APS should clean house…

… wrote Joline Gutierrez Krueger of the Trib. APS has “homework” was the Journal’s pathetic stab at the issue.

The thrust of Krueger’s article was that APS should clean house before the next bond election; or face the possibility of losing. The premise is sound. It begs the question; will they?

There is an old saw that says, where there is smoke, there is fire. I cannot recall an honest opinion of the APS, which did not acknowledge the widespread belief that the culture of APS Leadership tolerates incompetence, corruption, and dodging accountability.

Right now, the Leadership of APS refuses, on the record, to be held accountable for their conduct. Five times in as many board meetings, they have refused to hold themselves honestly accountable for their conduct. This is not smoke; this is fire.

Why should they? People do the “right” thing for one of two reasons: virtue and self-interest.

Will APS clean house because it is the right thing to do? If there were that virtue in the Leadership of APS, the house wouldn’t be this dirty. The truth would not need to be hidden. Honest accountability would not be being rejected.

Will the Leaders of the APS clean house in their own self interest? If a clean house were in their self interest, the house would not be dirty. If the truth supported their interests, they would be telling it. If they were willing to be held accountable, they would answer yes, when they are asked:

Will you hold yourself honestly accountable to the same standard of conduct that applies to student?

Five times they have sat in silence rather than answer the question. This is not smoke, this is fire.