LETTER: 'Bloated, Bureaucratic Mess'

- Michael Lenehan, Ret., U.S. Army, Lt. Col., 18th Airborne, Spec. Ops.

Dear View,

April 2012, VIEW Issue 45: I’d just like to send a huge “Atta boy” for your brief [Link:] March 2012 article concerning the bloated, bureaucratic (and some might say corrupt) mess at the Ojai Unified School District (OUSD). This Article: http://bit.ly/2ktdGW0

I’ve been trying to emphasize these same issues since 2007-08 when the OUSD was led by [Link:] Tim Baird [formerly fired School Superintendent]. Of course I was simply labeled as “anti-education” by the OUSD elitists for my criticism ...although at the time I was volunteering an average of 1,000 hours per year to Ojai youth activities, much of that to the school district..... all while making about 1/3 of their OUSD salary. My wife also volunteered an additional 400 hours per year, almost all of it with the school district.

Everyone who pays taxes in Ojai....and/or anyone who donates money during various school fund-drives needs to be aware that retired superintendent of New Trier Township High School District Hank Bangser, collects a [Link: Chicago Tribune Investigation] $261,681 Illinois state pension, while making $170,000 as the current OUSD superintendent. His total annual compensation: $431,681. And as you mentioned [Link:] in your article, his daughter stands to make big, big money should the Chaparral School property be sold off to her company, Cabrillo Development.

Of course the bloated salaries and retirement packages of other OUSD administrators cannot be ignored, in particular that of the assistant superintendent.

Unfortunately it appears that with the threat of pink-slips hanging over their heads, the district teachers are fearful of expressing any open criticism of the board.

And much of the public is simply ignorant of the fraud, waste and abuse taking place under their nose while the district cries poor.

- Michael Lenehan, Ojai

Editor’s Note: U.S. Army Lt. Col. Michael Lenehan, Special Operations, 18th Airborne Corps., is an Iraq War Veteran, having been in the Army since 1982.

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This Article: http://bit.ly/2ktdGW0

Article Source: April 2012, VIEW Issue 45:

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