Disagreement over issues shouldn't call one's integrity into question

There are times in my job when you just have to shake your head, and today is one of those days.  Some of the vocal vote “no” crowd is at it again – calling into question the integrity of anyone who happens to disagree with their stance on the school levy.

I posted a story today on the new Master Agreement, or contract, between the Board of Education and the Vandalia-Butler Education Association.  It is factual, with real numbers.  I reported based on physical copies of the contract from last year and the new one, as well as a meeting of over an hour with the one guy who knows the numbers better than anyone – Treasurer Dan Schall.

We looked at spreadsheets, made phone calls, and even got into the employee benefit system called PaySmarter to look at the numbers and how they worked.  It was the most extensive interview to date I’ve had with Mr. Schall and nearly all of it was on the record.

Of course, that’s not good enough.  Tonight I received a message from one of the more vocal anti-levy guys, Ben Jones, to go like a Facebook page that purported to “keep up with accurate analysis of information emanating from the Vandalia Butler school board and administration publicity mill.”

Out of morbid curiosity I went and looked and, predictably, there were multiple inaccuracies on the site, including posts about “escalating wages, salaries, health insurance contribution…” and the “$20 million mystery contract,” presumably referring to the Master Agreement.

Of course all of these things are factually incorrect.  The Master Agreement was approved at a public meeting on June 4.  There are no pay raises for the third straight year.  Out-of-pocket health care costs increased by more than 40 percent for everyone.  

And, to top it off, a question was raised as to whether the Drummer’s article “was based on their own analysis of the contract terms or were they just repeating what the board, administration and union rep told them.”

Obviously, the message from Mr. Jones seems to be that if the message doesn’t fit the preconceived ideas he has then there must be some grand conspiracy.  The Drummer Editor must be in cahoots with the Board of Education.

That’s laughable as well, as I’m sure I’ve been near the top of the Board’s annoyances for the better part of the past year. 

For the record, I do occasionally run press releases as is.  I don’t put my name on them.  That’s a fact.

The school district did send out a press release on the contract a couple of weeks ago which I refused to run without specifics.  That is a fact.

The article today did incorporate some of that release, especially quotes from people I had no access to.  None of the dollar figures were in the release – those came from me and my reporting.  Those are more facts.

Some in this community would rather smear me or anyone else who disagrees with them, even when they are wrong.  I’ve certainly made mistakes over the past year and a half, but when I have, I have owned that, publicly corrected the error, and apologized.

It would be nice to see the same from others, but I have my doubts as to if it ever will.