Posted on 05/22/2003 6:14:45 AM PDT by GailA
Protesters delivered a motley crew of seats to the board of education Wednesday. The board discussed buying chairs costing as much as $584.50 each, after member Patrice Robinson complained about the old ones.
School board's chair talk has citizens rockin' mad Can spend up to $7,000 for seats
By Ruma Banerji banerji@gomemphis.com May 22, 2003
Who knew furniture could cause such a buzz?
The airwaves were hot Wednesday with radio talk show callers up in arms about the school board's plans to spend as much as $7,000 to buy new executive chairs.
Wednesday, an anonymous donor called board member Sara Lewis and offered to donate new chairs to the board.
But the donation didn't stifle public outcry over the board's discussion on the need for more ergonomic chairs. Members use the chairs during their meetings, which take place every other week and last about five hours.
On Monday, board members initially voted against buying chairs at $584.50 each, but resurrected the issue after board member Patrice Robinson said the chairs have caused her serious health problems.
Ultimately, the board unanimously voted to look for lower-priced chairs.
They got lower-priced chairs, all right.
Listeners for WEGR Rock 103 radio station's morning show - urged on by a call-to-arms from the show's hosts - left about a dozen lawn chairs at the school board office at 2597 Avery.
A second wave of chairs arrived in the afternoon and were immediately carted off to a warehouse by security.
"The decisions made by this school board are embarrassing," a listener said on WDIA radio's What's on your Mind? "If they can't make decisions sitting down, then maybe they should stand."
Workers in the school board office took the public shipments in stride.
"It's a funny problem to have all these chairs," said board secretary Sheila Brown, who fielded dozens of calls from the community.
But some school board members don't find the fallout funny.
"You know the community needs to decide what it wants from its school board," board member Wanda Halbert said. "Anything we do is wrong."
The chair issue shouldn't have come up at all, board member Michael Hooks Jr. said.
"You know, I don't know why and how this became such a big deal," Hooks said. "In this time of budget cuts, we have more important things we should be talking about."
- Ruma Banerji: 529-2596
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If you followed the total story regarding the chair purchase, you are aware that I am the one that questioned this purchase. Two of my colleagues joined me in voting down the proposed purchase. The issue was brought back up as a health issue by a colleague who was out of the room during the original vote. Seeing that we were about to pass the motion (our votes are by majority only), I offered an amendment directing the staff to help us find less expensive chairs. This is the motion that passed, not the one with a $7,000 pricetag. Yesterday we received an anonymous offer to purchase 12 ergonomically correct chairs for the Auditorium at NO COST to the taxpayers. This donation should lay the issue to rest. I am amazed by the public outcry and ridicule the Board is receiving over this issue. The chairs in question were overdue to be replaced; they are utilized in an auditorium for the District and public for various functions not just for the school board members. Also, staff made the cost proposal, and we rely on our experienced staff to find the best price available for all purchases. The price did seem very high to me, which is why this issue was even placed before the public. Thank you for caring enough to share your concerns. If you have any further suggestions, please feel free to share them! Thanks, Deni C. Hirsh Commissioner, District 2 Memphis City Schools Board of Education Phone: (901) 737-7832 Fax: (901) 737-7945 Cell: (901) 508-2353 Email: hirshd@mcsk12.net
If your colleague were truly concerned about her health she'd make the effort to LOSE weight which is a prime contributor to her back problems and is a much more life threatening condition.
A quality portable ergonomic lumbar pad can be purchased for $35.00.
I know what a ergonomic lumbar pad cost as I use one having five deteriorated disc in my back.
Then there is Mr. Brown's suggestion on WMC news cast last night that the Memphis School Board should be considering a PAY RAISE for the Board instead of discussing some chairs.
What utter gall to think that Mr. Brown or any MSB member would consider lining their own pocket while the Memphis School system is $30 Million dollars in the red.
The public is outraged not only about the extravagant cost of 12 chairs, but the entire collective stupid business decisions of the MSB.
Paying triple to air condition two schools, paying double the cost to construct roughly the same size school that the County does. Paying $132,000 for a Glass Curtain Wall (done by an artist from OUT OF STATE) in one school. When that money could have been spent to actually educate a child by purchasing text books or other learning materials.
$7,000 could have purchased over 4000 pads of 200 count note book paper or over 100,000 #2 pencils for the children who come from economically disadvantaged homes.
Just think what $132,000 could have purchased in the way of educational materials instead of a 'pretty' useless wall.
I would venture a guess that "the community" wants you to stop bellyaching about the lack of funding "for the cheel'ren" when you can find $7,000 for a dozen chairs.
I would further suspect that if you do not know the answer to your own question, you should step down from the board.
Well Wanda, you have just had a moment of incredible clarity. Consider it a gift.
Memphis School Board
Hmm don't the kids sit on bare wood or metal chairs for 8 hours a day?
While these clowns may sit in one of these nearly $600 chairs for just a couple of hours once or twice a month?
A deluxe chair chushion like I use in my kitchen chair could be purchased for about $7.00 each from Wal-Mart.
Office Depot has very nice Leather Executive Chair on sale for $168.94 (regulary$198.94) or on sale Updated Executive Leather Leather Executive Chair for $139.84 (regularly $169.99)
Office Depot has Prima Leather Executive Chairs ON SALE for $49.84 AFTER a $50.00 rebate.
Office Max has a Fabric Executive Chair on sale AFTER REBATE $49.99
58 schools are on the State's failure list.
The Board Member Patrice Johnson with the bad back is quite over weight.
Instead of addressing the underlying confidence problem of runaway spending in the offices of education, he debates the merits of "the chairs".
The chairs are only a conduit Mr.Commissioner. You must be a product of your own educational system.
The fat chick with the bad back will get bloodied first cause she'll be too slow.
I propose electrified spikes on the seats and hot coals on the floor. The coals are needed because the highway department workers union might teach them how to spend money while comfortably standing still.
Maybe they should only be able to hold board meetings on carnival rides and while bungee jumping.
The chairs are only the tip of the iceberg.
This was one of Clinton's favorite misdirection tactics.
Or why IBM has advertising space on the sign?
Office furniture manufacturers lobbied congress to modify the tax code to allow full depreciation schedules to be used on the homosapien corrals we all have had to endure in the workplace.
The soft halfwalls with no doors or windows were born as a way to deduct workspace which was previously inert from a tax standpoint.
ONLY one board member has a bad back...(wink can't fit into existing chair so must sit on edge of chair) yet they choose to replace ALL 12 chairs.
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