Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

This week in Pickerington editorial said if these elected leaders what to continue to do nothing then, ''they should be voted out of office.'' That link is provided to your left in OUR pages under the title ''LOCAL NEWSPAPER takes a Stand in Editroial.''

Now what does that really mean? Are they endorsing the recall effort? Clearly to vote someone out of office you vote to recall them. The only way I can see actually voting someone out of office would be to vote them out in a recall election. If we have 6 candidates for office and you can only vote for 3 then you are not actually voting them out. You are voting in the one you want.

I think it has finally got through to the local papers now what needs to be done. I don't want to mis-read their words but it certainly seems to me that they have come a long way baby!!

By William

email to TWIP

From: Lisa Ross
Date: Friday, July 25, 2003 05:07:33 PM
To: Mike Maurer
Subject: Re: TWIP editorial

Well Mike, let the collective ''paper'' know that I think it was an extraordinary effort, not the usual from TWIP that we had gotten used to for the past few years. I believe it should be obvious to most readers that somebody did some homework, whether one agrees or not.

I have been watching the local media here since 1993 and this is one of the best efforts I have seen. Once again thank you and keep up the good work, this community needs all the help it can get.

Lisa Ross

-------Original Message-------

From: Mike Maurer
Date: Friday, July 25, 2003 03:49:31 PM
To: Lisa Ross
Subject: Re: TWIP editorial

Lisa,

Thank you for the note and the link, but the paper is the the paper. You
will read things with which I agree, disagree and have no position about.

Mike

No thanks TWIP...


TWIP can spout off all it wants about ?“voting them out of office?”.

Didn?’t TWIP endorse Lee Gray and Randy Hughes? Didn?’t TWIP also support the Community Authority? The same Community Authority that will bury the city with 4,500 houses? [Community Authority = 4,500 houses X 1.8 student per house = 8,100 students ~ or a lot more papers!]

Hmm. How are we, the taxpayers, supposed to pay for that?

The only reason TWIP finally took a stand in their editorial (if that?’s what you want to call it) is to not look so incredibly foolish to the readers. I mean when you look at the statistics they provide one can no longer ignore the fact that 400 students a year will bury any school district in central Ohio, no matter how many Les Wexner's thay have! We taxpayers simply cannot support that kind of student influx.

The truth of the matter is TWIP is still ignoring the heart of the issue by not placing blame squarely on the shoulders of the guilty party [Pickerington City Council and the BIA; both are so entwined one can?’t tell who?’s who at times].

They have buried this community in houses and refuse to quit. They should have been voted out years ago. Too little too late TWIP!

But you did notice TWIP didn?’t dare say ?“recall?” because, in truth, they still support the city and the BIA (more residents = more papers = more growth and growth is a GOOD THING!!!!). Their soft-shoe reprimand isn?’t going to fly with this voter. I?’m not biting on their sudden change of heart or their recommendation to support the school levy!

We told PLSD loud and clear in May that we don?’t want sports; we are willing to forgo sports so as to put pressure on the elected officials to get residential development under control. What does PLSD do? Jump in bed with the BIA and developers. Is every elected body in this community rotten to the core? Who do they serve? The money is for the kids but FROM THE VOTERS !!! When will you listen up? It took how long for the board to ?“take a stand??” Too little too late board of education!

Thus far I haven?’t found many people who are going to vote ?“Yes?” on the levy. I have seen a few signs; mainly they?’re on the corners of subdivisions because there is no real support. This special election is just a sham to try to hood-wink voters with an end around when the voter turnouts is notoriously low.

The fact that TWIP has supported EVERY school levy should be a good indication that the editors don?’t live here. They don?’t know what?’s going on outside these local government meetings.

People are angry. Stop the houses! Until there?’s some definitive controls in place, the schools will never have the kind of support they once enjoyed. And that?’s not a good thing!

People are running

For the first time in a long time our incumbants will have challengers. For those of you that were able to see the Violet Festival Parade this evening we now have candidates. David Shaver was in the Parade running for Mayor. Oh by the way Postage sat upon our $17,000 incumbant float. There must be some kind of weight limit on it because they only allow one city incumbant on it at a time. Bill Wright was alone on it during the 4th of July Parade.

Also running is Heidi Riggs who was appoointed to council. She walked in the parade.

Ted Hackworth walked the parade as well.

I understand Diane Shankland is running and she was in the 4th of July Parade.

For all of the energy that is expressed here on this web site you should now be calling one of these candidates to offer your support and your help. They will be battling the BIA and all of their high dollar contributors. I believe they are all in the book. If you don't know how to get in touch some of them have left their e-mail addresses here on this site. Now is the time for the viewers of this site to stand up and be counted. Do we continue the way we have for years now or do we make a change.

I also understand that there might be another candidate stepping forward soon.

If you all sit there and do nothing then nothing will change. They will continue to build houses with total disregard for the schools only the BIA members bottom line. We have at least 4 maybe 5 people stepping forward to address our local issues in the city. The very least any of you can do is to give them support.

Here is a list of things needed to be done:
1. Donate money to their campaigns
2. Help stuff envolopes
3. Walk in parades
4. Make phone calls to voters
5. Hang fylers on mail boxes

This list is true for all campaigns. The more people that step forward and help these candidates the better their chances are. You will make a difference if you help. Never under estimate the importance of campaign workers. Let's make November 4th a great day for this city and community.