Skype vote -- The bottom line is: It is the only way to stop misuse

Don't be distracted by the arguments put forth in the debate over Skype and board meetings that occurred prior to the vote at Monday's meeting of the Wayne County Board of Education.

Truth is, technology is coming and it will be a part of many ways we do business in the future.

But this was not a vote against technology and advancement -- although some people might cast it that way.

Monday's vote was a statement -- and a reaction -- to the behavior of a board member, and really the only way to stop the board member from continuing the behavior.

Dwight Cannon was misusing -- and continues to misuse -- Skype as an opportunity to stay where he is at his other job in New Jersey and not be present for the meetings of the board on which he was elected to serve.

And he has announced that he will be absent many more times in the coming months as he pursues yet another out-of-town opportunity.

Bottom line: It is hard to stop this behavior.

Perhaps there are legal options, although those seem unlikely at this time. But for now, the only way to control the behavior is to have a rule against it.

A shame really.

Skype and other technological developments could be a positive in the way the county schools conduct business. And, in the future, they likely will be important tools.

But for now, the board did absolutely the right thing -- and for the right reasons.

So here it is again, for those who are still not sure or who have fallen for the argument that this board member is being singled out because of his race or the district in which he serves -- or that this is just a bunch of board members who don't want to come into the 21st century.

First, nothing was done in the past because leadership on the board was trying to work with Mr. Cannon. That was obvious. He was being treated with the respect he deserved as an elected representative of the people.

Secondly, Mr. Cannon knows that he is not really living in this community and that his obligations take him out of it frequently. He knows he has missed meetings and many committee gatherings that are vital to the performance of the office to which he was elected.

Thirdly, everybody knows that this Skype option should be for emergencies and that a blanket rule against it is not in the best interest of the board, but that there was no other option to curtail what has become in a word -- abuse -- of a privilege.

And also, just so you know, Skype was a problem at many board meetings -- computers would freeze, audio was garbled and the participation on both sides was less than optimal.

So the board made the right decision.

It was time to set a rule and time to act.

And it was time to set a standard.

There are some very, very busy people who serve on boards all over Wayne County.

They have jobs. They have families. They have church and civic obligations.

But they have made a promise to the people to be their voice and their representative when important decisions are made. They know to do that, they have to be there.

And those people serve with that obligation as one of their top priorities -- even when they have had a tough week, a non-stop day or when there is somewhere else they would like to be.

It is important as we prepare to pick new city leaders and some other state and national officeholders that we set an expectation that serving the people is a responsibility that must be honored -- even when there is no real letter of the law that requires it.

So now, in Wayne County, there are rules about how board members can and should attend meetings.

It is there because one board member decided to follow the letter of the "law" and not its intent.

And we as a community now have the chance to make sure that those who serve get it -- one more time.

Published in Editorials on September 16, 2015 11:02 AM