Family Affair Part Dos

It took me one month to the day to get a part of my Open Records Request to me. I requested it on the 8th of July and received a portion on the 8th of August. A ridiculously long time just to get information that is easily downloadable from TASB and the finance office of KISD Admin building. While I was waiting on them, I received this:

This is what I requested as far as salary:

G. 2019 Salary for superintendent, Elida Bera. Please provide agreed upon contractual yearly salary for job.

H. 2019 Salary for Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services, Kamara Adams. Please provide agreed upon contractual yearly salary for job.

I. Salary per year for Superintendent Secretary, Enda Garcia for 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. Please provide agreed upon contractual yearly salary for job for years listed.

Ugh, I want it how I typed it. They want to get technical. I ended up getting that on the 8th from KISD anyway.

Item J, I asked for any communication via phone, computer, text, picture, email, etc from Garza Jr., Garza Sr., and Prado during open session on three different board meeting dates.

At the bottom of the request it states they may or may not charge me extra to seek opinion from Texas Attorney General. I really hope they know the law and don't have to charge me extra. They can simply google. https://www.tsl.texas.gov/slrm/blog/2011/11/faq-are-text-messages-records/

"As well, the issue of text messages being subject to disclosure laws is gaining attention nationwide. Already, some courts and lawyers are considering these messages as public documents, making them susceptible to laws like the federal Freedom of Information Act and the Texas Public Information Act. As yet, the Texas Public Information Act does not address text messages specifically, but in September of 2011, the Office of the Attorney General issued a decision on the issue.

The scenario for the opinion was as follows: A city had received a request for text messages and e-mails sent between the city’s commission members, the city secretary, and senior personnel. An attorney for the city argued that the requested information was exempt from the Texas Public Information Act, citing sections of the law that protect government officials from requests that would constitute an invasion of privacy. However, the Office of the Attorney General disagreed and affirmed that text messages and e-mails that are created in connection with the transaction of official business are public information and the people of the state are entitled to complete information about the affairs of the government.

So the next time you are dashing off an e-mail or text on your smart phone, be conscientious about exactly what you are writing if it pertains to any governmental business. That communication could be requested by a member of the public or a news organization, and you do not want the results to be something embarrassing, or worse, incriminating."

I will try and email them Monday to clarify I want all means of communication via any electronics during open session and I hope I don't have to wait long on the records! Next time you feel like texting or emailing a board member during open session, be careful, I may ORR that info and it could be public knowledge if I feel like posting it!!! I know some people in the audience do this at board meetings or from the comfort of their own home.

Onto what irritates me as a tax payer! Corando Garza Sr. and Corey Garza and probably Prado too, went to South Padre Island on tax dollars to go to a school board conference May 17-18th. Below are charges from Garza Sr. and Garza Jr. to KISD for going.

You would think that a father and son could take the same transportation? You think a father and son could sleep in the same hotel room with double beds? Naw, they bring their family with them. I have heard Garza Sr. takes his sister, but that is a rumor. Garza Jr. takes someone else, but I won't name that person's name. The more cars they take the more people they can bring. Let me break the numbers down for you for the SPI conference.

If father and son share a car and a room it saves tax payers, $323.72. If Prado went he could tag along in the car and save an extra $158.92. Garza Sr. and Prado have breakfast at El Tapatio about every morning discussing closed session information. Good friends can ride together, no? Saving KISD money? That pays a substitutes salary for two days at KISD! Four days if Prado shared a ride with them.

You wanna know what was so important for them both to go? To take the exact/identical classes at SPI. Take a look at what was offered at SPI for classes:

The first day is all the same, everyone took the same class or heard the same speaker as they must, but the second day they each took the exact same classes, all day. Which they didn't have to. They have up to seven classes to choose from during each three periods! Ugh! This is what gets my panties in a twist! What was the point of both of them going separately, and why didn't they take different classes? They could have split up and went to different classes and reported back what they learned in each one and talk about it on the drive back up! What a waste of money! Garza Sr. or Jr. could have stayed home and saved KISD $565.72! Common readers! Do you not see that these are mini vacations paid for by your tax dollars?!

Garza Jr. went with his plus one to go have a nice dinner paid for by a vendor. Woot! Woot! Priviliages! Here are the exact same classes for proof:

IDENTICAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sr. and Jr. went to the Philly National School Board Conference and they could have roomed and took the same car to airport saving even more! $806.63. Max dollars that could have been saved would have been $2,526.27 for three board trips.

They also took about the same identical classes in San Antonio as well. Compare it against the classes Crites and Yaklin took and you will see.

Please, someone, tell me I'm not dreaming!

Some of ya'll will say I am just nit-picking. That this is legal. Yes, it is legal, and yes, I am nit-picking. When you have board members crying about the amount of spending KISD does and how much money KISD doesn't have, yes, I will nit-pick! These conferences aren't supposed to be about fun and family. They are about trying to be a better board member! If Garza Jr. wants to save money so badly on lighting for the schools, why doesn't he practice what he preaches?! Steven Crites does!!!!!!! He charges nothing! Nada! Zip! Ziltch!

Above you can also see that they went to the San Antonio Conference, June 13-15th. Everyone did. Do you think they took the same car or shared a room? NOOOOO. Prado took his family with him as well. Can't be sharing when family comes with! Think of all the money saved on this trip! Let me calculate that: If father and son shared a ride and a room that would have saved $964.88. If Prado hitched a ride with them it would have saved an additional $272.12. Total of $1,237 saved for KISD. Add that with the SPI trip it could have saved anwhere from $1,56072-$1,719.64. Garza Sr. and Jr. went to the Philly National School Board Conference and they could have roomed and took the same car to airport saving even more! $806.63. Max dollars that could have been saved would have been $2,526.27 for three board trips.

Garza Sr. is a retired fire chief probably pulling SSI as well, he can afford it. Garza Jr. does something in medical, he can afford it. Coufal is a banker, he can figure out a way to afford it. Yaklin is a realtor, she can afford it. Greenwood owns property and a business, he can afford it Prado is retired BP and has a wife that makes a very nice salary, he can afford it. If I were board member I'd only charge hotel or find a cheaper one. If I got to eat every day anyway to survive, I'll buy my own food. I can manage to suck it up and pay for my own gas and mileage on my car.