Oconee Board of Education continues to stub their toe on filling slot

The Oconee County Board of Education continues to stumble through the process of replacing Tom Breedlove's Post 5 slot on the Board of Education. They have decided to embargo the release of the names of those who want to be considered until after the deadline has passed, despite the names having already been published in another local blog. Dr. Jackson himself said he was hoping to not release the list until the deadline had passed as it would somehow be unfair to those who have yet to include their names, believing there are people who have yet to include their names before the deadline. Once again this smacks of elitism and the old "we know secrets we are not going to tell you yet because you can't handle the truth."

Can someone please tell the Board of Education the more you hide information, the more it is going to come back to bite you on the ass?

After three of the six names of potential candidates have been released on the blog of Lee Becker Oconee County Observations, the powers that be including Superintendent John Jackson have stonewalled at releasing the six names before the deadline in fear of somehow besmirching those that have yet to announce or toss their hats in the ring.

The following was from an interview Becker conducted with BOE chair David Weeks a few weeks ago:

Weeks told me Stuart McGarity, Gregory Zengo and Glenn Townsend had applied for the position. The Board of Education office was closed on Friday, so I could not confirm the list there.

I did talk with Glenn Townsend, 1030 Twin Oaks trail, and with Gregory Zengo, 1021 Oaklake trail, by telephone today, and each confirmed that he had applied. I was not able to reach McGarity.

The three other people who have included the names on the list should be released after the BOE gets bombarded with Freedom of Information requests later today.  I smelled a rat when the Athens Banner-Herald did not have the names earlier today, and I would imagine that all six of the people who have applied for the slot would agree that it stinks that the BOE would not release their names.

When you call an Election Office, even prior to the deadline, they will tell you has and has not qualified for office. Given the interest in this convoluted process changed numerous times, I think it is well within the public interest to know the three more candidates. The following is the text of the Freedom of Information Act or Open Records Act I just faxed to the BOE office.

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July 13, 2010

Mr. David Weeks, Chair

Dr. John Jackson, Superintendent

Oconee County Board of Education

34 School Street

Watkinsville, GA 30677

Dear Mr. Weeks and Dr. Jackson,

Pursuant to the Georgia Open Records Law (O.C.G.A § 50-18-70 et seq.), I am requesting that you make available for review and copying the below-specified materials:

The most current list of people who have put in the application to be considered for the Post 5 Board of Education slot replacing Tom Breedlove immediately and before your deadline.

If this request is denied in whole or in part, I ask that you cite in writing the specific statutory exemption upon which you have relied, as required by law. I also ask that you release all separate portions of otherwise exempt material.

I ask you to please waive any costs associated with this request, or first inform me about such itemized costs as required by Georgia law. As required by law, I ask that you make available to me electronic versions of those documents available in that form. I am prepared to bring to your office or other offices where these records reside my own copier and paper for the purposes of making copies of those documents not available in electronic form. As you know, the Law requires a response by you within three business days of your receipt of this letter and provides sanctions for non-compliance.

I thank you in advance for your help and look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Daniel J. Matthews, Jr.