Posted on 08/03/2004 4:38:53 PM PDT by rhema
NEA may have had to institute some last-minute budget cuts this year, but if the organizations latest financial disclosure report is any indication, no one is starving at NEA headquarters.
The national unions $59.4 million payroll for the school year 2002-03 included salary for some 565 regular employees plus payments to about 170 others who were either part-time or temporary employees, or who either retired, were let go, or moved on during that year. Of the regular employees, 260 received salaries of $100,000 or more. That figure is for salaries alone; it does not include other taxable allowances, benefits or expenses. Nor does it include payments to NEAs elected officers or state affiliate executive directors (see below).
The money list was led by NEA Executive Director John Wilson, who made $244,423 last year. And though he retired in November 2000, Wilsons predecessor, Don Cameron, still received $101, 466 in deferred salary from NEA last year.
For example, NEA pays the salaries of 23 state executive directors. These are mostly states in the bottom half of the membership rankings, and some of them would have difficulty paying the compensation out of their own dues. Here are the figures for 2002-03:
Alaska Tom Harvey, $111,252
Colorado Philip Moeckli, $130,079
Connecticut John Yrchik, $145,345
Delaware Howard Weinberg, $121,065
Federal H.T. Nguyen, $131,176
Hawaii Joan Husted, $100,499
Idaho James Shackelford, $104,338
Minnesota Larry Wicks, $128,548
Mississippi Frank Yates, $92,762
Missouri Peggy Cochran, $127,279
Montana David Smith, $98,027
New Hampshire Edward Shumaker, $81,500, and Dennis Murphy, $51,738
New Mexico Kay Brilliant, $125,354
North Carolina Colleen Borst, $105,737
North Dakota Joseph Westby, $92,501
Oklahoma David Duvall, $95,377
Oregon Joann Waller, $136,142
Rhode Island -- Robert Walsh, $118,276
South Carolina Richard Miller, $128,607
South Dakota Lona Lewis, $121,973
Texas E.C. Walker, $128,358
Vermont Joel Cook, $114,519
Virginia Jerry Caruthers, $121,832
Additionally, NEA financially supports special organizing projects in the states, and provides grants for state political and media programs through its ballot initiative/legislative crisis/PR fund, which affiliates have been draining steadily this year.
The local school levies are a bottomless pit of money...
Hamilton Journal-News
HAMILTON -- The Butler County Board of Elections Monday -- on the eve of a special election -- launched an investigation into possible voter fraud regarding absentee ballots.
Sixteen recent Fairfield High School graduates who had requested absentee ballots contacted the elections office last week to see if they could instead vote on the school district's levy at the polls, said Robert Mosketti, elections board director.
"We have received several complaints from students that they were provided absentee applications at graduation practice," he said. "According to these students, they were told to fill out an application and in some instances school personnel instructed them to vote absentee whether they were going to be out of the county or not."
The board of elections contacted the Ohio secretary of state's office, which instructed the board to conduct an investigation into the allegations.
At present, the probe is focused on those 16 absentee ballots, Mosketti said. Countywide, the elections board has mailed out 1,692 absentee ballots. As of Monday afternoon, 1,288 had been returned, he said.
Of those, "Fairfield had 1,476 mailed and returned 1,077," he said.
The investigation is not expected to result in any ballots being invalidated, nor is it expected to alter the outcome of the election, he said.
"We have contacted all 16 of those voters and instructed them that they may only be provided one ballot, that being their absentee ballot," he said.
The recent FHS graduates were told their only options were to either cast the absentee ballot or not cast any ballot in the special election, he said. All 16 decided to return their absentee ballots, he said.
In starting its investigation into the complaints, Mosketti said his office has taken statements and contacted the district superintendent, Robert Farrell.
Farrell said he was aware of the investigation, and said the district is cooperating fully. The findings will likely vindicate school personnel, he said.
Mosketti on Monday said he wasn't sure when the investigation would be complete. However, once finished, if necessary, findings would be forwarded to the Butler County Prosecutor's Office, he said.
In today's special election, voters in 84 county precincts will decide school levies in the Fairfield, Edgewood and Preble-Shawnee schools and a tax issue for the city of Monroe.
Give these folks a break ! Its hard work shaking down taxpayers, bribing lawmakers, brainwashing kids and getting all you folks to think they are the good guys.
How fortunate I was to find the eye-opening NEA: Trojan Horse in Education 12 years ago.
Ping
Well, gee, that's why I'm always broke. I should join the NEA and become part of the union leadership, rather than being a mere non-union classroom teacher, obviously.
Talk about selling your soul. Besides, these union reps earn their money, its not that easy sucking up to democratic politicians.
*rolling eyes*
I didn't think I needed to add a "sarcasm" tag with FReepers, but obviously I was wrong. Should've read my own tag line....
Amelia,
I never get the sarcasm til I'm hit over the head with it.
I will watch out for it next time.
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