Some things that have crossed my mind:
Score One for the Joplin Globe- Today's Joplin Globe features a page one story about a feud between the Wallace-Bajjali firm that is serving as Joplin's master developer for the tornado-stricken area of the city and the owners of the El Paso Diablos, the minor league baseball team that appears to be headed here. The article, written by veteran reporters Andy Ostmeyer and Debby Woodin, is comprehensive and shows some real reporting, something that has been in short supply at the newspaper of record as of late.
It also features a mention of one of the bankruptcies in which Wallace-Bajjali has been involved, something that has not ever been mentioned in the Globe to this point.
I have contended for the past few years that the Globe has excellent veteran reporters, including such people as Ostmeyer, Woodin, Susan Redden, and Wally Kennedy, who have been pushed to the side while investigative reporting has been neglected and the newspaper has been dominated by fluffy feature stories, snarky "entertainment" reporters and columnists whose sole purpose seems to be to prove how much more sophisticated their tastes are than the tastes of their readers.
I seriously doubt that today's report marks a turnaround for the Globe, but I would certainly like to see that happen. I am sure there are some who will read this and not believe that I am sincere about that comment, but it is crucial that we have as many media sources as possible striving to shine a light on things that affect our community.
On The Other Hand, Where is the Coverage of This?- Just because something is not illegal, does not mean it is not newsworthy and one such occurrence, mentioned only in the Turner Report up to now was the infamous slumber party at the Joplin R-8 Administration Building the night before filing began for three seats on the Joplin R-8 Board of Education.
Using a key provided only because of his status as an incumbent, Board President Jeff Flowers, along with fellow incumbent Randy Steele, and two newcomers Shawn McGrew and Linda Banwart, were invited in to wait out the evening and thus gain the top four spots on the ballot.. Was it illegal? It does not appear so. Was it ethical? Not a chance. If Flowers, Steele, and the other two wanted to wait the opening of the filing period indoors, in comfort, then they should have had it advertised beforehand that the opportunity was there for anyone who intended to file. The only reason these people were there was because of access afforded them either by their position or because they had been anointed as "suitable replacements" for Phil Willcoxon, who chose not to seek re-election.
If you consider this to be a minor point, and there are some who do, consider this. During the past week, one board member whose seat is not up for election this year, has been "educating" teachers at one elementary school (one that I know of) on who they should vote for in April. "Any of the first four candidates on the ballot are all right," the board member has said. This is a board member who appeared with Jeff Flowers at a meeting of principals last year and nodded approvingly as Flowers told principals not to bring their complaints to the school board, but only to C. J. Huff and if Huff was not available, Angie Besendorfer.
Apparently, this board member wants his fellow board members to join him and Flowers in keeping the principals and teachers (and judging from the lawsuits I wrote about yesterday, the support personnel) from creating an uprising on the plantation.
The ethics of this school board election should be a major concern for the media- so far, not one word has been written in the Globe, not one word has been uttered on our local television and radio stations.
18 comments:
School board members are not allowed to use district resources for their own personal gain. Therefore, Flowers and Steele had no business using that building to stay nice and warm and to increase their chances of getting their names on the ballot before their competition.
They have just assuredly lost my vote. Actually, they had lost it previously, as had any candidate selected to support the Huff regime, as they have proven to be inept, under-informed, or perhaps as unethical as the man they continue to support. None of those four will ever receive any support from me. It's time to change the way things run at R8!!!
School board members are not allowed to use district resources for their own personal gain. Therefore, Flowers and Steele had no business using that building to stay nice and warm and to increase their chances of getting their names on the ballot before their competition.
They have just assuredly lost my vote. Actually, they had lost it previously, as had any candidate selected to support the Huff regime, as they have proven to be inept, under-informed, or perhaps as unethical as the man they continue to support. None of those four will ever receive any support from me. It's time to change the way things run at R8!!!
Joplin would be better off under control over the state it would seem to me than it is under the current board and superintendent. What a mess!
We will remember this when Mr. Landis is up for reelection. There is an implied threat when a school board member tells teachers whom they can and cannot support in a board race/
That he so adamantly supports an upper administration that has been shown to be so unethical reinforces the idea that he MUST keep Huff in power for some personal reason. It's time to replace the Board. And it's time for parents and teachers to step up and support candidates for change. It is in the best interest of the students, the staff, and the community to alter the course of the district that is now in a state of disaster economically and academically.
One must wonder what such Board members have to lose that they would stoop to such unethical electioneering practices. It won't work anymore. The time for threats is past. Now it is time for a change.
My three votes will go for Fort, Koch, and Guilford. I encourage my parent and education peers to support them, also, unless you want to spend the rest of your careers worrying about being fired and making less money than the state average. I want more for my children than what they are currently receiving. That will only happen when we force a change on the Board. Enough of threats and waste.
Safe to say Joplin leadership leads a little to be desired from the city developer to their school district leaders. Wallace-Bajali have ripped people off wherever they've gone and it looks like the schools operate without much integrity.
Why would any business want to move there under those circumstances. If I had to move there to work I'd live in one of the towns around and not in Joplin. Why are the business leaders, real estate agents, and citizens not running these folks off? Costing you money in more ways than one every single day.
Re "slumber party" I understand how the rules were in place to determine who is placed first on the ballot. What I think is funny is how you condemned those running for reelection for being there early and staying in the building yet you don't seem to find anything wrong with one candidate (I am not naming names here because this isn't about him/her - it is about you) arriving at 2 or 3 am with the intention of waiting outside. She/he was invited inside but declined the invite. But arriving at that hour hoping to be the only one who thought of that plan is exactly the same behavior displayed by the candidates you hate. You make one group sound like cheaters while portraying the other as a victim.
I am sure those landis was "threatening" we're shaking in their boots. He is a scary guy. Not. It isn't unethical for them to support those they think will be the best choice. Voting isn't made public. If my boss tells me his political views I listen politely, I don't argue my POV and then I vote how I want to vote.
Landis is a creep...first time I met him, I thought what a creepy little man....
2:42,
You can be flippant about the actions of Mike Landis, but remember this is a district that has fired an inordinate number of staff members for daring to not agree with administration. This is the same board that stated it would not be involved with the day-to-day operations of the district, so Landis had no business pressing his opinions on those who work for him. Were they physically threatened? No. But it is wrong to take advantage of a captive audience. If you can't see what is wrong with the situation, you need a refresher course in worker rights. I doubt one teacher will change his or her mind based on what Landis likes, but he needs to NOT be imposing his preferences on those who dare not argue against him.
2:36--
The candidate that you won't mention did what is standard protocol. Candidates line up at the door, as the board secretary told her to, and the first one there is the first to sign up, and they sign up in order of arrival. To have gotten there at 8:00 the night before and to have abuses one's power to provide ones self with better circumstances reflects the abuse of power that is at heart here. It's a shame you don't get that.
2:42--
A true professional will not push his/her beliefs on employees knowing that they are not free to state their minds. Apparently, your boss doesn't make you feel free to state your beliefs, but inflicts his upon you anyway.
Some call that harassment.
No one has stated the obvious, the reason people running for office want their name on top, is because they are betting that voters are uninformed and will vote for the first name they see.
BE INFORMED DON'T BE SHEEP.
Personal gain, like just happening to know the district needed to aquire land next to Junge stadium and buying it before they did, then selling it to the district for a very nice profit... but it's OK, because Landis excused himself from the vote.
2:36--
Under what circumstance should 2 people wishing to be candidates and 1 board member be allowed to have access into the district ADMINISTRATION building with no supervision? Seems like they could have access to things that we as citizens might not agree with. I guess I'm naive, but why/how do they even have keys? And the rules of this game CLEARLY state that they were NOT allowed into the building. So are we playing by the rules or not? I would love to know.
Very convenient for everyone to remember at voting time. The first four names on the ballot aren't worth a vote, unless you like little tricks like the sleepover to rig the ballot order.
The point is that the others should have waited the night outdoors also.
Might want to do some fact-checking...if you're going to smear a decent person's reputation, the least you could do is spell the name correctly.
That being said, people who are upset at Mr. Turner's portrayal of events should remind themselves that this is a blog and not a news site. Mr. Turner is free to be as biased and sensationalistic as he chooses.
They also called the head of technology and got the password to use the internet.
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