The worst thing amidst all the calls for Kevin Brown to resign after his DUI arrest are the morality lectures. Today we got one from the JG citing the irony of Mr. Brown's proposal for an "ethics" code for board members at the board meeting the night of the incident. Well it may be ironic but there is in fact no 'ethics" code that has anything to do with morality so whatever happens is solely up to Mr. Brown. His term is over in three months and he will have to explain himself to voters in November to stay on the board.
So what else would be contained in an "ethics" code for school board members in addition to the DUI that could be applied ex post facto to Mr. Brown? Alcoholism, smoking pot, using hard drugs, adultery, reckless driving, conflicts of interest (like taking money from the teachers' union or building contractors), filing false campaign finance reports, unpaid parking tickets.......? Let's have a code and require all the current board members to sign a statement that they are innocent of all the above and anything else we can think of that would set a bad example for our kids.
Until that happens spare us the moralizing.
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11 comments:
Mr. GiaQuinta must not live in a glass house...he needs to go. What is it about him that people in this town still vote for him? Maybe with his dad gone now people won't feel obligated to keep him aboard. It is time for him to go. Stories about him will never be in the paper...that is why you stay best buds with the Editor...
If "Beamers" were in a European country, like Germany, anyone who came out and drove off with any alcohol in his bloodstream would be subject to severe penalties, no exceptions. In the US we're ambivalent with arbitrary cutoffs for intoxcation and varying degrees of punishment for violations. I we had clearcut European laws then we might have clearcut morality and all the venom directed at Mr. Brown might be justified. But we don't and the indignation is overblown.
I can't think of any public official who ever resigned because of a DUI. They're no less of an example to our kids (most of whom don't even know there is a school board) than a schoolboard member.
I dealt with Mark GiaQuinta on the Wayne Township Advisory Board. He is an obstructionist to transparency. He should be ashamed of himself for his conduct during my tenure on that board. He along with Tony Henry did everything they could to help Trustee Stevenson and his so called “financial advisor” from answering or providing reasons why monies were spent on particular budgetary items or why the Township’s website was not updated in over two years even though an IT consultant was on contract. The Trustee and his staff would have GiaQuinta sit with the board members so he could harass and chastise me for requesting financial information or asking questions regarding the budget. I had to submit my questions before scheduled meetings so they could research the answers, oversight went out the window! The Trustee or his financial advisor could never answer questions posed to them at meetings until they could "research the answer".
The Allen County Democratic leadership supported this kind of cronyism instead of resolving differences through mediation.
I learned a lifetime lesson, I support a candidate or an elected official regardless of party who speaks for themselves on matters of spending instead of hiding behind his/her attorney. The attorney is NOT who the people elected.
I wonder what kind of story Mark GiaQuinta and Wayne Township cronies will conjure up about me this time for sharing my experience on the Wayne Township Board.
The question is whether people know who they're voting for this time. They didn't last time.
It is that kind of shanigans that people are angry at both parties. Poverty rate is at an all time high but our elected officials vote themselves raises some over 10% (County Officials). That is the kind of stuff people talk about in my neighborhood. By the way in my neighborhood people go door to door selling their possession. But our local newspapers don't cover this kind of story. They are part of the cover-up in this city.
I don't know of any way to change things other than voting people out of office who don't do the right thing. Again are people in your neghborhood going to vote and do they know who they're voting for? On school boaed for example, I don't think people have a clue. They may recognize a name like GiaQuinta or otherwise punch the first name on the ballot.
That's the problem, people in my neighborhood and in the city say they are all the same "CROOKS" and don't VOTE. What do you expect when the news media in this area does NO investigative reporting on the local elected officials to differentiate the greedy from the public servant. They get their news from people like Mark Giaquinta. That is what the cronies in both parties count on. So their small base votes all the time and elect the same kind of people here locally and ALL are on the GRAVY train. So when someone joins their party and attempts to conduct their job of oversight, they smear you in the newspaper like they did me back in the Spring of 2008. I believe Mark Giaquinta called me ignorant of the duties of my job. I don't see the newspaper smearing Councilwoman Liz Brown for doing her job, but again she was endorsed by Senator Lugar so this small town news media wouldn't think of smearing her. Last time I heard Mark Giaquinta is the attorney for the Republican County Assessor who I believe got a over 15% raise in early 2009. Giaquinta plays both sides of the coin, how unfortunate for us who want a transparent government. Right after County Council approved her double digit raise she was given a state wide award for the "Best Assessor" in the state to justify her raise. I didn't see the Allen County Democrat leadership criticizing her raise. Maybe because Mark Giaquinta was her attorney? Aren't they the party of the poor and middle class in this area?
I support President Obama and Dr. Hayhurst who helped a friend of mine who could not pay her medical bills. I also commend Gov. Daniel's Healthy Indiana Plan which is a state run healthcare system so why not expand this nationally?
Both local parties and their cronies are satisfied with their slice of the pie and heaven help those who try to change it. That is why people don't vote and the local Democratic party has empty slots in general elections. I do my best to educate the people in my neighborhood and in the city as an independent so I can be free to exercise my 1st amendment right.
Give me FREEDOM or give me death!!!
I just read the Journal Gazette's editorial calling for Kevin Brown's resignation. I wish Tracy Warner, no doubt the author of the editorial, and Kevin Brown would kiss and makeup. Of course this cannot happen because Warner is too busy kissing Mark GiaQuinta's pompous ass that he has no time to be fair or impartial. The Journal Gazette cannot be classified as a newspaper, but should be seen as a political campaigning tool for GiaQuinta.
I could do better politcal investigative reporting than most of the news people in the area.
I think that Magda and I must be in the same neighborhood! But the only person that I had coming to the door to sell personal items is now in prison for child molestation. I live in a blue collar 'hood and most of the older folk will vote the same as always..but I also live in the Elmhurst district and instead of getting the tried and true to change their vote it is time to get the "new" voters out there and let them know that they can make a difference. Vote the people out of office that made your school choice for you. It's time for new voices to be heard.
Of all the board members on FWCS' board Kevin Brown would be the only one I would vote in to retain...Mark is just DAMN lucky that he has not been thrown in jail for his little escapades...but all dogs have their day.
On the newspaper comments...they like all other newspapers in the country are dying a slow death...they are NOT impartial in judgement as we know. I think they could survive if they would go back to being a news worthy paper and tell the news and good neighborhood stories and happenings like the Wayndale paper does. That is a good little paper. But it is fun sometimes to get your laugh in for the day by just by reading the JG.
A couple of comments have been removed to keep the discussion on track and civil. Sorry
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