Obviously you skipped math.

Taxes can go up a little, or they can go up a lot!

The difference can be not having added any expenses.

I had math in Fayette County

Given the way that they packed the hearing, should the Fayette County Board of Education be regulated the same way as other railroads? The Board could be required to blow its horn for fifteen seconds as a warning when it is starts to cross the taxpayers. It might wear out the horn prematurely, but at least we would know what hit us.

The conduct of the Board and its refusal to act fiscally responsible is inexcusable. It's time for a new superintendent.

yes, and I'm sure we all agree on who, but the deal is, if people don't get out and vote...guess what?

I want the kids to have things, but I don't think some on the school board have the kids interest ahead of their own, otherwise, why wasn't this discussed for months ahead of this? Could it have been the election coming up so it was buried? If either will post their reasons, I'm all ears. I'm sure if they would , all would like to hear it. Does anyone but me hear the deafening silence? I have no respect for Smith or Smola.

If history is any indicator, this doesn't have a chance. We'll see...

Well, it failed twice before and the school system didn't have an utter collapse despite the extreme predictions of doom back then from the school board. Is there any reason to trust this present school board with the pathetic concealment of their intent to have a SPLOST and keep it quiet until post-election? How about how poorly they handled redistricting, wasting tons of people's time and money in a charade? How about consistently not being able to fund operations without tax increases? School construction? Land acquisitions?

Let's face it, the reason Fayette students are succeeding has very little to do with the board and its continued incompetence. This is nothing new in Fayette, either. The boards have been horrid for the last 10-15 years. The students still achieve due to committed teachers, DeCotis, and big involvement from the parents.

I'll be voting NO and shaking my head in disgust at the attempted end-run the board tried by keeping this quiet until immediately after the election. Not only was that very deceptive, but it also doesn't give them near enough time to study alternatives, inform the public, hell, inform THEMSELVES, or even attempt to make it appear like they have a clue as to what they are doing.

Don't reward BS from this school board by giving them yet another load of cash that they promised over and over wouldn't be necessary after the passage of the bond issue in 2004. 4 years later they come running back to the trough with the same disaster tale of what happens of you don't pay up.

The reason I think so is look at the last election. Most were so sure that no one would vote for Smith and Smola, they neglected to vote themselves!

The same thing will happen with SPLOST, people who don't want it won't bother to vote, thinking it will never pass. Those that work for the schools and their family and friends, will vote. Wouldn't you if it was implied your job was on the line?

I feel as strongly as you, that the way it was handled was very deceptive. Heck! They let us vote without all the facts on the table! It is obvious they rather not discuss it before the elections and keep the public in the dark. Yes, alternatives could have been looked at for months and the problem solved. Whoever kept the lid on it was not looking out for the kids or taxpayers, but for their own selfish interst. How honorable is that?

If people don't get out and vote, you will have SPLOST!

Votes on these sort of taxes are never at a National general election time, or never have been anyway.

In a conservative community such as this, they get an itch from voting for taxes. They simply don't go to the off year votes.

Yes, there are devious people even in our officials!

I completely agree with you that they "SHOULD" show some fiscal responsibility, but they've never done it in the past, what makes us think they'll do it now or in the future?

They don' have to show any responsibility, not as long as they can increase taxes.

The majority of the School Board know nothing about running a business and don't listen to the minority that do. These former school teachers allow the school administrators to ride roughshod over them all the time.

Problem with the way the school admin will react is that they'll cut high visibility positions instead of cutting the fat.

Did you know that department heads are "trained" to not save money in their annual budget? By that I mean, if they don't spend what they've been allocated, then next year, their budget will be cut. So guess what, they are conditioned to spend every dime so they can come back next year and submit a budget increase.

If we want "fical responsibility, then we need to elect school board members from the business ranks, not the bored housewives and former school teacher ranks. Same with school administrators.

Mmmmmm. That would be pretty stupid to put someone in there that had no idea about the education system wouldn't it. Yeah, let's run it like a business. Yeah, let's bankrupt it like so many morons that got STUPID loans that put the housing market in the shape it is in now. 30 year resident eh? I guess you still live here because...well...life is good here in Fayette County. Do you want to go live in Clayton County? I didn't think so. If you would, please go check out WHO is on the board over there. Guess who???? You got it. Just the people you want in here.

Go do your research. Fayette County School System was the ONLY metro Atlanta school system to pass AYP. (I'll let you go look that up.) Fayette County School System students finish in near the top of every category (math, science, etc.) in the state. Please don't be stupid enough also to say that GA is in the bottom ranks of whatever ranking you choose either. Need to compare it with how those figures are put together.

Sorry to be so blunt...but do your research. Remember, when the school system FAILS...your property value goes down. I do believe people move here BECAUSE of the school system.

Mmmmm. Maybe they are doing something right. Oh and by the way, if this passes...your property taxes go down. Oh yes you have to pay a penny more, but let's compare that to surrounding counties. Also, go look at the tags on the vehicles at the local Walmart. Yep. All those "Out Of Towners" are going to help pay for that too.

For The Future Of Fayette County....I'll pay an extra penny!

Okay, I'll not say it..... (are you sure you're not Sage Advice? His/her comments were just as asinine.)

You don't hire the inmates to run the asylum. You hire fiscally responsible business people to manage a multi-million dollar budget.

Your comment on real estate foreclosures was really ignorant. You have a bunch of really dumb people, buying homes they KNOW they can't afford, not escrowing T&I and barely making the payments on an adjustable rate loan, and it's the banks fault? WOW, I hope you're not managing anything.

Fayette is still a transient community. Many of the children of families that came into the county in the last 5 years received their elementary education at schools "other than" Fayette. One documented reason for higher scores. To be one of the best in a state that is ranked 41th out of 50 (2007 results) is not so prestigious, in my opinion.

Now YOU do YOUR research and look at the schools performing the best... what part of the county are they located? Probably PTC, Whitewater and Starrs Mill.

Also, your comment of "if this passes, your property tax goes down" proves more of your ignorance.

Fayette BoE already charges the highest millage rate for schools allowed by Georgia. The only way they can get more is by floating a bond (we're already paying for at least 2 I think) or by sales tax.
Over 73 cents out of every tax dollar we pay for property tax goes to the school system already.

Fact is, they have not been able to manage it properly.

They need to learn and stop coming to the well. Or we need to cap the well.

Oh and by the way, if this passes...your property taxes go down.

Property taxes go down and income taxes go up since you can deduct property taxes on your 1040 but most people can't deduct sales tax.

I'm not so against the extra penny...what I am absolutely against is how this BoE has presented it. A mere 6 days after the election and using major scare tactics to boot! And what is so hilarious is that a few short years ago, the powers that be were going around saying what a bad idea that a SPLOST was and how the counties that rely on sales tax revenues were doing so poorly. That's because they wanted the bond referendum to pass. Now they want their cake and to eat it too.

The future of Fayette County schools is in question, is it not?

What happened in the recent Iowa and CRCT testing in Fayette County? Getting better?

What about gang activity in our schools? Getting better?

Aren't schools a huge government works program created in a failed attempt to educate those that don't want to be educated? What about those students that really want the education and the teachers that only want to teach instead of being policemen, babysitters, and referees? Why should they be subjected to this mess?

So, now they want us to pay more for poorer results? Give me a clue on why we should continue to pay into a decaying system? Where's the accountability?

Let's get government and politics out of the education business.

The only question is when will the citizens say that they have had enough.

Well, it is good not to educate the masses! They end up being just smart enough to avoid slavery and standing up for themselves!

Also. if you are born poor, the ain't no way you can attend private school, so ignorant = poor = no school.

That is how we built the USA!

It does pay however to sort the want tos from the don't want tos at some age and try an alternate education process. I'll do the sorting for those of you who are sure to ask!

There is a vast history in the United States of the poor becoming educated, productive, and rich. All without the help of government and sometimes in spite of government.

You my friend have been brainwashed by the "great social experiment" line doled out by our government schools.. That is that the poor are somehow incapable of making it on their own without government support. I have news for you they not only can, they have in the past and would continue to .. all without government support.

Public schools are not the answer, they are the problem.

Yes, we had a Saviour once, just one.
According to your logic, we could have several if only they wanted to be one!

And yes we have had some make it out of desperate beginnings.
Do you want to put a percentage to that? Even with public schools for everyone, it doesn't often happen! Some make it half way!
Take away the public education and we will again have a country of a few wealthy educated people, and a few technicians, carpenters, etc., and a whole bunch of people who can maybe write their name and read stop signs.
They will do the grunt labor!

Friend, you don't know anything about the history of public education in America. The great social experiment, has failed because it never worked in the first place.

You are ignorant of facts and naive in your beliefs. People succeed or fail based on their abilities, nothing else. Education simply teaches skills, nothing more.

Read history and then we can exchange ideas after you improve you knowledge. Public (read socialist) education has posioned your thought process and your powers of observation. Simply put you are a product of your socialist environment.

if this splost does not get passed, i will lose both my chorus teacher and chorus all together, sandy creek only has 1 chorus teacher all the other fayette high schools have at least two choir directors, so if you get rid of my teacher you get rid of chorus... music is what i plan on majoring in and if they get rid of that i won't know what to do, but i bet if somebody proposed cutting jobs and such from the athletic side of schools, splost would win hands down, but all these people who are against it, i mean come on give it a try you never know to you try.. . also think of all the kids who won't get any experience in music or art...