Is it OK to vote NO on a school levy?

[WLKjr]

Okay, here is the background on my predicament.

Being a Progressive Democrat, is it wrong to vote No on a local school levy.

If I vote No, the school runs a very real scenario of shutting down for good or the State of Ohio will take over.

If I vote Yes, and the levy passes, the school continues to operate like a local family run business (everyone running it is closely related some way or another, they each give each other jobs and are mostly unqualified for the positions they get put in) and they just keep saying they are poor and keep raising my taxes along with taxing my mostly 50+yrold neighbors who barely can heat thier frick'in homes this year and they just keep saying they are poor when clearly they have a severe administration problem that spends money irresponsibly.

So far, I have have decided to vote a definite No, because I see no progress comming from this administration they currently have or any change in school board members. BTW, I went to school here, and I still have two younger brothers who go to school hear so I think I have some say in whether or not its a bad idea to let it shut down.

I am writting a letter to my local paper about the whole thing.

Any thoughts?

[niyad]

1. is there a school board? who is on it? when are the elections? maybe it

is time for a reverse "stealth" campaign, to get progressives in there.

[WLKjr]

7. It's a name game

Major area "names" in the school. Most of these people had thier sons/daughters/nieces and nephews in all of the sports, miracoulsy getting the awesome grades and special treatment all the time since I started kindergarten over 15 years ago. They haven't done much for the school IMHO.

[Nickster]

2. Well, I personally vote for the tax levy when it comes up in my school

district. I don't feel that the state govt will do any better at running the local schools. One school district very near me has already had a state takeover happen, and quite frankly, I haven't seen much of an improvement.

Have you thought about running for the school board? Change is only going to happen if we make it happen.

[beyurslf]

3. Vote no. Then, run for the school board.

[MercutioATC]

4. That MIGHT be a problem...

Voting "no" on a school levy doesn't look good when you run for the school board.

I'd find other similar-minded residents, all vote "yes", and THEN run a new slate for school board.

[WLKjr]

8. There is a BIG consensus of people around here voting No

They are sick of the BS.

a couple of jobs were created and not even let know to the public to be bid on. One job was created for a recent retiree of the school (when the school is begging for money) and the other was a unqaulified person running a critical position.


It has a lot of people pissed, and on top of that the school board and super do not believe they have to explain anything they do.

[MercutioATC]

18. It depends on the community, I guess. Do what works.

...and work to change the system. Local offices are all we have left. Aspiring to higher office means playing politics. At the local level, ANYBODY can make a difference.

[rockymountaindem]

22. Aren't there secret ballots?

I thought that was the law.

[MercutioATC]

27. School levy voting history would probably come up in a school board race.

Unless the OPer is willing to lie, it could be damaging.

[Geoff R. Casavant]

5. Quite simple -- vote your conscience, pocketbook, or any other

criteria you choose. Only you can say what is most important to you, and only you can weigh the relative merit of conflicting priorities.

I don't know offhand what the standard "progressive Democrat" line is on property taxation to pay for schools, but even if the usual policy is to vote for them, you've certainly demonstrated that this school may be an exception to the rule.

[Bill McBlueState]

13. the progressive approach

Progressives are stuck here, because funding schools by way of property taxes is decidedly non-progressive. But it's the only way local school systems can get the funding they need, so a no vote is a dangerous way to register our dissatisfaction with the system.

[WLKjr]

19. but by voting yes on the levy

just keeps things going the way they are going. Waste is occuring and the problem remains unsolved and they will just ask for another handout like they are doing now if it doesn't stop now.

[Bill McBlueState]

29. I understand

I can't comment about your specific case; I was just addressing the problem with school levies in general.

[jobycom]

6. Be sure of why you are voting NO, and where the negative info comes from

Republicans always spread stories about the mismanagement at schools and how studies show that increased spending doesn't really improve education and that the administrators at that school are really just wasting all that money, etc, etc, etc. They get all their followers to write to the local papers and print fake news stories and back it up in all kinds of ways. Like everything else they say, though, it's almost always a lie.

So be sure you aren't falling for their Swiftboat tactics. I'm sure there are poorly run schools in places. I'm also sure that most of the time when those stories start floating around about a school, it's just a Republican attempt to defeat a tax bill so they can buy more beer for themselves.

[WLKjr]

9. No, this isn't mis-information it's actually happening

It's very obvious. I recently volunteered my I.T. Skills for a couple of days a week and was turned down cold, but they decided to pile it upon some people that already had too much on them.

They run the thing like is all in the family, if you don't have the name, you don't play the game. Been that way ever since I could remember going there and it's even more apparent once you leave and see it from teh outside.

[jobycom]

12. If that's the situation, I wouldn't question your progressive creds

over a NO vote. You've thought it through, and know why you are doing it. To me, progressive is about seeing the big picture, not about voting a certain way every time. Don't lose sleep over it.

[Extend a Hand]

10. I'm voting 'no' on our next school levy

and all others until our current superintendent retires in '07.
You have to vote your conscience. I don't think being progressive, means rubber stamping every levy that is requested.

[0rganism]

11. Certainly, if you have sound reason for doing so

You must balance the potential for harm caused by the status quo (i.e., a yes vote) against the potential for harm caused by the school shutting down or being taken over by the state. That is your decision to make.

[TInCanCommunications]

14. In Michigan, I rarely support Yes votes

Since school districts don't have the power have general fund millages to pay for teachers and other neccessities.
All they can do is invest in buildings and infrastructure.
And all over Michigan, they are building giant schools with unbelievable athletic facilities.
ALl the districts are competing with each other for students.
And the state controls the purse strings with per pupil funding. So the only way a district can easily market itself is with pristine facilities.

And it's pretty fucking lame.

[WLKjr]

20. actually the state of Ohio would probably run this district better

than what the current administration is doing. Most of them are very uneducated and unqualified folks. And I wouldn't trust any of them balancing my own checkbook let alone a school district's funds.

[0rganism]

21. Then your choice is considered and clear

I don't think anyone could reasonably ask you to for more than that.

[JVS]

15. It's your vote and your school system, vote how you want to!

[Toucano]

16. No is the right vote

Those school building projects in Ohio funded by levy dollars were nothing more than taxpayer funded campaign contributions for Republicans.

Look at who was awarded the contracts to build all the new schools in the last ten years, and then look at who those people contributed money to.

The whole school funding system is unconstitutional. You have an absolute DUTY to oppose it.

Let the state take over. Let them take over all the public schools, then see if they don't find a way to fix the funding system.

YES votes only preserve the illegal status quo.

[XemaSab]

17. It's fine to vote no

Here in California EVERY SINGLE ELECTION there is some ginormous school bond that will cost future taxpayers a brazillion dollars to pay off, and a few years ago I decided that it's BS and I won't support it.

We always need more school, so why not factor the cost of schools into the state budget?

We always need road repairs, so why not pay for those too?

How the hell can the legislature formulate a budget when the taxpayers keep voting for these future expenses outside the budget?

The state's already in the hole, so why keep digging ourselves in with endless bond measures?

[proud2BlibKansan]

23. I voted no on one last year

They wanted money to build athletic fields I didn't think they needed.

[sandnsea]

24. Start an Accountability Campaign???

Get together with some other folks, get a look at the budget, the SAT & ACT scores, high school graduation rate, that sort of thing. Then if you can identify where they could do better, how much money they need and where it should go, start getting people to knock doors and write letters. Change the school instead of just casting a vote. Maybe???

[WLKjr]

25. Well that is already starting to happen

The administration last I was told was refusing to disclose information about jobs that were "given" to select people that were supposed to be bid out according to law I think. There have been quite a few folks talking about getting a lawyer and suing the district for failing to comply with Ohio's freedom of information act or something like that, my uncle is one of them.

[sandnsea]

26. That's the way to do it

I've voted no on school bonds before. If you've got a school that just isn't cutting it, and money isn't the issue, sometimes you have to say no. But you also have to attend the meetings and the rest to address the reasons the school isn't performing. One without the other is sort of a cop-out. Glad to hear you're involved, that's what we need for the future.

[ulysses]

28. not that it's for me to tell progressives how to vote

but sure. I'd trust your informed judgment on that.