LEVY: Another chance to do right

In Benewah County, for a residence and 2.5 acres (minus the homeowners exemption), taxes paid to the Plummer/Worley Joint School District (without the taxes for the elementary school bond) comes to a grand total of $6.68. On the same residence and 2.5 acres, the taxes paid to the Benewah County Library District adds up to $23.26. Yes, the taxes for your local library are four times more than for the school.

If this levy had passed, the amount of tax money that goes to the school general fund would have gone from $0.08 to $1.24 per $1,000. For a patch of land valued at $80,000, the taxes paid to the school per year would have been around $92.80. That averages out to $8.30 a month. A tall latte at Starbucks is about $3, and Big Mac is about $4.

The purpose of this letter was to point out the self-centeredness of those who voted against the levy. I understand that not everyone has a child in the school and some might be on fixed incomes and this might have more effect on them. But there comes a point when the future of our community becomes more important than your pocketbook.

I am disappointed in my community, both in those who voted against the levy, and those who didn’t show up to vote. That money is extremely important to the school. It’s not going into an administrator’s paycheck; it was going to help keep teachers in the classrooms and children safe.

Vote in August.

KATHLEEN DAMAN

DeSmet