In support of local businesses

I have never written a letter mourning the loss of a business; but this is such a letter.  Jodi Duffy did everything a good business person should do.  She produced a great product and tried in every way to make Java Jodi’s a gathering place for the community.  She had free wi-fi, showcased local artists and musicians, had a play area for children, supported craft groups, and provided employment.  Her business entrance was a porch with rockers and chairs encouraging people to sit and chat.  She had a question of the day that not only could get you a discount but also could give us shy people a way to strike up a conversation.  The closing of that business has lost us not just a great cup of joe, but torn a piece from the fabric of our community.

A similar fate is happening to our county library in that its hours are shortened and its doors are now fully closed on Tuesdays.  Our schools and emergency medical services have to compete for funding.  Talk of taxes gets people hissing like rattlesnakes.  And underlying it all is this sense of “Oh well, I’ll head in to Short Pump.”

Let me explain what I mean by that last remark.  At root, we Goochlanders take our money, taxes, and support to Henrico, Richmond and Chesterfield. I am a huge offender in this regard, and I can only imagine that it is absolutely irresistible if you live in the eastern end of the county.

But I firmly believe that Starbucks would not have folded if we had taken some of our business to Java Jodi’s; CVS will not expire if we patronize our local pharmacies; Whole Foods will not close down if we shop at the Goochland Farmers Market. 

When we buy at local businesses, we not only support our neighbors’ businesses, but we also support our local tax base so we can have fully-funded emergency medical services, competitive schools, a fully-functioning library and other quality-of-life operations.  Nobody else is going to come along and magically protect the quality of life that we still enjoy in this county. 

But I believe that if we don’t start making conscious efforts to explore our county and support its businesses and services, Goochland will eventually become just a place where the only choice we will have is to just park our cars and sleep in our beds here.

I don’t think we should ever turn inward entirely.  It’s important to support the Virginia Museum, Ginter, the Richmond Squirrels, and other unique institutions.
But I write this letter of mourning in hopes that each of us will reflect on what we want Goochland County to be and that we (and I, especially) might try harder to assume personal responsibility for making it that way.

Dr. N. C.  Parrish
Columbia

Working together to improve schools

I read with great interest the piece regarding how well the school system performed and the very useful link the article provided to gather more data from these evaluations. 

It appears that the school system did ok in some areas and ‘needs improvement’ in others. I am sure that the School Superintendent and staff as well the School Board (and the BOS) and parents will be analyzing this for ways to improve our children’s education.

I would hope that  at least two things happen: 1, a positive and constructive view is taken by all parties (name calling and pejorative statements are counterproductive) and 2, there is a clear recognition that meeting the state standards are the minimum(the floor) and that we all will work for our education to exceed this minimum standard in a responsible way (don’t break the bank).

Now’s the time to work together and help our children be the best that they can be…

Richard Carchman
Columbia

Reflections on the school board

After attending last week’s school board meeting, it is quite apparent our county government’s frolicking fiscal frivolity is not just limited to the antics and escapades KPMG recently brought to light on the supervisors’ side of Goochland’s governmental house.  The same school board that controls more than half of our county’s tax dollars finally received, not last year’s (FY 2009–2010), but prior year’s (FY 2008-2009), activity fund audit results.  This same board that previously rubber stamped a 43-page technology plan with expenditures increasing 33 percent ($476,193) over 5 years now faces a $19,000 general activity fund deficit, an $18,000 athletic uniform fund deficit and an $8,000 cheerleading fund deficit!  I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for last year’s (FY 2009–2010) audit.  Looks like we might have to cut Hendron’s iPad budget or Gretz’s doctoral studies’ stipends!

 Speaking of waiting, as a now regular school board meeting attendee, where is the  new and improved organization chart showing all lines pointing to King Linda’s throne which was tabled a few meetings ago?  Where is the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) presentation, illegibly presented by another of the king’s cronies during last month’s school board workshop meeting?  They should not use the term “tabling.”  Perhaps “carpeting” is a better term considering that’s where these past unaddressed agenda items have gone, “swept under the carpet.”

Only three board members attended the meeting, with the third “quorum maker” arriving late.  Besides school administrators and a media representative, only five citizens attended - a Boy Scout needing a public meeting attendance for a merit badge, his mother, the leader of Goochland’s Republican Committee, myself, and my wife.  Where was GEPA? 

Where was the Goochland Tea Party?  Where were the board’s alleged supporters, the oft referenced, silent (and invisible!) majority?

Vacation mode was not only apparent in the audience, but also on the raised dais where our school board rules their fiefdom.  One board member actually asked if an item on the agenda would require a vote…duh!  This same member also mentioned he could not access his school board e-mail account for two weeks! 

 When leaving the momentous meeting a few months ago where our board voted unanimously to adopt our current bureaucratically top-heavy Goochland County Public Schools budget, a fellow citizen remarked, “You can’t make this stuff up,” referring to our board’s boorish behavior.  Truer words were never spoken, then, and last week.

Michael M. McDermott
Maidens

Fees rather than tax hikes?

I would like to voice my approval of those citizens who, like Jane Christie, take an active role in local issues. 

However her letter questioning school expenses is high on conjecture and low on useful, accurate information.  I happen to know that she filed a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request to obtain the county cell phone details, but if she had sat down and held a considerate and rational discussion with school officials she could have learned much more, and perhaps not found it necessary to use misleading and incomplete information to create a problem where one does not appear to exist. 

The unfortunate loss of civility permeating Goochland in recent times is quite distressing, and Ms. Christie’s misleading and incomplete information contributes to the separation between citizens and their local institutions at a time, when more than ever, we need to pull together as one.   

Let’s start with those pesky fees.  A simple inquiry yielded the following information:  The Adventure Games (an elective with equipment, supplies and entry fee) went up $10. 

Marching Band went up from $55 to $75 to cover the cost of uniforms, maintenance and repair on aging band instruments, etc.  That’s it folks.  No other fees were increased.  Many of the fees are optional.  If you don’t drive to school, you don’t need a parking pass. Yearbooks and chorus shirts are optional.   (Note that if a family qualifies for free or reduced breakfast and/or lunch in line with federal guidelines, the fees are waived or reduced.)

Regarding the AP fees; the school has never paid the cost of AP tests since those fees are determined by and paid to the College Board.  In an attempt to forewarn parents of the fees involved, this year for the first time, the AP fees were placed on the fee list to give parents a heads-up over the cost of these tests.  This attempt to improve communication is being turned on its head by Ms. Christie.  What’s the old saying?  No good deed goes unpunished!  Note also that the state has a program that pays AP test fees for students who qualify for free/reduced - each year the school submits the paperwork to the state so our students can participate in that program.  This year Goochland is participating in a new program (VASS) that will pay students $100 if they score a 3, 4, or 5 on an AP test. This will certainly offset the cost of the AP exam.   I suggest that Ms. Christie makes sure her kids hit the books so she can get her AP fees back!

I am informed that the fees do not cover all the costs.  Ms. Christie conjectures $48,000 in “revenue” from fees, but fails to take into account any “costs.”  Even with the fees in place, the costs are not all covered by the revenue generated by fees.   Talking about revenue without discussing the associated costs promotes a misleading and incomplete picture. 

Sometimes fees can be construed as a ‘regressive tax’ as Ms. Christie suggests, but that does not appear to be the case here.  Each school receives instructional material appropriation from the regular operating budget to help cover costs.  I suppose that increased property taxes are an option in place of fees, but as indicated above, none of the non-elective fees were increased although Ms. Christie’s letter insinuates otherwise.  My kid is out of school, so I have no dog in this.  However, personally, I’d rather see the continued use of fees than face an increase in my property taxes to save a few bucks for those who are using the services in question.  The fees seem reasonable to me, given that we expect the schools to prepare our children for the future.

Next let’s talk about telecom costs.  This is more complicated, and breaking out the various components of telecommunications can be complicated – I know this because it’s my line of work. 

First, I saw the list of cell phone costs that Ms. Christie obtained with her FOIA request.  The list of people provided with phones is eminently acceptable.  There isn’t a person on the list who shouldn’t have a phone in my opinion. 

The FOIA information requested by Ms. Christie also details the chosen plans and the discounts and sharing methods used to reduce costs as much as possible.  It’s clear that some thought went into this and it appears that a decision to change vendors for some of the phones was made on the basis of reception quality throughout the county, and negotiated cost savings.  Ms Christie did not elect to share any of that supporting information.

How about the bookkeeping?  According to information I received from the school, at one time telephone costs were in Maintenance and Operations and costs for telecommunications were in Instruction.  Then, the state required that a Technology Category be created and costs related to broadband, wireless, routers, servers, etc. were moved to the new Technology category.  Telephones remained in the Instruction category.  Equipment leases, repairs, equipment purchases are made from both.  The bottom line stays the same regardless of which category, and right now the lines between Instruction, Maintenance and Operations, and Technology overlap in the telecommunications area. 

As a side note – Goochland received over $28,000 last year in E-Rate payments used to offset telecommunications costs.  (That covers the cell phone charges!) E-Rate funds can be used ONLY for instruction, thus the school keeps costs in Instruction in order to qualify for E-Rate.  Ms. Christie is apparently giving the school a hard time for using intelligent accounting in order to reduce costs and qualify for discounts. 

Had she asked, Ms. Christie might have also learned that collaboration between the schools and county saves duplication of costs, i.e. the county shares the broadband.  The county is developing a wireless network that the schools may be able to share in the future.  If the fees or the telecommunications costs are unreasonable, then maybe Ms. Christie could do some research and see how we compare with other counties.  Perhaps she could offer constructive solutions on how to generate the funds necessary to provide children with an education and cover these costs.  I see nothing in her letter that contributes to solving a problem – only creating additional dissention and hard feelings through the use of misleading, inaccurate or incorrect information. 

I’m tired of people blaming the government for everything.  That is a basic failure to accept personal responsibility.  The government is our mirror.  We put them there.  The blame is ours.  It’s time to accept it and do something about it.  It’s great to be involved, but as fellow citizens, let’s see how we can work to build up, rather than tear down.  What can we do FOR our community?  It’s time to come together and stop driving walls of separation between us.  We are all ONE.  We are all in this boat together.
 
Patrick Gannon
Maidens