Thanks for reading. Thanks also for your follow up. [Ed Note: Read with no sarcasm.]
Nice graphic too...
Insults instead of answers
Lots of angry hot air and ruffled feathers at last night’s Morrisville School Board meeting, and some aimed here at the newspaper and me in particular.Seems my pointing out that school board member Brenda Worob hosted a gathering of school board members a couple of Sundays ago didn’t sit right with her husband Councilman Stephen Worob and other supporters of the current board majority.
Their track record when it comes to transparent government is iffy, and I remarked I didn’t believe their assurances no school board business was discussed that weekend out of the view of the public. I also questioned why they were demanding personal information about children in need of special education services in the district.
Here’s the column.
Oh, that made some people mad. Most notably Stephen Worob, who regularly uses the cable television camera to rant about his perceived bias of this newspaper. Never mind that he is a frequent contributor to the editorial pages where he’s allowed to say whatever is on his mind. Mostly what’s on his mind,it seems is that the rest of us should put a sock in it while he and his circle run Morrisville. Question him and some others and stand back for the personal attack. (Check out some of the responses under my column.) No answers to the question, just a frontal assault.
Best defense is a good offense, I suppose. Shoot the messenger to block the next inconvenient message.
A couple of months ago, Worob remarks in school board minutes that the local press is “clueless when it comes to investigative reporting.” I think that was wishful thinking. It’d be better for current leaders if we didn’t investigate.
Oddly, Worob supporters, didn’t criticize me for a lack of investigation this time, but for “digging up dirt.” Thing is, no digging’s been necessary. This current school board majority is so dismissive of state law and the rules of common decency, and the intelligence of its constituents that its missteps and misstatements are glaring. They don’t bother to cover their tracks very well.
Here’s hoping again for an end to the vitriol and ego, and a move toward common sense and compromise. Regular residents will have to lead the charge. Their leaders are out to lunch.
Posted by Kate Fratti at 2:17 pm |
2 comments:
Hooray for Kate!
It is refreshing to see a journalist trying on our shoes, and using her power of the press to voice the same complaints that have rattled around Morrisville for years.
Namely: for one "Stephen Worob", all rules and labels apply, except to him.
Going back through the "Worob years" if you could imagine any other school board doing the same things (Nelson, Nestor, Junkins, Gibson) claims of impropriety would dominate the public comment session, and everyone from the State AG to the County Commissioners would be called on to investigate. And if they didnt' they too would be complicit.
The shoe is on the other foot this time.
I think we should consider it a badge of honor to get under Steve Worob's skin. It's an indicator that we're doing something right. He's been in the bully pulpit too long unchallenged, to the town's detriment.
For all I know, he's a great husband and father who helps the elderly cross streets and shovels 5 walks on either side of his when it snows. But as far as boro, and especially school board, politics go, he's divisive, destructive, and usually just flat-out wrong.
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