from Frank Corden
No doubt some (including WVG) may object to my characterization of Woodstock conservatism. Sadly, what I’ve said above isn’t a lie, I really wish it wasn’t true.
Case in point, look at the Town Garage issue and go from there. We ignored state and federal environmental rules as well as just good management practice (and being a good neighbor) and have created a likely multimillion dollar liability.
We have a long history of doing the same thing. In the late 70’s and early 80’s we squeezed Woodstock Academy so hard financially, we almost put this institution we value so highly into bankruptcy. That’s in large part the source of the lack of trust and cooperation between WA and the town.
I saw it for 6 years on the BoE. Every budget year was a bad year. Every year we couldn’t fund the basics we needed, maybe next year would be better. So defer maintenance and needed improvements, until next year. Well we’re finally in a really bad year, likely a bad stretch of years. Tell me what it takes to be a good year.
Will we get smarter? Good question. We are about to enter the next business cycle. In the next year or two we are likely to start a string of 3 or 4 of the better years we are going to have over the next decade. Will we commit the resources to address the liabilities we have and all that defered infrastructure maintenance? Or will we claim that “We just can’t do it this year”. Pretty soon it will be 2016, or 2017 or 2018 and the next recession will hit.
We do this year in and year out because there no sense in Woodstock that we are stewards of the community institutions we’re entrusted with. What I stood for the last 6 years was the best interest of those 1000 Woodstock citizens who happened to be too young to vote? Where is their voice? Who’s looking out for their interest? Their the citizens who need us to be the good stewards.
Oh I see Frank, now it’s “Woodstock conservatism” not mine anymore, right? Let’s go back to your comment in the last paragraph of
“WVG, your brand of fiscal conservatism along with much of Woodstock would have us not shingle the barn until the roof leaks so bad we’ve run out of buckets. Then it costs us more to fix it than it would have to maintain it in the first place. That’s not conservatism, that’s just stupid.”
That paragraph above that was written by you in the “Views of a Teddy Roosevelt Republican” article and makes you look like a petty and vindictive, whiny little girl.
You still refuse to admit that you drew a conclusion about me which you had no right to. Not only that, you’re wrong Frank. So you ignore that fact and you continue your rant but quietly leave me out of it this time. You should have apologized for being wrong but like John, you can’t bring yourself to do that, can you?
You’re definitely opinionated and self-righteous Frank, no doubt about that but you can’t continue to pass off your opinions as fact and continue to insult those whose opinions and ideas are different from yours.
You also make some pretty outrageous statements like claiming that the town almost put Woodstock Academy “into bankruptcy,” and “Every year we couldn’t fund the basics we needed.” Those two in particular are where you attempt to back up your opinions with what you think are facts that simply are not facts. Did Woodstock Academy ever file bankruptcy or were supposedly “bankrupt” like Waterbury or Bridgeport? No Frank, they didn’t. You say “Every year we couldn’t fund the basics…” C’mon Frank, now I won’t call that a lie but no doubt it’s a HUGE exaggeration, you know it I know it and so do the readers. What are the exactly are your “basics” Frank? Heat, books, school buses, pencils, a building or completely outfitted football team and laptops for everyone?
Using words like “every” and “never” are fatal in just about any argument where you’re trying to make a point and you should be smart enough to know why.
I think you need to take your White Knight act and get on your high horse and ride quietly off into the sunset Frank. I think that will do wonders for the state of your mental health instead of you continuing to lament about things that a majority of those in Woodstock don’t agree with you on.
WVG, I haven’t yet seen evidence that you aren’t a Woodstock Conservative akin to the characterization. If you aren’t, my apologies. With respect to accuracy of the facts, let’s talk about them.
WA was in fact close to insolvent. You can choose to acknowledge that or not. There are plenty of folks in the community that can back up the statement. True, they never declared bankruptcy, but I didn’t say they did, only they were pushed close to it. The situation led to the enactment by the Connecticut Legislature of a SPECIFIC ENTITLEMENT beginning in 1986 for WA to receive state school building project grant funding.
As far as not funding the basics. During the period in question we laid off teachers thereby increasing class sizes, defered text book purchases year over year, eliminated funding for after school transportation to assist at risk students just to name a few items. The non-necessities we eliminated in selected years included funding for afterschool athletics, gifted and talented programs, funding for instrumental music.
So rather than claim I’m misepresenting the situation, simply acknowledge that you aren’t in favor of buying students books, having reasonable class sizes or after school athletics or instrumental music. You’re entitled to view these items as unnecessary for the education of our students. Just say so.
Frank said this:
“So rather than claim I’m misepresenting the situation, simply acknowledge that you aren’t in favor of buying students books, having reasonable class sizes or after school athletics or instrumental music. You’re entitled to view these items as unnecessary for the education of our students. Just say so.”
No Frank, I’m in favor of buying school text book when they are needed. Unfortunately, “when they are needed” has one definition to you and another to me and others. What’s a “reasonable” class size Frank? I think 24 is just fine, my class sizes in my elementary school were exactly that yet I just heard some woman howling on the news last night that 22 students in an elementary classroom was totally unacceptable. After school athletics are completely unnecessary in my opinion Frank, you and I are just going to have to disagree on that one.
By the way Frank, thank you for the apology I appreciate it. The same can’t be said for Bill and John Leavitt.
Frank, I forgot to address “instrumental music” so let me try.
I think music and the arts are important, a whole lot more important that sports, that’s for sure. I think if a student wants to play the trumpet or an alto sax then the parents should pay for the instrument. I remember my neighbor carried his trumpet back and forth to school every day, the one his parents paid for. I believe the music department in a high school should provide some musical instruments but probably not as many as you think they should.
The funding for instrumental music is not so much the instruments - most students at WMS provide their own, although it is important for a middle school to provide a few. Several years ago, WA hired a 3rd music teacher, while the middle school cut the instrumental music program - I believe that’s what Frank was referring to. Thankfully, in my opinion, the instrumental program at WMS was reinstated the following school year. It may be on the chopping block again, but I don’t know that for a fact.
JK,
As far as I know the intrumental music program is not on the chopping block for next year.
Thanks,
Kevin
This post represents my personal opinions and in no way should be considered an official act of the BoE or that I am speaking on behalf of the BoE in any way.
Frank, I’m sorry I missed this before. The last sentence of your original entry reads as follows:
“Their the citizens who need us to be the good stewards.”
Can you point out the obvious grammatical error?
If you can’t, I’ll bet that most of the regular posters here could help you out because THEY’RE smart enough to figure it out. Typos are one thing but for someone like you who likes to think he’s so smart, the evidence here suggests otherwise.
WVG, I’ve picked on this sort of thing before too, but I’m pretty sure Frank knows the difference between the possessive “their” and contraction “they’re”, homonym or not.
If your last post was intended to show your intelligence or perception, you failed.
No doubtful, I’m not trying to demonstrate anything regarding my intelligence or perception. Quite honestly, I’m not as confident as you are that Frank does know the difference. Either way, if he’s going to continue to shower us with his wisdom, he’d be doing himself a huge favor by using words properly. Any message loses its effect when it looks like it’s written by someone who has poor command of the King’s English and it certainly makes the reader question the intelligence of the author.
If Frank can walk away from this experience without a chip on his shoulder by learning something then it will make him a better person. Or, he could be like John who says “I personally don’t care what Webster thinks.” Now THAT just makes John look stupid, no two ways about it.
Kevin - glad to hear that instrumental music be should be in good standing at WMS. It is amazing how rumors spread and gain credibility during budget season.
I find it difficult to believe everything that is written here is all true. Maybe some of you should look to do some more research before you comment on here in future!
Thanks Ben. Anything in particular you have a question about? I don’t believe everything I read, and I won’t bet my paycheck on everything I write, but you’re being a bit vague.
I agree JK. In the case of my comments, I was only (I think) expressing opinions and challenging Frank’s opinions. I didn’t challenge what Frank posted as facts, maybe that’s what Ben was referring to. If I’m mistaken Ben, please let us know. Thanks.