Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Mr. Uher,

Prior to today, I had enjoyed our spirited discourse. You brought some valid counterpoints to my points and kept alive the true spirit of a discussion forum, occasionally.

But today you demonstrated just how contemptible you really are. I had been warned while we traded barbs earlier this year, but I gave you the benefit of the doubt. I attended the dedication at Heritage Elementary and was surprised to see you listed as a speaker. But then I thought it might be a good opportunity to introduce myself after I listened to what you said. Imagine my surprise when you took advantage of the children of Heritage Elementary and their families by using your speaking time to endorse candidates.

I was shocked. My family was shocked and the people sitting around me were shocked. What you did was beneath contempt. You should be ashamed of yourself, and the candidates you so shamelessly stumped for should immediately distance themselves from you, both during their campaigns and after.

Not only were your comments irreverent and ill-timed, but if you even dare to respond to this with any sort of justification for your actions, you better explain why you did not mention all the School Board members responsible for the renovations to the school. Not just the ones you want elected.

Better yet, don?’t respond at all. Just crawl back into whatever fetid cesspool you skulked out from to attend the dedication today. Leave this forum to people who wouldn?’t have the audacity to exploit the community as you did today.

I ask all readers of this forum ?– If this insignificant and small man posts in this forum anymore, please don?’t acknowledge his existence with reading or replying to his drivel.

I can only hope that your endorsement, Mr. Uher, is the kiss of death to any candidate you support.


By Soap Box Hero

Is He Really Gone

My dearest Soap Box Hero,

I have to let you know it has been five days and I am still alive. In fact, I?’m doing real well helping nine candidates who are espousing cooperation, teamwork and communication. I know I posted these comments elsewhere on your website, but I thought I would make it easier for PATA readers to assess the truth. Once again here are my remarks at the Heritage Elementary School Dedication (AT WHICH YOU DID NOT ATTEND!!!)


October 21, 2001
As the co-chair of the Pride in Pickerington Schools Committee, we?’re delighted to part of this wonderful celebration today. The renovation of this facility is absolutely breath taking. Heritage elementary students are so fortunate to be in such a beautiful building so rich in history and one that means so much to this community. You attend classes in the same rooms as five generations of Violet Township residents before you have done and even assemble in an auditorium where decades ago intense high school basketball contests took place.

I join the Committee?’s co-chairs Hope Boren and Denise Mitchell, and the Pickerington for Kids Committee chairman, John Maurer, in thanking the community for the tremendous support you have given our schools over the last four years. We?’re most grateful for the community?’s approval to renovate this facility, to build two new middle schools, a new junior and senior high school. Pickerington schools remain the pride of this community. We?’re proud of our buildings and our students?’ successes in the classroom, on the playing field and in the arts.

We also would like to thank our outstanding teachers and administrators for the superb job you are doing educating our children. You are the reason this district is in the top 2% academically in the State of Ohio and is one of the best in the nation.

Yes, this is a day to celebrate.

However, as we celebrate, we must be mindful of the challenges ahead. The most important issue facing our schools is one of money. Our class sizes are extremely large and very near the state maximum. We have too few counselors and nurses. Enriching field trips are at a minimum. And, in order to remain competitive, we must pay our teachers more. As some of our best teachers retire, we must be able to recruit excellent new teachers with comparable school districts such as Westerville. Currently, Westerville pays their teachers, on the average, $6,000 more and have seven fewer students per class.

As a community, we must work together with our school board under the outstanding leadership of Lori Sanders and develop workable solutions to our future challenges. We must lobby the State of Ohio to financially reward top performing schools so they remain that way. We must demand our township and city officials work together to increase the commercial tax base within our district. We must continue to secure sizable donations from area businesses and we must continue to support reasonable tax levies and bond issues. Too much is at stake.

Let?’s work together so that in another 65 years a child of one of the current Heritage elementary students can speak with the same school pride from this same stage. Thank you.

Mark W. Uher







By Mr. Small