District 11 School board meeting

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

SO I went to the public meeting last night, stayed for all 2 hours of the public speakers. I was impressed by most of the speakers, not just the Buena Vista ones. They all made good cases for keeping their schools open. And the speakers who were not focused on a specific school were also mostly good.

But here's the thing, the problem: the people who were there, the people who have been galvanized to do something, those were the people who already cared. They are the people who voted for the Mill Levy in November, and past years. They are the ones who already support neighborhood schools. They are not the problem.

The problem, for lack of a better scapegoat, is the Doug Bruce's of this town. The people who oppose any taxes, no matter what they are used for or what the consequences of failing to increase the taxes. And they are the majority of the voters in District 11. They don't care that their schools are archaic and falling apart. To them it is only about their wallets, not about the greater community. And some of these people with kids don't send them to District 11, they send them to other districts or private schools. And to me this is the real cost and result of the 'Reagan Revolution'. And it makes me angrier and angrier with each passing year. I can hope that this past election signaled a sea change in the electorate, but I can't guarantee it will last or stick (or roll down to our community).