Metea site getting costlier

[southsidemom]

Arch, I suppose you are okay with our citizen committees being stacked with experts looking for a way to boost their personal income? If Mr. B put his bonus in the church's plate, he will surely be blessed.

[gatormom]

southsidemom said:

Arch, I suppose you are okay with our citizen committees being stacked with experts looking for a way to boost their personal income? If Mr. B put his bonus in the church's plate, he will surely be blessed.

Has this been substantiated or are we spreading gossip? Just a question and not an accusation. I am having a hard time believing 1 person could sway an entire committee for his own personal gain. Does anyone recall how many people were on that comittee?

[Arch]

southsidemom said:

Arch, I suppose you are okay with our citizen committees being stacked with experts looking for a way to boost their personal income? If Mr. B put his bonus in the church's plate, he will surely be blessed.

1 person does not equate to 'stacked'.

It sounds like you are actually accusing him at this point.

Have you ever played the game 'telephone'?

[bob]

Deleted as indicated before in a previous thread

[southsidemom]

archwinsome said:

southsidemom said:

Arch, I suppose you are okay with our citizen committees being stacked with experts looking for a way to boost their personal income? If Mr. B put his bonus in the church's plate, he will surely be blessed.

1 person does not equate to 'stacked'.

It sounds like you are actually accusing him at this point.


Have you ever played the game 'telephone'?

Not accusing him or anyone else of anything. Perhaps, stacked is not the best word. However, if a resident serves to benefit financially from the outcome of his/her participation on a school district committee, it should be expected that it will draw questions.

Interesting how some people's actions are glossed over, while others receive the nth degree. Guess it depends on who you know.

[gatormom]

southsidemom said:

archwinsome said:

1 person does not equate to 'stacked'.

It sounds like you are actually accusing him at this point.


Have you ever played the game 'telephone'?

Not accusing him or anyone else of anything. Perhaps, stacked is not the best word. However, if a resident serves to benefit financially from the outcome of his/her participation on a school district committee, it should be expected that it will draw questions.

Interesting how some people's actions are glossed over, while others receive the nth degree. Guess it depends on who you know.

I find it equally interesting the number of conspiracy theories that are floating around about now.

I heard from a reliable source that the number of people on that committee was somewhere between 35 and 40. This person must have been pretty persuasive.

[southsidemom]

gatormom said:

southsidemom said:

Not accusing him or anyone else of anything. Perhaps, stacked is not the best word. However, if a resident serves to benefit financially from the outcome of his/her participation on a school district committee, it should be expected that it will draw questions.

Interesting how some people's actions are glossed over, while others receive the nth degree. Guess it depends on who you know.

I find it equally interesting the number of conspiracy theories that are floating around about now.

I heard from a reliable source that the number of people on that committee was somewhere between 35 and 40. This person must have been pretty persuasive.

Gatormom, I never said he was persuasive. His company benefits from a contract that evolved from a committee's recommendation. He sat on that committee. That is all I said. You decided it was a conspiracy. You do that well.

Sounds like that is O.K. with you. That's the beauty of opinions. Isn't this a great country!

Again, I hope Mr. B earns a healthy bonus for his work. Can't wait for the next citizen's committee assignment so maybe my husband's can sit on it and take a fat contract back to his company. The district needs new technology and I need a nice vacation.

[gatormom]

southsidemom said:

Arch, I suppose you are okay with our citizen committees being stacked with experts looking for a way to boost their personal income? If Mr. B put his bonus in the church's plate, he will surely be blessed.

Sounds to me like you are making a direct link from his actions on the committee to his own personal income. Maybe I just misread your post but in my opinion, you are just trying to cast a shadow over the committee's action and yes, that is the beauty of personal opinions.

[casey]

gatormom said:

southsidemom said:

Arch, I suppose you are okay with our citizen committees being stacked with experts looking for a way to boost their personal income? If Mr. B put his bonus in the church's plate, he will surely be blessed.

Sounds to me like you are making a direct link from his actions on the committee to his own personal income. Maybe I just misread your post but in my opinion, you are just trying to cast a shadow over the committee's action and yes, that is the beauty of personal opinions.

I always felt like it was just plain WRONG that the SB would choose this guy to participate on such a committee. Yes he and his company definitely stood to benefit if a new HS was built. Do you honestly think that he was selected by accident? From what I recall there were many that volunteered and 2 persons were selected from each ES. There were other candidates from that ES that weren't selected and let's face it he was qualified but I think that his selection was a definite conflict of interest. IMO, he wanted on that committee to further his company's chances at selection. He offered the SB the chance to have an "inside guy" pushing for the 3rd HS. Laugh all you want about the conspiracy theory but I always felt the whole thing was suspect. Sounds like Mayor Little Man's fence guys in Chicago;D.

For the record, his name is Dennis Baines (sp?) and his company is STR Partners.
From their website:
02/21/2005 STR Assists Indian Prairie SD 204
Spring 2005. STR is assisting Indian Prairie School District 204 with the design of a new 3,000 student high school.


From what I recall this Citizen's committee was never given much of a chance to look at other alternatives. They were simply painted into the corner to come up with the solution that a 3rd HS was needed. I recently read a quote of MM stating that "frankly he was surprised that the committee chose to recommend a 3rd HS." What an absolute fabrication!

[momof3]

I guess I don't sit around thinking everyone's actions are completely pure. I don't think every single person on the citizen's committee walked in there with a completely open mind. I don't think some guy dropped 18K on a lobbyist out of the goodness of his heart.

That's why I looked at all of the facts and figures to make my own decision regarding a YES vote for the 3rd hs. I think most folks on this board did the same , yes or no.

[rew]

The referendum committee representatives from our ES were selected from volunteers, by the PTA...there were no assignments of people by the SB. We chose who would attend meetings on our behalf.

[casey]

Well if that's true, I guess my beef should have been with the elementary school's PTA. IMO, he should have never been selected. But remember he chose to place himself in that volunteer pool. I seriously doubt that he volunteered out of the goodness of his heart with a dying need to help out the SD. I think he knew what he was doing and in that case the SB just got a bonus having a person like him be selected. That's like a freebie for them! Jackpot! Score!

[gatormom]

casey said:

Well if that's true, I guess my beef should have been with the elementary school's PTA. IMO, he should have never been selected. But remember he chose to place himself in that volunteer pool. I seriously doubt that he volunteered out of the goodness of his heart with a dying need to help out the SD. I think he knew what he was doing and in that case the SB just got a bonus having a person like him be selected. That's like a freebie for them! Jackpot! Score!

Dennis Baine does not work for STR, he is with the DLR group.

[lacy]

casey said:

Well if that's true, I guess my beef should have been with the elementary school's PTA. IMO, he should have never been selected. But remember he chose to place himself in that volunteer pool. I seriously doubt that he volunteered out of the goodness of his heart with a dying need to help out the SD. I think he knew what he was doing and in that case the SB just got a bonus having a person like him be selected. That's like a freebie for them! Jackpot! Score!

My recollection is the same as your's - that's the name I remember too. Perhaps it's spelled differently - maybe Gatormom could enliten us.

what I found truly amazing about this guy at the time, was that he had no kids at the ES (or any of the other schools) but he was placed on the committee! How did he even know there was a selection process?? In order to be considered, you filled out an application and the decision was made by the PTA.

It seemed even at the time there was some inside track for him.

I've thought for many years now that the PTA's were controlled (at least at times) by the SD and SB. Remember the Kibbles and Bits term? Sadly, I believe it's true.

[gatormom]

Not sure, my friend tells me that the name is Baine, not Baines and in fact does not work for STR. That is all I know. Maybe somebody who is better at research than I am can confirm it.