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Editorial

Forensic accounting good medicine


August 12, 2002

Nobody fools forensic accountant Al Rosen. In his 22-page report which calls on Queen’s Park to take over the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board to wipe out its $23-million deficit, Rosen saw through all the red herrings and got straight down to the heart of the matter: Ottawa trustees are foot-dragging and playing politics rather than making cuts needed to balance the books.

"We’re going to get the same treatment as Ottawa. You know that going in," Toronto Trustee Sheila Cary-Meagher told the Toronto Star.

"In recent years, staff have recommended many measures to improve efficiency which have not been accepted by the majority of trustees," said Rosen in his report. "In essence, the majority of trustees have literally self-inflicted their financial crisis of 2002-2003."

"To what extent are trustees more knowledgeable than full-time staff?" he asks.

School board trustees, who constantly cry to the media that it’s all the province’s fault, may fool some people. They do not fool Al Rosen.

"Trustees rationalized their inaction on the basis that school closure would cause difficulties for students who have to be relocated…During our investigation, we were informed some current trustees were elected on a platform of `no school closures’."

The forensic accountant, who writes a column in Canadian Business magazine, warns investors that they "must read the fine print to find out if companies are cooking the books."

His observations of the Ottawa board go further than just the books. "Discipline at board meetings is not ideal, training of trustees has to be improved, and a perception of broader trustee responsibilities has to be sharpened."

Now that Rosen has had the chance to observe Toronto trustees at closer range, he's bound to see that they made Ottawa ones look like so many pikers.

For once timing is on the side of long-suffering parents and youngsters, as the commissioned accountant is getting to peek into the world of trustees in a pre-election year.

The provincial government is right in its demand for school boards to balance their books.

The politicking of trustees down at the Toronto District School Board isn’t just hurting John Q. Public, it's jeopardizing the education of our school kids.

When Rosen is finished his observation of school boards, Premier Ernie Eves should send him on to city hall.


Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com


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