Taxpayers United platform

| 29 Sep 2011 | 02:46

    Taxpayer United candidates chose not to answer the questions posed by the youth from “Future of Pike County” because the questions being asked were not the most compelling issues facing DV Taxpayers and students. Taxpayers’ United candidates and Board Members believe that in today’s economic climate, the most important issue is fiscal responsibility and educational excellence. The youth have endorsed the Fisher Ticket because they are asking for a return to fiscal responsibility. Apparently they have neglected to do their homework. In the four years that the Fisher Ticket was in the majority, Pike County was experiencing a housing boom. Every home that was built in the district brought in new revenue, millions in transfer taxes, as well as state and federal funding; yet the Fisher Ticket raised our taxes over 20%. Why? Because they were in a spending frenzy. They spent over $800,000 on grass carpet, $60 million on bonds, $90,000 on land, on which they were ready to spend an additional $500,000 for bleachers. They attempted to buy additional land (Santos Farm) for $7 million dollars, and $2.8 million dollars on the Biondo property with the intentions of building a $60 million dollar school. The Fisher Ticket over-funded the Capital Reserve by hundreds of thousand of dollars, making it Christmas in July by spending the excess on “unbudgeted items.” Fortunately, you the taxpayer voted them out of office. You replaced them with the Taxpayers United slate, giving us the majority. Even until today the Fisher “Tax and Spend Ticket” makes no apology for their spending frenzy and lays claim to being fiscally responsible. An endorsement for the Fisher “Tax and Spend Ticket” is a step backwards, not forward. Equally as important is the issue of our children’s education. When the Fisher Ticket was in the majority, despite the massive spending our children’s SAT scores were below the national average. This must change. If our children are going to compete in this global economy, they must be admitted to top universities and colleges. This will never happen if their SAT scores are not raised. Taxpayers United board members are working with the teachers and administrators in revamping our curriculum from K to 12 in order to raise SAT scores within the next two years to the National average. Mr. Goldsack, Mr. Marasa and Ms. Wright are fully committed to this goal and will work with the current Taxpayers United members to make this a reality. Unfortunately, the youth from Future of Pike County did not ask one question about our special needs students. While the Fisher Ticket was on their spending spree, special needs students were sorely over looked and under funded so much so that two of the children’s parents had to sue the District in order to get what the federal and state government mandated all special needs children are entitled to. Goldsack, Marasa and Wright are committed to improving our special needs program. DV’s motto of “Educating for Life’s Journey” must also include our special needs children so their dreams and their parent’s dreams of continuing on life’s journey beyond DV may be realized. This is our platform. We see these three issues as being the most important issues facing our taxpayers and our students. In the last election cycle, Taxpayers United candidates promised taxpayers a zero tax increase, we kept our promise. We promised clean drinking water for the children of the Ding Del campus, we kept our promise. We added 45 co-curricular activities (after school programs). We hired armed school police for the safety of our children and teachers, all without raising your taxes. We promise you continued fiscal responsibility, and as always we stand for “Higher Education Lower Taxes”. We respectfully ask for your vote on May 19. Vote for Goldsack, Marasa & Wright. Bob Goldsack, president, Taxpayers United Milford