Received my beloved copy today. The published the list of supporters for the upcoming ref. Do they have the guts to print the non-supporters????

I doubt it - my first few experiences with this "paper" indicate their views are one-sided and not open to debate. The D41 articles have been heavily criticized here for the pro-district slant and the ommission of facts that support any opposition of D41 plans or views (in my opinion).

Well, I do not plan on voting to approve this referendum. Air Conditioning may be more prevalent "now", but school is not in session during the hottest months of the year when air conditioning is used in all those homes, car, offices, ...

Half the time in the spring and fall, I wish the air conditioning in my office were turned off and I could just open up a window.

I do not know of a credible newspaper that would voluntarily print so many names of referendum supporters. Do not newspapers usually require payment for ad space. I thought this was a struggling newspaper, so why would the editors not require payment for an ad?

The article on the previous page indicates the pro-referendum committee only has about $500, yet at least 214 supports are willing to sign a letter, but not contribute at least $5 to the cause?

I was wondering why there were no "VOTE YES" signs around town.

quote:

Originally posted by Gus:
Received my beloved copy today. The published the list of supporters for the upcoming ref. Do they have the guts to print the non-supporters????

I guess Buddy is beyond weighing in with his "thoughts" on the newspaper. Seriously, Gus, if that newspaper never acknowledged that there was organized opposition to D41's ref (not nameless, faceless "stealth"), why would they dig for a story that includes non-supporters of 89's ref?

You have some very interesting points, SouthieGE. I, too, have never seen a letter to the editor with so many names. Hmmm I fear that we will see this happen in D41 when the ref machine cranks up again here. Hopefully, it won't be before 2009 and we will have a chance to vote out those still in denial.

If they would have asked me for the $5.00 bucks, I would have given $10.00. Also, if you were to re-read the article, you would have seen that the group that said they had about $500.00 is a separate group in support of the ref, then the group with the letter in the paper.

I was apprehensive like the rest of GE and the words referendum, but after attending the talks with the Superintendent and speaking with other parents about the referendum, it made sense for me and my wife to invest in our son's future in district 89.

I was around for the District 41 debacle and how it played out. I am comfortable and confident that this is good for our district and for the kids that will be educated at these schools. Everyone has a right to vote yes or no, and we are lucky to have that right and the ability to discuss it in a forum like the GEBB.

We have decided to vote yes and join parents in the district to voice our approval of the ref.

As for School Week itself, you either love it or you hate it. I myself, would never pay for it. I happen to hate the Suntimes and like the Trib.

Dear IMJ: To tell you the truth, I haven't been following the 89 ref issues. I've got too much BS with 41 to contend with. However, when I saw the sabre rattlers with their names printed I said to myself, "oh no, here we go again"! Obviously, a very organized group funded by God only knows kind of lobby that is pro-ref despite what is sane. To print and distribute a newspaper takes some coin and after reading this propaganda, I now get their aim. I've found myself in a very cynical mood these days: Any tax increase coming down the pipe I find myself voting no on even if it makes sense. A poor state of affairs I'll admit but an effect of the abuse I have taken as a taxpayer and a parent of the GE school system. And believe me, I'm not the only one in this town thinking this way.

OHMA: Buddy says HI!

BTW SouthieGE, went to GE schools my entire "career" and never had A/C. We survived. But remember, it's for the kids.

Gus, I hear ya, I didn't have air when I was in school either. Heck, most of my college courses were in classes that didn't have air, and yes I made it too.

I see your point and can completely understand it and appreciate it. I am just a dad with my son in school, looking for a good experience.

Dear Papa IMJ: Didn't have A/C in college either now that I think of it. Don't get me wrong, we all wants best for our children and trust me, we pay for it. There's plenty of money in the coffers. You just have to say no and make them adjust. Problem is, 89 looks at their sister district to the north and say "why can't we" in terms of revenue????

As I've said before, it's like an arms race.

Problem was, 41's attempt at getting said revenue was so poor, that the community revolted and referendum became a bad word. If I was in 41's district, I would have voted no too......So I get it, I really do....

I am friends with many of these people who have signed off on this ref. HOWEVER, when I was asked to sign my name to the list I refused. The main problem that I have with this ref is the AC issue.

First, when I look at the test results of my son's school I do not see a failing school. I see a school that is always beyond the state and national requirements, as much as I hate NCLB. I do not see the environment that my kids learning in as one that is a detriment to their education. People have been goign to school in un-AC'd schools for hundreds of years.

Second, the district doesn't even have a bid or two or five for this work. They are basing their AC price tag on a guess, and a pretty high guess from what I have heard from AC guys.

It may seem pretty ironic to my friends, but I am voting NO on this ref.

Just ran across this thread...it references a lot of neat issues...

Would Schoolweek run an opposition letter? Dunno, but I think so. The editors made those that signed this letter verify twice that they indeed allowed their names to be included.

Why no ad? The signees were not asked to contribute monitarily. As IMJ said, different group. Asking for money to sign a letter to the editor would cheapen it, imho. (Read that last sentence again, its deep. ) It was interesting the volume of signatures was collected in about 48 hours and that the signees include seniors, residents with children in private schools and residents without children at all. Do all those groups support the referendum? Only a fool would say this letter was a statistically significant sample, so no conclusion can or should be drawn. It was just suprising...

I hate air conditioning! (Except for those handful of summer nights when it is impossible to sleep, but I digress..) That said, the reason I am supportive of including it in the capital improvements referendum is simply security. Afaik, there have been incidents around five Glen Ellyn elementary schools in the recent past. Our children's school has been "locked down" twice in the past year. The great news is that all of these incidents were dismissed and no harm was done to any children. All of the D89 school classrooms are on the first floor. Open doors and windows are distracting at the least and a welcome sight to nutjobs at the most. It makes me sad to admit, but times have changed since we went to school.

Twenty-five million is a truckload of money. I would prefer that capital improvements be done on a regular Replacement, Repair and Maintenance schedule. Much to this taxpayer's dismay, the system does not truly allow for this practice at this time. That said, this is not a tax-rate increase or a levy that can maximized, it is a bond issue with an amount and end date certain.

Will this win? No idea. But I do know that (so far at least) the debate and discussion seems to have been professional, above board, civil and neighborly. No matter what the outcome, living in the community and continuing friendships is much more important than disagreement about this. It will be interesting to see what happens on February 5...