Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

It appears political participation in Pickerington to be at record levels.

And it appears the fall school board campaigns began a bit early ?… mudslinging and name calling from a few anonymous sources claiming to be pro-taxpayers towards leaders advocating quality education for our students.

And, yes, in all the mudslinging there appears to be several important community issues that the two groups disagree upon.

1. Role of Public Participation at School Board Meetings.
2. Openness and Public Notice of Board Meetings.
3. Responsibilities of the Board's Finance Committee.
4. Public Involvement in the Preparation of the PLSD Annual Budget.
5. Financial Disclosure of PLSD Finances Including Line Expenditures for the Last Three Years and Projections for the Next Three Years.
6. Role of Extracurricular Activities within our Public Education System
7. Participation of 18-Year Old Voters Who are Also Students Within the Political Process.
8. Criteria for Board to Reject Contributions to Help Fund Education.

Yes, the board campaigns should be most fun. Thanks, to several postings here for providing priceless written quotes to provide a 'wake up' call to those of us who care about our kids' education. Your postings will help develop campaign literature and help motivate people who care about education to get to the ballot box. Keep the priceless quotes coming ?… it is certainly helping to unify us.

School Board Candidates


Who are the School Board candidates for the upcoming election?

Who do the Athletic Boosters endorse? Are the Athletic Booster allowed to make Political Endorsements? What type of campaign contributions can an endorse candidate expect from the Athletic Boosters? Do the Athletic Boosters make their membership rosters available for activities that support political candidates? Where's Jim Petro when we need him ??

By Heritage Voter

What are you talking about?

Are you talking about the discussions recently on the PATA site or something else I'm not aware of? If you are referring to PATA then I don't think 6 or 7 people talking about school issues constitutes 'record levels'. I also don't know about these '2 groups' of people you refer to - maybe there is something going on outside of this site or I really don't read between the lines as much as you do. Either that or you've taken the ''You're with me or against me'' attitude and that constitutes 2 groups.

The only mud-slinging I've seen in the PATA discussions has originated from you in the from of unfounded accusations in what seems to be a personal vendetta you have against Bruce and Gail.

If you are going to honestly take quotes from an anonymous in nature website for use in political literature then please do so. Should prove to be comical at best and have the same impact as the anonymous sources quoted in the National Enquirer.

'Without Much Pain' PLSD Budget

Yes, I can hear it now. Clips of the audio tapes of the January 27, 2003 PLSD Board Meeting running in 30 second political radio spots in the fall with Bruce Rigelman saying: ''The Finance Committee met yesterday for many hours. We are going to balance the budget next year (FY 04). If that requires, and that probably will require, cutting $6 million from the budget. And, we're nearly, nearly all the way there. WE CAN DO IT WITHOUT MUCH PAIN, but there is obviously some (pain). I know my daughter complained last night to me at the dinner table about the 65 degree temperatures in the classrooms to save us, I think, alot on our heating expenses. And, I guess people are going have to get used to wearing sweaters...''

And, then, a distinguished voice comes on the radio spot and asks the question, ''Do you agree that for the last two years govern by Monhollen-Oakes-Rigelman that there has been little pain to balance our budget?''

Vote November 4, 2003!