Monday, September 26, 2022

Weapons in the board room?

Do NOT get in Teresa Holmes' way!

Have you noticed the size and weight of all those rings on her fingers? Can you imagine the damage they would do, if they connected with your chin or cheek? And that heavy watch she wears? One slap with that, and you'd be down for the count.

Why does Richland 2 Security allow those on school property?

Will McKie settle her Ethics Commission debt?

Amelia McKie's term-of-office as a school board member ends on about November 17, 2022.

During her last two months she is enjoying spending District money to attend conferences in Atlanta and Miami. These two are likely to cost the District about $5,000 and will leave her successor only a small amount remaining of the annual $7,000 travel and training allowance.

McKie owes $57,100 to the S.C. Ethics Commission. Will she pay off this debt before leaving office?

On July 10, 2019 the S.C. Ethics Commission filed a judgment against her for $51,700 in unpaid ethics fines. There appears to have been no collection activity.

Ms. McKie's debt to the Ethics Commission is now $57,100, and she has a hearing scheduled for October 20, 2022 on the latest violation.

The S.C. Department of Revenue appears to be taking no action against her. It could have garnished her wages from Richland 2, attached her banking assets, gone after her other income, and attempted to collect against any other assets she has.

At the school board meeting on September 13th, she stated that she will do her job "diligently" until her term ends.

Does that include paying her debt?

There is one right way

There is one right way to do things. And then there are all the other ways.

There is not "my" right way or "your" right way. There is A right way. There is not "my" truth or "your" truth. There is The Truth.

So why does the Richland 2 school board have such a hard time doing things the "right" way?

One reason is lack of training. 

The trustees were not trained in how to spend their $7,000 annual allowances for training and travel. That's why several of them blew right past their limits.

Another reason is inattention. And another is irresponsibility. How about entitlement? Privilege? And lack of intention to comply with the limit and stop spending when they were out of money.

After all, it's not their money. It's someone else's money. It's the public's money. So what?

And then there is training how to make motions correctly during board meetings. Two weeks ago the motion should have been, "I move to award a "Meets Expectations" evaluation to the superintendent and to add one year to his employment contract." That's all Holmes had to say. 

Instead, she overwhelmed the recording secretary. No wonder the motion was prepared incorrectly. And then four trustees failed to read and understand the motion, so they voted "Yes" to conclude the superintendent's contract.

But the trustees have not been trained in Parliamentary procedures.

Election Day is 43 days away. Early voting begins even sooner. Your vote in this Election can end the chaos and antics of recent years.