Career politiciansNot getting our money's worth
Posted: Friday, November 4, 2011 6:00 am | Updated: 2:30 pm, Thu Nov 3, 2011.
Responding to Morrisville school board President Bill Hellmann's Oct. 25 letter, I find that Mr. Hellmann is doing the "trash talking." As a taxpayer of Morrisville, a parent, and a candidate for school board I feel my fellow taxpayers are not getting their money's worth out of our district with lower test scores and non-transparent government.
Pennsylvania Department of Education reports show test scores are down. Our third-grade math results, once the highest in the county, have now dropped more than 15 percent with this board in office. Third-grade reading is down nearly 13 percent. Fifth-grade math dropped more than 28 percent in one year alone. The elementary grades were once the high scoring grades that carried into the upper grades. Mr. Hellmann's board has created a poor foundation for education in Morrisville.
Mr. Hellmann mentions honesty. Within a month of taking office, Marlys Mihok, a running mate of Mr. Hellmann, claimed the superintendent did not inform the board about a tax cap deadline. It was reported by this paper's columnist, Kate Fratti. At the next meeting, the superintendent showed videotape proof where she did inform the board of the deadline. Recently the board voted to approve the business manager's contract with no mention of the length or for how much, thus keeping taxpayers in the dark. This is public information and should be readily available.
Mr. Hellmann mentions a "circle" of those wanting to build a new school. In the words of Ronald Reagan, "There you go again." Morrisville taxpayers spoke loud and clear that a new school should not be built in Morrisville. My fellow candidates and I heard that voice four years ago and we know the laws and have made a pledge to not build one. It seems in the spirit of Halloween, Mr. Hellmann enjoys raising the ghost of a dead issue. It's a shame he can't move on; we have.
When you drive through Morrisville, are you proud of what you see? Mr. Hellmann mentions that his team is "familiar to voters." They should be. Mr. Hellmann was the borough's elected comptroller. Al Radosti and Steve Worob have served on both borough council and school board and Marlys Mihok served on a prior school board. These career politicians have helped create Morrisville what it is today. Mr. Hellmann says the schools were not renovated in 50 years. This proves even his fellow candidates who were in office before did not take care of the buildings when they had the opportunity. Who says they are going to now? Mr. Hellmann and his board of career politicians have a strange way of showing their "love of Morrisville" as their ads claim.
The people of Morrisville have put up with Mr. Hellmann and his associate's "trash talking" for many years. They've seen the results of these career politicians in our town and schools. They want the change Morrisville deserves. "Morrisville Matters" to them. Join them by voting for Wanda Kartal, Ted Parker, David Stoneburner, and myself, Damon Miller, on Nov. 8.
Damon Miller
Morrisville Matters school board candidate
11 comments:
Damon, good letter you captured the way many of us feel.
Below, 2 really good commments on a Alfred 'SOC' Radosti recent BCCT letter. Sorry Alfred, I'm not printing your words again here. I'd bet good cash money you didn't write them anyway.
2 comments:
miss kitty posted at 6:27 pm on Wed, Nov 2, 2011.
Posts: 1 STOP lying about the current school boards record!
I'll tell you what I'm going to look at before I vote, Mr Radosti.
I'm going to look at the drop in Morrisville's 2011 PSSA scores for starters,
then I'll watch a few of the MV SB meetings to see the retreaded board members non-responses to the parents and taxpayers legitimate questions and queries,
and then I'll drive by the abandoned MR Reiter property on my way to vote for the Morrisville Matters candidates.
Log In to report.Link MV Watcher posted at 6:06 am on Wed, Nov 2, 2011.
Posts: 20 What a great idea Al. "Where is their plan?" Isn't that the same question Ed Frankenfield specifically asked you a few years ago and you remained silent because you and your "stop everything we don't like" group didn't have a plan? Your lack of plan caused debris from the exploding M.R. Reiter boiler to land in your own front yard. We have a derelict hulk in your own front yard. Where is your plan for that?
No more taxes. Does anyone else notice you did not return the tax money that was levied for the new school? You kept the tax money, returned the bonds, and made half hearted repairs to fifty year old buildings. You personally know how bad the school infrastructure was and still is. What would you all have done without Sandy Gibson's money?
Some of the same people running again? Yes, most of your entire slate is rerunning retreads from the past who have led Morrisville to ruin over thirty years of mismanagement.
We're not getting a new school. For you to trot out that sorry old excuse shows you have no more imagination and leadership than the rest of your unanimous crony-laden board. You're just another fear mongerer pretending for the press.
Good letter Damon, and good comments.
One clarification I'd like to make to "MV Watcher"'s comments:
That wasn't "Sandy Gibson's money", it was OUR money. By "OUR", I mean the taxpayers, rent payers, residents, and citizens of Morrisville. We paid for that bond money, and then we paid more to defease it.
I know what you meant, though. What would Hellmann, Mihok, Radosti, Worob, etc. and the Stay on Coursers have done to raise $7 million for school renovations if it hadn't already been raised?
I firmly believe the answer to that question is:
NOTHING. The 30 prior years of NOTHING were a pretty darn good indicator.
after four years in office they (the current board ) are the one's without a plan they are always reacting to their misteps or screw ups and any plans the come up are done behind closed doors
after four years in office they (the current board ) are the one's without a plan they are always reacting to their misteps or screw ups and any plans the come up are done behind closed doors
"I will never, never, ever be responsible for any child because I am a school board member."
- Marlys Mihok
Tuesday, July 15, 2008, 9:27 a.m.
I don't get it. Isn't that the whole idea of being a shool board director?
Uh, yeah. That's all the reason I need NOT to vote for Mihok. Yet, as an added bonus, Mihok supplies oh so many other reasons not to vote for her.
Due to more sign stealing that occurred last night on Pennsylvania and Bridge street, we felt it was important to alert SOC
Dear SOC: Your Supporter 'friends'/'relatives' were caught stealing our signs again last night as they snuck behind the backs of those that were putting them out. They got caught, they were Warned!
This kind of behavior should not be tolerated from either side and the Authorities have been alerted.
As you remember, this happened during the primary when another SOC supporter was caught doing the same.
We appreciate your sharing this with your camp so the campaign continues to stay clean and honest as we have followed all along the Morrisville Matters Election Route.
Oh great, the SOC Dirty Tricks Squad is out on the town again. Appalling. Predictable.
"Oh great, the SOC Dirty Tricks Squad is out on the town again. Appalling. Predictable"
Would those be dirty SOCs?
Yes! Probably the ones that disappear in the laundry.
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