SCHOOL: Candidates should have ideas

School board candidate Tom Hearn spoke at the Democrat meeting about running for school board and asking for support and donations for his campaign. I asked him if he had any thoughts as to where he would make the cuts to make up the District’s $3 million budget shortfall if he were elected to the board. He side-stepped, saying he did not know, but that he would respect and support the teachers.

Someone in the group thought my question was “too negative” but I thought it was a legitimate question. If he wants support for the school board election then he needs to explain his ideas for dealing with maybe our biggest problem. Three million is not pocket change and to suggest that the problem would be solved by supporting and respecting teachers is naive at best.

I applaud anyone willing to serve on the school board; it is a thankless and exhausting job with no pay, no benefits, and lots of responsibility. But please, at least come with some realistic ideas. Do your homework and give some sound solid answers that we can either support or oppose.

“Support the teachers” is an election slogan, not an answer to a budget crisis. We need to elect someone who has answers based on facts not just a smile on their face and willingness to serve. Mr. Hearn also said that he would have supported an increased levy amount.

MARY JO FINNEY

Coeur d’Alene