Thursday, October 8, 2009

FLIPSIDE : Detroit, Politics, and Public School

A room full of unused Blackberry devices. Defibrillators still in boxes ready to use. Textbooks and other school supplies sit idle in a locked room. The unfortunate thing about all of these items locked away in some forgotten office is that everything has been paid for with our tax dollars and has never seen the light of day. Paychecks for people who don’t even work. This is the state of our school system.

When state government decided that the Detroit Public Schools were in a financial mess, an outside source was ushered in to resolve the DPS money woes. That outside source was Robert Bobb. Bobb has been brought in to straighten out the DPS finances and find out just why there is a room housing useful school materials that have never been used for their purpose. Why aren't people upset?

The future of our existence is at risk and Bobb has found some astonishing acts of misuse of DPS funds. Following one audit, it was recorded that many people were using the benefits from DPS issued health care and were not even on the payroll. Some of them were even dead! This is all money that could be used to paint schools, buy books, renovate libraries, save music programs and buy toilet paper. Would you believe that students are being forced to bring their own toilet paper to use in the school facilities? Their own toilet paper.

Bobb along with Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy have assured that they will be seeking charges for anyone who has misused or taken money from the DPS. Some seem to think that Bobb has no right. The school board is even trying to take Bobb to court so they can have a say in the direction Bobb is taking. That is a laughable idea. Why would anybody trust the same board of people who have been in charge while all of this mishandling of the DPS finances has been going on?

The odd thing about the situation is that nobody seems to be upset. Where are the angry parents in the community who paraded around town hoisting “I hate Kwame” posters because he cheated on his wife? Where are all the citizens who shouted at the TV and wrote blogs on the Detroit FreePress website in protest of Mike Vick getting a second chance after spending time in jail for murdering dogs? Where is the same tenacity to bring to justice those who are guilty of murdering our future? Catch ya’ on the FLIPSIDE.

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