Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Let it go sister

Anonymous

Do you really believe this quote? ''Those who voted against the levy also need to answer that question''. You are going to be waiting a very long time for the answer because it is not coming.

I received a call from a neighbor the day before the election. She knew nothing about any of the candidates on the May 2nd ballot. I went down the list and I recommended to her who I was voting for. By the way I voted for the opponent of one of the candidates who had placed their sign in my yard. She bought every thing I told her until we got to the school levy. Her quote was that she wasn't going to vote for a levy until the board started using the funds they already had better. I tried to point out some of actions the board has taken recently that showed that they had been listening and changing and she would not have any of it. She indicated she was going to take the day off to make sure she had time to vote against the levy.

I suspect if you knew her name and number and called her she would probably be one the few voters that would tell you exactly why she voted no. You probably would not what to hear her answer because it had nothing to do with the over crowding in K thru 6 grades. It had to do more with image and perception of the school board.

There isn't a week go by that my wife and I read quotes in the local paper from board members and levy supporters that in many ways contradict the previous week's quotes.

Winning elections and levy campaigns has more to do with creating energy and image building than trying to convince people to vote for something they don't care about. Nothing my neighbor said made sense and everything she said about the schools was factually inaccurate. Even trying to convince those voters who's children are attending school in portable classrooms goes no where if the family is struggling financially. The inability to pay more taxes always trumps the schools needs no matter how it is expressed.

The board needs to continue to work on its image not more facts. Clearly they have a core group that will support the levies no matter what is presented. They need to fire up their base while not firing up the opposition. They need to get to those swing voters but that is done months if not years before the election actually happens. The time to start on the next election campaign is now. Build the energy now and don't fire up the no voters so that they are taking days off to vote against you.



By Power Walker

One More Time

Power Walker,

Let me try to answer your questions one more time.

1. Central High roof: The orginal plan had a 30-year roof on Central and the capacity to enlarge the school by 50%. It was voted down a number of times until finally, in desperation, the BOE cut the plan to the bone. No planned expansion capability and the cheapest roof we could get away with. We could have spent 15% more then and had a 30 year roof but we chose instead to go cheap and put on a 15-year roof at more than double the orginal cost. That's what Pickerington thinks is good money management. God help us all!

2. Elementary School at Tollgate: The Sycamore Creek site takes care of the growth to the south. But the major anticipated growth is to the east, particularly in Liberty Township (500 - 600 homes), or haven't you been paying attention? If the Ricketts Farm is turned in to a couple of hundred houses, which it probably will now, there is no place to put those kids. Let's see, wasn't one of the problems with the BOE that they didn't plan ahead? Now they show they do that publicly and you're still bitchin'.

3. North Campus: Doable but doesn't really address the problem of growth in the east.

4. See above.

5. Central Stadium Improvements: That's what you said you wanted. I don't understand, what are you, three years old? That's all we've heard for years is how Central got short-changed, ''cash vs trash'', etc. The BOE gives you what you want and now you're waving pitchforks and starting fires. Sheesh. This issue fascinates me. The only people who object to Central's stadium is a couple of hundred local hotheads. Everyone else in the Metro area likes the facility. The sportswriters, the TV people, visiting fans, every one. It's always rated in the top 3 or 4 (check the ''Dispatch'' if you don't believe me) for atmosphere and crowd involvement. Sitting in that little bowl just amplifies the sound and people sit on the banks above the field. It's great. Parking's a bear but what the heck.

I would like to hear a specific example of fiscal mismanagement by the BOE. Not some vague ''I heard it at Kroger's'' or ''everyone says'' nonsense, but a real issue that I can take to the county attorney to put before a grand jury. It got awfully quiet in hear all of a sudden.

I can empathize with people who have to sell out because they can't pay their taxes but so what? People go down the economic ladder as well as up. If what other postings have said is true, then the families involved have either run into bad luck or made poor decisions. It happens. And anyone's whose wages haven't gone up in 3 years needs to find a new job. I had to raise my rates to keep from being overwhelmed by work and I can put 45 Union certified Journeyman welders to work tomorrow at union scale. I can find jobs for 30 commercial truck drivers at $20 an hour almost as fast. Oh well.

By Any Mouse

Drop the crap

Any Mouse


I am sorry your side lost the levy. Clearly if you answered the citizens the way you answered me in this posting then no wonder the levy failed.

I lived in Pickerington when the New High School (Central) was built and that is the first time I have heard the story of the 15 versus 30 year roof and I get around. I know they had changed the covering on the outside walls to justify the field house. The point you are missing is that if I didn't know that how many others that have moved here since 1991 and didn't know the reason either? You have not explained it to me before so drop the crap and the insults.

In regard to the 61 acres for an elementary school here again I am aware of the rezoning law suit that was won out in Liberty Township developers. However winning the law suit and building new homes are years apart. The story that came through to the voters was that Pickerington Elementary was FULL and the over flow could fill ONE MORE elementary school. So I can fully understand the board's wanting to build an elementary school at Sycamore Creeks. I also see hundreds of lots right across the street from Pickerington Elementary that are actually being built on. I have not been in Liberty Township for a few months but I didn't see the bulldozers moving dirt when I was last there.

You still didn't answer what was planned for Tiger Stadium. I though we spent a ton of money there last year. Are you saying you are trying to bring it up to the standard of North to satisfy a few hotheads?

Maybe if you put your insults on the shelf for a while you could actually communitcate why the board is doing what it is doing. You might find a little more support (92 votes) in the meantime.




By Power Walker

Well informed

Any Mouse sure seems to know quite a bit about the school district and the failed levies. He/she evens goes so far as to express anger and frustration with those that post views in opposition.

The questions come to mind, how does Any Mouse know so much? Which school board member is Any Mouse?

By Mouse Trap