All That Glitters Is Not Goldsack

I am supporting Jack Fisher, Bill Greenlaw, Pam Lutfy, Chuck Pike and Sue Schor in the May 19th primary election for Directors of the Delaware Valley School District.  These candidates, while varied in their experiences and priorities, will bring vision and transparency to a Board I’m embarrassed to sit on in this my 14^th year of volunteer service.

 

          Bob Goldsack says he and I have a “Love-Hate relationship”.  I told Bob that I don’t hate anyone, but I dislike many things that he does.

 

          I dislike that Bob removed me from the Negotiations Committee on the teacher’s contract and then inadvertently increased starting teacher’s pay by $15,000, matching what a teacher with 5 years of experience would earn.  The Board as a whole didn’t learn of this until after the teacher’s union voted to approve the proposed contract.

 

          I dislike that Bob asked the Board to hire 4 school security officers at a cost of $250,000 per year, expecting that there would be Safe Schools money to offset the cost.  We hired the staff – didn’t get the money.

 

          I dislike that Bob ran for and won an election and held a position on the Pike County Republican Committee while holding the elected office of School Director, which violates the Pennsylvania School Code.

 

          I dislike that Bob filed a petition to remove Pam Lutfy and Sue Schor from the 2009 primary ballot and then had his lawyer withdraw the petition.  Noticeably Bob’s petitions had the same uncrossed T’s and un-dotted I’s as his opponent’s petitions.

 

          I dislike that Bob said in a public meeting that, “It would be the happiest day of my life”, if I would resign from the Board.  Imagine that, happier than the day he was married or the birth of his children.

 

          I dislike that Bob repeatedly held meetings in violation of the Sunshine Law by either not announcing committee meetings or allowing Board business to be discussed with 5 or more Board members present.

 

          I dislike that Bob told parents of students at DVES that he would not support moving the new elementary school off the campus, but would continue work on building a new school on the existing site.  Then, Bob announced that Long Range Planning would not work on a plan to rebuild the school at all, due to the economy.  To further offend these parents, Bob allowed the money borrowed to build the school to be spent on capital construction projects and the new water delivery system at the Dingman-Delaware campus.

 

          I dislike that Bob boasts of the new $900,000 water delivery system as providing cleaner water at Dingmans.  The water is no cleaner after the system went on-line than before.  In fact, the pristine water that was delivered to the primary school now has chemicals added to it.  How do the parents at the primary school like that change?

 

          I dislike that Bob likes to take credit for bringing the NO-Bullying program to the District when the way he treats people, in my opinion, makes him the biggest bully in the county, to which Bob replied publicly, “If I have to be a bully to get what I think is right, then I guess I’ll be the bully.”

 

          I dislike that Bob defended an outside contractor over the concerns of district employees and when the facts came into light, failed to tell the public himself the outcome.

 

          Bob and I don’t always have to agree.  It’s fine to agree to disagree. I have a right to hear what other Board members are hearing and I have a right to be heard.

 

          I agree with Diane French’s letter to the editor, “It’s All About Character”.  Bob Goldsack is a character alright.  Not a character that should be re-elected.

 

          I’d appreciate your support on May 19th for Fisher, Greenlaw, Lutfy, Pike and Schor.

 

 

Thank you,

 

Sue Casey