There is much national attention focused now on bullies in
our public schools. Many school
districts are implementing policies voluntarily or because of state mandate to
stem the tide of students bullying other students. But what about bullies who used to run the
schools? Case in point: Rick Kolowski,
former principal at Millard West High School in Omaha, NE. As chairman of the Papio-Mo. River Natural
Resources District board, he runs the meetings like a dictator wielding an iron
fist. As one typical example, at the October
monthly board meeting, he shouted and shut down a fellow board member and
called him out of order, when that board member sought to question the
expenditure of tax dollars on an unneeded dam that would confiscate productive
farm land, as the affected landowners politely sat in the audience. On a later agenda item, he “conveniently”
forgot to ask for public comment on his willingness to splurge additional tax
dollars unnecessarily to enhance a proposed UNMC Cancer Center with rain
gardens, pools, and playgrounds. We
protested his oversight, and fellow board members embarrassingly informed him
of his error, which we believe was intentional.
His attempt to bully us during our testimony that evening was
transparent. Someone of this temperament,
who taxes and spends like a wild liberal, is not a fit candidate for our state
legislature and should not win election this November.
