As I predicted, the organizational meeting of the Board of Education went according to script...if you were reading the version written by the Mayor.
Howard Horvath is the new Chair...via a 4-4 tie with Dorinda Borer which was (surprise, surprise!) broken by the Mayor casting the tie-breaking vote.
Who do they think they're fooling with this charade? They'll say this is all for the best interests of our kids...but they're trying only to "kid" us. This is all about power politics. The great force behind the powers-that-be is sending a message to all that oppose him:
In other words, while he may have lost control of the City Council, he still holds sway on the Board of Education: HE will dole out the patronage jobs which consume so much of our tax dollars; HE will continue to shuttle around educators and administrators according to his pleasure (or displeasure); and anyone who tries to stand between Bob Barron and his little lapdog John Picard will be crushed like insects. Oh wait...maybe I have that backwards? Who knows?
More to the point, politics has triumphed over education. I can't say with any certainty that there could have been any other outcome: had Dorinda Borer won, it's possible the same games would go on, but with different names. But at least there would have been a CHANCE for a change.
Going forward, I predict there's gonna be some serious political blowback over this one...even for the Boss (and the Mayor, too!). And let's not forget Messrs. Horvath & Saley: these gentlemen might discover they'll need a new re-election padrone as a result of this little end run.
One thing is for certain: this just gives me more fodder to chew on. It's a-gonna get mighty interesting around these parts in the coming months!
Howard Horvath is the new Chair...via a 4-4 tie with Dorinda Borer which was (surprise, surprise!) broken by the Mayor casting the tie-breaking vote.
Who do they think they're fooling with this charade? They'll say this is all for the best interests of our kids...but they're trying only to "kid" us. This is all about power politics. The great force behind the powers-that-be is sending a message to all that oppose him:
"Resistance is FUTILE!"
In other words, while he may have lost control of the City Council, he still holds sway on the Board of Education: HE will dole out the patronage jobs which consume so much of our tax dollars; HE will continue to shuttle around educators and administrators according to his pleasure (or displeasure); and anyone who tries to stand between Bob Barron and his little lapdog John Picard will be crushed like insects. Oh wait...maybe I have that backwards? Who knows?
More to the point, politics has triumphed over education. I can't say with any certainty that there could have been any other outcome: had Dorinda Borer won, it's possible the same games would go on, but with different names. But at least there would have been a CHANCE for a change.Going forward, I predict there's gonna be some serious political blowback over this one...even for the Boss (and the Mayor, too!). And let's not forget Messrs. Horvath & Saley: these gentlemen might discover they'll need a new re-election padrone as a result of this little end run.
One thing is for certain: this just gives me more fodder to chew on. It's a-gonna get mighty interesting around these parts in the coming months!
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