Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Two for Tuesday: Gas Bag downs the gas tax and the School Board sets policy to suit itself
First: Gas Bag downs the gas tax
As expected, Seminole County commissioners yesterday voted 3-2 against the proposed one-cent increase in the county fuel tax. The increase would have provided a dedicated funding source for transportation for handicapped residents of Seminole County, rather than leaving them dependent upon the annual whims of commissioners as to whether to fund their transportation.
It also would have allowed the commission to take a proper leadership role in solving the annual vexing problem that develops over the transit funding each year.
Most importantly, it would have allowed the County Commission to keep its word to the cities within Seminole that a dedicated funding source would be secured for the transportation.
Seminole's seven municipalities have been contributing to the funding over the last several years, with the understanding that the County Commission would come up with a dedicated means of funding so the issue would not have to be revisited yearly, and so that handicapped residents could rest assured that the transportation on which they rely would always be available.
Thus, considering the integrity of the county commission was at stake, it is no surprise that Commissioners Dick "Gas Bag" VanDerWeide and Brenda Carey opposed the tax as a source of permanent funding, leaving the vote one short of the four "yeas" needed for commissioners to pass the tax.
Carey and VanDerWeide voted against the motion even though it would not have raised taxes overall within the county. As presented, the motion would have raised the gax tax by a penny while reducing taxes in the general fund by an amount equal to that generated by the gas tax. The tax would have been revenue neutral.
Thus, in essence, rather than voting against a tax increase, as Carey and VanDerWeide will present their vote, the two commissioners were actually voting only to deny a dedicated source of funding for handicapped residents of the county. In short, they refused to commit to provide a service that is much needed by many residents whose daily lives are dependent upon it to get to medical and other appointments.
In an ultimate irony, VanDerWeide and Carey once again preened and postured themselves as opposing the tax in an effort to protect the public trust.
Of course, VanDerWeide is the one who recently was shown on local television news as being indignantly resentful that his county cell phone bill was being questioned for its excessive charges at public expense. He is also the one who filed a reimbursement claim for 29 cents after having driven one mile on public business.
And, yes, VanDerWeide is also the one who fought with County Clerk Mary Ann Morse about being reimbursed for travel expenses to Europe several years ago, demanding he receive money for expenses despite his failure to provide adequate documentation in the form of receipts.
VanDerWeide went as far as to sue Morse for the $1,080 he said he was owed. He eventually dropped the case, but not until the County Clerk's legal defense bills had exceeded $20,000 that came from county funds at taxpayers' expense.
As for Carey, she, too, was featured prominently on the nightly news in the not-so-recent past, cavorting about Las Vegas as a guest of special interests seeking to affect policy while a member of the Lynx transit board that had travelled there at public expense. Board members were videotaped drinking and gambling during the time they were supposed to be attending transit conferences. The trip cost the public $22,000 for the travel expenses of the board members, who then shirked their public duty to have some personal good times instead.
It now seems clear what VanDerWeide and Carey meant when they opposed the dedicated funding because it took away "flexibility" and reduced commissioners' discretion in setting the county budget.
After all, if we dedicated funding to the needs of handicapped residents of the county, it would leave less discretionary spending for the perks and privileges enjoyed by our elected officials, such as commissioners VanDerWeide and Carey, who sacrifice themselves to the performance of "public service" at a salary of only $74,000 per year.
Now if we could only find out who used Commissioner VanDerWeide's phone to call a 1-800 line promoting phone sex, and to rack up roaming charges in Tampa when the commissioner says he has never even been to that city. We're still waiting for the commissioner to tell us what his investigation into those incidents has revealed.
(A personal tip of the hat to the reader who first used referred to Commissioner VanDerWeide as "gasbag" in a comment posted to the blog. It is especially apropos for obvious reasons, and also for the commissioner's opposition to this particular tax. Hope you don't mind that Slats picked up on your lead!!!)
Second: School Board sets policy to suit itself
The Seminole County School Board will go through the pretense of a public hearing this afternoon before voting to adopt proposed revisions to its policies and procedures.
The changes will give the School Board virtual autonomy and no public accountability regarding the manner in which it conducts its business. The changes come after a tumultuous year for the School Board, which has evidently tired of being taken to task for violating its own policies and procedures.
When policy is violated, one of two things can happen. The offending party, in this case the School Board, can modify its behavior and bring it in line with policy. Or the offending party, in this case the School Board, can modify its rules so that its transgressive behavior is suddenly made legitimate.
As would be expected from Jeanne Morris' gang of grandmotherly grifters, this School Board has chosen to modify its rules rather than its behavior.
To witness the hijacking of democracy, be at School Board chambers this afternoon beginning at 5:30 PM. Hopefully, parents and residents from Seminole will not let their rights be taken away without making their views be known during the public hearing portion of the meeting.
As expected, Seminole County commissioners yesterday voted 3-2 against the proposed one-cent increase in the county fuel tax. The increase would have provided a dedicated funding source for transportation for handicapped residents of Seminole County, rather than leaving them dependent upon the annual whims of commissioners as to whether to fund their transportation.
It also would have allowed the commission to take a proper leadership role in solving the annual vexing problem that develops over the transit funding each year.
Most importantly, it would have allowed the County Commission to keep its word to the cities within Seminole that a dedicated funding source would be secured for the transportation.
Seminole's seven municipalities have been contributing to the funding over the last several years, with the understanding that the County Commission would come up with a dedicated means of funding so the issue would not have to be revisited yearly, and so that handicapped residents could rest assured that the transportation on which they rely would always be available.
Thus, considering the integrity of the county commission was at stake, it is no surprise that Commissioners Dick "Gas Bag" VanDerWeide and Brenda Carey opposed the tax as a source of permanent funding, leaving the vote one short of the four "yeas" needed for commissioners to pass the tax.
Carey and VanDerWeide voted against the motion even though it would not have raised taxes overall within the county. As presented, the motion would have raised the gax tax by a penny while reducing taxes in the general fund by an amount equal to that generated by the gas tax. The tax would have been revenue neutral.
Thus, in essence, rather than voting against a tax increase, as Carey and VanDerWeide will present their vote, the two commissioners were actually voting only to deny a dedicated source of funding for handicapped residents of the county. In short, they refused to commit to provide a service that is much needed by many residents whose daily lives are dependent upon it to get to medical and other appointments.
In an ultimate irony, VanDerWeide and Carey once again preened and postured themselves as opposing the tax in an effort to protect the public trust.
Of course, VanDerWeide is the one who recently was shown on local television news as being indignantly resentful that his county cell phone bill was being questioned for its excessive charges at public expense. He is also the one who filed a reimbursement claim for 29 cents after having driven one mile on public business.
And, yes, VanDerWeide is also the one who fought with County Clerk Mary Ann Morse about being reimbursed for travel expenses to Europe several years ago, demanding he receive money for expenses despite his failure to provide adequate documentation in the form of receipts.
VanDerWeide went as far as to sue Morse for the $1,080 he said he was owed. He eventually dropped the case, but not until the County Clerk's legal defense bills had exceeded $20,000 that came from county funds at taxpayers' expense.
As for Carey, she, too, was featured prominently on the nightly news in the not-so-recent past, cavorting about Las Vegas as a guest of special interests seeking to affect policy while a member of the Lynx transit board that had travelled there at public expense. Board members were videotaped drinking and gambling during the time they were supposed to be attending transit conferences. The trip cost the public $22,000 for the travel expenses of the board members, who then shirked their public duty to have some personal good times instead.
It now seems clear what VanDerWeide and Carey meant when they opposed the dedicated funding because it took away "flexibility" and reduced commissioners' discretion in setting the county budget.
After all, if we dedicated funding to the needs of handicapped residents of the county, it would leave less discretionary spending for the perks and privileges enjoyed by our elected officials, such as commissioners VanDerWeide and Carey, who sacrifice themselves to the performance of "public service" at a salary of only $74,000 per year.
Now if we could only find out who used Commissioner VanDerWeide's phone to call a 1-800 line promoting phone sex, and to rack up roaming charges in Tampa when the commissioner says he has never even been to that city. We're still waiting for the commissioner to tell us what his investigation into those incidents has revealed.
(A personal tip of the hat to the reader who first used referred to Commissioner VanDerWeide as "gasbag" in a comment posted to the blog. It is especially apropos for obvious reasons, and also for the commissioner's opposition to this particular tax. Hope you don't mind that Slats picked up on your lead!!!)
Second: School Board sets policy to suit itself
The Seminole County School Board will go through the pretense of a public hearing this afternoon before voting to adopt proposed revisions to its policies and procedures.
The changes will give the School Board virtual autonomy and no public accountability regarding the manner in which it conducts its business. The changes come after a tumultuous year for the School Board, which has evidently tired of being taken to task for violating its own policies and procedures.
When policy is violated, one of two things can happen. The offending party, in this case the School Board, can modify its behavior and bring it in line with policy. Or the offending party, in this case the School Board, can modify its rules so that its transgressive behavior is suddenly made legitimate.
As would be expected from Jeanne Morris' gang of grandmotherly grifters, this School Board has chosen to modify its rules rather than its behavior.
To witness the hijacking of democracy, be at School Board chambers this afternoon beginning at 5:30 PM. Hopefully, parents and residents from Seminole will not let their rights be taken away without making their views be known during the public hearing portion of the meeting.
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