In for a Nickle, out for a Dime
Politicians and school referendum proponents have more in common than you might think, both make promises they can't keep and for which they likely won't be held accountable. While a politician can vow to cut your taxes, a school referendum proponent can infer not to raise your taxes ... too much.
Trusting proponent's referendum numbers is risky at best, but whether spending $75 million, $65 million or even $60 million these are big debts to ride the numbers on. And when $9 million or so is a backlog of picayune projects like roofs and heat ... well, no biggee, right, we can afford it?
Where are the 2,000 kids coming from? Why does the district drop 120 or so alternative H.S. students from the rolls? "Cause they can". For whatever reason, proponents do not include the full count for alternative students, and distrust for their numbers grows.
Some say built it and they will come. We need an upscale school to attract people. But look at the backdrop: real estate sales, home values and home starts down, which is just peachy for home loan originators like me. Ha, ha. Many indicators show continued slowdown, while not dramatic, do we need a new school now? Are we trying to hit bottom so we have no where to go but up?
The actual increase for 2005/2006 was 42 students. The first semester 2006 showed a drop in enrollment; I wonder how the second semester count goes. Let's not see a free Pizza lunch on count day, let truancy work it's magic.
Well it's better than the original $75 million proposal, which had been set to crush the state record for plumpest turkey, er, referendum. The school board reconsidered, and reduced the figure to a mere $65 million or so. I still feel like we're getting the short end of the wishbone.
In taxpayers terms we will be paying an additional 10-cent per thousand right away and forgoing a 37-cent per thousand reduction from retiring debt. And in 2010 or so we should expect another 18-cent per thousand bonus from the School district for a grand total of around 65-cent per thousand, if their numbers hold up.
Now, let's toast our magnanimous Gov. Diamond Jim Doyle for the extra $850 mil he gave schools in his last budget to implement his version of a tax freeze. Think how much more we'd have to ask for if he didn't rob the transportation fund for us. Now everyone's crying about gas tax increases, well slap my mouth shut.
Here's the topper; Referendum Proponents filled the courage of their convictions, want a strong vote of confidence from the community, so they proposed a February referendum - these February Referenda votes need to be outlawed due to the historic low turnouts.
One last question. Why no Open Community Forum with all sides invited? Former East High Principal, Terry Fondow, is holding two Forums in January that the District and the Board will not attend. Is is because the numbers just don't square up?
Pusillanimous. That is the only way to describe the approach to and the flight from one of the largest school expenditures in the history of Wisconsin.
Looks like in for a Nickle, but it's really a Krugerrand.
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Richard Parins, President of The Brown County Taxpayers Association
Trusting proponent's referendum numbers is risky at best, but whether spending $75 million, $65 million or even $60 million these are big debts to ride the numbers on. And when $9 million or so is a backlog of picayune projects like roofs and heat ... well, no biggee, right, we can afford it?
Where are the 2,000 kids coming from? Why does the district drop 120 or so alternative H.S. students from the rolls? "Cause they can". For whatever reason, proponents do not include the full count for alternative students, and distrust for their numbers grows.
Some say built it and they will come. We need an upscale school to attract people. But look at the backdrop: real estate sales, home values and home starts down, which is just peachy for home loan originators like me. Ha, ha. Many indicators show continued slowdown, while not dramatic, do we need a new school now? Are we trying to hit bottom so we have no where to go but up?
The actual increase for 2005/2006 was 42 students. The first semester 2006 showed a drop in enrollment; I wonder how the second semester count goes. Let's not see a free Pizza lunch on count day, let truancy work it's magic.
Well it's better than the original $75 million proposal, which had been set to crush the state record for plumpest turkey, er, referendum. The school board reconsidered, and reduced the figure to a mere $65 million or so. I still feel like we're getting the short end of the wishbone.
In taxpayers terms we will be paying an additional 10-cent per thousand right away and forgoing a 37-cent per thousand reduction from retiring debt. And in 2010 or so we should expect another 18-cent per thousand bonus from the School district for a grand total of around 65-cent per thousand, if their numbers hold up.
Now, let's toast our magnanimous Gov. Diamond Jim Doyle for the extra $850 mil he gave schools in his last budget to implement his version of a tax freeze. Think how much more we'd have to ask for if he didn't rob the transportation fund for us. Now everyone's crying about gas tax increases, well slap my mouth shut.
Here's the topper; Referendum Proponents filled the courage of their convictions, want a strong vote of confidence from the community, so they proposed a February referendum - these February Referenda votes need to be outlawed due to the historic low turnouts.
One last question. Why no Open Community Forum with all sides invited? Former East High Principal, Terry Fondow, is holding two Forums in January that the District and the Board will not attend. Is is because the numbers just don't square up?
Pusillanimous. That is the only way to describe the approach to and the flight from one of the largest school expenditures in the history of Wisconsin.
Looks like in for a Nickle, but it's really a Krugerrand.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard Parins, President of The Brown County Taxpayers Association
posted by John Q Cheesehead | 6:55 AM
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