Friday, June 03, 2005
Why adhere to policy when you can eliminate it
Whenever Slats hears a candidate for office bellow that we must run government "like a business," the response is to cringe as if hearing the sound of fingernails on a blackboard. Government is not a business, and, if anything, should be run as a model for business, with an emphasis on proper moral behavior and ethical conduct.
Based on this week's release of the Seminole County School Board's proposed policy changes, their view of the proper way to run government is totally lacking of any such concern for ethical and moral behavior (a lesson for the three remaining Seminole residents who were still clinging to that hope in regards to Jeanne Morris' gang of grandmotherly grifters).
Looking through the proposed policy changes presented by the School Board for their upcoming June 7 public hearing brought back shades of General Motors in the mid-1960s.
Back then, the automaker was failing to meet its quality standards, a fault to which they applied the best of business acumen.
Rather than improving the product, they lowered the standard, and just like that, their problem was solved.
At least, it was solved until the marketplace soon caught up with them and threatened their very existence before real corrective changes eventually were developed.
The School Board obviously sees the root of all their recent problems as having stemmed from their stated policies and procedures. Rather than correcting their behavior, seen by so many as being unethical and immoral, the School Board has come up with a simple answer: gut the policies and procedures, removing all detail they may currently possess, and revise them to state that "The School Board can do what it wants."
That is basically how the revisions read. In fact, old Slats was a bit confused when first taking a look at the proposed revisions, thinking the Board had instead provided a bare-bones template rather than a finished product.
Take a look for yourself. You can view the proposed policy revisions online or download a copy for safe keeping.
Keeping in mind that these are the policies and procedures that will govern future School Board conduct, you should also make some notes and plan to be at the public hearing on Tuesday, June 7.
Just as GM was only buying time with their revamping of quality standards, the School Board seems to be nurturing a similar hope. Rather than correcting their own deficiencies and abiding by their own policies, the School Board has decided to further consolidate their power to eliminate even the perception of having to answer to the public they are presumed to serve.
As GM learned, however, the marketplace eventually makes the final determination of success. When election time comes in the fall of 2006, each of the incumbents will realize just what a hard a sell they have. The way they run the government, or at least their portion of it, is in the end everybody's business.
Based on this week's release of the Seminole County School Board's proposed policy changes, their view of the proper way to run government is totally lacking of any such concern for ethical and moral behavior (a lesson for the three remaining Seminole residents who were still clinging to that hope in regards to Jeanne Morris' gang of grandmotherly grifters).
Looking through the proposed policy changes presented by the School Board for their upcoming June 7 public hearing brought back shades of General Motors in the mid-1960s.
Back then, the automaker was failing to meet its quality standards, a fault to which they applied the best of business acumen.
Rather than improving the product, they lowered the standard, and just like that, their problem was solved.
At least, it was solved until the marketplace soon caught up with them and threatened their very existence before real corrective changes eventually were developed.
The School Board obviously sees the root of all their recent problems as having stemmed from their stated policies and procedures. Rather than correcting their behavior, seen by so many as being unethical and immoral, the School Board has come up with a simple answer: gut the policies and procedures, removing all detail they may currently possess, and revise them to state that "The School Board can do what it wants."
That is basically how the revisions read. In fact, old Slats was a bit confused when first taking a look at the proposed revisions, thinking the Board had instead provided a bare-bones template rather than a finished product.
Take a look for yourself. You can view the proposed policy revisions online or download a copy for safe keeping.
Keeping in mind that these are the policies and procedures that will govern future School Board conduct, you should also make some notes and plan to be at the public hearing on Tuesday, June 7.
Just as GM was only buying time with their revamping of quality standards, the School Board seems to be nurturing a similar hope. Rather than correcting their own deficiencies and abiding by their own policies, the School Board has decided to further consolidate their power to eliminate even the perception of having to answer to the public they are presumed to serve.
As GM learned, however, the marketplace eventually makes the final determination of success. When election time comes in the fall of 2006, each of the incumbents will realize just what a hard a sell they have. The way they run the government, or at least their portion of it, is in the end everybody's business.
hy