WPCNR MR. & MRS. & MS. WHITE PLAINS VOICE. August 31, 2006: At Monday evening's Board of Education meeting, the School Board voted to schedule a referendum for the voters of White Plains to approve a 69.6 Million bond issue to build a new Post Road School, build additions to Mamaroneck Avenue School, build new stadiums at Loucks Field at the high school and Parker Stadium. At the meeting, one citizen made comments about the bond costs. He forwards this synopsis of his comments:

Lets put aside the argument of necessity in physically improving our schools for a moment.  Assume that the schools do need some work, BUT AT WHAT COST?
DO YOU GIVE BLANK CHECKS TO CONTRACTORS?

I have uncovered an interesting fact that has not been disclosed by the board and its committees.

Many, many of the extremely overpriced line items have a common denominator . . . a numerical common denominator.  I wondered why I kept seeing the same outrageous numbers over and over again:

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Many, many of the extremely overpriced line items have a common denominator . . . a numerical common denominator.  I wondered why I kept seeing the same outrageous numbers over and over again:

365 . . . 730 . . . 7300 . . . 730,000 . . . 14,600 . . . 29,200 . . . 58,400 . . . 116,800 . . . etc.

What does that tell you about how this estimate was derived?   Someone started with an amount they could get for the whole job, then split it up among the jobs that needed to be done . . .

Just like a gambler splits his chips among multiple hands he’s running at a card table

Labor, materials, REALITY like COST have no part in this equation, simply

    HOW MUCH CAN WE GET?   HOW CAN WE SPLIT IT UP?
 
That’s why you end up with $6000 windows
                $29,200 thermostats (for a normal house)
                $29,200 gas valves (Home Depot?)
                $7,300 lavatory faucets
                $730,000 ventilation units
                $58,400 to paint this inside of a 6,000 sf house
                $73,000 to air condition the GW office



THIS IS GROSSLY INEFFECTIVE FISCAL POLICY

If the Board did not know this before, it shows that they and their self serving oversight committee are not doing there job.  They should have seen and disclosed this.   Once it was revealed, they should not have voted to present this perversion of the truth to the public.

If the Board did know that this is how an estimate is derived, then any assertion made about costs being a factor were (like room size valves or the “cost of public construction”) are outright lies, as costs have nothing to do with this proposal. 


(At Monday evening's Board of Education Meeting), after I explained the  pricing scheme, I asked them all to their faces if they knew about this . . . and they ignored me as though I was not there.

In addition, I am offended by  (Board Member) Mr. (William) Pollak’s comment that the board had already solicited “all of the opinions of those whose opinions count.”  Because the board loaded its “oversight” committee with architects, real estate and financial people, it was a self serving hoax, reeking of partiality and self interest.

Either way, the board is ineffective and you should all go out and

Charles Lederman

White Plains