By James C. Murphy
We have often heard the phrase: “The best offense is a good defense.” Even though I’m really not very sports orientated, I’m not sure this phrase holds true for Niagara Falls school board member Robert Kazeangin’s commentary in the Gazette on Jan. 20.
First of all, Kazeangin criticized Gazette reporter, Nick Mattera, for informing the citizens of Niagara Falls what the travel and living expenditures of Niagara Falls school board members and other school staff members were when they attended the National School Board Association Conference in San Diego.
Question: Isn’t that Mattera’s job ... to factually report news?
Kazeangin’s “defense” was to try and blame Mattera for the “questioning” of school district expenditures when in fact Mattera was only giving the Niagara Falls citizens the facts of those expenditures. In my opinion, the majority of the taxpaying citizens of Niagara Falls did consider some of those conference expenditures exorbitant based on the current local and national economic situation.
In addition to the above and maybe more importantly, the taxpaying citizens of Niagara Falls do not, in my opinion, have short memories. I think the citizens remember, all too well, the state financial audit that Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli’s Office conducted on the Niagara Falls Board of Education. Another question: Wasn’t Kazeangin a board member during the time of that financial audit? It’s also my opinion that the citizens of Niagara Falls do not want a repeat performance of those kinds of financial deficiencies. It is due to the Niagara Gazette and reporters like Nick Mattera that keep Niagara Falls and area residents informed. By the way, the Niagara Falls School Board should be proud of Mattera. If I’m not mistaken, Mattera is a product of the Niagara Falls school system.
Second, Kazeangin had referenced in some of his earlier comments all the time and labor he spends working for the school board without any compensation. Question: Is that what a school board member position is ... voluntary? The implication, from these statements Kazeangin made, was that somehow he was entitled to free benefits from the taxpayers. Those implied comments really do show, in my opinion, a defensive attitude.
Third, in Kazeangin’s commentary, he stated that Mattera’s article clearly questioned his ethics. I don’t think the citizens of Niagara Falls need to remind Kazeangin that sometimes perceptions of another persons conduct or actions can in fact question ones integrity whether factual or not. That’s why it's important to conduct oneself in a manner that's beyond reproach.
Kazeangin also pointed out in his commentary he was in his position as a school board member at the will of the Niagara Falls voters. Per Kazeangin, based on his four elections, that expressed to him the community’s confidence in him as a board member. I just want to remind Kazeangin of the results of the last Board of Education elections wherein the City of Niagara Falls Citizens replaced a 16-year incumbent on the Board of Education.
Sometimes the best offense is not a good defense!
James C. Murphy is a Niagara Falls resident.
