Bob Noel has made his share of inane, outrageous and self-serving statements during his tenure as a school board trustee, but to claim that the school board was out of the loop when critical decisions were made about Measure V projects is classic Noel gibberish.
Who was really in control? Bob asks in a long op-ed piece in the September 4, 2005 News-Press. A better question to ask is: where the hell was Bob Noel when all those projects came before the board for approval? Surely he was on the dais with his fellow trustees, scowling his trademark scowl as he pored over charts and graphs and tables and other minutiae of the public education game; surely he realizes that the district has a bond oversight committee whose membership includes at least one trustee. If Bob was so concerned about the morality of using Measure V money for softball scoreboards and swimming pools, why didn’t he raise his hand and sound the alarm before significant dough was spent?
It might be informative to dig into the record and see how old Bob voted on the many projects that came before the board. Being the contrarian voice on the board gives him a thrill, not to mention a photo and byline in the News-Press from time to time, but I’d bet the record shows that more often than not he voted with the district administration.
Even with state matching funds, the amount of the Measure V bond was never going to be sufficient to fund all the needs of the high school district. Unless he was sleeping through board meetings, Bob had to grasp this essential fact. Did he expect the chronically understaffed district administration to make all the decisions about Measure V projects without consulting principals, parents, and other interested parties? If they had, Bob would now be bitching about the lack of “input” from stakeholders.
Maybe the reason Bob sees a “disconnect” between plans and reality is that many school board meetings run long into the night, into and beyond the Letterman and Leno hours, testing the endurance and attention span of men and women much younger than Bob. Perhaps old Bob was simply too pooped to pay attention when important issues came up for vote. All I know is that the man is definitely a head trip, the kind of dude who participates in a decision and then claims amnesia when the deal goes awry.
That’s the definition of a weenie in my book.
4 comments:
O zong...you are so right on...Noel and focus and $ and practical intelligence...as well as what millions (on either end of the country, anyhow) are saying and believe.....keep up the good and insightful work, both local and national.
Terrific piece on the less than insightful trustee. Being the Lone Ranger on the board has gotten him nowhere. He has forgotten the importance of Tonto. Having driven two superintendents from the district, I suspect he is on his way to the third. Too bad. For the district. For the staff. And, for Noel!
He's an arrogant idiot who purports to know the answers to questions never asked. How the staff and other board members have put up with him for years is a testament to their commitment and not his.
I'm glad the SBNP gave out your blog address. Having attended a number of meetings and/or watched the re-broadcast, I find his micro-managing skills offensive. If he wants to be the superintendent, he should have applied for the position. I agree with the most recent comments on this site. Doesn't he know the board rules by majority AND not by a single vote.
After nearly six years one would think so. Not Dr. Noel.
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