East Allen County Schools meeting (and what went wrong)

Last night the East Allen County (EACS) school board voted to pursue the option of letting voters increase their property taxes to maintain a status quo school system. That is what the mainstream media is reporting. There were many other events that took place that need to be told. I do want to say that I think some school realignment should take place. But that should take place with current facilities, not building new ones.

First, the board has instituted a time limit for members of the public to address the board. Three minutes. That’s it. When you hit the limit, they cut you off immediately. They did this to me last month. I was granted somebody else’s time when he chose not to speak. Last night they cut off the mayor of New Haven. A certain amount of respect for another elected official would have been in order, especially when the mayor granted a request from the board president to speak before the New Haven city council last month regarding the board’s options. The board president was not given limited speaking time by the mayor.

In a presentation by the bus director, multiple times referred to bus changes that would take place with closed schools – when they close, not if they close.

Another presentation centered on the proposed Capital Projects fund. Of significance was the carryover amount in the line item for future projects in excess of $4 million. That should include an amount of approximately $1 million the board raised from property taxes about 5 years ago to remodel at Highland Terrace. But that plan has since been abandoned. I have raised this issue nearly every year that that money should be returned to the taxpayers. Also within the CPF report was the option that EACS could use bonds to make up the difference to upgrade schools if insufficient funds came in through property taxes. In other words, in the opportunity to consolidate schools would be the time to really upgrade facilities. I think the board should physically review every upgrade in the plan which included, for example, new drinking fountains in one building. Are they really needed?? Now is the time for austerity.

Another point that I have repeatedly mentioned is the property that EACS owns in Leo-Cedarville. It should be sold! It is unnecessary for future facilities. It was brought up by another speaker last night.

At the start of each year (term), board members and staff must fill out potential conflict of interest forms. Board member Bill Hartman is the lead administrator of Blackhawk Christian School. I have no problem with him as an administrator. I have no problem with his Christian declaration. I do believe that his day job requires him to recruit new students to keep the school financially viable. How many of those students have come out of the EACS district?? A student that leaves EACS for Blackhawk takes the public funds away from the district. Is that meeting his fiduciary responsibility to the school district?

The board voted to allow the property taxpayers of the district to increase general operating funds. This should not be used just to balance the financial accounts as Chris Baker from the New Haven Chamber of Commerce said before the board. I think it fair to let the public decide to increase their taxes for the schools. I do, however, think there should be specific restrictions put on that increase: 1. All employee groups must agree not to pursue that money for salary increases. 2. Prior to implementation, use of the money MUST be identified. Again, as Mr. Baker said, I think the money should be used for advanced programs in the district.

There are many other points that probably need to be made, but I will finish with this one. After the bus director’s presentation, board member Terry Jo Lightfoot implied that the reason the southeast part of the school district faces consolidation is because so many students attend local parochial schools. She implied that closures are the fault of parochial students.

The board needs to change its approach to public input.

America needs a leader

Recently on Facebook, I lamented about the need for a GOP presidential candidate for 2012 that offers more encouragement for individual liberty and entrepreneurship. I received several comments back that current domestic economic climate began under the previous president. Some of that is true. Medicare Part D is probably the biggest disappointment. But now, we see the rundown of the United States and the promotion of the third world. Most recently, the admission of the head of NASA that his primary role - as directed by the president - is to make the muslim world feel good about themselves. Forget about putting man in space outside of earth orbit, requiring increases in scientists, etc.

Following is an excerpt from President Reagan's first State of the Union speech in 1982. He makes no apologies for US economic supremacy. Young people may feel it is silly to invoke Reagan. I feel he belongs in the tier of Washington and Lincoln. When reading many of his speeches, they are inspiring.

To view the State of the Union in perspective, we must not ignore the rest of the world. There isn’t time tonight for a lengthy treatment of social or of foreign policy, I should say a subject I intend to address in detail in the near future. A few words, however, are in order on the progress we’ve made over the past year re-establishing respect for our nation around the globe and some of the challenges and goals that we will approach in the year ahead.

At Ottawa and Cancun, I met with leaders of the major industrial powers and developing nations. Now some of those I met with were a little surprised I didn’t apologize for America’s wealth. Instead I spoke of the strength of the free marketplace system and how that system could help them realize their aspirations for economic development and political freedom.(my emphasis) I believe lasting friendships were made and the foundation was laid for future cooperation.

Compare the texts of the first SOTU speeches from Reagan and Obama and you will see 2 totally different philosophies. When you examine the application, you see the difference in the outcomes played out in our economies.

Reagan in 2012!!

Proof of citizenship

This is tongue-in-cheek for the people in California that can't understand this.

Today I had to go visit my bank. I had done a mistake on my online access and so I went in to the local branch to have them correct my boo-boo.

Can in you imagine this? The first thing the customer service rep asked of me after explaining my mistake was for my DRIVER'S LICENSE. And to make matters worse, I gave it to her - no questions asked.

Really, I expected her to ask for identification and if she didn't ask I was going to show it to her anyway.

So what is so bad about aliens ANYWHERE within the borders of the United States expected to show proof of legitimate presence. If CITIZENS are expected to show ID, why not aliens? If they are here legally, they should not be a problem to display proper credentials.

The US government has got to get control of this issue.

I failed again, because......

Today I was a candidate for city council special election to replace a resignation. The caucus system only allows precinct committee persons to vote for the replacement. In my small town, the total number was one. I guess, fortunately, I only lost by one vote. On the other hand, I didn't garner any support. So as I sit and reflect on why this has happened, I dug out the following. I guess I need to be reminded of this.

Steps to Failing Forward

1. Realize there is one major difference between average people and achieving people.

2. Learn a new definition of failure.

3. Remove the “you” from failure.

4. Take action and reduce your fear.

5. Change your response to failure by accepting responsibility.

6. Don’t let the failure from outside get inside you.

7. Say goodbye to yesterday.

8. Change yourself, and your world changes.

9. Get over yourself and start giving yourself.

10. Find the benefit in every bad experience.

11. If at first you do succeed, try something harder.

12. Learn from a bad experience and make it a good experience.

13. Work on the weakness that weakens you.

14. Understand there’s not much difference between failure and success.

15. Get up, get over it, get going.

How Much Government | Parade.com

How Much Government | Parade.com

With government - at all levels - realizing less revenues there has been a response by government to reduce spending incrementally across the board. I have tried to start sounding the topic of eliminating some government programs altogether. Many programs are unfunded mandates requiring local government to carry the policy without the funding tied to it.

The link to the article discusses this very topic, using a different rubric for program evaluation. I'm glad somebody is finally starting to listen to me!

The ultimate result must be that government is trying to do too much with not enough. We are finally see the results of that mindset internationally. Archaic requirements must be challenged for the needs of society today.

There is a lot discussion about the illegal immigration issue and the action Arizona recently took. Well, I’m going to add my little bit to the topic also. (I know, as if anybody in authority really cares about what I think!)

I know a young pastor that works in an inner city church in another Indiana city. He has his heart in the right place. He has sacrificed much for his family to care for his small flock. He is an area where some local businesses have hired – and depend on – illegals. He defends the need to naturalize illegals for the sake of providing decent incomes for their families. “It’s just not right to take advantage of illegals by paying them depressed wages.”

The argument that supposedly justifies all of this is that the illegals are taking jobs that US citizens will not do because the wages are so low. Of course, we Americans like having low prices for consumer products. We would rather have low prices and give a blind eye to the illegals performing those jobs.

Obviously, I presented these arguments because I do disagree with them.

First, we have national borders and immigration laws for a reason.

Second, whether unemployment is high or low, Americans should have first rights to all American jobs. The apparent problem is low wages. I do believe that citizens have a right to a fair and living wage. This would have a significant impact on consumer prices. Consumers would buy less. Unemployment would continue to increase. I believe that Americans would be accepting of higher prices in exchange for something else – lower taxes!

All combined taxes on the average family have increased over the past century, especially in the past 50 years. The chart at The Tax Foundation displays that increase. Governments at all levels have been continually taking more money from taxpayers just like the frog in the pot of water on the stove – slowly so that we don’t feel the pain! If family taxes were at lower rates, they could afford higher costs for consumer goods.

But government has taken dominance in the wallet of the average American. We willingly give them more and more and they take and demand even more. Of course, all of this is justified in the name of paying for programs that make the quality of life better. Unfortunately, the escalation of government programs exceeds tax revenues.

Americans are faced with making certain decisions. Do we give lip service to illegals working in the US or make major taxation revisions that would provide for living wages in all industries?

Today is Tax Day! Ow, that hurt

April 15^th is U.S. tax day. Supposedly the day all Americans pay their taxes. This is such a false assumption.

As reported on the Tax Foundation.org website, April 9^th is the day that theoretically Americans have stopped working for the government and they can now earn their own money. Half of America has never been working for the federal government. They pay no federal income taxes. Unfortunately, many people think if their refund this year is larger than last year’s must mean that they have paid less taxes.

Americans really need to grasp how much they actually pay in taxes, at all levels. This includes income, sales, property, auto tags, and on and on and on. We don’t realize how much we really pay. Add in to the mix that businesses never pay taxes. All of those obligations are passed on to the consumer through product prices.

I think that government needs to learn a lesson who pays the bills. We need to reduce our withholding to a minimum and pay taxes due next year. Some states are not refunding overpayments to residents because they don’t have the cash available.

It is time that we taxpayers took more control over government revenues, specifically how we pay our taxes to the government!

In support of my ideas

I keep trying to tell people how far ahead of the conservative thinking that I am.

I recently wrote here that the best controls on health care costs would put the consumer in charge of his/her own decision-making.

Now I see that well-respected economist Thomas Sowell has written an article in full support of my ideas. He articulates exactly what I was leading into. I'm glad to see that he reads my blog also.

My answer to health care reform

It drives me nuts about all of this health care talk and the Dems attempt to take over the entire system.

Nowhere have I seen a real discussion about what health care should be used for. The assumption apparently is that insurance just automatically pays for every medical need (and “need” needs to be defined also).

Those people that think insurance companies have unlimited resources have no clue where the money comes from in order to pay out claims. There is no willingness to control individual medical expenses because they assume the “insurance company will pay for it.” Personal control of expenses would have a greater effect on insurance premiums than governmental price controls.

Not only should there be policy options across state lines, there should be greater policy plan options. I think that if people paid for more of personal basic expenses – such as many drugs, doctor, or preventative exams – would help to bring down overall costs. Options for singles or childless couples that essentially covered only catastrophic issues would keep premiums down.

Where is my logic wrong? Oh, that’s right…it isn’t.

Loosen the bureaucratic collar

My last post raised the issue of reducing bureaucratic regulations as a means to reduce expenses to business and local government.

Here is one example of regulations that could be addressed. Various vehicle fuels are required to meet requirements for regions of the country and seasons of the year. These variations increase costs in development, storage, and transfer which are all obviously passed on to the consumer. The consumer includes me at the gas station, the trucking industry that transports products around the country, and even local government when the schools have to put fuel in the buses.

The following map gives an example of fuel (boutique blends) differences around the country.

Can you give some examples also?