[Vision2020] Vote YES on School Levy :-)

[Donovan Arnold]

Jford,

You ask,

"Again, WHY HAVEN't YOU, Mr. Arnold and Mr. Phil, GONE TO THE SCHOOLS AND 
TALKED TO THE TEACHERS/STUDENTS/ADMIN/BOARD/FACILITIES COMMITTEE?  WHERE 
WERE YOU THESE PAST TWO or so YEARS THAT THIS HAS BEEN A REAL TOPIC?"

I have done this. I talked to teachers, was a student, I talked to the 
Principle of Moscow High School, Special Education Teachers, and gone to the 
schools. I looked at the reports on the buildings. This is why I do not 
support the levy, it is does not address their needs. It addresses building 
a new school to take advantage of free farm land.

You also ask, "where is this bit about the Junior High Electrical coming 
from?"

It is coming from the Principle of Moscow Junior High School, Larry Verdal. 
You would know that if you listened to what the teachers and others are 
saying.

Again, you can support this levy, or you can ask the committee to come up 
with a plan that addresses the needs of the community. Just because a levy 
supports something in education does not mean that is what the school needs. 
Of course the teachers, students, and administrators will take a new 
building or a few million. But I think we should better fund the things they 
need, not fancy new things they do not.

I will support a levy that addresses the needs of faculty, staff, and 
students, but I will not support a levy that throws hard earned tax dollars 
at expensive items with no real demonstrated need.

Take Care,

Donovan J Arnold



>From: "J Ford" <privatejf32 at hotmail.com>
>To: sslund at adelphia.net, vision2020 at moscow.com
>Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Vote YES on School Levy :-)
>Date: Thu, 07 Apr 2005 22:34:30 -0700
>
>Well said Ms. Lund.
>
>The only real question I have for the TWO gents raising all this fuss is, 
>where is this bit about the Junior High Electrical coming from?  Seems as 
>if this levy continues to be the topic of the day some other smoke screens 
>will be presented.
>
>Again, WHY HAVEN't YOU, Mr. Arnold and Mr. Phil, GONE TO THE SCHOOLS AND 
>TALKED TO THE TEACHERS/STUDENTS/ADMIN/BOARD/FACILITIES COMMITTEE?  WHERE 
>WERE YOU THESE PAST TWO or so YEARS THAT THIS HAS BEEN A REAL TOPIC?
>
>
>
>
>
>>From: "Saundra Lund" <sslund at adelphia.net>
>>To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>>Subject: [Vision2020] Vote YES on School Levy  :-)
>>Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 21:15:33 -0700
>>
>>The increased tax will be a hardship on our family, particularly with the 
>>UI
>>(courtesy of the State's devaluation of higher education & administrative
>>mismanagement at the UI) continuing to erode health benefits, pay, etc.
>>
>>I share some of the concerns expressed by others:  our schools don't have
>>enough text books (where is Arnold when you need him?), special ed 
>>resources
>>are too limited, etc.
>>
>>BUT . . .
>>
>>I've actually been inside the high school over the past few years, 
>>something
>>I suspect many of those opposed to the levy haven't done.  That school has
>>served our youth well, but it's in sad shape now.  Some have mentioned
>>declining enrollment -- well, thank GOD because the facility is 
>>inadequate.
>>Period.  Perhaps the reason so many students eat off campus is because the
>>facilities are sorely inadequate.  Parking is inadequate.  As long as
>>*parents* allow their kids to drive to school (in some cases, all of a few
>>blocks), parking at the current facility is going to be a problem for the
>>students, for faculty/staff, and for our community.
>>
>>Construction isn't going to get any cheaper, and something *has* to be 
>>done.
>>Without more money than we could ever hope to come up with, there's *no* 
>>way
>>to make the current location work as our community's sole high school.
>>
>>A new high school is going to come too late to benefit my daughter, but we
>>are in this community for the long haul.  So, I'm thinking about the 
>>schools
>>my daughter's kids (God willing) will have, my friends' kids will have, 
>>and
>>the rest of our community's kids will have.  In this family, we're 
>>thinking
>>about our community's future.
>>
>>Good people can -- and do -- disagree about the levy.
>>
>>We'll be voting YES on the levy because our community's most precious
>>resource is our children, and we don't think this investment in our
>>community's children is something we can pass up.  Our kids need adequate
>>facilities, including an adequate high school.  Facilities aren't the only
>>part of the equation, but they are an important part.
>>
>>BTW, I take great offense at the "ethical" objections to the grade
>>reconfiguration of having a four-year high school.  Get real!  It's
>>unethical, IMHO, to use scare tactics like that -- for shame, For Shame, 
>>FOR
>>SHAME!
>>
>>And, regardless of the levy outcome, I join many, many others in my 
>>sincere
>>*gratitude* to the Trail family for their generous offer!
>>
>>And, my thanks -- again -- to the Facilities Committee and the School 
>>Board
>>for their hard work sorting through the issues to come up with
>>recommendations for us.
>>
>>
>>Saundra Lund
>>Moscow, ID
>>
>>The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
>>nothing.
>>Edmund Burke
>>
>>
>>
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