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Unless last August’s building levy failure has poisoned the well, I’m sure this levy will pass.

Some observations, however. They say, it’s only a little bit more. Well, while one or two “ little bit mores” may not be that much more, six or eight little bit mores are a lot more. Has your rent continued to increase? Your power bill? Your city utility bill? Your city taxes that support a budget that would better fit a town at least with two or three times the population of Sandpoint. The Memorial Field sales tax. Have you gotten any raises lately and even if you have, how much? Each taxing entity believes they exist in a vacuum.

I’ve also noticed a “Stepford Wives” pattern to the pro-levy letters. Most of them end with a variation on the phrase: “… so please join me is supporting the levy.” If I were a suspicious person, I’d think the district sent a form letter home with all the students and teachers so it could be copied with a few variations.

Then there’s the argument that good schools bring good jobs. Well, they’ve had many, many years and I’ve yet to see all those good-paying jobs materialize. If anything, jobs are fleeing … to S.Carolina for instance. If the district is trying to be responsible with our money, keep the levy at or even a little below the present one reflecting their declining enrollment. Just as we have to make hard budget choices, so should they.

LAWRENCE FURY

Sandpoint