SCHOOL'S BEING SHUT DOWN

LPD, I've been saying the same thing for years. we have to work together. heck, my thesis at Virginia Tech was on improving intergovernmental cooperation in local government in Southwest Virginia. It was mainly concerned with helping folks get clean water in our area, but the point is the same. we have SO many people in office with their own agendas and not enough quality people willing to put up with the crap to run for office. it's a shame. everyone fights each other for scraps when if we worked together we might have a chance.

[Merlin]

Neither am I convinced that the cost would be the same for both options nor that the price from the 2003 study would be accurate now. I want to see cold hard facts and numbers. Then, I can make an informed decision. Those cannot just be pulled out of the air by Lord Basham or anyone else. He better not be basing his "new recommedation" upon the old 2003 figures 'cause it will not work. It was ridiculous then and even worse now. The best solution, I am convinced, has not been developed yet. And, that will take more time, effort and a whole heck of a lot of cooperation and communication for that to be arrived at.

Thanks Motown. It's good to hear from someone who has lived here and is now outside the area.
With that said. I will say this. No one has an idea or clue and to many agenda's from town to county government to private outside sources.
We have no real answers, nor can Lord Basham or anyone give them to us.
Until we all as a county and a government for Wise County come together to solve our common problem. Miscommunication and pride and ego's.
What is waiting on us? One huge debt for whom to pay for? Our children and grandchildren? I hate to think i left this earth some day for my grand child to pay for my mistakes. But that is just me. I can only speak for myself. I ask the question.
Now someone else supply the answers. I have given mine till im tired.

I might be back things work out and hopefully in a position to influence some things. That said, I have a new perspective on things not limited by Scott County, or Wise or whatever. BTW, LPD,you sound like the kind of man we NEED to run for county board, but you probably have too much sense for that.

[R0cketer]

One thing, we're never gonna have all the answers...or the solutions. In small government you always are going to have agendas and ideas and people who have their own ideas. As I recall, there was a man elected to the school board over in Wise County who campaigned purely on being agsinst consolidation. There are others who state that they are against it no matter what. You're not going to have answers or solutions if you have people who have their minds made up that way, its no better if they are set in stone and its the way you think or against the way you think.

I'm not someone who wants consolidation, wish we hadnt gotten to the point where it is an alternative and in my view, a necessary alternative, but it has. I'm open minded and realize there is a world of opportunity out there that has to be available.

Fact is, yes there are tons of agendas but those agendas aren't just in the minds of the people who think against what you think. Thats one of the things that kills me about most people. One of my best friends is as big of a republican as there is in the world. I have no problem with their political beliefs, that is their own and doesn't affect our friendship in the last, we just realize we disagree now and then. What does kill me is in their mind, they pick the best person for the job every election, but that person just happens to be Republican. That makes them the worst of the worst, because they are so close minded. So why its easy to gripe and complain about agendas on school consolidation, are the ones who are 'pro-consolidation' and worse than the ones who are 'anti'-consolidation'? No they aren't, the ones who are close minded are the problem. Most of them probably don't have the facts to make an informed opinion now, or the comprehension to understand that they have heard/read.

In a nutshell, there are agendas on both sides of the issue and if we try to pretend otherwise, the only thing you're doing is fooling yourself.

it's crunch time. you're going to have to decide what kind of school system you want to have. what kind of economic development you want to pursue. local government has put off these issues long enough and let everything simmer. if they'd done their job and made tough choices gradually over the years. things wouldnt come to a head like this.

[R0cketer]

I agree, it is time. What the leaders need to do is what is best for the whole county, not just now but in the future and realize that making the tough choices might lead them to lose the election next time. Thats a hard choice for some who think being on the board is a position of political power, when it should be a position of power to do good.

[MikMo]

People from Wise County better buckle down and prepare for the worst.....isn't Basham's report due tomorrow?

[Merlin]

I absolutely agree with you. It is crunch time and very difficult decisions will need to be made shortly. The current Board of Supervisor majority swept into office because their predecessors failed to do what was necessary to keep the County in good financial condition. A gradual tax rate increase is much easier to swallow than the large hit that was required recently. But, it was necessary.

Likewise, if a vote on school restructuring or consolidation is forced within the next couple of months, it would be foolish and ill advised IMO. There is too much at stake and too much to decide to rush to judgement. I hope our School Board is intelligent enough to realize this and will give due consideration to any proposals or "recommendations" that are presented to them. The decisions required are nothing to be left to purely emotional factors or perhaps political influences. I would have more respect for them and be more likely to return them to office if they could honestly look me in the eye and tell them they had to make the hard decision, the unpopular decision and didn't buckle to pressures that could cause them to make a "bad" decision. But, that's just my take on the situation.

[imported_Counts]

I guess it depends on what the worse is I have a hard time Not beliveing that the biggist thing that will happen tomarrow will be the anouncement of another study