Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

I don't understand what has happened to this town. This used to be such a great place to live. The schools were wonderful. The city was a nice place to live and raise a family away from the big city troubles. That is all in the past now. We bicker and argue about our city leaders. One side saying that they are horrible people while the other side says they have all the answers. Who can you believe? Who can you trust?

We complain about the schools. Pickerington used to be the place where the standard was set for much of the state in how to run a great school system. Not any more. Now we're so far apart in terms of opinion that we're likely never to pass a levy. The voting public doesn't trust those elected to run the schools and the school board doesn't seem to care. How can this have gotten so bad?

We complain about growth in the township. Many old grey hairs like me have seen this community change and change over the years. But never have I seen such a mistrust of how the growth is taking place. The township announces a plan for growth and immediately the public is crying foul. Why?

The bottom line is if we don't trust our leaders, we need to elect new ones. If the school board is not doing a good job, then they need to go away. If the Mayor or the council people are doing illegal or unethical things they should be terminated. If the township leaders are not making the right decisions for the right reasons, they should be forced out.

I have no idea if even half of what is being written in these postings is true or not. But if it is, perhaps we should stop taking shots at them and start asking ourselves a question. Why did we elect these people?

By Old timer

Still a great town

I still think Pickerington is a great place to live! Despite all the rhetoric here, the schools are still good. City leadership appears to be doing well despite all the flack. Don't let a few negative people saying ''I can do better, just let me sit back on the sidelines and tell you what I would do if I just felt like doing anything....'' stop you from loving this city. If they think it's such a terrible place to live, they can always move on.

Disagree

I need to disagree with your response. You say that the schools are still good. While the quality of education has not been impaired yet, how much longer is that going to be the case if the division between the voters and the school board remains so large? These two groups are so far apart, there seems to be no common ground what so ever.

In reference to the city leaders, are you implying that we just ignore the allegations being made? With all due respect, doesn't that indicate that we're willing to just bury our heads in the sand and wish it all goes away? Exactly what will that accomplish?

Running for office is a task for a young man or woman and not someone like myself. But I still feel as though we all, despite age, are entitled to an opinion. Whether we have chosen to run for office or ''sit on the sidelines'' should not matter.

By Old Timer

Nothing New

Been here awhile myself, Old Timer, and don't see much new in your complaints.

I can't remember a time when it was easy to pass a school levy around here. Remember the split sessions of umpteen years ago, and the levy battles that led to Dan Ross' departure. School boards come and go, but none that I can remember has ever been trusted. That doesn't come with the territory.

City government is the same story. The term ''Bickerington'' dates back more than a decade. Remember the councilperson who was recalled. That was quite awhile ago too. Likewise, builders and developers have been eating our lunch for longer than I can remember.

Nonetheless, this is a great place to live, and I see clear signs of progress. Our current city government is beginning, for the first time in my memory, to manage growth in the interest of all of us. I also see the beginnings of real cooperation between the city, the township, the county, and neighboring communities.

I see no evidence of wrongdoing by our current city leadership. The small handful of boneheads who keep posting nasty personal attacks here have not laid a glove on anyone. Their only goal is to divide us. Let's not let them.

By Dusty