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Daily Archives: February 24th, 2011

30 pieces


Why do some non profits see the need to renege on their missions to serve the public by fiscal mismanagement and unfair personnel policies while gladly the accepting accolades and monies that only serve to fuel their poor service to their communities. These rogue agencies have sullied the name of community service and the Grant Programs they administer. Whatever happened to the true public servant? Have they become the very abhorrent object we fought against when pursuing these grants? The Immediate need for reform is greater now than before. In these times of economic hardships, these non profits are crushing their clients under the weight of poor management and mis directed funds. The Governing board members are either unaware or turning a blind eye to these practices while taking their 30 pieces in what ever form it takes.

The Head Start Saga


Most of us are familiar with the “Star Wars” saga. I have observed an activity which parallels the Star Wars story in some part. A Non-Profit in Springfield, IL hired a retired state worker to administer one of its many programs. This person, through some machinations much like those of the Senator from “Naboo,” rose to the position of COO within six months. Once in that position, the real personality emerged in the form of the “Dark Maiden”. This new seemingly omnipotent entity has almost singlehandedly gutted the Head Start Program. This has been accomplished by firing tenured teachers and other seasoned workers. There are also the cases of health issues in the buildings that have caused grievous harm to teachers and children. Unfortunately, the “Union (Freedom Fighters)” does not have a hero to lead them, and the fear of the “Dark Maiden” lays heavily over the Head Start program like a blanket. The underlying problems are as deep and pervasive as gas leaking from a broken line. The costs to run the program have been subverted to legal fees to fight the Union instead of using those same funds to improve the program and services to its clients. To date, over 30 workers have been eliminated with one poor excuse or another while the Non-Profit is still racking up huge legal fees to the detriment of the program. The general public is unaware of the extent of the problem as the “Evil Empire” has taken great pains to contain all information that would illuminate their process. Yet, there are still other forces at work that might at some point expose the true nature of this beast.

Springfield’s Egypt!


The Springfield Urban League has been waging a war against it’s Head Start Employees since June of 2010. The first volley was the “termination” of 200 employees which was explained away as a normal occurrence very year (this is not true). The reality is that each school year the employees of Head Start were “laid off” for the summer, this new tactic was to avoid paying the COBRA payments as required by the Health Care bill. Rather than address this with the employees the League has continued in their usual high handed fashion and done just what as they wanted. The employees organized and voted a Union in to protect their rights as people and the league in true despotic fashion started a foot dragging and terminating campaign to demoralize and gut the Union. To date over 30 employees have been terminated for reasons that are suspect. The League has and is spending thousands of dollars on legal fees to derail the Union’s effort to negotiate a contract. The League was unwilling to spend this kind of money on the Head Start program and upgrading or obtaining better facilities for the program. The League in the fashion of any despot has spent funds (possibly Head Starts) on other programs that did not directly benefit Head Start or its clients. The benefit appears to be localized in the pockets of upper management, et al. There have been health issues that were not addressed for 2 or more years until now and those issues were at last resolved with a wave of a well manicured hand after the effects were felt by the teachers and the children who were in those building daily.