Bethlehem Area settles on 5.1% hike

Dr. Joseph A. Lewis speaks Monday night at the Bethlehem Area School Board Meeting held at East Hills Middle School.

[Jim]

"Board President Leeson, however, was critical of the district's use of swaps and the costs associated with them. She said the district's budget deficit was the result of seven years of poor management, alluding to Lewis' tenure. Past financial advisers also did not serve the board well, Leeson said."

You are all responsible, administration and the board.

This is another fine example of playing musical chairs with the blame game......something to remember at election time. We want responsible and competent directors; not ones who run for cover.

[Albur]

This is what happens when the Democrates are in control. Tax tax tax. City by city they destroy. They all suck. This is why no decent hard working people live in cities controled by Democrates.

[no party]

They are all crooks!

[rose]

So now a 5.1% increase is supposed to be a gift to the taxpayer??? Are they out of their minds? I have had it with all of them. Cut the extras and no I don't mean programs for at risk kids I mean things like band & sports. Have the parents pay a fee or fund raise for these activities. No new buses - fix the ones you have! combine the high schools at least where sports and band are concerned - it will save money and eventually stop alot of the problems associated with the rivalry between the two which causes a lot of trouble at and around sporting events. If changes are not made in how things are done this will not be the last time they dip into our pockets!

[Bethlehem]

If they don't understand finance they should not be on the board. It seems they will put their name on anything instead of getting facts. LETS GET RID OF THEM THIS FALL.

[JMK--Bethlehem]

Well, once again I didn't get"KISSED WHILE GETTING SCREWED"!!I am a senior citizen on a fixed income and they finally taxed me out of my home!!I will have to let it go somehow.In this real estate market,I imagine I won't get "KISSED WHILE GETTING SCREWED" by a real estate agent and a "MEXICAN BANDIT BUYER"!!!! BASD, you are the epitome of "ALIEN,VAMPIRE,BLOOD-SUCK ING LIFE FORMS NOT OF THIS REALITY"!!What planet do you live on??????? And, for those of you who wish to comment on my comment unfavorably---I hope you get what you deserve---A LARGE AND PAINFUL "HICKEY" in the middle of your forehead!!

[mmm_cheesesteak]

no see it's OK. Lewis has a cushy new postion at Moravian (dumbies) Majewski has Lewis and the board to blame. and the board has each other.
And the taxpayer, well that's where it gets warm and fuzzy. we get doubly screwed.first we got to watch our tax money get squandered, then we get to pay for it.
HOORAAYY!!!

[mmm_cheesesteak]

i say let the kids who go to BASD line up and punch lewis in the stomach. he just gambled with their education funds...and lost.

[Sick of all this]

These school board members do not have the brains or background to be making big financial decisions...most school boards around the state are made up of dummies !

[Old timer]

Live in Catasauqua where the superintendent and school board members raise taxes every year and keep adding to buildings, staff, etc, except refuse to hire someone to oversee expenses in the district. The superintendent does it himself!!! but we have a grounds crew, building maintenance supervisor, full time sports co-ordinator, etc, etc, etc, and the enrollment is the same now as it was 20 years ago, probably less!!! Easy telling the majority of the staff, including the super doesn't live in Catty. Our taxes are higher than Bethlehem's, and we graduate approximately 110 kids a year! Go figure. You can have this guy as superintendent because he is taxing us out of our homes.

[spread the wealth]

there is something else a lot of you posters seem to forget about (besides the board being run by a bunch of incompetents). real estate owners have to foot the bill for the breeders (you know, the dirtballs who sit around all day living off of the taxpayers breeding their future dirtballs). these are also the majority of people whose kids use the at risk programs, and the free lunch programs, and the bi-lingual programs. so my point is, until something is done to stop the ever growing entitlement population, the ever shrinking working middle class will continue to get screwed.

[amazing]

wow..only a 5.1% increase!! Let's see my raise this year was...well...0%, but, at least I have a job. So, a larger portion of my income goes to school taxes to get less from the school district.

I cannot understand why Allentown and Easton have surplus money for such economic downturns but BASD does not. I guess they are smarter than we are. But, we in the BASD have nice new buildings. That always makes me feel better when I have less income to support my family...sarcasm intended!

[From Bethlehem]

I agree with Mark Sigmon, they should all resign.

Now, not only will I be paying off the Fed's mistakes I'll be paying off local moron errors too. Fantastic!

[A_Wise_Man_Once_ Said]

So they are paying their substitute super $800/day which equates to a salary of more than the actual super. How do they justify that? What's next, are they going to pay substitute teachers more than the contracted faculty?

[Frontier Justice]

Jim wrote:

"Board President Leeson, however, was critical of the district's use of swaps and the costs associated with them. She said the district's budget deficit was the result of seven years of poor management, alluding to Lewis' tenure. Past financial advisers also did not serve the board well, Leeson said."
You are all responsible, administration and the board.
This is another fine example of playing musical chairs with the blame game......something to remember at election time. We want responsible and competent directors; not ones who run for cover.

Wrong. The citizens of the BASD are responsible. You let this happen when you accept that a public school district is an omnimpotent entity that you must serve. If you care, you need to run, contribute time in an advisory capacity, and most importantly, hold people accountable. These people think you exist to serve them and provide them whatever they desire.

Look at the end result. Nothing will happen to anyone, you get hammered with another tax increase and will likely still lose services. Meanwhile, the abject failure, car salesman Lewis rides into the sunset with lots of money and a cushy job in academia. He is laughing at you, all the way to the bank. He, and the next one, and the next one, will get you again. Because you don't have the cajones to do anything about it.

Representative government is like a gun. A very useful and powerful tool which, in the wrong hands, is extremely dangerous. Your representation is pitiful and, therefore dangerous, because you allow them to be.

[MAMA]

Why is it that these people stay in charge for so long ? If anyone I work with caused such problems at the large corporation where I am employed we would have been long gone no questions asked !

[FYI]

This is complete bull. They screwed up and now homeowners get the bill. Wasn't the casino supposed to help prevent some of these taxes? And why are they paying a "substitute" super $800 a day?
Idiots!

[toni]

rose wrote:

So now a 5.1% increase is supposed to be a gift to the taxpayer??? Are they out of their minds? I have had it with all of them. Cut the extras and no I don't mean programs for at risk kids I mean things like band & sports. Have the parents pay a fee or fund raise for these activities. No new buses - fix the ones you have! combine the high schools at least where sports and band are concerned - it will save money and eventually stop alot of the problems associated with the rivalry between the two which causes a lot of trouble at and around sporting events. If changes are not made in how things are done this will not be the last time they dip into our pockets!

pay a guy 800 a day??? why???? and there are no business people on the board---they can use swaps and have no idea what they are doing=--curt teachers salaries and board members' pay----don't hand out free lunches and breakfasts'---no day care for kids in highschool f-them not me

[jsg]

spread the wealth wrote:

there is something else a lot of you posters seem to forget about (besides the board being run by a bunch of incompetents). real estate owners have to foot the bill for the breeders (you know, the dirtballs who sit around all day living off of the taxpayers breeding their future dirtballs). these are also the majority of people whose kids use the at risk programs, and the free lunch programs, and the bi-lingual programs. so my point is, until something is done to stop the ever growing entitlement population, the ever shrinking working middle class will continue to get screwed.

AMEN!!

[BdriverMOM]

rose wrote:

So now a 5.1% increase is supposed to be a gift to the taxpayer??? Are they out of their minds? I have had it with all of them. Cut the extras and no I don't mean programs for at risk kids I mean things like band & sports. Have the parents pay a fee or fund raise for these activities. No new buses - fix the ones you have! combine the high schools at least where sports and band are concerned - it will save money and eventually stop alot of the problems associated with the rivalry between the two which causes a lot of trouble at and around sporting events. If changes are not made in how things are done this will not be the last time they dip into our pockets!

Have u seen some of the buses that are driven everyday? They should be pulled off the road for being unsafe!