Psss..t, let's meet in the Alley....

[K C Muffin]

Sorry, Bubba - I have to disagree with you. So, if I'm on the board with Texie and Blondie, you mean the three of us can't have lunch together? That infringes on my constitutional rights. I agree we shouldn't talk board business at that time, but we can certainly meet. It's not like they weren't out in the public eye - no secret or closed meeting taking place. What's to prevent them from 'meeting' via conference call if they want to 'meet' and not get caught?

Maybe we just have differing opinions..........but how do you think business is done? Deals are brokered at nice restaurants and golf courses. It's not unusual. There's no secrecy and it does save time in the meeting room. If another board member might need more information, you are free to give it to him/her at any time. Doesn't have to be the scheduled board meeting.

[Lone Gunman]

Originally Posted by K C Muffin

It's not like they weren't out in the public eye - no secret or closed meeting taking place. What's to prevent them from 'meeting' via conference call if they want to 'meet' and not get caught?
.

One thing I have to say is once they went inside the building they were not out in the public eye. The alley is a youth center, was the alley open for business or was Reichborn going there to do some work by himself? Who else was at this meeting? Just the three of them?

[Highwayman]

Unfortunately folks that hold public office need to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. These guys should know better.

[Bubba]

I personally believe that a retired teacher, a dentist, and a cattle auctioneer wouldn't have a whole lot in common with nothing much to visit about if it wasn't for the only thing that they have in common which is being on the school board. While they could theoretically meet without discussing board business, I would think the chances of something not board related coming up would be very slim. The second something comes up about the board or board business, Kansas Law has been broken. Granted it is only civil and not criminal. But, it is a law nonetheless, and subject to a $500 fine.

If I were on the board, I wouldn't take the chance of even the possibility of it even appearing to anybody that I was meeting with other board members without following the Kansas Open Meeting Act. Especially if there was nobody else there as witnesses to corroborate that no board business was discussed. If it was only the three of them with nobody else around.....that just looks pretty fishy!

[TexKan]

I thought they all happened to be there at the same time with thier kids.......

If they all went there to work on The Alley then it's OK

If they all decided to go there for some chit chat and the Alley wasn't open for business and no work was goin on inside then that might pose a problem. Question is - what do they say about bein at the Alley at the same time? If they say they were workin on The Alley then ya can't much argue that. I just can't believe the reporter has nuthin better to do than bird dog small town board members. I think it would be more important to bird dog some council members....... regarding where all the tax money is goin, or follow the Why not Dodge folks to make sure no deals are bein cut.

School board members are not what I consider to be the most powerful group around.

If the alley was open for business then I think someone otta bitch slap the reporter for bein so glim as to not follow them in there......... if not I think he otta print thier side of the meeting as well - rather than to leave the readers to think the worse.

[Bubba]

Originally Posted by TexKan

I thought they all happened to be there at the same time with thier kids.......

If they all went there to work on The Alley then it's OK

If they all decided to go there for some chit chat and the Alley wasn't open for business and no work was goin on inside then that might pose a problem. Question is - what do they say about bein at the Alley at the same time? If they say they were workin on The Alley then ya can't much argue that. I just can't believe the reporter has nuthin better to do than bird dog small town board members. I think it would be more important to bird dog some council members....... regarding where all the tax money is goin, or follow the Why not Dodge folks to make sure no deals are bein cut.

School board members are not what I consider to be the most powerful group around.

If the alley was open for business then I think someone otta bitch slap the reporter for bein so glim as to not follow them in there......... if not I think he otta print thier side of the meeting as well - rather than to leave the readers to think the worse.

According to the newspaper article, Reichenborn was outside the Alley talking on his cell phone when Henrichs and Winter "just happened" to drive by and they stopped to talk.

[lurker]

USD 443 is a very large part of our county tax waste... er.. spending. The board members should be held accountable in every act. Truth is, they aren't truthful.

I even heard we can get a free school from gifts from a huge employeer... sheesh, I just wish I could laugh about it.

[notyoubob]

Bubba's right on.
The Sunshine Laws are there to protect the public from unauthorized and unpublished meetings of elected officials without proper public input or knowledge. Did they talk about school business? Don't know and you don't either. Probably not, since they met in a public place, albeit at the youth center which is not the pancake house. But...if I've read this blog correctly, there's an appearance here that the Globe, (I used to call it the Globule when I lived in DC, and yes I've worked in THAT biz for years, but not for the Glob,) when there is news, the aspersions are cast that the local paper doesn't cover "news." Now they appear to cover something that could be news and ya'll jump on that. Free press is ugly, messy and as disparate as all of our views. But, the hope is, a reasonable person will, if given all the "news" will come to the reasonable conclusion of what is real.
I would rather have "too much" info, than not enough to make up my mind.

[TheWizzard]

School board members are not what I consider to be the most powerful group around.

Texan,
From what I hear you should work for USD 443 then. That might change your opinion.

[TexKan]

I just don't consider a school board seat the "movers and shakers" of the community. Granted they are elected but I would much rather be in the Hub of a process than be one of the Spokes. I view school board membership as a spoke. I think unless you are in city council...... you are a spoke. Sorry just my humble opinion. Ya never hear too much bout school boards around here UNLESS it has to do with school decisions. Govt decisions are at a much higher level.

I still contend that IF it were an open public place then it wasn't out of line. If the reporter didn't follow up on this so called "covert" meeting than he shouldn't have been allowed to place "ideas" that he failed to clarify in anyone's head. That is careless and ineffective reporting. I'm assuming this wasn't your star investigative reporter....... obviously...........

I'd never get elected to anywhere.......... I'm too blunt. If I were one of those board members - I would call the meet again, talk about the same (probably non USD) stuff and call the reporter to meet us. Then if he didn't stay cause it wasn't newsworthy........ or have enough air of "rumor" I would blast him out in his own paper. Hell I'd buy the ad to do it if need be. Irresponsible is reporting something without fact. They spend most thier time hiding facts from the paper...... ask yourself why this, why now? The reporting has proven in the past to be less than adequate...... think this reporter got a change of professionalism?........ He had a purpose and his purpose was probably........