We showed up at the mall with coffee in hand as it was early and we are not what you would call morning people. We sat down for a brief orientation with sleepy seeds talking smack about how they think we should lay down and get a few more winks. We did a walk through and learned the layout of the medium sized, well lit clothing store the Rescue Mission had put together for this exciting event.

Then we waited.

Then it happened, we were greeted by smiling happy faces that lit up our morning more than any java ever could. We were volunteers at the Klothes for Kids store in the Panama City Mall and we were about to make some little kids very happy.

Klothes for Kids is essentially a free store, stocked to the rafters with both new and gently used clothing, by Panama City residents who understand that there are those among us struggling to make ends meet. The store had everything from uniforms, to play clothes, shoes, undergarments and school supplies. It had everything a kid would need to go back to school with a bit of confidence and a new pair of kicks.

We had a blast, met some great people, and got to give back a bit to the community that we love so much. While the event did end Monday you will have another opportunity to volunteer next year, or you could help out at any number of events the rescue mission hosts throughout the year.

Keep up at PCRMission.org

Following the School board news has become an interesting pastime. Hopefully this will be my last piece on that topic for a while.

I find a strange irony in the Board's and Superintendent's internal debate on how to handle the cuts necessary in next year's budget. I seem to remember there was a court case recently involving our Board vs. the Superintendent, to determine who is in charge of school personnel decisions here in Bay County. After both sides spent oodles of our money lawyering up, the court decided the Superintendent has the say in matters of personnel. OK. That's well and good.

Now here is the irony. The same Superintendent who was so concerned about being in control of personnel is attempting to abdicate his position as CEO when it comes to the financial matters of the district. He has challenged the Board to go line by line in the budget and tell him what to do in order to make the finances work for next year. I don't know about you, but it seems to me that this is why he gets paid the big bucks in the district.

It is, however, pretty easy to see why he wants to take such a position. Looking ahead, there is a chance the Superintendent will fail in his bid for re-election this year. If that is the case, he will return to the fishbowl as a principal somewhere in the district and once again need to interact with what will then be his peers, not his subordinates. He doesn't want to make any enemies. But he should have thought of that before he decided to run the first time.

It is clear to this writer that personnel reductions of non-teaching staff are in order as I laid out in my review of the school budget two weeks ago. There are tough calls to be made that will affect personnel. I think it's time for the superintendent to do what the courts gave him the authority to do. It's time for the axe to fall.

This is my third consecutive article on the recent activity to get a budget in place for next year's Bay County School system. After I worked hard for a week to find $20.4 million in reductions from the General Fund (published in last weeks PCityLIVE.com column) in accordance with Mr. Peters public challenge, I must say I am more than a little confused by what I saw in today's (Monday, July 28, 2008) News Herald.

The Superintendent and Board published the proposed budget for next year. It must be new math or some such thing. Addition and Subtraction are not the highest levels of difficulty in mathematics, but it seems the Board is struggling to get a right answer.

By my calculations, $204 million (the 07-08 budget), take-away $20 million, is $184 million. And I didn't even need a calculator to determine that. The reason for my confusion is that the Board's new budget is $194 million in the General Fund for the 08-09 school year. That would appear to be some $10 million short of the required reduction.

Now the Board either decided they didn't want chin the whole $20 million, or they plan to be $10 million in the hole by year end, or the entire story wasn't adequately communicated to the public in the first place. I don't know what the real story is here, but whatever the truth is, it isn't helping the Superintendent's and Board's credibility when it comes to the schools finances. The message being broadcast in the last few weeks was there would be big trouble in river city with a $20.4 million dollar cut in the general fund. And it turns out the cut is only $10 million. The Superintendent and Board have declared victory and are ready to move into the new school year.

I guess it is no surprise our students struggle with the math portion of the FCAT. The Board seems to be having a problem with that as well.

image by Mykle Roventine used via the create commons license.

If you have been living under a rock then today might be a good time to pock your head out. Senator and probable GOP Presidential nominee John McCain will be visiting Panama City today with special guest John Rich of Big and Rich fame. Check out the info below for details.

What:
John Rich Concert
Featuring John Rich of Big and Rich
Special Guest Senator John McCain

Where:
Marina Civic Center Complex
8 Harrison Ave. Panama City, Florida

When:
Friday, August 1
Doors open 3:00 PM CDT

Important: Please plan plenty of time to get through security.
Photo I.D. required.

Parking available downtown.

Order your tickets online at www.rpof.org/concert