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True Costs Of the MCSC School Levy

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acclaro View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 22 2014 at 4:19pm
I believe Ms. Andrew indicated the lack of maintenance caused the school district to reach into funds set aside for repairs which are reaching an "exhaustive" state per Mr. Ison.
'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote aflatkey Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 22 2014 at 8:43pm

Marcia Andrew and fellow blogers pro and anti bond / levy

Marcia Andrew  has stated that the OSFC is a reputable and accountable arm of our school funding system.
in preliminary research of this bureaucratic extension of distribution of illegally collected land tax for public schools I have found that ,

http://www.clevelandchallenger.com/arkansas-man-behind-clintons-1992-black-son-scandal-silenced/

state auditors failed to audit the Ohio School Facilities Commission. Why?

Ohio's biggest Republican names will tumble like dominoes if the Ohio School Facilities Commission is ever audited and investigated

It is an Ohio law that every unit of government must be audited no less than once every two years.  The state auditor doesn’t have the option of performing the duty.  State senators and state representatives passed laws saying they must do it.  If a state auditor doesn’t audit or cause every unit of government to be audited no less than every two years, Ohio’s revised code calls their failure to perform the duty … dereliction.  It’s a criminal offense.

The penalty doesn’t carry jail time, although it can if added to other offenses.  What it does is expose a politician or bureaucrat’s incompetence in performing the lawful duties of the jobs they hold.   Derelict public officials and employees forfeit the job and can’t run or serve anymore.  It’s a pretty good law when it’s consistently enforced.  The problem is finding an example of a politician of bureaucrat of any party who has been charged, prosecuted and convicted for “dereliction of duty.”

So the only state elected official who a Republican state auditor "special audited" as ex-Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell by Mary Taylor.

So the only state elected official who a Republican state auditor “special audited” was ex-Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell by Mary Taylor.  Yeah right! 

So let’s talk about the Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC) that has never been audited by any state auditor since its inception in 1997.  That’s four state auditors since 1997: Jim Petro, Betty Montgomery, Mary Taylor and now David Yost.  Yost is still within the time frame required to ensure that the OSFC is audited under his watch, but the clock is ticking.

The OSFC was originally funded with $2.3 billion in 1997.  It’s no secret that ex-Governor George Voinovich’s handpicked executive director, Randall Fischer, personally awarded 1700 contracts totally $1.8 billion without public bidding or commission approval.

Compare the donors to Voinovich’s campaigns to the 1700 companies getting contracts from Fischer and the game they were playing becomes obvious.  It’s  why the 16 year lack of an audit trail is so glaring.

Montgomery can’t claim she didn’t know Fischer violated laws at least 1700 times.  She was the attorney general and the OSFC’s lawyer when Fischer’s misdeeds were exposed in the Monarch Construction v. Ohio School Facilities Commission 2002 decision.  Montgomery was supposed to represent the interests of the citizens of Ohio after the agency was sued for the wrong Fischer had done.  There’s no way for Montgomery not to know Fischer was violating public spending laws before she became the state auditor in 2003 after Petro replaced her as attorney general.

The case was heard in ex-Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner’s court when she was a Franklin County common pleas judge.   Read what Brunner said in the decision she ruled against Montgomery’s defense of Fischer and the OSFC’s equally derelict board members.

“Nearly $2 billion of public money have been distributed through more than 1,700 contracts for the construction and renovation of schools throughout the state of Ohio, not one of which has been approved by a vote of the commission. The final word on all of these contracts has lain with one individual, who is not a public officer, has not taken an oath of office, nor is bonded. The public education of the state’s children, an essential government function, is threatened by the unbridled discretion unlawfully placed in the hands of one person, Randall Fischer. This is unconscionable.  The court finds as a matter of law that OSFC has not only unlawfully approved the rejection of Monarch, it has abused its discretion in so doing.”

Montgomery should have screamed to high heaven about Fischer’s 1700 crimes to any official who would listen, especially to the general assembly.  As attorney general she should have reviewed every illegal contract Fischer handed out and reported back to the state’s citizens.  She also should have blasted Petro for his dereliction in not auditing the agency that employed Fischer.

Once Montgomery replaced Petro as state auditor in 2003, she should have minimally performed the required two bi-annual audits of the agency during her four term in office.  But since Montgomery had first hand knowledge of Fischer’s crimes, she should have conducted a special audit and forwarded the results to the Franklin County Prosecutor.  The same applies to Taylor, who’s now lieutenant governor. Neither of the two politicians audited or special audited the OSFC.  Taylor did, however, conduct a special audit of J. Kenneth Blackwell’s “office” as secretary of state after he lost for governor in 2006.  In fact, Blackwell has been the only state official to receive a special audit.  We wonder why.

OSFC employees and the agency’s commission members have spent an unscrutinized $13 billion since its inception.  It’s understandable why Petro and Montgomery were silent as attorney generals since they would have exposed each other’s dereliction as state auditors.  But their decision to cover for each other doesn’t negate the fact that a complete, thorough and retroactive audit of the OSFC is long overdue. The fact that it hasn’t happened is proof by itself of their dereliction and of Taylor’s.  Only in politics do officials who fail to perform the duties of their elected offices get to hide their shortcomings behind fancy commercials and get promoted.

State officials appear to have gone out of their way not to audit an agency that’s handled $13 billion since 1997.  We think it’s because they know the cookie crumbs will lead to jail time for the party’s biggest names.  A complete audit will expose such widespread corruption the cast of characters it exposes will make what happened in Cuyahoga County look like petty theft.

Yost seems to be catching up on the backlog of audits his political party mates left him.  Even this writer’s 2006 through 2009 audits as East Cleveland’s mayor were finally performed six years later in 2012, and nearly three years after he left office.  East Cleveland’s previous financial audit was in 2001.  That’s 11 years without an audit for a city being in fiscal emergency under the auditor’s supervision for 18 years.

If Yost doesn’t audit the OSFC twice within his term of office, he’ll be the fourth derelict state auditor not to review how and who received $13 billion to work on Ohio schools.

Real and not “bull____” accountability demands that Governor John Kasich immediately order an intensive audit of the OSFC and let the chips fall where they may on who is held accountable. 

Another indiscretion by OSFC 

http://www.ohioconstitution.org/2010/10/18/ohio-rico-complaint-filed-to-stop-school-construction-corruption/ 

Ohio RICO Complaint Filed to Stop School Construction Corruption

October 18, 2010

1851 Center Lawsuit alleges Strickland administration and OSFC placed union financial interests and remaining in office above fiscal responsibility in building schools.

COLUMBUS – Tax dollars have been wasted and continue to be at risk due to an unlawfully cozy relationship between the Strickland administration and labor unions, claim a group of Mansfield-area taxpayers. The residents today filed an Ohio Corrupt Activities Act complaint against Gov. Ted Strickland, Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC) Executive Director Richard Murray, the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) and others. The suit will demonstrate members of the Strickland administration, organized labor, and Murray used the OSFC and school building construction contracts to engage in pattern of corrupt activities expressly prohibited under Ohio’s RICO laws.

Click on the above link to read the whole story.

Another indiscretion by OSFC

http://thetruthaboutplas.com/2010/06/30/columbus-dispatch-examines-value-of-plas-osfc-director-loosens-corrupt-grip-on-ohio-schools/

Columbus Dispatch Examines Value of PLAs, OSFC Director Loosens Corrupt Grip on Ohio Schools

1 June 30, 2010  School Construction, State & Local Construction

With Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland’s appointed director of the Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC), former Big Labor boss Richard Murray, under investigation for pushing school districts to use union-favoring project labor agreements (PLAs) as a condition of receiving funding from the OSFC, the media stands ready scrutinize these corrupt and wasteful agreements.

Click on above link to read the whole story

Marcia Andrew  has stated that in her view I was irrational and incoherent with my post on the blog.

Lets review the definitions,

Irrational

adjective

    1. not logical or reasonable.

                            reason / Reason is the capacity for consciously making sense of things,  applying logic, for establishing and verifying facts, and changing or justifying practices, institutions, and beliefs based on new or existing information.

    synonyms:     unreasonable, illogical, groundless, baseless, unfounded, unjustifiable;

                         absurd, ridiculous, ludicrous, preposterous, silly, foolish, senseless 

incoherent

adjective 

not able to talk or express yourself in a clear way that can be easily understood

 not logical or well-organized : not easy to understand

1:lacking coherence: as

2:lacking cohesion :  loose

3:lacking orderly continuity, arrangement, or relevance :  inconsistent

4:lacking normal clarity or intelligibility in speech or thought

 

In my view I hardly think that I’m Irrational.

It is only rational thinking that gave our forefathers the idea that you could not have

equal taxation with out equal representation.

Taxing the land owners for the benefit of all taxpayers is discrimination.

In my view I hardly think I’m incoherent.

I  have written and copy’d and pasted many opinions that state clearly and have simple language that gives a specific fact based opinion that land based tax in unconstitutional.

Its your duty as well as the governments constitutional duty to “provide for a thorough and efficient system of common schools" common denotes that the school in Indian hills should be a carbon copy of the school in middletown. They are not because people like y the pro levy / bond lobby continue to violate our constitutional freedoms by propagating a illegal form of funding schools.

Tha above paragraph shows that I have continuity in thought , that there is in fact logic to the argument as detailed by the supreme court in 1997.

Threw out your country's history it has always been the case that one citizen or resident starts the process of renewed justice for all.  It's is in many cases it's a life's work. Just look at the life of Martin Luther King.

What do you represent as a upright, compassionate, benevolent resident or citizen ?  I urge you to consider that looking the other way as the status quo indoctrinates discrimination as a form of legal taxation, that the unraveling of your own community will continue as social injustice will be the norm with no one standing up for constitutional principals and freedoms.

And additionally with the favoritism used by OSFC in its distribution of state tax funds I suggest that all taxpayers land owners or not should reconsider the continued abuse of educational funds for the prosperity of the few. Do you as a tax payers want the continued abuse of your hard earned tax dollars to empower special interest groups that are selected by your politicians to receive the contracts for your institutions ?

The above items along with other opinions that I have posted are relevant to the ideal that the current  bureaucracy is tainted in many ways besides  the fact that it dose not “provide for a thorough and efficient system of common schools funded by the state threw contributions from all tax payers, not just tax paying land owners.

 

 

Abolish the property tax for the school system!! its unconstitutional !!

Vote no on may 6 if you want to START making a change in the current system!!

 

Visit

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Middletown-Ohio-Vote-NO-on-Issue-3/784089358269325?ref=br_tf

 

and like the page to show support of your constitutional freedoms in Ohio.

 

please don't hesitate to tell me your opinion as

 

Brevity is the soul of wit  

 and with out laughter over the kinks in society anarchy might prevail.

and that's the rest of the story , good day ( Paul Harvey 1946)

aflatkey
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote aflatkey Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 22 2014 at 8:44pm

fellow blogers,

there are ways to legally repeal land tax funding of public schools.

http://www.ohioconstitution.org/2012/05/07/westerville-taxpayers-move-to-repeal-march-tax-increase/

On May 7, 2012 taxpayers for Westerville Schools, with the representation of the 1851 Center,commenced circulation of an initiative petition to repeal the 6.71 mil tax increase narrowly approved in March after taxpayers defeated a similar measure at the November 2011 general election.

The Westerville effort marks the inaugural action of the 1851 Center in assisting taxpayers in using a previously obscure section of the Ohio Revised Code to lower their school district tax burdens, while forcing Ohio school districts to control spending and reign in labor costs rather than raising taxes.

this is only the beginning of what citizen taxpayers can do with in the law to raise awareness that school funding threw property tax is unconstitutional.

it is only rational thinking that gave our forefathers the idea that you could not have equal taxation with out equal representation.

the current  bureaucracy is tainted in many ways besides  the fact that it dose not “provide for a thorough and efficient system of common schools funded by the state threw contributions from all tax payers, not just tax paying land owners.

DeRolph v. State was a landmark case in Ohio constitutional law in which the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the state's method for funding public education was unconstitutional. Handed down on March 24, 1997, the 4-3 opinion said that the state funding system "fails to provide for a thorough and efficient system of common schools" as required by the Ohio Constitution and directed the state to find a remedy.



Abolish the property tax for the school system!! its unconstitutional !!

Vote no on may 6 if you want to START making a change in the current system!!

 

Visit

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Middletown-Ohio-Vote-NO-on-Issue-3/784089358269325?ref=br_tf

 

and like the page to show support of your constitutional freedoms in Ohio.

 

please don't hesitate to tell me your opinion as

 

Brevity is the soul of wit  

 and with out laughter over the kinks in society anarchy might prevail.

and that's the rest of the story , good day ( Paul Harvey 1946)

aflatkey
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote aflatkey Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 22 2014 at 8:45pm

Charter school advocate wants to strip requirement for public schools from Ohio Constitution

http://www.ohio.com/news/charter-school-advocate-wants-to-strip-requirement-for-public-schools-from-ohio-constitution-1.480752

Published: April 14, 2014 - 10:50 PM | Updated: April 15, 2014 - 10:57 AM

COLUMBUS: The phrase in the Ohio Constitution that requires the state to provide an adequate system of public schools would be stricken from the document if the head of a constitutional modernization subcommittee has his way.

Chairman Chad Readler, a Columbus attorney who leads the Constitutional Modernization Commission’s schools and local government committee, wants to remove the phrase “thorough and efficient” from Article VI of the Constitution.

Justice Francis E. Sweeney Sr., who wrote the majority opinion, scolded the legislature by calling for a “systematic overhaul” of public education, citing examples of unsafe buildings and poor academic programming in some districts while many suburban districts enjoyed great wealth.

“Today, Ohio stands at a crossroads,” he wrote. “We must decide whether the promise of providing to our youth a free, public elementary and secondary education in a ‘thorough and efficient system’ has been fulfilled. The importance of this case cannot be overestimated.”

If  in fact our legislators are considering changing the system of public schools in our state, we need not invest any tax collected  moneys until they have made a final decision.

Click on above link to read the whole story

 

Abolish the property tax for the school system!! its unconstitutional !!

Vote no on may 6 if you want to START making a change in the current system!!

 

Visit

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Middletown-Ohio-Vote-NO-on-Issue-3/784089358269325?ref=br_tf

 

and like the page to show support of your constitutional freedoms in Ohio.

 

please don't hesitate to tell me your opinion as

 

Brevity is the soul of wit  

 and with out laughter over the kinks in society anarchy might prevail.

and that's the rest of the story , good day ( Paul Harvey 1946)

aflatkey
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote aflatkey Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 22 2014 at 8:49pm

 

fellow bloggers

It is a thing to consider, (unfair taxation ) as some detailed data is easy to retrieve from the web. I am always interested in a positive change that would save the tax payers money and help stop corruption and favoritism by politicians, as well as enforcing constitutional standards. I pose that readers should consider in fact if they want their freedoms defended and want to stop corruption we should all form some type of coalition that reflects the views of all taxpayers for the grater good of of our local community and diversified economic and social demographics. Some might say they have heard that  #$%&^@! before, and while you might be right about that , did you do anything last time you heard that to effectively make a change ? or did you just continue to sit on your @#$% and let the status quo rob you for the benefit of the few who do do something in government? Most citizens, while they can be vocal with opinion rarely buck the system. I am willing to participate in the process, lets see who else will belly up to the bar and bring this thing full circle.

Abolish the property tax for the school system!! its unconstitutional !!

Vote no on may 6 if you want to START making a change in the current system!!

 

Visit

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Middletown-Ohio-Vote-NO-on-Issue-3/784089358269325?ref=br_tf

 

and like the page to show support of your constitutional freedoms in Ohio.

 

please don't hesitate to tell me your opinion as

 

Brevity is the soul of wit  

 and with out laughter over the kinks in society anarchy might prevail.

and that's the rest of the story , good day ( Paul Harvey 1946)

aflatkey
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acclaro View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 22 2014 at 9:54pm
Ms. Andrew, I want to thank you for graciously investing time associated with the levy debate. While I disagree this is a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity for the matching grant at 26% as the new line forms if it fails, you have been an honest broker with information.

I am stepping out of the fray and letting constitutional theory debate take over. I can handle Adam Smith and Milton Freidman on economics, but I am slightly overwhelmed with tea party purists to add much more to the debate associated with constitutional issues associated with property taxation.

  
'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote aflatkey Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 23 2014 at 8:09am
acclaro,

while i don't know you personaly , i do get a chuckle that ya all moved to a different location on the blog roster. I am definatly not a tea party separatist. How ever I cant understand why my opinions are so inflammatory to some. In true fairness to the tax paying citizen and resident I cannot understand why it is not logical for all to agree as our forefathers established  the principal of equal taxation with equal representation. that principal should be the primary objective for all to consider.  you need to be aware that if they do actually change the constitution as suggested all public schools would be privatized . why would tax payers want to invest 97 million in to the district when a private for profit propriotorship would reap the profits from the institution?

Charter school advocate wants to strip requirement for public schools from Ohio Constitution

http://www.ohio.com/news/charter-school-advocate-wants-to-strip-requirement-for-public-schools-from-ohio-constitution-1.480752

Published: April 14, 2014 - 10:50 PM | Updated: April 15, 2014 - 10:57 AM

the charter school lobby while not the strongest in the state dose have considerable favor in some districts, in fact there is one in the middletown district. As the health care system try's to repair itself from the laws that might not make it the singular cash cow it has been for 30 years , investors might well lobby for the privatization of public schools as a form of consistent investment return as vouchers will be part of the profit margin they can count on on a regular basis for investors.  might sound crazy to some but the propagation of wealth in a economy where interest rates are almost dead low lead  to the fact that the rich might be happy with a growth of 5 % consistently with out fear of the bottom dropping out.


aflatkey
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acclaro View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 23 2014 at 8:48am
Inflammatory, no. Repetitive, yes.
'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 23 2014 at 8:53am
aflatkey....

Been said before on this forum as well as other publications.....

all the studies, all the reports, all the articles, all the research information, all the quoting, all the self-righteous talk, all the protesting we do here and is done elsewhere, ALL THE FACTS, will do no good if we, the people, be it local, state or nation-wide, just read, just listen and just watch, as our local, state and fed leaders do as they please, break the laws, have back room secretive meetings, fail to involve the people, keep it within the club boundaries, take kick-backs from behind the scenes sponsors, play the little political games they play, and GET THEIR WAY ALL OF THE TIME WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST HINT OF RESISTANCE FROM THE PEOPLE, it will never change.

And that's been a big problem in this city for decades. The people are mad as hell, but they won't get off their rears to do anything about it. TV and laying on the couch take precedent over organizing and storming the city building and council meetings to tell them what WE THE PEOPLE WANT rather than have them call the shots all the time.

HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU GET THE PEOPLE OF THIS CITY TO PARTICIPATE AGAINST THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THE LEADERS?
I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote over the hill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 23 2014 at 9:52am
Well. VV I guess if we keep the pressure on council to do the right thing like the Bank One deal maybe the "leaders" will see just how corrupt some of the people at "Donham Abby" can be when they try to pull the wool over our eyes.When you shine the light in the dark the rats begin to scurry.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 23 2014 at 10:33am
AKS is ripe for a take-over, and that would be catastrophic for MCSD and Butler County. Low interest rates, low stock valuation; X, are you watching and looking for a buy?

Ms. Andrew should be city manager; keep day job at Taft and do both. She'd be excellent. A judge in the future perhaps.


Income Statement

Net Income

'09'10'11'12'13-1.2B-900M-600M-300M0
  2013 5-year trend
Net Income Growth 95.45%









Sales or Revenue 5.57 B






Sales or Revenue Growth (6.08%)









EBITDA 252.60 M






Balance Sheet

Total Assets

'09'10'11'12'1302B4B6B
  2013 5-year trend
Cash & Short-Term Investment 45.30 M






Total Debt 1.51 B






Total Liabilities 3.41 B






Total Shareholder's Equity (221.00 M)











Book Value Per Share (1.62)
-

Cash Flow

Net Operating Cash Flow

'09'10'11'12'13-360M-270M-180M-90M090M
  2013 5-year trend
Capital Expenditures (63.60 M)











Free Cash Flow (173.80 M)











Cash Flow Per Share (0.81)
-
Free Cash Flow Per Share (1.28)
-

Quarterly Earnings and Estimates

  • EPS Estimate 0.11 Q2 2014
    Next Earnings Report 07/22/2014
  • Year Ago EPS (0.30) Q2 2013
    Last Earnings Report 04/22/2014

Per Share Data

  • Earnings Per Share -0.34
    Sales 41.04
  • Tangible Book Value (1.89)
    Operating Profit 0.32
  • Working capital 3.24
    Long Term Liabilities 18.93
  • Capital Expenditure 0.47
    Capital Expenditure TTM 0.47

  
'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Marcia Andrew Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 23 2014 at 10:34am
Acclaro, you write: "I believe Ms. Andrew indicated the lack of maintenance caused the school district to reach into funds set aside for repairs which are reaching an "exhaustive" state per Mr. Ison."
 
I don't recall writing that.  It is not true.  I have repeatedly stated that the district has spent money on both maintenance and repair.  There has only been a separate fund for repairs for 2-3 years, when the district designated .24 mils for capital improvements, and it provides less than $200,000 per year.  The district spends more than $200,000 per year on average (I don't presently have a number as to how much more) on maintenance and repair when including ALL school buildings.  Speaking only for the past 8 years during which I have been on the board, because I do not have personal knowledge as to earlier time periods, the district has done the best it can with the money it has available to maintain and repair its buildings.  Mostly the money for this comes out of general fund operating dollars and competes for balance against the need to pay teachers and other staff and utilities and books. There is never enough money to do everything we would like.
 
I am also not participating in the constitutional debate.  In my view, it is fairly irrelevant, as the people in Columbus with the power to change school funding will not be moved by any "protest" no vote on the Middletown school bond levy.  The only result it will have is to kill the solution that has been proposed by a community committee, the State and the BOE to address the facilities needs of the middle school and high school.  Reducing the burden on local property owners to fund local schools will logically require increasing taxes on some other group or groups (who to some degree are also property owners), and there is no political will to tackle the issue.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 23 2014 at 10:56am
"I have repeatedly stated that the district has spent money on both maintenance and repair. There has only been a separate fund for repairs for 2-3 years, when the district designated .24 mils for capital improvements, and it provides less than $200,000 per year. The district spends more than $200,000 per year on average (I don't presently have a number as to how much more) on maintenance and repair when including ALL school buildings. Speaking only for the past 8 years during which I have been on the board, because I do not have personal knowledge as to earlier time periods, the district has done the best it can with the money it has available to maintain and repair its buildings"

SO, WE HAVE ENOUGH REASON TO ASK THE VOTERS TO BUY US A NEW SCHOOL, BUT AFTER THE SCHOOL (S) IS (ARE) BUILT, WE DON'T BUDGET TO ALLOW TAKING CARE OF THEM IN THE PROPER FASHION.

THE THINKING OF THE SCHOOL BOARD AND ALL OF THEIR SUPPORTERS....

1. MY SCHOOL IS WORN OUT
2. VOTER/PROPERTY OWNER, BUY ME A NEW ONE WITH ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES
3. THANK YOU FOR APPROVING THIS LEVY AND BUYING ME A NEW SCHOOL
4. AT BUDGET TIME,WHILE THE SCHOOL IS NEW AND THE SITUATION IS UNDER CONTROL, I WILL BYPASS SETTING UP A PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM TO ADDRESS MAJOR PROBLEMS BEFORE THEY OCCUR AND WON'T CONSIDER APPROPRIATING ANY MONEY IN MY BUDGET FOR SUCH A PROGRAM
5. VOTER/PROPERTY OWNER, AS THE YEARS HAVE GONE BY, MY NEW SCHOOL IS STARTING TO FALL APART AND IS BECOMING A MONEY DRAIN BECAUSE I DIDN'T PLAN EARLY ON TO HAVE A MAINTENANCE PROGRAM IN PLACE TO PREVENT MAJOR DETERIORATION
6. MY SCHOOL IS WORN OUT
7. VOTER.PROPERTY OWNER, BUY ME A NEW SCHOOL

A NICELY CONCOCTED CIRCLE OF FUTILITY LAYED ON THE TAXPAYER.

AND SO IT IS....ALWAYS IN YOUR WALLET ASKING FOR THINGS YOU CAN'T AFFORD.....BUT THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT. THEY JUST WANT THEIR NEW SCHOOL.
I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
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Marcia Andrew View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Marcia Andrew Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 23 2014 at 11:55am
Vet, your post does not accurately state what has occurred.  I have addressed that elsewhere and won't repeat. 
 
But I am happy to hear that you will be the first and most vocal supporter of a new operating levy to pay for the most thorough, all-inclusive, proactive "Cadillac" level preventive maintenance and repair of all school buildings.
 
The bond issue on the ballot actually includes a permanent improvement levy piece.
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chmoore1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 23 2014 at 12:34pm
Mrs. Andrew: I apologize for all of the requests that you get about the schools. Two questions, if you can answer without much research: (1) weren't there a number of "permanent improvement" levies voted down through the '70s, '80s and '90s? and (2) doesn't the OSFC require that money is set aside each year for upkeep on the new buildings? Thank you for your dedication.   just 1chmoore.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 23 2014 at 1:33pm
Ms. Andrew, you are absolutely correct, you did not state there was a lapse in maintenance that would be absorbed by repairs. Although styled incorrectly, I was attempting to help explain as I understood it to be, an accounting mechanism which was eating more into repair funding, which I recall is what Mr. Ison had stated.

This has been a good and productive exchange over the course of a year. Objectively, we know the following.

When this initiative began, the BOE, which Ms. Andrew was not sitting at the time, desired to pursue renovating schools. There was an allocation the BOE had in  mind, of approximately $ 71 MM. The state of Ohio, through Ohio Facilities Commission, felt it better value to build new schools, and had the formula if renovation was greater than 66% of a new school, it was mandated (bothersome paperwork, enhanced justification), to build new schools and to follow the state guidelines, which also meant taking advantages of the grant.

Therefore, one cannot fault the school board then, nor now, for following the path laid forth by the state on new buildings when in fact, the BOE wanted to renovate them. Once the process began, known as the Master Plan, it is difficult to deviate. If Vail would be renovated, made into a shell, and redone, but same locale, re-model/ make-over the home (analogy), the state would be would have to approve a petition or request to do so, based upon expected time and delays. So...one cannot reasonably blame the BOE for adhering to the state's policy. The state advocate new buildings based upon the 66% calculation.

Furthermore, it would be logical to minimize preventative care, based upon a Master Plan built on state guidelines starting as far back as the early 2000 period, although maintenance and repairs would be done and were, expecting a new middle school to supplant the old. Reasonable enough to comprehend.

Fast forward to the present, and the choice is to move forward, build, take state's 26%, or it fails, and MCSD falls back in line as a LAPSED school. In time, the state will recalculate a % Middletown would be entitled to receive. In fact, there are several districts and BOE's, that decide to punt from receipt of the state match, and do it their way. Simply stated, they pass on the match funding from the Facility Commission.

With these facts and background, I concur while not guaranteeing enrollment increases, nor performance, moving the middle school to a centralized site may have advantages. If private boosters had raised the funding for much of the LFI associated with sports, this would be an easy YES vote.

As vouchers are being passed around to shop private schools to parents and students, providing choice,  there are a number of serious issues facing the district. Inclusive in performance is the fact teacher numbers have declined, while teachers assistants have risen is MCSD. Will that effect performance? Maybe. A hard road ahead, all concur with this fact.

Many states have been found to be unconstitutional regarding school funding, and the same reasons as was Ohio. These include Pennsylvania, Texas, Kansas, and others. This problem won't be addressed in Columbus, as property valuation will always be a form of school funding, with state funding, and federal. It is not an ideal situation Middletown has nearly 45% renters attending MCSD that pay nothing in funding, change will not occur soon, if ever.
One could argue K-12 should be privatized, school buildings leased, teachers outsourced, districts mass consolidated. But, it will be decades before such re-engineering efforts take place, as the unions are strong, the system in place, and resistance too steep.

As for history and renovation, while understandable to do so, you cannot blame this on the BOE. The state chartered the course, the BOE was mandated to follow, or at least to do so, to receive 26%.

Forget about Middletown being a destination point; too much talking points coming from the neighbors at Donham.

Moving the school near the high school can best be supported and sold by Ms. Andrew's point; it may uplift property values from the old hospital area (Highlands), east (my view), and may slow attrition in the middle school years. And maybe....a few parents will move to Middletown.

The winner was the model of Kalamazzoo Promise, that some folks in Donham Abbey and the BOE, in my opinion, should be chasing Coates and Kasich around Columbus, and DOE,  to make an initial Proof of Concept, to fund in Middletown. That is a 'plant it, and they will come," initiative.

http://www.kalamazoopromise.com/
     

                  
'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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aflatkey View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote aflatkey Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 23 2014 at 1:54pm
SLAY THE BEAST !! ( public education ) while you say it wont move the people in columbus to protest vote your bond / levy , there is a movement to privatize public education.
http://www.ohio.com/news/charter-school-advocate-wants-to-strip-requirement-for-public-schools-from-ohio-constitution-1.480752
 To only get .50 value out of every dollar spent threw the implementation of  public school fund distribution by the OSFC with no oversight or audit or fair bidding process is like condoning a heroin addict  in there abuse of themselves and providing funds for their eventual death.  I say send the OSFC to rehab were they can learn how to be fair in bidding and learn how to be accountable to the auditor of the governments choosing, and to vote as a coalition not let one man implement his will. For the OSFC to continue favoritism is like writing a blank check to the contractors that they prefer threw relationships with our politicians. thease claims are factual as stated in the newspaper postings i have contributed to this blog. Denial is not a river in Egypt ,its your unwillingness to accept reality.

SLAY THE BEAST !! STATE WIDE !! AND MAKE OUR POLITICIANS LEGISLATE A FAIR , MODERN , EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM WITH EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL DISTRICTS IN THE FUNDING PROCESS.
START NOW, OR CONTINUE TO THROW MONEY IN THE TOILET. DON'T WORRY THE GOVERNMENT CONTRACTOR HAS A CATCH BASIN AT THE END OF THE SEWER PIPE !!!  LOL !!


Abolish the property tax for the school system!! its unconstitutional !!

Vote no on may 6 if you want to START making a change in the current system!!

 

Visit

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Middletown-Ohio-Vote-NO-on-Issue-3/784089358269325?ref=br_tf

 

and like the page to show support of your constitutional freedoms in Ohio.

 

please don't hesitate to tell me your opinion as

 

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 and with out laughter over the kinks in society anarchy might prevail.

and that's the rest of the story , good day ( Paul Harvey 1946)

aflatkey


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VietVet View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 23 2014 at 2:58pm
Originally posted by Marcia Andrew Marcia Andrew wrote:



Vet, your post does not accurately state what has occurred.  I have addressed that elsewhere and won't repeat. 
 
But I am happy to hear that you will be the first and most vocal supporter of a new operating levy to pay for the most thorough, all-inclusive, proactive "Cadillac" level preventive maintenance and repair of all school buildings.
 
The bond issue on the ballot actually includes a permanent improvement levy piece.
 
 


SORRY MS. ANDREW. COUNT ME OUT ON SUPPORTING YOUR SCHOOLS. NO VALUE ADDED FROM MY 80% CONTRIBUTION ON THE OLD PROPERTY TAX BILL. NO REASON TO INVEST IN THE SCHOOLS, AS THEY ARE NOW AND HAVE BEEN FOR DECADES. DO WITH WHAT YOU HAVE UNTIL YOU SHOW SOME CHANGE FOR THE BETTER FOR THE INVESTORS. BAD STOCK IN THE PORTFOLIO. TIME TO PURGE AND CUT THE DAMAGE DONE.

THE SCHOOLS ARE WHAT THEY ARE RIGHT NOW AND NO AMOUNT OF MAKE-UP WILL MAKE THE UGLY TOLERABLE TO LOOK AT. THE SCORES, THE INDICATORS, THE DECADES IN MALAISE.... ALL WRAPPED UP IN NICE NEW BUILDINGS, MAKING NO DIFFERENCE AT ALL FOR THE MILLIONS SPENT FOR THEM.

YOU SEE THE SCHOOLS AS "IF WE JUST KEEP DOING THE THINGS (NEW SCHOOLS) THAT WE THINK ARE IMPORTANT TO MAKE IT BETTER, IT WILL EVENTUALLY GET BETTER"- WHEN WE STILL DON'T KNOW.

I SEE THE SCHOOLS AS "WE, THE VOTERS, HAVE ALREADY TOLERATED THE POOR RESULTS AFTER GIVING THE SCHOOL PEOPLE EMERGENCY LEVY MONEY, OPERATING LEVY MONEY, BOND LEVY MONEY, PERMANENT LEVY MONEY, "JUST ONE TIME" LEVY MONEY, ETC, ETC. OVER SEVERAL DECADES AND HAVE NOT SEEN ANY VALUED RETURN FOR OUR MONEY TO DATE. HOW MANY DECADES WILL IT TAKE TO MOVE THE INDICATOR AND PROFICIENCY NUMBERS OUT OF THE DANGER ZONE? HOW MANY EXCUSES WILL WE HEAR ALONG THE WAY AS TO WHY IT CONTINUALLY IS NOT ACCOMPLISHED? TIRED OF THE COMPLACENCY. TIRED OF THROWING GOOD MONEY AFTER BAD. IT IS A BLACK HOLE WHERE USEFUL MONEY GOES FOR NAUGHT. JUST WONDER WHY THERE ARE STILL BELIEVERS IN THIS SYSTEM GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE PERFORMANCE HAS BEEN DISMAL FOR DECADES. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY ANYONE WOULD LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE GIVEN THE SCHOOLS, SEEN THE RESULTS AND COME UP WITH YET ANOTHER REASON WHY WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO DONATE MONEY TO THE CAUSE. GOOD THING THE SITUATION INVOLVES THE SCHOOLS. IF IT WERE A COMPANY, IT WOULD HAVE GONE OUT OF BUSINESS A LONG TIME AGO. ALOT OF MONEY SPENT, HIGH OVERHEAD, WASTED TIME OBTAINING AN ACCEPTABLE PRODUCT THAT IS APPEALING AND BELOW PAR END RESULTS. JMO
I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.
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acclaro View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 23 2014 at 5:24pm
chm1; I cannot answer your question directed to Ms. Andrew regarding previous levies and maintenance  under ORC 3318.052 off the top of my head, but believe under the statutes under 3318 either at the time of the levy or a year thereafter, perhaps at the same period, maintenance funds must be included and approved. I recall and am doing this entirely from memory, the ballot language on May 6, includes a .25 mil for maintenance for Phase 2.    
'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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acclaro View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 23 2014 at 5:39pm
.26 mils, for permanent improvements to high school, not maintenance. Perhaps a % is captured in the 4 mils for new build. 

 
'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Marcia Andrew Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 23 2014 at 6:26pm
chmoore (and acclaro)-- I can't answer the first question (way before my time!).  As to number 2, yes, the OSFC requires as a condition to getting the state money that the district shows it has at least .5 mil of dedicated permanent improvement levy.  As I mentioned in a previous post, a few years ago we dedicated .24 mils of existing millage for that purpose (a strange amount yes, but that was all that was within our authority to do).  So, the bond issue on the ballot includes .26 of permanent improvement levy, so that together with what we already have, we would have the half mil required by OSFC. That is why it is combined as one issue to vote on -- if we don't pass the .26 mil permanent improvement AND the 4 mils for $55 million, the state doesn't pay its $40 million.  And, frankly, it is hard to believe there are many people who would agree to 4 mils for the new buildings but vote no on the .26 to maintain them.
 
Acclaro, the "Middletown Promise" concept failed for lack of private donors.  I have been informed that there is a grassroots effort afoot to revive the idea using a different model that would require less up-front capital.  We shall see.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 23 2014 at 6:28pm
aflatkey....this is how its done correctly. You can't be serious .5 for each dollar from OSFC goes to administration, the Red Cross is about 9%.

Maybe for the next levies coming soon.


http://www.educateua.org/
'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote aflatkey Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 23 2014 at 7:44pm

what i said was

To only get .50 value out of every dollar spent threw the implementation of  public school fund distribution by the OSFC with no oversight or audit or fair bidding process is like condoning a heroin addict  in there abuse of themselves and providing funds for their eventual death.

i did not mean it cost .5 cents to administrate  the fund on the dollar by OSFC. I meant that 50 cents out of every dollar goes to the contractors profit margin and there association with politicians donating to their re election like the Cleveland newspaper article states.  if you can provide a better statistic than that please do as you will see what ever the statistic is it will include buttering the politicians re election campaign in exchange for the public school contracts.

In other words correlate the donations by contractors to politicians election or re election campaigns and then see what contractors got preference on billions of dollars of work that the OSFC dictates that local districts must adhere to if they want the matching funds.

Another way to look at it is I don’t want my land tax moneys administered by the OSFC to a contractor to help re elect any politician in recompense of receiving contracts for public school construction.

i think that is why they filed the RICO law suit  against OSFC.  I know that i am not the authority on these kind of things and  am willing to endure correction. what you will not be able to correct is the association of politicians with the contractors and the billions of dollars that has never been audited by representative or senate appointed auditor.

 

hope to hear from you soon.

Abolish the property tax for the school system!! its unconstitutional !!

Vote no on may 6 if you want to START making a change in the current system!!

 

Visit

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Middletown-Ohio-Vote-NO-on-Issue-3/784089358269325?ref=br_tf

 

and like the page to show support of your constitutional freedoms in Ohio.

 

please don't hesitate to tell me your opinion as

 

Brevity is the soul of wit  

 and with out laughter over the kinks in society anarchy might prevail.

and that's the rest of the story , good day ( Paul Harvey 1946)

aflatkey
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 23 2014 at 7:48pm
Thank you Ms. Andrew; it would help kick-start Middletown with the "Promise." Maybe there is a hook with the private equity firm that funds HEP and their initiatives. Some creative "crowd-funding" maybe.

Your input has allowed this analysis to go far deeper than it would otherwise while also gaining a better appreciation of the challenges in running a school board. It is also clear there have been real, tangible cuts and oversight, fiduciary in particular, since you became a member and President.   The location around the high school is actually quite appealing with a centralized campus concept.     
'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Richard Saunders Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 24 2014 at 3:16am
Mr. acclaro:

I think that I must dispute portions of your 1:33 pm post.

The Verity building could, indeed, be rehabbed within the OSFC guidelines, and with a new addition could easily handle the student load required.  The acreage owned by the MCSD at the Verity site far exceeds the need for middle school requirements (including any and all athletic facilities).

Further, either rehabbing the existing structure (along with an addition) or razing the present Verity structure and building a completely new middle school would be cheaper by far than the proposal that is currently in front of the voters.

The real fact of the matter is that, like the present Vail location, the Verity location is unacceptable to the school administration shot-callers because of the "neighborhood".

I am saddened to say that it is that simple.
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