From FBN: Vote NO On Record FBISD Bond (See this FBN piece)

Integrity, Improved Representation & The FBISD Bond Election
Oct, 2007

Recently in the mail arrived a series of fliers from the school district presenting the new character education program that our children will be receiving this year. One which focuses on integrity and was apparently signed by Tim Jenney, our superintendent. It arrived just in time for the upcoming record district bond election push and a Chamber of Commerce endorsement. So far nothing unusual for a bond campaign that is being touted as needed to curb the over-development in our community. But let’s first
take a closer look at the definition for INTEGRITY.

In the unabridged version (v.1.1) of the Random House Dictionary C 2006 several definitions are provided:
1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.

Although I applaud the district on their efforts to reintroduce character building to the schools, I would have to question their timing and delivery, right before the record bond vote. More importantly I would urge district officials and board members and many of their supporting vendors (via campaign gifts) to attempt to set a good example for our children of the district by living publicly to these principles.

Case in point, while attending several of the recent bond marketing meetings at our local high schools I had the opportunity to meet a fellow district taxpayer and one of his neighbors, a Mr. Carlos Cain. He has been attending nearly all the district public relations/marketing meetings in the Sugar Land area and asking some very pointed (but excellent) questions. Mr. Cain’s group even went beyond asking questions to requesting, through FOIA supporting documents, deeper answers to our concerns. What he showed us was very eye opening and goes to the heart of the problem with many of our Texas bond elections, lack of accountability, which is maintained by some pretty powerful PACs, lobbies and special interest groups who are directly funded by large corporate networks that feed on these public gifts.

Mr. Cain, through his queries and research, has exposed the weak under-belly of these multi-million dollar debts taken on by us average taxpayers in the name of the children. For example he found multiple listings (repeat lists) from the 2003 bond election on the current proposal funded for nearly the same amounts. He also found many items that should not be on a bond like non-fixed use items (like computers). You see funding short-term items that
will no longer be in use when paid for is not advised. Bonds are usually strictly for buildings and such, not items that have been moved off the regular budget.

Why is this so important? Because this bond is a new record in spending and financing a debt that may not be real. For instance, it appears that in the 2003 bond, district officials moved close to half of the amount, approved by taxpayers, into a trust account basically to finance the debt without public notification or review.
So in essence they not only redirected the monies from what taxpayers directed, but used debt to finance more debt and not on a small scale. You ask how did they get away with this? Easy, in Texas it isn’t illegal to not use the bonds as they were sold to the public (although I personally think it should be).

I for one believe Mr. Cain is a man of integrity, honesty and has a deeper faith and understanding of what is really wrong in our society (especially here in TX). I wish our kids had more GREAT examples like him getting involved in the community even with the threat of ridicule and alienation tactics. Willing to stand up and speak out for the truth and to seek it out even when officials, and their backers, are deliberately misleading, marginalizing, misinforming to protect the hundreds of millions they covet.

Instead of running off taxpayers/voters at these public bond sales pitches shouldn’t our district officials be reading their own curriculum materials that they require our teachers to distribute. I would prefer to see our elected officials and tax supported administrators modeling definition 1 from above rather than definition 2 (“to preserve the integrity of the empire.”)?

Thank you Carlos for doing what’s right and acting with INTEGRITY! Please vote NO on this record bond and call your school district officials and ask them to support direct representation through single-member districts so we can begin to clean up the mess and restore public accountability (and integrity). . . (see the entire thread at http://www.fortbendnow.com/opinion/3464/integrity-improved-representation-the-fbisd-bond-election#c019169)


Chris Calvin, Ph.D.
http://missouricitychatter.blogspot.com
Committee for Responsible Development--FBC
Fort Bend County