LEVY: Support strong schools

I have lived in Post Falls for more than 30 years. My wife and I are now retired. We have and will continue to vote YES on the Post Falls School District levies. I would like to address three points that no voters make and refute those.

First, property taxes are increasing and some retired persons are fearful of being taxed out of their homes. It is not the school district that is causing that increase. Take a good look at your property tax bill. I did. What we pay for the levy has varied very little over the years.

I believe the district when they say that passing this levy will not raise taxes. They have been saying that for years and it is true. If the levy fails, you will see a drop in your property tax — but at what cost? The children of Post Falls will suffer. They are not responsible for the tax increases.

Another argument for voting no centers around test scores and the suggestion that the schools are simply not doing a good job. For 26 years, I was a professor at North Idaho College. There I met thousands of students, many from Post Falls. The vast majority of them were well prepared for college. Schools are not failing. Don’t buy into that myth.

I have also heard it said that retired people ought to be excused from school taxes. When our children were in school, retired members of this community paid taxes and supported the school. Our community as a whole benefits when we have a well-educated workforce. Our democracy depends on educated citizens.

Vote YES on May 18.

PATRICK LIPPERT

Post Falls