Some oppose the Oct. 29 Blaine County school facilities levy because they deem it "utopian" or because they should "not have to pay to educate other people's children." Others are suspicious of "individual salaries including perks, add-ons, and benefits." As a teacher, I know about the salaries and benefits, but I should look into the perks and add-ons; I might be missing out.
The levy is proactive, not utopian. School bonds, however, are reactive—the result of dire need and a common emergency model for funding schools when conditions approach desperation. Because levies are distributed in installments over time instead of a beginning lump sum, taxpayers save on interest payments compared to a bond. In our case, passage of the Oct. 29 levy will extend the previous levy (the new amount is slightly less). The median $160 per home per year will largely be spent here, making an investment in our community and youth.
Those who resent paying "to educate other people's children" themselves received an education provided by others. Why would one benefit from that system, but resist contributing to it? The world is full of examples of us paying for them and them paying for us. Most Americans will never visit Idaho, but all pay to manage the 60 percent of the state that is publicly owned, a system through which Idahoans benefit disproportionately. Few of us raised children who are now incarcerated, yet we all pay the bill. The list is endless.
Vote "yes" on Oct. 29 to pool the median $13 per month the levy will cost us to be proactive about our future, to significantly reduce our carbon footprint and to safeguard students and prepare them for the 21st century.
Larry Barnes
Hailey
