Letters to the editor

Sick of reading pointless letters

Alright people, I am completely tired of reading pointless letters to the editor regarding, SWCS, SWAT, OSFC, CSWCS, etc., etc., etc.!

We live in the year 2008. We all have our own hardships, budgets, fixed income situations, single income families, dual-income families, family and parenting responsibilities.

For previous letters to compare our current education crisis in America to that of living through the post depression and WWII era lifestyles is simply irrational and ridiculous. We appreciate every man, woman and child that made it through those life altering, tough and patriotic times, but this is the now  – get over it.

I say, stop drawing from the past in order to bring down our future.

It has been said that educators are “over paid” and “rushing to get home.” May I remind you that these people are educators as a profession, parents, community leaders or volunteers and coaches that have all sacrificed for the district.

We have all sacrificed for years with inadequate facilities, failed bond issues, split-sessions, and trailer classrooms.

Personally, my family still struggles paycheck to paycheck, as do most in the district. We live in a dual income family. I have been practicing in architecture for 12 years. My wife is an educator in this district and has been since 1996. I can tell you that as a career, architecture and teaching offer the same pay schedule, and it is nothing compared to today’s business-type careers.It certainly has not been a cake walk for us, and I am sure it is not for others.

Everyone has a story, and they are all valid.

We need our students to be able to meet the state standards in education and unfortunately, the facility side of this equation is simply inadequate. The state has been failing our rapidly growing community for years.

It is no wonder that America has fallen so far behind in education in this world, when some in our community still think that to graduate from high school means the student is prepared for life by knowing how to add, subtract, multiply and divide – not to mention read and write.

We are all prioritizing our lives in order to get by in life, and yes, SWAT, it is not going to get any easier, but what solutions are you offering? Charter schools? Right, that’s the answer. Instead, SWAT complains and asks what alternatives SWCS can offer? I think that has been answered.

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f the state is offering over $200 million in funding to the district, and we as a community and district need to match the funds in the form of a tax levy, then so be it.

This is the here and now people, and apparently, this is what it will take to make some progress regarding district-wide facility assessments that have been in the works for years. This is an issue everywhere, and this ‘NIMBY’ nonsense has got to stop.

Now is the time to vote, and get with the solution.

Steve Gagliardi
SWCS district resident

Increased rates will effect whole township

Ohio American Water’s most recent request for an increase in rates for water and sewer in the residential subdivisions around Hubbard Road exceeds 30 percent. The cost for water in these neighborhoods is excessive and creates compounding problems.

These problems don’t affect just these homeowners, however. They affect all of us in Prairie Township and all of us in South-Western and Hilliard school districts. If the justification for the rate increase falls back on an acceptable yield for Ohio American Water’s investment and operating expenses, then they over-paid for their acquisition. They didn’t account for the obsolescence associated with the poor water source and depriciated equipment.

There should be no rate increase…zero! The increased cost that these homeowners pay for water comes off their bottom line, leaving less income to pay for their mortgage. These problems depriciate real estate values and deteriorate our tax base. If they over-paid for their investment and they can’t operate with reasonable expenses, they should turn it over to their lender like too many of the homeowners are having to do.

The former village of New Rome is gone and it appears Ohio American Water has become the new “bully” around Prairie Township. Residents of the Township, let’s stand together and not be tempted towards apathy.