SCHOOL LEVY: What we learned

The school levy failed and we learned a couple of things. First, seniors 65-plus are tired of paying school taxes. They have paid for their children and grandchildren and now they are done. Their income years are behind them and are on a fixed budget now. Time for other new parents to start paying. Other places in the country exempt seniors, why not us?

Second, many people are questioning why now? Anyone who has a home knows you have to do regular maintenance to keep your place up, why were the schools allowed to get into such disrepair? If there was no money in the school budgets, then maybe this is something to take up with the legislatures or local politicians. I do not understand how you can have a school budget and not include regular maintenance in it.

Today’s editorial talked about an excess budget of $2 billion that Idaho has. I know it’s too simple to say, but problem solved right there.

No, instead of asking taxpayers for more money, the problem lies at the top, Idaho Legislature controls the purse strings. They can enact new bills to put maintenance into budgets. I don’t pretend to know how to do this stuff, but you do, that’s why we elected you to these lofty positions.

GEORGE SILVA

Coeur d’Alene