A local TV station has a segment during which they purportedly "ask the tough questions" on a variety of subjects, including grades received from the health department by local restaurants.

Frankly, from what I have seen, the questions are about as tough as a bowl of grits. They are, however, as tough as saddle leather compared to the ones being asked of the Cobb School Board, the Superintendent and the board attorney, Glenn Brock. At Thursday's meeting, for example, member Dr. John Crooks asked Superintendent Fred Sanderson why the other board members were not informed of the grand jury's probe of the board. Sanderson's response was that all the members of the board were not invited. He was allowed to slide on that meaningless response to a question not asked.

The tough question would have been, "Why did you deliberately violate a long-standing, well-known policy (SD-9) which requires you to inform the board of ALL CCSD business?"

It should have been repeatedly asked until Sanderson answered. His M.O., in most cases, is to answer a question that was not asked, instead of the one asked. Unfortunately, the members of the board most often accept this and move on.

Sanderson stated he had put procedures in place to see that the board is informed of future meetings with the grand jury. The statement calls for three tough questions.

"When were you planning to notify the board that the grand jury is checking into the transportation system, specifically, the buses and their maintenance, if (board member) Alison Bartlett had not brought it up?"

"Why are new procedures necessary when SD-9 is already in place requiring notification?"

"Do your procedures provide for notification of all CCSD business, in compliance with the policies, or will we be back asking again when you hide something else from the board?"

Another tough question is "From what law school did Brock graduate and what is the name of the course in which he learned that a grand jury hearing is just "more conversation"?

That borders on being the most inane statement issued by this expensive rubber stamp. Does he not even know what a grand jury is? I suspect that, if he, Sanderson and "The Feckless Five" continue to flout the law and play games with the voters, they will all receive a well-deserved lesson in just what a grand jury can do.

A tough question for board member Holli Cash is next. Don't worry, Holli, I don't expect an answer. "Why is it when you attempt to belittle Alison Bartlett, you repeatedly refer to the fact that she is the 'new kid on the block' inferring that you are the old pro, but when you are caught with your hand in the cookie jar, as in the matter of previous grand jury appearances, you are suddenly 'new to this'?"

These are for Chairperson Lynnda Crowder-Eagle: "Did you seriously think a weekend with a $ 4,500 a day 'consultant' would solve any of the problems the school board has? How can you justify spending that kind of money, with the current shortfall in funding? Since you have only been the chair a short few weeks, when was this all planned?"

Finally, "Lynnda, aren't you elated the weather became an issue, allowing you to change the venue to the Cobb Chamber of Commerce without losing face, saving you from the backlash of negative public opinion?"

I would definitely like to put the following tough questions to Sanderson: "Will the contract for the construction of the replacement for East Side Elementary School include a requirement that every employee working on the project be certified through the government's E-Verify program to determine that they are legal residents, as required by law on public projects? Is this a standard requirement in all construction contracts issued by the district? If it is not, why are we breaking the law? Who assures compliance?"

Associate Superintendent Dr. Gordon Pritz is up next. "Why, when every dollar is critical, do you feel it necessary to spend almost a million on controversial radio equipment for buses?"

Member Dr. John Abraham, I ask you, "Why did you support such an asinine move?"

These, and many more tough questions, need to be asked and answers need to be demanded. It won't happen though.

Asking tough questions requires a tough person, with intelligence and integrity. Nobody in a position to ask these questions appears, at present, to meet those criteria.

Pete Borden is a mason in east Cobb.