Raise my taxes, please.

Okay. I’m not REALLY begging for my taxes to go up, or cheering about the prospect. But I am trying to face the facts. It seems that through largely no fault of their own, our rural school districts are facing very challenging financial situations. In the short term, in order to keep these districts viable and avoid a mass exodus of students to ‘city’ districts … its up to us to pull together and do our part to maintain this education system. And in the short term, that means passing the referendums in both Brodhead and Parkview districts in April.

Yes, I know that means my taxes will go up somewhere between a hundred and two hundred dollars a year. No, I don't like that. And yes, I know its going to hurt some of us more than others, especially those on fixed budgets.

But asking school districts for cutbacks, delays in vital technology tools and curriculum and cutting staff and extra-curriculars has the very real potential to send these districts into a downward spiral from which they may never recover.

Doing that, to save the amount of a half tank of gas a month at the expense of our students is, well, simply not acceptable.

There’s plenty of blame to pass around, I suppose. But I think most of you would agree that the current funding mechanisms in our state right now certainly are not working effectively. And we have to face the fact that we, as voters, largely allowed the current system to be put in place by our elected leaders. So its up to us to learn about the problem, propose solutions to our elected leaders -- and if those elected leaders are not up to the task of fixing the system, to vote them out and replace them.

I'm sure there is no “quick fix”. It will take work from everyone -- even those of us who no longer have kids in the system. We have to become educated on the underlying cause of the needs for these types of “operating funds” referendums and work to fix the funding problem.

So, initially, I shoulder some of the blame for not having a complete understanding of why these vital districts don’t have the funding they need. But I also pledge to support our school systems; in the short term by voting FOR the funding referendum as a "band aid" to buy us time, and in the longer term, by becoming part of the solution.

So yes, raise my property taxes.
This time.
Because I hope to be part of a solution that makes sure there isn’t a “next time”.