LASD Board Shown its Shadow

[XLFD]

The Ludington Area School District (LASD) noticed a special meeting for this afternoon on Groundhog Day.   Earlier this day, famous groundhog weather prognosticator Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow when he emerged from his hole, thereby forecasting six more weeks of winter.  Far away from Pennsylvania, the LASD school board verified that prediction when they saw their shadow courtesy of the Ludington Torch.

The special meeting's agenda had no indication that this would happen, the sole purpose of holding the meeting was to discuss and determine whether they would put the renewal of their sinking fund millage (.25 mills) on the May 2022 ballot.  At the meeting, Administrator Jesse Rickard offered a presentation indicating the district's need for this proposed renewal, and the board viewed it favorably (naturally) and voted unanimously to put it on the ballot.  The millage will raise $400,000 the first year and an estimated $535,000 on the tenth and last year, or roughly $5 million for the duration-- should district voters renew the millage.  

Before they discussed and passed the fait accompli for the ballot addition, they had to listen to somebody who reminded them of another aspect of Groundhog Day.  In the 1993 movie of that same name, Bill Murray plays a broadcaster who relives the day over and over again until he gets it right.  The first day of school each week, the students of the district need to put on masks in the morning before they get on the school bus then, unless they have filed an approved exemption form with the school, they need to wear a mask the full school day, and again on the bus ride home.  They have to repeat this the rest of the school week and they have been doing this the full school year so far.  As yet, there is no end in sight of this repetitive daily routine.

In delivering my comments, I eschewed my regular routine of using a prepared speech in order to connect more with my audience of mostly masked board members.  Therefore, in practicing my comment it came out noticeably different each time I rehearsed it, adding this or subtracting that, emphasizing this or de-emphasizing that.  So unlike most comments where I can relate 100% of what I said by the script I use, I can only paraphrase myself in this case. 

XLFD:  "In August, two dozen people-- citizens, students, teachers, parents-- attended the school board meeting and argued against having a mask mandate in Ludington schools.  The school board listened but did not hear this popular mandate, and voted for a mask mandate. 

In September, more people-- students, teachers, parents, citizens-- attended the board meeting arguing again against the mask mandate.  The board, in reply, strengthened their mandate policy.  In October, two dozen students protested against the mask policy just outside the auditorium-- you each walked by them-- and they spoke against the mask mandate as did teachers, parents and citizens.  At the end of the meeting, the mask mandate was still intact.  

November, December and January came, and as the public's voice ebbed, few can doubt whether those arguing against these mandates changed their mind.  After all, public health agencies as much admitted that cloth masks and the surgical masks most of you wear had no effect on the spread of the coronavirus, the exact same position they all had back two years ago, in February 2020.  

Which brings us to this February, where the school board at this meeting is to consider whether they will put the sinking fund millage issue on the May ballot.   One has to wonder why this school board, who has spent the last six months totally ignoring the will of the people-- students, parents, teachers, and citizens-- have suddenly gained an interest in the choice these voters will have to make in May?"  

I paused at this point, looking meaningfully and with emotion at the board members.  I had more to say, but I doubted whether it would have added anything meaningful to the point already made.  Having shown them their shadow, I ended the comment. 

I can only hope the point wasn't missed by the majority of the board, who only seem to care about what the public thinks when it comes time to court them for more of their hard-earned money to fund their expensive projects.

[Freedom Seeker]

Nice try, X and I appreciate your more ad-lib efforts, but I feel "a school board convinced against their will is of the same opinion still" much like the Ludington City Council their minds are made up in "secret squirrel meetings" before they come to the public. What will ever make a change? Greater voice, greater outrage, more people speaking? The school board may have to take a centerline position for liability issues; from being sued by some parent whose kid dies of covid if the school did not require masks (as a far-fetch example). At least the school board gives exemptions, but this is so inconsistent.

If I were in the position as a board member, I would probably take the same position, because to a degree, masks stop some of the sneezes and the sputum of those who may carry the virus but be asymptomatic. It is so crazy though, in restaurants, for example, keep a masking while you walk the aisle and take it off at the table, or a rehab swimming pool, at the office masked, but not in the pool with the rest of the public and staff.

[XLFD]

I guess I trust a student to tell his parent(s) when he's sick and I trust the parent(s) to keep him home when that happens or when they recognize their kid is sick.  Parents and teachers can easily train a child to cough into their elbows or sleeve if they develop a cough at school, much more healthier for those around you since a lot of aerosol particles pass through that mask you can't remove and into the air around you, and for you since you're not breathing back in your sputum and phloem all day and recirculating them continually whenever you breathe out.  

Some people call masks 'face diapers' and that's not far from the truth because the same mechanism is at work.  Consider, if you wear a diaper and you need to pee or poop, you're covered-- but that pee and poop will be travelling along with you all day, giving you rashes; pee and poop will trickle and drop out of your diaper as the day progresses.  People, including you especially, will smell your pee and poop festering as the hours pass.  Most of us who aren't incontinent realize the issues with diapers, so what do we do?  We pee and poop as nature intended, in the toilet, then we wipe (or rinse if you're one of those bidet-owning elites) our naughty bits in a socially distanced, barrier-protected bathroom stall.  Neither you or anybody else has to deal with your crap anymore, other than our professionals at the wastewater treatment plant.

Your sneezes and coughs are the pee and poops of your mask wearing.  Aerosols pass through easily, but those droplets caught will paint your face with your viral load all day just like that brown paint in your diaper.  As you are forced to take more breaths due to the mask, those droplets you caught get smaller and will eventually find their way out, kind of like having a second bowel movement in your Pampers go past your carrying capacity.  

If you feel you need a diaper to get through the day, and some do, then go ahead.  If you feel like you need a cloth mask to get through the day, due to a legitimate reason, go right ahead.  But don't force me to wear Huggies just because you are incontinent or because you like to sit in your squishy, smelly feces for hours.  And don't make me have to wear a face diaper, when the real science says it's not healthy.

[Freedom Seeker]

Thanks X, for that very graphic description of face diapers and how they may keep the viral load near one's own lungs, etc. But I was assuming that after a sneeze and/or a few hours of wear, that the masks are changed. I suppose that is not possible for the children in school (shouldn't school administrators focus on clean mask wearing if they require mask wearing)?

I personally had a few clean cloth masks to wear and change out throughout the day when masks were required everywhere, and daily washed them in antibacterial soap and hung to dry. I'm not saying this is best science, I was just trying to get along and adapt with federal and state orders while we muddled through the science and virus.

What you point out about "dirty face diapers" (masks) and kids having to wear the same mask all day, I agree is problematic and is not a healthy option--neither is keeping kids at home remote learning healthy for our economy.

[Sidney Johnson]

Mask or no mask, vaccine or no vaccine, social distance or no social distance, still the juggernaut carnivorous plods on giving governing agencies the excuse to continue an unmerrited oppression of the populace. It seems society always finds individuals more than willing to enforce freedom crushing doctrines on their own citizens.

[Willy]

The school board should just cancel the mask mandate but at least they have given parents an out. That being a signed exemptiom. As long as tiny tyrants run the schools parents can either go along or take their kids out of public schools. It's up to the parents now to make sure their kids have one of those exemptions even though it's a bunch of B.S.

It's hard to understand how educated school boards can be so dense. The Special Meeting notice contradicts itself as shown below. Make up your mind school board. Is this or is this not a public meeting? That mission statement is dense and false as well as being hypocritical.

[XLFD]

The egos and unfettered elitism of Board members Reed, Nagle, Carlson, and Autrey will not allow them to admit to making a gross mistake in laying down a mask mandate at the beginning of the year when few members of the public (other than other elites and germophobes that wouldn't think of going to a meeting in the first place out of fear) thought it was a good idea.  Their house of cards is crumbling, and the smart thing to do would be to follow Scottville's example and buck their mask mandate.  But they're not being directed by their brain, but by their bile-filled gall.

I've also wondered about the 'public community meeting' phrase, I think this is a disclaimer set into their bylaws by their legal firm.  I think they're trying to say that you're expected to sit and be quiet except for a public 'participation' period.  Using the word participation rather than comment indicates that the public is actually part of the process in helping the board make decisions.  But that's not the case, I haven't seen any such empowerment yet, nor any significant feedback during or after the participation period.  

The language in the mission statement is false and misleading.  'Partnership with parents'-- when did this ever happen?  'Empower students to adapt'-- by taking away their own medical choices by fiat.  The school board is running a failed mission.

[Freedom Seeker]

Good catch Willy, pointing out the contradiction in the LASD "public meeting" and Notice. Maybe the Notice should more accurately say "notice that we are publicly discussing in an open meeting what we have decided behind closed doors--you can come and sit, and we'll let you speak but our decisions are already made."

[Willy]

Well stated X and FS. I rewrote the notice to be more in line with the truth and thanks to FS I included some of  her words of wisdom.

[Freedom Seeker]

Thanks, Willy!  I needed a good laugh tonight!  I hope the LASD might see the errors of their ways!