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DEL.ICIO.USQuestion public officials’ actions
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We all have our own little way of doing things. Your way may not be the best way. Nor is it the only way.
Let’s say you’re chief operating officer for Gwinnett County Public Schools. And under your watch, 25 campuses go a year or longer without undergoing fire code inspections.
How would you handle public fallout?
Well, here’s what yours truly would do.
First, I’d gather facts — the good and bad of what went errant. That way, I’d be ready for any conjecture brought forth by upset parents and media with questions that deserve answers. Next, I’d schedule a sit-down with the local press corps — a give-and-take with reporters assigned to cover the story. Maybe I’d suggest that Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks or one of his lieutenants accompany me.
And I’d attend that meeting loaded for bear. Prepared statements. Charts and copies of school inspection reports. Whatever necessary to clear the air. I might have handouts, too. One would document campuses that had been inspected properly and timely by county fire marshals. The other would show those that had fallen below radar. There’d be details of the violations, buoyed by info on what had been done to correct them since they came to light in January.
Now here’s where it gets critical. I’d lay out what my department has done to ensure parents that no campus goes a year, much less several years, inspection free. I’d be firm. Speak with conviction. After all, we’re talking about student safety.
Finally, I’d address the community — the parents and their kids. I’d write a letter or column and ask the media to publicize it. In it, I’d tell the people that the undetected infractions had been relatively minor. Easy fixes. That, even though the lack of inspections is serious business, it fortunately didn’t result in injury. Or death.
I’d let them know their school system had put in place a procedure to alert the fire marshal when inspections don’t occur. And I’d implore them to contact my office with questions.
Like I said, we all have our way of doing things. By no means is my way the best. But know what: It’s far better than the one taken by Jim Steele, who holds the position of chief operations officer for Gwinnett public schools.
When approached by an AJC Gwinnett News reporter for a face-to-face interview, he declined. Said that he might be misquoted. He even refused an offer to let both sides tape-record the interview. That way, if a dispute arose between what he said and what appeared in print, he’d have proof he was misquoted.
He wanted his questions e-mailed, and we obliged.
You might ask what’s the big deal. The questions still got answered and the paper still got the story, right? Sort of.
Experience has taught me that public officials who are reluctant to engage in the give-and-take of a live interview are insisting on a method that allows them to couch statements. They can avoid answering directly. It’s impossible to get clarity on an answer that’s vague, perhaps by design.
In Mr. Steele’s case, it says something else loudly and clearly — that this public official doesn’t answer to the public. He’s not about to let his operation, his decisions be questioned by a journalist.
Or you.
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Michael H. Smith
April 16, 2006 07:32 AM | Link to this
Poor AJC couldn’t get the answers they wanted? Oh and Mr. Badie is frustrated, annoyed, possibly a bit beyond miffed. Now think what little Ol’ John or Jane Q. Taxpayer of very small voice experiences when dealing with “OUR” employees. That’s right, they work for us! Would any of us dare to consider telling our boss when confronted for answers respond with this: We’ll send you an e-mail later on to explain our actions or inactions, we wouldn’t want anything taken out of context, misquoted or confused? Most of the time “We the People” are completely ignored by our elected officials and our bureaucrats seem to believe we simply don’t exist. More than a few politicians should read this blog, from President right on down to local county officials, including the bureaucrats and county department heads who think they are untouchable.
This is and election year, the time when we citizens get to hand out pink slips. Is it time to remind “OUR” employees who’s the boss?
By John
April 16, 2006 07:37 AM | Link to this
One would assume that Mr. Steele is just following the directions of Wilbanks and the Board in not having an honest, open discusion with the media and the public. If this was not the case he would been chastised in public by the admistration.They (the Board) have operated under the radar for many years (land purchases/huge sums of money spent on new central offices, etc.) and will continue to do until a Board is put in place that will be accountable to the public they serve. At the same time the media seems to be lazy when it comes to reviewing the $1.4 billion dollar budget and asking tough questions.
By James McCoy
April 16, 2006 08:12 AM | Link to this
The “Easter Bunny” has truely risen because Mr.Smith and I agree whole heartly on his post. What next true immigration reform coming out of Washington?
By jim dumond
April 16, 2006 10:05 AM | Link to this
Mr. Badie,
I understand your frustrations attempting to get information out of the GCPS administration. Unfortunately what you and the press continue to experience in these efforts will not end anytime soon as only two seats on the BOE are up for re-election this year. Not that it really matters as the board members are merely puppets to rubber stamp anything J. Alvin wants.
Let’s just look at how tax payers may choose to rein them in.
This year’s ballot will have a box to vote on a new SPLOST. Our school system surely must understand that this is one of the few times this issue has come during a general election and that general elections turn out a greater number of voters. Amongst these numbers will be a more voters without children, of people already fed up with the amount of taxation, of people fed up with a few select people spending $100,000,000+ of somebody else’s money in secret on carefully selected plots of land. Throw in the people that oppose any taxation or public schooling in general, the growing number of taxpayers that are either home schooling or have their children in private school and the vast number of people our current administration has p** off over the years and I think we’re in for an extremely close vote.
It’s just my opinion, but I believe they should have grave concerns regarding the passage of this tax and should be making attempts to make some peace with tax payers and the press.
Yeah right————-like that’ll ever happen.
By Regularjoe
April 16, 2006 11:30 AM | Link to this
Recently I read about the secret land buys by the school system. The commissioners have stopped that practice. The school board should follow the commisioners lead.
I’m not surprised the interview was so difficult to get. I don’t trust these people.
By Bruce Wilcox
April 16, 2006 01:16 PM | Link to this
Here is a real surprise I agree with everyone! And I’m glad that jim dumond raised the issue of the SPLOST tax or slush fund. The two departments that recieve the least of the slush fund revenues are public safety (police & fire) and libraries. These are two I feel deserve a bigger junk of the pie, they serve everyone equally.
As far as our school system, I’m sure not many realize that access to the playing fields around the schools is very restrictive and the school board turns a deaf ear to community needs for these much needed fields. Seems like a great waste of tax dollars, it’s there kids, but you’re not allowed to play on it.
By James McCoy
April 16, 2006 02:03 PM | Link to this
Boy the Easter Bunny must have everyone on Medication today Wilcox and Smith on the same page?
By Michael H. Smith
April 16, 2006 02:47 PM | Link to this
I would just like to give a big note of small thanks rightly due to one of “Lawrenceville’s Finest”, who thought enough of this one little pip-squeak-boss to hear out my complaint and share some of our mutual frustrations he faces every single day on the job as a city cop. As well as give some good direction on where to forward all of it for the greater good.
@ Jim Dumond
Just one B.o.E. meeting at Shiloh did it for yours truly Jim. After seeing firsthand the unprofessional conduct/reactions of J. Alvin to an adverse group – even though they may well have been hecklers with and agenda – a prerogative was formed in concrete that really hasn’t changed one iota since then about GCPS. We pay professionals a professional salary with the reasonable expectations they understand we require their actions, reactions and temper or temperament expressed to remain no less than professional at all times. This should especially hold true for our Superintendent at public B.o.E. meetings.
@ B.o.C.
This rainwater tax you commissioners have chosen to call a Stormwater fee needs revisiting. It is painfully obvious the county is after nothing but money – we the little taxpayer people’s money infinitum – with absolutely no sincere notions of addressing a Stormwater runoff problem from our properties. If so, an abatement program offering we citizens some options with specific means to reduce this fee concurrent to an implementation in actually reducing said runoff from our properties would have been introduced at the time your Stormwater fee was created.
Please re-think about this one B.o.C?
By LG
April 17, 2006 06:01 AM | Link to this
I don’t see where the surprise is. I knew during high school football season that there were going to be new school, and the map of these school have been on gwinnett.k12.gs.us for some time now.
I guess my surprise is that Mr Wilcox and Mr Smith didn’t know about it - you two are usually more informed.
By Dennis Billew
April 17, 2006 08:19 AM | Link to this
Rick: Only once would you follow your outline for decision making and dealing with issues.
After the “Local Press Corp” selected, edited and printed various one-liners from the meeting. After all of the citizens who had their own agendas attacked you and attempted to bully you. Then, if you had the guts, you would remember that you were hired and are paid to make decisions. To make decisions that are best for the school system. Then if you had the character you would proceed to make those decisions.
The other options, the gutless options, are make no decisions without the endorsement of the Press Corp, or whimper off into employment where someone else makes your decisions for you.
I believe that the School Board is justified in making land purchase decisions in private. We elected the School Board to represent us. We did not elect them to ask us to review and approve each decision that we think is important.
By Regularjoe
April 17, 2006 09:07 AM | Link to this
Dennis,
How about they use your tax money in secret and just tell the rest of us how they spend our tax money.
By meme
April 17, 2006 09:22 AM | Link to this
The problem with letting the public know that they are purchasing land for new schools is that the asking price would skyrocket. That is the only reason I can see for the secret.
By toucan
April 17, 2006 10:01 AM | Link to this
Rick, what’s with the mean muggin in your new pic? You look p-o’d brother.
By jim d
April 17, 2006 10:11 AM | Link to this
LG and meme.
Indeed we did elect the BOE members to represnt us. No question and no argument.
However, they were elected and swore to uphold georgia law. Part of that law includes the two Acts that apply to most meetings and records are known as the “Sunshine Laws.” These consist of the Open and Public Meetings Act (O.C.G.A. §§ 50-14-1 through 6) and the Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. §§ 50-18-70 through 76).
I fail to see how demanding our elected officals follow the letter and intent of a law can be justified. Gwinnett’s BOC decided recently to voluntarilly comply with the intent of the law as defined by the Attorney General, Thurbert Baker and has seen no inreased cost of purchasing properties. To assume our BOE would is a false, unfounded assumption.
You can find a guide to our sunshine laws here. Please take the time to read.
http://www.gfaf.org/resources/sunshine_laws.pdf
By LG
April 17, 2006 11:56 AM | Link to this
jim d,
How many elected officials have followed the law to the letter?
Like I’ve said, I knew about the new schools since the fall. I’m quite sure in six months, there have been board meetings since then that Joe Public could’ve gone to to ask about the schools.
By meme
April 17, 2006 12:08 PM | Link to this
Wow, Jim, I said that I could see why they met in secret. I didn’t say that I agreed with them or thought that they were right. I know what the Sunshine laws are. I am not ignorant.
By Sabrina
April 17, 2006 02:00 PM | Link to this
Hey Rick, I can’t say I blame the guy for turning down an interview with “Some” of you news organization. There have been cases in the past, where people’s comments have been taken out of context, misused and not shown entirely to the public.
I wouldn’t condem the man for not meeting with me. However, I do think he should have released a statement, addressing the concerns of the public.
Thank you for not publishing another race baiting topic today. It only brings out the crazy people.
By jim d
April 17, 2006 02:36 PM | Link to this
Sorry meme,
I didn’t intend to impugn your intelligence. My basic concern is that the SPLOST not pass because of our BOE’s attitude towards the law, regardless of what they’ve been told by the Attorney General.
We need to continue building schools, and the SPLOST is the least painful method of raising the funds to do exactly that. The point I was attempting to make is that our BOE has lost credibility with a great deal of voters due to their actions and that voters may decide enough is enough, making passage of this tax difficult at best. Past SPLOST’s have been approved on close to a 3:1 vote. I don’t foresee this one being approved by that kind of margin.
Hopefully I’ll be proven wrong.
By meme
April 17, 2006 02:47 PM | Link to this
I hope you will be proven wrong too. I think SPLOST is very important for our school systems.
By jim d
April 17, 2006 02:51 PM | Link to this
LG,
I think you’re missing the point.
Yes we’ve been told about the schools they plan to build now. But they spent over $1,000,000 buying properties recently without ever once getting public input and have yet to release the locations.
Do we want more schools located between landfills? Do you honestly trust any politician with a million dollars to spend on property not to consider which friends have properties they might buy?
I’m not saying there are any improprieties happening now, only that the opportunity for such things abounds when the public is not informed.
Personally I prefer they follow the law. What good are laws when there are people like you that say “yep it’s the law alright but hey, politicians are exempt from the law”?
By jim d
April 17, 2006 02:59 PM | Link to this
oops my bad—left out a couple of zero’s The figure should have been $100,000,000 +
Sorry for any confusion.
By jim d
April 17, 2006 03:04 PM | Link to this
meme,
Glad we’re in agreement on the SPLOST.
The only real difference I see is that I would prefer that the politicans be held to a higher level of accountability for how they spend the funds.
By wilbur
April 17, 2006 07:01 PM | Link to this
@toucan That was mean. Rick is a puddy kat. More of a badazz puddy kat now.
By Linda
April 17, 2006 07:24 PM | Link to this
Have you noticed—Not only does Jim Steele not answer to the public—but his boss J. Alvin (aka JAWs) doesn’t either. That way Berney Kirkland can word it all and earn her $100k each year. She can make them sound gooooood!!!
By Michael H. Smith
April 17, 2006 09:55 PM | Link to this
Hey LG. Here’s a real surprise for you my friend, as far back 1967 Mr. Smith knew Gwinnett County Public Schools would be building more schools. Hope this didn’t rock your world. Here’s another shocker L.G., Cobb County Schools has something Gwinnett County Schools doesn’t, transparency in purchasing land for schools. But wait L.G. this is an infomercial and it promises to get even better. Here’s our extra added bonus, a real two-for-one. Gwinnett County Public Schools has a Superintendent who can talk about world class and then make childish facial expression all at the same Public B.o.E. meeting in less time than an hour, when the people who oppose him ask for answers.
Bet Cobb County Public Schools hasn’t got a Superintendent who can act like world class adolescence!
By Elaine
April 17, 2006 11:33 PM | Link to this
Mr. Badie,
Before this blog topic goes away, I just wanted to thank you for speaking out and suggesting alternative ways that GCSB can work with the media, parents and community when difficult situations arise.
As a resident, I am proud of all the GCPS academic accomplishments as well as their ability to keep up with meeting the needs that go along with constant population increases.
As a parent, I am appalled by their arrogance, mistrust and plain old nastiness toward anyone (including the media) who dares to question their actions.
Keep up the reporting, AJC - without the media, there would be no other voice heard - except the voice of GCPS - and these days, I am not convinced they represent anyone but themselves.
By Bruce Wilcox
April 18, 2006 05:56 AM | Link to this
Just a quick note about SPLOST, it is used by other departments as well as the school system. All of it without accountablity or public imput, which to me equals a SLUSH fund.
By Ultra Elf
April 26, 2006 12:22 PM | Link to this
It’s amazing how a publicly elected offical can be influenced by many things-special interest money, threats of campaign money going to the other cdandidate, etc. Has our society just lost it’s morals and just sided with whomever throws the most money in our war chest? The “What’s in it for me” Crowd has taken over. Brains have been replaced by wallets-see district 4. Instead of regular people, we elect Lawyers and special interest people to congress. We really don’t have a choice until we get a viable third or fourth option. It appears that Democrats want to tax and spend us to death since they think they know what’s best for us-read-give us all your money. Republicans, it appears, they want to throw us back into the Puritain era, and Libertarians are too liberal/isolationist. most of the time and some. We need a party that will represent ALL people and not the special interest or special needs groups. A party that will enforce all laws, a party that will eliminate forcing employers to hire certain people for diversity, a party that will eliminate special handouts, a party that will move us forward into finding new/alternative energy sources, a party that will stop the unnecessary cutting of trees, a party that will protect Americans and make English the official language and eliminate PC ness.We need a party that will stop busing kids just so there’s “diversity” and equal “dumming down” in the community. We need a People’s Party. A Party for the Middle Class. A Party that is not afraid to “offend” thin skinned people.WE need this Party now before we are over come by illegal mexicans and islamic fundamentalists.