Weirdly, our county, city, and port elected representatives imagine we need their guidance to vote.
More weirdly, they pretend they should use their official position authority to sway constituents.
Outdoing this make-believe, our elected self-delude.
They don’t need to research issues before pontificating their endorsements.
Upstaging their big hutzpah, these masterminds guess Port Angeles School District’s proposed 75 percent school property tax increase affordability for themselves means affordability for others. That’s not necessarily true.
Informed voters will know the elected “drank PASD Kool Aid,” shorting themselves knowledge before their levy endorsement.
By first self-educating as responsible voters do, these masterminds would know: PASD’s leadership understands modular construction satisfies all building codes and cuts construction costs by at least 35 percent or more.
Oopsie.
Modular construction’s not in the levy plan.
PASD’s Hazard Mitigation Plan says, “all facilities are at a very high risk” [for earthquakes].
The document also says “reducing threats to life safety is the highest priority.”
Uh-ho.
Maybe the board forgot safety is first.
Hamilton School seismic overall would cost about $1.3 million in the capital levy.
Couldn’t we seismically overhaul a lot of school facilities for $46.7 million bucks?
Maybe parents and students will like smaller class sizes more than safety from earthquakes?
Districtwide student headcount fell 20 percent during 1997-2007.
Elementary school headcount has dropped 22 more students since 2007.
Why does ballot argument claim five overcrowded elementary schools?
PASD board directors want $46.7 million for “compliance.”
They imagine somebody “orders” smaller class sizes.
Washington’s attorney general disagrees.
Too bad they don’t know the truth at www.stop75percenttax.com.
Reject this blistering tax hike levy!
Dan Shotthafer,
Port Angeles