CAT Tracks for March 2, 2010

CAT Tracks for March 2, 2010

Tonight's meeting was basically a reprise of the community restructuring meetings held at Bennett Elementary on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 and Emerson Elementary on Thursday, February 25, 2010.

Actually, I borrowed that opening sentence from the "Emerson Meeting Minutes". Tonight's meeting was lackluster...beginning late, ending early (5:45 p.m.), with few participants and fewer questions.

A new set of "The Pink Sheets" were distributed - the questions and answers compiled by the District as a result of Thursday's meeting at Emerson Elementary. (See below.)

Another set of pink sheets were promised...to be completed by next Monday. (I don't know what the point of that exercise is...since the restructuring plan was adopted without discussion by the Cairo Board of Education in a Special Meeting held immediately following tonight's meeting. It was the meeting that was originally announced for March 4th. I'll have more to say about that in the next CAT Tracks.)

Now for my catty commentary...

You've heard the old story...that "dog bites man" is NOT news, but if "man bites dog", now THAT'S news!

Well, at the third and final restructuring hearing..."politician bites CAT!"

Gotta back up a second and give the background for this "news story"...

An innocent CAT made a passing comment at last Thursday's "Emerson Meeting", making an observation that city officials were not in attendance at the meeting and that only one had been in attendance at Tuesday's "Bennett Meeting". The innocent CAT was questioning the support of Cairo's city officials for the Cairo Public Schools. (Have to admit, this old CAT missed the innocent CAT's crime and had to be "brought up to speed" during a break following the conclusion of tonight's meeting.)

Well, hell...the innocent CAT's remark did NOT go unnoticed by Cairo Mayor Judson Childs, who was at tonight's meeting to fire back. He "excused himself" for missing the meeting, claiming to being held captive in a dentist's chair at the time. (I don't know if this was a two-stage dental procedure that caused him to miss the Bennett Meeting and then the Emerson Meeting or what.)

Whatever...

Mr. Mayor was in attendance tonight with teeth sharpened and bared!

The "honorable" Judson Childs proceeded to state "I don't know if she is in the audience tonight...she may be in Missouri spending her money."

Mr. Mayor went on to elaborate that it was a shame that the District had to follow seniority in releasing teachers...that HE would rather keep teachers who live in Cairo...instead of educators too good to come to our city to live.

Damn, Mr. Mayor. Is living and spending money in Cairo some kind of "loyalty test"? Do you spend all your money in Cairo, Mr. Mayor? Or at least the $1,000 a month you get for attending one or two meetings a month? By the way, Mr. Mayor...that dental work? Do the taxpayers of Cairo pay for your dental plan or was it through your retirement? By the way Mr. Mayor...did you get your dental procedure at Community Health and Emergency Services Inc.? Inquiring CATs would like to know...

I found it interesting (hypocritical?) that Chicago-resident, living-in-the-Cairo-taxpayer-provided-CJSHS-cottage Superintendent Swopes thanked Mr. Mayor for his attendance and cooperation.

I also felt so relieved, as an old, ornery, retired, Cairo-resident-taxpaying CAT sitting in the audience...that I didn't have to slink under a seat and hide my furry face in shame. In fact, I puffed up (fluffed up?) with pride, having paid $22 and some-odd-cents for lunch at the Cairo Shemwell's as I treated my just-turned-94 mother on her birthday. I can sleep soundly tonight...I have earned my keep in Cairo for another day.

Excuuuuuuuuse me!

Isn't this the same "drive by" Cairo Mayor, documented by Time Magazine for driving by the Ace of Cups instead of going inside to buy a cup of coffee? Isn't this the same Cairo Mayor who pouted and refused to perform his duties at the Toll House when Team Illinois came down to see how their dollars had been spent...giving the lame excuse that the key to the building was on a cruise!

Well, it's now a perfect trifecta for me and elected executive officers. First it was the "Mighty Quinn" (Governor of Illinois) who lost my vote. Then, just this morning...President Barack Obama lost my vote. Now, this evening, the "Honorable" Mayor of Cairo Judson Childs!

And, the worst part...I did vote for ALL three of these guys!!!

Well...

It won't make the news..."CAT bites politician", but come election day, that's exactly what's going to happen. I'm done with all y'all! Fool me once...