Itching for Answers

editorial-logo3Occasionally, when time and the “big” things allow, I find myself pondering the little things. You know. The ones that make you scratch your head and check your vision or hearing to make sure that you are correct. I am sure that you have your own list of head scratchers and I would love to see it, if you want to share. This is my most recent list. Perhaps some of these are on yours, as well.

Where has all the money gone? Recently, at least one school administration decided that all teachers, regardless of what committees they currently sit on( many of which meet well after hours) and what obligations they have, every teacher must ( as in having no choice) take up money at 4 ballgames OR pay $120 OR take a hit on their professional part of their evaluation. The reasoning behind this mandate? No money. Really. Because I picked up a copy of the most recently completed Internal School Audit and found that some schools are doing great in their athletic funds and some are seriously trailing. Interestingly, the ones trailing are the ones that make the most money. Hummm. So, I scratch my head and ask –Where has all the money gone?

Here is another one. For several years I have attended budget committee, school board, county commission, audit committee and various other County meetings that are, in least part, driven by information from the Jefferson County Finance Office. Yet, more times than I can count, financial information that is requested can’t be given during the meetings because the Finance Office has no lap top computer. Really. Their records are stored on computer and they don’t have a lap top? Is this 1990 or 2014? Most 10 year olds have a lap top. Of course, one has been requested by some members of the County Commission. Seems cheaper than mistakes by the dozen. Are you scratching your head yet?

Why do none of our County elected officials carry a copy of Robert’s Rules of Order? Supposedly, that is the standard for which they operate meetings. It would appear that having a copy on hand would be a good idea. You know, for those little questions like –Does it take a Super Majority to Suspend the Rules? – The answer is yes and that is some nifty information to have on hand. Especially if you are, say, the School Board and are wanting to add an item like, say, Building 8 to the agenda. Then someone would know that it would take 5 votes, rather than 4-2-1, to get it done. Or, you could just look it up on a lap top, if someone had one available…in a school building. Scratch, scratch, scratch.

And my last head scratching thought is this-Before putting something on a billboard for all those traveling through Jefferson County to see and snicker at, check it out. This one comes to me from one of our favorite readers and I chuckled and cringed at the same time. They may have good fries but math seems to be a bit challenging for the fast food chain that touts 2 miles between exits 4 and 8 in Jefferson County. All that I can say is that this is a prime example why you should always count your change when you pay for a purchase.

Are there bigger questions and more pressing issues in the County, State, Nation, or World? Sure. But, you know, there is nothing like taking out a billboard to advertise that we need fingers and toes to count in Jefferson County and sometimes that doesn’t even work. You know, if they had a laptop, they could have looked up the distance between the exits. You know, if they really needed to scratch.

Source: K. Depew, News Director