Inzelbuch's Folly Draws Public Ire, Editorial Fire

Another fiery editorial which appeared in the APP. "You can't fault a guy for asking for a raise. But you sure as heck can fault the people who give someone a 25 percent pay hike on the taxpayer's dime in the midst of the worst economy since the Depression. That's what the Lakewood Board of Education did last week in voting unanimously, no less, to increase board attorney Michael Inzelbuch's hourly rate from a not-so-frugal $200 per hour to $250 per hour. Two weeks earlier, voters rejected the district's $138 million budget by a 5-1 margin. The district is preparing to lay off 36 teachers, two child-study team members and one paraprofessional next year. There is no way for the board to spin Inzelbuch's raise. But that hasn't stopped it from trying. In defense of the pay hike, board members said other attorneys working for the board charge up to $400 per hour, and Inzelbuch charges more than $250 per hour in private practice. See? The rate of $250 per hour is a bargain. Hardly. The one other firm that applied for Inzelbuch's job offered to do it for about $200 an hour. And the rates paid board attorneys in many school districts are far lower than even Inzelbuch's pre-raise hourly rate. Some board members tried to explain their vote by throwing every "the dog ate my homework" excuse against the wall and seeing what stuck. "I was duped," said Jonathan Silver, who was elected this year on a platform of fiscal responsibility. Perhaps recognizing it wasn't a good idea to let voters know he was so easily hornswoggled, he also mentioned he voted for the raise largely to avoid confrontation during his first board meeting. Was he elected on a platform of fiscal responsibility or a platform of not ruffling any feathers? Other board members claim they got confused because the meeting was rushed and the agenda was vague. That's more bad news for overwrought Lakewood taxpayers: They have elected a school board without a single member who can raise a hand and say, "Hang on a second. Explain to us what we're voting for here." Superintendent Eugenia Lawson said retracting the raise would offer no real relief to the staff reductions. Maybe not. But there is no excuse for granting that kind of increase when the district is laying off other employees. The board should attempt to redeem itself by asking Inzelbuch to forego his raise, apologizing to the taxpayers and teachers facing layoffs for their insensitivity and shopping around next year for attorneys who won't break the bank".