By: Diane Benjamin
I made the agenda for the July 10th Unit 5 Board meeting, if Unit 5 lists FOIA requests for every meeting they must not get many: https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicAgenda.aspx?ak=1000890&mk=50335525
The person with the most receipts charging Sales Tax was Mark Daniel, Superintendent.
Many of the receipts are at LOCAL restaurants. Most are not marked for who was eating or what the purpose was. A few of the receipts have notes I can’t read. RC McBride got breakfast on 11/26. A few receipts reference a Board member or HR.
My handwriting isn’t any better than the notes on the receipts – I wrote the Sales Tax charged on the statements. This time it was easier to scan the statements than re-type everything. How meaningful is sending memorial flowers or a plant if taxpayers paid for it?
If the head guy at Unit 5 can’t eat out locally and insure sales tax isn’t charged, how close is he watching other expenses? The total sales tax below won’t come close to closing the deficit but I suspect the cumulative affect of running a tighter ship would.
Let me know if you want an explanation on any of the below. I can check if any notes are on the invoices. One good thing, travel was limited to Chicago area and Springfield.
It is not the sales tax loss that bothers me. It is the use of tax dollars meant for education. Who eats all these meals ? Anyone who gets a free meal paid for with education funds, shame on you.
Interesting that on Aug 28th he was reported as saying the district will need a referendum for tax increases to fund the district in 2020… AND he was eating at Avantis on our dime. What lesson does this teach us?
Just shared this with my wife. She mentioned that he probably has a room designated in or near his office with a conference table, multimedia video conferencing, etc. AND yet he has to do “meetings” at a local restaraunt. I feel like I’ve been mugged.
Wait until you see all the other food on other statements!
Mine eyes doth well wet. Nothing says ‘for the children’ like an nice lunch at Rosie’s Pub!
All things atrocious and shameless flock from all parts to Rome – Tacitus
Does anyone else find it curious that the Slantagraph made the same request as Diane? Call me cynical, but I think they did so to prepare a fluff or defensive piece designed to mitigate or cancel out any findings from Diane’s inquiry. As we all know, the Pantagraph is not a local watchdog looking out for taxpayers…they’re a lapdog for the establishment.
You noticed!
Oh yea! I cannot wait to see how anyone can spin lunches at Rosie’s Pub.
“Thy sin’s not accidental, but a trade.” – Shakespeare
Rosie’s Pub was also a favorite “Watering Hole” of Tari’s, back in the P-card days. Anybody know anything about their political leanings? Mainstream, Middle America I’m bettin not!
I am looking for them to do another plagerized (sp) story in a couple of days. Somebody has to continue the tradition of Bunny Lunny, Edith. Thet got around to a story about the state farm building today a week after first seen here.
Mine has more info
These meal “meetings” must end! They’re steeling food “from the mouths of babes” (children of taxpayers)!!! In corporate world employees might get 3 or 4 company paid meals PER YEAR! Outrageous!
I often wonder, do these people EVER pay for a meal themselves, ever?
Stay tuned for the next story
I hope they all realize that you make all of this info public.
They do.
And they don’t care. It isn’t their money and if they run out they will just ask us to give them more because the only way to teach a kid is to spend, spend, SPEND!
04-08 ENGRAVABLES PLUS?