Editor, Thank you, Coastal Courier, for the very informative article on May 31 about how much the Liberty County Board of Education spent on travel in 2012.
Now you need to go one step further and report on who went where to do what. This information might also confirm or deny any recent comments made in Sound off.
The board of education receives 36 cents of each dollar of property taxes collected, and the taxpayers of Liberty County deserve to know how that money is being spent. Any misuse is unacceptable.
Being that Mrs. Baker spent 25.9 percent, or $5,960.71, of the $23,000 travel budget in 2012, my question is, who approves her travel?
The article quotes her as having said, “I attend conferences to learn and to bring information back and to make me a more effective board member. That is why I go to conferences.”
Modern technology has made it so that it usually isn’t necessary to attend conferences or receive on-site training. Much can be achieved through long-distance-learning.
One last thing: Mrs. Baker also was quoted in the article as having said, “That’s what I’m saying — we don’t get no salary.” This comment makes me cringe, especially when it comes from an educator.

— Rosemarie Swindal
Hinesville