What makes great leaders

I was recently reading a book Executive Intelligence: What All Great Leaders Have by Justin Menkes and he reviews several aptitudes of great leaders. One of the leaders he reviews is Jack Welch the former CEO of GE. Mr. Welch points out that all great leaders question assumptions and anticipates consequences.

Based upon some of the posts some feel great leadership is not needed. However, as long as I and others are a part of the financial picture of this bond election we will exercise the qualities of great leaders to question assumptions and anticipate consequences.

All great leaders have passion, and they know how to control that passion. Great leaders know how to recognize underlying agendas, gauge the conflicts, draw conclusions and then steer the organization toward fulfillment of its strategic objectives.

Great leaders have open minds and are open to the opinions of others.......................................

Some of those posts are not very open minded nor open to the opinions of others and they are quick to assign blame on others. It is hard to understand the fact that a first grader in the PISD system will be 36 are older when this bond election is finally paid in full.

Is a new high school complex needed? Most likely not. However, I believe there is a need for some additional classroom space. Why were we not presented with options as to what we would like to support and not support? I am being told from a school superintendent friend of mine that this is the usual process. Go for the big money first and if it passes you get it all. If it does not pass you come back to the voters for what you actually need. Our neighbors to the west have tried to pass a bond election twice now and it has failed both times. Our neighbors to the north west tried to pass a bond election and it failed as well. I asked friends of mine from both communities as to why they thought it failed and the answer was the same for both. "If we give them the money it will never be enough. They will continue to want more and more." This does not only apply to schools this applies to all governmental entities.

The only pay raise I got last year was the school tax rate decrease given to me by the Texas Legislature. Quite frankly folks I am like a lot of tax payers in Camp County, we just don't have it to give, and we were thankful for the pay increase we got due to the school property tax decrease. We have only asked that you look at our situation, and not conclude that we are all well off with lots of spare change.

Elite and masses

In the Elite Model, the policy making flows downward. The policies are designed by those with wealth and power. The policies will then have the greatest impact on the majority of the population with lower economic status and no political influence. Often times the majority of the population does not have the proper facts or knowledge concerning any given situation and are more easily led by the elite. C. Wright Mills depicts the Elite Model as a pyramid of power; the elite policy makers are on the top of the pyramid and the masses are on the bottom of the pyramid. (Mills, 1956)

I am one of the masses and I want to have the proper facts and knowledge. If your numbers are challenged it does not mean I do not agree, it means I am on a fact finding mission. If I post some data then provide your case for disputing the post, but don't treat others as if they are not part of the elite.

Why is it

You put up a site to help with the debate on the bond issue and a place to provide a forum for both sides, and you end up with personal attacks. Is it possible to debate the issue without personal emotion? A debate involves two sides of an issue. Individuals read the responses and they draw their own conclusions. I have read some of the information provided by both sides and both have valid arguments at times. However, the personal attacks being made are uncalled for in either case.

I have noticed the traffic numbers for hits has increased greatly over the past week. Several are viewing the site and not leaving a post. However, they are leaving with an impression...........so keep your posts on the issue of the upcoming bond election. Some are reading for the actual content to aid in their decision making process.

Feeling lucky

"How could one community be so lucky for all them to end up inPITTSBURG, TEXAS. Most of them are not native Pittsburg people, no children in school here, not involved in any Community Civic program but they want to tell everybody else what to do & how to do it because they are Smarter, More wealthy, and lots of know howon every subject."

Intelligence is shown with a post like this! The PISD property tax bill for the "not native" is most likely more than the average tax bill for others in the county. Before you decide that we don't participate then why am I always giving to those fund raisers held by the school children, buying stale cakes at a bake sale for the band, and purchasing raffle tickets from girl softball players?

Just cause you don't know who we are, does not mean we don't participate! Have you ever introduced yourself? What have you done to make us feel welcome in the community? You are much smarter and don't appreciate the value we have to offer.

Other than our tax dollars!

Thinking of the children and the grandchildren

Perhaps one needs to think about the kids and the fact that you will be putting this mountain of debt on their shoulders. For this will last 30 years and those in the 1st grade today will be 36 when the debt is paid off.

You help a community progress by having lower taxes not higher taxes!

Another week of Letters to the editor

Wow! Mr. Baker presents some good information for consideration. The real cost of the bond is $72 million over 30 years. Do you want to mortgage your home with a tax lien for the next 30 years?

Mr. Boyd presents some information for thought as well. However, you must understand that Mr. Boyd is employed by the PISD. He has something to gain - he might get to work in a brand new facility. However, when I reviewed the property tax rolls at the appraisal district I do not find Mr. Boyd's name on the rolls. Does he not live in Camp County? Why would someone who does not own property want to cause others to pay a higher tax burden? Mr. Boyd's data is the same as supplied by the school district. I remind you that the data supplied by the school district does not match the data on the TEA web site. The data supplied by the PISD does not match the data at the US Dept. of Education. Some will tell you that this is due to the fact that the data is reported at different times of the year. Numbers are not going to change that much, so why the disconnect? Truth is that over the last four years the numbers have been trending down. The bond agency reported a ONE (1) student increase in the high school population over the past four years.

I like that Mr. Boyd goes back to the years of 1986-1987 to prove the increase in numbers. This makes the numbers look large. If you look at the numbers from 2000 the numbers are showing a slight decrease. As we move through the current junior and senior classes then the school numbers actually start to trend downward. There are two large classes, but these are temporary and should not be the reason to place a large property tax burden on those who pay the bills for the next 30 years.

One other point made by Mr. Boyd in favor is "If we want to continue to have the best faculty then we need to give them the best we can to teach our students. If we want to continue to bring in the best new teachers, we must have something to offer them in return." Guess Mr. Boyd thinks a new building will motivate someone to teach in PISD, when in reality it takes a higher paycheck. People are motivated by money not structures.

In all fairness, I offered Mr. Boyd an opportunity to have an active role in the debate on this blog and he declined.

Out of town and lots going on

Returning from LA and catching up. Read the March 13th edition of the Gazette and read a couple of Letters to the editor. Mr. John H. Griffin wrote a fine letter and should be admired for his past accomplishments. I find it odd that Mr. Griffin did not post his position as a past Appraisal Review Board member. Guess he knew it would be seen as a possible negative. Bricks and mortar don't make a school and the issue is not about bricks and mortar. The issue is about the false facts the PISD is using to sale the bond election. Mr. Griffin has fell for the staged DVD. Make no mistake the PISD has an environment conducive to learning that is safe and sound with clean classrooms. One reason I think Mr. Griffin chose to leave out his past service as an ARB member. Also, after reviewing Mr. Griffin's records at the Central Appraisal District I see that he has a 65 exemption. Mr. Griffin is not going to be associated with reducing this debt if the bond passes. His school taxes are frozen!

It would be wise for Mr. Griffin to visit with Mr. Sneed. It appears that Mr. Griffin presented the emotion, and Mr. Sneed presented the business facts. Decisions should be based upon facts and not emotion. I am not sure who is the foolish!