feet

Bristowbeat.com:

The Prince William County School Board gave the Superintendent guidance on preparing a budget that would explore cuts to discretionary programs, Wednesday, but would fund teacher salary increases and class size reductions across one grade level in the district.

In discussion, the proposal to eliminate full-day kindergarten proved to be unpopular amongst board members. School Board members were also unhappy about eliminating specialty programs, but nonetheless agreed to review them along with other discretionary programs. 

Back in December, the Board of County Supervisor’s provided its own budget guidance to the County Executive. They asked her to create the county’s Fiscal Year 16 [FY16] budget based on a tax increase of 1.3 percent, rather than the 4 percent tax increase prescribed by the board’s five-year plan.

As a result of the county’s preliminary budget, the school division would be hit especially hard and is now tasked with finding $11 million in savings.

Johns explained that the School Board does not have taxing authority. He also explained that the school division requires an increase in annual revenue to compensate for student growth at a rate of 2,000 students each year. While the BOCS often provides less than what was previously proposed in the five-year plan, Johns called this session’s budget “unprecedented,” as the cuts are more severe than any he has seen during his 11 years on the board.”

To address these budget concerns, Johns, made a motion to provide the Superintendent with guidance on how to find savings in the budgets.

According to Johns’ motion, teachers would receive their step increases in the coming year and the school division would continue to fund a reduction in class size by one student across one grade-level.

However, Johns’ motion also included items that he recommended be eliminated from next year’s budget in order to find budget savings. These cuts including full-day kindergarten at non-Title I schools, specialty buses service, new CIP projects for the coming year and other discretionary programs to be decided upon by his board.

Johns explained that since his budget proposal prioritizes employee raises and reductions in class size, it essentially increases the amount of savings the school division would need to find, bringing it from $11 million to $20 million. Superintendent Steven Walts confirmed that estimate.

Board member Lisa Bell offered an alternative amendment that passes 8-0.

Rather than proposing to eliminate full-day kindergarten, specialty transportation and CIP for the coming  year, Bell proposed that the Superintendent provide budget information on all discretionary programs, along with proof of their successes. With that information, the board could make an educated decision on which programs to eliminate during a work session.

So once again the Prince William County School Board will rake and scrap and cut back something vital to preserve some other program deemed even more vital.  It’s about time for the School Board to start calling out the BOCS and admonishing them for wavering.  There is a 5 year plan.  The five year plan made it to year one before the majority on the BOCS turned tail and ran from honoring their own commitments to the county.  Pete and Jeanine started the ball rolling.   Then Stewart, May, and Caddigan hopped aboard this run away train  of cheap-ass raging stupidity.

Was it just last April that Corey Stewart gave a very eloquent speech about it being time to invest in the county and in the school system?  I applauded him for his leadership.  That is when the 5 year plan was accepted.  Those 5 supervisors couldn’t even make it past the first year.

If your taxes are $5000 a year, then lets take a look at what you would be paying if the county sticks to its own plan.  OMG, that’s $200 more dollars per year.  That’s less than $17 dollars per month.  Most people I know piss more than $17 dollars a month.  That is per home, not per person.  This is what some  of these cheapskates are whining about.

If you are paying $5000 in taxes, you are living fairly upscale.   I cannot believe that someone living in a home where $5000 in taxes are being collected  is whining about an increase of less than $20 dollars per month.  Yes, whoever that person was, I AM CALLING YOU CHEAP.  Stop whining about your freaking taxes.  If you can’t afford less than $20 bucks a month, then you need to move, preferably out of the county, to more affordable housing.

I am more than willing to invest $20 more per month in my county, especially when I know that the schools are going to get over half of that amount.  The School Board needs to push back and push back hard.

Supervisors.  Stop it.  Stop being cheap.  Stop trying to out-Republican each other.  That’s really an ugly side of Republicanism.  Back when I was a Republican (yes, imagine that), we wanted nice things.  The Democrats were the scruffy ones.

School Board, start pointing fingers.   Let the public know in dollars and cents just what the BOCS is doing.  Don’t cave in to this perpetual whining about taxes.  I am retired.  I have grandchildren in this school system.  My time isn’t up.  I still need to contribute to my community.  So does everyone else.  Come on PWC, we aren’t poor folk.

P.S.

PWC teachers aren’t getting a raise and neither are the other employees.  They are going to get a step increase.  That is not a raise, that’s just a teeny tiny step up the salary scale ladder.  They need both a step increase and a raise.

54 Thoughts to “School Board needs to hold BOCS’ feet to the fire”

  1. Allen

    After hearing about all this I looked at the actually presentation that Candland gave that swayed the BOC vote. Have you read it? What in it do you disagree with and on what basis?
    Five year plans that are based on improper data need to be scrapped when the economic realities are discovered.
    Peoples real income has stagnated and for may has fallen in real terms. It’s time for the county, and and government at all levels, to start living within the means of its citizens.
    Those paying $5000 a year recognize this, and already are paying $416 a month and may recognize that the county has to stop it’s exponential growth beyond what can be supported.
    The 1.3% increase is still an increase, and is compounded with raising assessment values for many.

  2. What is improper about the data?

    Allen, I am just doing the math on $5000 worth of taxes. If you buy a large expensive house, you are going to be paying some big bucks in taxes. Take that same house and set it down in Fairfax County and you will be paying a lot more money. The same thing will happen to you if you go to certain parts of Loudoun County.

    That’s why people move here. More bang for the buck. I assume when people buy a house they calculate their PITI just to get a general idea of how much they will be paying each month. Most of us know that taxes are going up. Just is.

    If my taxes are $70 higher per month in 5 years I can accept that. I would rather that didn’t happen but that’s part of being a homeowner. I can also write those taxes off on my federal and state income tax. If I don’t want to pay that much then I can settle for a lot less house.

    Back at housing high tide in this county, I resisted the urge to see my house and move into a ritzier neighborhood because I wanted to retire some day and didn’t want to be watching every little penny. That’s just one of those things we prepare for. I will also say that I don’t pay $5000 in taxes a year.

    It actually sounds like a lot of people haven’t lived within their means and now want to cut back on schools, services etc. If you want a good school system, it is going to cost some bucks. If you want libraries, again, big bucks. Arts? Parks? ditto.

    I have been hearing the growth thing ever since I moved to this county a bazillion years ago. It hasn’t happened. First the eastern end went nuts. Now the western end is going nuts. Yet everyone seems to have little pet projects. iI wont stop until there is no land left, I fear.

    Our assessments will rise for sure. (is that a bad thing?) but the 1.3% will adjust the tax rate to match the new assessment. I see the equation in my head…but I can’t explain it.

  3. @Allen

    Allen, I forgot to say welcome and to thank you for stopping by.

  4. ElGuapo

    We are NOT a poor County. I’m not thrilled with people who want us to act like we are a poor county.

    Stewart knew he could ignore Candland’s guidance when public outrage starts to grow. In the end, Stewart was well aware that Candland would be subject to ridicule and dismissal as a serious player for not really understanding what the people who live here want.

    You DON’T Govern to make a handful of right wing wackos happy! You Govern to give the people who pay the bills and your salary what they want. They want to live in a County that reflects its values and wealth.

    1. Standing ovation, ElGuapo.

      I concur.

  5. Allen

    @Moon, thanks for the welcome.

    I agree that someone paying $5000 in taxes could probably afford to pay the extra $200 a year (though the averaging of the assessments typically results in these house paying more than the advertised rate. I know many people who had their taxes go up 13%-16% two years ago, and they aren’t one-percenters either) but disagree with the class warfare mentality.

    You talked about people buying too big and living beyond their meens, but why does that not apply to the county budget? I asked about the economic outlook that Candland presented, we’re being asked to ignore the realities because we shouldn’t be ‘cheap’. People will complain when the politicians cut back on the services people like, while ignoring the $100+ million new school and other spending increased not supported by a growing economy.

  6. Pat.Herve

    Saying that we want a 1.3% increase – and then putting handcuffs on where the cuts can come from is bad policy. The schools student population is on a constant increase and they need funds to operate. Can they find cuts – probably. But so can the PD, FD, Public Safety, etc.

    I do not like the race to the bottom. We are a wealthy county and should not have to have the largest average class sizes in all of Virginia, nor should we go back to half day kindergarten. Are we trying to do everything on the cheap? Why do better paying jobs go to Loudoun?

  7. Censored bybvbl

    It’s a race to the bottom because the squeaky wheel gets the grease. In Prince Willy, that would be the far right anti-tax peeps who have bamboozled the moderates in the Republican Party into thinking that the party should head in a cheapskate direction. I see in this movement too many old geezers whose kiddos are long out of school, young libertarians who think schools will magically materialize if they have kids, and peeps who have overspent on their houses and resent how the RE tax has put a crimp in their latte money. Pay up! Shoulder your share!

  8. Andyh

    Nothing wrong with asking the question. There’s also nothing wrong with giving some guidance on what cuts might be acceptable but Pat’s right, keep the ask as generic as possible and leave it to management to find those savings. It’s what you pay them for.

    In the end, it’s the policy makers decision but the larger problem is going to be shying away from your longer-term plans….

  9. Harry Wiggins

    The BOCS has starved the schools since Stewart became Chair, in the past 10 years the BOCS has approved developments that have added 22,000 additional students to the school system, the School Board has opened 17 new schools with a capacity of about 12,000, where did the other 10,000 students go? Look behind the schools, they are called portable classrooms (trailers). While Mac Haddow’s hand puppets (Jeanine Lawson and Pete Candland) were fawning over each other while Lawson was running for Brentsville MD Supervisor, she implored the need to eliminate the trailers at Patriot, then being the hyporite that the hand puppets are, proposed essentially a flat budget notwithstanding 2,000 additional students added to the school system next year.I see on Haddow’s blog that he is attacking Ellena, must be very fearful that she will run against his personal hand puppet.

  10. ElGuapo

    Mr. Wiggins,

    Who is Mac Haddow? Where do I find his blog?

  11. Pat.Herve

    You can google his name and ‘CMS’ – you will find all kinds of interesting tidbits. Be careful though, he is very thin skinned and seeks retribution.

  12. ElGuapo

    Wow!

    The connection to Candland and Lawson?

    Where is his blog?

  13. Josh

    @ElGuapo

    Who is Mack Haddow! Are you kidding me? Haddow runs Pete Candland’s budget committee and is the spouse of one of Candland’s staff members. [Comment redacted by blog administrator] By “his blog” I am sure the person means the Sheriff of Nottingham. Everyone sees that as Haddow’s baby.

  14. blue

    Will police, fire and other PWC gov’t employees get the same salary increases?

    1. There is no salary increase for teachers other than the step increase. The police, fire and pwc govt. employees have a different pay scale. It is all separate from School Board money and salaries.

  15. Mom

    Harry, as usual you are flapping your yap and only telling half-truths or spreading misinformation. I just checked the planned capacity (as opposed to actual capacity with or without trailers) for the 15 schools I could think of that were opened from 2004 to the present. The planned capacity totals 17,926 or 6,000 more than you claimed, if you add the two schools I’m obviously missing if your total of 17 schools is correct the total planned capacity is likely in the neighborhood of 20,000. You also have to factor in underutilized facilities that parents have had their children transfer out of, facilities that add thousands of empty seats to the available totals. Facts Harry, I know you don’t like them but before spouting off numbers you probably ought to check them.

    As to 2,000 students being added, you might want to check the most recent CIP (as in the modified one released Wednesday night) and note the projection of DECREASING enrollment.

    As to Pete and Jeanine, think what you will of the relationship between Mac and Pete but Jeanine is certainly not Mac’s hand puppet. Further, you should probably check the BOCS minutes before accusing Jeanine of proposing a flat budget. BTW, no budget has been proposed, merely budget guidance, learn the difference between the two and bone up on how the budget process works from start to finish. That may allow you to sound at least semi-intelligent.

    Lastly, as to the approval of all of those residential units, you might want to look in the mirror first as the biggest proponents of those developments, including the period prior to 2004 were Jenkins and Barg. I can point to numerous development applications that were voted against by Stirrup, May and Candland. I can’t say the same for those Donkey Party Supervisors. Have fun trying to spin that point.

    1. [ahem] Donkey Party? No braying or trumpeting!!! Behave! No attacking my guests or Bacchus is going to curse you.

  16. Lyssa

    Looking back and fingerpointing is pointless and childish – we need to deal with what is happening. Once you create a community where education is of little concern or becomes a battlefield the damage is almost impossible to overcome. I would look to emulate sucess.

    And by the way, it’s pretty funny to see an anonymous poster accuse a fully disclosed poster of flapping his yap!

    Great article Moon!

  17. InGainesville

    @Pat.Herve

    I did what you suggested and Googled Haddow and CMS. Are you saying that the Haddows who work for Candland are the same people? If true this is a big disappointment. Candland is supposed to be all about honesty in government. It’s hard to believe that he would be involved in any way with people like this. This makes me sick to my stomach.

    1. Welcome Gainesville.

      to all…warning. This is not an attack blog. If you have something to say about Pete’s policies, have at it. I will criticize his policies, votes etc, as it pertains to how he represents the county. I will also criticize Frank, John, Maureen, Marty, Corey, Mike and Jeanine on policy and votes.

      As for Pete’s staff–I see the plural used. Mrs. Haddow, like Chief Hudson, Melissa Peacor, Tracey Gordon, or any of the others, is a county employee and therefore has my protection. If she is doing something in her line of duty that you do not like, fair game. Otherwise, she is off limits, especially for personal attacks. She doesn’t set policy and has always been kind and professional to the people I know who have contact with that office. County employees cannot fight back. I am unwavering on this rule for this blog. I was once a county employee so I have walked a mile in their shoes.

      I suggest that anyone who has a beef beyond this –start your own blog if you want to do personal attacks. Sorry guys…the sense of fairness is just in my blood. Yes, the temptation is there always to do the tit for tat thing. I fight it every day of my life. So far, the good twin has won out. The evil one lurks and I am sitting on a boat load of dirty laundry about all sorts of things. Pray for the good twin.

  18. Josh

    That’s fair Moon. There’s no reason to say anything nasty about Mrs. Haddow. Pointing out that she works for Candland and is married to Mack is about all that can be said. But I assume that Mack himself is not off limits. On his blog he tortures county employees constantly. I am married to a county employee so I am well aware of how vicious he’s been. Why should he get a pass from factual criticism? His transgressions are documented and in addition to his blog he controls Candland’s budget committee and now Lawson’s also since they joined them together. Maybe you don’t want references to his “background” mentioned on this blog. If that is your rule of thumb then okay I will abide by it. But it seems odd to hide that given how brutal he and Candland have been in their accusations that other supervisors and county employees have abused their positions. If you don’t want it mentioned then I will not, but the association between Haddow and Candland is very relevant.

  19. Josh

    @InGainesville

    I find it very tough to believe that people who read this blog are unaware of Candland’s involvement with Mack Haddow and of Haddow’s influence on him. Does no one remember the lady who was regularly got up at meetings and railed about this.

  20. ElGuapo

    Josh, I think most of us were clueless about the Haddow/Candland’Lawson relationship. I know I had no reason to care.

    I googled Mac Haddow and was surprised what I found. It’s only interesting because both husband and wife work for Candland. If Haddow really is the Sheriff of Nottingham, he deserves to be taken down for the stuff he has said about other people!

    The Sheriff of Nottinghan claimed credit for Lawson’s victory. We all saw what he did to help her and destroy others.

    ‘nuf said.

    1. Mom is not anyone named Mac.

  21. InGainesville

    @Moon-howler

    I’m sorry if I violated the rules of this site in some way. I’m new to this blog and pretty new to the area, so I’m not familiar with all the players. I’m kind of liberal which I have learned makes me a little unusual in Gainesville. When I asked about local political blogs I was told there are only a couple and that this was the more liberal one. I’ve checked out the Sheriff of Notthingham blog and it’s filled with really ugly stuff. I regret that I said earlier that the stuff I was directed made me sick to my stomach, but where I’m from an elected official would not be associated with anything so ugly in their home community. I’m not sure what to make of all this, but I am sorry if I accidentally stepped over the line.

    1. The warning wasn’t just for you, inGainesville. Please don’t think it was just directed at you. There have been several posts today that I put in moderation because their content made me uncomfortable.

      I needed to make a few general comments. You are wecome here. You might want to check out our guidelines.

      https://www.moonhowlings.net/index.php/guidelines/

  22. Lyssa

    This is going to be interesting.

  23. Why are Republicans self-proclaimed budget experts but yet they can’t seem to budget for the fact that taxes may increase? I am a small business owner and I have a line item in my business budget and my personal budget that I like to call “sh*t happens”.

    A good family budget (which the GOP loves to falsely compare to a government’s budget) plans at least some increase in “cost of goods”. Yet the fact that taxes can increase seems to completely elude right-wingers.

    My suggestion, look at the five year plan and budget accordingly. Budget for higher taxes. Be prepared to pay more. Then, if taxes and/or assessments don’t go up then you’ll have more money to buy gold off of Glenn Beck.

    1. Snicker. Sounds like very good advice to me.

      I never want to pay higher taxes but its just one of those things one should expect when one lives in an area like Northern Virginia.

      Hate the taxes? Go live in the Northern Neck or somewhere down in South West. Don’t expect many services.

  24. Josh

    El Guapo is right. On his blog Haddow crucified Scott Jacobs and Eric Young on behalf of Lawson. Disagree with policy positions all you want but the attacks were personal, vicious, and unnecessary. He attacked the candidates’ appearance, their driving records, their intelligence, every sleazeball thing he could think of in the name of electing Lawson and she never uttered a word of protest. Then right after she gets elected she agrees to merge her budget committee with Candland’s. This is the budget committee run by Haddow so now you have Haddow calling the shots in two districts, Gainesville and Brentsville and angling to call them in the Coles district by running O’Meara against Nohe. We’re not going to go into the details on this blog about Haddow’s past, but everyone can find it out for themselves online and figure out that Haddow cannot run himself and so is working to control the board through proxies. I think Mom is right that Lawson doesn’t want to be controlled but knew the best path to election was through Haddow.

  25. Nobody wants to pay more for anything that they already have but that’s the reality of life. Keep in mind, nobody is really arguing in PWC to NOT increase taxes. It’s just a matter how how much to increase taxes. Keep up with inflation would mean a lot more if we A) weren’t way behind the counties that are the primary competition for our children for future jobs or B) We didn’t get 2,000 more students each year or C) Didn’t lose good teachers because of lack of competitive pay.

    What Republicans are better at than Democrats is messaging. They make tax increases sound scary. Make them less scary. Saying things like $17 a month is much more understandable than the dreadful “4% increase on homeowners”.

  26. Ray Beverage

    Meanwhile, up in Loudoun County, issues of paying for full-day kindergarten in one of the wealthy counties. Some similarities of budget issues with PWC.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/when-it-comes-to-full-day-kindergarten-should-parents-pay/2015/02/07/3fd44774-aaf4-11e4-abe8-e1ef60ca26de_story.html

  27. Also, let’s not forget that the only declared candidate for the Chairman of the School Board is a pro-voucher candidate. If he had his way there would be even less money in public schools and large chunks of tax payer money would go to private educational firms. You think Dr. Walt’s pay is high? Check out the pay for some of those charter school head honchos.

    1. I was unaware that Corey was pushing school vouchers. Vouchers just pull what little money we have for the schools away from the schools.

  28. Moon, I said “School Board” not “Board of County Supervisors”. The only declared candidate ran for the Dumfries seat (now the Potomac seat) in 2003 and lost to Betty Covington in a six-way race. He is a pro-voucher candidate and even wants to rename vouchers because that word isn’t as palatable to voters.

    Not only that but he received an immediate endorsement from Milt Johns. Do we really want such an unpopular School Board to pass the torch to their friends?

    Scroll ALL THE WAY to the bottom of this page. He left the last comment on a thread about vouchers in 2011. http://cafehayek.com/2011/09/quotation-of-the-day-74.html

    1. Thanks for clarifying. I will learn to read carefully one of these old days.

  29. ElGuapo

    Something else popped up when I searched on Mac Haddow’s name.

    Haddow has an anti-tax blog, PWC Stop the Taxes Coalition. http://pwcstopthetaxes.blogspot.com
    The last post to that blog was March 28, 2012.

    The Sheiff’s blog was created in May 2012. These blogs both look a lot alike. They both use Google blogger. They are both pro-Candland, anti-Government, anti-tax, use pictures as attack tools, and even sound alike.

    Go look for yourself. Coincidence? Maybe.

  30. First Time

    @ElGuapo

    Just went to Haddow’s PWCstopthetaxes blog. Thanks for the tip. Never new it existed.

    Did you notice his last post on his old blog was about the CPI?

    http://pwcstopthetaxes.blogspot.com/2012/03/assessment-shell-game-getting-money-old.html

    What is Pete Candland’s tax proposal again? Coincidence?

  31. Mac Haddow

    To ElGuapo, Josh, Harry, etc:

    I do not have a blog currently; I am not the Sheriff of Nottingham; and all of the unsubstantiated accusations on that issue are false. Repeating an untrue statement is almost as bad as initiating it. Because others may believe something to be true, when it is not, does not make it true just because it has been repeated over and over.

    It is correct that I authored a blog on taxes briefly in 2012. I used Google blogger. So does Al Alborn and the Derecho. It is commonly used by hundreds of thousands of bloggers. The fact the notorious Sheriff uses it is not surprising given his desire to not be discovered – so that is no great revelation.

    It is correct that I encountered an unfortunate legal circumstance in my life 28 years ago. Even if you accept every bit of information you read on the internet (and a great deal of it is completely false), it is something for which I accepted the consequences. It was a violation of a non-intent statute, and the investigation into my life by the Probation Official concluded the following:

    “In my extensive review of Mr. Haddow’s background in the preparation of the pre-sentence report for the Court, it was my expressed conclusion that had he known his conduct was violative of the statute, Mr. Haddow would not have been before the Court. Indeed, he appeared then and now as a person who meets all of his moral and financial obligations. He is an outstanding husband, father, and community leader.”

    Those of you who now choose some 28 years later to cast stones, without knowing the facts and circumstances of this matter, would likely not do so if you took the time to discuss this issue with me personally. For those who choose to do so, you can call me at 571-294-5978.

    More important, over the past 28 years I have endeavored to live my life as it was described by that Court official: ” . . . as a person who meets all of his moral and financial obligations. He is an outstanding husband, father, and community leader.”

    In that past 28 years, I have served in my community as best I can. I served for about a decade on the Fairfax County Youth Basketball Council (approved every year by a unanimous vote of the Fairfax Board of County Supervisors); served on a variety of HOAs, including for the past 12 years as president of a Prince William County HOA; and have been active in community and church activities.

    It is also true that I am a friend of Pete Candland. I also am a friend to a good many national politicians, all of whom are willing to engage in discourse about one issue or another and are willing to listen to advice. None are bound to take it, but they have the courtesy to listen. I ask nothing more. Those who choose to disagree with Pete Candland on one issue or another are free to do so, but to try to drag him down with the kind of mean-spirited inferences being expressed on this blog in comments is unworthy of all of us. I am grateful for his friendship, and for the strength of character he has personally to accept my circumstance for what it truly is — some 28 years later.

    I have offered this explanation to Moon-Howler in the past, and hoped that would restrain some of the ill will that has been expressed, but obviously I needed to speak out for the purpose of correcting the misstatements and incorrect information being repeated here.

    I reaffirm my commitment to discuss any of these issues personally and you may call me to initiate that discussion.

    1. I am aghast at the reference to mean-spiritedness directed at this blog. What you are basically saying is that no one can criticize Pete for anything. At no time has this blog made personal attacks on Pete. It has all been about policy, at least since he has been elected. We don’t have him wearing tutus nor have I posted things discussed in the past. In fact, just this weekend I have kept a rather damning comment from being posted here.

      Please provide me with an example where we have ridiculed or belittled Candland. We have not. I do not like the direction he is suggesting for the county. I do not feel that he builds coalitions with his other supervisors. Building consensus is really the only way to get things done in a Democracy. That is not mean-spirited.

      Conversely, what I have read recently on other blogs is an attack on Elena for her work on the power lines. Because of my announcement she was no longer part of this blog, all sorts of gossip and conjecture has been written, which I consider very mean-spirited. What I didn’t put in my announcement is that Elena has multiple sclerosis. She is not newly diagnosed. Exhaustion and stress are her enemies and weaken her entire system. Since friends of Pete decided to dredge up her work on immigration (no, she is not ashamed of it.) she was better off concentrating on defending her property and not dealing with this blog. I suggested she drop off, telling her she was not leaving me in a lurch. Shame shame shame on every one of you who has chosen to attack a sick woman who just wants to protect her community!

      Finally, it doesn’t matter what is said to me. People still have their own opinions and I do not micro-manage their comments. Saying something to me isn’t going to take care of community talk. Our conversation never went further. I did hold one back this weekend, as I said. All first time comments are held in moderation. After that, everything goes through unless I mark an address. I did not let this one comment go through and I expect, Mr. Haddow, that you would thank me. Please wish your wife well. Despite my grievances with policy decisions, I will compliment the Supervisor’s office on being responsive, courteous and cooperative. I believe that would be her domain.

      I will continue to look closely at policy, especially that of the Gainesville District. I am a citizen of that district and have been for many decades. I will continue to speak out against things I do not like.

      Right now, I feel like there is a neighborhood brawl going on in my own front yard.

  32. First Time

    Thanks for offering to discuss the issue. I would like to take you up on that offer.

    Your mention of “mean-spirited inferences” made me laugh. Candland and Lawson owe the Sheriff a great deal for his “mean-spirited inferences”. Both have benefitted greatly from his posts. Lawson might owe her victory to the Sheriff’s vicious attacks on Jacobs and Young.

    Not once has Candland, Lawson, or you as a community leader, speak out against the mean spirited attacks the Sheriff routinely made on other candidates who are also outstanding husbands, fathers, and community leaders. The only person who spoke out was Jacobs in defense of Young. That was after the Sheriff savaged Jacobs in the cruelest ways. Why didn’t Candland or Lawson speak up? Why didn’t you, a community leader, speak up?

    You have parsed your words carefully. You don’t have to be the Sheriff to use the Sheriff. He gets information about what goes on in local Government quickly. Are you or your wife, a Candland Staff member, his birdie? Do you or anyone you know write or suggest any of his material?

    Candland and Lawson’s silence during the special election was consent. Will they allow the Sheriff to continue to savage candidates they don’t like or people who don’t agree as the 2015 elections unfold? Will they take the high ground and speak out? Will you, a community leader, speak out?

    Your thoughts?

    1. Perception is reality. I think that says it all.

  33. ElGuapo

    I don’t believe that there is no connection between Candland and the Sheriff. If the Sheriff gives the 2015 crop of candidates that Candland doesn’t like the treatment he gave Scott Jacobs and Eric Young, it is going to be a very long year.

  34. Mac Haddow

    @First Time
    I will be happy to discuss all of this in detail. Again, my phone number is 571-294-5978.

    For the record, I believe you are wrong about Pete Candland not speaking out against outrageous commentary on blogs. You can check it out at the following link:

    http://www.northernvatimes.com/gainesville/article/column-civility-in-politics

    I have no standing as a elected official, nor do my positions in the community provide any platform from which I would have any reason to express any opinion that would be noteworthy to anyone on these blogs and what is written. It is my personal opinion that all of the local blogs have offensive content to one party or another (including content offensive to my own personal values), but I subscribe to the Founding Father’s view about free speech.

    I cannot speak for anyone else on why they remained silent on any issue, pro or con.

    It is not my practice to comment on blogs (other than what is being required here to defend against untrue and uninformed comments). I have not “parsed” my words in any way. I also have the right to express myself as I choose to do so, even if that includes not saying anything.

    You claim the Sheriff gets information about local government quickly. I agree. I suspect there are lots of people feeding information, at least based on the content on a wide variety of issues. It is the way investigative reporters at all levels mine information. That “4th Estate” is a valuable part of our democracy. Whistleblowers and leakers play a significant role in uncovering all sorts of improper behavior in government.

    My wife is not, and would not, be a source of information to anyone outside of her office.

    I will speak out on this, and then invite you to call me to have a real discussion. Eric Young is a personal friend of mine. I was deeply disappointed at the costs for public service that was unfairly extracted from him.

    As to the comment by Moon-Howler that “Perception is reality. I think that says it all.”

    Actually, that is not true.

    The “perception” until this past week was that Brian Williams was a “Walter Cronkite” kind of reporter that America trusted. That “perception” is now obliterated by the truth.

    Perception can be the mask for a lie, and in the case of the accusations against me personally on this blog that is exactly what they are.

    What is the difference between Scott Jacobs and Eric Young (who ran for office voluntarily) being savaged on some anonymous blog and the number of you on this blog doing this to me and my family? How is that defensible?

    If there is any interest in a serious discussion, I will await your call.

    It is my hope that my offer to have personal discussions with any interested party will terminate the attacks against me — and that can happen if Moon-Howler respects that offer and the process where any person can get information directly and the need for attacks will end on this threat.

    1. What people think really becomes their reality, thus the expression “Perception is reality.” In other words, what people believe really rules the day, regardless of degree of truth.

      I am not sure what you are talking about “if Moon-howler respects the offer.” What offer? I am not really involved in this discussion other than remarks made about this blog. Please don’t consider me an interested party. In fact, I am really tired of reading it all and hope everyone goes home and starts their own blog.

  35. @Allen
    Goods and services cost money. Education costs money. More people move into the county bringing with them about 2000 kids.

    I have had my taxes go up more than average also. Other years, not so much.

    I just grow weary of moaning and groaning over taxes out of the people who are most able to afford them.

  36. Allen

    @Moon
    Most people understand that goods and services cost money, and I say most because there appears to be a certain segment that believe government can just create money without consequences.
    People who are ‘moaning and groaning over taxes’ are more in touch with their own financial situations, and may be more in touch with the counties economic realities.
    I’ve asked a couple times now how the economic realities outlined in Candlands presentation are false, but you continue to play the class warfare card and dismiss them because you claim the most hit can afford it.
    Not sure where you get the figure of 2000 more kids since the school board report indicated “significant decreases in current and projected enrollments”. I know it may be difficult for the school board to budget with only a little more than $5,000,000 extra dollars this year than last, but many in the county have seen no increase. What good does a raising house assessment do if you aren’t selling your house?

    1. You expect me to go through someone’s “presentation?” Is that my homework for owning a blog?

      This is not my first rodeo. I don’t play cards.

      About 2000 more kids enroll each year in PWC schools. Enrollment project is not an exact science. One thing you can count on is fewer businesses of any size moving in here if the school system isn’t up to snuff and if all the cultural components of the county are cut out. Same with parks and open space.

      Sorry, soccer and football fields don’t cut it as open space.

      People are not only moaning and groaning over taxes, but they are also bitching and whining. Here is my take. If you live in a half million dollar house your taxes are going to go up about 20 bucks a month on 4% revenue increase. Seriously. Someone living in a half million dollar house is going to whine about an extra 20 bucks?

      How about you telling me the highlights of the Candland presentation and I will address each one. Not in the mood for homework. Plus he has had many presentations. I am not sure which one you are referring to. That’s not a bad thing. Better to reference what you are talking about and for that, I give him thumbs up.

  37. Allen

    Spoke to soon, the “significant decreases in current and projected enrollments” is in the CIP for 2016-
    But my point stands that you would hold the BoC feet to the fire for a 5-year plan that is based off unrealistic numbers, including an increasing school enrollment.

    1. Check out the real numbers. Those are actual numbers, so I don’t see how they can be “unrealistic.”

      Furthermore, the schools have been getting batted around for a decade. You don’t get this kind of overcrowding overnight. Class size has everything to do with not enough teachers for the number of kids. The problem also isn’t just not enough teachers–not enough teaching space is also a problem. Then there is the problem that there isn’t enough planning time for elementary teachers. Shall I go on? The schools need more money.

  38. Watching

    It’s been a sad 3+ years in PWC politics since Pete was elected and The Sheriff began tearing people apart and making them scared to make decisions lest they be skewered. As to the Sheriff’s link to Pete, there was the blog Pete used during the primary and the general election to attack his opponents, which was exactly the same as the Sheriff’s. Don’t think that’s a coincidence. As to his identity? There is only one person in PWC we all know who goes on and on and on and on and on, paragraph after paragraph after paragraph after paragraph, in his prose. What I find amazing is that this person keeps thinking they are hidden somehow. I don’t get that.

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