After reading the e-mails in your column and seeing the signs popping up in favor of the referendum I felt compelled to put my two cents in. This consolidation was ill conceived from day one! I placed a letter to the editor in the �Minonk News Dispatch� prior to the original consolidation and stated that this plan had tax increase written all over it!! Well guess what? Since this consolidation my taxes have almost tripled!! When is enough enough??? When the original consolidation was conceived Toluca was in the red and so was Wenona. We consolidated but did nothing to truly consolidate. All the buildings are still operating. Why do we still have (2) junior highs?? It seems that a true consolidation would have been just that, one school open in each town. The people responsible for this consolidation knew it would be political suicide to do that so they basically left everything status quo. Now instead of making the tough decisions they want everyone to open their wallets yet again!! I for one say it is time to send a clear message by voting NO. The people pushing this consolidation are attempting to lay a guilt trip on people by saying �It�s for the children�. Unfortunately they are the pawns in this whole mess. Raising taxes every year is just going to drive more people from the district causing higher taxes! Who wants to live in a district with taxes that are spiraling out of control? Our son lives in a brand new home in a new subdivision in Springfield and his taxes are less than ours!! What does Minonk have to offer to justify these high taxes? Last time I looked I don�t think we had anything close to what Springfield has to offer. How do they expect people on fixed incomes to be able to live in their own homes? They say �it�s only a small increase�, but that is on top of an already huge increase that comes every year. There has to be a better way!! Last time I looked I didn�t have a money tree to keep supporting these ridiculous increases and I doubt if anyone else does either!

I am pleased that you are providing a forum for people to speak their thoughts on the upcoming referendum. However, I feel compelled to set the record straight.

Most households have a budget or at least they should have one. Budgets are estimates of revenues and expenditures for operating the home for a fixed period of time. All things being equal and living in a perfect world, a person would be able to nail down every bit of income (revenue) and cost (expense). However, the world is not perfect. Grandma fell down and broke her hip and the health insurance will only cover a portion of her rehabilitation. In the meantime the hospital and extended care bill have to be paid. No problem, the family has a rainy day account (savings) which they can draw upon. Just when Grandma is on the mend, the car breaks down and is in need of serious repairs totaling nearly $1000. Once again, the head of the household goes to the rainy day account but finds that only $300 dollars remain for this emergency.

The point I am trying to make is that unexpected expenses (costs) occur. For instance, the state of Illinois mandates that Fieldcrest provide special education services out of district if the school cannot provide those services cost effectively in house. Then there are the myriad of insurance costs that all school (workers compensation, property and casualty, health) systems have to contend with. And by the way, the illustrious Bush Administration is now saddling all school districts in the United States to pick up the majority of the compliance costs of the No Child Left Behind Act. The Board of Education could refuse to comply, but then Fieldcrest would lose what little federal funding they receive to try to comply. Or worse yet, be hit with a federal lawsuit.

What some of the misinformed writers to your forum are asking is to break the law by refusing to educate children with special needs, refuse to pay escalating insurance costs, refuse to comply with the mountains of mandates and so on. Also, how can one cut insurance expenses short of dropping coverage. Try this one on for size. How about turning down the thermostats to 60 degrees in all buildings to save money in the Building Fund?

The facts are plain as the nose on one's face, Fieldcrest is a RURAL consolidated school district without a broad tax base. Despite the talk about contracting out for transportation or custodial help, the facts are that these measures have been explored and were found to be not as cost effective as one would have hoped.

The tax increase is for the Education Fund. The Transportation Fund is healthy and believe it or not MAKING MONEY!. However, we can't rob peter to pay paul by draining the Transportation Fund. Legislation mandates which funds one can use to fund various programs or projects. Special education costs are now 13.1% of the Education Fund budget. A very, small portion of the total cost is reimbursable.

Sorry, but there are no free lunches. I implore those that are still doubting Thomas' to start to religiously attend school Board meetings on a consistent basis to learn the ins and outs of public school finance. It isn't pretty. Better yet, if anyone has a better idea on how to finance public education cost effectively without exceeding the budget, then pick up a school Board petition and run for the Board. Sharp minds are always appreciated. The Citizens of our communities have to decide what kind of school system they are willing to accept. And which opportunities they want their children to have. It is a tough choice.

Gotta go now, 'cause I don't want to miss the bus to take me to work until my car gets out of the shop, but first I have to stop by the bank to borrow some money to pay the mechanic and Grandma's home care. Darn it, why don't these politicians get off their rear ends and fix this education thing?

Yours for better schools,

One point I would like to make is that after the failed referendum in 2003, the board's need to generate money resulted in the issuing of $750,000 in working cash bonds. Fieldcrest taxpayers have already seen this increase on their tax bills. The bonds issued will be paid in full in 2006, resulting in a tax decrease, as long as no further bonding is necessary. If this referendum would fail, the board could have no other choice but to issue additional working cash bonds.

In regards to my own family, and others I have spoke with, we have paid more in activity, lab and extracurricular fees this school year than we would have paid in tax dollars had the first referendum passed. Yes, it is my choice to allow my children to participate in these activities because I strongly believe the discipline and dedication instilled in them through these programs remains with them throughout their lives outside of the classroom.

I have always been a strong supporter of our school district, but on occasion have caught myself saying "Why can't they do this?" or "Why didn't they do that?" I think most of us would agree with the saying "hindsight is always 20/20". Let's leave our baggage at the door and work together to get through these tough times. Whatever your reason may be to vote "no" or not vote at all, please think of the negative effect that vote will have on our communities. A good school system will not only keep families in our town, but attract new families who will keep our small communities thriving. But, more importantly, think about the effect a "no" vote will have on the children of Fieldcrest who are defenseless in the midst of this financial turmoil.

Please vote "yes" November 2nd for the children of Fieldcrest!!

Thank-you,

There is an easy way to keep spyware and adware off your computer.

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Enjoyed your story on turning over the pavilion to the city. Job well done, my friend. Also, I read your editorial on technical tune-up. I've been using Spybot for about a year now, and it's a great program. However, there's one item it can't get rid of. It's named DSO Exploit. Ever hear of it? I've talked to several folks who have the same problem. I'm running Windows 2000, and from what I understand is that there is a "hole" in this operating system that Microsoft can't seem to patch. All other spyware I pick up is destroyed by Spybot, expect this one. I "immunize" once a week. Also I check the updates as well. I just thought that you might have some ideas on how to get rid of it. It seems like you have to be on guard more and more these days, like you mentioned in your piece. Well, take care and I hope all is with you and yours.

Art Kettelhut

1. " Fieldcrest has been deficit spending since 1997 "
2. "due to declining farmland values, most school districts in Illinois are being underfunded"

1. Dave, if the average person were to deficit spend on their household budget they don't have the luxury of just going to work and asking their boss for a raise to cover the spending. They have to live within their budget. Why should the school district be any different? They have been deficit spending since 1997 and they want the taxpayers to cover the expenses for them. The cuts they have made are too late. They should have been made long ago.

2. They say the farmland values are declining and then they want to turn around and tax the farmers land more. I'm glad that I'm not a farmer.

I think Dave Stokowski pretty much summed it up in his letter on the last referendum.

Your vote is important, it is imperative, it really does count!

In 1992, a candidate for State Representative won over the incumbent by only 8 votes, with tens of thousands cast. A few years later, a candidate for State Representative in the Champaign area won the General Election by only 16 votes and an incumbent Legislator in the South Suburbs lost by 33. In the 1980's, Jim Thompson won re-election to Governor by less that one vote per precinct in all of Illinois.

It is easy to think that such and so candidate will win without your vote, or that your one vote won't make the difference on who resides in the White House. NOT!!! The examples I gave you are actual people, people whom I personally know. Elections are for real and they are won, or lost, one vote at a time. The few hundred ballots in Florida, literally, determined the outcome of who would be the Leader of the Free World.

I know, everyone is busy; getting the kids to school in the morning, seeing grandma in the nursing home, scolding the puppy that just soaked the carpet, or being overloaded at work. But, if only a few more cousins, church friends, college buddies or neighbors would have voted in the elections I spoke, the results would, verifiably, have been different.

If you know someone that will be out of town or unable to personally go to the polls on Election Day, help them get an absentee ballot. On November 2, you and all you can reach must vote, the future of America will be determined that day.

God bless America.

State Senator Dan Rutherford
53rd District

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