John Gaccione

09/02/17

For Immediate Release

Many of the good folks here at headquarters are concerned about the tone and direction of one of our past KPPCSD board member’s recent missives. Some are even suggesting that perhaps a ranking member of the Steering Committee speak with the past board member (PBM) to get them back on the right path.

The PBM in question has used a variety of forums such as a letter to the Outlook editor, postings on Nextdoor and comments at board meetings. The basic message is always the same; the newly elected “reformist” board is guilty of a lack of transparency and honesty. The PBM believes they have already “betrayed” the very issues they campaigned on. And as per the PBM’s recent Outlook letter to the editor, “This is not reform, this is politics at its worst”.

So where is the problem, you may be asking. Isn’t that the vanguard position the faithful are supposed to be espousing?

The problem arises from the shift in the Kensington voter’s views as shown by the results of the last KPPCSD board election. Voters turned out in large numbers and by a 2 to 1 margin, voted for change, rejecting the “status quo” candidate. The comments and postings by our PBM seem tragically out of sync with this new reality.

Even acknowledging people have short memories, there are some past offenses that linger because of the extraordinary levels of dishonesty and chicanery. Case in point, the past KPPCSD board’s knowledge of the Reno affair as it was happening. As a member of that board, the PBM always claimed that even thought they were in repeated phone contact with the prime player in the fiasco; they only discussed the upcoming police contract negotiations. Anyone hear our PBM’s credibility straining?

More recently, the PBM’s letter to the Outlook spins a yarn about the appointment of Chris Deppe to fill the vacancy on the KPPCSD board. Knowing full well that only the board members make the appointment decision, the PBM instead paints a picture of an illogical and unexplained choice that ignored the outpouring of support for the candidate backed by the PBM’s posse. Is someone forgetting how past appointments to fill vacancies on the board were made?

Hopefully an intervention by the Steering Committee might result in a change of direction for our PBM. Based on what we have seen in the past, it is highly unlikely that our PBM would offer up an admission that they have made any mistakes. But there may be hope that they could be convinced to address the community with less hypocrisy, divisiveness and bile.

Because, in the words of the past board member…”this is politics at its worst”.

Awaiting the Kensingtonian Karma Epiphany