Philip Klein's Take On PN-G Job Situation

[kfdmcoop]

From Philip Klein's blogsite:

Talk about in your face? And maybe even a lawsuit before it is all over? <start drums> How about those dang Indians over at Port Neches?

The story is simple. A long time football coach quits. So everyone applies for the job to the Port Neches Groves school board. The applications are put into a ranking and on and on.

So the media wants to know who applied. Any normal district says - well here are the names. But not Port Neches Groves. They violate almost every law that can be violated by telling the media no. You cannot have the list. So how do they do it? By doing the old end around and asking the AG for an opinion. That stops the process for at least six weeks and then when the AG comes back and tells them to release the names they will after they have selected the new head coach.

But wait! There is more!

By doing such they stall the media and stop any suggestion of any negotiation for any school district that may want to keep their coach by making the pot sweeter.

Now for the question - does this open the door for the district to be sued. And we just do not know the answer to that. However, seemingly it is a bad deal for the politicos on the school board. What are they hiding? Who knows? Who is behind it all? Who knows? Is it legal what they are doing? heck yes. Is it what should happen in a free and open government? No. But remember - it is Port Neches where football is king.

And making it even more funny - it has taken the eyes off the ball as they say. No media is reporting that the old coach is staying on with his whopping huge salary and now they will add on ANOTHER huge whopping salary.

Ah yes - bigger is better. And there is nothing like more corruption and manipulation of the law in the most corrupt county in Texas!

Applicants - please apply and your name will not be released.

Really - we thought that no elected board could get lower than what goes on in Port Arthur or the Jefferson County Courthouse.

Opps....we were wrong.

 

[bandkid]

Hah, he mispelled "oops".

But in reality, its probably one of the most brilliant political strategies ever. The morality is arguable, and Im sure both sides have valid reasons, but the members of the school board most certainly accomplished their objective, and that's what a strategy is designed to do.

 

[1989NDN]

Who is Philip Klein and why should anyone care what he says on an Internet blog? PN-GISD and the communities of Port Neches and Groves will survive regardless of what Mr. Klein, The Beaumont Enterprise, The Beaumont Examiner, The Port Arthur News, or anyone over at setxsports.com writes or says. The majority of PN-G alumni, fans, and residents are concerned about PN-G and what is best for the students and communities of Port Neches and Groves. Most in the PN-G family are not concerned with Internet blogs, local newspaper op-ed pieces, or the traffic hits on regional sports websites.

Go Indians. Peace.

 

[kfdmcoop]

http://setxbayou.blogspot.com/2009/01/pn-g-stonewalls-part-ii.html

 

[bandkid]

kfdmcoop, do you think the letter from the Enterprise will speed up the AG's ruling?

 

[kfdmcoop]

Even Petitions are being signed now, so yes probably.

 

[bandkid]

Well, this is becoming a pretty heated battle. What football team could have fans so obsessed with football and so proud of their team that they would go so far as to write the Attorney General for a list of head football coach applicants?

Oh, wait....

 

[NONS81]

Who is Philip Klein and why should anyone care what he says on an Internet blog? PN-GISD and the communities of Port Neches and Groves will survive regardless of what Mr. Klein, The Beaumont Enterprise, The Beaumont Examiner, The Port Arthur News, or anyone over at setxsports.com writes or says. The majority of PN-G alumni, fans, and residents are concerned about PN-G and what is best for the students and communities of Port Neches and Groves. Most in the PN-G family are not concerned with Internet blogs, local newspaper op-ed pieces, or the traffic hits on regional sports websites.

Go Indians. Peace.

Has it occurred to anyone, that the reason that all the media are in a frenzy is because PNGISD is in violation of the law, big time. And that it is a big deal.

 

[kfdmcoop]

From Beaumont Enterprise


Under Section 552.304(a) of the Texas Public Information Act, PN-G ISD should be required to release this information. But they're stalling. So we ask you, gentle readers, to get involved. Any letter you send does not need to be elaborate or detailed. The AG is clear on the law; the issues worth underscoring here are the high level of interest in the information and the accountability of an elected body. If you don't, these school boards will just continue to snow the general public -- using your tax dollars to do whatever they want. Sound familiar?

Just remember, citizen journalists: if you submit a comment, please copy the school district (the contact info is on the above letter), as required by 552.304(b).

From The Enterprise

Give 'em hell. They deserve it.

 

[Smurf]

Who is Philip Klein and why should anyone care what he says on an Internet blog? PN-GISD and the communities of Port Neches and Groves will survive regardless of what Mr. Klein, The Beaumont Enterprise, The Beaumont Examiner, The Port Arthur News, or anyone over at setxsports.com writes or says. The majority of PN-G alumni, fans, and residents are concerned about PN-G and what is best for the students and communities of Port Neches and Groves. Most in the PN-G family are not concerned with Internet blogs, local newspaper op-ed pieces, or the traffic hits on regional sports websites.

Go Indians. Peace.

I totally agree. A search of this board finds the same few "concerned" citizens posting their "concerns" on every board they can. Get over it. We need to be speculating on the talent our school board recruited rather than what laws the "concerned citizens" think were broken. The media will bash us as much as possible until they get the information they want...it's their job. I am starting to realize the few "concerned citizens" out there bashing the school board for their decisions are actually "concerned" because of previous issues. Any day now we are going to see the following post:

Do you like the school board? Check YES _____ OR NO_____

 

[bandkid]

Looks more like were going to see it today because you just posted it.

 

[Smurf]

Looks more like were going to see it today because you just posted it.

HA! Good one.

 

[modmouse78]

...no one should listen to anything that man says.

 

[IndianFan]

Is this guy's opinion supposed to impress someone?

 

[1989NDN]

From Beaumont Enterprise


Under Section 552.304(a) of the Texas Public Information Act, PN-G ISD should be required to release this information. But they're stalling. So we ask you, gentle readers, to get involved. Any letter you send does not need to be elaborate or detailed. The AG is clear on the law; the issues worth underscoring here are the high level of interest in the information and the accountability of an elected body. If you don't, these school boards will just continue to snow the general public -- using your tax dollars to do whatever they want. Sound familiar?

Just remember, citizen journalists: if you submit a comment, please copy the school district (the contact info is on the above letter), as required by 552.304(b).

From The Enterprise

Give 'em hell. They deserve it.

[/quote





I wonder why the Beaumont Enterprise did not cite Section 552.305? Why the attitude of "Give'em hell? Both sides, the requestors and the PN-GISD school board have exercised legal rights. No big deal.

Sec. 552.305. INFORMATION INVOLVING PRIVACY OR PROPERTY INTERESTS OF THIRD PARTY. (a) In a case in which information is requested under this chapter and a person's privacy or property interests may be involved, including a case under Section 552.101, 552.104, 552.110, or 552.114, a governmental body may decline to release the information for the purpose of requesting an attorney general decision.

(b) A person whose interests may be involved under Subsection (a), or any other person, may submit in writing to the attorney general the person's reasons why the information should be withheld or released.

(c) The governmental body may, but is not required to, submit its reasons why the information should be withheld or released.

(d) If release of a person's proprietary information may be subject to exception under Section 552.101, 552.110, 552.113, or 552.131, the governmental body that requests an attorney general decision under Section 552.301 shall make a good faith attempt to notify that person of the request for the attorney general decision. Notice under this subsection must:

(1) be in writing and sent within a reasonable time not later than the 10th business day after the date the governmental body receives the request for the information; and

(2) include:

(A) a copy of the written request for the information, if any, received by the governmental body; and

(B) a statement, in the form prescribed by the attorney general, that the person is entitled to submit in writing to the attorney general within a reasonable time not later than the 10th business day after the date the person receives the notice:

(i) each reason the person has as to why the information should be withheld; and

(ii) a letter, memorandum, or brief in support of that reason.

(e) A person who submits a letter, memorandum, or brief to the attorney general under Subsection (d) shall send a copy of that letter, memorandum, or brief to the person who requested the information from the governmental body. If the letter, memorandum, or brief submitted to the attorney general contains the substance of the information requested, the copy of the letter, memorandum, or brief may be a redacted copy.

Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 268, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993. Amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 1035, Sec. 21, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1319, Sec. 24, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.


The PN-GISD school board exercised its option to seek an opinion from the Texas Attorney General's Office; nothing illegal has occurred. A request was made to the PN-GISD school board under the FOIA. The PN-GISD school board exercised its legal right under the law. It seems to me both sides are using the system that is currently in place under the statutes: (1) request for information; (2) nope, we'll request an opinion and hold out; and, (3) okay, when the directive comes from the Texas Attorney General's Office that the information must be released, then we (i.e., the requestors) want it.

Now, if the PN-GISD school board decides to disregard an opinion/directive of the Texas Attorney General's Office, then get back to me about violations of the law. Until then ... no big deal. Yes, PN-GISD is stalling, but, this situation will resolve itself with a little time. And, to my knowlege, no one (neither the requestors nor the Texas Attorney General's Office) has filed a writ of mandamus or sought civil enforcement ... yet. The directive from the Texas Attorney General's Office will be forthcoming. When it comes, and it will come, then the PN-GISD should comply. If the board does not comply, then there may be a violation of the law.

Everyone wants instant information ... this will work itself out ... this, too, shall pass. Eventually, the names will be published.

I just hope we get a good coach to replace MB. In my opinion, MB left some pretty big shoes to fill. He was a good coach, a good man, and if anyone was a symbol of PN-G, it was him. I wonder if what Bob West wrote is true? Is PN-G fishing for candidates? Time will tell.

I know everyone wants the names ... they will come ... just give it some time.

Go Indians. Peace.

 

[Smurf]

...no one should listen to anything that man says.

What happened to that post? I still have hiccups from reading it. Sounds like something I would have written...but if my wife happened to see it she would have made me remove it...Oh well, it WAS funny.

 

[IndianFan]

Brownwood HS just did the same thing with not publishing the list until they were ready.

 

[kfdmcoop]

That was out a week ago, they have a final 2 Finalists now.

 

[Smurf]

Brownwood HS just did the same thing with not publishing the list until they were ready.

What was the response from the Brownwood Community? (local papers, news, fans with an axe to grind...) Was it the same as our area?

 

[kfdmcoop]

San Angelo Central Releases theirs as well.

http://varsity.oaoa.com/articles/coach_3212___article.html/football_head.html