Two Weeks of Letters to the Editor

The Court of Public Opinion has weighed in and I have not seen a single apologist for Klaus in the Letters to the Editor. This is in contrast to many anonymous comments in the LT online version who are happy to defend Bill and Carol behind the screen of anonymity. But for those citizens who are signing their names and willing to state their opinions in the full light of day it is all "Thumbs Down!" on this illegal (maybe it did not reach the strict definition of criminal), unethical and GREEDY behavior of Carol and Bill.

Maria

Updated: 7/22/2008 5:52:02 PM
Just fire him!
I have read so much about the Bill Klaus case. Why wasn't he put on unpaid leave? Why, as a taxpayer, should we be paying for him? By now he should have been fired! Why are we, as taxpayers, paying someone who is so dishonest? Why hasn't former school board President Carol Olson been punished? And why is the school board member who can't remember what happened, Mary Kneer, still there?

If it didn't cost so much, we should recall all those who have not asked for Klaus' firing. If there are more members of our school system involved, they should be punished or released.

I would not want my children or grandchildren in a school where Klaus is involved. Where and when would our children learn to be honest and respectable citizens? It really leaves all our children wondering what is right from wrong. Let's see him get fired!

KAREN ADANK
Eau Claire

Updated: 7/24/2008 6:22:01 PM
Get it over with
I really don't care about the "he said-she said" theory. I feel the whole fiasco with the Eau Claire school board was started by former Superintendent Bill Klaus. It seems that the person who directed the changes, as well as the persons who altered the contract, should be dismissed from their positions.

We've already spent far too much money on attorney fees, paid leave, etc. It's about time to put this matter to rest.

HOWARD F. PRINCE
Eau Claire

Updated: 7/26/2008 3:07:02 AM
To move forward, school board must do the right thing
The issue: The Eau Claire school board moves closer to cutting ex-Superintendent Bill Klaus loose.
Our view: Even if he doesn't deserve it, Klaus probably will get the stipend money that started the controversy in the first place.

MoveOn.org, the liberal online activist group, got its start in 1998 with a simple petition urging Congress to "move on" from the effort to impeach President Clinton.

If the "move on" slogan hadn't been in use for 10 years, the Eau Claire school board probably would want to adopt it now. Since April, they've been involved in the public controversy surrounding former school Superintendent Bill Klaus. As the situation - which stems from Klaus' effort to backdate his contract and collect his retirement stipend early, before he retired, and without board approval - has dragged forward, most everyone involved has suffered from a diminished reputation. It's understandable that the board would want to conclude the matter sooner rather than later. Moving on would remove the cloud hanging over board members' heads. More importantly, it would allow the district to focus on its core mission, which is educating children, not haggling over contracts.

It seems that the school board may be close to moving on by cutting Klaus loose for good (last year, he became Northstar Middle School principal, but he's been on paid leave since the scandal broke). The board is in a difficult position: On one hand, it wants to avoid more negative publicity; on the other, it wants to avoid a costly, protracted lawsuit with Klaus (whose attorney has threatened one). Board members could fire Klaus, give him nothing and see him in court, or they could buy out his contract - which runs through 2012 and includes a $267,209 stipend - and see themselves ousted by irate voters.

Compromise is almost inevitable, and the two sides are scheduled to meet Monday. For unethically manipulating the system to try to get early access to a quarter-million taxpayer dollars, Klaus probably deserves something close to option No. 1; however, for practical reasons - namely the cost of litigation and the possibility Klaus would win it - the final deal will probably be closer to option No. 2.

The board already has given signs it may go that route. Last week, it accepted the resignation of Jim Kling, the district's executive director of personnel. The Klaus controversy contributed to Kling's departure: According to an article published Tuesday, "Board members have expressed frustration with Kling's apparent willingness to work on behalf of Klaus receiving his stipend as well as his failure to tell them about the matter prior to inquiries about the stipend payments by the Leader-Telegram and district employees last fall."

So how did the board express its "frustration" with Kling? They gave him 90 percent of his $148,500 retirement stipend - which he wasn't even eligible for, having only worked in the district eight years instead of the required 10. To put it more bluntly, the board is buying off an administrator embroiled in a controversy about trying to collect stipend payments before they were owed by giving him stipend payments before they are owed.

Considering this precedent, and the cost of taking Klaus to court, the board may be unable to move on without further tarnishing its reputation.

- Tom Giffey, editorial page editor

Updated: 7/30/2008 6:52:02 PM
School board folly continues
Our Eau Claire school board continues to display its ineptness by approving a $148,500 retirement stipend for Jim Kling, the outgoing executive director of personnel. To be eligible, his contract apparently required him to reach retirement age and work in the district for 10 years. Working less than eight years doesn't meet the requirements.

Why negotiate contracts with these people? The present school board won't adhere to them anyway. Thus, the administrators and educators know this and their greed forces them to take advantage. This kind of action by the school board continues to take money away from the classrooms where it is needed and our children are taught.

Just who does this school board represent and work for? The administrators and educators, or the citizens, taxpayers and parents? I think it is obvious! Unfortunately, I predict more folly will soon be forthcoming.

BILL MARKIN
Eau Claire

Updated: 7/30/2008
Klaus controversy raises questions
I would like to add my thoughts to the voluminous media coverage of the effort to determine the beginning payment date for the "retirement stipend" of former Eau Claire school district Superintendent Bill Klaus.

1. At a regular board meeting, it was discussed, agreed upon and recorded that Klaus' retirement age be reduced from 55 to 53.

2. It was further approved by the board that at retirement, the amount of his stipend would be based on his salary as superintendent.

3. Klaus did not retire at age 53. Instead, he requested he be allowed to step down as superintendent to become principal at Northstar Middle School.

In the public sector, this is termed a change in position, not a retirement. There was no lapse in Klaus' employment. Why now has the date of retirement become an issue? The issue should be that Klaus was instrumental in creating a document stating payments from his so-called retirement stipend should begin on Aug. 1, 2007. Further, in July 2007, he requested the former board president sign the document and backdate her signature fraudulently.

Why wasn't this request made to the board for interpretation, clarification and recording, if proper? The "$64,000 Question" is this: How did this document get into his personnel file without having first been seen and reviewed?

Another question: Why were the minutes for a school board meeting approved if such a glaring and important omission was made in them? At which meeting were the minutes approved, and what members were in attendance? Was Klaus there or did he have access to check them after publication?

What are our young people thinking of this fiasco made by responsible adults, people in whom we want them to place their trust and emulate?

GEORGIE GLADWELL
Eau Claire

Updated: 7/31/2008 4:52:02 PM
L-T Klaus editorial right on
The July 16 It Seems to Me column ("Editorial's call for charges in Klaus case unwarranted") raises some questions. If the writer is so certain that there was no wrongdoing in the attempted backdating of Bill Klaus' contract, then why did Klaus go to Carol Olson, who was no longer on the Eau Claire school board? The bottom line is that she had no right to sign a contract for the board when she was not a member of the board. What other business would allow an ex-employee to sign contracts and backdate them? Can we continue to write checks against an account that we closed? No! What's the difference?

The Leader-Telegram was right on with its editorial. I just hope the taxpayers (voters) remember this incident at election time. We need a new school board. When six people can't agree on something as major as several hundred thousand dollars, we are in big trouble. And let's not forget the member who tunes out the important stuff during the meetings.

I own land and pay taxes in the Eau Claire school district, so I am very interested in what happens. We need good, hardworking and honest people to run for school board. The taxpayers are getting ripped off on these deals. Why hire someone for more money than the one leaving? Maybe hiring someone with fewer years of experience would give a new outlook to the school system. We're in a recession. The taxpayers cannot afford top dollar for employees.

As for Eau Claire County District Attorney Richard White, if he thinks he cannot win a prosecution against someone, then he is right not to pursue it. I wish he had stated why he switched to the Democratic Party just now. It's my understanding that the teachers union supports the Democratic Party.

KATINA P. COX
Menomonie

Updated: 8/1/2008 6:12:02 PM
Keep pressure on
The headline of a July 23 letter about former Eau Claire school district Superintendent Bill Klaus expressed it very clearly: "Just fire him!" Instead, the school board and district administrators have the audacity to reward Jim Kling, the outgoing executive director of personnel, with his own unearned stipend and continue to hide behind closed doors with their "investigation."

I hope Leader-Telegram reporters and readers will continue to keep pressure on the board for full disclosure of all the shady details that have been kept from the taxpayers.

The same scrutiny should also be kept on the Eau Claire County Board and its confusion about personnel and cash needed for the new jail, and its refusal to have a referendum for taxpayer approval of the project.

No wonder the Leader-Telegram reported July 23 that Wisconsin's property taxes were the ninth highest in the country, or "4.4 percent of personal income in 2006."

GEORGE REINBACHER
Eau Claire

Updated: 8/5/2008
Innocent? Hardly
The author of the July 16 It Seems to Me column ("Editorial's call for charges in Klaus case unwarranted") needs to get in touch with reality. Does he think O.J. Simpson is innocent too? Bill Klaus, Carol Olson, Mike O'Brien and Patti Iverson, along with other school officials are all guilty of playing a role regarding the terms of Klaus' contract. The only thing they are sorry about is getting caught. I applaud the Leader-Telegram for breaking this story and the outstanding job reporter Julian Emerson has done.

I do not live in Eau Claire County, but if I did, I would find a way to vote District Attorney Rich White out of office this fall. He should have taken this to trial. I doubt any jury would have found Klaus not guilty. If Klaus is fired, he will be the one to file the lawsuit, which will put him in a more favorable position. I think Eau Claire needs to take a good look at its district attorney as well as its school board.

ALICE DROSKE
Elk Mound

I do NOT agree with Hal Davis on the following letter. This mess WILL impact education because the money and time spent on digging out of this mess has cost dollars and efforts from moving our district ahead with so many other pressing issues. In addition, the bitter taste of cynicism and lack of trust will be with citizens and taxpayers a LONG time and harm chances of any referendum any time soon. Maria

Updated: 8/5/2008
Klaus mess won't impact education
The Bill Klaus contract mess will have little impact on our schools. They will go on being the great schools they are in spite of stipends, contracts, and Brett Favre's on-again, off-again retirement.

The education of our students depends entirely on the dedication of teachers, school-level support staff and administrators. I doubt if a single math lesson, choir concert, drama production, field trip, or anything else that really matters will be missed because of this situation.

It can have a lasting impact only if residents reduce support for the resources our schools need to continue their core mission. At some time in the future, the school board will have to come to the public with a referendum to provide continuing support. It would be sad to see such a referendum viewed through the lens of this incident. When we are done stirring this pot, let's throw it out and let the stink go away.

HAL DAVIS
Eau Claire

Updated: 8/5/2008
Teachers no fans of buyouts
A letter published Friday commented on the Bill Klaus situation and District Attorney Rich White's decision not to prosecute. The letter ended with this non sequitur: "It's my understanding that the teachers union supports the Democratic Party."

The fact is, administrators don't belong to the teachers union. I seriously doubt any Eau Claire teacher is happy with the money being tied up for legal fees, extra board meetings and buyouts. Many teachers have been told that there "just isn't any money" when more services are needed or when they have an idea to improve student learning.

These administrator buyouts happen more frequently than most people know. They directly deplete the funds available for student services. It seems administrators, particularly in bigger districts, experience the same phenomena associated with politicians who go to Madison or Washington: Their initial intentions are honorable, but as time passes they get so involved with the power of the position that they lose touch with reality.

Perhaps administrators should be required to teach a year for every five they serve as administrators. Oops, maybe not.

JOHN KANNEL
Eau Claire

Updated: 8/5/2008
Golden parachute possible for Klaus
Who will be paying former Eau Claire schools Superintendent Bill Klaus' legal expenses? I hope not the Eau Claire school district. If it is, that shouldn't shock anyone, considering the way the entire situation has been handled. I have a feeling that he will get out of this mess in better financial shape than anyone could have imagined.

KEN KOOPMANN
Altoona


Updated: 8/5/2008
Give Klaus his day in court
The Leader-Telegram is to be commended for its tenacious reporting of the issues surrounding the attempt of former Eau Claire schools Superintendent Bill Klaus to obtain an early stipend and a backdated document being belatedly inserted into the files. There is little consolation in this knowledge, because these sordid events are being played out against the backdrop of closing schools, packed classrooms, maintenance reductions and essential program cuts. Ultimately, the students, teachers, support staff, taxpayers and community at large are being asked to make sacrifices and suffer the consequences. This is particularly galling because Klaus is demanding a buyout of his dubiously extended contract and the stipend as well.

Even though past events did not sink to the level of blatant criminality, there still are civil violations of law and, we all acknowledge, reasonable standards of behavior. The school board challenges students with a strict code of conduct. In the future, I suppose, if little Johnny gets caught changing his "F" in the teacher's grade book, he might demand at least a "B+" to allow everyone to put his matter behind them. If the superintendent is held to no standard whatsoever, why should a student?

Much more is at stake here than paying off someone who threatens a lawsuit if he doesn't get his way. By setting into motion a chain of events that culminated in fake documents and clandestine activity to get them into the file, the former superintendent essentially shredded his own contract. In order to truly set this episode behind us and restore confidence in the board, these events need to come out in the open. If we believe there are indeed minimal standards of behavior and they have been grossly violated, we should confidently let the former superintendent have his day in court.

TOM PONTY
Eau Claire

Updated: 8/5/2008
Make Klaus pay
One more thing about the Bill Klaus case. I agree - and anyone I talk to agrees - with the letter published July 23: "Just fire him!"

The writer left just one thing out: What is his mistake going to cost me? He should also be made to pay for the legal expense (lawyers, closed meetings, the district attorney's investigation, etc.) he has incurred for us. If people that run the school board think they are all so "high and mighty," some of them should be let go too.

With so many dishonest people in charge of our children, why do you think there are more parents homeschooling?

NORMA OTTERSON
Eau Claire