Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

PATA Webmaster

Yesterday, in a posting you created, you stated that I was a PLSD agent. That is false. In addition, I believe, that when you made that statement you too knew you were making a false statement.

Incorrect, inaccurate and false information continues to be distributed by you and Bob Harding on this website. When it is brought to your attention the correct information, you are silent. It appears you are unwilling to admit mistakes.

While you may delight some with your choice of words, your overall impact within the community is significantly reduced.

Bob Harding still has not produced the Columbus Dispatch article in which he states that school board president and PLSD administrators have quotes that nasty PATA is against our schools. He is free to avoid my request and, I am free to continue to ask.

You may be exciting a few here with false and misleading facts but you are only hurting yourself and whatever your mission and goals are within the larger community.

What do you mean?

I am not the PATA webmaster, nor do I represent PATA. Your continual and fervid representation of the PLSD could only lead one to believe that you were an agent or representative of them. I suppose you could make the same assumption of me representing PATA. I suppose you also could assume that I am the only poster named Anonymous, but I am not. That being cleared up, hopefully, could you please define your role, if any, in the PLSD? My role is that of a concerned taxpayer and parent. You can take anything I say in that context.

As far as your continued attack on PATA, I have to ask why? What do you stand to gain by this? From those I have spoken to, yes they were PATA supporters, you have only succeeded at bringing more attention to the organization that is having a very positive effect for PATA. Is that your agenda? The reason no one has taken stock of you is simple: you are doing more to spread the word of PATA than anyone else is. You are a free means of publicity. Most aren?’t tuning in to support you, just the opposite. They?’re tuning in for the same reason so many people get hooked on soap operas, Survivor and the like. Most watch fully understanding that it?’s not real, or even good TV. They tune in because it is surreal. They tune in for entertainment?’s sake only. Wouldn?’t your message be better disseminated in a more positive means on your own website? Instead of this tiresome attack and defend role you have assumed, wouldn?’t the goals of your citizen?’s group that you appear to be forsaking for PATA be better served on your own website? Post your facts, state your opinions and launch your attacks. Then look at your hit report and see the results. (Of course we would all miss seeing who gets voted off this week.)

Don?’t you feel that by now if you had the overwhelming support of the community as you have alluded to, someone, anyone would have posted in support of you or defended you when you were under attack? Don?’t you think there would be some sort of community uprising seeking to banish those of us that dare speak against the system? Don?’t you think there would be a witch-hunt seeking to expose those you have deemed evil from your almighty pulpit?

Well, there?’s not! As a matter of fact there is increasing dissent every day. The polls for the most part proved that. The referendum initiatives under way and those sure to follow prove that. More and more
people are finally getting the courage to speak out. Some in anonymity in this forum but far more than ever publicly. More people are attending School Board meetings. You wouldn?’t know that because you don?’t attend many, if any. More are speaking out in Council meetings, but then you wouldn?’t know that because you don?’t attend many, if any and your group stands with Council, shoulder to shoulder to force uncontrolled growth upon us. You support Council and Mr. Berry, even though you are not a City resident, speaking out one side of your mouth while whining out the other side about overcrowded schools. ?“Pass a levy! Pass a levy!?” is your battle cry. You are one of the main reasons the tide is turning against status quo. Can?’t you see that? People hear you drone on and on and they decide to check out other resources to see if there is anything else to help them form opinions than the patented rhetoric you and your compadres roll out. Because of your approach her and elsewhere, people arbitrarily decide that all you support must be what is wrong with our community, not right.

-continued

What do you want?

What will be your threat this time when the renewal levy comes up this spring? Why not cut to the chase and just threaten us with reductions in athletics or the band the first time and not wait to see if we reject the levy the first time around? Let the Boosters do their thing during the spring and not make them wait until fall. Everyone is looking for a little exercise after the winter months anyway. Why not bring out the heavy guns at the start and threaten split sessions up front? We?’ve heard it all before and frankly, it is boring. But it is coming this spring, isn?’t it? You know that the sports teams are already being divided up for the 2 high schools, right? Of course you do. You have a hand in it. We can?’t tolerate a reduction in the status of the girl?’s basketball program or the football program, right? Why not let your little school boundary committee in on the decision you and your associates in the PLSD have already made on the boundary? You know the facilitators are there simply to steer the committee into supporting what the administration has already decided, right? Why else would the committee be so peppered with past participants from other boundary committees? For their experience? No, for their compliance. Why else would the group chairs either be the same or at least be so strategically placed as past boundary committees? Why were the group chairs nominated and seconded by other past committee members?

Sorry this has run on so long, but for the life of me, I just can?’t understand you, Mark. I just can?’t see what you stand for, just what you stand against. Does it mean that you against for everything PATA stands for? Start a website where you can define what you stand for and believe in and let me read and learn from it as I have done with this site. So far, PATA has won me over with their facts even if you dispute them. Build a case for yourself somewhere else and I will come and read it. Perhaps I will see other sides to issues that I haven?’t seen here.

Maybe if you just quit being so tiresome about your attacks on PATA, you might really find the support you think you already have.

What are You Afraid of?

My comments on this website are very professional and I simply ask PATA to correct misinformation on this website.

I asked Bob Harding for the Columbus Dispatch article he referenced. I corrected Bob Harding when he indicated incorrectly that 55% of PHS graduates go to college. I corrected the PATA webmaster when she referred to me as a PLSD agent.

That's all. Are you afraid of differing opinions? Are you afraid to post your name to your comments? Do my facts reveal some problems about PATA information?