Board members should not be paid for missed meetings
To the editor:
Shame on the members of the Lee County School Board! Five members acting like irresponsible children and accepting taxpayer monies for performing an important function and then not returning their compensation when they missed meetings. It’s immoral, unconscionable, slimy, and absolutely disgusting! The members are paid $40,318. which is predicated on attending meetings and contributing to the betterment of the school system.
Mary Fischer, who just ran for reelection, defends her missing 7 percent of the meetings by saying “things happen” and, instead of returning almost $3,000 to the taxpayers, -monies that were taken for non-performance – she points the fingers at others for an even worse record. We used this kind of smoke screen when we were little kids and it’s surely not appropriate for a board member to hang her hat on.
If board members attempt to justify this kind of behavior how can we expect our children to act any better or our teachers to respect these so-called leaders?
Yes, things do happen.
Sometimes there is a good excuse for missing a meeting.
But there’s a bottom line here and that begins by telling Mrs. Fischer and the other board members who believe this excuse that there cannot be respect – and we cannot respect a behavior that might be considered stealing from the children and the taxpayers.
Each board member, anxious for the respect and admiration of the kids, the parents, and the teachers should immediately return the monies they accepted. Those board members that do not immediately return this ill-gotten money should not be considered for either reelection or of ever representing the good people of Lee County!
Dick Kalfus
Cape Coral