Post number 1270

It's Diogenes' Six's first birthday. Since, August 15th, 2006, I have written one thousand, two hundred and sixty-nine essays
in an effort to convince readers of only a very few facts.

It was and is, necessary to publish a blog, in order to reach the community. I have no other access. The media steadfastly refuses to investigate or report upon the issues I am raising.

Even as a bonafide school board candidate, I was denied access to the community through the media; even to the point where the Journal and Trib denied that access to the other candidates as well.

The public forum at school board meetings has been taken off the public record to deny me access to the broadcast public record. That broadcast public record was deliberately falsified to mislead stakeholders; at least ten times. (with no media coverage)

As a bonafide political candidate I attempted to exercise my right to speak on the record. I made four legal and ethical attempts to speak on the record. I was prevented from speaking, and removed from those meetings, by members of a publicly funded, private police force; a Praetorian Guard. The TV news people have film. Newspaper reporters witnessed it. It is part of the public record on videotape. (with no media coverage)


Robert Lucero disposed of a motion that would have required as a matter of enforceable policy; administrators and board members to respond on the record, to legitimate questions. (with no media coverage)


Mary Lee Martin disposed of a motion the would have created honest accountability for board members and administrators, to the student standard of conduct. (with no media coverage)

They lowered their own standard of conduct, over and over again. (with no media coverage)

They are using public resources to escape accountability to any meaningful standard of conduct. (with no media coverage)

The leadership of the APS (and powerful public servants in general) are not honestly accountable for their conduct and competence as public servants. (with no media coverage)

The privileged class (yes, there is a privileged class)
will do everything that they can to maintain their exception from accountability. (with no media coverage)

The privileged class will do everything they can do to prevent the first annual administrative accountability audit. They will be able to accomplish this. (with no media coverage)


My allegations are credible.

On my honor; no fact or allegation made in one thousand, two hundred and sixty-nine essays has been refuted or rebutted by any real evidence or sworn testimony.

I am the only principle, in my entire "disgruntlement" with the leadership of the APS, who has an offer of polygraphy without reservation, on the table.



... (with no media coverage)

School Bus Safety Response

A little girl alleges that she was raped on a school bus.

The complaint is being investigated by the APD.

Concerned parents will be relieved to know that the leadership of the APS has sprung into action.

"Albuquerque Public Schools spokeswoman Monica Armenta said Tuesday night that the district is aware of the (APD) investigation."

Journal (sub req)

Ethics Reform

Journal editors demonstrated their understanding of the need for ethical reform in state government in an editorial (sub req) this morning.

They continue to give no indication that they understand, or are even aware of, the need for ethical reform in the leadership of the APS.

The editors' position cannot be ethically justified.

It seems that Charlie Moore and the Journal
are simply covering up corruption, incompetence, and
widespread ethical misconduct in the leadership of the APS.

Monica Armenta's Rationale is "Ridiculous"

It will go down as the most monumental screw up in the history of APS "communications".

APS Executive Director of Communications,
Monica Armenta has announced that APS will not tell the community the names of schools where the admitted pedophile has taught; because the information is contained in his "personnel file", according to the Journal (sub req)

An local open government attorney's expert opinion on the rationale; it is "ridiculous".

It is worth noting that the "personnel file" excuse is the same one the leadership of the APS is using to hide the truth about public corruption and criminal conspiracy in the leadership of the APS (police department).

Ridiculous, is a public servant earning over a hundred thousand dollars a year to deliberately deceive and mislead the public.

Self-Exception From the Rules

The chief privilege of the privileged class is that,
they are able to self-except themselves and each other
from accountability to the rules.

We should be talking about why we are tolerating it.

In particular, why should we have to tolerate self-exception by our servants?

Or are public servants not servant?

The terms of public in-servitude are the prerogative of the public; and not of the public servant.

A full scale forensic audit of the public interests in the APS,
is in the public interest.

And the people who are obfuscating the audit
are doing so in their own self interest
and against the public interest.


They are only getting away with it because they are able to keep it secret.

They couldn't get away with it ,with out the aid and abet
of Charlie Moore and the Albuquerque Journal.

And the Trib, and all the other media.

School Board President Paula Maes is the President of the New Mexico Broadcasters Association. Does that give her enough juice to control the media?

Are they just helping out of their own accord?

Is this the privileged class covering each other's asses?

Have they agreed that they cannot permit annual accountability audits of public servants?

Have they agreed among themselves not to tolerate public discourse on the subject of holding public servants honestly accountable to meaningful standards of conduct and competence?

As a matter of privilege, they need not explain, defend, or even acknowledge their position, in opposition to accountability audits and other forms of honest accountability to meaningful standards of conduct and competence.


Stonewalling. It is what you do when you can't tell the truth
and you can't think of a lie.

It is the only defense of an utterly indefensible position.


Monica Armenta cannot explain away the fact the the leadership of the APS has self excepted themselves from accountability to any meaningful standard of conduct. She can't tell the truth and there is no conceivable lie.

The Journal, Trib and others, simply cannot report credibly on the ethics and accountability scandal in the leadership of the APS. Not without first reporting credibly on their failure to report credibly on that subject, here to fore.

What are they going to do? ...pretend they just heard about it?

They have all together, covered this up through at least three elections, mill levies, and bond issues.

There is only one reason to hide the record of the public service. And that is because the record is one of corruption and incompetence.

If there were a good reason to hide the record, then there is a better reason to make that reasoning public.

Ms. Armenta won't, because she can't. They are not hiding their record for a good reason. They are hiding it for a bad reason.

...a very, very, bad reason.


Either that or I am just another disgruntled former employee
(and crazy conspiracy nut).

You pick a side when you don't pick a side.

It's time to pick a side and cowboy up.

"The formation of character in young people is educationally a different task from and a prior task to, the discussion of the great, difficult ethical controversies of the day."

"If we want our children to possess the traits of character we most admire, we need to teach them what those traits are and why they deserve both admiration and allegiance. Children must learn to identify the forms and content of those traits." Bennett

If we really want children to grow to embrace honor and courage and character; some one has to show them what it looks like.

It is time for the role models to step up.

New reader poll

Should students be "required" to obey the rules;

or should they be "expected" to obey the rules;

or is it a distinction without a difference?

Beth Everitt Responds to Complaint

During the public forum on the arming of the APS police; a number of people suggested that the leadership of the APS was not doing enough to help kids stay out of trouble.

Everitt responded to that complaint on the district website.
See APS Prevention and Intervention Programs

Which proves that she can use that forum to answer questions if she wants to.

She could, if she wants to, answer another question;

Why are you and the rest of the leadership of the APS no longer accountable as role models for the 90,000 students and 12,000 employees in the APS?

School Board President Paula Maes

voted in secret to lower the student standard of conduct.

So did the rest of the board. But Maes case is different
because she also happens to be the President of the
Character Counts Leadership Council.

Lowering the student standard of conduct, especially without involving stakeholders in the decision, is indefensible. The decision was made in diametric opposition to fundamental principles of Character Counts.

She models hypocrisy before 90,000 of our sons and daughters.

Ask Ellen Bernstein.

The question has been raised and is now on the table.

Does the leadership of the teachers union have an obligation to stand on the record on the issue of the scope of the upcoming administrative accountability audit?



sidebar. The truth is that I feel that I,
and some very important principles, were betrayed
by the leadership of the union.
That feeling cannot help but permeate anything I might write in surmise as to their motivations or intentions on this issue.

Therefore, I expect that I will not write any more on this, than that.

The Case Against Charlie Moore and the Journal

Journal editor Charlie Moore is aware of the facts.

Robert Lucero disposed of a motion that would have required, as a matter of enforceable policy, that administrators and board members to answer legitimate questions; truthfully.

Mary Lee Martin disposed of a motion that would have held administrators honestly accountable to the student standard of conduct.

The board removed from its own standard of conduct; the expectation that they would be role models of the student standard of conduct by striking; in no case shall the standard for adults be lower than the standard for students.

The board approved a whistle blower policy that deliberately denies protection to most whistle blowers. Their is no protection for those whose expose ethical misconduct or incompetence.

The board recently adopted as its standard of conduct, a comparatively meaningless and completely unenforceable code of ethics.

More recently, the board lowered the student standard of conduct; in secret. They lowered to student standard as a means of lowering their own.

They did it in secret; without stakeholder participation or knowledge.

They have broadcast deliberately falsified public records to stakeholders.

They have moved the public forum off the public record; in order to remove from the public record, their refusal to answer legitimate questions about their public service.

In violation of (at least, the spirit of) the law
they are hiding evidence of public corruption and criminal conspiracy in the leadership of the APS.

They can cite no system under which they can be held honestly accountable for their conduct and competence as public servants; not even the law.

They have been ripped by every single audit of their accountability as public servants. They can cite no response to those criticisms, save ignoring them.

They spend millions of tax dollars at the school board president' husband's law firm litigating against the public interest.

They are absolutely damned by their own record. Their only defense is to hide the record of their corruption and incompetence from public knowledge.

Only the corrupt and the incompetent have a reason to resist the exposure of the corrupt and the incompetent.

The Journal's only response,
by and through Charlie Moore,
is that they are waiting for the story to unfold.

The story is unfolded to about its end.

When the corrupt and the incompetent in the APS leadership
manage to avoid an impartial full scale, (forensic) audit,
through their guile and legal weaselry,
the story is over.

There is one chapter left and Charlie Moore is writing it;

...by not writing it.

The APS PD Will Remain Unarmed Indefinitely

Despite the fact that the overall decision by the school board, to arm police officers on duty, reflects the expressed will of the community;

Paula Maes, APS/Modrall, and top dogs at the newspapers, have decided that police officers will remain unarmed, until they decide otherwise.

The actual truth is that arming police officers is two public meetings away from reality.

Maes, Modral, and the media do not want to accept the consequences of their choice. So they have focused attention on a red herring; an issue that has nothing to do with the issue on the table.

They will wait; at the very least, until the legislature passes legislation allowing school districts to own their own police departments.

Being a bonafide police force is only an additional justification; it is not the only one.


Without impartial and honest news coverage, APS police officers don't stand a chance against Maes and Modrall.

I would suppose, there will not be another sick out.

What else can they do?
What do you do when evil owns the ink,
and all the printing presses?


What happens when you push people into a position
where the worst possible choice,
becomes the best choice,

because it's the only choice.

Eager to Place Blame, Journal Editors Blame the Wrong People

In their editorial, (sub req), the editors decided that a new principal and a new APS PD dispatcher will catch the flak for APS' mishandling of a creepy substitute teacher with a video camera.

The system didn't protect these little girls from a creep.

Monica Armenta says she didn't see, and wasn't aware of a previous report that there was a problem with this particular teacher.

Apparently, this was not the first time this gentleman has drawn attention to himself for inappropriate behavior around little girls. The question, why didn't the system act to protect children from further danger?, will go unanswered.

But someone has to bear the brunt of community outrage; so how about a police dispatcher with four months on the job? And an administrator with two weeks experience as a principal?

Sure, a mistake was made in returning evidence to the perpetrator. A fairly glaring mistake. But was it the most important aspect of the case?

The staff at the school called the BCSO for help; why?

Is it because the APS PD (at the administrative level), has a well earned reputation as a Praetorian Guard used in damage control for the district's image.

The annual statistical crime report ...may be inaccurate and possibly misleading. The team was advised that there is a prevailing culture of under-reporting incidents to improve the image of the district and individual schools.

According the recent Council of the Great City Schools Audit, the prevailing culture in the leadership of the APS is one that deliberately and routinely deceives stakeholders.

That would have been worth investigation and report.

Also worthy of investigation and report; why didn't the "system" pick this guy up? The people at the school site picked it up. Why was this guy allowed another opportunity to be alone with kids, after a red flag had already been raised about his conduct?

The record shows that Charlie Moore and the Journal won't investigate and report upon the ethics and accountability scandal in the leadership of the APS.

Is it because they are just incompetent beyond belief;
or is it because, as seems increasingly obvious,
they are a party to the cover up?

The certainty is that, the leadership of the APS and the media have one very important thing in common; a privilege that they wish to protect; public attention to which, they do not want.

Neither is accountable to an enforceable
code of ethical conduct.

The community has no choice in the matter with regard to the media; what are we going to do; stop buying newspapers? stop watching local TV news?

But we do have a choice in the matter
when it comes to public servants.

The terms of public in-servitude include
accountability to the public; and to meaningful standards
of conduct and competence.

Some public servants won't accept those terms. They set their own terms of public in-servitude; and they don't include honest accountability to meaningful standards of conduct and competence;

except by systems circumstances, over which they have control.


The control of public resources and decision making power,
has been usurped by those to whom it was entrusted.

They do not intend to give it back.


Power and resources belonging fundamentally to the public,
are being used against the public interest;

To protect corrupt and incompetent public servants,
from accountability to meaningful standards
of conduct and competence.


And even in violation of the law.

According to School Board Policy and the Student Behavior Handbook

"Students are expected to adhere to any uniform dress policy which has been adopted at their school."

Board policy specifically prohibits sagging.

Yet if you go to any middle or high school in the APS; you will find students sagging.



This is not about sagging.

It is about the permission, of prohibited behavior.

It is about those charged with enforcing discipline policies,
ignoring their responsibilities.

It is about teachers with neither resources nor support
having to deal with chronically disruptive students
who longer respond to the authority of adults.

It is about students who are allowed do what they want,
rather than create a little turmoil.

Distinction Without a Difference?

Students used to be "required" to obey rules.

They are now "expected" to obey rules.

The School Board has made a policy change. (emphasis added, and, in significant part)

ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS

ATTENDANCE
Students are expected to attend school regularly and on time.

ACHIEVEMENT
Students are expected to achieve academically.

CITIZENSHIP

• Students are expected to be good citizens. Students are expected to: Model and promote the pillars of Character Counts.

• Respect authority, property, and the rights of others.

• Avoid confrontation and any activity that has the potential to cause a verbal or physical conflict.

• Maintain standards of integrity and responsibility.

• Maintain a safe school environment.

• Report any/all information/circumstances related to campus safety, problems (fights, weapons, or drugs on campus).

The question is; if the word expected was replaced by the word required; is there a difference?

If there is a difference, then it makes a difference
which word we use.

The leadership of the APS decided to replace the word required, with the word expected.

The difference between requiring good conduct and competence, and expecting good conduct and competence, is accountability.

The leadership of the APS does not want to be required to be honest and competent.

They would rather be expected to be honest and competent;

because it is easier for the lawyers of Modrall to protect them from allegations that they failed to meet expectations; than it is to defend them against accusations that they have failed to meet requirements, of conduct and competence.

Board policy used to require role models to model and promote higher standards of conduct and competence. Specifically, role models were required to model and promote the same standard of conduct that they established and enforce upon students.

Then the leadership of the APS changed board policy. They removed the language that read; in no case shall the standards of conduct and competence for adults; be lower that the standards for students.

The senior role models in the APS, are no longer required by board policy; to hold themselves honestly accountable as role models of the student standard of conduct.

They have adopted as their standard of conduct; a comparatively meaningless, and by their own admission, completely unenforceable code of ethics.

It can be argued that senior role models are accountable to the student standard of conduct by inescapable ethical and moral obligations.

They have solved that problem. They solved it by lowering the student standard of conduct.

They lowered the student standard of conduct by replacing requirement with expectation in order to lower again, their own standard of conduct.

They changed board policy in secret. Stakeholders were deliberately and methodically denied the truth.


Deceiving stakeholders is only the second worst thing they did.

The first, was changing board policy at all.

If we want, if we really want, our children to grow
to embrace honor and courage and character;
someone has to show them what it looks like.

There is a reason that the very first story we tell children
about character, and courage, and honor,
is the story about honest accountability
to a meaningful standard of conduct.

There is a reason that the first story we tell them,
is about George Washington and the cherry tree.


I wish there was something that could be done
to get Charlie Moore and Bill Slakey
to tell the people who trust them,

...the truth.

APS, Maes, Modrall; the Public Record

There is a public record of the manner in which APS and Modrall have spent public resources.

I have repeatedly stated that I believe: the public record will prove that the Modrall law firm has been paid in public funds to create exception to the law for corrupt and incompetent APS administrators and board members.

APS/Maes/Modrall steadfastly refuses to surrender the public record to public knowledge.

Exactly the kind of behavior that the New Mexico Inspection of Public Record Act, prohibits.

Yet they will not surrender that record even in response to a bonafide request for public records.



hmmm. Perhaps "prohibits" is too strong a word.

Character Counts!, ?, ??, ...Not!

If the interests of students were of interest to the leadership of the APS; they would be require students to model and promote The Pillars of Character Counts!

It is in fact board policy.

Well kind of. The Student Behavior Handbook used to read; Students are required to model and promote the Pillars of Character Counts. I just discovered that the wording has been changed. It now reads; Students are expected to model and promote...

If Monica Armenta ever catches up on her emails; perhaps she can email an explanation, a defense, or even an acknowledgment that the student standard of conduct has been lowered without public input; without communication from the leadership of the APS.

If you are among those who believe that the leadership of the APS, as the senior role models for 90,000 children, should be accountable the same standard of conduct that they establish and enforce upon students; you realize that by lowering the standard of student conduct; they have coincidently lowered their own standard of conduct.

Now the lawyers of Modrall no longer have to except the leadership of the APS from the "requirement" to model and promote accountability to a higher standard of conduct.

They have only to defeat accountability to that "expectation".


If Charlie Moore thinks it has unfolded enough; perhaps he could have the Journal investigate and report upon this.

If there is a blip on Bill Slakey's radar; maybe the Trib will print the truth before it dies.



tap, tap, tap. ...is this microphone working?

Dues

If you are a stakeholder you have dues. Among them; stand up for what you believe in.

At least that's what we are telling students.

We gave them T-shirts that on their front and back read;

Stand up for what you believe in...
...even if you are standing alone.

And then we let them.

Become a Communications Specialist

APS has an ad in the Journal. They are looking for a:
Specialist: Communications Community Relations. The job pays between $41 - $47K.

There is no indication whether you will be adding to the team, or replacing someone who is leaving.

Your job description; spin the truth.

Take the truth about all of the bad things that happen in the APS, and either hide it completely; or deliberately distort it to the point where stakeholders will not be upset.

You must be willing to participate willingly in efforts to skirt the requirements of open government laws.

It is a full time job.

You must be willing to work for and with people who sold their souls for between $41 and $105K a year.

Biggest perk; you'll get to hang out with Monica Armenta.

Downside; ...the devil owns your soul.

APS PD; Gravy Job?

(Note to readers: this is a repost. I have brought it to the top of the stack because of the gravity of the comments. The comments by Mr. Joseph Lopez deserve your attention.)

I've been asked if APS PD should be paid the same as city cops.

I am acquainted with a gentleman who served student safety in the APS. During the last hour of his career, he was beaten nearly to death in an APS high school parking lot. He is permanently disabled. Among other things he lost that day, an eye.

APS/Modrall is still trying to screw him out of a principled resolution of his complaint.

Did he earn fourteen bucks an hour that day?


...or twenty?

Darren White Broke the Law; Five Times At Least

New Mexico Attorney General Gary King's Office has determined that Darren White broke the law.

The Rio Grande Valley's High Sheriff sat down at his computer and passed himself off as another public servant; the BCSO custodian of public records, twice. He obfuscated the surrender of public records three times.

You have to wonder; why?

The short answer is; why not?

He has everything to gain, and nothing to lose. Although there are multiple counts of willful and deliberate violation of the law he has sworn to uphold; he will suffer no consequence. He cannot be held accountable for violating the law.

Because Charlie Moore's Journal, and Bill Slakey's Tribune won't report this story; and because it won't be on broadcast on TV, Darren White will not have to explain his misconduct. He will not have to defend his conduct. He will not even have to acknowledge that he has broken the law.

The public record that he is trying to suppress, is of felony criminal misuse of computers for which he was responsible. If the evidence shows that he knew what was going, I would suppose it might even cost him his job.

This is the same body of evidence that the leadership of the APS/Modrall is hiding; the results of a private investigation which apparently reiterates the evidence of felony criminal misconduct and a criminal conspiracy which includes the leadership of the APS.

This is the same body of evidence that is being hidden in the office of district attorney, Kari Brandenburg.

No one of them will answer a single question about that evidence. They don't have to explain why. They don't have to defend themselves. They don't even have to admit that the impartial investigation of the APS Police Department contains evidence of felony criminal misconduct.

They have everything to gain, and nothing to lose.