11/07/2007

Voters approve MOST levy requests

Only one question in Stillwater passes, renewing funding; South Washington County faced no opposition

Voters were willing to fund schools in Washington County at their current level but were reluctant to kick in more property tax dollars for education.

South Washington County's request to extend $14.1 million in levies sailed to an easy victory Tuesday. And one of three ballot measures in Stillwater made its way through to renew an $8.9 million levy set to expire after this school year and add $1 million a year in new funding.

Stillwater levy supporters celebrated their victory after battling through a nasty and emotional campaign. Levy opponents faced attacks from an anonymous blogger posting information about their families and children. And people on both sides saw a rash of signs slashed or stolen from their yards.

"We're thankful that the first question passed so we don't have to dismantle our programs," Superintendent Keith Ryskoski said. "But it's disappointing the second and third questions didn't pass so we can make some improvements."

The passage of Stillwater's first question was a critical victory. If the expiring levy had not been replaced, at least 10 cents of every revenue dollar would have disappeared next school year, forcing about $9 million in budget cuts.

Read more @St. Paul Pioneer Press.

16 comments:

CANRAC said...

Pretty good summary here, the one I found interesting was White Bear Lake passing by a landslide.

Now the naysayers could divert from the real issues to target people who work in one school district or live in another; or voters miles away, say in Utah, for not voting the right way.

There is however opportunity in "no" votes. These districts will obviously need funding and with the holidays coming up, nuts are a nice gift so get those kids out and selling. I think I'm seeing a pattern here, support no votes for schools and then swoop in with a fund raiser, sending kids out in the winter weather to sell something, say like canned nuts.

Just thoughts, looks like the old plywood and duct tape can go into Christmas decorations for the time being.

Anonymous said...

You people never cease to amaze me at this blog. You swallow the union Kool-aid hook, line and sinker.

"They'll have to increase class sizes!" So what. Have you taken any humanities classes at your local university? How does 100+ students sound to you?

"They'll have to cut back on teachers!!" Why? Maybe the teachers just don't get a raise this year. Times are tough. Check out whats happening in private industry to the people who actually work for a living. Maybe teachers can get a part-time job during their 3-month summer vacation. Oh yea, I forgot, they have to go to summer school and keep their certificate up with the last basket weaving course.

Maybe we could cut out a few assistant administrators working for the assistant principals. Obviously, you socialists wouldn't understand common practices used in private enterprise. But then again why should you taken part in a reality shared by the actual taxpayers of this country.

Anonymous said...

I would like to personally thank the Repulican party's control on the economy for the past seven years which, according to anonymous, is "tough times" out there. So, according to anonymous, public servants should share the pain more than they already do - just because of the failure of the private sector (Way to go private sector! Aren't you suppose to be the wealth builders? Where's the wealth?) Maybe public servants should allow the Republicans to destroy their unions so that they would be easier to beat down. That should make anonymous happier. Heck, let's get rid of all unions and the middle class while we're at it. Why do I get the feeling that anonymous is one of the "actual taxpayers" who really doesn't pay any taxes.

CANRAC said...

Hey Anon, some of us haven't drank the Kool-Aid on either side. I've voted no in some referendums, I do agree that administrative levels in govt. structures can get very top heavy, and I agree that wages and health insurance costs need to be dealt with. You condemn people for not drinking the Kool-Aid offered by one side of the issue, and yet your condemning those who don't drink the Kool-Aid the other side is offering. And I think continuing ed is great for ANY occupation. Lastly thanks for considering me as one who works for a living since I'm in the private sector slaving away.

What amazes me is that there are blogs who let anybody say what they think, no rules or agenda. Noting worse then a blog with few posters which registers good hit numbers because people are always looking for a laugh.

Thanks for reading.

Anonymous said...

Since you "blue staters" are so big on passing laws and trying to regulate us into a nanny state, maybe we should pass a law that makes it illegal for people who profit from the outcomes of these levy votes to refrain from promoting them. That would keep the local principals and teacher spouses off the "Vote Yes To Increase Larceny" committee. It's called a conflict of interest and should be illegal.

Maybe we need to change the pay structure for teachers so they get paid for performance not by seniority. Why should an old, disgruntled teacher get paid more than a young enthusiastic teacher? Maybe we should get rid of the union, if they can work with the school system to come up with a pay-for-performance plan. If teachers can teach and inspire students to a level where they are making the accepted scores than maybe they need to get fired. That's what happens in private industry. Oh I forgot. You guys all work for the government and don't understand the concept of efficiency.

CANRAC said...

Anon, you know as well as I do getting rid of the union isn't going to happen.

I'll disagree with "old disgruntled teachers" maybe being the problem. I miss alot of the older teachers, I've found much more issue with the younger/newer ones when my kids were in school. I would support pay by performance as long as the measuring method is consistent and to some degree of accuracy.

And spousal support for work issues is nothing new, happens in education and private business. To say that spouses should be unable to vote or speak up is stupid and ignorant. Oddly enough it is the mindset of some we constantly hear griping about their personal and constitutional rights being violated.

Anonymous said...

Anon,

You are so incredibly ill informed about the teaching profession it's pathetic. If teaching is as easy and lucrative as you believe, THEN WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU BECOME A TEACHER!

I'm not a teacher, but your insult that they are thieves is getting pretty F*%(*in' old.
Shouldn't you be busy trying to cut some bridge inspector jobs anyway?

Anonymous said...

Anon wonders if we understand the concept of efficiency. Is that like when the Not Sure Nut Company cuts its product line down to just one item - Jumbo Cashews?? That's efficiency all right. Makes it easier to count the "profits" - in pennies!

Anonymous said...

It's always interesting to visit this dung heap of a blog and see that you socialist can follow a rational line of discussion and must turn to the old union thuggery trick in the book -- personal attacks.

If you are paying attention, levies were shot down in Robbinsdales and Buffalo and partially in Stillwater. The only school districts that had organized opposition.

This is a revolt that is gaining credible traction and it's coming to a school district near you. You think Hudson is going to pass a referendum for a Taj Mahal High School like New Richmond? In this economy! Good luck socialists. Those suckers in New Richmond will going into cardiac arrest when they see their upcoming property tax bills.

Anonymous said...

Anon,
This dung heaps alway welcomes flies and maggots. There must be some natural attraction.
The health of the economy is irrelevant as far as your extremist perspective on public education goes.
No doubt, a poor economy will favor you Nay-Sayers but has nothing to do with your disdain for the public good.
Your unimaginative repetition of tired slogans give you away as a hard core public education foe.
"You Taj Mahal Socialists Union Thugs." What an F*^%$#ing joke.
As far as personal attacks go, maybe you should review that parade of insults on OTBL from Chuckles the Clown to Two-Names Second Choice and Prissy 'panties in a bunch" Widemouth, posted long before the foundation of this blog.
The ultimate hypocrisy of your side is that you send you own offspring to the very schools you despise and whine when they don't get favored treatment. Grow up and become a responsible citizen, like normal people.

CANRAC said...

If the revolt gains credible traction as fast as OTBL put the HSO out of business and has gained the majority of the community as supporters, none of us will be alive to see the revolt.

While you can say there were failed referendums, there were also some that passed by a pretty good margin, White Bear would be an example. And I see Prescott, here in our lovely Wisconsin passed one too.

Unfortunately some in this community feel you shouldn't drink somebody elses Kool-Aid, and should only drink thiers. There is no middleground for somebody to say no thanks to both, or the right to make their own.

And N.Ominous has been a busy poster today, once again OTBL provided laughs for many who aren't necessarily public employees, are married to public employees, and don't belong to unions.

How many actually post on OTBL now? Is it 5, or is it up to 7?

Anonymous said...

Did you notice that all the referedums that passed on Tuesday were in solid Democratic areas. This only emphasizes that fact that Democratics voters tend to score lower on intelligence test and generally have lower incomes.

We've learned from our mistakes and the Hudson school district knows it can't fool the local voters into paying for a new high school. How will it play out in the public debate when the taxpaying sheep of the Hudson school district realizes they voted for an elementary school that really wasn't needed.

CANRAC said...

Can you be a little more specific in saying that "referendums passed in solid democratic areas"? What data did you use? And your fact that Dem's score lower on intelligence tests and have lower incomes?? How did you derive that comment or what source did you use?

And you state "can't fool the voters into paying for a new high school?". I think we've heard this before in previous referendums and they have passed, so I assume this is a prediction you are making. Fact is, I tend to agree with you only on the point that getting a referendum for a high school passed will be difficult. The school board made a huge mistake in not addressing it during the last elementary school referendum (note* I voted NO because a high school wasn't addressed and I also wasn't sure it wasn't a bigger need then elementary)and I think this will come back and make a HS referendum very difficult to pass.

Please back up your claims which I addressed in paragraph one, I'm wondering what information you used.

Anonymous said...

Anon Anon Da Peanut Mon is making more dire predictions for referenda, mon. "Dey will go Down In Flames, Mon!" His predictions and a 2.5 oz. bag of Jumbo Cashews will buy you ------ a nut allergy! Plywood and duct tape signs aren't going to stop the steamroller that is the need and desire for a new high school in Hudson. The only "traction" he's going to get is from the ground-up cashews he puts under his tires in the winter to get out of a ditch!

Anonymous said...

Canrac,

It's a known fact in the wing nut world that Democratic College professors, Doctors, Lawyers and Teachers score low in intelligence tests. As the OTBL rationalists will tell you it's a "truism". Don't you know nuttin?
If this High School doesn't get done, you're going to see higher income professionals move away from Hudson to a place that has decent schools. This may be the migration the wing nuts are predicting, but they may be surprised to see them move to New Richmond.

Anonymous said...

Sorry Exodus, but the OTBLers don't believe in "truisms" They believe in "truthiness".

1. truthiness (noun)
1 : "truth that comes from the gut, not books" (Stephen Colbert, Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report," October 2005)
2 : "the quality of preferring concepts or facts one wishes to be true, rather than concepts or facts known to be true" (American Dialect Society, January 2006)

Or to quote Stephen Colbert: Truthiness is 'What I say is right, and [nothing] anyone else says could possibly be true.'

Hey why should these yobbos let reality get in the way of their little brains?