Lockport schools spokesman moving on

As a Lockport police officer, Pete Colarelli got to know young students during his duties in area grade schools in the late 1990s.

[Hardliner]

Below are two paragraphs from the end of this article that basically in my mind sum up the position of the school on the referendum:

Colarelli is optimistic about one part of Tuesday's referendum showing: The proposal had its best performance yet, gaining support from 45 percent of voters, while being rejected by 55 percent, he said.

"We're drawing closer to that majority vote to pass it," he said. "And we think that the reason is because more and more people are understanding the need."

As sure as the sun shines they are going to trot this back out unchanged for a spring vote. They can taste blood and see that people are tired of dealing with it so it is only a matter of time in their minds that the numbers will eventually work in their favor. They are not going to address any concerns relating to separation, boundaries or funding. They are going to play their trump cards of "$21.00 per year" and weakening resolve of the property owners.

[Sushi Saturday]

I think what we'll see now is that all of the people on the blog who wrote, "Vote No, Not Now" will magically have a whole host of excuses for their No Vote now.

Leading up to this election, they complained about the bad economy and the impact of $21 per year on their tax bills. As the economy recovers in the next six months, that excuse will be taken away from them.

Now they will talk about Lockport West in the 1970's and boundaries and Homer vs. Lockport, etc. Anything but the real issue-overcrowding.

Those of us who voted yes will be working even harder to close the gap mentioned in the article.

Funny how the anti-referendum folk are already changing their message. As was mentioned in previous blogs, these people are disingenuous and will always vote no, no matter what. And as someone else wrote, they complain about the economy and the $21, while they sip their lattes in front of their $1000 computers while relaxing at their six-figure jobs.

More and more people are seeing through your facade and this thing will pass soon!

[Wondering]

The key is and will remain the $21 per year figure. It means that each year the bill will go up by and average of $21 dollars so the increase in cummulative. This means that your $21 per year becomes close to $500 per year. Instead of trotting out the $21 figure that is an average annual increase use more honest figures. Be open that the increase in the first year will be $49.53 followed by an additional $54.22 the next year. And the cummulative cost over the life of the bonds is $5,277.01.

To keep using the $21 per year average increase figure is like buying a car with variable payments and not asking the price of the car, the amount of the payments, when the payment amount changes, but only asking how much does it adjust by on average. That is not the most important fact. Be honest and tell people that you are asking for $5,277.01 total. Then let them decide if a new school is worth that amount of extra taxes spread over the next two decades. Or even if you prefer tell them the annual cost broken down by year. But to only tell them it is an average increase of $21 each year is not very honest since not everyone has been willing to admit it is cummulative and the increases vary quite a bit year to year so an average does not tell much.

The numbers used here are based upon a $300,000 home (since that is what the $21 figure was based upon) and are based upon the detailed financial information provided by the school district on their website.

These figures

[GOP]

Wanna know how to pass the referendum. Ask this question -should a separate high school be built in homer and paid for by homer folks. Yes.

[Hardliner]

Sushi Saturday wrote:

I think what we'll see now is that all of the people on the blog who wrote, "Vote No, Not Now" will magically have a whole host of excuses for their No Vote now.
Leading up to this election, they complained about the bad economy and the impact of $21 per year on their tax bills. As the economy recovers in the next six months, that excuse will be taken away from them.
Now they will talk about Lockport West in the 1970's and boundaries and Homer vs. Lockport, etc. Anything but the real issue-overcrowding.
Those of us who voted yes will be working even harder to close the gap mentioned in the article.
Funny how the anti-referendum folk are already changing their message. As was mentioned in previous blogs, these people are disingenuous and will always vote no, no matter what. And as someone else wrote, they complain about the economy and the $21, while they sip their lattes in front of their $1000 computers while relaxing at their six-figure jobs.

More and more people are seeing through your facade and this thing will pass soon!

Once again the "$21.00 per year" line of bull. Talk about clueless. You must live in a magical world where you can build a 141 million dollar school for the low low price of just "$21.00 per year". I’ll take two!

If they wanted to be honest about the tax impact they would use a figure of $5000.00 as a stepping off point as to what the tax impact would be on the low end. If your house is currently worth more than $300,000.00 that figure will be substantially higher. They did a good job of letting uninformed voters believe that the tax impact would be a flat fee of $21.00 per year which of course in disingenuous at best.

As for your comment that the majority of people in this forum are sipping lattes while earning six figure salaries, speak for yourself because you might be Joe the plumber but I am not and neither are most of the regulars on these boards. We are working people that have to account for every penny now more than ever.

The reason the turnout was high this past election cycle was obvious, it is directly attributable to the presidential campaign. Most people do not research half of the things they vote for so you had more people than usual at the polls this time looking at the school referendum and saying “what the heck, it’s only $21.00 per year”. Come April as the economy worsens people will be holding their pocketbooks even closer to their chests and there will not be the presidential voters venturing out. It will be voted down again unless the board makes concessions.

WILL VOTE NO AGAIN!

[Hardliner]

[QUOTE who="Sushi Saturday"

Leading up to this election, they complained about the bad economy and the impact of $21 per year on their tax bills. As the economy recovers in the next six months, that excuse will be taken away from them.

Funny how the anti-referendum folk are already changing their message.[/QUOTE]

I guess you see what you want to see when reading the posts but the message has steadfastly remained the same from the vote no crowd so you are dead wrong on that one.
From day one our point of view has been:

The economy
Boundary issues
Separation language
Funding/Proceeds from Central

One more thing, you must really believe that Obama is the messiah if you even remotely think the economy will get better before it gets worse. No bad reflection on the man just the way it will play out.Talk about unrealistic expectations.

[Apple Pie]

He did it so he could run for mayor now. Why is that so hard to figure out.

[Dave of Lockport]

Seriously, do you think many people have a problem with $21/year. The problem is that it WON'T BE $21/year. Do the math for yourself. At best, it's extremely optimistic math. At worst, it's a lie.

The calculation behind the $21/year takes into account increased property values (not happening now), increased development (not happening now), and increased commercial development (severely slowing). Assume there are 10k houses in homer/lockport. At $21/year, that means $210,000/year. Over 20 years that's $4.2 million. The remaining $145,000,000 plus interest is coming from new homeowners and businesses? HAHAHA.

[Tic]

I just can't see the economy recovering in Six Months.

I feel it may be even worse in six months.
and I hope I'm wrong on this.

don't forget we will start paying on the 89 million JJC bond issue that passed.

[Hardliner]

Tic wrote:

I just can't see the economy recovering in Six Months.
I feel it may be even worse in six months.
and I hope I'm wrong on this.
don't forget we will start paying on the 89 million JJC bond issue that passed.

You are absolutely correct in that assumption. When you see a major electronics retailer like Circuit City filing for bankruptcy protection 46 days before Christmas you know things are bad. This is the time of year retailers get healthy and they threw in the towel to stop the bleeding.

This thing is going to get real ugly before it begins to get better and it sure the hell aint getting better in the next six months. Just wait until all of the companies that start their fiscal year on January 1 announce their plans and cutbacks. Oh Betty!

Between now and April you are going to see a good percentage of the people who voted yes on this referendum rethink their vote because of increasing economic fears. You will also see a good percentage of the people who voted yes realize that the tax increase is not the $21.00 per year as they were led to believe.

To vote yes without any concessions or guarantees from the board regarding funding, separation or boundaries would be plain foolish not to mention irresponsible. Tough times call for tough measures so if I were you I would forget taking yoga classes and become comfortable with the fetal position.

WILL VOTE NO AGAIN!

[opinion]

Tic wrote:

I just can't see the economy recovering in Six Months.
I feel it may be even worse in six months.
and I hope I'm wrong on this.
don't forget we will start paying on the 89 million JJC bond issue that passed.

All economics are saying the next 6 months will be worse and then recovery will come.

[FYI]

Apple Pie wrote:

He did it so he could run for mayor now. Why is that so hard to figure out.

apple pie your fruit is soared by your second guesssing. He has no olans to run for mayor, I Wish he did. He took a very demanding job at Citco which will be 40 plus a week.

[no more referenda]

I will bet that enrollment will go down in the next year or so.

[Garfield Goose]

GOP wrote:

Wanna know how to pass the referendum. Ask this question -should a separate high school be built in homer and paid for by homer folks. Yes.

I will definitly vote "yes" if that was ever a referendum.

[Lockport Opinion]

FYI wrote:

<quoted text>
apple pie your fruit is soared by your second guesssing. He has no olans to run for mayor, I Wish he did. He took a very demanding job at Citco which will be 40 plus a week.

Will this new job leave him the time to be an alderman in Lockport? If not, he should step down so the people in town can have quality representation.

[think before you speak]

Lockport Opinion wrote:

<quoted text>
Will this new job leave him the time to be an alderman in Lockport? If not, he should step down so the people in town can have quality representation.

Most all the aldermen hold 40 plus hours a week. Do you honestly think being a alderman pays the bills?

[Transformer]

Lockport Opinion wrote:

<quoted text>
Will this new job leave him the time to be an alderman in Lockport? If not, he should step down so the people in town can have quality representation.

I heard he got fired because the referendums kept losing.

And how'd he get a job at Citgo? I heard those were all union laborer jobs.

[Hardliner]

They posted the vote totals for the referendum. The school board would have you believe that they made great strides in getting 45% of the district to vote yes but that is somewhat misleading. Homer glen residents were the reason for the tightening in the votes. They cast a total of 16,859 votes and 49.7% were for the referendum. Conversely Lockport residents cast a total of 15,134 but only 39.8% voted for the referendum.

They have already said as much that this will be on the April 2009 ballot. I do not see Lockport residents softening their stance on this so in essence the only way they will get their majority is if there is a huge turn on the Homer Glen side. Homer Glen residents would have to come out and vote 70% for the referendum and hope that Lockport residents fail to show up as well as flip to the pro referendum side. It’s not going to happen nor should it. Jobs are being cut at an alarming rate right now, it is no time to increase property taxes.

WILL VOTE NO AGAIN!

[concerned]

Hardliner wrote:

They posted the vote totals for the referendum. The school board would have you believe that they made great strides in getting 45% of the district to vote yes but that is somewhat misleading. Homer glen residents were the reason for the tightening in the votes. They cast a total of 16,859 votes and 49.7% were for the referendum. Conversely Lockport residents cast a total of 15,134 but only 39.8% voted for the referendum.
They have already said as much that this will be on the April 2009 ballot. I do not see Lockport residents softening their stance on this so in essence the only way they will get their majority is if there is a huge turn on the Homer Glen side. Homer Glen residents would have to come out and vote 70% for the referendum and hope that Lockport residents fail to show up as well as flip to the pro referendum side. It’s not going to happen nor should it. Jobs are being cut at an alarming rate right now, it is no time to increase property taxes.
WILL VOTE NO AGAIN!

I would like to see someone publish a precinct map indicating which voted yes and which voted no. Did you get your data from the clerks website? They did a nice job putting that together.

[Hardliner]

concerned wrote:

<quoted text> I would like to see someone publish a precinct map indicating which voted yes and which voted no. Did you get your data from the clerks website? They did a nice job putting that together.

I saw the information on the front page of this weeks Homer Horizon Newspaper. There was no break down by precincts only total numbers.