December 2, 2009
Is There a Lawyer in the House?
Full disclosure: I home-school my kids. That’s right, it’s not just for right-wing freaks, it’s for left-wing freaks too! We just do it without all the anti-Darwin rhetoric. Anyhoo, with that out of the way I can ask you, what in the Sam Hell is going on with the Wake County School Board? Weren’t those folks elected, like, two minutes ago? How can they show up at their first meeting, on their first day in office, with an agenda? Is that legal?
Clearly, the new majority has met before. Their tacky “celebration” soiree showed that they consider themselves the school board in toto. The group identity is off-putting but not, in itself, a problem. However, showing up at the first meeting -again, on the first day of their terms! – with an agenda smacks of cabal, and that ain’t democratic. C’mon, let the sun shine! Not only is it better for everyone, it’s the legal thing to do. Getting together to plan an agenda, before you’ve taken office, and with no notice to the press or public is just not cricket. I hate to use such strong language, but this is serious. I hope Wake County’s lawyers are paying attention.
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The “Hundred Hours”
Main article: 100-Hour Plan
Prior to the U.S. 2006 midterm elections, Pelosi announced a plan for action: If elected, she and the newly-empowered Democratic caucus would push through most of its program during the first hundred hours of the 110th Congress’ term.[26] Later she said this referred to business hours rather than clock time, and began on the Tuesday (January 9, 2007) after the swearing-in ceremony on January 4.[citation needed]
It seems like it is pretty normal for a legislative body, that flips control from one group to another, to move quickly to do what they said they were going to do. Elections do mean something.
Here is more on what the U.S. House did in the first few days in 2006, from wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100-Hour_Plan
The gang of 5 never announced a 100 minute plan
anybody who followed the election knew exactly what they were planning to do
John Tedesco publicly stated several times that they were not going to rush into anything. He and Debra Goldman said they were going to listen to parents. Ron Margiotta called the former board “arrogant” and that’s why change was needed. How did they live up to these statements last night? When Carolyn Morrison asked Margiotta “Why?” when he asked to elect a new chair, his response was a one-word mumble–”Whatever.” So who’s arrogant now?
Apparently their first meeting’s actions were legal, but they were impolite, arrogant, and, contrary to their belief, NOT the will of all the parents of Wake County. The backlash has begun and the pressure must be kept on them.
Funny how short memories are when it is convenient. During the year round court case, in February WCPSS claimed that they would never have enough time to make the changes necessary. That the process of assignment was a long one. Yet now that the shoe is on the other foot, suddenly trying to get things done early is no longer ‘necessary’ but it is reckless and arrogant.
As for the claim that it is not the will of the Wake County population, unless you have evidence of election fraud, then stop saying that. The ‘low turnout’ claim is hollow as well since this time it was higher than in previous years.
Why would Morrison ask why there was a call for electing a new chair? We all know why. The votes show it. Does she really believe that a minority chair was actually going to happen?
Opinions are all over the place. Touchy topics.
Still, Roberts Rules (http://www.robertsrules.com/) should apply in meetings such as these where first impressions have warranted “gang of 5″ nicknames with good reason.