Friday, November 16, 2007
Resignation Scuttlebutt
Two separate sources tell me that two current NSN school board members are contemplating resigning once the new majority is seated. Can anyone confirm anything along these lines?
Look into the Crystal Ball
One of the things I love about history is how it repeats. George Santayana said, "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." George Bernard Shaw wryly noted in his corollary, "We learn from history that we learn nothing from history."
We see that it's not the exact occurrences that keep repeating: JFK will never be president again, but there are presidents like Clinton (Bill, not Hillary) who are Kennedyesque, evoking memories of JFK. Napoleon will never again be defeated by the Russian winter, but Hitler went and tried just to be sure.
So where am I going with this? Well, I'm going to apply my crystal ball and soothsaying skills to see how the next four years are going to turn out.
A) Paging Dr. Yonson: I apologize that you came to work in a school district with erratic elected officials. Like several of your predecessors, I see the superintendent's chair again being vacant. Note for the new board: There is a reason why George Steinbrenner has not written a book on management. Repeated firing and hiring is not an accepted way to foster faith and trust. The John Gould witch hunt was farcical and I can hardly wait to see who is going to spearhead the jihad against Dr. Yonson. (BTW: Anyone know the outcome of the John Gould lawsuit against Councilman and school board spouse Worob?) UPDATED Nov 25: Sorry for the delay, but this was obtained from a cracked crystal ball. Dr Yonson received a new five year contract, despite the opposition from the NSNs.
B) Karma: What goes around, comes around. You reap what you sow. Do you remember how Sandy Gibson ran on a ticket with the NSNs four years ago? When she looked at the facts and the studies, and came to the realization that building a new school was a regrettable, but necessary move, the NSNs began a virtual jihad against her. And now the bogey-woman is gone. She and all her "minions" have been removed. (Sounds like all the Jedi Knights have just been killed, doesn't it? Should we cue the Vader march?)
But let's look six months down the line. What happens to one of the more thoughtful NSNs (I'm assuming a lot, but work with me, OK?) when they reach the realization that Sandy was right! After recovering from the faint on the floor, how will they approach the Evil Empire? What happens when the promised tax savings do not materialize and the people revolt? How will the "new" board react when someone hands THEM stuffed lame ducks? (I imagine the duck woman will be the first to speak out against it!) The reprehensible tactics used by the QSRE group and the Stop the School people against opponents will come back to haunt them. Can you imagine these board NSNs month after month being harangued from the floor by the people who elected them? How long before Angry Al cracks under pressure?
C) The Hubbert Peak: What does something about oil depletion have to do with the school board? Plenty. Simply stated, this theory charts oil depletion saying that the first 50% of oil extracted from the ground is the easiest to take and the best quality available. We can debate the merits of the argument of oil reserves, but the theory itself is fairly reasonable.
I am sure that they can find something to cut that will be able to be endured and/or accepted without major hardship to students, staff, or physical plant. I'm guesstimating that most of the cuts that can be made "painlessly" have been made, or will be made shortly by the new regime. That's the first 50%, the "easy" 50%...But then comes the question:
Here is where Captain Algebra and the No Sports League come to the rescue, slashing the math department, gutting the history department, eradicating the athletics department, doubling the price of lunches, and whatever else they can do to cut costs and raise money. Maybe charge the kids for each hall pass? "Sorry, Bobby. You were absent yesterday. Thank you for your note, but you forgot the five dollar fee to process it." Yes, this is an absurd list of things, but let's ask what actually IS on their list?
I have this fantasy wish, that I could be in the room when the seven NSN board members are sitting there and the Oh-No Second hits. That's been variously described as the infinitesimal fraction of time between slamming the door and remembering the car keys are inside, or the time you hit "send" on the private message but realise you really hit "reply all." This will be the time that they realise that governing is harder than campaigning and that they are in a very deep swamp of doo-doo. Which leads to...
D) Depletion. Before the year 2008 is over, at least one of these NSNs will resign because they couldn't take it. It will mean nothing because a willing lackey will be put in their place. But it's on my list of predictions.
Anyone out there care to add to the list?
We see that it's not the exact occurrences that keep repeating: JFK will never be president again, but there are presidents like Clinton (Bill, not Hillary) who are Kennedyesque, evoking memories of JFK. Napoleon will never again be defeated by the Russian winter, but Hitler went and tried just to be sure.
So where am I going with this? Well, I'm going to apply my crystal ball and soothsaying skills to see how the next four years are going to turn out.
A) Paging Dr. Yonson: I apologize that you came to work in a school district with erratic elected officials. Like several of your predecessors, I see the superintendent's chair again being vacant. Note for the new board: There is a reason why George Steinbrenner has not written a book on management. Repeated firing and hiring is not an accepted way to foster faith and trust. The John Gould witch hunt was farcical and I can hardly wait to see who is going to spearhead the jihad against Dr. Yonson. (BTW: Anyone know the outcome of the John Gould lawsuit against Councilman and school board spouse Worob?) UPDATED Nov 25: Sorry for the delay, but this was obtained from a cracked crystal ball. Dr Yonson received a new five year contract, despite the opposition from the NSNs.
Issue: Superintendent's new contract
Vote: Approved 6-3 with Heater, Radosti and Worob opposed
Impact: Salary will be $130,000 for the first year of the new, five-year contract, effective July 1.
B) Karma: What goes around, comes around. You reap what you sow. Do you remember how Sandy Gibson ran on a ticket with the NSNs four years ago? When she looked at the facts and the studies, and came to the realization that building a new school was a regrettable, but necessary move, the NSNs began a virtual jihad against her. And now the bogey-woman is gone. She and all her "minions" have been removed. (Sounds like all the Jedi Knights have just been killed, doesn't it? Should we cue the Vader march?)
But let's look six months down the line. What happens to one of the more thoughtful NSNs (I'm assuming a lot, but work with me, OK?) when they reach the realization that
C) The Hubbert Peak: What does something about oil depletion have to do with the school board? Plenty. Simply stated, this theory charts oil depletion saying that the first 50% of oil extracted from the ground is the easiest to take and the best quality available. We can debate the merits of the argument of oil reserves, but the theory itself is fairly reasonable.
I am sure that they can find something to cut that will be able to be endured and/or accepted without major hardship to students, staff, or physical plant. I'm guesstimating that most of the cuts that can be made "painlessly" have been made, or will be made shortly by the new regime. That's the first 50%, the "easy" 50%...But then comes the question:
"What's Next?" ™
Here is where Captain Algebra and the No Sports League come to the rescue, slashing the math department, gutting the history department, eradicating the athletics department, doubling the price of lunches, and whatever else they can do to cut costs and raise money. Maybe charge the kids for each hall pass? "Sorry, Bobby. You were absent yesterday. Thank you for your note, but you forgot the five dollar fee to process it." Yes, this is an absurd list of things, but let's ask what actually IS on their list?
I have this fantasy wish, that I could be in the room when the seven NSN board members are sitting there and the Oh-No Second hits. That's been variously described as the infinitesimal fraction of time between slamming the door and remembering the car keys are inside, or the time you hit "send" on the private message but realise you really hit "reply all." This will be the time that they realise that governing is harder than campaigning and that they are in a very deep swamp of doo-doo. Which leads to...
D) Depletion. Before the year 2008 is over, at least one of these NSNs will resign because they couldn't take it. It will mean nothing because a willing lackey will be put in their place. But it's on my list of predictions.
Anyone out there care to add to the list?
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