Engle: ‘Accountability,  not more taxes’

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12:44 PM Wednesday, October 21, 2009

We are in some of the hardest economic times that most of us can remember. One in 10 people are out of work, Butler County has been doling out over $3 million a month in food stamps, foreclosures have been at record levels and not long ago we were faced with $4-per-gallon gas.

While it seems every other government agency is cutting to the bone in order to balance their budgets, our school board — which includes two candidates I am opposing — is continuing with the status quo of excessive and wasteful spending.

The expectation of the board is that once the money is gone, the board will pass another levy. The problem: Fairfield has a history of failing school levies and the board has a history of ignoring the public when they say “no.”

Our opposition has already stated they believe the best way to handle the looming deficit is by burdening the community with a new levy. They have no problem increasing your taxes in order to preserve the status quo of excessive and wasteful spending in our schools.

On the other hand, Erik Rivera, Tony Steer and I have pledged a balanced budget, no new levies, no elimination of busing and sports to balance the budget and the best education our community can afford.

How are we going to achieve this monumental task? We are going to use the 33 ideas I shared with the board back in May 2008 — the same ideas that the current board refused to discuss. I will remind the entire community that an excellent education for our children comes with accountability and not more taxes.

You have a choice this Nov. 3. You can vote for the status quo of taxing and spending. You can risk the elimination of busing, sports and $600 pay-to-play or you can vote for Erik Rivera, Tony Steer and me, who are offering you a balanced budget void of new levies and accountability to provide our children with the excellent education that they all deserve.

Arnie Engel

Fairfield

Editor’s note: Arnie Engel is a member of the Fairfield Board of Education and is a candidate for re-election Nov. 3.

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