posted by Joe Polk at 11:30 PM /
The Republican Committee of Mt. Lebanon has put together a survey regarding the high school renovation project and other municipal issues. According to their web site, people that complete the survey by August 14 will be entered into a drawing to win $100.
Link: www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=1pHoqUrkOW6bNTRGNLaMiw_3d_3d
Link: www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=1pHoqUrkOW6bNTRGNLaMiw_3d_3d
Labels: high school renovation, Republican Committee of Mt. Lebanon
5 Comments:
What do I think? I think the GOP needs someone to write their surveys for them. My favorite question was easily this one:
Are you in favor of: (Check one)
(a) Increasing taxes
(b) Maintaining current taxes
(c) Reducing taxes
Obviously, the knee jerk answer is (c), but equally obvious is the fact that you can't answer this question in a vacuum. Sometimes cutting or maintaining current taxes is foolish, especially if you must then borrow the money to maintain basic infrastructure (See, the StreetGate of a few weeks ago). And sometimes increasing taxes is prudent to maintain a level of service, make capital improvements or fund new projects. Without facts, its really a hollow question.
However, this question does bring to the forefront an issue that requires a lot more dialogue - and that is the fact that Mt. Lebanon needs cash -- bad! If you read between the lines, the survey offers some good insight into what lies ahead for 2010. As we all know, the Municipal and School District budgets are stretched as wide and as thin as they can get. Unfortunately, there are significant new costs that will be added on the expense side next year with no corresponding uptick on the revenue side.
If we build a $115 million high school, pay the salaries and benefits for our teachers, firemen, police officers and other municipal employees at increasing rates, fully fund their pensions, pay higher rates for garbage collection and other community services, and fix the fields that everyone complains about, Lebo would surely be a great place to live and work. However, we'd also be in debt up to our eyeballs or taxed to the gills - or both.
I, like many, don't mind paying a "premium" to live in this community. The schools are great, the services fantastic, and perhaps most importantly the people are wonderful. Nevertheless, I think there are some scary times ahead for all of us, young and old alike.
Don't want to believe me? Then sit down and have a cup of coffee with your Commissioner and hear it from him directly. He won't sugar coat it, I promise. You'll learn things about our financial situation that you don't get from the Almanac, the P-G South or even from attending the meetings. I can assure you that is an eye opening exercise, and it's information that we all need to have.
Dave-
Agreed, you make some good points, the most pertinent being that the tax question brings to the forefront issues that require a lot more dialogue.
The MTL GOP has opened a door for direct communication from all residents and that's a great start.
The end of the survey has a box for comments... anyone could suggest a question I suppose.
Here are two suggestions I'd like to see added...
make running survey results available to the community if its technically feasible and...
add new surveys as issues come up.
D. Spahr
From one of the questions: "Municipal revenues have been flat and are expected to remain flat until the 2002 assessment freeze is resolved ..."
It is shameful our local GOP leadership has been drinking the Kool Aid and does not see that assessment increases are actually tax increases under the current system.
They are all for lowering millage ... but if your asessment goes up they are just asking you to pay your fair share.
Assessment changes should be revenue neutral, not revenue enhancements.
It didn't take me long to realize how skewed this poll is. The second question has four of the five spending choices below the cost of the current plan.
Also, you have to enter your address, ostensibly to prevent multiple submissions. I think it's more likely there so they know exactly who you are, especially if you put you gender and age.
No thanks.
I suggest that the tabulation of the High School section of the questionnaire responses be separated into 2 separate time components and reported that way...Pre-Taylor & Post-Taylor, the latter following a public disclosure and vetting of a critique of the current design proposal for the High School,a critique presented to the Board & Super. by Lebo grad, resident and professional Structural Engineer, Dirk A. Taylor, P.E.on July 28, 2009.
Hopefully, someone who knows how will post a link to the critique on the blog. I hear the critique is very critical of what what has been presented to us and supported by a majority of the Board.
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