#*^&*$**## wingnuts cause very narrow defeat of our school levy AGAIN!

[liberalhistorian]

GGGGRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!! My township district of about 4,500 students tried last spring to pass a very low-millage levy since state money was much less than had been expected and they haven't put forth a levy in almost ten years. It failed by just sixty votes.

So several hundred of us came together this fall to try to get it passed again and this time it was an emergency levy for DESPERATELY needed funds. This time it failed by 98 votes. Needless to say, many of us in the district are royally pissed off, especially those of us who worked so hard for its passage this time. There has always been very strong support for the schools in this community, and we never had any trouble getting previous levies passed.

But the problem is, you guessed it, the fucking wingnuts who've all moved into a certain area in the district and who refuse to pass ANYTHING AT ALL, not just school levies. They're led by a particularly viciously anti-government, anti-any-tax-at-all-even-if-it's-to-save-their-own-mother type of wingnut. They were the cause of the failure of recent fire, police and road levies as well as a county children's services levy defeat last year. This township NEVER had any trouble with those types of levies before these people came along.

And that's what's so infuriating to many of us, particularly those of us who are either lifetime or nearly lifetime residents here. These people moved here because of the good schools and superior township services in the first place. They cause added strains on the budgets of the schools they were so eager for their children to attend, as well as the budgets of the fire, police, road, etc., services. Then they refuse to do their fair share to maintain the superior quality of schools and services that they moved here to take advantage of in the first place.

Then they start that "schools need to do more with less" bullshit. Well, this district HAS done more with less for many years, and has still done a damn fine job anyway. We were named the best district in the county last year, out of fourteen other districts, despite the fact that many of the other districts have far higher budgets. We're thirteenth in the county in terms of the amount of school taxes we pay, and if the levy had passed we still would have been only twelfth. But that's not good enough for these fucking selfish idiotic mean-spirited dumb-as-rocks wingnuts. We're tempted to tell them to break away from the district and run their own damn schools if they don't like having to pay anything for them, we'll see how long they last with that.

And now I'm really worried about what's going to happen here. My son has Asperger's Syndrome and uses their special education services, which they've done their best to adequately maintain. Many other people we've known for forever are glad their children are either out of the district or are in their last year. It just breaks our hearts, because it used to be so wonderful here and we never had to worry about school support and passage of levies. I find it beyond infuriating and incredible that 600 wingnuts can have such an impact like this.

What really throws the fear of God into me is that I'm very much afraid that this is the beginning of a real anti-government, anti-people, anti-any-tax-at-all-the-hell-with-people type of society because I'm seeing this shit happening more and more all around the country and there seems to be no way out of it and no way to get away from it short of moving out of the country, which I'm beginning to be sorely tempted to do. I've already said that, if things don't go our way next year, I'm taking the kid and moving to Canada whether I have a job or not. I just may have to do so even earlier, 'cause I'm really getting tired of this shit and I'm really worried about my son's education and I'm tired of having to worry about and deal with those fucking wingnuts just to get a decent education for my son and everyone else's kids as well. And, btw, who do you think will be the first people to bitch when the schools have to make cuts, which are now inevitable? FUCKING SELFISH IDIOTIC HYPOCRITES!

[JailBush]

1. We've got the opposite problem in Seattle.

Our public school district has evolved into a corporate subsidiary, which is fully capable of funneling levy dollars into corporate or government coffers - or simply spending them on public relations and campaigning for corrupt politicians.

I've long advocated voting NO on our school levies, until the corruption is cleaned up. It doesn't do any good to give money to crooks. I strongly suspect a similar pattern is being played out in other large cities.

However, it sounds like your school district is about one tenth as big as Seattle, and things may be very different there.

[liberalhistorian]

2. The problem, though, with voting no on school

levies for the types of political reasons you've described is that the children are the ones who suffer and not those who are the cause of or involved with the corruption. You're not punishing those people, you're punishing the students who don't deserve that. The corrupters and crooks will always find ways of plying their trade, but the students don't get another chance at their education.

[JailBush]

11. Actually, no.

The children suffer whether the levies pass or not. It's basically a hostage situation: Corrupt school officials and teachers unions plead, "PLEASE pass the levy for the kids." After it passes, school officials maintain they're "We're broke" line so that sympathetic voters will vote YES again. It's basically a hostage situation, and it has to be broken.

Here's a pertinent question: Does your school district subject the students to high-stakes tests? If so, you could free up a lot of money by abolishing high-stakes test, which aren't just expensive but cruel and stupid to boot.

And that's the big irony: Virtually the only education issue people display any passion for is raising more money. It seems like almost no one gives a damn about high-stakes tests, the corporatization of education, derelict superintendents and on and on.

Again, a smallish district like yours might be clean - though I doubt it. But corruption is rampant in big urban school districts, and it takes a far greater toll than most people realize.

[liberalhistorian]

14. The only tests we have are

the state-mandated proficiency tests for several grades, and we have no choice since they're required by the state, which then doesn't give any extra funding to cover the costs of implementing its mandate. They'd rather spend it on their megabucks celebration of the state's bicentennial.

And we have one of the best superintendents in the county, which is one of the reasons why we were named the best district in the county last year.

[jpgray]

3. I went to high school with a guy who had Asperger's

He did quite well on the history exams, and of course never was at a loss for a topic of conversation. :) We didn't even know he was any different until one of the special ed teachers came and talked with our class about it.

[liberalhistorian]

5. History was probably his favorite subject,

Asperger's kids tend to do fantastically well in areas they're really interested in. And yes, my son also is "never at a loss for a topic of conversation", lol! In typical Asperger's fashion, he gets interested in a particular subject and, for a few months, becomes obsessed with that subject and learns every single thing possible there is to learn about it. Then he goes on to another subject.

At four years old he knew every make and model of every single car in existence, as well as all fifty states and being able to put together a magnet U.S. map without any help at all. He probably knows more about the Titanic, for example, than most Titanic historians!

And that's one of the reasons I'm so worried and angry, because the special ed people in the district are fantastic but some of them may have to be cut, and he desperately needs the help they're giving him.

[jpgray]

15. Then I wish you the best of luck in maintaining the quality of the school

I was very fortunate to have been in a good public school district. I really admire you for your activism toward getting the same thing for your son, because its overall value really can't be measured. Again, good luck!

[liberalhistorian]

17. Thanks, I'm certainly

going to need it!

[Rowdyboy]

4. Think its tough there? In Mississippi

we must get 60% approval on school bond issues! Can you imagine? Its damn near impossible.

[liberalhistorian]

7. And that state wonders why it's so

consistently behind almost all of the other states in so many areas! It's like, DUH, get a clue people! In Pennsylvania, our neighboring state, their school funding system is different from ours. Instead of being based on the tired old 19th-century property tax funding system, like Ohio's is, every district is funded by the state equally, and all needed supplies are provided as well instead of teachers and parents having to buy everything like that.

[gone2thechase]

12. That's not a vaild complaint

Unless you accept that the Senate can let Bush's judges go through with less than 60% Senate approval. We must be consistant.

[Rowdyboy]

26. What do US Senate filibuster rules have to do with

Mississippi's antiquated bond issue increases? Rather a stretch if you ask me.

[alcuno]

22. Can't the law in Mississippi be changed?

60% is an outrageous number.

[Rowdyboy]

25. It would take a constitutional amendment...

Which must first get through an incredibly corrupt legislature, and then be approved by the people. You're asking them to make it easier to raise property taxes to fund public school. Not happening here, at least not right now.

[ShaneGR]

6. Ummmm..... word of advice.... SERIOUSLY

Threaten, due to lack of funds, to take away high-school sports.

Levy always passes after that.

[liberalhistorian]

10. LOL!

That certainly does usually work, doesn't it? The problem is, not even THAT would work with these wingnuts, they would just say that a pay-to-play system would be just fine with them.

[ShaneGR]

23. No, they wouldn't

Because they don't have football fields or basketball gyms to play them in. If they will not pay for the schools, they cannot use the school grounds as a way to buy their kids a way into athletics, bypassing the kids who can't afford to 'pay to play."

We learned something 10 years ago, talk LOUD.

[HFishbine]

8. Who controls the purse strings for school funding

in your township? Town council, county commissioners, school board? Do they have taxing authority? While the levy may have failed, that doesn't mean that the controliong board can't allocate more funds for schools from their general revenue. Demand it. If the politicos don't have the guts, make it clear that your group will field and campaign for opposing candidates next election to boot them out of office.

[liberalhistorian]

13. I believe the school board controls the funding,

and I'll check out how we can use your suggestion. The funny thing is, the two people voted onto the school board were the two candidates who most strongly favored the passage of the levy, go figure!

[dsc]

21. Don't bother

The only possibility you have (and it would take another levy) is pass an income tax for the schools in your area. That might work if you also have seniors voting against it.

[gone2thechase]

9. An honest question

Why don't the voters for the increase not pool their money and cover the cost of the increase proposal? Would that not send a message to the anti-increase voters?

If it's really important that you get the increase why not split the cost between the many folks that want it so badly?

[liberalhistorian]

16. That's a good suggestion, the problem with that

is that it would let the wingnuts off the hook and it'd get even harder to get anything passed. They want all the benefits and refuse to carry their share of the load.

[gone2thechase]

18. Child welfare is less important than letting wingnuts off the hook?

Maybe the importance has not been increased enough yet? If the children need the increase then they should get it and then deal with the politics later.

[XanaDUer]

19. And they will be the first and loudest to scream

about lack of services. I have had waaaaay too much experience with this type of community.

[DBoon]

20. Who are these people

besides being wingnuts? Retirees? Young high income professionals? Why are they moving to your township (apart from the quality of life)? Do they commute to a distant metropolis?

I'd like to understand the sociological roots of this selfishness.

[alcuno]

24. Sounds like it may be time to institute fees.

I'm assuming that the School Board was in favor of the levy increase. Two years ago, we passed a special bond issue for construction and this year the Board instituted a 78 dollar per pupil fee.

I know it's wildly frustrating, but the people who want more money spent on the schools SHOULD NOT be the only ones to shoulder the burden We don't have a pay as you go society where only those who want to use those services pay for them.

Don't these wingnuts have kids? As a parent, I would not want to be seen as not supporting the school system. That's how your kid ends up with the bad schedule, the bad teachers, and the scorn of classmates.

[kaitykaity]

27. Locking.

Please see rule #2 here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=463744

2. The subject line of a discussion thread and the entire text of the message which starts the thread may not include profanity, excessive capitalization, or excessive punctuation. Inflammatory rhetoric should also be avoided.