You might be right. This one is tough to call… I wouldn’t take bets either way. You have to keep in mind that this isn’t just about the bond, the money, property taxes, growth, or what is being said by the proponents or opponents. What outsiders need to understand is that the Meridian School District has the fine art of passing a bond down to a science. They choose an amount that will allow them to claim that the levy will “not increase” (they don’t tell you it will also fail to decrease which it would otherwise do.) They also traditionally have a volunteer group that includes a school representative for every school in the district; the school reps recruit a classroom rep for every class; the classroom reps poll all the parents of the students in each class and call to remind all the “yes” people to go vote. They also hold an open house in each of the elementary schools – which double as polling places – ON election day, so parents of school-age kids who are the most likely “yes” voters are on site already. I don’t know whether to admire their organizational skills or condemn these insider tactics. It certainly gives one reason to think long and hard about lowering the 2/3 majority required to pass these things. (I OPPOSE lowering the 2/3 supermajority for this very reason!) If I am recalling correctly, the district has received well in excess of 80 percent of the vote in its last several bond elections, so recent history is on their side. This one is a little different, though, because the amount of money they are asking for is SO big! There is also a growing uneasiness about doing anything that will increase our property taxes. So, I’m back to having to say that without some good opinion polling ahead of time, it would be hard to predict the outcome of this election beforehand.

I hope citizens don’t really believe their “one chance” to have voice on growth issues is at school bond election time. By then, the horse is pretty much out of the barn, as the saying goes. Our voice on growth should be first on nomination petitions for City Council and County Commission candidates. Then at the polls. Ask the tough questions. The trick is ensuring they are for slowing the development, or making it FULLY pay for itself, and they aren’t in some fire or police union pocket to give away the other side of the house. Those of us who’ve been in this valley a long time really do resent paying for schools, recreation programs, libraries, parks, police officers, firefighters, sewer lines and manhole covers for those who are buying ticky tacky little boxes on perfectly lovely farm ground. I also have supported school bonds repeatedly over the years. I have worked on bond committees numerous times. However, enough really is enough. Know, however, your voice counts over and over as many times as you choose to sound it.