The Power is Yours!

It's lonely at the top.

It's a phrase people say all the time. But until you've been at the top, you don't realize just how true it is.
We mostly spend our lives somewhere in the middle looking up and thinking "Those people at the top have it so good" or "I could do so much better if I were in charge." Unfortunately, once you get to the top, you realize how difficult it is to be there. The work is hard, and people are harder.

So I wanted to give a special shout out to those who have recently been at the top. Consider this my e-card to the former PAE bargaining team and president.

Your sacrifice is not for nothing. Your thankless work has meaning whether people realize it or not. When people attack the work you've done, they are not attacking you.  Really. You worked hard. You created a good contract. In the end, members decided it wasn't quite what they wanted.  And that's okay. Every team before you has had similar near misses, and every team after you will too.  You did the job while it was yours, and you can take pride in what you created. Now the job belongs to someone else. Such is the nature of leadership.

It still hurts though.  It really does.

I get it.

People attack me all the time. Fortunately I'm not a real person, so I don't have any real feelings to hurt.

But you are real people, and you do have real feelings. When people voice opinions about the contract, they probably don't realize how personal that feels to you. However, if you are going to survive this storm, you've got to be able to separate yourself from what people say about your work. Don't let your frustration over this event sour all other opportunities in front of you.

Today someone else is at the top, and you have a choice (we all do really). You can either tear them down in an effort to get back at all those you believe have wronged you, or you can build them up and treat them the way you wish you had been treated. You may not be at the top right now (though these things have a way of cycling back), but you still have the power to choose.

Choose well.

Bargaining 101

I have to admit, I'm a little embarrassed. I didn't think this conversation was necessary. I really, really thought you already knew. I guess I just assumed they covered this at school. And now that I have to bring it up, it feels awkward.

It's time we had "The Talk."

Before you all start experimenting on your own, I think it's best that you understand how a contract is created. I'd rather you learn to bargain safely, than side bargain with your friends and wind up with unintended consequences.

When a government bureaucracy and a collective bargaining unit love each other very much, sometimes they decide to come together and create a tentative agreement.

All different types of organizations do it basically the same way, but there are some differences, so I'm going to focus specifically on how teachers make a contract.

I know, I know, you're totally grossed out right now thinking about  PAE and PSD alone together behind closed doors. But I promise it's a perfectly natural process, and the better you understand it, the less scary it will be.

Let's start at the beginning.

As a teachers union, you have elected certain people to represent you, like your president and vice-president. You also have a set ofrules or constitution by which you govern yourselves. These are the rules that you have chosen to abide by. Included in these rules is the fact that your president can appoint a team to bargain on your collective behalf. This is known as your bargaining team. They are typically in place months (or even years) before your old contract expires.

Not all teams can be as cool as your bargaining team.

During the year leading up to a new contract being formed, your bargaining team along with many other volunteers will conduct a series of one-on-one interviews. Some of you may remember last spring when teachers came to your building to speak with you during your lunch break or planning time. They asked you questions about what you like about your job and what changes would help make your work even better. It's not a perfect system, but the one-on-one team tries to meet with as many teachers as possible to get specific, personal feedback. During this time, any teacher (or counselor or school psychologist) who is a member of PAE is welcome to contact the president and/or the bargaining team with concerns.

(Unfortunately, teachers are demanding to be heard right now, when they should have spoken up months ago. This isn't the time to start making demands. We're nine months into this pregnancy, you can't decide now you only want a son.)

After the one-on-one interviews are complete, a "Discernment" is created. This is where all the comments are compiled and themes are noted. This is a very long document and may include things like "24 teachers were concerned about lost planning time due to the shortage of substitute teachers, 84 teachers are struggling to get print-shop orders back on time, and 1 teacher insists we put a Ferris wheel in the teachers' parking lot." This document is used as a guide for the bargaining team to know what issues are of most importance to teachers. It is also sent to the superintendent so that she is aware of what issues will need to be addressed (it is also sent to WEA to double check for things like bias, etc, and to help locals compile data in a meaningful and accurate way).

When the time comes, the union will "Demand to Bargain" with the district. The two teams decide on a time and place where they can meet privately (this privacy thing is important, and we'll come back to that later). If all goes well, both sides will come ready to bargain, and that is when the magic happens!

The two sides will bring a contract proposal. They will look at each other's proposals and try to find common ground. There will be a back and forth dance as each party gives a little and takes a little. This may include the use of "supposals." Unlike a "proposal" which is generally a full contract, a supposal is a small portion of language within a proposed contract that basically says, "Suppose we gave up this thing here-- do you suppose you'd be willing to give us this other thing over here?"

After months of courtship, the two teams eventually reach a tentative agreement or "TA."  This is a fetal contract that both sides believe is agreeable.  The union's bargaining team then brings this TA to the executive board for a stamp of approval, after which the team brings it to the members for a vote.

Look at my proposal! It's so colorful and feathery!

If the members like the TA, and they vote to approve it, it becomes ratified and is well on its way to becoming a viable contract capable of surviving outside the bargaining womb. This is the end we are all hoping for.

But it doesn't always work out. Sometimes the members don't like it. Sometimes it gets voted down. Actually it happens a lot. It may be that the bargaining team was way out of touch and the whole contract stinks. But more than likely the contract is pretty darn good, and there are just a few things that people were unhappy with that still need tweaking. Unfortunately the contract must be voted on as a whole, so there is no easy way to know exactly why people voted no.

When a TA is voted down, all is not lost. The two teams simply go back to the bargaining table and keep working. Think of it as false labor. You may have thought the baby was coming, but it's gonna be a few more days (or even weeks).

#stillpregnant #falselaborsucks

Sounds simple right? But there are some places where things can go quite wrong.

Let's go back to the topic of privacy. Transparency is good right? Everyone wants more transparency.  It seems PSD is constantly posting updates while PAE isn't. Why? Is PAE hiding something?

Let's imagine you were buying a house and you had 1400 children.  Ouch!

Move over Duggars, we've got you beat!

Your realtor takes you around and shows you a dozen houses each with their own unique benefits and drawbacks.  Your teenagers  love the house with the big basement (they're thinking big party!). Your spouse is in love with the house that has the giant kitchen with double ovens and a walk-in pantry. Personally you don't care what the house looks like, you just want the one with the big garage and air conditioned shop. Despite all these amazing bonuses you could be enjoying, you've got a nagging feeling in the back of your mind that you ought to buy the house that has the huge fenced-in yard so your littlest kids can have a safe place to play.

Each of these houses are amazing, and they are all certainly better than the two bedroom apartment the 1402 of you are currently sharing.  Any of these choices would be wonderful. But now that everyone has seen ALL the different options, they all want different things. Now no matter what incredible house you choose, someone is going to be unhappy. They caught a glimpse of what was possible, and now nothing less will satisfy.

That's what public bargaining is like for PAE. There are hundreds of members each with unique needs. PSD is simply an organization. They have no personal needs, and the agreed upon contract will not affect anyone on the PSD bargaining team individually. They essentially have no dog in this race. But we've got 1400 dogs, and they're all hungry.

We're hungry! Hungry for a fair contract!

That's why PSD keeps posting every little update. They want you to be jealous and fight with each other.  They have nothing to lose. But PAE has everything to lose. Every time a member demands to know where we are at in negotiations, they are undermining the entire process. If you knew every topic that was ever discussed, you would be forever sad thinking about what you missed. Instead, wait for a TA to be posted and then see all the positive benefits you have to gain.

The best kind of prize is a surprise!

Does that mean you're blindly following and taking whatever we're given? NOPE. Not at all. It means you are patient and wait to make up your mind about a contract until you actually have a contract to make up your mind about.

Remember, only the bargaining teams are allowed to bargain. You have a team bargaining for you. They go to the district bargaining team and make requests on your behalf. It is inappropriate for you to go to members of the other team and make requests or offers (or even give opinions). It's called side bargaining, and it is in violation of good faith bargaining practices. If you have an opinion on what you want to see happen in this contract, or what you are willing to vote for, that should have been expressed long ago to your bargaining team. That's like trying to get on the field after the teams already been drafted. It just doesn't work that way, no matter how great a player you are.

You're on the sidelines, Buddy. You aren't going to play in this game.

(Right now teachers are going to the district's bargaining team and telling them what they will and won't accept in a contract. That isn't the place to air your concerns. That's like going behind your partner's back and talking to the doctor about finding a sperm donor. Not cool!)

This is where unity comes in. The whole point of having a union is so that you can bargain collectively. You have to trust your team to bargain for you. You have to support others and be happy for the gains they receive in their contract (even when you don't get everything you want).
Janus is changing everything.  Your membership numbers are in serious jeopardy. If people don't feel like the union is valuable to them, they can and will leave. Every time you attack other teachers publicly or undermine your leaders, you punch another hole in the union life raft, so you had better learn to play nice.

Now some of you are asking yourselves right now Why does this person think they can give us advice? They're not even a teacher. They obviously don't have all the facts" 

It's true, I don't have all the facts. Neither do you. But at least I understand the rules, and now hopefully you do too.

If you understand how bargaining works, not only are you more likely to be able to make your voice heard, but you'll be less frustrated by the whole process in general.

And when a good contract does come along (and it certainly will) you won't have regrets about the ugly things you did and said while you were bringing this contract into the world.

Now put away your black tee-shirts, put on some scrubs, and get ready to catch this baby because she is coming soon!






The community is watching.

My Ears Are Burning

Ciao amici. Come va?

I've just returned from the most yummy little vacation in Venice. Italy is such a charming little country, and totally the perfect place to shake off my adulting blues. It can be such a downer living here in realsville. Ya know? Sometimes I just have to get away.

But while I was lying on a nude beach soaking up my daily vitamin D, I got a most distressing phone call.

Pasco is in trouble.

And it's my sworn duty to help.

So here I am ready to help. But what's the problem?


In a word: Teachers.

Teachers are the problem.

I know! I was surprised too!

Remember after the strike when everyone held hands and sang Kumbaya? Yeah, those were good times. But nothing lasts forever, and unfortunately it's human nature to be unhappy. And right now there are some teachers in Pasco who are choosing to be really unhappy.

And that's okay I guess.

Except they aren't just happy being unhappy; they want to make everyone else unhappy too.

This summer the Pasco Association of Educators and the Pasco School District have been bargaining a new contract (not a big deal, they do this about every two years, except it is a REALLY big deal because the state just changed everything about the way teacher salaries are being paid so there is a super crap ton of things that need negotiated). In July, the two bargaining teams reached what they believed was a good agreement, so they took it to the members for a vote. As it turns out, the teachers didn't feel like it was a great contract after all. They voted 4:1 against the proposed contract, and asked their team to go back to the table and keep bargaining.

No biggee.  It's happened before, and it will happen again. But they've got all summer. I'm sure they'll come to an agreement soon. Just keep trying.

But it was a biggee to some of the teachers in the minority. Some of those teachers who got outvoted 4:1 were really, REALLY angry.

So angry in fact that they started bad-mouthing the other 80%. A lot. In public. To the other team. Normally saying mean things about other people is okay because that's what the internet is for! We're all used to it by now.
Thanks trolls.

But in a union, things are different. There are rules.

You aren't supposed to talk bad about each other; you're supposed to be united.

You aren't supposed to go to the other team and talk bad about your team; you're supposed to be united.

You aren't supposed to actively work against people in your union; you're supposed to be united.

Are you sensing a theme here?

UNITED!

Like one great big Red Rover team!

*time out*
Can I tell you a secret? As a general rule, I don't actually like unions. My parents are republicans. Shhhh!! Don't tell anyone. But whether I like them or not, unions exist, they have rules, and by joining PAE the majority of teachers in Pasco have agreed to abide by them. This post isn't a love letter to unions. This post is a love letter to integrity. I just wanted you to know that before you brush me off as just another thug-loving union kisser.

*time in*

Teachers, I'm looking at you.

You need to be united. For your own sake, for the sake of the children, and for our whole community. You're making Pasco look bad. You're making yourselves look bad. You chose to join the union (it is NOT mandatory), so if you are going to be part of the union, you'd darn well better act united.

I'm not saying you can't disagree, and I'm not saying you can't try to persuade people to your opinion. In fact, I recommend disagreement and persuasion on a daily basis. But have some integrity and do it the right way.

If you find yourself on the minority side of a vote, work with your teammates to change minds and hearts. Or maybe, you could take a look in the mirror and try to figure out why you are in the minority. Is there something everyone else knows that you missed?  Just because you don't like the head coach's game plan doesn't mean you should run to the other team's dugout and start giving away your team's signals. You can't win that way. (BTW shout out to the tri-city's baseball team killing it in the Little League World Series right now. Way to represent!)

My point is, don't be a poor loser. Public attacks won't help you win. Not only does it make you look childish and small, it actually accomplishes nothing. If you think the majority is misguided, use logic an persuasion to try and win them over. Work within the bounds of the union that you, yourself, joined.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some jet-lag to catch up on.




But wait! I didn't tell you what's in the contract, or who is right, or what you should do.
Yeah, that was on purpose. I'm not a teacher. I'm just a figment of your imagination. I can't tell you what to do. It's not my contract. I don't have to live with it. You do.  You have to read and talk and think. You elected your union president and gave him the power to appoint a team to bargain on your behalf. So ask yourself "Do you trust the man you elected to do the job you've given him?" Trust democracy, and have faith in yourselves.

What? The Election is Today???

(Hi friends. Not interested in my witty banter but just want to get a quick link to the candidates profiles? Here it is: Link to Candidate Profiles . You're welcome.)

There is an election going on right now? How did I not see this coming?

Okay, so there isn't exactly an election today. But there sort of is. And it caught me off guard too, so don't feel bad.

With Washington's mail in voting system, almost every day is election day somewhere.  And right  now Franklin County is where it's at. And the school board is what's being voted on.

But wait! I thought that election was in November?

It is. But it's also happening right now.

It's called a primary.  They happen all the time in big races that lots of people care about. We just don't usually see them happen in little ol' school board races.

What does this mean for Pasco?

It means that so many people want to be involved in our schools that we now have to run primary elections to narrow down the pool of candidates.

Wow! That's exciting!

I know right!

So how can I help?

There are two things you can do. 1- Vote. 2- Remind all your friends to vote.

That sounds easy enough.

It is! It really is!  You have the power to change the course of education for thousands of children in Pasco, and all you have to do is fill out a quick ballot and drop it off. Ten minutes of your life could mean four years of positive gains for Pasco schools.

Cool! Let's do it!

Uh oh, wait. One problem. How do I know who to vote for?

Great question.  First you need to be aware of who is running.  You can check out this link to the Candidate's Profiles. To find out who they are and what they claim to support.

My phone keeps freezing, and I can't click on the link and read for myself. Can you just tell me who the candidates are and who I should vote for?

Wow. That's pretty weak on your part, but lucky for you I'm an enabler, so I'll give you what you want.

Position 3 is currently held by Steve Christiansen. He is being challenged by Debi Maxwell and Brian Griffith. In this race I prefer anyone but NOT Steve Christiansen. He has proven to be combative with the community and other board members and ineffective in listening to his constituents.  He has not served to students of Pasco effectively and I would be happy to see him gone. But that's just my opinion, you're welcome to vote for the status quo if that's what you like.

Position 5 is currently held by Amy Phillips. She is being challenged by Jeff Peterson. *Note* Marlando Sparks is no longer running. He had to drop out. In this race I highly endorse Jeff Peterson. Despite good intentions, Amy Phillips has not proven that she can effectively make positive changes for our kids.  Three years of public records show any improvements to our schools have happened in spite of her, and not because of her. If I were a real human with the ability to vote, I would vote for Jeff Peterson.  But again that's just my opinion. Please feel free to vote for Amy Phillips if you think things in Pasco are perfect just the way they are.

So there you have it, my opinion in a nut shell. Now go out an use your power for good.

School's out. Now the real work begins!

It's summer!
Hooray!

School's out! No more reading logs to remember or lunches to pack. We've got two months of sleeping in late and lounging at Memorial Pool.

Just kidding. There's some serious work to get done, so let's get busy.

I'm not talking about mowing your lawn or finally cleaning out that mess of a garage you've got.

Nope. I'm talking about REAL work. IMPORTANT work.

In twenty years will anyone care that you repainted the kids' bedroom this summer? Nope. No one but you. Sorry.

So what will matter? What can you do that will have lasting affects on the community in which you live?  Who has the power to shape the destiny of thousands of school children?

The answer is YOU by electing competent and qualified SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS.

Yup, it's that time again. We've got another school board election just around the corner, and three- that's right THREE- current members are up for reelection.

I don't need to remind you what happened at the last school board election when Dr. Aaron Richardson unseated the board president and consequently changed the whole culture of the board. Meetings are now televised. Community members are not only allowed to speak now, but are actually encouraged to speak and are really listened to. There is now healthy debate among board members instead of just five glossy eyed faces nodding along to whatever agenda the district places in front of them.

Things have gotten so much better in the past two years, it's hard to believe how far we've come. But there is still a long way to go.  This is our chance as a community to make lasting changes to the culture of Pasco schools.

Unlike the last election where only one new (but totally amazing!) candidate was available, this time there are many, MANY candidates to choose from. I don't know them all yet, so I can't say if I support them or not.  However, I do know a lot about our current board members. And what I do know about them makes me very inclined to want to see them leave.

For those of you who are forgetting, let's just take a quick moment to remember that our current board members up for reelection (Sheri Lancon, Steve Christiansen, and Amy Phillips) were all on the board when:

The school district spent tens of thousands of dollars on a legal fees to defend the former superintendent on charges of misappropriation of school funds. She was eventually found guilty.

The school district denied that there were any gaps in our curriculum and forced our community into a two week strike. Then our board filed charges in court against our teachers trying to force them back into the classroom without curriculum and basic supplies. Of course the district was eventually found to be in the wrong despite the boards attempts to deny our students the basics of a quality education. (remember that time Mr. Christiansen was quoted as saying, "I wish we could afford pencils, but we just can't have everything we want." Good times.)

But enough about the current board, let's talk about who could replace them!

Here is a quick list of the current candidates and what I could uncover about them by facebook stalking. I apologize for any inaccuracies, and am more than happy to receive corrections.

Jeff Peterson- Father of several Pasco students, at least one with special needs. Does not appear to have a long involvement in school politics, but certainly has a vested interest in their success.

Erin Lewis- Mother of many Pasco students, and has attended more board meetings than anyone in the history of Pasco schools. Honestly if you've ever been to a school board meeting, you've seen this gal. She is always always there, and has more than proved her willingness to fight for Pasco kids.

Debi Maxwell- Mother of two former Pasco students, and has been involved with the district in the past working to improve conditions. You'll see her name in past meeting notes as she has a history of involvement and speaking out.

Brian Grifith- No children in Pasco schools, but works for GESA, and is a PEAK partner with the district. The only candidate without children in the district, but with a history of involvement in our schools.

Okay, so that wasn't really a lot of info.  I guess Facebook stalking isn't all it's cracked up to be.

But that's where you come in. Please tell me what you know about these candidates. And as more information emerges, I'll be sure to pass it along.

While your lounging beside the pool feeling guilty about not cleaning out your garage, just remember there's an election going on, and your vote will make a difference.  Our kids are counting on you, the voters, to stand guard over our schools!

Happy summer.

Just the Facts

For those interested in hearing just the facts, here they are:

The name's Bond. School Bond.

Wouldn't it be nice if school bonds were as popular as a James Bond movie?
It wouldn't even matter what was in the bond, the name alone would have millions of people (and billions of dollars) flocking to it!

Unfortunately the average voter spends more money on James Bond movies each year than they do on school bonds. And while not everyone needs to be a Bond fan to get MGM to churn out another movie every few years, we do need the majority of voters to be fans in order to get a school bond past.


As I'm sure you know, this February Pasco School District will be running a bond. Unfortunately there has been some confusion as to what exactly is to be on that bond. Well, never fear, Alice is here to help cut through the deception to the cold hard truth.

What is a bond for?
The short answer is "Bonds are for buildings, and Levies are for learning." 
The maintenance and operation levy we past last fall (like a boss!) was for routine maintenance as well as monies for learning opportunities like special programs and computers. The upcoming bond is meant to pay for new buildings (WHICH WE DESPERATELY NEED!).

So what is on THIS bond?

• 2 elementary schools (one on the west side, and one unknown)
• 1 rebuild Steven's Middle school
• Additional wing onto Curie Elementary
• Maintenance and safety (HVAC, transportation services, etc.)

Many people are under the impression that a new west/north middle school will be on this bond. I’m sorry to inform you that is not the case. The misunderstanding comes in part from the fact that Stevens will be replaced (which DESPERATELY needs to happen.) PSD is calling that a new middle school, when, in fact, it is replacing one. You can see in the video of the school board meeting where Steve Christiansen actually says we are getting a new middle school! Fact Check: FALSE. Sorry Steve.  

So on this bond we have simply two new elementary schools, an additional wing to an existing elementary, a rebuild of an old school (with possible added middle school capacity of we shift some of McLoughlin's students over to Stevens), and some maintenance stuff. Getting excited yet?

How was this bond decided?
Well there were a lot of meetings. A LOT of meetings. If you missed them, then we missed you. We need your voice. The board voted last spring on what they wanted on the bond. Then they got some community feedback about their decisions via letters and public comments. So they revisited their decisions several times, came up with several new ideas, pretended to have open debate, and eventually voted to do whatever the heck they wanted to do anyway!

Oops. Sorry. I was going to stick to the facts.
If you want to see the discussions that led to this decision, please watch the recordings of the meetings. 

Do we need these things?
YES! Of course! We need more elementary schools. We are so overcrowded we could fill four or five new elementary schools today! Yes! Of course Stevens needs rebuilt. Diamonds are Forever, but schools aren't. Eventually buildings will need to be rebuilt. Stevens Middle School is definitely ready. It is embarrassing and despicable that we have let students go to school in this state of disrepair for so long. Yes! Of course we need a new bus garage.... wait..... um......okay, not totally sure about that one. When more than half of our students are attending classes in portable classrooms, we have dozens of teachers teaching from a cart, and closets have literally been converted into classrooms, I'm not sure I care where the heck we park our buses at this point. Sorry bus people. Children > Buses.
You don't have to be a Spy Who Loved Me to see what's going on here. At the rate Pasco is growing, I'm afraid The World is Not Enough. We need to think big. Vote big. And build big. I'm not saying we need to be worried about Skyfall, but if you think we are crowed now, wait and see what we look like after another four years of timid building projects.

Are these our biggest priority?
Now that's a great question. If only someone had a Gold Finger and could just swoop in and pay for everything all at once. But they don't, so we must prioritize.

On paper overcrowding is greatest at the elementary level. So an argument can definitely be made for building more elementary schools. But adding on to Curie? I can't wrap my head around that one. I get that it was built to be added on to, but so were several of our new schools. And Curie is only 50 students over capacity. In this district that's nothing! Franklin and McClintock are also brand new and over capacity, but we aren't adding on to them. It's not that adding on to Curie is a bad idea. It's just that it doesn't make sense given how many other much bigger issues we have. We've got elementary schools that are 400 students over capacity! So why is Curie on the bond and not other schools? The truth is a group of Currie teachers came to a board meeting and asked for more space. AND GOOD FOR THEM! I totally applaud their proactive efforts. More of us should be doing this. They have every right to ask for what they want. But just because they were organized enough to ask, doesn't mean they are in the greatest need. When you listen to people discussing bond options, there is a strong Live and Let Die attitude that is poisoning people against each other. We need to find a way to look past ourselves and find what is best for everyone. Ask yourself, what would an outsider see as Pasco's biggest need? I don't think we should be settling for one lousy wing. I think we should be demanding an entire school, or two, or five.

Stevens is definitely a huge priority. It is a nightmare second only to New Horizons High School, and I for one am thrilled that it's being addressed. It must be done. But let's not pretend that it solves our middle school problem? We still need a fourth middle school. McLoughlin is still massive. When you have multiple classes sharing the same gym at the same time that's not a good thing. There are about seven hundred eighth graders currently enrolled. So if only 10% of the girls go out for the softball team, that's 35 girls on one team. How much playing time will they get? How included will they feel? One of our new superintendents outrageous goals is to have every student involved in extra curricular activities, but how can they when there are more children then there are spots on a team or club?

And then there are those pesky maintenance projects. I thought we just past as "Maintenance and Operations" levy. Why are we using bond money for maintenance? That is not what it is for. We already gave the district money to fix and maintain. Where did that money go???? Seriously. I'm asking for reals.

How much will it cost?
There will be a total of $119.7 million dollars in projects. 

This will cost us (the people of Pasco) $69.5 million dollars, and we'll receive $50.2 million in matching funds from the state. This brakes down into pennies per thousands of dollars of value on your home.

Are we getting a good financial deal on this bond?
A good deal consists of a good product for a good price. 
Are we getting a good price? YES! Our community is growing and our commercial tax base is bigger than ever, and interest rates are lower than ever. There has NEVER been a better time to pass a big bond.
But is is a good product? That is less clear. Yes we need more schools, but do we need these schools? Are we really focusing on what is most important? Are we doing enough?

Can we do any better?
Yes. We must!
  
You only Live Twice. We can re-run a bond if it fails.  It is expensive and risky.  It would have been nice to get this right the first time. It is too late to change what is on this bond. 
But if this bond fails, we can run a new bond in just a few months. A better bond. 

Do I want this bond to fail? No. No. No. No.
Do I want this bond to pass? Well..... gosh..... um...... I don't know.
What I want is to go back in time and have the school board write a better bond that will actually solve some of our problems and give the voters something worth voting for. Unfortunately that's not possible. 

Because the school board refuses to listen to the voice of their constituents, I'm afraid this upcoming bond is destined to Die Another Day. We are gambling our children's future at the Casino Royale.

Sorry folks, no time machine here.

 

I'm definitely not saying you shouldn't vote for this bond. But IF you chose not to, please be sure to email the board AND speak out at a board meeting and let them know why you voted NO. Help them understand what it is you really want so they have a better chance of getting it right next time.

The School board is afraid of Dr. No. They think the community won't support a big bond and they definitely think the community won't support a fourth middle school. Help them to see the light.

Please tell them how you really feel.


In the past things were different. I could understand why the school board was reluctant to be bold.  But Hill is gone now. The time to be timid is over. Yet some people are carrying on as if nothing has changed and they are still On Her Majesty's Secret Service. As I watched the school board negotiate options for the upcoming bond, I felt like I had A View to a Kill as they continued to suck the Living Daylights out of the bond by ignoring voters. School board members have repeatedly said they want to honor the work of the task force. They don't realize they have a License to Kill bad ideas no matter how much time or money was wasted creating them. We need to do whatever we can to make sure the voters Never Say Never Again.
 
I've compiled a lot of information For Your Eyes Only, well and for the eyes of all your friends and neighbors too, so please share!

From Pasco with Love