The Game

I love politics. The entire subject of 'politics' is just fascinating to me. Especially here in America--a country where WE, the PEOPLE get to have a direct impact on our policy. With that said, it should also be known that sometimes politics make me want to vomit. Such is today.

It is often said that to succeed in politics, you must be able to 'play the game.' This is very true in succeeding in anything--business, medicine, advertising, whatever. Sometimes, though, the game is just that--a game, and every now and then that game gets out of control because the players lose sight of the object. Sometimes it's not about politics, it's about right and wrong.

yesterday, the West Virginia Department of Education declared a "state of emergency in Hampshire County Schools and unanimously votes to place Hampshire County Schools on non-approval status. " Why?

The WVDE cited, "questionable financial practices and hiring practices."Now anybody who pays attention to Hampshire County education understands that the current system is certainly not great--not garbage, but not great. This is not a secret. The doings of the Board of Education are questionable at best. But why now?

It seems logical to me that a State of emergency does not just happen. Instead, it is a brewing soup of malpractice and wrong doings which sit and simmer for years and years. To the best of my ability, I can see only one reason for the decision to declare this so called State of emergency right now: that game!

This 'game' is now being played by a faction of radical hatemongerers whose sole purpose in life is to ruin Jerry Mezzatesta. They succeeded in ruining his political career, now they are ruining his career back in Hampshire County. This is the only logical explanation. They can no longer hurt him in Charleston, so they're bringing the war to Hampshire County.

Jerry is no longer a problem, yet the war rages on. What is the first thing cited in the justification for this 'State of emergency?" Jerry's job here in Hampshire County. Who are they referring to in their "questionable hiring practices?" Jerry's sister, Tammy Moreland, principal of Hampshire High School. (We all know she was hired without certification--but she's certified now and she's doing a hell of a job. Leave her alone!)

The 'game' is no longer just hurting Jerry. The hateful radicals are now waging all out war on Hampshire County. While it's true that maybe this war is just what we needed for the 'good of the children,' that is not the reason it was started, and the 'childrens' best interests' certainly will not be kept in mind. When Jerry and his sister are destroyed, the war will cease. That is the cold hard truth.

Nowhere in this investigation is there mention of curriculum, teaching, learning, education--the fundamentals of the educational system. Instead, the focus remains on hiring, firing, and SPENDING. This isn't about the children. It's about revenge on Jerry and it's about MONEY!

The corruption in Hampshire County's educational system is real; it must be dealt with. However, until that becomes the FOCUS of, not the sideshow of, this investigation, real progress will not be made. Until then, we remain deadlocked in a lose-lose situation.