Holy Junk!

I just went to the most intense PTA meeting I have ever attended. I can still feel my pulse beating, and the anxiety making my stomach do flip flops.

So... let me tell you what just transpired at our wonderful meeting. I have worked with and for the PTA for the past 3 years. Of those 3 years a great many women and men have added to the PTA funds so much so, that we have a great amount of money in reserves. The year that I was treasurer we ended up with 17,000 remaining in the checking account. Pretty darn good considering the economy, don't ya think?

Well, our PTA board this year has proposed that after the money that they have made and spent they wish to use $7,000 of the reserves. Okay, so, seems a little steep, but still reasonable--kind of, then on top of the $7,000 they want to spend an additional $4,000 more to hire a paraprofessional art teacher for a 3 month period.

So, in essence, in one year they propose to spend $11,000 of the reserve fund leaving next years PTA with a starting amount of approx $5,000.

Nice...

They told our Principal that the PTA had so much money in their account that if they didn't spend some of it the PTA would lose our Tax Exempt status. I don't think so. Have you ever heard of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or The Boy scouts of America? Pretty sure that they have more than $25,000 in their account--and I'm sure they are still a non profit organization. Not to mention that according to the State PTA treasurer handbook it is recommended that the PTA have 1/2 to 1 full years amount of income in the reserve, which is precisely what we have now.

My friend and I have decided that we have a difference of ethics? morals? values? We believe in the power of saving, they believe in the power of spending.

So we clarified and fought the position of the importance of a reserve fund. We have no idea what the economy will be like. This money we have now could last us 1 year, or another 3 years depending on how we save and spend it.

Now, I don't have a problem with the arts. I love the arts, there is never enough arts involved in school, but lets make this work with the budget we have on hand. What can we cut? What can we do so we aren't spending $11,000 in one year.

So... it ended up with them getting $1,000 out of the reserve and finding the rest in their 'padded' budget. I say padded because that is what they first called it and then we asked them to use some of the padding and then they took it back saying they were going to spend that money, but that it was still padded... okay not so sure what that means, but whatever.

Guess I'm happy with that.

Oh, and I made someone cry (shut up! I didn't do it on purpose) .

Me: Uh-- okay--you're crying. *In my mind* I didn't even call you fat and ugly and stupid, I just said that my checking account was not in question here, it's the PTA funds, so, um, ya, you're crying. Piss...

Her: You don't even know how much I work for the PTA and the hours I put in, and if you had $22,000 in your account wouldn't you want to spend it?

Me: blink blink! Really? You want me to answer that question?

Oh well, we weren't really friends to begin with. She made that crystal clear after I tried let her know her efforts are not going unnoticed . Allllllllrighty then!

My goal for tomorrow: who can I make cry?

No, not really-- unless you want me to make you cry. Apparently I do that very well and the very best part... it was a talent I didn't know I had.

***Apparently I told 'Her' that she hadn't even been here--meaning involved directly with our schools PTA and that's what made her cry-- 'cept I can't remember having said that.