New School Board Farce: Members Set To Name Facility For Parks
BY BUDDY NEVINS
As predicted a month ago here, the School Board Tuesday will consider naming a part of the athletic field at Coconut Creek High for member Bob Parks.
Ironically, this unnecessary honor comes at the same time Coconut Creek’s former mayor has branded Parks “a relic of the past who needs to be retired” who has “never been a friend of Coconut Creek.
What’s up? The School Board is out of touch with the real world…once again.
Do School Board members honestly believe that anyone not working in their glass-and-marble palace would support this honor?
What did Parks do to deserve this honor? His job?
What makes this more ridiculous is that it comes the same month that former Coconut Creek Mayor and now State Rep. Jim Waldman endorsed Park’s opponent, Nora Rupert.
Waldman served 10 years on the Coconut Creek commission. He knows that city better than any School Board member.
But I’ll let Waldman speak for himself
Browardbeat: Why are you endorsing Park’s opponent, Nora Rupert.
Waldman: She’s been involved with school issues for years. She’s a fresh face at a time the School Board needs a change in direction. It’s time for Bob to go. He’s outdated and he’s indicative of what’s wrong with the School Board. He just doesn’t get it.
Browardbeat: It’s unusual for a politician not to endorse an incumbent.
Waldman: Bob Parks has never been a friend of Coconut Creek. Nora is from Coconut Creek and her husband works at Coconut Creek City Hall. Her biggest problem is going to be (raising campaign) money.
Browardbeat: Incumbents like Parks usually get all the money.
Waldman: Parks is so tied in with the big developers and lobbyists nobody usually has a chance. She has a chance this year with the anti-incumbency feeling. He’s a relic of the past who needs to be retired.
I couldn’t have said it better.
For the School Board to name anything after Parks, or any other living member, is a farce.
Here is my original story on the field-naming charade.
Oh, they’ll say a committee at Coconut Creek High voted to name the facility for Parks. Word is that intense pressure was put on the committee to vote for Parks, who hardly ever goes to the school.
One more warning for the School Board.
Parks has been the subject of a Sun-Sentinel story tying him to inside dealing at the School Board.
When Parks’ friend wanted a construction contract with the School Board, he set up a meeting in late 2005 with the construction office staff.
Isn’t that exactly what Bev Gallagher was doing? Of course Gallagher also took bribes, which the Sun-Sentinel never accused Parks of doing.
Shortly after the meeting Parks set up, the firm got a contract to build 12 classrooms and later got a lot more work.
“No elected official should say, ‘You should talk to so-and-so,’ ” said Norm Ostrau, former chairman of the state ethics commission, in the Sun-Sentinel Oct. 31, 2009 story.
This is the ultimate inside dealing. So what does School Board do? Propose rewarding Parks.
The School Board just doesn’t get it. I hope the FBI and State Attorney Mike Satz do.
May 16th, 2010 at 10:32 am
If I was Coconut Creek, I would stay so far away from Parks that I would even rename the Parks and Recreation department to the Recreational Fields department just to get his name out of the phrase.
Buddy, I happen to know a little bit about the “friend” and Parks’ inappropriate influence. I would like to be able to say that is the extent of the comparison to Bev but I think time will prove otherwise. I work(ed) at facilities and I recall a high pressure and concerted effort to get a project to a “friend” of Parks, but the friend was not even qualified for the work being pushed on staff. Oddly, the job was in another board member’s district. Hmmmmmm, I wonder if that was part of another quid pro quo arrangement between board members. But then that would imply that they would have violated the Sunshine Laws…and that never happens;)
Some people have documented these happenings in great detail and you should ask for the stuff, I would love to hear the “rest of the story” (a Notterism borrowed from the late Paul Harvey). Good day.
May 16th, 2010 at 10:40 am
Two things we can do easily:
1)Show up at the School Board meeting on May 18 to protest the shameful mis-naming of the field at Creek after that self-serving emperor. If you can’t be there in person, call and email all the Board members to express your displeasure.
2) Contribute as much as you can, up to $500, to Nora Rupert’s campaign. You must identify yourself by name and address (which she must report) otherwise she cannot use it for her campaign.
May 16th, 2010 at 11:08 am
Who really wants to see Parks re-elected ? Look at his campaign contributors on the Broward Supervisor of Elections website:
http://www.browardsoe.org/CFFilingSummary.aspx?file_id=806
May 16th, 2010 at 11:36 am
Karnack says if you want to see who supports Dr. Green Means Green for Me AKA Bob Parks open up the link below to his 2006 list of campaign contributors. Karnack says it is a who’s who of nobody that lives in his District. Karnack says they do however feed very nicely at the trough supplied by Dr. Green. Karnack says let’s see there is PBS&J, Ashbritt, Grau, and Vista Health Care. Karnack says maybe it is just a coincidence that all of the above have been recognized as having overcharged the District. Karnack says and oh by the way our trusty lawyer friend Marko Polo can’t seem to get it together to even so much as ask for any of our money back. Karnack says Marko don’t want to upset Dr. Green. Karnack says no wonder Dr. Green wants Marko to stay. Karnack says can you see how it works. Karnack says Dr. Green is finished in this town. Karnack says the train is holding a ticket just for him. Karnack says the train goes clickity clack, clickity clack, clickity clack.
http://www.browardsoe.org/OfficeCandidate.aspx?eid=5&oid=191&cid=88
May 16th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Ever listen to Parks drone on and on and on and on?
The hell with the athletic track (being that it’s been since the Eisenhower Administration since Parks last ran a miler) and name a sleep aid after him.
May 16th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
I think it is time for Parks to retire, but as a Coconut Creek resident I would strongly discount anything Waldman says related to education. He is a pro-voucher DINO willing to take funding away from our public schools. He has no right to have a say in our public school system. His voucher support is a first step towards getting more state money for his employers, the Keisers.
May 16th, 2010 at 7:10 pm
You might discount what Waldman says, but what about Marilyn Gerber, Becky Tooley and Mikkie Belvedre. A majority of the Coconut Creek Commission endorses Nora Rupert and rejects Bob Parks. That includes the BTU.
http://norarupert.com/
May 27th, 2010 at 7:04 pm
glad to hear that the people realize it is wrong to name anything for a living person – too much can happen if they do so, after that person retires, that could end up being an embarassment .