HISD School Board Meeting

From the front line of the class struggle...Tonight a crowd of activists from Good Jobs = Great Houston and other progressives and trade unionists from C.O.C.O.,SEIU,& AFL-CIO attended the Houston School Board meeting at the Hattie Mae White Building which is the headquarters of the Houston Independent School District. There is a 1.9 billion school bond (the largest in Texas history) that will be voted on in the Nov. elections. The HISD board has a history of blatant waste and corruption. The corruption is so bad that even the board members and some of their allies realize the need for ethics reform before the coming election so they can win support from the tax payers. Tonight we addressed the need to reform the way they carry out their business. We demand 1st ,that they begin by disclosing in writing when they or or other family members work for a company or non profit group seeking HISD business and not letting the trustee discuss or vote on these deals. 2nd,that there be disclosure if it even appears to be an appearance of conflict of interest like a close friend or anything which dampens the public trust. 3rd,the board could seek help from the districts inspector general to investigate whether staff members or the trustees exerted improper pressure in the competitive bidding process. 4th,no trustee could vote on deals where vendors gave more than $500 to their political campaigns in the last year. 5th,vendors would be barred from contributing during the bidding process until the contract was signed. 6th,trustees must list a donors employer on their campaign reports. 7th,that the trustees file their campaign forms in a searchable format so it easier for the public to find them. This is the least they must do to have any credibility with the public. The question remains for the need for a civilian review board which can monitor how the funds are spent & represent the interests of the public. We the 99% need our own organizations of power to protect our interests and our tax dollars. For way too long the hen house has been watched over by the wolves. The hens are beginning to wake up. 

--Mark Simpson