Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Some Comments

Responding to the writer who maintains elected representatives have to reflect the wishes, you're wrong, neighbor. Once elected they have no more responsibility to electorate than to exercise their best judgement. There is no constitutional requirement, federal, state, or local that says they have to pay any attention at all to the voters. If you don't like it then don't reelect them. Since no one even bothered to file for the open seats on the Board of Education I'd say you got your wish. Personally, I think they've a pretty fair job with what they have to work with.

The BOE voted to accept the Facilities Committee Report in May and then voted to adopt the plan as a planning or recommending document in Sept. It's all in the public record available at several places around town. So is the report itself. I know arguing from the facts is cheating.

One thing you won't have to worry about: the Department of Defense requires reading and writing at the 9th grade level. In four or five years, you won't have to worry about that. The kids won't be qualified to join the Army. Of course, our civilization is crumbling around us but you've really showed the teachers' union. Go figure.





By Any Mouse

Some Thoughts for Picktown03

I suspect, Picktown03, that your views are indeed widely shared. I share some of them myself. You also state them well.

Here, however, are three questions for you to consider:

1. Do you agree with me that we need good schools in this community? Never mind extravagant schools or programs without enough educational value to justify their cost. Simply, do we need good schools?

2. Do we need additional classroom space at the K-4 level? Again, never mind whether we needed all the athletic facilities at PHS North, or whether the performing arts center there was too costly. Simply, do we need more elementary classroom space?

3. Since we voters already have rejected the idea of building one large elementary school, rather than two smaller ones, to save some money, does the BOE really have any choice, this time around, except to ask our approval to build two 650 student capacity elementaries? Remember, we already have enough kids in double-wides to fill one such school and, by the time we can open the second one in 2008, we will be well on our way to filling it also.

4. If so, can you and I really justify a ''no'' vote this November as a way of retaliating against the educational establishment?

Numbers always changing

Mr. Rigelman,

Here is what is so confusing and why many of use don?’t trust the board. You are claiming that the board is planning to building two elementary schools that hold 650 students each. I pulled out the FRC report and sure enough they recommend that these two elementary schools be 750 student capacity.

Now to Miss Any Mouse,

First you appear to know a lot. You are right there is no law requiring the school board to check with me before they act or vote. However unlike any other government entity the school boards in Ohio must pass two tests and one is getting elected and then the other is getting their funding approved by the voters. So if I am not happy with what I hear or read then I will vote against your levy or bond issue and you must then do with out. Insulting me or my fellow voters will get you no where. Trying to shame me into voting will only prolong your agony.

So the question is why didn?’t you run for the school board or are you already on the board?

Clearly a number of issues have been discussed on this posting. I know there are those that would like to believe that these postings were the result or input from one or two people in the community. The school board has their collective head in the sand trying to believe they will bullying the parents into passing a levy once the conditions get so bad. Maybe it is time to take a new approach. Maybe a comprehensive plan being put forward showing the citizens how they are trying to address the issues instead of the shell game they currently employ. Maybe a plan that shows some real cost savings and options not allowed to be considered so far because of non support from the PEA.

Like I said

Like I said, winning an argument on the facts is cheating!

By Any Mouse