In the Muskego-Norway School District, the school board upheld a recommendation to keep eight plasma screen televisions and have them installed in the high school cafeteria. The vote was 6-0. The school board agreed that they would only get back $13,000 of the $51,900 purchase. The televisions were purchased out of a $800,000 surplus "left over" from a $36 million referendum in 2001 to renovate the high school. Of the $800,000 only $200,000 will be "returned" to the taxpayers as debt service relief.
There has yet to be any fall-out in Muskego for this wasteful expenditure of funds. No recalls, no board members resigning, no members of the administration resigning or getting fired.
In New Berlin, four members of the school board face possible recall efforts because they have taken direct action to keep taxes low, have avoided going to referendum to ask for more money, and are daring to ask the teachers to contribute more towards their health care.
The four school board members, Matt Weiss, Jennifer Eitel, Tim Cramer and Donna Rathsack are fighting back. They point out one of the recall organizers isn't even a resident of the district, and that they support tax increases.
It's been said no good deed ever goes unpunished. Apparently fighting for lower taxes and keeping government spending in check is more punishable than frivolous, wasteful spending and pushing through higher taxes.
[disclaimer: Matt Weiss is a friend of mine.]
