Vision 2025 Part II

This was given to us by Dennis Reinert who gave this speech to the School Board at the meeting of February 26. After his speech, the school board voted to verbally support Vision2025, but it did not give the project any taxpayer money.

I’m sure it’s safe to assume that along with the presentation by Vision2025 last month came the request for a contribution. It’s a routine, finely tuned, operation that repeats itself from government entity to government entity across states and counties. Locate the key people who have influence over the control of tax dollars, give them the song and dance, sell them on the dream, and get them to do your dirty work of slipping them taxpayers money out the back door.

But let’s be clear here, government bodies such as yourself earn no money, they redistribute taxpayers money, supposedly for the purpose it was collected. Not one dollar belongs to you, you have only been entrusted to use it wisely toward the sole purpose for which it was given. Anything else is nothing less than a breach of trust.

Now, you might all believe that Vision2025 is the best thing since individually wrapped sliced cheese, and that’s all fine and well. Everyone loves a dream, and anyone who can sell that dream will always attract followers. Televangelists and multi level marketers have been doing it for decades. And you have every right to PERSONALLY support that organization. You do not have the right to force others to support that organization by giving the organization their money without their consent.

Just as a reminder, there is no magic, no Santa Clause, no free ride, everything comes with a price tag. Yet, as I look around, I see no personal checkbooks out, no one ready to write that big contribution from their own account. I haven’t seen any publicity of Mr. Abernathy handing over $10,000 of his own money, only the money of Clemson taxpayers. How about all the Chamber of Commerce who so strongly support this? Let’s see the cancelled checks from them, or better yet where is Mrs. Walsh’s? How about Mr. Sweitzer, or Mr. Spittal, or Mr. Steck, all far better off than the average Pickens County citizen? Get lost in the mail?

Just the Chamber’s and these folks could easily come up with the money to pay for Carpe Diem from mere pocket change. No elected official representing the county residents signed that contract, and as such should not be asked to pay for it. Why does it always seem this is such a great plan, as long as the money comes from the taxpayers bank accounts and not yours? Have this board donated to the Salvation Army, the United Way, or how about Miracle Hill or even the county humane society? All great organizations working hard for the people of this county? Why so anxious to give money for a dream and not for the proven hard workers providing valuable services in your area? Better sales people I suppose.

Lately we’ve been hearing the word “Healing” coming from this board. There can be no doubt a huge chasm has developed between you and your constituents. The majority of your fellow citizens no longer respect you, no longer trust you to handle the money placed in your care wisely. The healing process can only begin when you begin to demonstrate responsible behavior and earn back the trust. Does anyone here really believe that giving the taxpayers hard earned money to an organization not related to the education process, an organization not accountable to the taxpayers who will use it to pay for a Florida consulting company, is a way to rebuild that trust? Any money spent in this manner is money that never makes it to the teachers and classroom. Will this benefit the students’ education, cut the drop out rate? Can you actually rationalize in your minds how contributing to Vision2025 enhances the teaching environment, especially when we have students on the street fund raising for school supplies? My goodness folks, is there no shame any more?

Ladies and Gentlemen, you have filled your trough to the brim, and your silver spoons are before you. Trust is earned, not granted thru pleas for healing. You can begin to earn back the trust of the citizens by using this money wisely. Giving it away and increasing the administrative salary base with friends and relatives is not the way. Everything you do is being watched…closely. Your fellow citizens are afraid to turn their backs to you. You’ve squandered any credibility you once had, yours words of healing ring hollow. Only your actions speak. Only by your actions can you begin the healing process and move us forward, or…you can prove 2/3 of the citizens of the county right. You control the trough. Now it all depends on what you do when you pick up those spoons.