KOB Pulls Monica Armenta discussion

KOB allows all kinds of crap to go uncensored on the Topix forum.

Right now you can talk crap about cops and porn if you want; link

But they won't apparently allow a discussion about the fact
that there is no more loathed PIO in New Mexico than
APS Executive Director of Communications, Monica Armenta,
and about the fact that the leadership of the APS will not
commit to a town hall meeting because;

• they lack courage, and/or
• they lack character; or because of
• a third good and ethical reason; which I cannot imagine, and nobody in the entire leadership of the APS can articulate.
  

The discussion had gotten to the point that it became
obvious that Wallica was not going to be able to come up
with a third reason for not having a town meeting;
much less one that is good and ethical;

suddenly no more discussion; the link disappeared. link

KOB of course, is among the news outlets in Albuquerque
that are helping to cover up the ethics and accountability
crisis in the leadership of the APS.

Along with KOAT, KRQE, KKOB, and of course,
the Journal.

Wally sez; give Winston Brooks a chance

"Wally" and I are trading comments on the Topix thread;
Monica Armenta; NM's Most Loathed PIO link

At issue;

will he hold himself honestly accountable
as a role model of the student standard of conduct.

How long does it take a man of character and courage;
to think up the answer to that question?

How much more of a chance does he need?



It's been many, many months now, and

... we're still waiting.

"Do I have a bone to pick with the APS"

wondered the commenter in the topix forum thread
Monica Armenta; the NM's Most Loathed PIO. link

In the interests of full disclosure; yes, I do.

I attempted to hold my principal, Wayne Knight,
accountable for his corruption and incompetence as a public servant.

At each step of the process, Wayne Knight was protected
from accountability, by members of the good ol' boys club
that runs the APS.

As each in turn protected Wayne Knight,
I added their name to the list of names of those who
I will see held accountable for their public corruption and incompetence.

And acquired another enemy in the leadership of the APS.

I was vindicated, in every venue that they did not control.
Which did not mitigate in the least, the damage they had
done to my career, my reputation, and my health.

The retaliation and retribution visited upon my was monumental.



To this day, they still have not submitted my complaints
to a principled resolution;
an impartial and fair adjudication of all of the truth.

A principled resolution like the one they tell children;
every complaint deserves.

Yeah "Wally",

I do have a bone to pick with the APS.

... and so what?


Have I forfeited my right to demand that my "servants"
hold themselves honestly accountable to
meaningful standards of conduct and of competence,
by an impartial system, powerful enough to
hold them accountable even against their will?

I think not.

Monica Armenta, New Mexico's most loathed PIO.

Monica Armenta was hired to put a pretty face on APS'
ugly image.

She has failed; just like Rigo Chavez failed.

It isn't, probably, due to their personal attributes.
While, personally, I haven't much truck for Monica Armenta,
the APS poster Nazi; ; link,
she seems to be popular enough at least among the privileged class.

And, if Rigo Chavez weren't trying to hide public records,
and other truths, from me all the time;
I would find him quite likable; seriously.

So it must be their message.

If every time you get up in front of people;
they leave feeling like they need to bathe;
and it's not you;

it must be the message.

We spend a billion dollars a year on the APS;
and we don't trust the people who are charged with
telling us how, and and on what, our billion dollars are being spent.

They talk,
and we leave feeling like we're splattered with dung.

And that is why they are so unpopular.

Zsombor Peter writes a newsworthy story

Zsombor Peter has written a story on "looping" link sub req.

120 students at Truman Middle School, moved through their
three years there along with their teachers. It is an old and
interesting idea. It is one of a number of tacks that can be
tried by stakeholders in schools where they are allowed
meaningful participation in the decision making process.

Zsombor Peter reports a wealth of anecdotal support for the
experiment; but cannot report empirical evidence that
it made a difference in the "all important" area of test scores.

Which proves that Zsombor Peter is capable of writing a
newsworthy story.

Which begs the question;

Why won't Zsombor Peter write the even more newsworthy
story about;

the steadfast refusal of the leadership of the APS
to involve themselves in a candid, forthright and
honest discussion of; administrative role modeling,
standards, and accountability;

except that he is a coward;

afraid to stand up to Paula Maes and her ilk,

or he is corrupt;

a willing participant in the effort to cover up;

• the abdication by the leadership of the APS from their obligations as role models ,
• their abject lack of meaningful standards of conduct and competence, and
• their lack of honest accountability to such standards as there are, even the law?

95% of those polled; think APS leaders should be ashamed

that there is not one of them, able to summon either of
the character or the courage to participate in a candid,
forthright, and honest discussion of;

• administrative role modeling of the student standard of conduct
• administrative standards of conduct and competence, and
• administrative accountability to such standards as there are.

link KOB Topix

If only those people would show up at a board meeting;
sign up for the public forum, and then
demand a town hall meeting on every subject of legitimate
interest to students, parents, teachers and staff, and to
taxpayers.

endnote;
What do you suppose the odds are; that
Monica Armenta cast the only dissenting vote;
proving her worth as a $105K a year PIO?

"All wounds to honor, are self inflicted." Andrew Carnegie

When the subject of a candid, forthright and
honest discussion of administrative role modeling,
standards, and accountability comes up,

some of the leaders in the APS feel shame, and disgrace.

All of them should.

Because there is not one of them with the character and
the courage to expose those subjects to the light of day.

There are those who do not want meaningful standards of
conduct and competence;

who do not want honest accountability to any standards.

And they are the ones who lack character.

And there are those who want accountability to meaningful
standards of conduct and competence for the leadership of the APS,

but who are afraid to stand up for what they believe in.

They are the ones who lack courage.



And there is no other excuse, and there is no other reason;

not to stand up in support of a candid, forthright, and honest
discussion of administrative role modeling, standards, and
accountability except

their lack of character and courage.

There is no other reason.

If there were; instead of suffering their shame and disgrace,
they would simply articulate that reason to stakeholders.

Shame and disgrace are not the result of my pointing toward
their character and their courage;

but in the emptiness that is found,
in the direction that I am pointing.

It is well past time in the leadership of the APS,
for the "good" boys to stand up to the good 'ol boys.

And until they do, the shame and disgrace that they feel
around the subject of honest accountability as role models
of meaningful standards of conduct and competence,

is well earned.



The same can be said for Zsombor Peter, Kent Walz,
Mike Burgess, Mary Lynn Roper, and Michelle Donaldson;
the men and women who's responsibility it is;
who's obligation it is; who's duty it is;

to report the truth to stakeholders,

and who will not.

Heath Haussamen is apparently, not upset.

"... in the hallway, ... Photographer Angela Kurz, left, of the Las Cruces Bulletin,
Las Cruces based Blogger Heath Haussamen, center, of New Mexico Politics,
Photographer Shari Vialpando, right, and
Reporter Ashley Meeks of the Las Cruces Sun-News.
All were kept out of the meeting until after lunch,
when the major party candidates addressed the gathering."

He was made to stand in the hall with the other reporters;
while Allen Whe conducted the republican state convention;
in secret.

Haussamen is apparently, not upset about it.

At least not upset enough to complain on the record.

Mark Bralley did, on his blog. link
This is Mark's photograph as well.

APS Modrall surrenders records; sort of; part two

You will remember that I submitted a bona fide request,
under the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act,
to APS Custodian of Public Records, Rigo Chavez.

I asked for the opportunity to inspect and/or copy,
as few sheets of paper as possible;
that would represent a candid, forthright and honest
representation of the litigation that has been done
at great taxpayer expense,
by Paula Maes' family law firm, the Modrall,
and with respect to claims made by and against the APS.

I suspect that the record will show that Paula Maes' and
the Modrall Law Firm have made a great deal of money
litigating against the public interest; and in the interests of
excepting APS administrators and board members from
accountability to the law.

For example;

they once gave me thousands of tax dollars,
in part, in exchange for my promise that
I would not take incontrovertible evidence
of felony criminal misconduct by APS administrators,
to any agency of law enforcement.

APS Modrall used tax dollars to buy immunity for
APS Director of Risk Management, Richard Cangiolosi,
and Associate APS Superintendent Michael Vigil
from any investigation and possible criminal prosecution
as a result of my allegations of felony perjury,
and negotiating an illegal contract.

But back to our story.

APS Modrall has offered to surrender
"thousands of sheets of paper"
that I may inspect and/or copy under the watchful eye
of their minion, Rigo Chavez, at his convenience, and
in his office.

Further, they insist on making my copies for me
for fifty cents a page;
nearly ten times the going rate at Kinkos.

I objected to APS Modrall, and to
the Office of the New Mexico Attorney General.

In short; I argued that there was no good reason that
they could not just write the records onto a CD,
and hand it to me.

As an aside, I asked Rigo Chavez,
how many tax dollars were given to Modrall,
acting in the capacity of a heinously expense copy house,
to make the copies that I would view.

Rigo Chavez has responded. We are to believe;

• There is no record in the form of electronic files.

• The records only exist in the form of hard copy
  in a warehouse (on the Planet Crack).
  (OK, I made that part up). And,
  

• Modrall has made no money on copies, because they are surrendering the "original documents" for my inspection.
  

Let's think about that one for a moment.

If there are no electronic files, that means one of two things;

there never were files stored electronically;
Modrall secretaries used endless amounts of white out and
typewriter ribbon as tax payers paid the lawyers of Modrall,
to write and rewrite endless motions and legal blatherings.

Or,

Modrall once had the records in some easily stored,
easily searched, and easily reproducible format;
and instead of writing it to a disk and tossing the disc into the box,
and/or
instead of storing it in any one of the innumerable storage facilities on the planet;

they chose to destroy them.


Now, that part I can believe.

Further, they would have us believe that the "originals"
are now in Rigo Chavez' hands.


What if I went postal on Rigo, and stole his little box?

Does anyone really believe that the APS Modrall would
put all of their records for two years,
and millions of dollars worth of litigation,
in a place where I could simply run off with them?


Right,
and a pint of Häagen-Dazs^® serves four.



It will be interesting to see if the Attorney General's Office
finds this any more credible than I.

The worst thing that any public servant can do

is anything that they do in secret.

The Republican Party in New Mexico held its Darren White,
Joe Carraro debate in secret,
they violated any number of campaign laws in secret,
and now they have conducted significant portions of
their state convention in secret; after ejecting reporters,
and telling even bona fide delegates that they were not
allowed to record the proceedings at will;

in blatant violation of the rules of the Republican Party.

Supplied for our edification by blogger Mark Bralley; link

"The Rules Of The Republican Party As adopted by the 2004 Republican National Convention August 30, 2004

BE IT RESOLVED, That the Republican Party is the party of the open door. Ours is the party of liberty, the party of equality of opportunity for all and favoritism for none.

It is the intent and purpose of these rules to encourage and allow the broadest possible participation of all voters in Republican Party activities at all levels and to assure that the Republican Party is open and accessible to all Americans." (emphasis added)

But apparently not to all New Mexicans,
in particular those who are not in lock step
behind Chairman "Mao Tse" Weh.

The rules have been suspended at the whim of one man;
Allen Weh, Chairman of the Republican Party of NM.

A man whose monumental arrogance is manifest in phrases
such as; "My bat, my ball, he struck out." as he threw out
a convention delegate for asking a procedural question that
Weh didn't want to answer.

And who has suspended the Republican Party Rules, and
Robert's Rules of Order, in favor of "the Chairman's gavel";
in order to run roughshod over convention delegates.

This arrogance and blatant disrespect for stakeholders
will not play well with voters.

If republicans loose in November, Weh and his arrogance
will bear no small responsibility for destroying voter confidence
in his own party.

This is shameful behavior.

Rep. Janice E. Arnold-Jones · House District 24

Invites You To Saturday Morning Office Hours
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
at Cup O' Joe
3732 Eubank NE

Which proves two things;

• she has courage
• she has a clear conscience

She has the courage to field questions about her public
service; on the record;
because she has nothing to hide.

What more could you ask of a public servant?

What more proof could you need that you have lost control
over power and resources that are fundamentally your own;

than a public servant who refuses answer
legitimate questions about their public service?

What more proof do you need, than a public servant who
refuses to participate in a town hall meeting?

There is only one reason to hide the truth.

“It’s my bat, my ball, and he [Marron] struck out.”

"They kicked him out because he was trying to ask a question," said Bonnie Murphy, who said she was shocked and distressed at the upset, which left her feeling left out of the process. "We kind of quieted down. If we left, we'd lose our votes."

He "... had no right to ask a question or challenge the leadership’s ruling". (emphasis added)

Is this good for the republican party?

Is it good for stakeholders?

Please visit Peter St. Cyr's blog link
And Mark Bralley on the same subject. link
see Why Whe, Why?

APS refuses town hall meeting

Local media refuses to ask; why not?

The leadership of the APS has been asked repeatedly
if they will hold a town hall meeting;
there to answer legitimate stakeholder questions
candidly, forthrightly, and honestly;

all of them.

They refuse.

They lack the character and the courage to actually say; no.

So they stonewall the question.

And neither the Journal's Zsombor Peter, nor Kent Walz,
nor KOB TV's Mike Burgess, nor
KOAT TV's Mary Lynn Roper,
nor KRQE TV's Michelle Donaldson

will ask them to explain, defend or even acknowledge
their deliberate decision;

not to engage in a candid, forthright and honest discussion
of any aspect of the administration of the public trust
and treasure, in the APS.


Since Zsombor Peter himself, has ruled out inappropriate
superordinate influence, as the reason that he will not ask
the question; why not?

I can think of only two remaining reasons,
that Zsombor Peter and the rest of the local media
will not ask the question;

their incompetence and/or their corruption.


They are incompetent if they cannot see that it is newsworthy.
They are incompetent if they are afraid to ask the question.

They are corrupt if they are deliberately withholding
that information from stakeholders even through
mill levy, bond issue, and board member elections.

Character Counts! is an abysmal failure.

I represent that I am as expert in Character Counts! as
anyone in the leadership of the APS; even the administrator
they pay two teacher salaries to pimp the program statewide.

The Pillars of Character Counts! have been the student standard of conduct since 1994, when Character Counts! was unanimously adopted by the board of education.

I will state without fear of contradiction that there is no model for character education, and no better standard of conduct for students; than is offered in Character Counts!

I would argue that if Character Counts! were enabled to succeed and flourish in the APS;

• bullying would be greatly reduced, all but eliminated,
• school (and community) vandalism would be reduced,
• truancy would be a much smaller problem,
• test scores would increase substantially,
• graduation rates would increase substantially, and
• there would be far fewer disruptive, and chronically disruptive students consuming inordinate amounts of teachers time and energy.

Instead, Character Counts! in the APS has been an abysmal failure.

For one reason, and one reason only;

there has never been a Superintendent, or a senior administrator, or a board member with the character and the courage to step up as a role model.


If ever there were a superintendent with the character and the courage to step up as a role model of the student standard of conduct;
if ever there were a superintendent with the character and the courage to hold them self honestly accountable to the student standard of conduct;

• s/he would have the moral authority to demand the same of deputy superintendents,

• who would then have the moral authority to demand the same of subordinate middle managers,

• who would then have the moral authority to demand the same of principals,

• who would then have the moral authority to demand the same of teachers,

• who would then have the moral authority to demand the same of students.

There has never be a "leader" in the APS
willing to "lead" by their own personal example.


Leaders, who offer no leadership except
do as I say, not as I do;
and want anyone to actually buy into such crap;

want that which is not,
that which has never been,
and that which will never be.


The proof of this allegation is;
the refusal by the leadership of the APS,
to conduct a candid, forthright, and honest discussion
of administrative standards and accountability.

It is that simple.

Zsombor Peters reports on board meeting

He reports quite adequately the raises which were approved by the school board, for the APS Police.

He reports quite inadequately, that the board stonewalled again, the subject of a candid, forthright, and honest discussion of administrative standards and accountability.

Inadequately meaning; not one word.

Honestly, which story is more newsworthy;

of sufficient interest or importance to the public
to warrant reporting in the media;

a story that reader stakeholders must know,
or need to know, or should know, will want to know,
or would be interested to know.

the fact that APS Police Officers got a (much deserved) raise?

or

the fact that the leadership of the APS lacks the character and the courage to engage in a candid, forthright, and honest public discussion of administrative standards and accountability?

Is is possible, I would suppose, that Zsombor Peter really can't see the obvious answer to that question.

It is far more likely that, he is simply afraid
to stand up to the leadership of the APS.

He is simply afraid to ask for any explanation, defense,
or even an acknowledgment of their indefensible and
completely reprehensible position.

I am prepared to eliminate, for now, Zsombor Peter's
personal corruption. I can't see what he has to gain personally
from covering up the ethics and accountability scandal
in the leadership of the APS.


Which leaves only one logical conclusion;
Zsombor Peter is a coward. He has no balls.

Since Zsombor Peter offers nothing in defense of his honor;
I will reiterate my promise to publish any comment that
anyone else would care to make in his defense;
anonymous or no.


cc Zsombor Peter; except that he has written to me that he has
no interest in reading another of my "silly posts"

Therefore, I consider myself relieved of my ethical obligation
to copy him, thereby allowing him the opportunity to respond or rebut.

Not that there is a good and ethical rebuttal that he could post; even anonymously.

Marty Esquivel is fitting right in.

He used to have the decency to hide his face when
role modeling, audits, and accountability were on the table.

Now he can look you in the eye while you are pointing out
that he lacks the courage and the character to discuss
candidly, forthrightly and honestly, any of those subjects.

The worst by far is the smarmy little Robert Lucero
whose lack of character and courage are manifest in
a supercilious grin, while you point out what a
contemptuous sniveling piece of crap he is.

A man with a weaker stomach would puke.

cc Marty Esquivel upon posting

APS bookkeepers promoted for keeping their mouths shut

The recent audit of the APS Financial Division by Meyners
revealed a number of long standing issues;

• a failure to keep accurate books
• a failure to codify financially sound policies and procedures;
• and, a failure to enforce such procedures as they had.

Two people, Gina Hickman and Michael Kimbrell have both
worked for the APS for some time.

I reasoned that they knew, or should have known, about
the problems that the Meyner Audit "discovered".

And further that they should have reported what they knew;
that they should have blown the whistle
on the incompetence and corruption, and

did not.

Hickman has now been promoted to Chief Financial Officer;
and Kimbrell to Director of Internal Audits;

which appears to be as rewards for
keeping their mouths shut for as long as they did.

I emailed both, and offered them the opportunity to explain,
defend, or even acknowledge these allegations, and neither
responded.

Which I consider to be at least a tacit admission that the
allegations have merit.

It would not be inconsistent in anyway with the manner
in which the APS does business, and has done business for years.

cc Hickman and Kimbrell upon posting.

The bone chilling ignorance, and mind numbing hypocrisy, of APS Board Member Marty Esquivel

This link should get you to the minutes of the May 13, 2008
policy committee meeting.

Marty Esquivel is upset by the lack of sportsmanship at
athletic events.

He is in search of a policy that will address the issue.

It is bone chilling to realize that the policy he seeks,
already exists in the standards of conduct that he enforces
upon students. and he is apparently unaware.

Sportsmanship can not be more adequately addressed than
it already is, by the Pillars of Character Counts!.

The existing policy is more than adequate to the need;
it lacks only enforcement.

It is unenforceable because there is not one member of the
leadership of the APS willing to hold them self accountable
as a role model of that standard of conduct.

Including Marty Esquivel;

which brings us to the mind numbing hypocrisy part.

cc Marty Esquivel upon posting

There is a school board meeting today at 5:00. Zsombor Peter will be there.

There will be a handful of administrators in attendance,
and very few others at the meeting which is scheduled
at a time and in a place, inconvenient to virtually all
stakeholders; in the yet to be justified million dollar board room.

The leadership of the APS will be asked if there is even one
among them with;

the character and courage to participate in a candid,
forthright, and honest discussion
of administrative standards and accountability.

They will confirm that there is not.

In order to ask the question;
I will risk yet another arrest by the APS Praetorian Guard;
an un-certificated, and un-accredited publicly funded,
private police force.

A now armed police force, that reports to no one except
the leadership of the APS.

A Praetorian Guard that has has been used before,
and will be used again, to suppress political opposition.


Zsombor Peter will not write this newsworthy story;
because he lacks the character and courage to write it;

or because he wouldn't know "newsworthy"
if it were biting him on his ass; biting him on his ass like
a pride of lions taking down a water buffalo.

Or for some other good and ethical reason which
I cannot imagine,
and which neither Zsombor Peter, nor anyone else
at the Journal, can articulate.


cc Zsombor Peter (except that he does not want to be copied
another of my "silly postings"; so in his stead;
Journal editors, all of them.)

If Zsombor Peter is to be believed;

the Journal's failure to investigate and report upon the ethics and accountability scandal in the leadership of the APS;

does not rest on my inability to prove my case;

but in my inability to convince Zsombor Peter that the story
is newsworthy.

An issue of this magnitude will not be brought to the attention of stakeholders because of a young reporter who fails to grasp the importance of character and courage, and honor;

and of the need for role models of those character traits
in the leadership of the APS.

"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."
— William J. Bennett, author and former U.S. Secretary of Education (b. 1943)

"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."
— William J. Bennett, author and former U.S. Secretary of Education (b. 1943)



cc Zsombor Peter upon posting (except that he has indicated
that he does not want to be copied; so Kent Walz instead.)