Robert's (optional) Rules of Order.

I attended a policy committee meeting this morning.

Not the most import issue, but one worth mentioning,
was the committee's complete lack of respect for
Robert's Rules of Order.

According to School Board Policy, board meetings and committee meetings are run according to
Robert's Rules of Order.

It would be hard to overstate the importance of that policy.

Yet, out of ignorance or arrogance, the rules are ignored at will.

As an illustrative example; during the discussion this morning, Board Member Paula Maes "called the question" on a motion under discussion. Robert's rules are crystal clear on what was supposed to have happened next, link,

"5. Question: To end a debate immediately a motion is
made to “call the question”. The motion needs a second,
however, no discussion is necessary. A vote is held
immediately and two-thirds vote is required for passage.
If the motion passes, the main motion on the floor must
be voted on immediately."

Committee Chair David Peercy,
out of arrogance or ignorance,
responded to the call by saying that
he was going to allow people to continue
the discussion/debate before voting on
the motion to end the discussion/debate.

huh?

The last time Peercy flubbed
calling the question, minutes
were falsified rather than
admitting that he had made
a mistake, link.

It is allowed under Robert's Rules, for the body to vote to suspend the rules (except for the purpose of circumventing the rules). They are not permitted to simply ignore them, whether out of ignorance or arrogance.


Then Robert Lucero, having in the past,
called the question himself, and having
acknowledged that he knew that the
question had been called (thereby
forfeiting "ignorance" as an excuse)
simply plowed ahead with the point that
he wanted to make.

Which was arrogant.



And there is no where to hold him accountable.
There is no place where you can file a complaint against him
and expect to see your complaint enjoy due process.

Worth noting, I have on a number of occasions, been illegally arrested for trying exercise my rights according to Robert's Rules at board meetings, by APS' publicly funded, private police force, link. Their Praetorian Guard; a police force that is unaccredited, un-certificated, and un-certified, by anyone except the leadership of the APS.

Speaking of which, the Praetorians are still suppressing evidence of felony criminal misconduct involving the leadership Praetorian Guard itself, link, and by logical extension; the leadership of the APS and the APS Board of Education as well.

Statutes of limitation have expired on felony criminal misconduct, and the evidence still has not been surrendered to the District Attorney for prosecution.

What is the point of having rules if they are so routinely ignored,
except to deceive stakeholders into believing that
there are rules that the good ol' boys actually have to obey?

Right now there are more than a hundred SilentWhistle complaints being denied their due process, for no other reason than to hide the truth about standards and accountability in the leadership of the APS, at least until after the school bond issue election, link.

And no place to file a complaint about that either.

What is the point in having rules, even in having laws
if the good ol' boys can simply ignore them with impunity?




photos Mark Bralley