With only one local paper covering the public comments of the last Pickerington School Board meeting it seemed appropriate to make the complete comments of one of the citizens who spoke available to the community as they have been forwarded to PATA.
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On July 25th this school board unanimously adopted a statement on community growth which, in part, stipulated the following:
?• that new residential growth should be limited to the lowest possible density, and
?• that all developers be required to contribute in ways that would enhance this district?’s ability to manage growth.
I personally find the timing of your growth statement highly suspect, coming just 11 days before a critical levy vote - - but your message was, nonetheless, a welcome - - albeit tardy - - one for the community to hear.
In light of this statement, and the fact that you are leaders representing the voters in this school district, I ask you tonight to demonstrate that leadership by rejecting the so-called extra-curricular ?“donations?” from the builders and developers because - - as leaders - - you should publicly recognize this donation for what it really is.
There is no free lunch. BIA Executive Director Tom Hart made that very clear in his recent letter to Mayor Postage - - directly tying the donation to rejection of a building moratorium which would - - in response to your statement - - manage residential growth in Pickerington.
A donation is defined in the dictionary as a gift - - something bestowed without compensation. Repeat - - without compensation . You cannot act for the Mayor, or City Council, but you can act as leaders representing our schools.
I ask you to carefully consider the message you send to young people in whose behalf you act. Taking this money - - for any reason however worthy, and under these conditions, is a blatant betrayal of these children and the long term viability of the school district you represent. Tell Mr. Hart and the BIA there are no Judas?’s in this school district, and you do not want their 30 pieces of silver.
It is tragic enough that these so-called ?“donations?” are an unabashed attempt to buy your approval of a community authority which one of your own - - Mr. Rigelman - - has demonstrated will significantly worsen an already desperate situation in our schools. It?’s hard to believe each one of you is not aware of this.
I can find no one who will dispute that this authority will -- at the very minimum - - add between four and five thousand new students to our district over the next decade - - while providing not one cent in operating funds to educate these children. In addition, this authority is totally at odds with your statement on residential growth density.
On the basis of these two facts alone, this authority is totally unacceptable to the majority of this community and given your pre-election statement on growth , must be equally unacceptable to you.
Your choice is simple: do you take those 30 pieces of silver .. . or, do you exhibit the leadership entruste4ed to you . . . live up to the policy you set just days ago . . . and, most important, teach our children a lesson in ethics more valuable than any they will ever receive in the classroom?
The choice is yours.
Thank you.
Jack Wittenmeier
By Webmaster III
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On July 25th this school board unanimously adopted a statement on community growth which, in part, stipulated the following:
?• that new residential growth should be limited to the lowest possible density, and
?• that all developers be required to contribute in ways that would enhance this district?’s ability to manage growth.
I personally find the timing of your growth statement highly suspect, coming just 11 days before a critical levy vote - - but your message was, nonetheless, a welcome - - albeit tardy - - one for the community to hear.
In light of this statement, and the fact that you are leaders representing the voters in this school district, I ask you tonight to demonstrate that leadership by rejecting the so-called extra-curricular ?“donations?” from the builders and developers because - - as leaders - - you should publicly recognize this donation for what it really is.
There is no free lunch. BIA Executive Director Tom Hart made that very clear in his recent letter to Mayor Postage - - directly tying the donation to rejection of a building moratorium which would - - in response to your statement - - manage residential growth in Pickerington.
A donation is defined in the dictionary as a gift - - something bestowed without compensation. Repeat - - without compensation . You cannot act for the Mayor, or City Council, but you can act as leaders representing our schools.
I ask you to carefully consider the message you send to young people in whose behalf you act. Taking this money - - for any reason however worthy, and under these conditions, is a blatant betrayal of these children and the long term viability of the school district you represent. Tell Mr. Hart and the BIA there are no Judas?’s in this school district, and you do not want their 30 pieces of silver.
It is tragic enough that these so-called ?“donations?” are an unabashed attempt to buy your approval of a community authority which one of your own - - Mr. Rigelman - - has demonstrated will significantly worsen an already desperate situation in our schools. It?’s hard to believe each one of you is not aware of this.
I can find no one who will dispute that this authority will -- at the very minimum - - add between four and five thousand new students to our district over the next decade - - while providing not one cent in operating funds to educate these children. In addition, this authority is totally at odds with your statement on residential growth density.
On the basis of these two facts alone, this authority is totally unacceptable to the majority of this community and given your pre-election statement on growth , must be equally unacceptable to you.
Your choice is simple: do you take those 30 pieces of silver .. . or, do you exhibit the leadership entruste4ed to you . . . live up to the policy you set just days ago . . . and, most important, teach our children a lesson in ethics more valuable than any they will ever receive in the classroom?
The choice is yours.
Thank you.
Jack Wittenmeier
By Webmaster III
