By Samuel Strait, Reporter at Large – June 9, 2021
As predicted, the Del Norte Unified School District can not refrain from
joining the parade of government looking to extract even more money from
the tax payers here locally. In a recent school board meeting, members
on the school board are looking at 2022 to encumber property owners with
a further $47,000,000 bond proposal only two years after running through
the previous 2008 bond of $25,000,000. Has anyone heard a peep out of
the citizen’s advisory group that was formed following the passage of
the 2008 bond measure? No surprise there, not a peep. Of course the
locals in Smith River might be happy after that school received the
benefit of a new school gymnasium, but other than a few shiny new
windows at Crescent Elk, it appears the rest of the district’s schools
are in dire need of $47,000,000 in new gratuitous spending.
This of course begs the question, what happen to the educational
component in all this grandiose spending? Continuous decline in over
all quality of education seems to be the answer to that question.
Naturally the blame will be laid at the door step of the “pandemic”, yet
the decline in quality of education had been going on well before the
“pandemic” took center stage. The past year has been less than the
great success in learning, so why not distract the public with the
commencement of the pleading for more money……”for the children”.
Enough voters bought into the last round of propaganda by the school
district that the money would be well spent, and a citizens advisory
group would insure that was the case. Some how they were appointed,
never to be heard from again. Who knows just how $25,000,000, closer to
$50,000,000, was spent? Perhaps before asking for another round of
bonds the district might just want to enlighten the public exactly how
it was expended.
Most property owners are already paying for believing in the local
school district and will be paying for many more years to come. It can
add dollars to a tax bill that many in the community can no longer
afford. Any new bond proposed and passed will only add to that burden.
Say you rent, no problem, won’t affect me. Hold on, it will when the
landlord raises your rent to pay his tax increase. $47,000,000
translates to near $100,000,000 in obligation bond cost to the property
owners. How is that you might ask? Bonds are in affect debt with
interest attached. Over the life time of the bond, interest paid to the
bond holders can effectively double the over all cost of the bond. A
responsible school board will know this and explain to the public what
it means to the community in real dollars. Talking about facility
improvements is all well and good, but how does that expenditure stack
up against the abysmal failure at our local schools to provide a quality
education?
The local school board, in their considerations, might look beyond just
the district’s facility needs and get to know their community. As of
the last census, Del Norte County’s population had begun to decline.
Locals are relocating elsewhere. The current governor is talking
closing prisons. Pelican Bay State Prison has already seen a dramatic
change in prison population. Beyond those employed by government, the
private sector has also shrunk. Public education no longer retains the
trust of many parents who look beyond simply warehousing their children
during the day and expect their children to actually learn something
while in the custody of their local school. As the Federal government
spends money like a house on fire, followed closely by State and local
governments, many household budgets have reached their limit.
California as a whole has not been kind to its residents for some time.
Local government has followed in suit. The continuous look to the tax
payer that produces nothing in return except for further calls for yet
more money will continue the flood of tax payers to the exits. Will the
school district insist on making that exodus even greater? Looks like it.
Thank you Samuel! Finally someone with common sense speaking out. I like The Angry Old American too. People who understand that Socialist/Communist agenda is shoving the indoctrination down the throats of our children and trying to make us pay for it to boot. I have thought for a long time we are the people and we have had enough of this. I would support a complete dismissal of ALL politicians and replacements to be paid minimum wage. Term limits of no more than 4 years for all public servants. Our current “servants” Have sold us down the river and continue to line their pockets at our expense. Now who was it that sold 25% of America’s uranium to Russiaa few years ago? And who has strong ties to Communist China? And they want to raise taxes again? Wake up folks. It is getting late to turn this around. This country is in serious trouble.
Everyone should read the 1985 book “A Citizen Legislature” by Ernest Callenbach and Michael Phillips. Essentially, their proposal was that half of the California legislature, the Assembly, would be made up of individual Californians that would serve as they would on a jury. An internet search will provide information and analysis of this book which I believe is out of print.
Thank you for this article. But first we need to vote on the assessment for Crescent City Fire. I am tossed about which way to vote, but the fact that there is no sunset makes me apt to vote no. What is your recommendation?
The current attempt places yet another cash burden on every one in the district’s zone of responsibility for services, hiring of expensive and unneeded bureaucrats, and purchasing of very expensive unnecessary new equipment focused on fire. The district admitted that very few of it’s current incident calls had anything to do with fire suppression. It is yet another attempt by a local agency to justify their existence and demand more money. Many of the calls that they service at great expense would be better served by ambulance service or less expensive rapid rescue response crew, yet the mentality at the district runs counter to this process that has a proven track record at much reduced cost to the communities they serve. Modern building codes and prevention have dramatically reduced the need for what the district is proposing. The fire district needs to refocused on what is required of them and live within their current means not ask continually for more money. Success by many other government agencies have created an avalanche of requests from the tax payers for more money and the response by those requesting the money is continued lack of ability to provide those services. Money already allocated by the voters in previous elections have produced very little in benefits to the local population except more six figure salaried bureaucrats that are paid to do exactly what? Ask for yet more money to be used to give bureaucrats bigger salaries each and every year. The fire district wants in on the gravy train.
I want a refund! Perhaps the citizens of Del Norte can organize a class action lawsuit against the School District to recover taxes paid for services not rendered. We paid them to provide the children of this County with a basic education. Instead, they provided a communist indoctrination while sending children into the world functionally illiterate. If the only services local parents want is a babysitter while they are away at work, then we can hire babysitters and sack the overpaid administrators, counselors and teachers.
We may need the “Great Reset” after all, but not the version planned by those in power. Instead, the power must be taken back and we must get back to basics. It isn’t a matter of if but rather a matter of when. And when will be a lot sooner than we can all expect given just how fast our governments– local, state and federal are blowing through cash. Do they really thing sleepy Joe will bail them out?
I mean, I guess if we are going to do a cash grab, the time is now but spend it wisely.