City Government
A Different SLANT On Election Results
May 19, 2011 
Now that pundits, critics, and proponents have had a day to digest the results of the Tuesday election, it is time for the GUARDIAN slant.
The DAILY PAPER’s Joe Estrella did a piece on the Meridian school levy election claiming voters “torpedoed” the tax hike. Did voters perhaps “decline to grant a request to raise taxes $18.5 million?”
The Daily quoted Elizabeth Fredericksen, director of graduate studies in the department of public policy at Boise State University, saying she was “stunned” by the “angry, resentful wave of opposition” to the levy.
Or did voters politely turn out for an election that was set at a uniform date instead of coinciding with a parent-teacher event set by the school? It was the biggest turnout in recent memory, hence a more representative sampling over the issue of MONEY, not education.
In Nampa the politicos just can’t take “NO” for an answer. For the third time voters have declined to create an auditorium district. If it ever passed, they sure as heck wouldn’t allow three elections to dissolve a district.
In Pocatello the IDAHO STATE JOURNAL complained the uniform election law “just boosts election costs.” Heck, if we did away with elections it would really be cheap and people wouldn’t be burdened with making decisions.
The editorial concludes that somehow the uniform election process, “impairs flexibility of school districts seeking supplemental levies…” While the turn out in parts of Ada County was so great they had to print extra ballots, but in one district in Pocatello garnered a mere 1% voter participation, according to the ISJ.
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Comments & Discussion
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May 19, 2011, 6:53 pm
You’re right Dave. In previous years, the schools only marketed to the parents, through their kids. This year they actually had some opposition, which coupled with a really bad campaign on the schools part to the general public, spelled d-e-f-e-a-t (e).
But realistically, this wasn’t so much a defeat for education (whatever that means) but a recognition on the part of a lot of homeowner’s that you can’t continue to get blood out of a stone.
May 19, 2011, 7:08 pm
I suspect that some anti-levy voters are not so much opposed to education as the Statesman claims, but they resent the return to property tax support.
Then Governor Risch was supposed to shift school support from property tax to sales tax. At that time we all suspected the day would come that tax revenues would diminish and put schools in jeopardy – and here it is!
May 19, 2011, 11:17 pm
Super smart people who spend my money like confetti, Please prove more spending on education will improve students. Even if a factual claim, do students need all that education to work the newly created Obama job at McDonald’s.
Is this possibly the cry of the bird protecting the nest egg. Is the focus the kids? Really? I think it is for many teachers, but the district sure does employ many non-teachers. Can someone tell me of all the money taken in, how much gets to a student? Oh someone said this is a smaller budget than many other States, so what, their kids are slipping too. I pledge allegiance to what? Oh no no! No flags! Unless they’re not our flag. Disconnected from taxpayer means disconnected from the money. Perhaps you should rig the election to do what’s best for the kids.
Teachers please don’t turn on your neighbors because of the “no” vote. Turn on the administration middlemen that prevent so much of that money from getting to you and the students. Do they really have a restaurant in the district headquarters building? How about private bathrooms and company cars? I’ve heard all kinds of stuff. I wonder if they still teach public school students to be distrustful of overbearing governments like they taught me so long ago. We were learning about what could happen if we don’t control our government way back then.
May 20, 2011, 6:08 am
Bill….Good point when Risch took away the school funding from property tax the property tax relief only lasted 1 year. After that the schools started their campaign of supplemental levies…to make up revenue loss from the legislature and reducing sales tax revenues. ANd they will continue till all school districts continue to ask for supplemental levies. Remember tha Boise School will be asking for another supplemental levy, the have a permanent one.
May 20, 2011, 7:25 am
How much stimulus (porculus) money is Meridian School district sitting on? How much did they receive and where did they spend it?
May 20, 2011, 9:23 am
It is simply time for the schools to cut back and the teachers to experience the exact same thing the rest of have had to experience over the last four years – reduction in pay and resources.
It is just that simple. They need to learn to be like those who pay their salaries – we the tax payers.
May 20, 2011, 6:41 pm
I am always amused to listen to liberals whine about losing.
May 21, 2011, 7:48 pm
Gary, You bring up a valid point. One I feel has not been discussed due to so many special interest groups unwilling to deal with reality – low tax base, high unemployment and big government trying to hang on. How about other public service cuts? Fire Fighters, Police, Sheriff, City Hall, EMT etc… Every time those issues are raised the agency yells NIMBY. Look elsewhere we are a “special case”. So if everyone is a special case then no one is right? Did you look at your property tax bill lately? I believe there are 40 some odd taxing districts in Ada County. I have been advocating “share the pain” philosophy for years now and instead – we chop one service to protect others. Even Government pensions should be revisited. In fact, the US Department of Defense is looking into modifying military member retirements now. Hows that for cutting at the front line? But we protect the House,Senate and other government offices; at all levels. Sometimes I just don’t “get it”.