Rush To Judgment On Santiago A Costly One For OUSD

This is from the most recent edition of Orange Net News' Orange Unified News Digest (all emphases in the original):

The February 10, 2005 Orange Unified School District Trustees Meeting will include paying $50,000 more in educational tax funds to the OUSD Revocation Lawyers firm of Miller Brown and Dannis. The firm is charged with making the OUSD senior staff's legal arguments to revoke the Santiago Charter. It is believed the firm was primarily responsible for the controversial Revocation Report. The Consent Agenda (items not scheduled for discussion and voted on as a group) Contract Services Item 12D (agenda page 6) states:

"Due to the on-going investigation at Santiago Middle School and other legal matters, additional funds of $50,000 are requested to pay for these services."

The next item on the same page is for $225,000 in educational tax funds for an "open purchase order" for the District's regular law firm Parker & Covert to cover the period of January 1, 2005 through June 20, 2005.

The additional attorney fees come on the same agenda that has the first reading of the Budget Criteria (Action Item 14 A. page 16) for this year's deficit budget that will produce teacher cuts, class size increases and elimination of programs to balance it.

Then, in the We're Not Making This Up category, ONN reports this:

OTHER AGENDA ITEMS:
Item 12D (page 6): The Cosca Group (an executive search firm. In the ultimate waste in consultant spending, this item pays a consultant $1,500 in educational tax funds for the following "professional service":

"The Cosca Group will provide professional services over three sessions to the Board of Education using an outline entitled, "A Guided Dialogue between Board Members and Consultants'."

Yes, it appears this $1,500 consultant will teach Board members how to talk to...consultants!

But hey -- it's all for the children.

Comments

[redperegrine]

Man, this is like something out of Lewis Carroll. How can these people be so stupid? And how do they get away with it? Is it some kind of vast conspiracy?

[Jubal]

Conspiracy? Did you say -- conspiracy? Then it's a good thing Steve Rocco is in place to call "uh-uh" on any shenanigans by The Partnership!

But seriously, I think stupidity is the more likely explanation.

[redperegrine]

It seems as if there's some kind of institutional mantle thrown over the shoulders of all this governmental mediocrity.

With so many really smart and talented people around, how come so few of them get involved in elective politics?

Maybe because they're smart and talented!