Steven Flagg needs to be included in the Committee

Done. Hope they see the light Steven.

He's the last person I would want to be on the committee. I have known him for years and consider him to be a troublemaker.

Why bother? He's a known dissident against the cause of raping the Toledo taxpayer through the school system, and the Board of Ed is now fully packed with old political cronies and union tools. We can petition until we're blue in the fingers, so to speak. Nothing can change until the voter stops giving those crooks money, and also stops staffing the Board with cronies and crooks in the first place.

As we speak, one of the officers in the TPS is probably embezzling huge amounts of money. This is how the system runs. There is no accountability until the excesses become too large to hide any further. It's a system designed to fail catastrophically. Unionists, Socialists and Communists rule it, hence such a (re-)design became inevitable.

Mr Flagg will probably be brought in at some future time, when the Unionists and other crooks have made off with the maximum amount that they could steal from the school system and the taxpayer. It'll probably total out to $100 million, in my layman's view. Another $1300 total stolen from each actual payer of property taxes in the City of Toledo's TPS district. Sadly, people won't even notice, since taxes will be really, really high by then, to cover the huge legacy costs of signing outrageous union contracts all these corrupt decades.

So he'll be around to put a few bandages on the amputations. This will serve the Unionists, Socialists and Communists quite well, since that will make Mr Flagg the "bad guy", for clearly being unable to staunch the fatal flows. If you're one of the back-room masters of this entire game, it's good strategy. But now? No, Mr Flagg might end up improving things, which will give the previous administrations a black eye. Fiscal rectitude and oversight can still save the school system. They cannot allow that to happen.

And: Deere1, either define this "trouble" that Mr Flagg brings to the equation, or be immediately discredited as yet another Unionist shill.

I'm waiting until they mysteriously find another $800,000 that was "misplaced".

Mr. Flagg's consummate research talent and objective analysis will prove vital to the effort and the future of the School District.

Paid for by the committee to re-appoint Steven Flagg to the Toledo Board of Education.

The trouble with putting Steve Flagg into any oversight position is that the man isn't blind. He'll see things. Then, he'll start running his yap and the underground newspapers will snap it up faster than a downtown whore after a sawbuck on the sidewalk. Once the fertilizer is in the vicinity of the air agitator, the Blade will find a solid replacement for Noe and Toledo will become the sight of another major scandal. Do you people really want to see another scandal devastate an otherwise thriving community? No? Then keep Steven Flagg OUT of the BOE.

"I'm waiting until they mysteriously find another $800,000 that was "misplaced".

Ditto.

"And: Deere1, either define this "trouble" that Mr Flagg brings to the equation, or be immediately discredited as yet another Unionist shill."

And: GuestZero, either post something remotely intelligent, or be immediately discredited as yet another fool.

And on and on it goes...

GZ I do not belong to any union. When my kids were students at Beverly School he caused all kinds of problems.

deere1: Activists usually "cause all kinds of problems"...what exactly did Flagg do that interfered with your children's education @ Beverly?

Deere1, you don't have to be in a union to be another Unionist shill. Plenty of people in this stinky anus of a Unionville support unions for no sane reason. Unions failed to represent workers long ago. Now they are a huge barrier to resetting the U.S. economy to the lower level it must operate at. Like ticks, unions now collect around government agencies, sucking the last bits of easily-obtained fiscal blood, causing our levels of government to be hugely expensive.

And finally: Since you failed to D-E-F-I-N-E what problems that Mr Flagg caused, you've been completely discredited. You have no reasons except that like most shills, you greatly fear that he has represented fiscal conservatism, increased responsibility, and by definition, opposition to institutional corruption.

GZ I have no respect for you at all. AS far as the problems that he caused at Beverly, I don't remember because it was 25 years ago

deere1 has been discredited by a guy that wears a tin foil helmet? Doubtful.

Deere1, your level of respect means nothing whatsoever, since all you're doing here is spreading slander about Mr Flagg. Respect is as far from your postings as is Sol from the galactic core.

You've already been fully discredited as a shill. You're done here, fuckwit.

I have been behind in keeping up to date on what is being discussed on the blogs. So I apologize for not commenting and clarifying some issues until now.

First, let me thank those who have made kind remarks about my knowledge, research skills and independence despite my label as a "troublemaker".

The label of troublemaker is relative as several have pointed out in their own way. Thanks to Madjack for suggesting in his own way that a "Steven Flagg" in an oversight position would result in greater transparency.

You can't be afraid of finding the root causes and having a discussion aimed at finding solutions. The work that many of us are passionate about is making our governmental institutions work for us and be accountable for their actions especially in how they spend our money and interact with those they serve. (I have also been passionate about the press acting responsibly and have written on that subject as well.)

In 2002, Beverly parents were informed that portables would be located at the school. For many reasons, the parents did not want the portables to be installed. The PTO president contacted me and asked that I share my knowledge and help them organize. Since parental empowerment was one of our goals, several of us did consult with the PTO leadership and other parents.

I personally attended two meetings in late spring of 2002. In July I assisted the PTO in planning for a board presentation and helping recruit other parents and individuals across TPS to support Beverly. Gene Sanders was not pleased as the Board reversed his decision and portables were never installed.

There was also a problem with a teacher. I attended one meeting where this was discussed. I offered advice – my only input. There was some dissention among parents and an opposition group to the PTO was formed called PATCHES. I am not aware of the final disposition in this matter.

Empowering those who are affected by the decisions is not making trouble unless of course you may be threatened by the scrutiny such as TPS and union leadership.

Very few folks know me “personally”. Toledo politics is nasty and TPS not only investigates folks but actively seeks to cajole, coerce, bribe and blackmail folks and when that does not work, they attempt character assassination. Don’t believe much of what you hear – it is mostly rumor, innuendo and lies. It does not make sense if you speak out in Toledo to discuss much about your personal life. Everything can and will be used to harass you.

As to Deere1, how can you “know me” if you can’t recall that the issues at Beverly were just 8 years ago? I did not get involved with the TPS bureaucracy until 1995. Prior to that, I was content with working directly with the school my children attended.

I would not serve on the Toledo BOE at this time. One person can not change such a self entrenched beast as the TPS bureaucracy. But one person can be a virus and get others to understand the issues and exercise their power either as a group lobbying for change or voting to withhold funds to an organization that can not educate its students and has been irresponsible with the tax dollars entrusted to them.

I would serve on a steering committee to set up an independent operational and financial review. Those on the actual review committee should have the skills and independence necessary to complete the review. I may have some skills that would be useful, but my involvement is not necessary if the committee is properly established and its activities are publicly transparent.

TPS officials can’t seem to see that the very independence that folks like myself have as perceived by citizens of Toledo enhances the very credibility they seek and brings support to any final result. But of course, they would have to deal with the questions should they invite the “troublemakers” to the table.

Recent op-ed pieces related to the independent committee:

TPS must keep promise

TPS risks credibility without ‘independent’ committee

Politics — the final arbiter

Sorry for the length of the post.

Steve seems like the most level-headed poster in this thread. I think we need more level-headed people looking with a critical eye at the school board and local, state & federal government.

Deere 1 can't support her argument.

dhr can only attack.

Despite many of the disagreements with GZ in the past I can safely say he does think his opinion through and despite dhr's comment are actually very intelligent because he doesn't vainly attack people.

Deere 1 can't support her argument.

dhr can only attack.

Despite many of the disagreements with GZ in the past I can safely say he does think his opinion through and despite dhr's comment are actually very intelligent because he doesn't vainly attack people.

And I forgot to add, sorry Steve, but the board will never let you on a committee. Any committee. Not even the itty bitty titty committee. Why? Because they're too busy ruining the youth of Toledo to where their brains are as empty as Erie Street Market.

MikeyA - have to agree with you. Saying that I would serve is to state my willingness to share what I have learned. But it is not a statement of political reality in Toledo.

With the kind of grudge and revenge politics we have today - especially in Toledo - to offer even constructive criticism will make you an enemy. Heaven forbid you hold an elected officials feet to the fire - then they go for your character and call you things like a troublemaker - and that is mild to what is spread as rumors.

And then there is the TPS educational bureaucracy that has gone rogue on us.