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 Mind On His Money And
His Money On His Mind
New
Buffalo School Board Superintendent James A. Williams
hasn’t even started his term and yet he has already
accomplished what has long been goal number one for
Buffalo-bred politicians: he’s already demanded and
received a pay raise – twice! Outstanding! Although
his term does not start until July 1st, Williams
scored again by weaseling out a hefty $850 per day perk
for his “transitional” work in the interim period. It’s
all part of his program to “hit the ground running.”
With the school district some two million dollars in
debt, Williams sure is hitting it. He’s droppin’ it
like it’s hot.
How
a CEO-type School Superintendent such as Williams can
make do with less than a grand a day in a big city like
Buffalo is anybody’s guess, but School Board Member
Florence Johnson’s support is unwavering. On her weblog,
Johnson praised Williams, the reformer. “This kind of
reform upsets the status quo,” she wrote, “but it’s
exactly the kind of change we need.”
We
agree. When is the last time a politician who was black
was allowed to reach this deep into the cookie jar,
and before his first day on the job, no less? Don’t
forget he’s already received a pay raise of nearly thirty-five
thousand dollars above what outgoing superintendent
Marion Canedo made, so he really is hitting the ground
running.
But
wait, won’t Williams be responsible for results at the
end of his three-year term? Of course not. His second
order of business after filling his pockets was to warn
the board that results would be difficult, if not impossible,
to determine within two to three years. Uh-huh.
The
only question left is when do we start privatizing?
When does Williams’ former employer, Community Education
Partners, make the scene with their lucrative prison/school
“alternative?” Oh, and when will Williams get his next
raise?
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