it’s all in good faith…we’re not talking about Richard Daley in Chicago and that sort of thing.”

So in other words, it’s ok to break the law as long as it’s for the kids and as long as it’s not Richard Daley level.  Had you or I attempted  this same stunt, we would be looking at fines and or imprisonment.  It’s true.  Badges and titles do grant special privileges to some.

Need another example of how KSD spends your money? (more…)