Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

First we should thank Mr. Bob Harding for being on the ball and putting the Canal Winchester annexation announcements on the WEB pages of this site. I also want everyone to take look at the letter the Canal Winchester Mayor, Marsha Hall, sent to the Pickerington School Board members. I have family members teaching in the Canal Winchester School District and they all support the efforts of the Village Council and their policies. Their (Canal Village council) investments in 1995 are beginning to pay off now and guess what, no additional students are coming from these economic development areas. That is called position cash flow in my book. They lose money from the state but make it up from the business property and actually increase their valuation per student, which also means more money per student.

I am not aware of any similar letters written by the Pickerington Mayor's both past and present. I have seen TIF?’s agreements which state they (the City) are gifting the PLSD a $100,000 here and a $100,000 there trying to make the taxpayers believe that the money is coming from Pickerington City Tax Dollars not straight out of the PLSD income from property taxes. These are announcements before they can even secure that first NEW business. Our economic director only can say, ?“They are talking with people.?”

Why are TIF?’s bad business for the schools in Canal Winchester and they are the only policy in Pickerington. Could it be that with all this residential growth in Pickerington they are not getting the return on their annexation dollars like they said they (Pickerington) would? Why does Canal Winchester require their developers to build their own roads and in Pickerington the local school district builds the roads? OH that?’s right the schools are so good they attract all these people into the community and they caused the problem in the first place. So why shouldn?’t they also build the roads?

I am an eternal optimist. For those of us that live in Pickerington we should look upon this as an opportunity. Since the Canal borders now touch Pickerington?’s maybe we should consider a staged withdraw from Pickerington. There are methods to merge with other Villages and Cities. Maybe we could become a borough like Brooklyn N.Y. We could finally close Tammany Hall on Lockville Road and have the Council in the New City Hall at the corner of High Street and Waterloo Road. Now don?’t bust my bubble and tell we why we can?’t do this. Anything is possible!


By Dr. Pepper

Tale of 2 City's - response


Dr. Pepper,

I?’ll pass along your appreciation to our webmaster who did all the hard work to post the Canal Winchester material. We, at PATA, felt this was important, factual information for community residents to have access. One of the local newspapers did a reasonable good job addressing this issue; time will tell how the other papers handle the facts. Each paper has limited space and the Internet provides a greater opportunity to have material available.

The letters are posted, as they were written, with no slant, no commentary ?– JUST THE FACTS.

It is hoped that observant readers will better understand the rhetoric of the commentators within print media material by viewing this information. Judging from many of the previous postings within the ?“Discussion Pages?” I?’m sure that there is a multitude of points and issues that may take shape. I, for one, could take volumes of space just on Picktown Official?’s comments within the most recent SE Messenger (3/11).

Residents' rights

Not to bring up a question that was resolved in 1861-1865, but the premise is the same. Instead of States?’ rights, are there truly precedents for secession from a City? Can a property owner, for example, petition the Township for the right to secede from a City and rejoin the Township? For that matter, can a subdivision do the same? Could Melrose, for instance, gain say a 2/3 majority of signatures from their residents who say they no longer want to be part of the City? What would they be losing by doing so? All I can see if the protection of the City Police Department. The Sheriff?’s office covers the areas across Refugee Road anyway. All other services will still be provided.

The City rejects every single attempt Constitutionally supported attempt made by its citizens to make the desired changes to how they are governed by attempting to foil referendums, petitions and general elections when they are not pleased with them. Why can?’t the citizens reject the form of government they are subjected to?

Someone mentioned oligarchy. Merriam Webster defines oligarchy as follows:

Main Entry: ol?·i?·gar?·chy Pronunciation: '?¤-l&-''g?¤r-kE, 'O-
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -chies
Date: 1542
1: government by the few
2: a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes; also: a group exercising such control

Now this might not transfer well from where I am writing this to the web page but hopefully you get the idea.

1: Government by the few: Officially, we are governed by the City Manager, the Mayor and the Councilmen. There is a network of people governing them that has been detailed in this forum in the past. So what you have here is a dual oligarchy. You have those truly wielding the power and those representing them in elected seats. Neither of these factions is responsive to the citizens and voters. As a matter of fact, they have proven time and again that they represent only their own best interests.

2: a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes: Now I?’ll be careful here and just skip discussing the first purpose. I don?’t want to step in a pile of something that I might lose my shoe when I try to pull out. However, selfish purposes are evident. Ask yourself, ?“What do we get from this oligarchy??” Then, after you have given seconds of thought to the answer, ask yourself, ?“What do they get from this oligarchy??” I don?’t know about you, but my house is in my name and any work that I had done as renovations, I did myself. I have never golfed on a fine fancy course and not had to pay my own greens fees.

Sorry, I got off track there. I challenge the readers of this forum to find out if there is any precedent to secession from a City. Perhaps the boroughs of NY are an example. I don?’t know.




By Maverick

NOT ALWAYS

THE LETTERS MAY BE POSTED AS WRITTEN, WITH NO SLANT, NO COMMENTARY, BUT THEY ARE CENSORED AND DELETED BY THE WEBMASTER IF IT DOES NOT PASS THEIR APPROVAL, CASE IN POINT LAST OCT. OR NOV. A TRUE FACTUAL ISSUE WAS POSTED ON THIS WEBSITE FOR DISCUSSION AND WITHIN A VERY SHORT TIME IT WAS DELETED BY THE WEBMASTER. I WILL NOT ACCUSE ANYONE BECAUSE I CAN NOT FIND OUT WHO THE WEBMASTER WAS. IN FACT DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO FIND OUT WHO THE WEBMASTER IS, OR IS THIS A SECRET ALSO?
THANK YOU
BRUCE ROOKSTOOL