schools levy

[tom monahan]

School Board Looking For More of Your Money in November

I received a polling call today concerning our School Board's desire to place a 4.7 mill levy on the November ballot.
This ought make for an interesting election with the hospital referendum, presidential election, the city's new charter, etc.

This is being presented to us by a school board whose majority membership openly wanted the destruction of our hospital.

The polling lady said that the levy is needed now so that we won't get hit with a larger increase later on. It will cost each homeowner $14 per month for each $100,000 of valuation. For a $150,000 home that mean an increase of $252 per year on top of the money we are paying to complete the construction of our schools.

With the cavalier attitude of both the city administration and school board, I am truly worried about the future of our city. And I cannot believe anyone from both entities as to the truthfulness of their campaigns about this.

We will never recover from the economic loss of the hospital. And even Tom Bullock has admitted that on at least two occasions. So you have to ask yourself why would he support such a move?

The caller asked me that if I knew that the millions in cost overruns were because of poor soil conditions and the rising cost of materials would I feel better. I told her that those flimsy excuses were the result of poor management and planning of the project.

Public entities hire so-called professionals, such a construction managers and architects and engineers to execute the project.
With such a large project ($100 million) the materials needed to complete the job should have been prepurchased. The soil borings should have better executed because of the scope of the project at each site. I say these things because that is what we did when I was deputy director for the construction Jail II in downtown Cleveland.

[Brian Essi]

"He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else." Benjamin Franklin

[james fitzgibbons]

School Board Looking For More of Your Money in November

I received a polling call today concerning our School Board's desire to place a 4.7 mill levy on the November ballot.
This ought make for an interesting election with the hospital referendum, presidential election, the city's new charter, etc.

This is being presented to us by a school board whose majority membership openly wanted the destruction of our hospital.

The polling lady said that the levy is needed now so that we won't get hit with a larger increase later on. It will cost each homeowner $14 per month for each $100,000 of valuation. For a $150,000 home that mean an increase of $252 per year on top of the money we are paying to complete the construction of our schools.

With the cavalier attitude of both the city administration and school board, I am truly worried about the future of our city. And I cannot believe anyone from both entities as to the truthfulness of their campaigns about this.

We will never recover from the economic loss of the hospital. And even Tom Bullock has admitted that on at least two occasions. So you have to ask yourself why would he support such a move?

The caller asked me that if I knew that the millions in cost overruns were because of poor soil conditions and the rising cost of materials would I feel better. I told her that those flimsy excuses were the result of poor management and planning of the project.

Public entities hire so-called professionals, such a construction managers and architects and engineers to execute the project.
With such a large project ($100 million) the materials needed to complete the job should have been prepurchased. The soil borings should have better executed because of the scope of the project at each site. I say these things because that is what we did when I was deputy director for the construction Jail II in downtown Cleveland.

How much are they spending to pay for the poll, they will put it on the ballot any way? I am also worried about the future of the city, with the incompetent bold leadership they are ready to drive our city into the dirt. How much more damage can this small group of %#@!&%*&%$ people do. They need to be stopped. We all new it would turn out this way after our biggest asset was literally given away, I am not just worried I am mad!

[jackie f taylor]

Can I get a feeding tube in my arm? For I continue to bleed money for projects that have not been voted on, regardless of our thoughts, concerns or complaints, the wind keeps blowing. Whatever our concerns, it don't matter. What happened to the "majority rules" ? I'm all for making Lakewood the best it can be, but imposing more taxes on the majority of residents, (my dear elderly neighbors) for projects they didn't agree too is wrong.

Not only will it cost you more out of pocket, but where you shop, the merchants will pass there increases on to you. Your paying twice. Thankfully, I have a rental property, 2 units, if I can raise their rents, each by $20.00 a month, then maybe, I will consider. Wait, what if they move out? Great, I'll raise the rent and wait forever for a tenant willing to pay for the "NEW" Lakewood. We have to make it better, and it costs, but it is the only way to go, is up.. Continue on the road to stardom, charge more than ever before. It's like a roof that leaks, you gotta fix it, spend it.

Above all, we all want our neighborhood, our city of Lakewood, to be great, to be safe and we don't want it to fall or fail at any level. That is whats worth any tax increase. I'm on board, I'll go for it.

[jackie f taylor]

But I STILL want to have my "SAY".

[todd vainisi]

Thankfully, I have a rental property, 2 units, if I can raise their rents, each by $20.00 a month, then maybe, I will consider. Wait, what if they move out? Great, I'll raise the rent and wait forever for a tenant willing to pay for the "NEW" Lakewood.

Jackie, I'd heard that Lakewood currently has a huge shortage of rental units and that landlords are getting more than ever for the rental properties. Is this not true?

[m buckley]

Thankfully, I have a rental property, 2 units, if I can raise their rents, each by $20.00 a month, then maybe, I will consider. Wait, what if they move out? Great, I'll raise the rent and wait forever for a tenant willing to pay for the "NEW" Lakewood.

Jackie, I'd heard that Lakewood currently has a huge shortage of rental units and that landlords are getting more than ever for the rental properties. Is this not true?

Todd, If you're correct about a huge shortage of rental units in Lakewood then I have to wonder why Summers and Siley were determined to destroy the apartment building at the end of Grace Ave. It provided affordable housing for valued neighbors. I remember at the time Summers saying that Lakewood had plenty of those kind of apartment buildings. I guess some shortages are acceptable.

[jackie f taylor]

Oddly, I have 2 units available in lakewood, one a 3 bedroom, another, a studio aparrment on Edgewater Drive, I get many responces, and I'm asking more than the average. Course, I improved everything, I polished the vintage character, and made the rest sweet & clean, I'm getting calls. If your places are nice, you can demand more rent, and you will get it. I do background checks, the applicants pay for, and all is good. What is the average rent for a 2 bedroom apartment in Lakewood? $550-$650? I'm getting $800-$1000.

If I were younger and a student of building design, maybe a Virgina Marti student, I would walk up & down Madison Ave. take a picture of the buildings, go home and do a rendering of what it could look like, and the cost to improve it, present it to the owner, and hope that they would make it happen. Redo all these negelected buildings, you will have applicants knocking down your doors. What is the down side? Spending money, creating jobs, a tax write off? Improving your property? There is no down side, nothing...I will give free advice, and offer suggestion to make your place unique and direct you in the right direction. Not only that, the city will help you with grants, rebates, advice. You can not lose.

[Jim O'Bryan]

School Board Looking For More of Your Money in November

I received a polling call today concerning our School Board's desire to place a 4.7 mill levy on the November ballot.
This ought make for an interesting election with the hospital referendum, presidential election, the city's new charter, etc.

This is being presented to us by a school board whose majority membership openly wanted the destruction of our hospital.

Tom

The die has been cast on this POSSIBLE Levy for a long time. I agree that many of the names on the long list of people that have been involved in this and other things bothers me. But not enough to say NO to the Levy even at 10 Mil.

We have spent nearly $125 million on new schools, to not fund them would be INSANE.

If you have issues with the Board, vote them out of office, Do not hold the schools and the kids liable for the work of people they don't even know.

This City for decades bet everything on Education to be this close to the finish line and say NO, makes no sense.

FWIW

.

[Matthew Lee]

Just to be clear:

* If it is a levy, that is for operating costs (i.e. faculty, materials, utilities). That is, anything that costs to run the actual facilities.

* A bond is for the physical construction of the building and physical maintenance of the buildings.

Thus, unless I have my facts wrong, a levy (whether this November or any other time) has no actual bearing on the school constructions and any possible overruns. The levy is solely to keep the schools operating.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Just to be clear:

* If it is a levy, that is for operating costs (i.e. faculty, materials, utilities). That is, anything that costs to run the actual facilities.

* A bond is for the physical construction of the building and physical maintenance of the buildings.

Thus, unless I have my facts wrong, a levy (whether this November or any other time) has no actual bearing on the school constructions and any possible overruns. The levy is solely to keep the schools operating.

Matthew

Correct.

That is my point, to spend $125 million on buildings, and not spend money on what is in them would be like getting a Ferrari with vinyl seats.

One could argue if new buildings make kids smarter or not. But no one can argue that if you do not fund teachers, and programs it is all for nothing.

As I said with the Bond issues, this one gets passed, then we look long and hard at Board Management, and hold them accountable.

The single biggest problem in Lakewood is not holding elected officials accountable. It is insane with our track record of elected officials. Our finest mayor ever served two years in federal prison. Think about it. Sinagra our best, since then it has been elect friends they will not screw us. Well not badly, well not real badly, well at least they didn't kill us, well all of us, well...

.

[Gary Rice]

I fully agree with Jim here.

Although our community had once again found itself to be politically divided....well, actually, when you think about it, any community is ALWAYS politically divided... it's just that here in Lakewood, we are usually a bit more polite about it, at least until the big issues hit the fan, but I digress here.

Anyway, although our community IS politically divided, there is an abundance of common ground and common interests to be considered. Although public school naysayers can oftentimes be a very vocal group- and of course, any institution like the Lakewood schools can always be improved, (in fact, is that not EXACTLY what we are trying to do here?) the fact remains that quality public schools are very much a bellwether for the attractiveness of a community to the outside world. Using another well-worn analogy, public schools are indeed the canary in the coalmine, as far as indicating the overall health of a community. Good public schools also reflect the civic mindedness of a community, as well as revealing the priorities that the public values with respect to their children, their property values, and their common interest in the future.

Back to the banjo...

[Brian Essi]

Jim and Gary,

Consider this:

1. You can't have any change without accountability.
2. You can't have any accountability without good leadership (or the leaders being held accountable by the public or the courts).

So Jim's solution amounts to giving misbehaving children (the majority of BOE members in control) more candy and hoping that tomorrow will be a better day. That never works--it always fails.

I am all for funding the schools, but I don't see them withering away or our children suffering if we withhold the candy a bit until will get the needed change and reforms.

It's kind of like cutting 2% from the defense budget by s sequester--did that really threaten our national defense? I think not.

There is alway FAT in any budget--get a guy like Calleri in there with a sharp pencil and stop the majority of the lazies on the BOE from going the the taxpayer trough to fix the problems they caused.

So I respectfully disagree with both of you.

[Lori Allen _]

Brian, I agree with most of what you said. One of my concerns is that the school board turns a deaf ear to the bullying that is taking place in our schools. I don't expect perfection, but, please don't lie to us. There was a student several months ago at the high school that was being bullied. She went home and committed suicide. When I worked in the lunch room several years ago at Lincoln, I was approached by a student who informed me that nobody liked him and that he was going to kill himself. When I went to the principal, I was told to stay away from him and to not go near him. I was told that the school did not get involved with these types of matters. I believe it is the law that schools have to report this to the proper authorities. I saw bullying all the time there. And of course, it did not appear that anything was ever done about it. I feel that we all bear some responsibility with working with our young people, especially today. We can't ignore issues or persons and think that by doing this, the problem will go away. As far as a tax increase, we need to say no. If I don't make my house payment, should the tax payers pay my mortgage? This district needs to be fiscally responsible and unfortunately, this usually does not happen until the cash cow is shut down.

[todd vainisi]

When I worked in the lunch room several years ago at Lincoln, I was approached by a student who informed me that nobody liked him and that he was going to kill himself. When I went to the principal, I was told to stay away from him and to not go near him. I was told that the school did not get involved with these types of matters. I believe it is the law that schools have to report this to the proper authorities. I saw bullying all the time there.

I'd be careful throwing around allegations like this Lori. I'm sure there's a lot more to the story than that - maybe he/she meant that they didn't want lunch staff counseling their students. If your purpose was to smear the principal of Lincoln, you succeeded. I've met an awful lot of school principals in my line of work and none of them struck me as the type to ignore a child in distress the way you've described.