BCR's Daily Fishwrap Report for July 30, 2010

Committee Oppo Taxing on Bowser Tax Plan: We're not sure what was less-predictable about last night's BOCC meeting -- Joe Bowser's support for the proposed quarter-cent sales tax referendum for schools; Brenda Howerton's signing on with JoBo; Ellen Reckhow raising concerns about past DPS moves two years back to shuffle teacher salary dollars to pay overhead costs; or BOCC chair Michael Page going into a virtual flop-sweat at signs of Durham Committee opposition to the idea. (Hey, you can't say the DCABP isn't consistent on this one.) Well, all four happened, and the fourth flipped the measure to a 3-2 defeat last night. (Herald-Sun, Indy)

S&H Scrutiny: Longevity at a funeral home is great when you're talking about more than a century of service, something Durham fixture Scarborough & Hargett was honored for this week as one of the nation's oldest black-owned funeral homes. But longevity at a funeral home isn't great when you're talking about how long a body has been waiting for post-mortem dispensation. A family has accused S&H of taking so long with their deceased relative that the body began to decay and had to be cremated, the Indy Weekly reported last night. The state is investigating, and the Indy reveals that the funeral home has actually been on probation the past few years for 2007 violations of appropriate practices. (Indy)

Real-Time Transit Info: A Raleigh company that's a leader in providing real-time mass transit arrival and bus location services has one a Triangle Transit contract to map out bus info online and on smartphones for all the Triangle's municipal bus services, including TTA, DATA, Chapel Hill, Raleigh and NCSU services. (N&O)

Comments

[Michael Oehler]

"I'm going to have to oppose it, just to be consistent." Lavonia Allison

The CC will are going to be sorry they did this. I was at the Duke Faculty Club pool yesterday asking all my friends that have children in DPS if they'd support a sales tax... all the people who were out marching to support schools in the spring... all the people that wrote letters and spoke at meetings... most had no idea that this was even being discussed. Meanwhile, the PA, Friends, and Lavonia are running things for our CC.

IMHO, this is a bad political move.

Ellen continues to think she knows where the schools can save money... she's showing classic signs of a politician who has been at this too long. She knows everything. She exudes an attitude of frustration... like... If the other CC, the school board, the state legislators, Obama, everyone would just listen to me?

No one is home at Becky's house.

Brenda listens to Joe. They are like the Double Mint twins.

Michael absolutely hates conflict... with citizens, with the County Manager, with his fellow CCommissioners... a classic fence straddler.

And finally, there is Joe "crazy like a fox" Bowser. He was the one CC that was out in the trenches with all the worked up parents this past Spring. He knows these voters would've supported this idea. He knows they're going to come back from vacation, start their kids in school, and begin hearing how their children's schools are on skeleton staffs.

Just because teachers weren't laid off, doesn't mean that many other cuts haven't already been made. The past two years have been brutal, and next year will be worse. What is the plan? Only he sees the urgency of this.

The routine summer cleaning at EK Powe, my children's school, are being rushed due to fewer cleaning support people. We've lost janitors. Parent's and teachers will pick up the slack, but what will happen next year? Programs that were once included and helped the disadvantaged students more, like a computer class, have been eliminated. As our principal said, "You've got to have someone cut the grass." Teachers were not cut last year, but everything else was, and everything else will continue to be cut.

The lack of school funding is not going away. Ellen can point to the funding difference between Guilford, Wake and Durham all she wants, but don't forget the Free and Reduced Price Lunch numbers: Durham's are higher. And Ellen, since when is it OK for Durham's schools to be underfunded just because Wake and Guilford County's are? I noticed since the "crazy" has come to Wake County, she's stopped comparing us to them, at least.

So the question is...Who's your money on? Ellen and others can blame the state all they want, but do you really think the state is going to come through with enough money? My email box exploded in the last couple of days with people wondering what the alternatives to a sales tax increase were... property tax increase anyone? I don't have any other ideas. Poeple can talk about the Education lottery, taxes on alchol and cigarettes, legalizing weed... What is the likelyhood of any of these happening?

Are our CC going to have the courage to raise taxes again next year? We pass the road bond, they're going up anyway. I don't like the regressive nature of a sales tax any more than... Lavonia Allison... but good old Joe... he knows the rain is comin'... he said, "It's like this Dr. Allison: I keep in umbrella in my vehicle because I know its going to rain someday. I need to be prepared."

The clouds are on the horizon, but only Joe can see them.

Michael Oehler
www.supportdurhamschools.blogspot.com

[CJ]

What are the school board members stances on this issue. In watching last night meeting none of them were there to speak up for the additional monies that they know will be needed next fiscal year. Only the Superintendent was there and he didn't speak. After last year the school board should have been the first to offer support to the sales tax. In fact Becky Heron loosely quoted one of the "new" school board members saying she would oppose the sales tax. I know as an individual citizen I would have voted yes. The sales tax would not have not only been paid for by Durham County residents, but by residents from surrounding communities who come to shop at Southpoint, New Hope Commons and Patterson Place. Michael you are right, we are going to regret this decision. Eight million dollars would have done a lot of good for DPS.

[JG]

The problem is that DPS is not offering good quality education to the majority of its citizens.

They crack me up when they say that we can cut again and again the services. If the graduation and test rates where outstanding; maybe we could consider some cuts but in the situation we're in; it's just ridiculous.

But I guess that what leaving in the South means: sun and underperforming public schools.

[Concerned]

Mr. Oehler states, "Just because teachers weren't laid off, doesn't mean that many other cuts haven't already been made."

As a teacher at a DPS high school, I would like to correct this misinformation as we have not regained all of our positions. In fact, I am not sure how we will run our schedule unless we gain positions in the next few weeks. I wish that the media would get the facts straight about teacher layoffs because they most certainly have happened.

[SK]

The fundamental issue isn't that there is a need for more taxes, it's that government has taken on way too many responsibilities.

I am opposed to school cuts, but as tax revenue is pretty flat year-to-year, the answer is to cut elsewhere instead of allowing other budgets to grow and crowd out the school system.

There's way too much being spent on social services, "wouldn't it be nice" programs and similar. Cut the crap, fully fund law enforcement and schools.

[S. Mario]

Vladimir: We are no longer alone, waiting for the night, waiting for Godot, waiting for . . . waiting. All evening we have struggled, unassisted. Now it's over. It's already tomorrow.

Pozzo: Help!

Vladimir: Time flows again already. The sun will set, the moon rise, and we away . . . from here.

---------

So while we continue to wait for Godot we can enjoy this video of Bowswer being prank called. And you know that Bowser hates PRANKS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNpp28yGb20&feature=related

[Michael Oehler]

@ Concerned,

Thanks for chiming in. What is the specific situation as your school? As I understand it, there were no layoffs, just positions which through retirement, etc., were not filled.

Last year, in speaking with School Board Member Davis, I mentioned teacher layoffs. In no uncertain terms, he let me know that there were no teacher layoffs last year-- DPS had just not refilled teaching positions that were open due to retirement, etc. He even asked Carl Harris to explain this to me. While chuckling, Carl Harris explained that yes, Pastor Davis was correct, but that the size of the DPS teaching for had been decreased by a hundred and some positions.

To me and possibly to you, since it is you who will be facing larger class size and an increased load of outside the classroom duties, this is not simply a semantic difference. Teachers know this. Parents know this. Why don't our elected officials know this and respond with the sense of urgency that is demanded?

@CJ,

From my conversations with people associated with the People's Alliance, they would not support this regressive tax, thus, I wouldn't expect Nancy Cox and other PA endorsed School Board Members (Carter and Bordley) to support it. People I talked with indicated that Natalie Beyer wouldn't support it. Obviously, Lavonia Allison and her supporters won't support it-- so there goes Davis, Forte-Brown, and Parker. I imagine they are all a bit miffed by Bowser's "crazy like a fox" play, because I can see that Bowser is already providing himself a lot of political coverage in this Spring's showdown.

What I find disturbing but not suprising is that our County commissioners are so shortsighted, arrogant, and tone deaf to the real community.

1) shortsighted... don't they know this is going to blow up and make the 751 thing seem like small potatoes?
2) arrogant... They don't like the regressive nature of this tax, but why not let the people decide? What do they have to lose? Which leads to...
3) tone deaf... to people other than the PA, Friends, and Lavonia. Do they really think these groups represent Durham? Hasn't each recent election shown that none of those groups has the power at the ballot box that they used to wield. Case in point: The election of Natalie Beyer. She overwhelming defeated Steve Martin in the runoff because the more attention the voters paid, the more they like the candidate which did not side with the PAs position. Someone who I respect greatly and who is a long time PA member and is actively involved in Durham politics told me last night that the PA is "out of touch" with Durham. Wow. Makes sense to me. I hate to agree with GL, but I honestly think he is right that the "silent majority" of people would support 751. They are out of touch.

Could Ellen and possibly some members of our City Council be holding out on this tax hoping to one day use its revenue for their pet transit projects? All indicators point to a continued sluggish recovery (if there is any recovery at all). They must realize that that this is the only option they might have for this long held project.

Can't wait to see what happens as this goes forward.

Michael Oehler
www.supportdurhamschools.blogspot.com

[Rodrigo "El Justiciero" Dorfman]

I've said it many time and I'll say it again.
Yes we want to save teacher's jobs but
what will they be coming back to?

I don't believe in raising an already regressive tax UNTIL
DPS comes up with a clear, visionary, progressive and holistic
reform to their broken down elementary (middle) educational system.

If we are going to bail DPS out then they need to reform first.
Reform their testing and curriculum priorities, add more Spanish
translators (ONLY TWO - yes you read that right! ONLY TWO
in the whole county!) and give back schools and teachers
the flexibility they need to adapt to this crisis.

Not one more penny until DPS shows GENUINE reform.
Until then we are wasting precious political capital on
a broken system.

[Thomas]

I love this blog. In one week, Kevin references the Strait of Messina and S. Mario quotes "Waiting for Godot"--and both references work in context!

@Michael Oehler: You're making some false assumptions about the PACs. The Committee did not endorse Davis or Parker in either of their runs for office. They don't owe the Committee anything. I can't remember if the Committee endorsed Forte-Brown, but she has openly challenged Allison in both School Board and community meetings, and those exchanges have been testy at times.

Let Becoats take off his jacket and learn the place before we push Bowser's wacky funding scheme. DPS has delivered a poor ROI for some time. Get that fixed before we start lots more money at the problems.

[Michael Oehler]

@Rodrigo,

Who is the "we" you're talking about, or is it the royal "we"?

Your approach seems to me like the kid who grabs his ball and heads home breaking up the game because the neighborhood kids won't play by his rules.

Why can't we make reforms and fund our schools at the same time? I don't see them as exclusive.

Could you imagine Powe with 3 fewer teachers? What would that look like? What good would that do?

@Thomas,

You're right about the open endorsements, but when I went to the polls, I ran into people working for both Davis and the Committee. Maybe they weren't officially supported, but they are the same people. Just like I know a PA supporter who worked the polls for both the PA and Natalie Beyer. I guess my point is, none of these groups have the power they believe they have-- especially in School Board elections. Let the people decide.

I agree with you about letting Becoats do his job, but I just can't understand why everyone is so excited. It is like they expect him to find a pot of gold under a tree? I've looked at the budget, and it is a mess. We're not talking about thousands or tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands. We're talking about millions. I hope Becoats is the man, but I think it is his politics, personality, and past associations that got him this job, not his revolutionary abilities...but we'll see. I hope I'm wrong.

Michael

[Concerned]

@ Mr. Oehler and others - You and the rest of the public are not receiving correct information. In fact, my school is losing more positions this year on top of those lost last year. For example, in my department alone, we lost two positions in the spring of 2009. We gained one position back in the fall of 2010. Now in the spring of 2010, we lost two additional positions and have not yet received authorization from DPS to fill either one of those positions. Again, these numbers are for my department only, and none of these lost positions were retirees. Most if not all other departments are in a similar predicament. I doubt my school is the only one in this situation . . . .

[Rodrigo "El Justiciero" Dorfman]

To Michael:

Yes in an ideal world you do everything at once. But so far there has been ZERO reform - so let's wait and see what Dr. Becoats will do. But tell me - what assurances have you gotten that your funding efforts will translate in DPS reforming its top down management style.

If you have - then please fill me in with the details.

And the 'royal we" I use - is the we of .... let's be conservative - around twenty parents that I know share those beliefs. In small town politics - twenty parents can make a lot of noise.

In any case - until I see REAL gestures of reform I will tell anybody that cares to listen that we should not fund a broken system. DPS wants parents to lobby for them - well they need to give in a little. It's a simple equation.

[AliciaA]

I say that we cut pork in schools, beginning with competitive sports, especially the non-academic sacred cow: football. We lay off teachers and pay them poorly, but there is plenty of money to overpay football coaches.

There is no money for teachers, but there is plenty of money to pay for the construction and maintenance of an assortment of sports fields: football, baseball, track, etc. What a waste!

Kids are failing, but they are taken out of class and herded to gyms to participate in circus-like pep rallies. How about pep rallies for academics?

I do favor physical education at school to prevent obesity. But this can be done without competitive sports.

Some solutions: build vertical schools, with more density and less sprawl: less acreage, less cost. As far as taxes, pass a luxury tax.

If parents, kids and the community want organized sports, let them do it privately, with county-based, not school-based, leagues. That way tax payers don't have to subsidize brutal sports that cause numerous bone and brain injuries.

[CJ]

Here is a link to an editorial in the Sunday edition of the Herald-Sun. If does a great job speaking for the sales tax for education.

http://www.heraldsun.com/pages/full_story/push?article-A+faith-based+tax+policy-%20&id=8946348&instance=hs_editorials#comments_8946348

[Todd Patton]

Is there any hard evidence to show how much sales tax revenue comes from sales to non-Durham residents? I bet it is far less than the portion of property tax revenue paid by multi-national corporations based in RTP, Treyburn, and elsewhere in Durham.