Kyle’s actions on smoking ban politics, nothing more

To The Daily: I have to ask: If Mayor Don Kyle was so concerned with how the smoking ordinance would affect local businesses, why didn’t he veto it to start with?

He’s now being accused of political grandstanding and, as a voter, I have to agree. If he was concerned or thought things needed to be amended, he should have vetoed the ordinance and had it rewritten. Instead, he’s trying to play both ends against the middle.

Mayor Kyle realizes that he has now angered smokers and nonsmokers alike as well as many business owners. Now he’s trying to salvage those votes. Passing the ordinance to please the nonsmoking contingent and spouting off about amendments to the ordinance to appease the smoking contingent, knowing the big three on the City Council would smack down any of those proposed amendments, and then it will be all their fault, with Mayor Kyle coming out the good guy for having tried.

I think my question bears repeating: If Mayor Don Kyle was so concerned with how the smoking ordinance would affect local businesses, why didn’t he veto it to start with?

After all, he had 10 days to think about it.

Lynne Orr
Decatur

Board members usurping administrators’ roles

To The Daily: Some members of the Morgan County Board of Education have taken on the role of professionals in the realm of evaluating teachers and administrators in the Morgan County School system. Some board members now assume they have the skill and knowledge to make professional decisions concerning employees.

Why do we have administrators to supervise, evaluate and provide professional development for school employees if the board members are going to assume that role?

Administrators are required to have at least a four-year degree in education and a master’s degree in educational leadership. They are also required to have experience in interviewing, supervising and evaluating teachers in our school system.

According to the Code of Alabama 1975, section 16-8-1, board members are required to have an educational background of “at least a fair elementary education.” Wonder if anyone has checked.

Harvey S. Bowling
Somerville

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