The cost of Revenge (so far)
The cost to the public of the D11 recall continues to rise. The unreimbursed cost to El Paso County so far, according to Clerk & Recorder Bob Balink, is about $20,000. The cost to D11 is in the neighborhood of $200,000 and rising. That is just the cost to hold the election.
In addition to the public's cost to hold this recall election, D11 has incurred legal expenses related to the recall. To date, those expenses equal $42,000. They will continue to rise. No explanation was given by D11 law firm Holmes, Robert, & Owens (HRO) as to how D11 racked up $42,000 in legal fees in only a 2 month period.
According to the HRO bill, D11 was charged $31,118.00 for August alone. If one uses the average HRO hourly rate, this equates to 124 billable hours in August for the recall question alone. This amounts to over 3 straight weeks of 8 hour days by HRO to work on the recall issue alone. What work was being done and who ordered HRO to do that work?
For September, the $11,363.00 bill amounts to 45 additional hours at $250/hour on the recall question. Again, what legal work was being done by D11? This legal bill, which is paid by the taxpayers, does not include the legal bill that El Paso County incurred on the recall issue. That bill is also being paid by the taxpayers.
Mary Ellen McNally and her hit man Anne Oatman Gardner are to be thanked for these continually rising costs. All of this for a personal vendetta that McNally holds towards Sandy Shakes. Shakes refused to believe that McNally was to continue to run D11 since, as McNally told Shakes, John Gudvangen, Tami Hasling, and Sandra Mann would "do as they are told" since McNally and her group of liberal admirers "got them elected." Although as a past D11 Board member herself, McNally did nothing about a declining academic environment and went through 3 superintendents in 4 years, McNally still feels that she actually has the right to give direction to D11 staff and Board members. Self important people like McNally and her male counterpart, Lyman Kaiser, are dangerous when they continue to force their shallow beliefs on an entire district. Both did immeasurable harm to D11 as Board members, yet both actually believe that the District cannot survive without their failed ideas.
Although the $42,000 seems small when compared to D11's $481 million annual budget, that is the cost to pay one school teacher for one year's work. The $200,000 for the ballot question could fund 5 teachers. D11 will spend 6 figures in less than one year after the recall election to elect more board members. McNally's personal grudge outweighed the importance of using D11 funds to educate kids. To this date, neither McNally nor Oatman Gardner can list one benefit to the D11 community from this recall effort. Public tax dollars are being wasted to fund the egos of 2 very reckless and dishonest women.
In addition to the public's cost to hold this recall election, D11 has incurred legal expenses related to the recall. To date, those expenses equal $42,000. They will continue to rise. No explanation was given by D11 law firm Holmes, Robert, & Owens (HRO) as to how D11 racked up $42,000 in legal fees in only a 2 month period.
According to the HRO bill, D11 was charged $31,118.00 for August alone. If one uses the average HRO hourly rate, this equates to 124 billable hours in August for the recall question alone. This amounts to over 3 straight weeks of 8 hour days by HRO to work on the recall issue alone. What work was being done and who ordered HRO to do that work?
For September, the $11,363.00 bill amounts to 45 additional hours at $250/hour on the recall question. Again, what legal work was being done by D11? This legal bill, which is paid by the taxpayers, does not include the legal bill that El Paso County incurred on the recall issue. That bill is also being paid by the taxpayers.
Mary Ellen McNally and her hit man Anne Oatman Gardner are to be thanked for these continually rising costs. All of this for a personal vendetta that McNally holds towards Sandy Shakes. Shakes refused to believe that McNally was to continue to run D11 since, as McNally told Shakes, John Gudvangen, Tami Hasling, and Sandra Mann would "do as they are told" since McNally and her group of liberal admirers "got them elected." Although as a past D11 Board member herself, McNally did nothing about a declining academic environment and went through 3 superintendents in 4 years, McNally still feels that she actually has the right to give direction to D11 staff and Board members. Self important people like McNally and her male counterpart, Lyman Kaiser, are dangerous when they continue to force their shallow beliefs on an entire district. Both did immeasurable harm to D11 as Board members, yet both actually believe that the District cannot survive without their failed ideas.
Although the $42,000 seems small when compared to D11's $481 million annual budget, that is the cost to pay one school teacher for one year's work. The $200,000 for the ballot question could fund 5 teachers. D11 will spend 6 figures in less than one year after the recall election to elect more board members. McNally's personal grudge outweighed the importance of using D11 funds to educate kids. To this date, neither McNally nor Oatman Gardner can list one benefit to the D11 community from this recall effort. Public tax dollars are being wasted to fund the egos of 2 very reckless and dishonest women.
posted by Craig Cox | 5:30 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home