Continuing my list of 101 Reasons to Abolish School Boards:
6. Influence peddling has no place in school board business.
Why would a potential trustee, a parent particularly, seek endorsement from a teacher union in seeking election? That’s rank conflict of interest, especially since you have to pass the test of whether you are “progressive” or not!
For a union to actively advertise their offer of power to help elect is rank influence peddling in my view.
It skews, manipulates, and distorts the intent of what school boards are supposed to do – pursue education of children. And, it’s the illegal practice of using influence to obtain favors. It’s a form of bribery, a form of corruption that alters the behavior of recipients in ways not consistent with discharging their public duty. Do you think this story in the Vancouver Sun about a teacher union’s promise to help elect “progressive” trustees if they sign a pledge fits the definition of influence peddling? They seek through trustee pledges to advance 7 points including reducing class size, minimizing standardized testing, and supporting local – instead of provincial – bargaining.
When will there be more reasons?
After the Federal Election, Oct. 14. I’m a Libertarian candidate in North Vancouver at the moment.
Will be posting and working full-time for School Board Elections, Nov 15, after Federal is over, Oct 14th. With all these elections coming at once, the one I can’t run for is the American Presidency.
I can, however, if I wanted, be running as a Libertarian in the Provincial by-elections in Vancouver-Burrard, or Vancouver-Fairview, October 29th. Libertarians usually have no trouble getting nominated as there are so few of us. Are you a libertarian and want to be involved? We will be needing candidates for the BC Provincial Election May 2009.
As for myself, the mind boggles, that I could actually have been, simultaneously, a candidate in all 3 levels of government in Canada at the same time — municipal, provincial, federal ! ! ! ! I think that would have been a record of some kind. ? ? ? ?
Tunya Audain