Friday, February 11, 2005
Hey, we're taxpayers Mrs. O'Neill!
Seems our Montgomery County Board of Education president, Patricia O'Neill is not averse to using information obtained in a questionable way to imply that parents who have children in Catholic schools have no business opposing the new sex-ed curriculum.
At Tuesday's BOE meeting, Mrs. O'Neill did something out of the ordinary when she addressed CRC spokesman Steve Fisher directly, after the conclusion of the statements of taxpayers in favor of the recision of the new sex-ed curriculum. Although her comments were given in a very pleasant and friendly manner, Mrs. O'Neill made a point of the fact that Steve Fisher is a former MCPS parent, having children in Catholic schools. The implication was that residents of the County who have children in private schools have no business being concerned about the curriculum taught in MCPS.
Why is this such a big deal, Mrs. O'Neill? Aren't parents of children in Catholic or other private schools here in the County taxpaying citizens? As I recall, even these citizens have just been the recipient of a substantial property tax increase of late. Their stake in the curriculum taught in MCPS is sizable as well, because this sex-ed and mental health curriculum change will go a long way in changing the culture of the County that we all live and pay taxes in.
In fact, many of the members of the CRC do not have children in MCPS -- yet. Many are hard working parents of infants or pre-schoolers and they are thinking ahead to the elementary and middle and high school years.
Many members of the CRC are single people who are concerned about what they see as an abuse of power and the government infringing on citizens' rights.
Still others are retired people who may have paid taxes in this County for 40 or even 50 years, who raised their own children and saw them through a wonderful education here in Montgomery County and now are watching their own grandchildren coming up through the school system. They have a huge stake in this as well.
Don't they have a right to have a say in this matter?
We all have a voice Mrs. O'Neill.
We deserved to be heard on this before you and other members of the Board abused the power of your office by adopting this curriculum without following your own procedures to properly inform the public.
We insist on being heard today.