Fighting Mismanagement in the Ann Arbor Public Schools District
"If they can get you asking the
wrong questions,
they don't have to worry about answers" — Thomas Pynchon
(New High School) In the News
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The O&M Budget
or
How to Manipulate the Taxpayer
and your Own Board to Get What You Want
In November, 2005, information was requested from the AAPS administration concerning the administration's projections of the operations and maintenance (O&M) budget in light of the New High School. After nearly 3 months of stone-walling (and even a letter containing a thinly-veiled threat from the district's lawyers), the Freedom of Information Act was used to get the data. (Read the history of the request and stonewalling.)
Here are just some of the remarkable emails and other documents (click the blue text to read). Especially note the highlighted portions. This table shows the reasons for the emails as well: B=manipulate the perception of the Board of Education; P=manipulate that of the public; N=manipulate the Ann Arbor News and WAAM; C=involvement of a contractor who has not even been awarded a contract yet; Q=ignoring questions about validity of projections
|
Date
|
Reason
|
Description
|
|
2/3/04
|
B
|
Jack Baker to George Fornero recommending the selling of Glenn Nelson's more optimistic plan over the administration's own Business Service plan |
|
2/7/04
|
B,N
|
Peter Ways to George Fornero describing how to pitch the plan, who to leave out of the loop and how the Business Services Director should be forbidden to talk to the Ann Arbor News |
|
2/8/04
|
B
|
George Fornero's response to Peter Ways in which he compares what they are doing to the Enron scandal |
|
2/13/04
|
C
|
email between the Director of Business Development of Barton Malow, constructor, and the district long before the bond was passed |
|
2/16/04
|
B,P
|
Peter Ways to George Fornero about best how to word weak arguments promoting the bond |
|
2/16/04
|
B,P
|
|
|
2/17/04
|
B,P
|
Glenn Nelson to George Fornero with his help on the wording |
|
2/20/04
|
B,P
|
Glenn Nelson to Peter Ways on what makes him nervous about the justification being developed |
|
2/20/04
|
C
|
Why is Rol Schlosser, Director of Planning Services, Barton Malow, creating AAPS district cashflows, involved in discussions about sinking funds, and bus purchases, months before the bond is passed? |
|
2/21/04
|
B
|
Jack Baker to George Fornero: Baker wonders about whether to involve Trustee Glenn Nelson in a discussion about how to answer the Board's questions on operating cost projections |
|
3/1/04
|
B
|
Glenn Nelson to Peter Ways about how best to sell the Board on a one-bond ballot and how "being honest" is compatible with "do not volunteer information" |
|
3/2/04
|
C
|
Dick Mitchell, architect, to George Fornero: a hired architect tells the Superintendent how to populate a new high school |
|
3/3/04
|
Q
|
George Fornero to Orma Lapp: Fornero condescendingly tells the Business Service Director to stop worrying about her warnings of important ommisions in the projections |
|
3/8/04
|
Q
|
Ken Boyer to George Fornero: Ken Boyer tells why he can't support the bond |
|
3/14/04
|
P,B,N
|
Liz Margolis to George Fornero: how to deal with negative news on WAAM and in the Ann Arbor News |