Letters to the Editor

+ Stand up be counted on school spending
Dear Editor:
At the Manatee County School Board budget meeting, Jim Hamilton, from Mixon Associates, gave a dim view of what may happen at the state level to the school budget. He spoke about things that could be done to offset the plummeting revenues. He went on to say what his district had done to cut the budget, and to my surprise, those measures were the same ideas the former citizens budget committee had recommended for years, but that had fallen on deaf ears. I guess when you use other people’s money, it is not much of a concern.

All of a sudden, board member Barbara Harvey woke up to the problem that her pet programs may be on the chopping block. Now, she’s upset. If Harvey had realized her “yes” votes on the consent agenda would cause a lot of the financial problems, maybe she would have been aware of what her vote was doing to her children. It’s not all Harvey’s fault; it’s the administration’s poor judgment and twisted interpretation of the law by the attorney that created the problems.

It comes down to the board: Either it is for the children and teachers or it favors high salaries for people who have mismanaged technology, the health care program and the 2011-12 budget with its errors and omissions. If we don’t change the makeup of this board, the administration can pass any amount of taxes it wants without going to the public. If you care about our children and our teachers, you need to make this administration know you mean business.
Peggy Martin
Manatee County