To the editor:

I recently saw Tom Diehl, president of the Mehlville Board of Education, interviewed on television by Elliott Davis.

I couldn’t believe what I heard. Quoting Mr. Diehl, “My decision and the decision of this board isn’t based on how the taxpayers feel.”

The quote was in an interview conducted by Davis in response to the board’s decision to award a $44,000 pay raise to Superintendent Terry Noble. The video is available online.

Mr. Diehl apparently has joined the ranks of labor union Local 1889, which represents Mehlville Fire Protection District firefighters and paramedics, and some of our political “leaders” in believing that we, the taxpayers, work for them instead of the public servants working for us.

Mr. Diehl’s public relations department attempted to spin the story by insisting that Missouri state law does not require the board members to consider the opinions of the people who actually pay the bills.

Diehl’s condescending attitude toward those of us who actually work for a living should be duly noted and rewarded at re-election and bond issue time. That will be our only consolation.

Diehl is apparently too full of himself and his own importance to ever hope for an apology.

Rich Franz

Concord

Editor’s note: Mr. Noble last week gave up the contract he previously accepted that would’ve earned him an annual salary of $226,000.