ZAP! #77
"We have accomplished so much, but there is still much to do," Jones said in a news release. "This is no time to change course.” Valerie Jones, DMN, February 6, 2012
IISD Statement of Revenues, Expenditures and Changes in Fund Balance at August 31, 2011
Total Revenue = $349,755,661; Total Expenses = $417,134,330; Total Deficiency of Revenues Under Expenditures = <$67,378,669> DMN, February 9, 2012
Does Valerie Jones really want Irving voters to re-elect her so she can continue to do more for the “kids” like the above figures reflect? Maybe the kids don’t understand what these figures mean, but staff of the CCR believes that their parents will.
And speaking of taxes, staff of the CCR did a quick check on their latest tax statement and determined that over 65% of their TOTAL tax bill went to the IISD for operations. Now that is a real chunk of change snatched from you billfold.
Park your thoughts about the money flowing out of your personal budget for a minute and consider a few of the other recent accomplishments during Jones’ term in office. While there are many, the following should assist in determining that now really is the time to change course, chart a new direction and provide for Jones’ election-retirement:
- Led the IISD charge to kill the Kroger grocery store zoning case that was being considered by the Irving city council. The zoning had been approved by the city administration. (Note: This really was not a school district issue.)
- Extended the superintendent’s contract to 2016 after he had been on the job for only eight months.
- Approved $42,000 for remodeling the superintendent’s office suite.
- Approved $150,000 to remodel the lobby of the administration building.
- Approved around $117,000+ for the controversial “skin” study that produced inflammatory results and questionable conclusions about a ‘race war’ in the district’s middle schools.
- Apparent rationale for IISD single member districts was she didn’t believe voters could ever elect a minority to the board considering the results of the last election. (IISD Meeting, January 12, 2012. Note: Has she forgotten the minorities previously elected by district voters in the at-large system? Does she believe that Irving voters are really that shallow or biased?)
- Doesn’t appear to play nice with the two new board members elected by the voters of the district.
As you begin to hear board candidates espouse why you should elect or re-elect them to the ISD Board of Trustees, stop and think...does this individual really understand that tax payers deserve as much or even more consideration than all the fluffy, expensive, or non-basic programs and administrative reorganizations offered as being for the “kids?”
Remember, without the tax payers, the “kids” have nothing!
……………...Mark Holbrook
