Support our Anthony Wayne Schools
On Tuesday, August 5, 2008 we have important issues to decide within the Anthony Wayne School District. We are faced with the decision on whether to support our schools with a renewal of an emergency operating levy first passed in 2003 and passage of a new levy to provide additional funds for a 5 year period. Together these levies will provide 6.5 mills annually for the Anthony Wayne School District. I am proud to announce that the Anthony Wayne Democratic Club unanimously endorsed the levies at its May 28, 2008 meeting.
I understand the arguments against the levies and certainly can empathize with those who are on a fixed income and are being hit hard with the rising cost of living, and who feel that they cannot absorb yet another tax. I believe we must support our schools which are achieving an excellent rating on an annual basis.
If you are tired of seeing your property taxes go up and want to see some action by our do-nothing state legislature on this issue which has been on the horizon for over 10 years, I urge you to take the following action: Please contact our representatives in state government and ask them to act on this issue of great importance. For those in the Anthony Wayne School District, the folks to contact are Mark Wagoner, our newly appointed State Senator for District 2 and Barbara Sears, our newly appointed state representative for District 46. Ask them to work toward a solution for school funding in Ohio. Remind them that it may take political courage to tackle this issue, and ask them to exhibit that courage.
In short, until we can devise a better way to fund our schools, I believe we should support our local educators and our children and vote yes on these operating levies. Let's keep a good thing going in southwest Lucas County.
Thank you,
Mark Dansack, President
Anthony Wayne Democratic Club
posted by Mark @ 8:12 PM
10 comments
10 Comments:
Can you tell me why the Administration built a "Taj Mahal" for the school district offices? Its poor decisions like these by our elected officials that make it more difficult to pass a school levy.
I forget. Didn't Strickland campaign on education or something?
Thanks for the constructive comments. I am not part of the AW administration and the Superintendent's post has changed hands since the new district offices were built.
What I do know is that we have known in this state that our methods of funding primary and secondary education are deficient and nothing has been done by the GOP legislature in the past 12 years. Governor Strickland has been in office about 17 months and both houses of the state government are still controlled by the GOP.
I hope he will propose his plan for the funding of schools soon, but in the meantime, we have many legislators who been around longer than he has who refuse to do much of anything on this issue. Most are busy raising ungodly amounts of money to run for office so they can keep everything the same. That includes our State Senator for District 2 who apparently has marching orders to keep things as they are from all the big money special interests who bankroll his campaigns.
Instead of lame press releases we have seen from his office lauding the minute amounts of money coming this way from Columbus, maybe he and his cohorts can put their collective heads together to iron out a new funding plan for education in Ohio.
While they're at it, they can figure out a way to make schools whole after phasing out the tangible personal-property tax in our state.
The CAT (commercial activities tax), begun to replace the revenue raised from the tangible personal property tax with the help of our State Senator (who doesn't raise or create new taxes?), has not been sufficient in replacing the former funding source. We've seen local districts such as Anthony Wayne and Oregon hurt by the reduced funding this action has taken.
Thanks and have a great afternoon.
Mark
Simple fix:
1. Remove the teachers union and pay a fair realist wage for the time actual worked!
2. Tighten the belt on spending
3. Pay to play sports program. ( nothings free in life)
4. Standard textbooks (no teacher creative ideas that does no belong in education!)
Maybe Granger wasn't the one responsible for "The Palace on Bucher" but I'm sure some of the board members are. And I'm sure his salary is larger than his predecessor’s was.
I am disheartened by public officials who, instead of following good fiscal policies, just keep throwing levies at the voters and threatening them with cutbacks, until they manage to shove it down their throats.
As a Senior Citizen who has worked many years and supported the school district, but is now on a fixed income, I can't just petition the Federal Government for more Social Security. I have to live within my means and I think the school district needs to do the same until things get better.
I understand your sentiments about holding the line on spending. You and I do this within our household budgets every year. With the rising energy and food costs we are experiencing, this is no easy task.
But the school system faces similar challenges with soaring energy and transportation costs. They have made cutbacks, but with the increasing number of students the district has seen over the past few years, the costs continue to escalate.
I would prefer if the Ohio General Assembly would address this problem. Please contact our State Senator, Mark Wagoner and our state Representative, Barbara Sears and ask that they work on this issue.
Remind them that it may take political courage and ask them to exhibit that courage.
If they won't address the issue, I suggest joining me and voting for Jackie Brown for State Senate and Darlene Dunn for State Rep and give them the chance to work for us, the citizens of District 46 on these issues of great importance.
Thanks and have a nice day.
Mark Dansack
Last year Governor Strickland modified the Homestead Exemption to give seniors a break on our property taxes. It has helped us cope with the outrageous prices on medications as well as food and energy. We applaud Gov. Strickland for this.
But now the AW School District wants more money. Don't we all! This will not only eliminate the small break that seniors got, but add to the financial burden for most.
I have neighbors who own farmland who pay real estate taxes at less than half the rate of the rest of us. They need to pay more. By the way it seems that most of the signs supporting the new levies are on farm properties. Isn't that ironic?
I have to question the leadership of the AW School District. They put two (2) property tax levies on non-general election ballots, fail to properly promote the issues/educate the electorate, and they are narrowly defeated. They then change course and put an income tax levy on the fall general election ballot.
I recently relocated to the Monclova Area because the community did not have a local income tax. Now AW wants to dig even deeper into my pocket without giving the property tax levy a shot on a ballot that will have a greater turnoout. My share under the income tax will be at least 1.5 times what it would have been under the property tax levy. I think the decision will drive many of us who supported the past levys to vote against this new proposal. I know I will.
There needs to be a house cleaning in the AW Bd. of Education.!
I supported the request for additional millage in August. I will not support a request for a 1/2% income tax. I am disappointed in the lack of leadership on our school board. Mark, perhaps you will consider a run next year?
Mark,
Have you looked into the salaries of the AW administration, specificlly the new assistant principal with no experience? It's really hard to support an income tax when I see the money being spent like this. And by the way, if that income tax had passed, wouldn't it had generated 3 times the ammount of the previous levies? Our community is obviously hurt by the decisions our district has made in the past and it's time they show us we can trust them. Yes, mastakes have been made but I feel they have all been pushed under the carpet and not dealt with. The income tax didn't pass so now Granger wants to put it right back to another vote? That costs tax money everytime he does that....I've heard $40,000 each time????????
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