Ooops!!!
I’m sure this is an oversight, but someone in the Hamilton Southeastern School District is probably running contrary to the law and will want to correct that as soon as possible.
If you go to HSE’s website there is an icon on the front page encouraging residents to “Vote yes” on its upcoming referendum. That wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t for the fact that I believe state law forbids governmental entities from using taxpayer dollars to advocate positions during elections and referendums. I could be wrong on this.
In addition, there’s another sign up page to volunteer for the referendum as well. I’m sure this is just an oversight and now that I’ve brought it to their attention, they’ll probably fix it.
Glad to help, guys.
October 29th, 2009 at 6:21 am
I wonder if the corporation superintendent and staff have ever read the Indiana law on Felony Official Misconduct?
IC 35-44-1-2
Official misconduct
Sec. 2. A public servant who:
(1) knowingly or intentionally performs an act that the public servant is forbidden by law to perform; commits Official Misconduct, a class D-felony.
October 29th, 2009 at 6:54 am
Funny… I received a newsletter from HSE schools just the other day touting all of the wonderful things the district has done over the last year.
Of course…on the very front of the newsletter it said Vote “YES” to the upcoming referendum. My first thought when seeing that was if it is legal to be using tax payer money to advertise such a position.
It probably is just an oversight…whats next school administrators (i.e. principals) wanting to have student council members begin knocking door to door to encourage residents to vote yes.
October 29th, 2009 at 6:56 am
Look folks, it's like this:
Superintendents and most school boards are arrogant as hell. They think they've got the RIGHT to do this. If you clal them into question, they question YOUR motives. Seriously.
We'd be so much better off, if superintendents could be recruited from the private sector with maybe two months of intense in-service in school admin.
There are multitudes of good CEO-CFO types out of work or under-employed these days, who would make excellent school superintendents.
They'd need some transitional help into the world of school admin and politics. But for the most part, it would only take a few weeks of that.
It'd shake up Indiana schools like nothing in the past. Long overdue.
There is no new blood in that superintendents' circle in 60 years. Our new state school superintendent, who touts performance standards, oversaw a southern Indiana district whose numbers are not impressive at all.
It's the Peter Principle.
October 29th, 2009 at 7:32 am
The 4×6 vinyl banner urging 'vote yes' that was erected in the front lawn of Beech Grove's South Grove Middle School several weeks ago also falls into this category.
October 29th, 2009 at 7:55 am
“Yes” for Wishard signs are posted on county property around the city where public employees are reportedly making similar mistakes.
It's hard to imagine that these property tax funded referenda or the tactics of their proponents, would've been acceptable to voters during the 2007 election. Wonder how they'll look a year or two from now?
Unlike the simplicity & transparency of sales taxes; property taxes the obscure calculations of a bureaucratic gaming system, which enable the continued growth & girth, of government expanded far beyond any line sight of purpose.
October 29th, 2009 at 8:15 am
Interestingly, the “YES Committee” for the Franklin Township Schools Referendum is ran out of the FTCSC Central Office.
http://www.yesft.org/howtohelp.html
And… on the official Beech Grove website, they are selling yard signs and pushing their GOTV activites.
http://www.bgcs.k12.in.us/Referendum.htm
October 29th, 2009 at 8:42 am
TA, I rarely agree with you, but I do like to diversify my group think. As a loyal reader of these posts I have a huge suggestion. Make the switch to Apple. They have an active spell check on every program. Believe me, I am no grammar Nazi (case in point, I misspelled grammar and it let me know it ends with an a and not an e) Please help the economy and buy a Mac. Besides, PC's are Fascist.
October 29th, 2009 at 8:47 am
I thought the speech restrictions only applied to capital project referendums, and did not apply tax levy referendums like those in HSE, Beech Grove, and Franklin Twp. I.C. 20-46-1-1 et seq. Glad to help.
October 29th, 2009 at 8:54 am
The YES signs are posted on FranklinCentral High School doors AND if your going by the school, check out the school bus being used for advertisng the referendum parked at a daycare between the 2 entrances to the high school ( approx 6200 S Franklin Rd), And I'm thinking the school corp also owns this property. Go fiqure… they are using a school bus to promote Tuesday's vote…but yet we are told transportation will have to be cut if the referundum fails…seems to me they should sell the bus they evidently do not need.
October 29th, 2009 at 9:14 am
Bill, I get that a lot….I've explained here before, to Rico's unending dismay, that I often type these posts on a small BBerry keyboard. My thumbs are fat. Ergo, spelling errors flow…I havhe a Mac at home. Hate it. Absolutely despise it. Can't afford to replace it.
Grammar isn't my problem. Bad spelling via typos is. Sorry. It's a blog…except for the common errors I detest, I let 'em go:
Using an apostrophe to make anything plural; bad possessive pronounds; your instead of you're; etc.
Anonymous raises a good point about public officials' support for referanda: I know he's correct about bonds. I don't know if he's right about other issues….technically, the Wishard referendum is permission for a bond issue, isn't it? It's a very interesting question.
But for argument's sake, evgen if it WERE okay to use public domains for support of referenda, it's unethical to do so. I have an ongoing disagreement with a prominent southside Superintendent abotu this very subject. He thinks he's entitled–no, OBLIGATED–to promote his district's referendum next month. I argue that if he does support it, he should show that support via an outside group of parents, etc. Using school resources is unethical.
But I lost that argument.
October 29th, 2009 at 9:33 am
An argument can be made that HSE and Franklin are capital improvements while Beech Grove is transportation.
October 29th, 2009 at 9:41 am
Ha, or you could just use the free browser Firefox which has built in spell correction.
October 29th, 2009 at 10:08 am
TA, your comments about the arrogance of superintendents is right on my mark. You're back on the right track in your comments after that fling you had endorsing the ill-advised complete smoking ban.
October 29th, 2009 at 11:33 am
My dismay? Get over yourself! I couldn't care less. I occasionally correct you because you're so quick to demonstrate your superior intellect by correcting others.
October 29th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
LOL, OK Paul. The smoking ban isn't over yet, hopefully. nd it will happen, sooner or later.
Superintendents and I go way back, Paul. I know my way around a school budget, and when a citizen does that, they feel threatened. Because usually only the uber-administrative types pay any attention to it. It's written on forms that administrators developed, in language that resembles the dog whistles for human comprehension. It took me a long time to understand their budgets. It's not common math or common sense.
I was kidding, Rico. I only correct really lousy grammar. The possessive thing is a particular nuisance. And you rose to the bait. LMAO
October 29th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
A citizen shout out or “thank you,” to State Representative Phil Hinkle & Senator Scott Schneider, for holding a press conference today, to present the other side or disclosure of taxpayer risks, associated with the Wishard referendum.
Symbolically, the press conference was held in front of the city's new yet anachronistic, way over budget, expanded earth covering, known as the public library; a buggy whip to compete with the likes of 2-4 lb laptops- ain't that brilliant?
Imagine the public opinion that would exist, in the informed light of real live & local, professional journalism, in papers and on other than cable or network broadcast… It's fun to think about stuff like that.
October 29th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
I look forward to reading the Star's coverage in the morning.. Bwahaaa, right! Did you know they've been locking out accounts and hiding the comments of people who speak out in opposition of the referndum? “Where the spirit of the Ryerson is, there is tyranny”
October 29th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
I'm with Dave on this one. The library is a beautiful architectural landmark. And completely worthless.
But Phil Hinkle? Seriously? He's a dope.
October 30th, 2009 at 5:30 am
Agreement on the thanks to Hinkle and Schneider for opposing the Wishard refererendum. VOTE if you haven't.
If you oppose nearly 2000 pgs of health care legislation that is acknowledged by some Congressmen and media as unreadable, common sense says unaffordable, and is inapplicable to the very people that crafted it- tell them!
Heck, even if you think the legislation is peachy, call your Senators and Representatives and express your viewpoint. We got into this mess because we sat too long on the couch eating bon-bons instead of being citizens:
Bayh 554-0750, Lugar 226-5555, Burton 226-5555
October 30th, 2009 at 6:39 am
[...] Comments Taxpayer 834512 on Ooops!!!Think Again on Ooops!!!joshpeters on Wednesday Wire Regarding Tuesday Tidbitsjoshpeters on Wednesday [...]
October 30th, 2009 at 9:04 am
A “NO VOTE” on these referenda is a “NO NEW TAXES” vote, period. Citizens will vote to either protect or pledge their assets, it's that simple. It's the after tax dollars of citizens vested in equity that's being pledged in these referenda.
This referenda stuff reminds us of a 1900+ page document they're milling & mulling in DC. Ahh, the life of bureaucrats, so little time, so many taxes…
October 30th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Agreement on the thanks to Hinkle and Schneider for opposing the Wishard refererendum. VOTE if you haven't.
If you oppose nearly 2000 pgs of health care legislation that is acknowledged by some Congressmen and media as unreadable, common sense says unaffordable, and is inapplicable to the very people that crafted it- tell them!
Heck, even if you think the legislation is peachy, call your Senators and Representatives and express your viewpoint. We got into this mess because we sat too long on the couch eating bon-bons instead of being citizens:
Bayh 554-0750, Lugar 226-5555, Burton 226-5555
October 30th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
A “NO VOTE” on these referenda is a “NO NEW TAXES” vote, period. Citizens will vote to either protect or pledge their assets, it's that simple. It's the after tax dollars of citizens vested in equity that's being pledged in these referenda.
This referenda stuff reminds us of a 1900+ page document they're milling & mulling in DC. Ahh, the life of bureaucrats, so little time, so many taxes…