When the USD 259 (Wichita, Kansas) school board voted on February 11, 2008 to hold a special bond issue election on May 6, board member Jeff Davis was the only dissenting vote. His reason, as reported in the Wichita Eagle, was that his district wasn’t given equal consideration. His district wasn’t getting its fair share.
Somehow he got the message that his protest vote wasn’t appreciated. Two weeks later he asked to have his vote changed.
Now Wichita Eagle sports columnist Bob Lutz is considring a similar strategy. His column Adjustments to bond issue still tough sell goes so far as to belittle the co-leaders of Citizens Alliance for Responsible Education (CARE) as mere bond “supporters.” The quotation marks, he says, are to make a point.
Evidently Mr. Lutz believes that this tinkering at the margins threatens community support for this bond issue. It might even cause him to vote against the bond, if that’s what “flustered now about how to vote” means.
Never mind that millions in athletics-related spending is still in the proposed bond issue.
Never mind that two regional football stadiums with artificial turf and all-weather tracks remain in the plan.
Never mind that replacement gymnasiums with seating capacity of 2,000 each remain in place at several high schools.
Never mind that taxpayers provide USD 259 with over $12,000 each year to spend on each student, perhaps approaching or exceeding $13,000 in the coming school year.
Never mind that each person living within the boundaries of USD 259 is taxed $1,749 each year by federal, state, and local governments to pay for USD 259 spending.
All this isn’t exactly what Bob Lutz wants.
[…] bond proposal, only three months before the voters decide, will hurt its chances of passing. Bob Weeks responds to Bob Lutz’s column with some concerns of his […]
We haven’t even paid off the last one yet. Why are we stacking bonds on top of bonds.
[…] Like his colleague Bob Lutz, some people don’t see how much they already have. Lutz complained that because some athletic facilities are being considered for removal from the bond issue plan, he might change his mind and vote against the bond, following the lead of Wichita school board member Jeff Davis. Never mind how much is still in the plan, as mentioned here: Will Bob Lutz Follow Jeff Davis on the Wichita School Bond Issue? […]