At the last School Board meeting, members heard a report from their consultant, Charles Wren, about the latest updates on the numerous, District-wide maintenance projects planned for this summer. Towards the end of his presentation, I asked Mr. Wren if the $1.2m amount he had mentioned earlier concerning the District’s proposed cost of conditioning the classroom air at El Marino Language School, whether it included the cost of the cooling coils. He answered, “Ideally, yes.”
What Did You Say?
I was perplexed by his answer. I asked what he meant by “Ideally, yes.” He paused and then calmly went on to explain that the estimates the District had received actually did not include the cost of cooling.
Yes Means No
So the answer to my inquiry was no. I take his original answer as just being bureaucratic double-speak to make it sound like the cost of the coils were included. They were not.
No Harm, No Foul
Yet I couldn’t help but feel deceived. Had he really tried to make it sound like the cost of the coils was included in the estimate, by using the word “yes” when he knew the real answer to the question was no? Had he somehow tried to trick the public, and possibly the School Board, into thinking that the costs were included?
A Bit of Advice
Mr. Wren, this is not the way our community should be treated. Ideally, it would have been best had you answered the question with a straight-forward, unambiguous “no” rather than engaging the listening public in a word game of bureaucratic double-speak.
Here is some poetic advice to our Board members:
When you hear a consultant speak
One must always be on guard
One must never, ever retreat
From meaning, in any regard.
Because …
When Black is said, it well could be White
When Right means Wrong and Left means Right
When In is Out and Up is Down
And common sense is turned around.
Beware, when it’s spoken like a Bard
When violets seem red and roses are blue
Where Under is Over and Around is Through.
Be it True or be it False
Take what’s said as a grain of salt.
Trust yourself, don’t reason why
When Twos are added to total Five.
But don’t you worry, don’t you fret
By the next time, you see,
Five will be
Transformed to Three.
Mr. Laase may be contacted at GMLaase@aol.com
