Next week, on February 13, residents of Linn County will be voting on whether to approve a ten-year one-cent school infrastructure local option sales tax. I am still deciding how I will vote on this matter. One of the things that the Cedar Rapids Community School District plans to spend the money it would receive on is to improve heating and air conditioning at the three high schools and in two of the district's middle schools. It would be nice to have the schools all air conditioned. I can remember teaching at the beginning and end of school years in unbearable heat. It is very hard to get the job done when everyone is so miserably hot. They are also saying that they will upgrade technology along with other uses of the tax.
One thing that pushes me toward voting for the tax is the vocal opposition of Carol Martin and Dick Fredericks. These two individuals seem to always be opposed to anything that the school district or the city try to do. Martin has been a fixture at city government meetings for years. She always seems to have something to complain about. The website that their organization has just rambles on and on about how the Cedar Rapids Schools do not need the money. They also cite some rather sketchy statistics to attempt to prove their point.
Anyway, I guess I have a little over a week before I have to make a final decision on this issue. I am sure that will be enough time for me to make up my mind.
1 comment:
While I share your concerns about the opposition, don't shoot the messenger. I was a solid "yes" voter until this Tom Sawyer fiasco came about.
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