PSS can’t impose arbitrary fees

The idea of charging students fees for books and other school materials runs contrary to the very concept of a public school system being funded by taxpayers money.

If taxpayers have been footing the bill, it would seem fundamentally unfair to impose fees that are supposed to have been covered by local taxes.

It would seem more a question of management skills to ascertain that each dollar attains the greatest mileage in the interest of the welfare of our students.

Imposing additional fees isn’t only contradictory to publicly funding the system, but would pose another burden especially for large families. And most are hard hit these days by the destructive influence of the Asian Crisis not to mention self-inflicted crisis right here at home.

Now, we admire the dedicated efforts of the Public School System to cut down excess baggage although there are areas that warrant critical review to further avoid unnecessary losses in public funds earmarked for PSS.

For instance, the commissioner must have school bus operations audited to determine where hidden leaks exists and persists. Rumors has it that bus drivers have been siphoning off gasoline from buses to fill their personal automobiles.

A few gallons here and there adds up to quite a sizable expenditure in this category by the end of the year. And with gasoline prices going up, PSS may have to juggle funds to meet this need (hidden financial leak) towards the end of next fiscal year. It seems a runaway loss and PSS must buckle down to resolving this issue once and for all.

Leave independent agencies alone

The establishment of semi-autonomous agencies is intended to minimize provincial politics from political interference in the work and decisions of boards and commissions. It allows each agency to run its operations in business-like fashion premised on a set of facts or circumstance.

Indeed, the local government–specifically the legislature–has oversight authority on any and all boards and commissions. It is a safety net so designed to ensure the autonomy of agencies and as much as possible, but it would do these agencies a whale of good if our restless politicians steer clear of imposing, i.e., mandated utility rates.

In short, if we can’t leave semi-autonomous agencies to work out thoroughly reviewed decisions, what then is the intent and purpose of establishing these boards and commissions in the first place? The legislature must learn to work with constitutional or statutory creatures of semi-autonomous agencies. Yes, decisions may not be politically correct, but lawmakers must accept to deal with appropriate dispositions of boards and commissions. After all, members appointed to these organizations are people with integrity, too.