KEEP IT A SECRET

In the Saturday edition of the Press, Lisa Hinkel of the Grand Rapids Board of Education authored a statement that makes it clear that she is very annoyed that some of us would like school elections held either during the August primary election or (preferably) the November general election.  She is still peeved about the "complicated restructuring" resulting from the state legislature forcing school districts to hold elections on one of four specific dates during the year.  How complicated that can be makes me wonder, seeing that until the law was passed two years ago, school districts had gotten quite adept at holding millage elections on all sorts of oddball dates with little public announcement.  Why holding an election on a regular date should be difficult is not clear.

In fact, it's not complicated at all.  The truth, which the likes of Ms. Hinkel won't ever admit, is that school boards liked having the power to hold effectively stealth millage elections that only teachers, administrators, activists, and even voting-age students subjected to classroom campaigning knew about.  That way they could swamp the election with their ballots because of the resulting low public turn-out.  They resent having their wings trimmed by the state legislature acting in response to public disgust with unpredictable election dates.  Ms. Hinkel and her cohorts want quasi-secret elections with little fanfare, because that gives them the most control over the outcome.  And so, that's why Ms. Hinkel is protesting against any further consolidation of election dates.  She wants to preserve the leverage school boards have to hold elections in February or May, when elections are not even on the radar screens of a very busy general public.

What Ms. Hinkel does not want is a lot of public attention focused on school elections.  She is hostile to contentious debate over school issues, which she derides as "ugly politics" -- as though one of the largest drains on the taxpayer's wallet should not be subject to the political process.  Ms. Hinkel gives up the ghost when she writes:  "Moving school board [and millage] elections to November would introduce the kind of special interest endorsements, politics, and partisanship that we associate with general elections in November."  Translation:  Dammit.  More people and groups will get involved in the campaign over public school issues.  We will no longer get to campaign against silent opposition.

"This would be very harmful to an already fragile system."  Translation:  It will be a lot harder for me to keep my seat on the school board in a competitive election with heavy public turn-out.  It will be even harder to get millages passed to construct more new buildings in a district losing students by the boatload every year.

"Many special interest groups mail out their brochures before the November election endorsing a whole list of candidates that will surely keep the interests of that particular group in mind."  Translation:  Oh heavens!  I will now have to answer to well-coordinated opposition to my re-election.  Furthermore, we will no longer be able to force students to take home our millage propaganda without other groups responding to it.

What this adds up to is that Ms. Hinkel, a public official, has quite an anti-democratic frame of mind.  Since when have school elections become contemplative, ivory tower affairs above the rabble-rousing of the hoi polloi?*  An election is nothing without a campaign.  School districts, already in the death grip of the teacher unions, administrator associations, and identity politics, need more exposure to the disinfecting sunlight of a raucous and noisy campaign at the very time when the general public devotes its attention to the matters that must be decided by elections.  If a November election facilitates public participation, then every decent-minded school board official should get on-board with the program.

NOTE:  Read here how Lisa Hinkel and her fellow school board members voted to deny ordinary citizens the opportunity to cast a ballot on one of today's most important issues.

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* What?  "Hoi polloi" means "the many", so "the hoi polloi" is "the the many"?  Well, maybe so, but what do you expect from the public school education I got?

Comments

[Lisa Hinkel]

Mr. Tingley,

You have many opinions of me and my way of thinking, which I find very interesting. I have never met you, you have never met me, and we have never spoken. If you would bother to speak to anyone who does know me, however (and there are many in Grand Rapids), they would tell you that with all of the volunteer work I do for public education (school board members are not paid) and racial healing, the only thing I am trying to accomplish is being an advocate for children and getting people to love each other more.

I love this city, and the people in it, and my love and committment will not be deterred by the likes of you. Write what you want...you always do anyway, and it is a free country. Contrary to your uninformed opinion, I do support the ideals of democracy, including ffree speech. I suggest you do more research before you make such generalized, sweeping statements about someone you do not know at all. Or don't bother and stay as ignorant as you are...

Have a pleasant day.

Lisa Hinkel

[The Executive Director]

Dear Ms. Hinkel,

Thank you for your comments.

The sincerity of your commitment to the education of children in Grand Rapids is not the issue. It is your contempt for the normal political process which elects the leader of the free world, chooses our federal and state officials, and passes landmark referenda that you dismiss as "ugly politics".

Public education, upon which the taxpayers expend more dollars than anything else other than entitlements, is not above the political fray. Indeed, its current isolation from it has allowed it to be manipulated to the advantage of those receiving paychecks from the public education system, which quite frankly the Grand Rapids Board of Education has done a poor job of keeping in check.

The bottom line is that we spend more and more and get less and less from public education. Whose responsible for that? You are, Ms. Hinkel. It's only because you are subject to election at a time when the general public devotes its attention to other matters that your feet aren't held to the fire like they should be.

We can all complain that the public should be tuned into an election whenever its scheduled. But the fact is the public only does so in November of even-numbered years. Because the purpose of public eduction is to serve the public, not the other way around, it only makes sense to have school board officials, such as yourself, accountable to the public when it is convenient for them, not you.

Regards,
Bill Tingley
The Executive Director

P.S. Thanks for giving me permission to write what I want. That's always reassuring from a government official.

[Lisa Hinkel]

Mr. Tingley,

I will definitely pray for the ignorance and white-male anger sydrome from which you suffer.

Wishing you happiness, peace in your soul, and freedom from the slavery of misguided anger...

Lisa Hinkel

ps...I will not post again.

[The Executive Director]

Ms. Hinkel,

Just who do you think you are to patronize me? I am taxpayer and voter who criticized you, A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL, for a public position you took by writing a high profile editorial in the Grand Rapids Press.

Notably you responded to none of the substance of my criticism. I said that millages and board elections should be consolidated with the general election for the convenience of the public. You offered no argument as to why they shouldn't. Instead you complain about the style of my prose.

Indeed, you have the audacity to claim to know my heart and make a snide offer to pray for me. As a devout Catholic, Ms. Hinkel, I assure that I'm well aware of my need for all the help I can get, but I will do without yours. Instead, focus on getting right the job the public hired you to do.

Bill Tingley
The Executive Director

P.S. Where did you get the idea that holding public office puts you above the criticism of the taxpayers and voters you serve? I may be ignorant, but I'm certain lese-majeste doesn't apply to school board officials.

[batman]

Ms. Hinkel may not post again, but I'll bet she keeps reading!

[beentheredonethat]

You should try contacting her via phone or e-mail - that way her real civic mindedness will come into play - she can screen your calls or block your e-mail. Although you may not know her, take this from one who knows.

[The Executive Director]

Batman,

You're probably right.

Been There,

Thanks for relating your firsthand experience with Ms. Hinkel's responsiveness to her constituents.

Regards,
Bill

[Laura]

Odd that Ms. Hinkel states she is not getting paid. S.B. members get $200 a month.

[The Executive Director]

Thanks for the information, Laura.

Regards, Bill