Letters to the Editor
‘Fake News’
I notice that the papers and/or articles refer to “illegal aliens” as “undocumented” people. This has been the usage for, to my recollection, the last 8-10 years. That is like calling a bank robber a money-transferring person. He didn’t hurt anyone, gave them a note, they gave him the money. He is just trying to feed his family and make things better for himself and his family.
Besides, the money he actually stole is insured by the government — the government that takes our money and hands it over to “illegals” for health care, food stamps, housing, schooling and, oh yeah, cell phones.
This is just one perfect example of news media and fake news.
Deanna Ferritto
Huntsburg Township
More Guns = More Gun Violence
I read with serious concerns that consideration is being given to allow people with concealed carry permits to carry weapons inside government buildings.
Ohio Senate Bill 199, the bill that was referenced in a recent Geauga County Maple Leaf article and is being used as the rationale for the debate about county government buildings, was passed in the middle of the night on the last day of the 2016 lame duck session. It had significant opposition and remains deeply concerning for many, including myself.
Opponents of the bill vastly outnumbered proponents during testimony and thousands of phone calls were made in opposition leading up to the vote.
There is considerable research that shows expanding the areas where guns can be carried and the circumstances in which they can be used results in greater harm.
Everytown for Gun Safety is a non-partisan group that has extensive data-driven, fact-based research on this issue. For those who are interested, start at everytownresearch.org.
Second Amendment rights are important and I respect the rights of responsible citizens’ to lawfully carry guns. But the bottom line is that more guns in more places results in more gun violence, whether intentional or accidental.
Leah Knapp
Bainbridge Township
Board Forgot its Promise
On Monday, March 13, at 8 a.m. in the morning, the Newbury School Board quietly met for the sole purpose of ending merger talks with West Geauga Schools.
After nearly a year of discussions, planning and tens of thousands of dollars spent by West Geauga, the Newbury School Board unilaterally and without warning walked away from a joint venture that would have merged the two schools into a unified, more competitive and economically advantageous district that would provide Newbury children with improved educational and extracurricular opportunities.
Newbury Schools is in trouble. Our student enrollment has declined precipitously from its high of over 1,000 students in the 1980s and now stands at 411 children.
This number is expected to continue to crater every year and fall under 300 students sometime between 2021 and 2023.
Our state report card graded Newbury three Ds and one F out of six total categories while WG outperformed Newbury in all categories except one and earning two As and one B.
Newbury voters generously passed a new 8-mill levy in 2014 on the promise by the previous Newbury superintendent and the board members to use these funds to stabilize the budget and ready the school for a merger with a larger district like Berkshire or WG.
A levy flier distributed in October 2014 stated the following: “Ask yourself, do you think another community would consider a merge with Newbury if we had debt they would then take on as theirs? Probably not. It is essential the district remain out of debt to keep future options viable…”
We heard the board loud and clear, and raised our taxes to secure a future for our kids, our homes and our community. However, our board quickly forgot their promise and walked away from a promising future with WG.
Conversations with two WG board members and the WG superintendent revealed that they were cautiously optimistic over the preliminary financial study impacting the costs and budget impacts of a merger that was indicating that Newbury’s taxes would decline in the early years. Newbury’s taxes would go down! Currently, Newbury’s tax rate is almost 20 mills lower than WG.
The final financial study was anticipated to be completed within a couple of weeks and the WG board was proposing to hold public meetings in April. The process was moving ahead, showing great promise and the Newbury board suddenly walked away. Newbury residents were never given an opportunity to voice their opinions.
During the Berkshire talks, a professional strategist company — Burges & Burges —was hired to perform a community survey. A November 2015 online survey indicated that 75 percent of Newbury residents favored consolidation. A phone survey conducted in June 2016 indicated 46 percent supported consolidation while 24 percent were against and 30 percent undecided. This proposal also included a new school building along with a bond issue raising taxes.
The proposal with WG requires no bond and no new taxes since the existing facilities can handle Newbury’s 300-400 students.
One widely agreed prediction is that Newbury Schools cannot exist another decade under these rapidly declining conditions, and it is highly unlikely Newbury voters will pass another levy for additional taxes to fund a district hemorrhaging students, curriculum and opportunity.
Newbury will never be stronger than we are right now and we should be negotiating from a position of strength, not weakness and desperation like we will find ourselves in a few short years.
Kate Musick
1996 Newbury Schools Graduate
Russell Township
