THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS

Today the taxpayers received another reminder to vote for a levy.   In my opinion the entire card is deliberately misleading.  There are little to zero real or detailed facts listed on that card.   As D. D. Norris likes to say, the card has been written at the eighth grade level.   They don't want you to know the details or what the "real" plans consist of.

They want you to believe that this is an emergency.   That the money will disappear if this project is not started immediately.   This is not true.   I have correspondence from the Ohio School Facilities Commission that states that:

"The credit from the Expedited Local Partnership program (ELPP) is for $51,893,780 and represents a reimbursement for work done to Bowman Elementary and Lebanon High School.  The ELPP project was initiated in 2000.  The district will be receiving $45,109,467 from the state for the Classroom Facilities Assistance Program (CFAP) segment of this project and the required local contribution for this segment will be for $24,914,231.  It is my understanding that the actual district levy which will be for a slightly larger amount in order to provide funding for any unexpected contingencies that might arise."

Further stated by Rick Savors of the OSFC, ". . . . . districts do not lose their ability to participate in OSFC programs.  They are, however, required to acquire their local funding share prior to re-applying for funding from the state."

This report lists Dunlavy School with 375 students and Holbrook with 655 students (K-3).   Most of you know that Dunlavy houses the maintenance department and Holbrook house the administrative offices of the district.

The report states that the cost of demolition of Holbrook will be $290,642.88.    (Don't you just love the fact that they get this down to the $0.88 level.   As I said, Holbrook houses the administrative staff.  That would be Mark North, Eric Sotzinger and the rest of the "team."   If they are going to demolish Holbrook, one would be led to assume that Mr. North will have a new palatial "administrative" building to run the show.    We really don't know because the taxpayers be damned.   They just don't need to know the plans or any of the details.

What the plans do state is that Holbrook sits on 19 acres of land.   New construction is planned on that site after the demolition is $6,228,016,36.   Don't you just love the "transparency" of our leaders.    My daddy always said liars figure and figures lie.   Just saying.

I would say you could build a real nice palace to the tune of over $6.5 million dollars.   Of course no one bothered to let the taxpayers in on the plans.    I guess it was a big, bad secret.  We have to have a proper setting for King North and Queen Norris.   

Now, what about those 375 first through third graders that don't exist at Francis Dunlavy?   Well, well, well, the plans are to demolish Dunlavy at a cost of $152,745.92.   So00000 . . . . there goes the maintenance department.   Where will we put this department?    I assume (never assume)  that this part of "the team" will also move into the new (unrevealed) administrative building.

The construction costs to Bowman total $3,447,527.58 for an addition.   The building costs to Donovan $15,340,672.91.  You see they have it down to the very last penny.   They have big plans, but you are not part of those plans.   You just have to cut more money out of your escalating grocery budget.  Turn these funds over to Mr. North and Ms. Norris and they will find some people they might know to "consult" the job for them.

Donovan Elementary (grades 3-4) will have $15,340,672.91 in improvements.   Why didn't they tear it down and build another school?   Just a thought!  Because the report says that it would cost $15,885,373.78 to replace Donovan.

What is happening to Louisa Wright you might ask?  I've been in that building and it is a fine building and perfect for Kindergartners.   Not good enough for Mr. North and Ms. Norris though.   Louisa Wright is scheduled for demolition.

The cost is listed at $304,544.66.   WHY, you ask?  Well the Powers in charge want it that way.  Does it sound like Obama Care.   You can keep the schools you love.   NO!  You can't.

Now we tell you the details at Berry Intermediate.   Apparently, your leaders, not mine, didn't want to raise too much fuss in the community regarding Berry.   So they performed a little white-wash job on the details.   As I said, the hell to pay is in the details.   

According to the records most of Berry will be DEMOLISHED.   The total estimation of the cost of tearing down and rebuilding at Berry is $24,194,563.93.   

The Lebanon Junior High School is scheduled for demolition. The cost to destroy the building is $731,140.59.  The plans to rebuild a perfectly good building is $26,700,970.60.

Lebanon High School will receive $2,588,355.44 of changes.  Do you know what they will be?

I trust all of you are able to read these facts.   The school administration doesn't think any of us taxpayers are capable of knowing and reading the real facts and the real numbers.

Just get out your wallets and let them have at it.   Don't bother to vote.   After all, THEY know what is best for you and your children.   They know what is best for all of us.  Just like the socialist administration in Washington, D.C.   

To quote the postcard, "Money CAN ONLY Be Used to Construct Buildings!"    That isn't true.   There auditors office states that .5 mills is to be used for maintenance and incidentals for 23 years.  This is added to the 1.87 mills.   One of the worst things in the 1.87 mills lasts for 37 years.   Why not save money and put this on for 20 years.   The interest payments are great for the banks, but not for the taxpayers.

   

Taxpayers Do Not Have a Printing Press

Change the name in this tune from Obama to Mark North and you will get the picture.   When you spend "other people's money" there is no end to your demands.  There is no end to what you spend.   It is time to bring the spending madness to a screeching halt.

This is the case with the levy coming up this Tuesday.  'They" made their plans and expect the property owners to pay the piper.    It is high time to get out and vote.   Send a message to Donna Norris and Mark North and their committee of sycophants.   Get to the polls - no matter what the weather and tell them that YOU do not have a printing machine.  Tell them that your budget is maxed out.   You cannot afford to add one more cent to your budget.  They should do the same.

The state funds are the taxpayers money.   It is not "free" money as they would like you to believe.   "We the People" do pay taxes at every level of government.  That includes the school district and the state.   

We need accountability from the LCSD.   So far we have had no accountability and zero transparency.   They demand, they keep us out of meetings and we are expected to get right in line and hand over our paychecks.   That is if we have a paycheck.   Otherwise they'll sell your house at a sheriff's sale.  

• http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=J6TcpfBHlbs

  

  Ray Stevens - Obama Budget Plan

  www.youtube.com

  http://www.raystevens.com https://www.facebook.com/raystevensmusic1707 Call (615) 

CAUTION - ROUGH ROAD AHEAD

Please take the time to read the following article.   The cost of living for every American has gone up tremendously.    This includes taxes for every level of government.   You would think that people in education would understand the financial straits that every American family has to bear.    No, not a chance! The educational establishment thinks
they are entitled to use your earnings as they think will benefit them the most.   They have guaranteed jobs.  You just can't fire them.   They have guaranteed benefits.   You can't change that.   You might have to do without insurance or pay a hefty penalty. But not the employees of the LCSD.

Do you have the summer off, all summer?    Do you have a "winter break" or a "spring break" where you can take a trip to Cancun?   How many of you work less than 184 days per year at full salary?   Most people are now working two and three jobs at minimum wage because Obama Care has forced business owners to  cut back to under fifty employees.  Check out the sheriff's sales.   Many are losing their homes along with their jobs.

DOES MARK NORTH, DONNA NORRIS OR THE BOARD CARE?   Not for even a second.  They have been plotting and planning for a few years to embark on this 37 year building and demolishing program.   Thirty seven years to pay off the debt.  Who benefits?   The banks.  The banks will hold your property and mine as collateral for the stupid moves of these totally incompetent school people.   They have no construction/engineering experience and no financial leadership.   They can't even keep the district's books using Generally Accepted Accounting Procedures (GAAP) that are requred by the state.     They use the Cash Basis of accounting. This is a simple method that does not require them to track the assets of the district.   

Has anyone heard of an "auction" of obsolete or unneeded articles being sold at a public auction?       If you have,make a comment here.     These people get away with doing whatever they please and no one is allowed to question them.     Have any of you thought about the fact that the same people are running your city.    Yes, the very same people can write you a ticket, condemn your property, refuse you a permit, take down your sign and do anything else they please.

You are at their mercy and your children are pawns to their schemes.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/census-state-and-local-income-sales-motor-fuel-motor-vehicle-and

Stop Throwing Your Money at Incompetence.

Dear readers, today I would like you to listen to the following and extremely information discussion.  The information is amazing and can be corroborated across the country.   Every school district is following the same kind of "lesson plans" and curriculum.   With "Common Core" ti will be even worse.   Most school districts also do cheat on the tests that count for the district ratings.   There are many examples of this.  Just  ask your children what happens on the days the state tests are given.   Parents have told me that their child tells them that the slower children are taken out of the classroom where the test is being given.

The union has lied to us for far too long.   The government wastes a bigger and bigger portion of the GDP every year.   We are losing our country because they are deliberately dumbing down our people.  

(Cut and past this site into your URL.)

       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwoM7jjBHH8&feature=player_embedded

                                    

Letter from a businessman.

"I have done more research than can be imagined and what it comes down to is profit…….who owns it, the person who produces it, or the people who want to distribute it. Think of profit as a pie. When someone makes a pie, we might say, “Mrs So & So made a pie. Let’s eat her pie.” We think of the pie as hers because she made it. Then you have the kind of people the levy supporters are, people who think that the pie is theirs also, even though all they did was show up to eat it. They would say, “Here is a pie, let’s eat our meal.” Mrs So & So might sit down quietly and not draw attention to the fact that she made the pie, because she doesn’t want to spoil everyone’s mood. The rest of the people eating the pie would eat it all up then demand more, because the pie was good. But Mrs So & So spent all her money making the pie, and didn’t make much money the first time around, so decides that she doesn’t want to do it again since the first time around was a thankless excersise. The result is that there is one less pie maker in the world. No Lakota Levy people are the producers of the community, they made the pie which the rest of the community eats. The levy supporters simply want to eat the pie…….what the producers made. When levy supporters say that No Lakota Levy only wants to hide their taxes with breaks and shelters, they are making the assumption that the profits earned by them are collectively shared by all……….that everyone owns the pie. But they don’t. If the members of No Lakota Levy did not make a pie, nobody would have anything to eat. That is the danger of this election. If taxes go up, the people who make pie, they will take their ingrediants elsewhere leaving all the levy supporters who simply want bussing reinstated for their children in exchange for a vote, with a declining community. The money for this levy is not for children. But children are exploited by these administrators and managers of the government schools purely so they can maintain high wages that they are clearly not worthy of." 

TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS, THE PUBLIC MUST HAVE ACCESS

ONLY 10% VOTED ON THE LAST LEVY!

ONLY 10% OF THE REGISTERED VOTERS INCREASED YOUR TAXES! 

Our nation has a debt of over $17 Trillion.   This is debt that will fall on the shoulders of the generations of the future.  This debt could cause the crash of our nation into the annals of history.   We are the Rome,  Athens  and Ottoman Empire of today.   This money was spent with little or no approval from the taxpayers.

Why is this happening to a nation with so much promise?   A nation that attracts people from all over the world should continue to be the "lighthouse in the storm."   How long will this nation have the means and ability to give hope to those searching for freedom and opportunity?  How long will our dollar be worth the paper it is printed on?   German people once had to revert to bartering because their money wasn't worth anything at all.  This is true in many countries today.

I submit that this has happened because of the secrecy and corruption that exists in our government at every level.    The "behind the scenes" deals are committed on a daily basis.   

In Ohio we have the "Sunshine Law."    This law is supposed to force our government to make decisions in open meetings.   The public is supposed to have access to documents and the meetings where decisions are made.  Why do our public representatives feel compelled to conduct so much business behind the scenes?    One answer could be that they don't want us to know what they are "up to."

Generations of people wanted to believe in our elected government representatives.  Too often "special interest" groups support the candidates of their choice.   For example many (if not most) school board candidates are hand-picked by the administration and the union. The union will work for and fund these candidates that they know will support their interests.   Often the candidates are union members or spouses of union members.    

They will also spread absolute lies and innuendos about decent candidates that have expressed a belief in "accountability."  This happens in every school board election.  This also discourages decent and honest people from running for office.   No one wants to be smeared with absolute lies.   No one wants their children at the mercy of the teachers who hate the parent for asking questions.  (Check out Springboro to see what is happening to decent and successful board members.   The union has spread lies and pursued a massive attack on three board members.  They have a "SURE" committee led by the union.)  Of course they make it appear that it is "community" members leading the attack.

In the typical school district there are many opportunities to "pay off" employees who are in the "special favor" of the administration.   This could be a shorter schedule, fewer classes, smaller classes, chair of "special committees," summer school positions with few or no requirements to perform, coming and going from school at will, unnecessary grade level chair, unneeded assistant principals, extended service (for what) etc.   You can read (only in the board agenda or minutes)  of a highly paid teacher receiving an additional $7,500.00 (or more) for an extended contract - for what?   Who even checks if the person is performing a job?   

Then check out contractors, consultants, printing, major purchases etc.      Almost all of these are completed without bids (or per phony bids).    This is abuse of the system and abuse of the taxpayers.    With this kind of abuse there will never be enough money to satisfy the wants of these people.

When secrecy is the rule they follow; the public cannot make informed decisions on candidates or on levies.   They don't have enough information.    The people in charge do not want the public to know what they are planning or what is their agenda.    They do want apathy and disgust because that discourages the voters.   They then get their union colleagues to persuade the parents, students and union families to get out and vote.    That is usually enough to carry any election.   

No levy should ever be passed without the taxpayers knowing "exactly" what the plans are for that money.    In the case of the Lebanon levy, we have not had a full disclosure of what are the plans for this money.     We don't know why they need to make so many changes with almost no increase in enrollment.    We don't have any idea of what the "new" buildings will look like, how many students will be in each building, where will the new buildings be built, did they buy land for these changes,  will there be new offices built for the administration, Where, why and when were the decisions made?  Was the "survey" the basis for these outrageous plans (a mere 400 people were called)?   We have  many other questions and were not asked to attend any meetings.   We were never included in the plans.      All of this information has been kept under wraps, a parent and taxpayer was even asked to leave the board  "survey" meeting when they decided to call it an executive session.    The Supreme Court of Ohio ruled in the parent's favor on that exclusionary move on the part of the board.

"JUST GIVE ME THE MONEY!"

The fact that we know so little of THEIR plans, that we were kept out of the planning stage, that no one is competent enough on that board or on the administrative staff  to lead a major construction project is reason enough to vote no.  I will say here HELL NO!!!!!




    

WHO BENEFITS?

Who Benefits?

The Government-Industrial Complex Starts with the School Board.

These days’ people are fighting the federal government because of waste and fraud.   Actually, the lowest level of government is the school board.   We have a chance to effect “change” at that level.    We just have to get involved and get informed.   It really isn’t a major commitment of time to attend a school board meeting once in a while.

Watch the favoritism and nepotism at work.   See who is given the extra-duty pay appointments.   See who gets the contracts for work or for purchases.   You pay for the schools.  Take a long hard look at where your money is spent.   You can easily do that locally.   It is much more difficult at the state and federal level.   Remember it is politics from top to bottom.

President Eisenhower warned us about the “military-industrial complex”   Others warned us about the Department of Education, the NEA and the AFT.  These three groups are all joined at the hip.   Education IS a lucrative industry.  It is also the way “change” is effected through our children.   The influence is economic, political and spiritual. 

The influence of the schools is in every village, town, city and state.  The implication of the power perpetrated by the local school board is grave.  The very future of our nation’s survival is at stake.  Why are people so afraid to speak up when they don’t agree with decisions by the school board?  The answer is that they are afraid of retaliation.   They know teachers.  They might have teachers in their family.  They are afraid their child won’t be picked for a team or an honor.   Do we deserve to be threatened by the schools that we support?   No, but that is a fact for anyone that does business with the schools, has a restaurant where teachers eat, a store where teacher purchase items etc.

We are no longer free when we feel threatened.  We do have a first amendment right of free expression, but many are afraid to even put a “no” sign in their yard.  

Our resources, our toil, our very livelihood and our children are all involved.   The very structure of our society is at stake.   We have allowed too much power to too few career politicians and the bloodsuckers that propose more and more taxes. 

Anyone can sit around and dream up projects to spend other people’s money developing.   Anyone can stir up desire and want for magnificent new buildings.   Logic tells us that the well is dry and the need is unproven.  Buildings do not impart knowledge.   A perfect example is the quality of education in a cold/hot one room school.   See the test?  Could the readers of this blog past this test?

The fact remains that all tax money is extorted from all taxpayers.   State money is not a gift from some “money tree” sitting in a field somewhere.   It is paid by the very same taxpayers that pay all taxes.  The working people!

Lebanon has seen an stagnant enrollment.   There are less than thirty new students in the past five years.  Why should we build so many additions and new schools for only thirty students?   It doesn’t make sense.   Wake up Lebanon taxpayers.

8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, KS - 1895 

Grammar (Time, one hour)
1. Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.
2. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no modifications
3. Define verse, stanza and paragraph.
4. What are the principal parts of a verb? Give principal parts of 'lie,' 'play,' and 'run'.
5. Define case; illustrate each case.
6. What is punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of punctuation.
7 - 10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time,1 hour 15 minutes)
1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft. Deep, 10 feet Long, and 3 ft. Wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
3. If a load of wheat weighs 3,942 lbs, what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1,050 lbs for tare?
4. District No 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month,      
    and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find the cost of 6,720 lbs. Coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7percent per annum.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft long at $20 per metre?
8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance of which is 640 rods? 
10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.

U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)
1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided
2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus.
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of the United States.
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.
6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton , Bell , Lincoln , Penn, and Howe?
8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, 1865. 
Orthography (Time, one hour)  [Do we even know what this is??]
1. What is meant by the following: alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, syllabication?
2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals?
4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u'.
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e.' Name two exceptions under each rule.
6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: bi, dis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup.
8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, 
    odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane , vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication. 
Geography (Time, one hour)
1 What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
4. Describe the mountains of North America.
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia , Odessa , Denver , Manitoba , Hecla , Yukon , St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, 
    Aspinwall and Orinoco.
6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S. Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each.
8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.

TWELVE REASONS TO SAY NO!

Now is not the time to ask for more money.

1.  This administration has a history of poor     management.  A few years ago the state had to straighten out their financial mess.  

2.  There is no one in the administration that has the skills to manage these projects.

3,  The bonds will be for 37 years.   That is a long time to pay interest.   Our great-grandchildren will be obligated to pay off these bonds and more.

4.  Millions have been spent upgrading the Junior High School and Berry.

5.  The deceptive way these decisions were made does not inspire confidence in what will "really" is their plan.  

6. This group, headed by Donna Norris, made the ridiculous decision to give the Lebanon school buses away, then hired Laidlaw.  This was an extremely poor decision.   Now they have decided to buy buses and fire the services of the "bus company."  They are borrowing money to cover up their poor decisions. 

7. The enrollment has not increased enough to justify these extensive construction projects.

8.  There are rumors that the administration desires new offices.   They do not maintain Holbrook.

9.  The report sent by The Ohio School Facilities Commission lists Dunlavy School with 375 students and Holbrook with 655.  Neither of these schools have students.

10.   They reported that they spent $3.5 million on refurbishing the bus garage.  Go take a look.   Nothing is refurbished at that facility.  Go take a look at the new Turtlecreek Fire Station and Township Hall.   They paid the same amount to build that building.   It is beautiful.

11.  According to the Ohio School Facilities Commission and Mark North's disclosure at a school board meeting, the reason that Lebanon is allowed a "credit" is because the people in charge never filed the proper paperwork in order to receive the funds due to the district when the new Lebanon High School and Bowman were built.   This was a gross neglect of duty.  

12.   These projects are not needed at this time and the money will be available at a later date. Hopefully that date will be when we have competent people in charge.   

  

PLEASE DON'T BE A SHEEPLE - READ THE NUMBERS

Why is it always the taxpayers turn to pay more?  

Why is our property always the target for extortion?   Now is not the time to go on a building spree.    Now is not the time to destroy perfectly good school buildings.   The school BUILDING does not impart knowledge.  

The decision to put another levy on the ballot right after the district “creatively” PASSED a levy in August is just plain stupid.   That levy passed with about 10% of the registered voters.   The district’s employees were all they needed to sneak in that levy. 

It is time for the business owners and property owners to say “enough.”

Everyone’s taxes will automatically be going up with the “Non-Affordable Care Act.“   Of course the union members will not have to worry about paying for this non-insurance.    We already pay for their Rolls Royce coverage.   While the rest of us,  pay for their insurance, we probably won’t have any.

Also, don’t forget that our local property taxes will automatically be going up.   Why?  Because the “roll back “deduction is going to disappear.    The 2.5% discount is also going away.  Didn't your teacher friendS tell you about these increases in your taxes?

Then there is the 6.5% increase in state contributions to the district for the current fiscal year.   The district will receive 10.5% increase in 2014-2015. 

Another source of income is the Rocky’s Express gas pipeline that is providing a windfall of new money for the district.   Did the district reveal this new source of millions of dollars?   

Lebanon schools received $1,681,178 in 2011, $1,782,273 in 2012 and $1,747,273 in 2013.  This will probably increase in the future.  There is also another pipeline that will bring new bounty.  More money for the administration to waste and negotiate with the union for wage and benefit increases.  

Then we must consider the casinos in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo.   These casinos will provide funds that will be/are distributed to the school systems across the state.

We have the Racino in Warren County.   There will be plenty of money distributed to the school district from this new business.  The Racino should be finished this December.   The track will be finished next spring.  This income will increase through the years because of the way the permits were written.

Did anyone tell the taxpayers about the Federal Stimulus money that was received by Lebanon City School District?    What did they do with that money?

The Lebanon City School district’s audit states that the total expenditures in 2008 were $37,573,906 in fiscal year the expenditures are stated at $47,778,879.   (This is a five year period.)  That is an increase of over $10,000,000.   

Where did they find that "new" money?   Where did they spend that money?  The propaganda from the district was that they were “hurting.”

They tell us over and over that wages and benefits are “frozen.”   Is that the truth?   The report reveals that the total in 2008 for personal services and benefits was $29,115,179 .   With the so called “salary freeze” this number jumped to $38,270,565.  I would hate to see that number if they had been given across the board raises.

Further  is the audit category called “Purchased Services.”   This category went up by almost $1 million dollars.   Donna Norris works for SWOCA and this is one of the services the district “purchases.”    It is called “technology support. 

The district did  have a perfectly competent Director of Computer Services .   For some unknown reason she left the district.   This was right after the board voted to buy the Manchurian Chinese “Rosetta Stone Program.”   They did not have a teacher for that course.    I asked several students if they knew anything about Chinese being a choice at LHS.    Not one had ever heard about that language being  a class choice.     This is just another example of waste.  

 

Of course, it is not their money – so they just don’t care about waste.

DON’T BE A SHEEPLE – THINK BEFORE YOU VOTE

 

 

LOOK FOR THE UNION LABEL

                         

                     

"Our Turn"
"Our Schools"
"Our Community" 

The audacity of these people never fails to amaze the citizens of Lebanon.   Just who are the "our" people?
They are the teacher's union!!!!!!  

"They think it is always the taxpayers time to pay more taxes."  Any time they want more money we are just supposed to meekly cut a chunk out of our budget and hand it over to them.

This is the logo of the levy campaign for the Lebanon school district administration and union.   This logo sounds like a slogan right out of the Soviet Union.

The union thinks they own our schools and our community.   There are many people that are sick and tired of their demands and their sense of entitlement of our money any time they want additional raises.   It is high time for this community to stop the flow of additional funds levy after levy to people who mismanage every cent that we provide.

We pay their union salaries.   We are paying off the loans that they made.   "We" the property owners  owe millions of dollars for loans that we did not vote for.    It is time to return the management of "our" schools to competent people who know how to manage "our"  tax money.   

The union supports every levy campaign with their time, money and shoe leather.   They go door to door demanding more money for their paychecks and now for new buildings.    Their propaganda has not changed for years.   It is always "for the children."  It is always critical.   There is always some gloom and doom propaganda that makes the need so imminently "critical."

It is never for the children.   It is for union contracts. It is for more raises and benefits.  

This time it is for tearing down Lebanon Junior High School and Berry Intermediate.   How many people knew they were working on these plans?   How many taxpayers were asked if they supported these plans?
How many want to pay to rebuild perfectly fine schools.   Schools that millions and millions of our tax dollars have been spent on renovations.   Millions of dollars that is still owed to banks for bonds that this district sold without our permission.

Few have seen or heard of the plans.   Fewer have seen the architectural drawings of what is planned. This community has a right to know these plans way in advance.   A long time before a levy was even thought of.    Why does this administration always have to keep secret what they are doing?

How long have they been working in secret?  The school's plans are supposed to be transparent.   This school board and this administration don't care what the taxpayers need.   

They certainly don't care that so many homes are being sold at sheriff sales.    They even demand tax dollars from people that are hurting.   They don't give the owners of homes that are behind in their taxes a break.   Take a look at the following web site.   These are all homes up for sale by the Warren County Sheriff.    Most of the taxes owed are for the school district.    

There are people who have paid off their home, but cannot afford the taxes.   These people don't care!  They don't care how old the person is.    They don't care if they have a meal on their table.   They are willing to put children, parents and the elderly out on the street.    

That is how they feel about our community.   We are just here to line their pockets.   Pay their salaries, pay their medical care, their vision plan, their dental plan, their bonus and their annuity.    They don't care if the community has the same.   Of course, most of us can't afford to have the supreme quality of benefits that we are paying for them to have.

   http://www.wcsooh.org/sheriff_sale/slsgrid.aspx

The union does not own us.   They are NOT entitled to receive more money out of our pockets.   This is not "Their Time."    It is our time to say Hell No!

Mark North's Salary - What is it?

There seems to be quite  a few discrepancies between the amount of salary that the district reports to the state and the actual salaries.  I previously posted the state list for 2012. 

I don't know how the district can get away with reporting various numbers, but the list of salaries that I posted previously is different than the response from the treasurer on January 27, 2011.   The salaries that I will list today are from that list and are for 2010.  Many of the salaries that were reported for 2010 are higher than the 2012 list that was reported.  Listed are a few examples.

On the 2010 statement Mark North's salary is listed as $149,937.00. The local paper reported that Donna Davis Norris stated that her district did not try to negotiate with North to get him to stay.  "We made no counter offer to Mark,"  Davis-Norris said.  "We're pretty tickled that he's staying."  (This statement is taken from the Dayton Daily News, Christopher Magan, 7-8-2009.   The offer from Beaver Creek was reported at  $139,000.00. 

It appears that the board led by Ms. Norris did give Mr. North a $10,000.00 increase plus the other benefits that I previously listed. 

Donna Davis-Norris signed a contract for Mr. North on August 20, 2007.  This contract was to run until July 31, 2012.  The salary amount on this contract was $111,240.00.
I was not given any additions to that contract that would have noted a raise in salary.  (The additions were requested.)

Ms. Davis-Norris signed another contract for Mr. North on December 21, 2009.   This contract was to run from August 1, 2009 and end July 31, 2014.   The annual salary listed on this contract is $127,249.00.  That would be an increase of about $16,000.00.  Shortly after this contract was signed the salary jumped over $22,000.00 to the $149,937.00 amount.

There is another contract for Mr. North dated January 9, 2006.   That contract is in the amount of $108,000.00.  It would seem to any reasonable person that the board did make a "deal" with Mr. North so that he would not move on to Beaver Creek.  ( His other benefits were listed in the other post.)

I have requested any additions or changes to the original contracts, but have yet to receive that information.  All salaries are "public records."   Our taxes pay to run the district and we are entitled to know what is done with our money.   "Transparency" is not a word that is popular with this board.    

We deserve to be told the truth by the President of the Lebanon School Board and the board members.   It has been pretty obvious that Mr. North has sent out applications to various other districts.   When he said that "this is where my heart is" was not totally true.   If it was true,  why would he be applying to other districts after signing a multi-year contract with the Lebanon School Board?  

Some other examples of the salaries in the state report and the salaries that were sent covering 2010 vs. 2012.

                                       2010    vs       2012

Mark North            $149,937.06           $123.917.00
F. James Norris II  $85,301.00            $ 78,336.00
Stephen S. Pointinger  $89,653.00     $ 75,983.00
Anne M. Rolfes              $75,084.94     $ 73,448.00
Paul E. Sotzing             $111,235.43       $101,522.00
Mary H. Vendt              $77,383.00       $ 75,983.00
Amy Brewer                  $ 60,222.00      $ 58,982.00
John Buskirk                 $82,244.14        $ 80,028.00
Scott Butler                    $81,941.99        $92,034.00
Martin Collier                $76,147.26        $69,662.00
Amy Combs                    $77,699.42       $78,336.00
Lee Day                           $97,389.12       $86,851.00
Ian Frank                        $94,465.72      $90,828.00
Clifton Franz                  $81,339.72       $78,095.00
Becky Hill                      $102,053.45     $98,028.00
Stephen Lamb                $76,026.00     $60,370.00

These are just a few examples of the comparisons between one report and the other.   Which one is true?   I would assume (not always a good idea to assume anything) that some of the employees were paid for extra days.   Maybe one or two were promoted, but the fact remains that Mark North did jump to $149,937.06.   That was a "deal" that Ms. Norris said did not happen.  No where was it noted who had supplemental contracts.   These would greatly change many of the numbers.