Comments on: MDUSD bond oversight committee meeting to address questions about spending, audits

By: Theresa Harrington

Theresa Harrington — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 23:57:19 +0000

After voters approve the bond measure, bond underwriters and financial advisors make their money by issuing and refunding bonds.
At the June 16 meeting, Pete Pedersen’s PowerPoint presentation showed the district had already paid more than $2 million in Bond Issuance costs.
I have repeatedly asked for a breakdown of these costs in Public Records Act requests, yet have not received them.
The oversight committee should be told how much the bond underwriter, bond counsel and financial advisor are paid for each issuance and refunding.

By: g

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 23:49:48 +0000

At the meeting, remember that Jon Isom, Meredith Johnson, and anyone else they send from Urban Futures DO NOT represent the taxpaying people. Nor do they care very much how poorly the District might handle a Bond Measure once it is passed.

Urban Futures and Isom and crew have one job—to make a Measure get enough votes to pass. They don’t make their living overseeing the expenditures or the reporting of them. They make their money getting out the vote!

They will be there tonight to pull wool, and protect their reputation and income stream.

By: Doctor J

Doctor J — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 22:28:37 +0000

Alicia Minyen’s questions are valid and need to be answered so there is no question about the veracity and verification of the answers. If Ferrante attempts to limit her comments, she as a member of the committee is entitled to perform her duties without limitation. Ronald Reagan held the Soviets to the same standard: Trust but verify. There have been so many irregularities the past few years in the MDUSD that the public, and even the employees, have lost TRUST in the TRANSPARENCY AND VERACITY of the district. Its time to clean up the mess and get back to providing a quality education to our children. If what Minyen says about Solar not being a valid project, then Eberhart’s adverstisement on LinkedIn is patently untrue.

By: Doctor J

Doctor J — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 05:44:53 +0000

If John Ferrante doesn’t think the “oversight” committee should inspect the transactions, I would like to know what his agenda has been for the last ten years ? Maybe there are some payments to people that have a conflict of interest ? Who is John Ferrante that he can wield such power for ten years ? After what we have seen and delay in producing the “general ledger” I think we need an actual inspection of the cancelled checks. There is something rotten in Denmark.

By: vindex

vindex — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 23:30:41 +0000

Theresa,
This is a FANTASTIC post. This Alicia M. is brilliant and she is doing her job professionally. She represents me (the taxpayer) and I appreciate her efforts on my behalf. Greg Rolen and the Board are guilty at the very least of incompetence. Possibly Fraud. For Greg Rolen to charge a committee member for documents is his way to say “back off”. GREAT JOB ALICIA! Hold these people accountable.

By: Theresa Harrington

Theresa Harrington — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 23:22:10 +0000

I have just posted another blog item that shows many Bond Oversight Committee members statewide don’t understand their responsibilities: http://www.ibabuzz.com/onassignment/2011/08/21/a-closer-look-at-school-construction-bond-oversight/

By: Linda L

Linda L — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 23:14:48 +0000

The chairman of both the 2002 and 2010 committees, John Ferrante, said the committee relied on the auditor to comply with legal requirements and trusted the district to provide accurate financial information. He said most members of the citizens’ oversight committee, which has 15 members, wouldn’t be enthusiastic about poring over detailed financial records.

“If you’re going to get down to line item by line item,” he said, “I don’t believe that’s our assignment.”

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That is exactly why he should not chair the Oversight Committee. John, tell us what is the committee’s job?

By: Doctor J

Doctor J — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 22:22:05 +0000

Gary is busy watching his rear view mirror and doesn’t understand they just put a magnetic gps unit on his vehicle to track whereever it goes. Cell phones are instantly traceable. As far as the home phone goes, they just tap them remotely. I wish I knew how to spell the theme from Dragnet.

By: Doctor J

Doctor J — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 21:07:51 +0000

@G, Drive over to the Dent Center and take down the license plate numbers — you will have your answer. I will also bet that the Dent Center is running out of toilet paper today too.

By: g

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 20:38:07 +0000

It does seem strange that at 1:30p.m. on Sunday that virtually everything on the MDUSD main site is available EXCEPT for links to the 2010 Measure “C”. First just the minutes were down early this a.m., and then the entire site went down, and is still down. Somebody may be earning Sunday overtime to work on the site.