Not so neighborly

To the editor:

My husband and I have resided on Knob Hill Circle since 1984. We’ve raised three sons and have lived & worked in Osceola County since 1968.  It’s fair to say we’ve seen a lot of changes. 

There was a time when politeness and fair dealing was the rule of the day. Saturday’s paper (June 30) makes me wonder if that’s still true.  I like to think it is, with a few distinct exceptions. We’ve lived literally two doors down from Mrs. Kay White, a former Osceola Administrator, for nearly 20 years, and as a longtime neighbor one might assume she’d avail herself of our close proximity and address her thoughts to me directly. She was a vocal financial supporter of the long-term incumbent who the people elected me to replace two short years ago. She should just let it go and confine her observations to pertinent facts instead of personal attacks.

It still surprises me when I hear someone demand “the toxic tone must stop” as she did in her letter and in the same breathe use a litany of hateful words to describe my colleague. That’s exactly what White did in her letter June 30. It’s equally amazing to me that any thoughtful person would suggest the Wheeler-Weisheyer team is what the Osceola schools need after having witnessed Wheeler’s antics first-hand on our board. Wheeler is the only board member who, reliably, without exception, cannot seem to act professionally.  I’ve tried to ignore his oddball behavior at every turn, and I must admit it’s no easy task.  Anyone who has watched a board meeting can verify his continuing antics.  I do take some solace in the likelihood that the voters of district 1 will reject his behavior with a resounding defeat two years from now, if he isn’t removed before then.

People don’t want the status quo, and they don’t want professional politicians like Wheeler & company.  I didn’t run for election for career advancement, or for re-election.  I ran to do what’s right, even when it’s difficult, and even when people, including neighbors with an axe to grind and newly minted newspaper editors, don’t stick to facts.  They’ve both made false assertions without any basis in fact and without even extending their neighbor the courtesy of phone call.

Here are the facts.  Many months ago I told Superintendent Andrews that I believed now former Principal David Groover should be dismissed for calling subordinate employees “Nazis” and other disparaging names, among numerous other well-documented complaints against him.  Groover, by his own actions, his DUI charge aside, had demonstrated a pattern of poor judgment, and that’s putting it mildly.  An internal investigation was undertaken, only at my continued urging.  Andrews pushed back and lamented Groover’s supposed “political ties” within our community.  Had Groover been a rank & file staff employee or newcomer, he’d have sent them packing.  As a former school bookkeeper, I know what it’s like to be one of those unfortunate “rank & file” employees.

Superintendent Andrews thinks the continued shell-game of simply shuffling poorly performing or down-right incapable top-level

Administrators around our district is acceptable.  I do not. As a matter of policy, transferring malfeasant employees or sending them packing to the so-called “rubber-room” only to have them bounce-back into position later will be unacceptable during my tenure as your elected chairwoman. It will not be acceptable under any new superintendent either. Of course, due process will be given to the full extent of the law, but reassignment for terminable offenses will be the exception rather than the rule. The unfortunate reality is the negative headlines relating to our meth-distributing principal didn’t have to happen. It wouldn’t have happened either without Andrews’ inaction and complete lack of courage.

I wish nothing but the best personally for Mr. Andrews, Mr. Groover, and anyone else who has issues of untruthfulness. I hurt for their families, and I pray for them.  I regret these issues ever had to arise, but they did.  With the help of the majority on our board, I aim to deal with them. Cindy Hartig and I don’t agree on every issue, but she’s honest and serving kids for all the right reasons, which is more than I can say for many of her detractors. Andrews retirement can’t come soon enough. He’s demonstrated an inability to be open, honest, and fair dealing in his interactions with board members who are charged with determining educational policy.  It has been clear to me for some time now that his movement from interim to permanent superintendent was a failed experiment and that most fellow board members were unsatisfied with his performance on some level. I accept responsibility for his selection, and I can only pledge my dedication toward making it right with the appointment of a new superintendent who will undergo a rigorous selection process to ensure he or she is the right fit for our community. We’ll be thorough to ensure they have the credentials, the vision, and the intellect to make it happen. We’ll also ensure they understand what it means to be neighborly.

Barbara Horn

Osceola County School Board

chairwoman

Secure the best person possible

To the editor:

Egos, the sense of self importance, and misuse of power will corrupt any organization.  

We have been seeing this happening with our school board. Members of the board have lost sight of their charge, which is to set policy.  When they disrupt the operation of the school system, students, parents, staff, and the whole community suffers.

The lastest board action shows just how important they think they are in running the system rather than letting the professional staff do their job.  A new superintendent is needed.  Rather than seeking out the best qualified person for the job, we should “wait until the next election so that the new board can get in on the selection”.  

The most important issue now is to secure the best possible person to lead the school system, and as soon as possible.  That should be the goal of the board, NOT just to be able to control the superintendent, or as they have done now, to create an atmosphere that is impossible for a competent person to operate in.

Bill Coffman

Kissimmee

Just my opinion

To the editor:

I cannot believe the Supreme Court voted the Obama health plan as legal. They say it is an added tax. For years we have paid into Medicare, now we are forced into this so-called health plan. For years hospitals have charged the insured more to cover the uninsured who paid little or nothing. Obama says all citizens will be covered or fined if they do not have insurance. What I would like to know is, the president going to make all the illegal immigrants … legal? If not, who will pay their bills?

I have to admit that I voted for Obama because of the condition the Bush administration had put the country in. I am a registered Democrat but I do not always vote the party’s choice. I guess that makes me a Semi-Democrat.

I hope all our citizens will give the next presidential election a lot more thought. As for me … bye bye Obama. You may vote your conscience.

Don Case

St. Cloud

What “fee” actually means

To the editor:

Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language, Second College Edition, Deluxe Color Edition. 1986. David B. Guralik, Editor-in-Chief. Simon and Schuster, Inc. Page 512, defines the word “fee” as follows: a) heritable land held from a feyudal lord in return for service; fied; feudal benefice b) the right to hold such land c) payment, service, or homage due a superior 2. Payment asked or given for professional services, admissions, licenses, tuition, etc.; charge

The second definition given above applies to the Kissimmee City Commissioners attempting to euphemistically obfuscate a TAX INCREASE while, at the same time, telling the citizens and taxpayers that they have reduced the “tax rate”.

The so-called “Fire Rescue Special Assessments” are not a FEE. They are a TAX INCREASE that has, until a few years ago, been covered out of general tax revenues. This “assessment or fee” effectively increases one’s property tax bill by an amount much greater than the minor reduction in the tax millage rate reduces one’s taxes. As a “fee” one is not entitled to deduct the cost as a “tax” on one’s federal income tax return.

If one uses a fire or rescue service one should pay the charges for the service used. It is confiscatory to charge one for something they do not use.

What is it about the City (and County) Commissioners, that they cannot understand that whether the charge comes out of one’s right pocket or one’s left pocket the money is still coming out of the same pair of pants?

The last time properties were assessed at their current values by the Osceola County Property Appraiser, taxes were one third to one half what they are today.

Houston W. Briggs II

Kissimmee