Now is not the time for more levies or taxes

Now is not the time to approve more property taxes/supplemental levies.

• Current recession, worst since great depression to be long/deep.

• Idaho unemployment above national average, rapidly rising, county one of state's hardest hit.

• County experiencing unprecedented, rising tide of home foreclosures.

• Property owners incurring expenses of another record breaking winter.

No one disputes necessity of educating kids in the basics preparing them to earn a decent living and be successful citizens. Basic education is essential.

February levy however funds expensive extra curricular programs/activities beyond essential educational curriculum.This simply cannot be justified in harsh economic times. These programs/activities should be discontinued.

Private schools, charter schools, home schooling, virtual academies provide essential basic education usually with superior results to traditional public education without all the extracurricular programs/activities at a fraction of traditional public education cost.

Just as individuals must focus on basics/essentials to cut costs in harsh times LPOSD must be forced back to basic essential education.

Danger lies in approval of levies 20 percent or greater of operational funding. Idaho law allows school districts receiving approval of such supplemental levies for 7 consecutive years to propose.an indefinite supplemental levy requiring only a simple majority to pass This is exactly where LPOSD is heading with February's levy at 21 percent of funding. This cycle must be broken.

We should defeat Feb. 24's levy. While often difficult to vote at the polls request an absentee ballot from LPOSD.

If we don't vote we have only ourselves to blame for the outcome.

PHIL POUTRE

Cocolalla