Wednesday, April 30, 2008

So how much money are we talking about?

A billion tax dollars a year flow through the fingers of the leadership of the Albuquerque Public Schools.

Some percentage of it is stolen.

Even in the most secure institutions in the country,
money goes missing.

New Mexico is the 39th most corrupt state in the United States. link

I couldn't find the number I was looking for;
"x" cents of every dollar lost.

Let's say 5%. If anyone has a better number,
I will be happy to publish their number.

5% of a billion dollars a year is fifty million dollars.

But APS is not your "average" institution.
Average institutions have written policies and procedures;
they keep adequate financial records;
the APS Financial Division does not.

The Meyners Audit revealed that the APS Finance Division suffers from;

  • a "Lack of and enforcement of financially sound policies and procedures.
  • And, from "inadequate financial reporting."


There are 28 pages of deficiencies and proposed corrections.

Make that 26. Two pages are still being kept secret without explanation, or defense.

How much money is missing?

Let's say they managed to steal only one percent.
That's still $10M a year.

And that's only if you really believe that our corrupt public officials can't steal as well as the national average corrupt public officials.


Wouldn't you think that this was newsworthy?
Worthy of an investigative reporter or two?

The good ol' boys at the Journal don't think so.
And the news directors at KRQE,KOAT,KOB and KKOB
don't think so either.

Or they would be investigating and reporting upon credible allegations of widespread and deeply rooted public incompetence and corruption in the leadership of the APS;

an allegation that Beth Everitt would not deny, Linda Sink will not deny, Monica Armenta will not deny, Paula Maes Modrall will not deny,

and an allegation that Winston Brooks will not deny.

The leadership of the APS will not allow
a candid, forthright and honest discussion
of ethics and accountability in the leadership of the APS.

Nor will they allow
A forensic audit, or any audit that will hold individual administrators and board members ( the good ol' boys) honestly accountable for their conduct and competence as public servants.
Nor will they tell you
who told Modrall to tell the Fire Marshall to stop doing fire safety inspections on APS campuses.
Nor will they tell the truth about the public corruption and
criminal conspiracy in the leadership of the APS
(Police Department)

Nor will they tell the truth about APS Modrall.



They say;
Where there is smoke, there is fire.

So is this smoke, or is this fire?

KRQE; "Betraying Your Trust"

KRQE would like to have you believe that they are
"Earning your trust."

When in fact, they are betraying your trust.

KRQE is part of a conspiracy to cover up an ethics and accountability scandal in the leadership of the APS.

You would think that
KRQE News Director, Michelle Donaldson would have something to say about that allegation.

Either it is true, which would explain her silence, or it is not.

Which begs the question; why doesn't
Michelle Donaldson offer some kind of a rebuttal?

Perhaps there are a few good reasons that
Larry Barker did not reveal the names of the APS administrators whose decision it was to build an unnecessary new board room rather than install absolutely necessary smoke and fire detectors in student classrooms; who's name is on the letter to Modrall to create a letter to end fire safety inspections by the AFD Fire Marshall.

Unscrupulous lawyers could think of maybe a 100 more.

But
Michelle Donaldson cannot, will not, offer even one.

Nor will she offer any excuse for not reporting to
stakeholders that two pages are being secreted from the

Meyners Audit;
an audit that revealed widespread and
deeply rooted incompetence in the administration of
a billion tax dollars a year.

One excuse she might offer for not telling the truth;
would be that it is not
her call; not to report upon
the conduct and competence of
Paula Maes Modrall
and the rest of the good ol' boys that run the APS.
That she is in fact, just the flak catcher.

It which case it will suck to be
Michelle Donaldson
until
KRQE finally tells the truth,

Because until I have the name of another person at
KRQE;
more responsible than she;
hers is the name that will be associated with the ongoing
cover up of the ethics and accountability scandal in the
leadership of the APS, and with

KRQE "Betraying Your Trust"

It's all about exposure

I want people to pay attention to the ethics and accountability scandal in the leadership of the APS.

They of course, do not want attention paid to the scandal.

I get about a hundred hits a day.

Monica Armenta gets about a hundred grand a year
to keep it that way.

So I publish on Now Public looking for wider exposure.
They offered some editorial advice which I took, and
then rewrote the piece about burning children alive.

LINK

Every student in the APS is a loser,

for as long as the first priority of the leadership of the APS
is the maintenance of good ol' boys, and their continued
separation from the reasonable consequences
of their incompetence and of their corruption;

at the expense of the education
of 90,000 of our sons and daughters.

And, apparently at the expense of their personal safety
as well.


Come on, people.

It's what you don't know that's killing you.

The leadership of the APS is hiding the truth.

Grade Gate; stakeholders still do not know the names of the senior administrators and board members who participated in the grade change.

Peanut Butter Gate; the results of an impartial investigation of public corruption and criminal conspiracy in the APS Police Department remain secret; in clear violation of the intent of the law. No senior APS administrator has ever been held accountable even for the criminal misconduct that took place.

Finance Division Gate; the results of an impartial audit of the APS Finance Division revealed widespread and deeply rooted corruption and incompetence in the spending of a billion tax dollars a year. Two pages from the audit have been secreted without explanation or defense.

Uptown Administrative Complex Gate; APS steadfastly refuses to surrender a candid, honest and forthright accounting of the resources squandered on the accouterments of power and prestige at 6400 Uptown Blvd.

Role Model Gate; the leadership of the APS has excepted itself from accountability to the student standard of conduct; even during school hours. They simply abdicated as the senior role models for students; without explanation, defense, or even acknowledgment.

Fire Safety Gate; APS steadfastly refuses to identify the senior administrators who made a deliberate decision to spend money fixing up their Uptown digs, instead of doing fire safety inspections in schools.

APS Modrall Gate; Paula Maes and Modrall continue to refuse to allow the public records of the relationship between APS and her law firm to be made public (in violation of the law).

They are hiding their record of litigation against the public interest.

Last, but far from least; the leadership of the APS steadfastly refuses to allow

a candid, forthright and honest discussion
of ethics and accountability
in the leadership of the APS.
for reasons which are self evident.

The real question; for how much longer will the secrecy be tolerated by stakeholder voters and taxpayers?

The answer to that question will be determined by the media, which so far have shown no interest in digging for the truth, or in sharing the truth with those who trust them.



The betrayal of the public interest by the likes of
Thomas Lang, Kent Walz, Michelle Donaldson,
Rhonda Aubrey and Mary Lynn Roper
is perhaps
the deepest cut of all.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

"Say it ain't so, ..." Winston.

Even spin wizard Monica Armenta can't spin this one.

The senior leadership of the APS made a deliberate decision
to compromise student safety to save money;

while at the same time,

they were dumping millions of tax dollars into indefensible
upgrades to their Uptown Administrative Complex.

Fortunately, she doesn't have to spin it, because
Paula Maes Modrall's media buddies are letting her slide.

When I was a child, there was in the news

A story about a little girl whose father
doused their camper with gasoline
and then burned her alive.

And now we have;
a bunch of Albuquerque Public Schools Senior Administrators
sitting around a table and deciding;

  • To save some money by preventing fire inspections.
  • Then to take the money that they "saved", and spend it on renovating the Uptown Administrative Complex;
    including the indefensible and completely unjustifiable
    construction of a million dollar board room.



The father was insane.

The leadership of the APS is not.
They simply crave power and the accouterments of power.


It cannot be explained; except that the public interest
is being betrayed by the very people whose job it is,
to protect the public interest, and
to protect 90,000 of our sons and daughters
from being burned alive at school one day.

Damn Thomas J Lang, Kent Walz, and the Journal, and
Michelle Donaldson, and Rhonda Aubrey, and
Mary Lynn Roper;

for refusing to investigate and report upon ethics
and accountability in the leadership of the APS.


And,
I am compelled to say,
damn everyone who does not now pick a side.

If ever, there were a time for people to walk their talk,
that time is now.

Sacrifice is the currency of commitment.

  • Request for Public Records

    To: Custodian of Public Records, Albuquerque Public Schools

    From: Charles MacQuigg,

    This constitutes a request for public records.

    I require an opportunity to inspect and or copy the public
    record of APS' communication to the Modrall Law Firm,
    which resulted in the letter sent to the Fire Marshall,
    seeking to end his inspections of APS classrooms and campuses.

    By state statute, Rigo Chavez must respond today.

    Under the rules
    of the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act,

    Rigo Chavez, APS' Custodian of Public Records has three business days to respond to my request for the opportunity to inspect and/or copy public records.

    I have asked for the two missing pages from the Meyners Audit.

    Nobody in the APS will say what is on them, or even acknowledge that they are missing.

    Not Monica Armenta, not Rigo Chavez,
    no one.

    It is almost like they are hiding something.

    I have consulted my magic 8-ball link;

    "Will I ever see those records?"
    It read;
    "Don't count on it."



    Amazingly accurate for a toy.

    APS Brad Winter; bald faced lie?

    link

    Brad Winter
    says APS has

    "... a great track record on our portables as far as safety."
    Larry Barker asked,
    "Meaning you haven't had a disaster yet?"
    Brad Winter,
    "yes".

    The accident record may be clean, but the safety record is not.

    The classrooms have been unsafe since APS decided to
    outfit the Uptown Complex instead of meeting fire code in
    classrooms.

    Semantics? hardly.

    The fact that there has not been a disaster doesn't mean
    APS classrooms are safe; it just means that APS, and
    90,000 of our children have been lucky; so far.

    No good ol' boy's head will roll.

    Mark my words.

    "In a perfect world, we would like to have a fire alarm pull station in every portable."

    John Dufay, APS Director of Maintenance and Operations.
    link

    In a less than perfect world, he and the leadership of the
    APS, settled instead for a completely unjustifiable
    million dollar boardroom.

    Which begs the question;

    How many fire alarm pull stations can one buy for a million dollars?
    Answer; Enough for fourteen hundred portable classrooms.


    In a perfect world,
    some one would be held accountable for deliberately
    endangering students.

    In a perfect world,
    Larry Barker's investigation would answer the question;
    who dunit?

    We still don't know. Larry Barker "forgot" ask.


    Who dunit?

    Who decided to order Modrall lawyers
    to tell the fire marshal to stop doing fire safety inspections
    in APS classrooms?

    Monday, April 28, 2008

    Why isn't there a forensic audit of the APS every year?

    as a matter of course.

    Isn't it just good business?

    Would it not effectively eliminate institutional incompetence
    and corruption?

    Why do we have to entrust a billion dollars a year
    to these folks?

    When trust is such a poor substitute for real accountability
    to meaningful standards of conduct and competence.

    What is Winston Brooks' intention?

    If I were taking over this particular cash drawer
    I would have it counted six ways from Sunday,
    before I attached my name and reputation to whatever
    is left in the drawer.

    Will Winston Brooks demand an audit before he takes over?
    Will he tolerate an audit?

    Will he even answer a question about an audit?

    Good leaders tolerate audits.

    Great leaders demand them.
    As a matter of course.

    What do you say Winston, ol' chap?

    Are you going to take out the good ol' boys in one fell swoop,

    or, ... what?

    Audit implications

    Consider the implications of an audit of the APS.

    A full scale forensic audit of the leadership of the APS.

    It would cost some money. If 50 grand isn't the right number
    let me know.

    There are two possibilities;

  • one; we get our money's worth and more than 50 grand in ongoing corruption is exposed.
  • or two; we lose money because there is less than 50 grand in ongoing corruption.

  • All you have to do is believe that less than 50 grand;
    in a billion dollar a year budget, is being stolen.

    The Meyners Audit said senior administrators were spending
    more than 50 large, at a whack,
    "... without involving purchasing."

    All the while ignoring purchasing guidelines and hanging
    out at the Inn of the Mountain Gods.

    Honestly,
    if there is only $50,000 unaccounted for;
    I'm a Chinese sea cook.

    So why isn't Paula Maes Modrall going to allow an audit
    that names names?


    And what about the next most powerful and trusted
    public servants? What are they doing?

    Are they saying;
    "Hey, Ched's full of shit. Nothing's wrong."

    "Nothing is being hidden."

    "There is no need for a forensic audit."

    No.
    They're just stonewalling the question.

    Are they not co-conspirators at some point, of those who's
    record of public service cannot survive an audit?

    Full scale forensic audit.

    Now.

    One of, KRQE, KOAT, KOB, KKOB, or the Journal, will be the first to expose

    one of the largest scandals in the history of New Mexico;

    the ethics and accountability scandal
    in the leadership of the Albuquerque Public Schools.



    All of the rest of them, will be among the last.

    Further, it seems more than a little odd that

    Investigative reporter Larry Barker is not naming names.

    And, that he has not been scooped by anybody else's
    "investigative" reporter.

    How come?
    not one of them will ask the leadership of the APS;

    Who dunit?
    Who ordered Modrall lawyers to order the Fire Marshall
    to stop writing expense citations for fire code violations
    for endangering students?

    I would like to know which Modrall lawyer advised them
    that they could probably get away with it;
    "... even if some kids did get dead."

    Ask the leadership of the APS, "How much money has been spent at 6400 Uptown Blvd?

    They won't answer.

    I suspect criminally large amounts.

    APS Facilities Director Brad Winters won't say.

    He's only been in his position for three years.

    OK Brad;

    How much money has been spent there
    in the last three years?

    Roughly the same period of time since
    APS stopped paying to protect our children
    from being burned alive in a gymnasium
    whose doors had been chained and locked shut?

    Is it possible for the other six APS School Board Members to ignore their responsibilities long enough

    to be found criminally negligent?

    ... and how much further along would that be, exactly?

    What will it take, do you suppose

    to get NM Attorney General Gary King or the State Auditor Hector Balderas to stop ignoring the elephant in the APS?

    What will it take?

    No one's gettin' fat 'cept Maes Modrall

    A reader sent us this link;
    http://www.krqe.com/Global/category.asp?C=104063

    LobbyistLobbied At2006 Fee
    + Expenses
    2007 Fee
    + Expenses
    Arthur Melendres
    Mondrall Law Firm
    N.M. Legislature$21,350.00
    $0.23/student
    $6,412.50
    $0.07/student
    TotalFederal$0.00$0.00
    State$21,350.00$6,412.50
    Overall$21,350.00
    $0.23/student
    $6,412.50
    $0.07/student


    I can't say for certain what it is that we are looking at.

    But it looks like taxpayers paid Paula Maes' good buddy
    Art Melendrez and their law firm; Modrall,
    a lot of money to be a lobbyist for the APS.

    Cynical disgruntled former employee that I am,
    I suspect immediately that Art was also on the payroll
    as APS' lawyer during the same hours;
    double dipping in the bottomless trough of unwitting
    taxpayer support of "education".

    I can't check on my suspicion,
    because the public records of APS Maes/Modrall
    are being kept secret from public knowledge,
    even in violation of the law.

    Nothing yet on the scandal from the Journal
    KRQE, KOAT, or KOB.


    ... and don't hold your breath waiting for it.

    Larry Barker and KRQE's integrity on the line.

    If there is a good and ethical reason to continue to hide
    the identity of the APS administrators that deliberately
    traded student safety for administrative accouterments,

    I cannot imagine it.

    Now that we have been caught red handed

    "We are going to work with both agencies to make sure to ensure the safety of all children in the school district."
    John Dufay, APS Director of Maintenance and Operations.
    Link @ 5:40 in.

    Interestingly, Dufay was able to estimate the cost to bring
    schools up to standards; $7-10M.

    Reading between the lines,
    he either pulled the number out of his ass, or
    he was aware of the problem all along, enough to know
    how much money would have to be reallocated from
    administrative accouterments, to remedy the problem.

    These folks are taking home a hundred thousand a year.

    Cannot we expect service from them before they get caught
    with their pants down?

    "I've been in my position for (only) three years."

    so I can't answer that."

    APS' Brad Winter, on why he should not be held accountable
    for buying furniture for the boardroom instead of
    buying fire alarms for portable classrooms.
    link @2:55 @4:35 in

    Sunday, April 27, 2008

    So where in the hell is Winston Brooks? ??

    He said he was going to visit APS a lot.

    So where is he while the APS Finance Division, riddled with incompetence and corruption, continues to hide two pages of the audit that revealed their incompetence and corruption?
    Is Winston Brooks going to hold anyone accountable?

    Or will the good ol' boy just lay low 'til the smoke clears?


    And what about the fire safety scandal;
    does he care that his swank new office was furnished
    at the expense of student safety?

    Will he hold anyone accountable for that either?


    wtf Winston?
    a thousand a day not enough to get your hands dirty? ??



    Time to cowboy up!

    Saturday, April 26, 2008

    Did veteran investigator, Larry Barker, forget to investigate?

    Did he forget to ask;

    Who dunit?
    Or does KRQE News Director, Michelle Donaldson
    have a muzzle on him?

    Who are the APS senior administrators who decided to trade
    student safety for fancy furniture?

    Who ordered up the letter from Modrall?

    Paula Maes Modrall, on a fire safety audit of the leadership of the APS.

    An audit that will identify by name the senior administrators
    who chose to fix up the Uptown Administrative Retirement
    Complex, at the expense of fire safety?

    "No swingin' way!"*

    *implied

    Where are the parents on this?!

    Now this is something they should be raising holy hell about.

    They should be storming the school board meetings.
    They also should be teaching their kids morals and values,
    but when they see the examples our board members set,
    they roll over and play dead.

    8:59 AM



    a comment left on "Larry Barker Rips APS"

    Someone in the Leadership of the Albuquerque Public Schools

    chose to spend millions of tax dollars to fix up a building;
    the Uptown Administrative Complex

    rather than protect 89,000 of this community's sons and
    daughters from being burned alive one day at school.

    All they had to do was allow reasonable and necessary
    fire safety inspections;

    and then hold themselves honestly accountable to the results.


    They chose the building.

    Aren't you just a little curious who "they" are?



    and who are "they" in the media,
    who will not tell us who they are?

    Thomas J Lang
    Kent Walz
    Mary Lynn Roper
    Rhonda Aubrey
    Michelle Donaldson

    What is proved by their failure, except their corruption?

    Friday, April 25, 2008

    I once asked a lawyer from the Modrall

    "Who in the APS tells you what to do?"

    He refused to answer the question.

    In his second expose of deliberate fire code and
    safety violations by the leadership of the APS;

    Larry Barker showed his viewers a letter
    written on Modrall letterhead LINK .

    The letter told the Albuquerque Fire Department to stop
    doing fire safety inspections on APS campuses;

    putting of 89,000 of this community's sons and daughters
    at risk of their lives,

    in order to save a little money so they could properly fix up
    the Uptown Administrative Complex.



    Who in the leadership of the APS
    told them to write that letter?

    Monica Armenta is a highly paid public servant.
    she knows who told Modrall to write the letter.
    She knows who participated in the decision making process.

    If she doesn't know, she sure as hell can find out.


    If she does not identify those who are responsible for
    such a reprehensible budget decision,

    how are they to be held accountable for their conduct and
    for their competence as public servants?

    If Monica Armenta is really a public servant,
    she will identify those responsible.

    If she does not,
    she is someone else's servant.


    Speaking of which; surely Larry Barker must have wondered
    who told Modrall to write the letter.

    Why won't KRQE News Director, Michelle Donaldson,
    allow Larry Barker to name names?

    Has she cut a deal with NM Broadcasters Association CEO
    Paula Maes,
    to leave out the names of the gool ol' boys?

    You and Zsombor; that was IT? ??

    My wife's exclamation of incredulity after I had named everyone in the audience for this morning's board meeting.

    Readers will benefit from a heads up comparison of the coverage of the meeting by me, and by Zsombor Peter and the Journal.

    Attendance at the meeting was mandatory.

    Robert Lucero, Berna Facio, and Gordon Rowe were no shows without explanation, defense, or even acknowledgment.

    The meeting lacked a quorum and could not begin until
    Marty Esquivel's late arrival.

    He offered no explanation or apology for his tardy, and
    proceeded to fix himself a cup of coffee.

    Bernalillo County made a presentation to the board regarding the public use of public facilities when students are not using them.

    The presentation was tight;
    there really is no reason that kids cannot be meaningfully engaged in positive activities at school when they are not in school.

    The rub comes with getting permission to use the facilities.
    And mumble, mumble, mumble "liability" issues.

    Which begs the question; why is there still a question?

    It seems to me that if four people who are being paid a hundred thousand dollars a year to protect the public interest,

    • two directors; one from the county and one from APS, and
    • two lawyers, one for the county one for the APS
    got together for a couple of hours, there could be a contract.

    Yet the County and the APS have both had their hundredth
    birthday, and there still is no paperwork.

    That speaks to incompetence and/or corruption;
    deliberate decision (not)making against the public interest.



    Delores Griego's agenda item came up next;
    board successes; ethics discussion and action.

    Board Member Griego, seemed visibly upset at "communication" problems within the board.

    Marty Esquivel underscored her concern by busying himself with what appeared to be work on a "legal brief" during her entire presentation. He did not look at Ms. Griego once; even when she addressed him by name.

    Paula Maes and Mary Lee Martin underscored Ms. Griego's concern by occupying themselves in chat the instant that Ms. Griego took the floor.

    She was visibly stunned when as she began and looked toward her colleagues, she found no one in attendance.

    Delores Griego needs a facilitator; someone who will orchestrate a candid, forthright and honest discussion of ethics and accountability in the leadership of the APS. Ms. Griego informed the board that the New Mexico School Board Association provides (presumably) competent and impartial facilitators to member boards.

    Paula Maes immediately jumped in and demanded that
    APS good ol' boy, Deedee Stroud be used instead.
    She would be able to facilitate the discussion away from
    the issues that Maes and Modrall do not want discussed.

    Paula Maes Modrall is pushed very hard for good ol boy
    "facilitation".

    One can see that Delores Griego is intimidated by Maes.


    Delores Griego, to her credit never gave in.
    Perhaps with any community support at all,

    ... she won't have to.

    Larry Barker Rips APS

    According to Larry Barker's report on KRQE LINK,

    the leadership of the APS made a budget decision not to
    allow the Albuquerque Fire Department to continue to make
    inspections of APS Schools.

    Allowing the city fire department to inspect schools would
    require that APS spend $7-10M on correcting violations.

    Instead, the money was spent on

    • the Uptown Administrative Complex,
    • an unnecessary new board room with all manner of video and electronic toys,
    • and who knows what else.

    APS Facilities Director Brad Winter
    came off badly,
    very badly in the piece.

    About the only excuse he could muster was that he has only
    been on the job for three years.

    I can't find a link to the piece, which seems odd.
    Also odd, Larry Barker's expose of the APS schools who were ignoring fire code, board policy and state law by failing to conduct fire drills. I think Barker used to work for KOAT, and they own the tape on that one.

    In which case I would expect that Mary Lynn Roper will not make it available to stakeholders, good friend that she is to Paula Maes.

    APS' John Dufay
    said; "I don't think it's anyone's fault,
    it's just the resources required"

    The resources were there, they were spent on something
    else, like brand new furniture for board members to plop
    their blissfully ignorant asses upon.

    Heads will roll.

    Not!

    Thursday, April 24, 2008

    Why is a stove in ol' shop teacher

    stuck as point man on finding out about two pages that are
    missing from the APS Finance Department audit? an audit
    that confirmed widespread and deeply rooted corruption
    and incompetence in the entire leadership of the APS.

    Two pages about which neither Rigo Chavez nor
    Monica Armenta will answer even a single question.


    Instead of say;
    an investigative reporter from the Journal or KRQE,
    or KOAT, or KOB.

    ... or a school board member
    with some character and some courage.

    Request for Public Records

    To: Custodian of Public Records, Albuquerque Public Schools

    From: Charles MacQuigg,
    This constitutes a request for public records.

    I require an opportunity to inspect or copy any public records which have to do with
    pages 26 and 27 of the APS Finance Division 2008 Project Plan.
    Including but not limited to the pages themselves and any records explaining why they were redacted and by whom.

    Also I require an opportunity to inspect and or copy
    any public record of service contracts between
    APS and Meyners + Co
    for the last five years.

    Please let me know if this request fails in some way as a bona fide request for records.

    For the record, I resent the fact that you will not email responses, and insist instead upon phone calls and snail mail.

    I require your earnest effort as the custodian of public records and a public servant to expedite rather than obfuscate the surrender of these records

    ched macquigg

    "We identified these problems. We're fixing the problems,"

    APS has a budget shortfall, $20M.

    "APS officials blame the deficit on exaggerated data the district sent the state about the special education services it was providing and about the experience and education of its teachers. That led the state to send APS more money than it should have." (Journal) emphasis added


    APS Board Member, Robert Lucero
    said;

    "We identified these problems. We're fixing the problems,"

    He did not say who the good ol' boy is,
    who misrepresented the truth in reports sent to the state,
    and had to give back millions of dollars the district took
    from the state, but to which, it was not honestly entitled.

    Which means it could happen again

    and again, and again, and again...

    Deliberate Silence Could Be Considered a Disruption

    The 12th annual Day of Silence is tomorrow.


    APS High schoolers may or may not participate in this
    nationwide effort to promote tolerance.

    If they do,

    Rigo Chavez
    says their deliberate silence could be considered
    a disruption of class, subject to disciplinary action
    under district policy.

    Students who give their teachers all manner of crap, and
    otherwise chronically disrupt the educational environment,
    will continue to enjoy their exception to disciplinary action
    under district policy (as it is currently enforced).

    It is unclear whom Rigo Chavez is speaking for, exactly.

    Since Winston Brooks' teat is already in the wringer for
    his "homo humor", LINK perhaps this would be a good time
    for him to step up and say something.

    At a time and in a place inconvenient to stakeholders

    and at a meeting where public input will not be tolerated,

    the APS Board of Education Special Meeting agenda includes;

    C. Study of Board Success, to include Ethics (Discussion/Action)

    The board's "success" story so far;
    1. They have excepted themselves from accountability
    to the student standard of conduct; a nationally
    recognized accepted and respected code of ethics.

    2. They have adopted their own "code of ethics"
    which doesn't use the word ethical except in the title,
    and which by their own admission;
    is absolutely unenforceable, and,

    3. They have steadfastly refused to enable

    a candid, forthright and honest discussion of ethics
    and accountability in the leadership of the APS.



    Come celebrate their "success" with them.

    The time 7:30 Friday morning,
    the place DeLayo Martin Board Room

    Wednesday, April 23, 2008

    If Winston Brooks will not admit

    that there is an ethics and accountability crisis in the
    leadership of the Albuquerque Public Schools.

    It is because he intends to benefit from the situation
    personally.

    Or, it is because he thinks he can end the good ol' boys
    existence in secret,
    and against their will.

    Which proves that Winston Brooks is either corrupt
    or unbelievably naive.

    And is not worth a quarter of a million dollars a year to taxpayers.

    naive

    "lacking worldly experience and understanding,
    simple and guileless; artless unsuspecting or credulous,
    showing or characterized by a lack of sophistication
    and critical judgment"

    If you read Linda Sink's weekly message

    you learn more about what is going on in the APS than you
    learn from Monica Armenta.

    Which makes Monica Armenta's existence superfluous.

    Either that or she is being paid to do something beside
    communication of the truth to stakeholders.

    APS Executive Director of MisCommunications, and
    part time poster nazi! Monica Armenta.


    Over a hundred thousand dollars a year
    spent against the public interest.

    Speaking of spending against the public interest;

    When the names are named in the theft of perhaps millions of tax dollars from the APS, will those named be defended by lawyers from Maes/Modrall? Will taxpayers pay for the lawyers and the legal weaselry that will separate the guilty from any real consequences for their criminal misconduct?

    Isn't it funny that Maes/Modrall makes more money
    no matter what.

    The truth is going to be hard to hide.

    There is a billion dollars lying on a big table every year.

    The good ol' boys that run the APS spend all that money
    by letting contracts to local vendors.

    The vendors sponsor yearly administrative soirées like the
    one at the
    Inn of the Mountain Gods.

    The good ol' boys did not, and do not enforce

    "... financially sound policies and procedures ..."
    upon themselves.
    • They bypassed their procurement and contract processes.
    • They allowed District Superintendents to spend more than $50,000 dollars at a whack, without involving APS Purchasing.
    • They allowed less high ranking staff to spend less than $50,000 a whack, also without involving APS Purchasing.
    • Requisitions and/or purchase orders may not have gone through appropriate authorizations.
    • They didn't inventory their (our) fixed assets and much of our stuff has gone missing.
    And now they are hiding public records; two pages from the audit, from public knowledge.


    Do you think anything might have been stolen?

    Do you think that good ol' boys like
    Tom Savage and
    Brad Winter might be criminally negligent?
    Perhaps even criminal?

    This story will not hide forever.

    Sooner or later
    Hector Balderas, or Gary King,
    or
    Veronica Garcia is going to have to get off of their ass and
    begin a full scale
    forensic audit of the administration of
    public interests and resources in the APS.

    Kent Walz, Michelle Donaldson, Rhonda Aubrey,
    and Mary Lynn Roper
    will have no choice
    but to report upon the corruption and theft.

    If the Leadership of the APS is hiding criminal activity

    revealed by the Meyners Audit,
    are they not criminals as well?

    Speculation is now in order.

    APS Director of Communications Rigo Chavez has ignored
    two requests for information on the missing two pages from
    the APS Finance Department Audit.

    APS Executive Director of Communications, Monica Armenta

    has ignored a request for information on the two missing pages.

    Meyners + Co. has ignored a request for information on the
    missing pages.

    APS School Board Member Marty Esquivel has ignored a
    request for information on the missing two pages.


    An independent audit was done of the APS Finance Department. There are 28 pages of violations of good accounting practice. Two of the pages are missing, and APS will not even acknowledge that they are missing, much less describe what is on them.


    It is a good bet, I would suppose, that the missing two pages do not contain exculpatory evidence.

    It is fair to speculate that they contain information that the leadership of the APS has an interest in hiding. Perhaps there is mention of criminal activity. Perhaps the Meyners Audit actually named names.

    I would expect Rigo Chavez to hide the truth.
    I would expect Monica Armenta to hide the truth.
    I would expect that Meyners has been paid to hide the truth.


    I am deeply disappointed that Marty Esquivel is part of their plot.

    Tuesday, April 22, 2008

    The news media have an unmet obligation.

    In light of all of the recent scandals and revelations of incompetence and corruption in one APS Division after another;

    the media have an obligation to ask every member of Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education why they are not demanding an immediate full scale impartial forensic administrative accountability audit of the public interests the APS.


    They will not ask the question and report upon the answer.

    Why?

    Except that they are corrupt as well.

    Kent Walz
    of the Journal.

    Michelle Donaldson
    of KRQE.

    Mary Lynn Roper of KOAT.

    Rhonda Aubrey at KOB.

    Brad Winter's Head to Roll.

    Right, and a pint of Hagen daaz serves four.

    Brad Winters is the APS Facilities Director.
    He allowed meaningful fire inspections of APS schools
    to remain undone.

    He is the APS Facilities Director.
    He should be able to tell you how much money you spent
    on the APS Uptown Administrative Complex.

    But he won't.

    He could very well be one of the beneficiaries of the current
    scandal in the APS Finance Department.

    He benefits from a spouse whose law firm does APS business.

    A situation her law firm would not acknowledge in response
    to my inquiry.

    Brad Winters will not be docked a days pay.
    He will not be caned.

    He has already announced phase two of fixing the mess.
    We will no longer discuss who should have protected the
    safety of our children, and did not.
    Instead will will move along to;

    "I am sure everyone wants to get about the business of fixing the problem."


    No blood, no foul.

    He will get what all APS good ol' boys get when they screw up.

    He will get what Tom Savage got for knowingly permitting
    and, or negligently allowing the public corruption and
    criminal conspiracy in the APS Police Department.

    He will get what Tom Savage got for knowingly permitting
    and, or negligently allowing a few hundred million tax dollars
    to go missing in the APS Finance Department.

    Brad Allison got a third of a million.

    Michael Vigil got a quarter of a million.

    Gil Lovato got a half a year of paid leave.

    There is a reason APS cannot fire a senior administrator
    without giving them a boot full of cash.

    Gil Lovato said that if the community knew what he knows,
    there would not be a single APS senior administrator
    left standing.

    It is time for an independent forensic audit.

    Someone needs to go into the APS and ferret out those
    who have been helping themselves to the benefits of
    unwitting taxpayer support of education.

    The school board could end the good ol' boy corruption and
    incompetence in the administration of the APS.

    But they will not.

    Because they are every bit as corrupt as the rest of the
    good ol' boys that run the APS.

    If there were any other explanation, they would publish it
    here _____________________________________

    Sunday, April 20, 2008

    What if Tom Savage really is a crook?

    During the last decade or so, Tom Savage has been part of
    the senior leadership of the APS.

    During the last decade or so, a lot of the
    10 Billion dollars that have flowed through the APS, have flowed through departments that Tom Savage either personally ran or over which he had direct oversight.

    During the last decade or so, according to the
    Meyners Audit,
    there has been a;

    "Lack of enforcement of financially sound policies
    and procedures in the APS Financial Department."

    During the last decade or so, according to the Meyners Audit;
    • The requisition & procurement process has been bypassed and the contract process not been adhered to.
    • There have been District Superintendents who have encumbered the District for purchases or services greater than $50,000 without involving purchasing.
    • Other District staff have encumbered the District by signing for purchases or services without involving purchasing.
    • Requisitions and/or purchase orders for software or high cost items may not have gone through appropriate authorizations.
    • Inventories for fixed assets have not been taken and the tagging system is not current.
    • Equipment has been issued to various schools and classrooms and is missing.
    Two pages of that audit are missing, and neither Rigo Chavez
    nor Monica Armenta
    will give a candid, forthright and
    honest answer about what is on them.

    Are the vendors who benefited from these shenanigans the
    same vendors who paid the tab for the administrative soirée
    at the
    Inn of the Mountain Gods?


    What if
    Tom Savage really is a crook?

    Paula Maes, Modrall, and the School Board just paid a lot of money for an audit that did not mention Tom Savage by name.

    They are going to pay
    a lot more money to the same company; Meyners, to make all the problems go away, and still not mention a single name of a single administrator who will be held honestly accountable to any meaningful standards of conduct and competence as a senior public servant.

    Paula Maes made good on her promise that Tom Savage would never be the subject of an audit of his conduct and competence as public servant.

    Paula Maes will not allow Tom Savage, any other senior
    administrator or board member to be held accountable,
    and she sure as hell is not going allow an audit that will
    hold
    APS Modrall accountable.

    The axis of
    the board, Modrall, and the administration
    are still secreting the truth about
    Tom Savage's alleged
    involvement the
    APS Peanut Butter Gate scandal.

    And if
    Tom Savage is ever charged with any felony criminal
    tomfoolery,
    Modrall and Paula Maes will make a bundle
    litigating his exception to accountability for breaking the law.

    Even the
    District Attorney cannot be depended upon
    to intervene on behalf of stakeholders.

    District Attorney Kari Brandenburg is hiding evidence of
    public corruption and criminal conspiracy in the leadership of
    the APS.

    She has an obligation to prosecute felony criminal misconduct
    and steadfastly refuses to do so.

    Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White still refuses to
    surrender a candid, forthright and honest account of
    his own involvement in
    APS Peanut Butter Gate,
    including the cover up.

    It was Tom Savage's girlfriend who was the subject of one of
    a number of
    illegal background checks done on a
    secure FBI data base that had been entrusted to the
    supervision of
    Darren White.



    Tom Savage is the guy that told me that he couldn't tell
    stakeholders the truth about what was really going on at
    Albuquerque High School, because the Realtors in
    the neighborhood would have his neck.

    When the scandal in the
    APS Police Department was first
    breaking, it was
    Tom Savage who ordered APS employees
    to keep their mouths shut.





    What if
    Tom Savage really is a crook?

    What if
    he knowingly permitted and/or negligently allowed
    one of the worst taxpayer screwings in the history of the
    APS?

    Who will hold him accountable?


    We know who will cover
    Tommy Savage's ass;
    who is supposed to be covering ours?

    Aren't our representatives on the school board supposed to be defending
    our interests?

    Friday, April 18, 2008

    The Meyners Audit; between the lines.

    The impartial audit of the APS Finance Department
    conducted by Meyners + Co link
    revealed an institution ripe for plunder.


    If it has not been plundered,
    if a good part of a billion dollars a year has not been stolen,

    by what miracle could that have taken place?

    And Paula Maes says,

    you are not going to audit Tom Savage,
    you are not going to audit Modrall, and
    you are not going to audit Paula Maes.


    And this is OK with everyone because ...?

    APS Audited; sort of

    There have been at least three major independent audits of APS divisions; M&O, APS Police, and APS Finance Division.

    Each revealed significant incompetence and corruption.

    Each of those division directors reported directly to a more senior APS administrator.

    In the case of the Police Department and the Finance Division, that would be Tom Savage.

    No audit has been conducted that included an audit of Tom Savage's conduct and competence in his failure to prevent such wide spread and deeply embedded corruption and incompetence.

    Paula Maes Modrall
    has stated on the record that
    she has no intention of allowing Tom Savage
    or any other senior APS leader (including herself!)
    to be audited
    by anyone.

    When I asked for any public record that revealed any change in policy after the audit of the M&O Division, the leadership of the APS could not or would not surrender a single record that they had done anything to prevent a recurrence.

    A recurrence that then happened in the Police Department, and recurred again in the Finance Division.

    This crap will not stop until there is a full scale forensic audit
    of the entire leadership of the APS including Tom Savage
    and Paula Maes and the Modrall.

    Which will not happen as long as there is not a single board member with the character and the courage to stand up to Maes, Modrall, Savage, and the rest of the good ol' boys that run the APS.

    Which will not happen as long as there in not a single board member with the character and courage to vote against the adoption of any meeting agenda that does not include a
    candid, forthright and honest discussion of the ethics and accountability scandal in the leadership of the APS.

    Pages 26 of 29 and 27 of 29

    HAVE BEEN INTENTIONALLY LEFT OUT AT THIS TIME

    There is no explanation, defense, or even acknowledgment of the rationale for secreting these two pages from public knowledge.

    The pages are missing from an independent audit of the APS Finance Division which revealed

    • insufficient financial reporting,
    • insufficient training and staffing,
    • a lack of enforcement of financially sound procedures, and
    • poor implementation of and set up of Lawson financial management software (the $26,000,000 computer system that the good ol' boys can't figure out how to run).

    APS Communications Director, and APS Custodian of Public Records, Rigo Chavez has now failed to respond to two separate requests for some manner of explanation.

    Open Letter to Monica Armenta, APS Executive Director of Communications

    Ms. Armenta,

    Two pages have been redacted from the APS Finance Division 2008 Project Plan
    which was prepared for the district by Meyner + Co.

    Pages 26 and 27 of 29.

    Please provide a candid, forthright and honest description of the contents the missing pages and the rationale for secreting them from public knowledge.

    This is not a request for public records, do not forward it to anyone.

    Answer my question.

    macq

    APS Superintendent Winston Brooks at a loss for words.

    He cannot even begin to explain, in words that a child can
    understand, why he will hold them accountable
    to a higher standard of conduct and competence than
    his own.

    So he won't even try.

    Role model, schmole model.

    Shame on you, Winston Brooks.

    Winston Brooks Employment Contract

    Winston Brooks' contract was hammered out in a meeting that was closed to stakeholders, and then approved at a board meeting where public input was not allowed.

    1. Term 7/1/08 to 6/30/11.
    2. Performance of Duties; yada, yada, yada
    3. a. Cancellation of Contract; the contract may be canceled for good and just cause.
    b. if Brooks is charged with a felony and which includes being under the influence of alcohol or another controlled substance, he is required to seek assistance from subordinates in the District's Employee Assistance Program. He shall direct the EAP to keep particulars secret from stakeholders. He will be allowed to resign rather than be terminated.
    4. Resignation; He may resign without penalty provided he gives (90) days notice.
    5. Required Documentation; He has to provide all of the proper certification, degrees and yada, yada, yada.
    6. Annual Leave; 22 days off each year
    7. a. Salary $250,000 a year, ($9,615.83 every payday)
    b. a district car to use to and from work, $500 a month to pay dues to join community organizations, the cost of an independent review of his contract every year,
    c. the board will pay his dues to professional organizations, travel, lodging, etc
    8. Fringe Benefits; basically the same benefits enjoyed by all district employees, health, dental, etc
    9. Retirement Annuity; an additional $1,250 dollars a month into an annuity, which increases $5,000 each school year.
    10. Extension of Term; On or before January 31, 2009, the board will vote to extend, or not, the term of the contract.
    11. Board Responsibilities; a. annual evaluations (which can be blown off at will, like they did for Beth Everitt last year)
    b. unsatisfactory evaluations prompt an exchange of "writings" and time frames
    12. District Goals, Measures, and Communication procedures to be established
    13 Medical Examinations; yada yada yada
    14. Liability and indemnity
    If Brooks is the subject of (even a legitimate) complaint, the district (Modrall?) will defend him at taxpayer expense. There is no qualifier.
    15. Physical or Mental Disability; yada yada yada
    16. Non-Renewal yada yada yada
    17. Independent Counsel; from time to time to advise him on interpretation or applicability of the contract.
    18. Arbitration. disputes will be settled by arbitration rather than litigation.
    19. Severability clause; yada yada yada
    20. Merger
    21. Modification

    22. Waiver of Breach

    23. Governing Law

    24. counterparts

    yada yada yada


    The only mention of Brooks' obligations as the senior most administrative role model of the student standard of conduct;
    "Because such an occurrence would interfere with the Superintendent's responsibility to be a proper role model for students, should the Superintendent be charged with a felony which includes as an element of the offense being ;under the influence of controlled substances and/or alcohol, including charges which do not involve the Superintendent's conduct while involved in any District activity, he will be required to seek assistance from the District's Employee Assistance Program." (secret from stakeholders).
    So there you have it staff, your obligation as a role model is to avoid being arrested for a felony while you are under the influence of drugs.

    And by reasonable extension; the standard of conduct and competence for students is the same, no felony misconduct while you are high.

    The student standard of conduct as written;
    model and promote the Pillars of Character Counts;
    a nationally recognized, accepted and respected code of ethical conduct and competence.

    Students; your word for today is "hypocrisy".

    Can anyone use the word "hypocrisy" in a sentence for the class?

    Thursday, April 17, 2008

    Special Privileges For Robert Lucero's Friends

    Speakers at public forum are allowed two minutes to speak.

    It is an arbitrary number, having been reduced from three minutes.

    It is barely enough time to make any point of substance.

    Speakers are interrupted if they speak past the time limit.
    I have noticed that speakers in suits are given extra time.

    If you are cajoling a board member, you get extra time.

    And if you are a friend of Robert Lucero, you get extra time.

    When the President of the Teaching Assistants was not able to finish her presentation in the allotted two minutes, board member Lucero announced that he would like to ask her a question at the end of the public forum. His question; would you like to finish reading your presentation? After which the lady was given an additional two minutes or so.

    I don't begrudge her the extra time. That isn't the issue.

    The issue is that the rules don't apply to Robert Lucero.

    Anymore than they apply to any of the good ol' boys
    that run the APS.

    Redacted pages, still a mystery.

    APS' Rigo Chavez gave me a copy of the throughly damning APS Finance Division 2008 Project Plan. link

    Two whole pages were left out of the package with no explanation except that

    "pages 26 of 29 and 27 of 29 have been intentionally left out at this time"


    I asked Rigo Chavez for some kind of explanation and he has not responded to my emailed question.

    I sent another request for the same information this morning.

    "APS Communications Department"
    proudly bringing a whole new meaning to the word
    communication.

    Marty Esquivel can not even look me in the eye

    I took an opportunity to address the school board last night.

    The public forum is still off the record, so I chose to speak to the adoption of the agenda in order to speak on the record.

    I encouraged board member Delores Griego to stand up for her belief that the board should have another discussion on school board ethics, by voting not to accept the agenda.

    I encouraged board member Marty Esquivel to join Griego in voting not to accept another agenda that does not include a candid, forthright and honest discussion of the ethics and accountability crisis in the leadership of the APS.

    Esquivel could not, or would not even look me in the eyes.

    Then Mary Lee Martin, and finally Gordon Rowe.

    Not one of them would vote against adopting the agenda.

    There is a recurring opportunity for four members of the board to force a candid, forthright and honest discussion of ethics, standards and accountability, administrative role modeling, and the first annual Administrative Accountability Audit.

    There is apparently, not a single board member with the character and/or the courage to stand up and demand that stakeholders be told the truth.

    If there is another possible explanation for their failure,
    I cannot imagine it, and not one of them will suggest it.

    Shame on them all.

    APS' underclass

    The Public Forum consisted almost exclusively of Teaching Assistants "begging" for a reasonable raise. Although they have been slated for a 3% raise, they argued very well that a 3% raise on virtually nothing, is still nothing.

    One lady has worked for APS for 15 years and seen her annual salary climb from $9K a year to $12K.

    Winston Brooks
    will make 23 times as much money this year.

    Winston Brooks will be tooling around for the next three years in a Lincoln Navigator link or Cadillac Escalade link.

    I doubt that he will be limited to "official" use.

    On the other hand, TAs who are required to use their own
    vehicles for official business, are reimbursed 30 cents per mile, far less, 20 cents less, than is customary. link

    Board members make more money for showing up to
    a single meeting, than TAs make for a whole day of work.

    It was one of the most moving public forums that I have ever witnessed.

    Zsombor Peter, Abq Journal was there, and wrote today instead, about how the board voted to add another day to the school year by shortening the Thanksgiving break from three days off, to two.

    Perhaps Peter is writing something in more depth, that could not be ready by deadline.

    I hope so. Otherwise you would have to wonder if the guy has a heart.