THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 19, 1996 TAG: 9604180150
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
This letter is in support of the action taken by Mr. Tim Jackson for not resigning from the School Board. It has been my experience when serving with Mr. Jackson on committees concerning our children, he has always been a person of high ethics with a genuine willingness to help and provide the very best for our kids.
Tim's reasons for running for a seat on the School Board were I'm sure many, the one that I know of was to answer the question, ``How will this benefit our children?'' Tim Jackson personifies the type of person that we, as parents, would all like to see serve for the future of our community's children.
In viewing some of what went on at School Board meetings, Mr. Jackson and other board members did their very best to understand and question the over-spending of budgeted expenses.
One of the duties of a School Board member, as I understand it, is to serve as authority to and question our school's administration. I think that the ``number pushers'' in our schools administration should be held most responsible for this $12 million blunder. The School Board's responsibility is to see that deficit spending is a thing of this city's past.
Shouldn't some of the members of our School Board consist of average citizens with a willingness to serve in the best interest of our children? Would you serve after this mess? I again commend and thank Tim, a fine young police officer, model citizen and a true advocate for our children, for his honest effort in serving our community.
Kate Doudna
Virginia Beach Don't pay their legal fees
Ferdinand Tolentino and Tim Jackson are fighting a special grand jury call to resign from the School Board. Now the regular grand jury has indicted them. These two men are going to court to fight this indictment by using taxpayer money for their attorney's fees.
The School Board voted to pay their legal fees up to $25,000 each with taxpayer money and the chairwoman indicated another vote could be taken if additional money is needed. It is inconceivable that a misdemeanor charge which can only result in a maximum fine of $250 upon conviction may justify an attorney charging a fee which might exceed the amount of the fine by 100 times. To her credit, Karen O'Brien voted against the payment of these fees.
The School Board is receiving additional funds from the City Council to operate the system, and at the same time, has voted to use money it doesn't have to pay attorneys' fees for its indicted members. If Ferdinand Tolentino, Tim Jackson and the board members who voted for this expenditure truly cared about the children, this would not have happened. It shows their inability to comprehend the nature of their responsibilities as a School Board member. Every Virginia Beach citizen should be outraged!
Albertine Rubin
Virginia Beach All should have resigned
As a taxpayer and a parent of three children in the Virginia Beach school system, I decided it was time for me to write.
The Virginia Beach School Board should not have been given the courtesy of a recommendation to resign. Every one of them should be fired on the spot.
So far all I've heard and read is all the cutbacks that will be made to make up this money. And who does it affect? ``Our children'' and the dedicated teachers who teach them.
We are trying to make our children and young adults take responsibility for their actions. I think in order for this to be a reality the adults who govern them must lead by example. They should each pay the money back from their salaries - again our money.
They wonder why we would want to initiate a school voucher program. I am one parent in favor of it.
Florence R. Thacher
Virginia Beach by CNB