Sup. Rivers... a "tool"

**simple man** · March 10th, 2011, 04:24 PM

"Now the new thing is people don't mind paying a bit more taxes to keep the schools open, if that money is put into the schools. I don't know if you have really paid attention, the schools are funded at what, 1.5X times what they should be?"

Says 1.5x what they should be. Still- I can't remember ANYTHING being done to the high schools. I don't doubt that we are spending too much money at the moment, but what about 10-20 years ago? The folks that spend our county money would give 50,000 dollars for a Yugo, as long as somebody favorable gets the contract. If you can find the info look at the Basham era plans and the cost. The money to be spent was greatly different between the schools. So were the plan costs. I don't mind doubling the property tax, as long as we get good schools. As soon as you mention this , somebody will say the folks that pay rent are getting off scott free.
Far as this goes, when was the last time Clintwood got a good facelift?

**Counts** · March 11th, 2011, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by simple man

"Now the new thing is people don't mind paying a bit more taxes to keep the schools open, if that money is put into the schools. I don't know if you have really paid attention, the schools are funded at what, 1.5X times what they should be?"

Says 1.5x what they should be. Still- I can't remember ANYTHING being done to the high schools. I don't doubt that we are spending too much money at the moment, but what about 10-20 years ago? The folks that spend our county money would give 50,000 dollars for a Yugo, as long as somebody favorable gets the contract. If you can find the info look at the Basham era plans and the cost. The money to be spent was greatly different between the schools. So were the plan costs. I don't mind doubling the property tax, as long as we get good schools. As soon as you mention this , somebody will say the folks that pay rent are getting off scott free.
Far as this goes, when was the last time Clintwood got a good facelift?

As for DC they did put in the elevator a few years back when thy had a student in a wheel chair and about got into trouble for not having one......The older building could not be retro fitted with one so they hade the banister lift in that one however I figer that poor girl really struggled to get to her classes on time.......The HS Gym tends to flood every few years and I know that a floor was put in no more than 5 or 6 years ago........Not sure the county can afford much else considering that they are having HS teachers travel school to school to teach and have started using the electronic classrooms only for several core classes add to that the reason the classrooms are now so cold in the winter is that the furnace would need to be started a good 3 hours before school for them to get warm but due to cutbacks no one is allowed to come in so it is just going tto stay cold for the first 2 periods of the day

**R13** · March 17th, 2011, 05:42 PM

It was explained at the BOS meeting the other night, that because all the money it has taken to keep these six schools going, there's really been little to no money left to do any upgrades - sure here and there with very small projects, but nothing like they needed. Some are just too in denial to accept that, very sad.

**simple man** · March 19th, 2011, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by R13

It was explained at the BOS meeting the other night, that because all the money it has taken to keep these six schools going, there's really been little to no money left to do any upgrades - sure here and there with very small projects, but nothing like they needed. Some are just too in denial to accept that, very sad.

And some are too dumb to know the difference. If we are so desperate, why are going to have a fortune to build new schools? If the 2 boards and the consol folks so good, why didn't we get a little more funding 20 years ago? It all boils down to the same thing- this county doesn't want to pay anymore than they have to.

**R13** · March 21st, 2011, 01:34 AM

Originally Posted by simple man

And some are too dumb to know the difference. If we are so desperate, why are going to have a fortune to build new schools? If the 2 boards and the consol folks so good, why didn't we get a little more funding 20 years ago? It all boils down to the same thing- this county doesn't want to pay anymore than they have to.

The anti-consolidation side has hogged up all the dumb. This has been addressed a thousand times, you guys seem to miss it. As of right now, with what money they have coupled various loans they have/will receive, they can afford it without a tax increase. Just because that is the case now, doesn't mean it will be the case next year or has been the case for 20 years. There are windows of construction that have lower costs, loans/new loans that haven't always been available that come with small/no interest rates. It's really not too hard to understand, this goes right over the head of so many though.

**Counts** · March 21st, 2011, 06:27 AM

Originally Posted by R13

The anti-consolidation side has hogged up all the dumb. This has been addressed a thousand times, you guys seem to miss it. As of right now, with what money they have coupled various loans they have/will receive, they can afford it without a tax increase. Just because that is the case now, doesn't mean it will be the case next year or has been the case for 20 years. There are windows of construction that have lower costs, loans/new loans that haven't always been available that come with small/no interest rates. It's really not too hard to understand, this goes right over the head of so many though.

You forget this is the group that has said IN THE MEETINGS that they do not understand interest rates and the math "Makes there head Hurt" but all they want is to "keep there sch...errr what is best for the kids......go DAWGS!"

**R13** · March 24th, 2011, 09:46 PM

Originally Posted by Counts

You forget this is the group that has said IN THE MEETINGS that they do not understand interest rates and the math "Makes there head Hurt" but all they want is to "keep there sch...errr what is best for the kids......go DAWGS!"

It's amazing though watching the way they react when they are told this by everyone with a brain, their denial is a level I have never seen, sad.

**VHSLhelper** · April 12th, 2011, 11:54 AM

Okay... let's get back to Rivers.

First, is he a part of CEASE? He's still talking about getting his building remodeling plan that schools will likely be exempt from passed. "I say let’s go to court and let a judge make the decision. We need to do all we can, and if it is to be challenged in court, so be it.”

Second, can someone tell me what this guy is on?
“Norton has everything to win with the ‘cram plan’”
I don;t see it.
Wait... is he talking about the "extra" $$$ they'll get for having more students?
If so, did he forget about the extra local $$$ they'll need for those kids?
Well, I can see the possibility that, say, a couple of dozen new students can be scattered throughout the 4 grades, and each class will only add a couple of kids, so no new teachers will be needed, so they might could get by on the new money, but I don't see them coming out ahead in any big way.