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The Conservative Reader:
Iowa

Get Out And Vote!  These Elections Are Vital!

Get Out And Vote! These Elections Are Vital!

school childrenIt’s another School Board Election day here in Iowa! Traditionally, School Board Elections are one of the voter lowest turnout elections, which is sad for at least these reasons:

  1. Every election represents a critical right and responsibility for us as citizens to speak our minds. Elections are our opportunity to support or oppose people running for office and their key value points, as well as proposals that general impact our rights or our money. The more of us that participate, the more likely it is that the election and the policies that result will most fully reflect the will of all of the people.
  2. School Boards, although considered by many in the political world to be a lower value and of lesser importance due to the realm of influence and non-partisan nature of these elections.  However, SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTIONS YOU WILL PARTICIPATE IN!  Did I shout that loud enough?  It is the School Boards, and not President Obama’s “Go Make Me Proud” speech that will exert significant influence over our children and help form the next generation.  I am a strong advocate for the role of parents in raising their children, but the schools have the attention of our kids for 15,000+ hours over 13 years.

I don’t think there is anything more important than the effective forming of future generations, and the Public Schools have a heavy hand in that.  Let’s make sure that we have the right hands in that formation.

Full disclosure: My wife and I do not have children, although our niece spent a year living with us when she was 15.  We have 13 nieces and nephews and 2 great-nieces, and many friends with children.  Despite the face that we don’t have children of our own, we share in the desire to see future generations prosper.

So, please, get out there and vote!!!

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Some of you may live in communities such as ours (West Des Moines) where there is an item on the ballot regarding the continuation of an existing levy to cover some of the physical aspects of the school system (referred to in some places as Power Plant and Equipment Levy, or PPEL).  Typically, these levies cover:

  • Building repairs, renovations, additions, and safety improvements
  • Purchase of computer systems and other educational technology
  • Purchase of school buses

These levies do NOT cover salaries, textbooks, or curriculum programming.   They are NOT a new tax.  Unless the existing levy is severely onerous, you should vote to continue the levy in your district, as I will here in West Des Moines.

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Lastly, if you live in West Des Moines, and want to see conservative values in your School Board both from a policy standpoint and from a fiscal management standpoint, you should vote for Mark Lagomarcino.  I met him recently at a fund-raising event and was impressed with his speech and the way he answered questions.

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