I figured I would get a head of this before Tuesday. The writing is on the wall, the bond issue will likely pass with at least 62% of the vote.
There are a lot of factors, such as a special election in the middle of September, which will assure a low voter turnout with only those wanting this showing up to the polls. There is also the possibility of the E-Poll books and hand tabulation going awry, but even if it does, that won’t change many votes.
Yesterday the Chamber and other businesses endorsed the bond. One of them was Sanford. The Sanford endorsement made me chuckle considering the fact that Sanford got a $9 million dollar TIF for the sports complex (essentially money that will be rebated back to them instead of funding education). I guess it’s easy to endorse a $300 million dollar property tax increase when you don’t have to pay towards it.
One of the latest arguments from the Chamber Hob Knobbers is economic development and growth. “People won’t want to move here if we don’t have good schools.” Why is growth for growth sake a worthy cause? And with half the kids in the District on Free or Reduced lunches it is pretty obvious we are not exactly a high-wage community. I would think what a job pays would be more of concern to moving to Sioux Falls than good schools.
I have said a real economic impact on our city would be giving out FREE birth control instead of FREE lunches. You don’t have to educate or feed a kid that is never born.
So what is the real reason I think this will pass?
There is NO real organized opposition to this. While I am disappointed that the State’s Attorney, Secretary of State or Attorney General isn’t investigating possible violations of campaign rules or the shady ‘IN-HOUSE’ election, there isn’t much I can do to stop this steam roller. The ACLU was even asked to investigate the ‘super precincts’ to see if that was even Federally legal. No avail.
Sioux Falls is just going to get a little more expensive to live after Tuesday. With a $48 million dollar jail, $260 million dollar waste treatment plant and $300 million in schools, I have to think of the famous words of the Seattle band Mudhoney, time for leaving is now;
I agree. Will still vote because it is the right thing to do. All three of our present public high schools have tentacles that reach into the inner city poor. They range from 38 to 48% for having kids who use the free and reduced meals. That does not include kids who qualify but choose to hide the fact. Segregation? You think we’re segregated now, wait til they redraw the lines AFTER Jefferson High is out by the airport. They will be redrawn with Jefferson taking on nearly all the poor kids in town. They will no vehicles of their own. They will nearly all have to bussed to an area of town that has literally no residential presence anywhere close to it. Right now Washington High leads the race with kids on free and rexuced meals at 48%. Mark it down. IF free and reduced meals exist 5 years from now, Jefferson High will lap the other schools with at least 80% at free and reduced meals. Washington will be second, lower than where they are now, and Roosevelt and Lincoln will benefit the most from the new segregated lines.
But do you think it will get 60% though? Yesterday’s press conference of support kind of reminded me of when Jackley held the “Junta press conference” with his almost all male clique just before the primary.
Plus, at least one of the individuals at that press conference attended the Trump/Noem $ 5000 event. I know that for a fact. So I guess to him, property tax increases don’t matter, huh?….
There has been a big internal push within the SFSD to get staff to vote and parents.
I have thought for a long time it won’t be close, it will either fail huge or win huge.
I’ve been saying for some time that neighboring cities will grow because of Sioux Falls debt and corruption. I own a home here but will definitely move outside city limits when it becomes time. I’ve thought of Brandon or Valley Springs, closer to Minnesota.
“I have said a real economic impact on our city would be giving out FREE birth control instead of FREE lunches. You don’t have to educate or feed a kid that is never born.”
Are you actually arguing we should prevent children from being born so that we have lower school enrollment numbers and lower free lunch costs?
I have no idea how the same person that argues that school segregation is a big problem is also the same person arguing that “we should make sure poor people don’t have children, because God forbid we have to help provide for their children if they are unable to.”
FYI Our City Council just voted for a 2.1% increase of your property taxes.
Seniors on fixed incomes, you need to get out and vote on this.
MP – I stand by my comment. Talk to any scientist, sociologist, doctor, etc. Overpopulation and poverty are biggest issue we face in the world today. In fact I think the UCC and other churches have been telling there congregations to try not to have more than 1 child. We are constantly screaming we need to expand schools but we never want to talk about the reasons our schools are over capacity. I believe in 2016 in the SF metro area it was determined that of the 5,000 people in growth 3,000 of them were newborns. There is nothing wrong with promoting birth control, as I said it has a bigger economic impact, and reduces poverty.
Matt wants people on welfare to have more kids….
Hey Guys! I hope everyone is having a good week :0)
I agree with Scott on his analysis of the political situation and concur that the bond will go through.
Even if it doesn’t this time, it will be by the second round.
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I strongly disagree with the birth control stuff as a measure to reduce poverty but I’m a conservative and hes a progressive. So on somethings I guess we will just disagree.
Scott is right that we do need a full report on the conditions of our schools and the populations that attend there. That information belongs to the public and the School District needs to share it with us.
I overall like Open Enrollment, and think it is a good tool for parents to use to get their kids to better schools or meet the necessary flexibility for their lives.
We need to understand what schools these students are leaving and why!
George McGovern Middle School is a Disaster and the School district is hiding it.