Chris Wells versus Goliath

Please read my Letter To Editor submitted to the Journal News regarding the outrage, and disgust many in Middletown feel associated with the betrayal and political correctness both the Middletown BOE and its superintendent have shown with Coach Wells.

For those that don’t know Coach Wells, he is a fine man, and a man of religious conviction. Recently, a Madison, Wisconsin based atheist group guided by Attorney Rebecca Markert, chastised Chris for his efforts to invite students to attend his church. This ‘outrageous behavior’, which one parent out of the entire district reported to the Madison atheist organization, sent a letter to Superintendent Ison, whom promptly cowered to this radical group from Wisconsin, and pulled back the reins on Chris’s politically incorrect efforts to save souls, and lead young adults down the path of redemption.

In a previous post, I indicated my support of the school levy. No more. I absolutely refuse to fund one student in a district that can wreck others by threats and harnessing ‘godless’ liberal organizations, and put one hell of a decent man under a bus, to avoid offending others.

Over the years, many of us have overlooked the flaws of the school board, and leadership, while we funded a healthy booster organization, and helped pass levies when performance did not merit it. But when a good and decent man willing to help others get on a proper path, is not supported, as teachers also have expressed the same lack of support by the administration, the endless support ends.

A few years ago, one of the best Letters To The Editor in the Middletown paper was submitted by Monsinger Paul Metzger. His principles were well thought. The community might ask what Monsinger Metzger would say about the administration’s betrayal of a good man of conviction, to protect the rights of one student, over the good Coach Wells has done for many, in the name of political correctness, and appeal to the cowered threat of an atheist group out of state.

Please phone Superintendent Ison and tell him Middies don’t like liberal atheists running the school district.

And please also phone Rebecca Markert in Madison and tell her Middies don’t like meddling from liberal aesthists. We need more Chris Wells in Middletown, and less that cower instantly to political correctness and liberal agendas.

http://ffrf.org/

And below is Monsinger Metzger’s letter a few years ago about the efficiencies of the MCSD.

 I would like to give you some thoughts as to why the levies failed and may fail again. What inspired this letter was reading (that) they could not give the students paper with lines to practice writing the alphabet because (the paper is) too expensive, so they will give them plain paper.

The enclosed statements were sent to all the board members. The (board) president did call me and was clear in some of his explanations. Basically, he said they will see what other schools are doing.

This is what I requested:

1. Do not let the grade-school children walk to school, across railroad tracks, busy streets and places where there are no sidewalks, but bus them. High school students have cars or let them walk a reasonable distance.

2. Since the school is the lowest academically in the county and you want to shorten the class day by two hours, you should be thinking of adding more time than the old schedule. Those who plan the bus route have found, by letting all schools dismiss at 1:30 p.m., they are saving a sum of money. So what is the difference if it is 1:30 p.m. or 3:30 p.m.?

3. Everything has been taken away from the children. You say you cannot buy paper, text books or school supplies because the levy failed. I will show you the reason for Middletown's school problems.

I think the board members are intelligent people and generally do a good job, but they have gone wild on positions in the school. There is a position called "superintendent" a very important position. Many people cannot understand the salary of $121,000, which is reasonable. But add the retirement (14 percent) of $16,940, and health, $6,000, for a total of $143,940.

This would be a normal amount if he did all the work of a superintendent. However, he has an assistant superintendent whose salary is $115,781 plus retirement (14 percent) of $16,209, plus $6,000 in health insurance, for a total of $137,990. Therefore, the position of superintendent is costing the board $281,930.

I am not counting the assistant's secretary's salary. Schools twice as large as ours do not have assistant superintendents. Don't change the name to keep her. Her contract should be canceled immediately.

You have three "directors." What are they doing for $380,250? Dismiss two and save $253,500. Cancel contracts immediately.

You have 10 "principals" for the buildings and this is OK. But you have 10 "assistant principals." Never heard of such a thing. High and middle schools may need an assistant, but surely not grade school.

The assistants are costing ... a total of $946,365. Dismiss seven and save $641,388.

Finally, we have eight psychologists (according to the newspaper, they had nine at one time), which is greater than Lakota (a highly rated school) that has only two. Our psychologists are costing $688,266. Keep three and save $429,118.

All salaries are taken from the March 18, 2007, Middletown Journal. Board members, if these are wrong, please let me know what is wrong and I will certainly try to listen to your explanations. However, if I am right, then you have a problem to explain.

I will tell you that I do know a little about schools and businesses. I have served on public school boards for about 20 years, Catholic school boards, and, as a priest, served as superintendent of a public school district for some years. I served on boards for our four military academies for interview and qualification of applicants for 15 years. As far as business, I was bank director for two banks, retired to come to Middletown; board of director of Blue Cross/Blue Shield for 14 years; then on community insurance

Well, I’m fairly stupid, but I can read.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;”

That’s all that the Constitution has to say on the matter!!!  Nothing about any “separation of church and state”; no “freedom from religion” verbiage.

It means exactly what it says!!!

Congress shall make no law establishing a religion.  Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion.

Period!!!

Did Mr. Wells’ actions constitute “the establishment of religion”???  I’d say not!  Do the actions of the Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation seem to be trying to prohibit Mr. Wells from the “free exercise” of his religion???  I’d say YES!!!

So who really has the basis for a law suit here???

How did we come so far from our founding fathers’ words???