Watching Broward


GRAND JURY REPORT: DELEGATE TRIVIAL PURCHASING TO DISTIRCT
We've already seen the results of the Grand Jury's cherry picking the documentation and testimony for its conclusions. Here's another bit of cherry picked wisdom: "In our opinion if an item on the agenda is too trivial or inconsequential to require any debate or discussion then the item probably shouldn't be on the agenda and the Board should not be wasting its time on it. Delegate the decision to the district and be done with it. At least that way there will be one person that can be held responsible rather than a group of nine politicians." Next, the Jury moves from opinion to "knowledge and authority." "Placing items on a consent agenda is just a way to keep control while dodging responsibility. We believe the Board's desire to have these financial items on the agenda is tied to the natural desire of some politicians to be standing nearby whenever the taxpayer's cash register is opened." And I suppose the Jurors believe in Santa Claus, too. At least the Grand Jury was honest enough to report the first part as an opinion. I have to wonder exactly whose testimony and which documents they examined in order to come up with these crackpot ideas. Without question, there is another set of documents the Grand Jury failed to examine or consider and those would be the laws of Florida. Specifically, the state's education code, dealing with the powers and authority of the School Board, and directly, , FS 1001.42(12)(g) Approval and payment of accounts.—Implement a system of accounting and budgetary control to ensure that payments do not exceed amounts budgeted, as required by law; make available all records for proper audit by state officials or independent certified public accountants; and have prepared required periodic statements to be filed with the Department of Education as provided by rules of the State Board of Education. Essentially this means that according to the law, not according to somebody's opinion or "natural desire to be at the taxpayer's cash register," the School Board must be directly involved in purchasing decisions. The Board simply does not have the power or authority to delegate what the report calls "trivial" purchasing decisions to staff or anyone else. But that apparently makes no difference to the Grand Jury. Perhaps the members of the Jury would prefer to sit in review of the Governor and Legislature so that it can suggest and correct state law to fit its own opinions. But then the members can always run for the Legislature and change the laws from within. Only here's the rub... They'd become money grubbing, unqualified, meddling politicians.

GRAND JURY REPORT: DELEGATE TRIVIAL PURCHASING TO DISTIRCT

We've already seen the results of the Grand Jury's cherry picking the documentation and testimony for its conclusions.

Here's another bit of cherry picked wisdom:

"In our opinion if an item on the agenda is too trivial or inconsequential to require any debate or discussion then the item probably shouldn't be on the agenda and the Board should not be wasting its time on it.

Delegate the decision to the district and be done with it. At least that way there will be one person that can be held responsible rather than a group of nine politicians."

Next, the Jury moves from opinion to "knowledge and authority."

"Placing items on a consent agenda is just a way to keep control while dodging responsibility. We believe the Board's desire to have these financial items on the agenda is tied to the natural desire of some politicians to be standing nearby whenever the taxpayer's cash register is opened."

And I suppose the Jurors believe in Santa Claus, too.

At least the Grand Jury was honest enough to report the first part as an opinion.

I have to wonder exactly whose testimony and which documents they examined in order to come up with these crackpot ideas.

Without question, there is another set of documents the Grand Jury failed to examine or consider and those would be the laws of Florida.

Specifically, the state's education code, dealing with the powers and authority of the School Board, and directly, , FS 1001.42(12)(g) Approval and payment of accounts.—Implement a system of accounting and budgetary control to ensure that payments do not exceed amounts budgeted, as required by law; make available all records for proper audit by state officials or independent certified public accountants; and have prepared required periodic statements to be filed with the Department of Education as provided by rules of the State Board of Education.

Essentially this means that according to the law, not according to somebody's opinion or "natural desire to be at the taxpayer's cash register," the School Board must be directly involved in purchasing decisions.

The Board simply does not have the power or authority to delegate what the report calls "trivial" purchasing decisions to staff or anyone else.

But that apparently makes no difference to the Grand Jury.

Perhaps the members of the Jury would prefer to sit in review of the Governor and Legislature so that it can suggest and correct state law to fit its own opinions.

But then the members can always run for the Legislature and change the laws from within.

Only here's the rub...

They'd become money grubbing, unqualified, meddling politicians.