Vote No On Bonds And Tax Increase
Dear Editor,
Let’s examine the plight of teachers.
In 2019, the Guilford County school board had $1 million dollars left over at the end of their fiscal year. Sharon Contreras could have spent the money to help kids, buy school supplies, improve school security or any number of other options. Instead, Contreras gave all that money to teachers. Then a few months later, she asked for and received another $3 million to $4 million from the Guilford County board. Fast forward to today. The state legislature gave teachers a 5 percent pay raise and now Contreras just spent another $17 million for yet another bonus. Wow! What I wouldn’t give to be a liberal Democrat like Mary Beth Murphy who is a Guilford County teacher and a county commissioner. I’ll keep my fingers crossed and hope she has an ethical backbone to recuse herself from any discussion or votes on any issues dealing with schools.
Now, in the May 2022 primary, when voter turnout is usually small, Skip Alston and the liberal Democrat controlled county board want citizens to authorize $1.7 billion of new debt for schools. This is on top of a recent $300 million from Guilford. To help pay for this new bond, Skip and the liberal Democrats want to increase sales tax for everything. If this school bond and tax increase passes, food, gasoline, clothes for your kids, medicines and life’s other necessities will all cost more. Oh, by the way, a county commissioner told me there are no-strings attached to any money the county gives the school board. So just like other times Contreras gave away taxpayer money, she can do it again and there is not a damn thing you can do about it. It’s like giving a credit card to an irresponsible child hoping they will spend money wisely. History tells us that ain’t going to happen and every single person in Guilford County will have to pay the bill for the next 20 years. This is what you get when tax and spend liberal Democrats are in charge. It is time for a change. Save money and put conservative Republicans back in control of the school board and Guilford County. Vote “no” on the bond and tax increase. Your family and your wallet will say, “thank you”!
P.S. These same liberal Democrats say there is no crime problem, no inflation, the southern border is secure and mask mandates are necessary. What a crock!
Ken Orms
If it’s on a Board, Commission, or Council – vote it to the curb. It is PAST TIME for drastic changes in local government.
I believe that Mr.Orms is spot on with his opinions. I was shocked after receiving a 5% raise in August that teachers would turn their nose up at a $1,500 bonus. Bonus for what doing your job – hopefully you didn’t go into teaching to get rich you went into it to affect the lives of young people. I hope the teachers will examine why they got in the profession and not what the profession owes them. Every time I see a teacher I thank them for what they do and ask if they still love it. Unfortunately their answer is usually no for a number of reasons. There are a lot of jobs available out there right now – if you’re tired of job security , good benefits, union protection and the opportunity to help a young person mold their life/get a job instead of a calling. That’s what teaching is it is a calling and a damn important one – please be proud of what you do on a daily basis and understand that the average person really appreciates you more than you know.
Well said! Thank you!
I totally agree with you Ken…. well said.
Precise and spot on Ken.
All good examples of piss poor management of the taxpayer’s money.
Don’t worry, definately a NO vote.
We’re talking about amateurs here. The Lefties learned everything from Big Brother in Washington.
The public school systems are broken across the country because they are run by liberals who believe that any problem can be solved simply by throwing more money in the pot. Until there is a method for rewarding accomplishments in scores, graduates who can read, write, spell and do simple math without the aid of Google, the schools systems should not expect the taxpayers to give them a cent. I am 66 years old, went to public school in the City of High Point, my children did the same. However, there is no way I will allow my grandchildren to set foot in a public school in Guilford County even if I have to sell my house to pay for their education. The entire school board and administration needs to either be fired or resign so that responsible adults, rather than children, can make the necessary decisions to rescue our schools from the current status of decay.
I believe it was the Republicans that came up with scampaign call ‘No Child Left Behind’, then when deployed continued to leave children behind in education. Not that liberal folks have done any better. My point being that it will require an entire new level of thinking to address our failed public education system.
Given the current political client of Party First…I highly doubt that will happen.
Put the money into the private sector. Why? What’s the old saying about continuing to do what you are doing and expecting things to change?
The school systems in our country need drastic change, but those invested in the current system (mostly liberals and democrats) will fight tooth and nail to defeat it. . . . .unless it comes to the ballot box, or at a minimum, an increase in charter schools.
Parents should challenge teachers, principals, School Board Members and Teachers Unions who are brainwashing their children!
There is so much misinformation in this editorial, it’s apparent that Ken hasn’t become clued into what is actually happening, but would rather regurgitate talking points not based in fact and quite frankly furthers the divide. Believe when I say that I am not a fan of Sharon Contreras and I do think that there has been some major mismanagement of funds and plenty of impropriety across the board, and I do mean the school board…Green Construction has been awarded quite a few contracts…do you really need me to tell you about GREEN Construction? Do your research. Sharon Contreras? She is only about the photo op and could care nothing about the actual story behind the photo. The school board doesn’t talk to the staff, Contreras doesn’t talk to her staff, staff doesn’t talk to staff. Sharon Contreras HAS spent money on the children, she’s also provided raises for teachers and more recently all staff, that hasn’t come yet, BTW, but a lot of the monies you are referring to, comes from different pots that are specifically allocated for a purpose. ESSR funds could only be spent on specific things, including increasing teacher pay through salary increases that end when the ESSR funds run out or bonuses. They also are paying for a number of district enhancements that support students, staff and our community. Buildings are owned by Guilford County. Guilford County is responsible for the upkeep of the buildings. The buildings are in piss poor shape because Guilford County refused to fund the upkeep of the buildings and now we are in a crisis. We can no longer put tape on a crack, that crack has become a sinkhole. Our buildings must be repaired properly and/or replaced. That’s what that bond is for, not for teacher raises. Any extra money in a pot can not just fill another pot because it became empty – it has to be allocated a certain way. Overall, Guilford County residents can pay a few cents more in taxes. You get what you pay for and good schools aren’t going to just happen by changing the leader – buildings need heat, air conditioning, running water that shuts off, toilets that flush, working elevators, buildings that people aren’t crashing in to, paint, caulking, windows that open, classrooms that circulate air, etc. All those things affect a child’s ability to learn, teachers ability to teach and staff’s ability to be productive. Instead of kvetching in an editorial, roll up your sleeves, learn how school funding works and do what you can to help the schools.
BBJW, this wasn’t an editorial. It was a letter to the editor. Were you aware that there is a difference?
You seem to forget lapsed salaries with the school board could have been used for maintenance, but maintenance budget can’t be used for salaries or benefits. Please tell us, why hasn’t Contreras and company done anything to be fiscal responsible?
Am wondering of the Rhino is aware their computer system is removing posts on the belief they are “duplicates”? It’s happened to me several times and I have never posted a duplicate. Wonder if they have logged my email address as a suspect? Has it happened to you?
Thanks for showing the corporate world, including manufacturers like Toyota who have committed to building one of the world’s biggest battery plants here, that Greensboro citizens place no value on education and are too busy squealing over fixing their decaying schools to provide a world-class workforce for 21st Century jobs. WIth every recalcitrant letter to the editor, you citizens are saying to Apple, Google, Tesla and a million other high-tech companies, DONT EXPECT YOUR TOP TALENT to come from Greensboro. I’m sure cities such as Charlotte, Knoxville, Raleigh and Durham will be glad to supply the engineers, programmers and other $100k workers they’ll need to transform the US into the 4th Industrial Revolution. The world is a competitive place, and if your students don’t have the skills necessary to compete in a global labor market, the world will pass you by and your citizens will suffer. You selfish boomers and empty nesters, squawking about educating someone else’s children, should take heed before you see your grandkids on the streets, permanently locked out of a 21st Century future, because they have no conception of the Science, Technology or Math needed to design a post-fossil fuel world. Those who know the cost of everything most often know the value of nothing. Tell me again, WHERE do Greensboro Public schools sit in state/national rankings? Are you satisfied with that? You’ve starved and urinated on the Trojan horse of public education for decades like ‘good little Reaganites” while manufacturing jobs have fled overseas, yet your solution is ensure more of the same. Tell me the definition of insanity, again? Either Shut up and support your schools, or move to where ignorance is celebrated and embraced.
We’ve been supporting our (government) schools for decades with literally billions of Dollars. And they’re still crap.
And you expect us to continue doing so…???
You tell me the definition of insanity.
Stevethedoof, you do realize that it’s the irresponsible leadership that has led to the poor condition of our buildings. This piss poor leadership or lack of falls completely in the lap of lazy liberals. They always get the cushy government jobs then run it in the ground. Do your homework! Look it up… you’ll see that the decay of society, the decline of education, the disrepair of the buildings and the disdain for our own country is ALL due to liberal leftist democrats. Look it up! Prove me wrong. Can’t be done. Crooks will ALWAYS lead you down and with Guilford County the City of Greensboro and the school system, they certainly have.
The allotted money per student should follow the student. Then I would vote for the bond because I would get my money back for my child that I have to put in private school. My child has a learning disability that we began addressing with our own money through testing and tutoring the day after kindergarten. GCS would not do the testing until a minimum of 3rd grade. Three full years of sitting in a classroom without the learning support needed. Kids learn to read in those three years. Combined with our personal learning issues, the minimum standard education students seem to achieve in GCS, and the facilities that have not been maintained I will not vote for the bond. If they would like to contribute to the cost that we have paid for my child’s education, the tutoring and testing we have paid in cash out of our pocket, then I would be happy to vote for the bond.
Guess your comments think it’s OK for athletes to get “accepted” to college when in fact they will not get a degree in any field of importance.
When you can’t learn (and apply) basic algebra, or how to write well, or don’t know anything about science . . .but are still allowed to get into “college”, what does that tell you about their high school education? It is long past time the current education of young people met some kind of standard that existed in the 1950s-1970s. But, it won’t happen since school systems “abhor” anything that speaks to quality of teaching, and learning abilities of students. Just keep passing the students onto the next grade and they will eventually be out of your hair and teachers will be retired.
because i HOPE there are no bad apples – just incorrect barrels – i propose boarding school for the problem low income kids – just like the wealthy do it – when the “apple” should be relocated nearby to a different “barrel” like our jewish boarding school &or oak ridge military ? with gov’t assistance ! & minimal interference. guidance councilors deciding with guardians who needs it & where & when.