POLITICS’ PLACE
Some would say there is no place for politics in school governance.
In fact, that seems to be what City
Newspaper was saying in its coverage of the School Board vacancy
(“Board Seat on Hold,” February 1). But the School Board is an
elected office, and the people of Rochester
said they like it that way when they rejected candidates who favor a mayoral
controlled district. State law calls upon the Democratic members of the School
Board to act as a caucus to fill the vacancy left by Darryl Porter. It is by
definition a political act.
There was no demand for public hearings or public caucus
when City Council chose Bill Pritchard to fill the seat vacated by Nancy
Griswold, when Ted O’Brien was appointed to fill the remainder of Jay Ricci’s
term in the CountyLej,
or when Joe Morelle succeeded Molly Clifford as Democratic Party chair. The
same could be said when the Republicans appointed Cheryl Dinolfo to fill the
remainder of Maggie Brooks’ term as CountyClerk. These appointments clearly
fall into the domain of politics.
People seem to lose their heads on all matters related to
the CitySchool
District. They justify their claim to inside
information with the argument that our schools are too important to be
addressed behind closed doors. But the fact is, it is a political decision, not
a government one. When the board meets to discuss this, we are meeting as a
caucus and are not subject to the Open Meetings Law.
If the Committee on Open Government disagrees, executive
director Bob Freeman should to try to gain access to the Democratic Party
Executive Committee when next they meet. Better yet, get the transcripts of
every phone call Steve Minarik ever made! Ludicrous, I know. So let’s get a
sense of perspective about the School Board seat, shall we?
Willa Powell, Canterbury Road, Rochester (Powell is a member of the
Rochester School Board.)
OPEN PROCESS WORKS BEST
The Rochester School Board has recently enjoyed a robust
give and take about filling a board vacancy. This has been a good learning
experience for all concerned, and not as personally contentious as it might
look to a casual onlooker.
City Newspaper did
much to clarify the issue for the public by pointing out that the law requires
Board President Domingo Garcia to make the selection, in the event of a board
deadlock (“Board Seat on Hold,” February 1). So the seat will not be on hold
for long. I also appreciated, and reciprocate, Domingo’s statement that no
personal disrespect was intended in the exchanges.
City put the focus
where it belongs, I think, by questioning the process that led to the deadlock.
The unfortunate “I’ll appoint who the heck I want” language
underscored an attitude that gets us into trouble. Experienced public officials
have a lot to offer, but can be prone to a weary “I’ve seen it all before”
response to process issues. Yes, this decision rests with the board. But the
board (or caucus) has no obligation to act in secret, and Bob Freeman
(executive director of the state’s Committee on Open Government) makes the case
that we have no legal right to act in secret, and I would argue that it is poor
judgment to do so. The process should not be open-ended, and the law assures it
will not be, but it should be adequate.
Here is the problem: Filling a vacancy is the functional
equivalent of an election. This board interviewed only two of eleven qualified
applicants, including some very impressive people. That is not due diligence.
Moreover, the board itself had less than an hour to talk about the process we
would follow.
Not only do I think we had an obligation to treat everybody’s
offer to serve with equal dignity and appreciation, but I learned on in prior
school-board service that such a process could be completed quickly and
amicably. And not only did that lead to a better informed decision, but it also
led to more public confidence in the decision.
The good news is that I think most of the board understands
the need for us to put such a process in place for the future.
Tom Brennan, LakeviewPark, Rochester(Brennan is a newly elected member of
the Rochester School Board.)
THE ANSWER TO HEALTH-CARE CRISIS
It was refreshing to have Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in Rochester
on January 23 hosting a forum to discuss “solutions to our health-care
crisis.” A panel of six people, convened at the University
of Rochester, presented an array of
problems and possible solutions, summed up by Senator Clinton as a need for
major system changes.
During audience discussion, three successive comments —
from a local labor union leader, a businessman on the University board of
trustees, and a retired academic physician (yours truly) — all called for the
same definitive, systemic change: adoption of a single-payer, universal
health-insurance program, euphemistically labeled the “800 pound gorilla
in the room.”
Senator Clinton assured the audience that this concept would
be on the table as policy-makers address system-wide solutions. It should
indeed be at the head of the table — and the familiar wolves dressed in
commercial health-insurance and drug-company clothes should be kept at the
door.
William H. Barker, Edgerton Street, Rochester (Barker is professor emeritus
of preventive medicine and gerontology at the University of Rochester Medical
Center.)
ANCIENT WISDOM
King George — oops, I mean to say “President
Bush” — said that the FISA law requiring warrants (and
providing a means for expediting them) was passed in 1978 and is old and
outdated.
Perhaps someone should remind him that the supreme law of
the land, the Constitution, was completed in 1787 and ratified in 1789. And it
still works pretty darn good!
Frank Bellomo, Bay Village Drive, Irondequoit
BUSH HAS ABANDONED THE NATION’S NEEDY
The Oval Office was once a bastion of integrity, a shining
light that people could look to and be comforted. Those days are long gone.
I sat with my mouth agape, listening to Bush’s speechwriters
spin glittering generalities about how he has improved the quality of life for
all Americans. Nothing could be further from the truth. That is, unless your
annual average income is somewhere near the top 3 percentile in the US.
Ask a displaced GulfCoast resident, or a middle-class
kid who wants to go to college. Or one of the 55 percent of
people living with HIV/AIDS who rely on Medicaid for their life-saving
treatment. And let’s not forget the elderly, confused and disillusioned
with having to choose whether to medicate or eat on any given day.
When a democratic government consciously makes a policy not
to help the disadvantaged, we tread waters where our forefathers would never
swim. When the Republican-led House puts its emphasis on benefiting big
business, busting up organized workers and passing bills restraining benefit
programs, it will ultimately eat away at the heart of America.
We’ve seen nothing but broken promises and misinformation
from this administration. Conservative leaders in Congress have openly said
that “it’s time we end this moral decay of entitlement.”
Both sides of the aisle need to wake up and start restoring
integrity in Washington, or they
will all be looking for new employment in the private sector.
OveOvermyer, East Main Street, Rochester
WRITING TO CITY
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This article appears in Feb 8-14, 2006.
