Election Cacophony

The cacophony coming out of the student choir and some other sources relative to the upcoming Delaware Valley School Board election makes one wonder if critical reasoning has been lost by many in favor of mindless cheer leading. Also, the use of ad hominem attacks does little to enlighten anyone on the issues at hand. So, what are some of the more important topics that should be discussed in an objective and detailed manner? How about the following: property taxation levels and the impact on home ownership; cost versus education effectiveness; direct voter control over school budget increases; school budget cost controls; basic public education requirements; school board functions and responsibilities; etc. Almost every year, school taxes reach new record levels--- thereby threatening private property ownership. County property foreclosures are at all time highs. The DV student population is in decline. The economy recession is placing great hardships on many of our citizens. Does any of this suggest that fiscal management should be a major requirement of any of the candidates running for the DV school board? Public schools and other taxpayer supported institutions have created fiefdoms and personnel structures that largely have inoculated itself against public oversight. We have teacher tenure, union rights, student rights, mandated expenses, mandated social curriculums, mandated curriculums for the challenged, etc. What we do not have is taxpayer rights and mandates. Shouldn’t the taxpayer have the ultimate say as to what he or she is willing to pay for and how much? The entitlement generation still has to learn that things have to be paid for by someone. Also, in the real world we cannot afford everything under the sun. Not even a public education can be used to justify expenditures that now have reached almost the cost of employing a private tutor. Furthermore, our education system should concentrate on providing excellence in a basic education and not act as an indoctrination center for left-wing ideologies. Establishing expense control procedures and a budget freeze for any tax supported entity is a very difficult task. We voters can, however, attempt to elect fiscal conservatives who we would hope will help to control the tax and spending mania of this generation. Fisher and other fiscal liberals running with him for the DV school board have a history of tax and spend. Taxes are too high as it is. Protect your home and property, vote the tax and spenders out and bar the door to any who would burden you with greater taxation pains. Vote for and vote only for Goldsack, Marasa, and Wright in the May primary to help preserve some fiscal sanity within our school district. Karl H. Flail Westfall