Smart guy, that Walter Williams

Who was Walter Edwards Williams (1936-2020)?

If all you knew about him was what is quoted above, you'd say he was a pretty smart guy.

I encourage you to take a.few minutes and read about Walter Williams on Wikipedia.com    Learn about his upbringing, education, military service, degrees and friendships.

Wikipedia has this to say, "As an economist, Williams was a proponent of free market economics and opposed socialist systems of government intervention. Williams believed laissez-faire capitalism to be the most moral, most productive system humans have ever devised." 

And this: "Williams believed that racism and the legacy of slavery in the United States are overemphasized as problems faced by the black community today. He pointed to the crippling effects of a welfare state and the disintegration of the black family as more pressing concerns. 'The welfare state has done to black Americans what slavery couldn't do, and that is to destroy the black family.' "

And "Williams viewed gun control laws as a governmental infringement upon the rights of individuals, and argued that they end up endangering the innocent while failing to reduce crime."

Not just a pretty smart guy. A very smart guy.

What questions are being asked in schools?

Could this be happening right here in Richland 2? Ask your kids now.

Read this FoxNews article about questions being asked of students in Fairfax County, Virginia schools. The questions are being asked of students in 8th Grade, 10th Grade and 12th Grade. Answering the questions is reported not to be mandatory.

I can hear the teacher's explanation now. "Who wants to answer these questions? All others, report to detention after school."

What questions?

"Have you ever had sexual intercourse?"

"How old were you when you had sexual intercourse for the first time?"

"During your life, with how many people have you had sexual intercourse?"

"Have you ever had oral sex?"

Questions are also asked about "their sexual orientation, whether they are transgender, and their race."

How old are kids in 8th Grade? 13? 14?

A long time ago I learned that, just because someone asks me a question, I don't have to answer it. Just because someone wrote down or printed a question on a piece of paper, I don't have to answer it.

Have students learned that yet? 

My stepson came home from middle school one afternoon and said, "Guess what I learned in school today. Stand up for what you think is right, even if you are standing alone."

Then he added, "Except in school, where you get in trouble."

Have today's students learned to say, "I am not answering those questions, and I don't know to tell you why not."

SCSBA Leaves NSBA

Last Friday, November 5, the South Carolina School Boards Association (SCSBA) voted to withdraw from the National School Boards Association (NSBA) and to request a refund of its 2021-2022 membership dues.

I suspect many school boards in the State went down the throat of the SCSBA over the NSBA's letter to the White House. That furor led to protesting parents' being labeled as domestic terrorists, and parents won't stand for that.

Richland 2 didn't exactly jump on the band wagon. At the last board meeting somebody suggested a Resolution be prepared for presentation to the SCSBA, and the Richland 2 board expected it at the next board meeting on November 16. Other districts got busy and got the job done, while Richland 2 was trying to figure out how to circle the wagons.

Good thing a building wasn't on fire. 

Will Administration keep going with the preparation of the Resolution?

What are Baron Davis' Side-hustles?

People around here know Baron Davis as the superintendent of the Richland 2 School District. For that he was paid $233,882.97 in 2020, plus  an $18,000 car allowance.

You'd think that being superintendent of a large school district (28,000 students and 3,000+ employees) would be a full-time job; right? Apparently not.

The University of South Carolina paid him $14,000 in 2020. He has put a tagline on his email signature that he is Superintendent-in-Residence. What does he do for $14,000? A lot of people would have to work over a month for that amount of pay.

The University of the Cumberlands is another of his employers. He draws a salary from that school, which is located in Williamsburg, Kentucky. That's about 342 miles from Columbia. When does he have time to teach there? Or does he teach online courses there? At what times-of-day are those courses conducted?

One of his students reported on ratemyprofessor.com: "Written assignments are very self-reflective. Turned in three before I received any type of grade on the first one that was submitted. Feedback on all assignments seemed to be a cookie cutter statement that may or may not have had anything to do with my particular performance on that particular assignment."

Another student "graded" him with "Dr. Davis was informative and a very intelligent man but he was horrible at getting assignments graded."

And then there is The NeoGenesis Group. That's Davis' own business, established in 2018, of which he is the President and CEO. Its website is www.noegenesisgroup.com

There seems to be some confusion, even on his own website, as to whether it's the NeoGenesis Group or the Noe Genesis Group.

On his Statement of Economic Interests Report to the South Carolina Ethics Commission, Davis reported the name as "The Noe Genesis Group".

In bold, capitalized letters on his website, it's "THE NEOGENESIS GROUP".

In tiny print at the top left of the homepage of his website, it's "THE NOEGENESIS GROUP".

In the "ABOUT NOEGENESIS" section of the website, one can read what the business is about:

"Founded and established in 2018, The Noegenesis Group is a solutions-focused and outcomes-driven Think Tank who's [sic] philosophical orientation of support is rooted in the belief that we are at all times working toward self-actualization and continuous improvement."

Maybe someone in the tank should think a little more about whether it's who's or whose? While they are tinkering with spelling, they might also review "ESTB 2018".

In view of three side-hustles, the logical question might be, "Is Richland 2 getting his full-time services for $233,000/year? Or did the majority on the board (Holmes, McKie, Caution-Parker, Manning) decide they could do with less than his full time for the $233,000?

Davis reported his income from The Noe Genesis Group on his 2021 Statement of Economic Interests Report to the Ethics Commission as Salary. That would lead one to think that The Noe Genesis Group is one form of corporation or another. Income from sole proprietor ships and partnerships is not "salary". But the S.C. Secretary of State has no business registration for either The Neo Genesis Group or The Noe Genesis Group. Interesting ...

McKie Fails to Report R2 Income

Every year every school board member is required to file a Statement of Economic Interests Report (SEI) with the South Carolina Ethics Commission. Most do.

Amelia McKie has racked up $57,100 in fines payable to the Ethics Commission, and you'd think that, after 7 years in public office, she would either know how to complete the forms herself or find someone who does.

When McKie filed her 2021 SEI, she neglected to report her income from the Richland 2 School District. 

There are several possibilities: 1. She decided not to accept the pay; 2. Since she isn't a legitimate trustee, the District didn't pay her; 3. She didn't think she was supposed to report it; 4. She didn't know what "Income from an [sic] S.C. Governmental Entity" was; 5. She didn't think a school board/district was a S.C. Governmental Entity. (The other six members of the board correctly reported R2 income.)

She did file her SEI on-time on January 12, 2021. Give her points for that.

But she failed to report her $9,600 income for the calendar year of 2020. I think it's a fair assumption that she received it. 

McKie reported personal income from NLLC, whatever that is. A filer is not required to report the amount of personal income.

McKie did not report any amount under Family Members' Income. Was she single by January 1, 2020?

All the other trustees and trustee-elect Holmes reported Richland 2 income. Holmes, Caution-Parker, Agostini, Scott (Elkins) each reported $9,600 from Richland 2. Manning reported $10,600. McFadden reported $1,600 (she took office in November 2020 and was paid for two months of 2020 service).

When a filer reports personal income from a business entity by its initials only, it is impossible to discern whether any conflict-of-interest exists. The Ethics Commission should require filers to spell out the name of the business. If a business is known by its initials, then there ought to be a public record of such a business in the office of the S.C. Secretary of State. The first result for NLLC from Google is Newfoundland Labrador Liquor Club. I'm going to guess that's probably not her source of income. Just a guess, of course.

Also, when the Ethics Commission allows a filer to use a P.O. Box, it is impossible to know where the filer lives. This is important when it is a school board trustee (or trustee-elect, as is the case with McKie) because, as I understand it, a trustee must reside in the school district. 

Who is Thomas Sowell?

 

Do you know who Thomas Sowell is?

Take five minutes out of your business day and watch this short video. It will be worth your time.

Keep your pencil and paper handy for some book titles you may want to jot down.

The Board's Majority

Which people sitting at the front of the board room control the school board? There are four.

Teresa Holmes. An unemployed former guidance counselor and lead teacher in the Fairfield County School District, who quit her job on short notice on August 1, claiming to be retiring. She identified as an "assistant Administrator", but that's not how Fairfield County School District responded in a FOIA answer. She wields a heavy hammer at board meetings, often disregarding Robert's Rules of Order and talking over other board members. Holmes is not a legitimate board member. She has never taken the oath of office legally.

James Manning. Long-time board member and State employee. Vice Chair of the Board for the 2021-2022 school year. He recently flipped to the side of The Squad and nominated Holmes as Board Chair on June 29, 2020, in spite of my plea to the board during Public Participation that only fully-qualified board members should be nominated and elected as officers of the board.

Amelia McKie. Board Secretary for the 2021-2022 school year. She, like Holmes, took the oath-of-office illegally on November 13, 2018, a full three weeks before she filed the required Statement of Economic Interests Report on December 4, 2018. Like Holmes, McKie has never taken the oath of office legally. She illegitimately as Board Chair from November 13, 2018 until June 30, 2019. On June 29, 2020 she was not eligible to be nominated as Board Secretary, but she was, and she was voted in. McKie owes $57,100 in fines to the South Carolina Ethics Commission. Since the amount owed has not been declining, she appears unable financially to make payments on her fines.

There is a $51,750 Judgment against McKie in the Richland County Common Pleas Court. Case No. 2019CP4003809  was filed on July 10, 2019. The South Carolina Department of Revenue is the collection agent for the Ethics Commission, but it appears ineffective in wringing any money out of McKie. In fact, her fines now total $57,100.

When McKie filed her 2021 Statement of Economic Interests Report with the Ethics Commission, she did not report any income from a S.C. Governmental Entity. Hello? What does she think Richland School District Two income is? That's where you report the $800/month trustee salary! She reported consulting income only from NLLC (whatever that is). McKie also reported no Family Members' Income, although she had done so in previous years. 

What is McKie living on? Doesn't she have a husband, whose income from LHI was reported on previous SEIs? Does she still live at 47 Hunters Pond Drive (29229)? She filed using a P.O. Box in 29229, which means the Ethics Commission doesn't know where she lives. Does she still live in the District?

Cheryl Caution-Parker is the fourth member of the majority. She often has little to say in board meetings, just keeping her seat warm and collecting her $800/month for showing up. She achieved fame twice recently; once by rudely saying "Tough!" to fellow trustee Monica Scott, when Trustee Scott was trying to get her seconded Motion opened up for discussion. All in the audience noticed that Caution-Parker was not criticized by the Chair for speaking disrespectfully toward a fellow board member.

Holmes had completely disregarded Robert's Rules of Order and also disregarded the Point of Order stated by another board member.

The second bout with fame was when Caution-Parker achieved publicity in The State newspaper on November 4, after parents in the courtyard in front of R2i2 after the October 12th board meeting alleged that Caution-Parker uttered a "F*ck you" at one of them.

I emailed Sheriff Lott to ask that he obtain a report from the deputy who was escorting Caution-Parker to the parking lot as to what he had heard.

Why can't board members walk to their own cars without a deputy to escort them? Are their feelings getting hurt by parents expressing irritation, even anger, at them during board meetings? NO ONE has threatened any board member! Yet the District has been buying RCSD services for 2-3 deputies at every meeting for more than two years.

ALL FOUR of these have terms expiring in November 2022. The best thing that could happen in Richland Two would be for all four not to be re-elected.