You put up a site to help with the debate on the bond issue and a place to provide a forum for both sides, and you end up with personal attacks. Is it possible to debate the issue without personal emotion? A debate involves two sides of an issue. Individuals read the responses and they draw their own conclusions. I have read some of the information provided by both sides and both have valid arguments at times. However, the personal attacks being made are uncalled for in either case.
I have noticed the traffic numbers for hits has increased greatly over the past week. Several are viewing the site and not leaving a post. However, they are leaving with an impression...........so keep your posts on the issue of the upcoming bond election. Some are reading for the actual content to aid in their decision making process.
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Well I myself have already viewed this about 30 times, so take 30 off for one person!
If you want people to stop attacking you, you need to stop attacking them on everything they say also!!
I have looked over the information on this web site and I am very upset about the things being said on here. I have been a resident of Camp County almost all my life. I am 58 years of age and live on the lake. My children have gone through this school system and my grand babies are now in the 2nd and 6th grade. I have been to the schools to see plays, assemblies, and meetings. I have seen the things my granddaughters must have to deal with everyday. And for someone to make a web site to call the citizens of Camp County suckers, for him to say our kids don’t care, and calling the Pittsburg Independent School District liars, will not be acceptable. As one person wrote on a rebuttal to this web site, “our kids have had to sacrifice long enough; it is time for us to make sacrifices for them.” This is so true. I do not want my baby to have to eat lunch at 10:00 in the morning. I do not want them to have to walk to out lining buildings in the rain, I do not want her being taught in what was once a broom closet or a hallway. I do not want my baby to be taught in a double wide trailer!! The school district has done all it can to find the space it can. It is now our turn to have to make sacrifices. I live on the lake because I choose to and if I cannot afford the taxes than I will move somewhere in town. Writing this has brought great emotion to me now.
I also took a look at Mr. Roe’s letter to the editor. I happen to know the young man that he keeps striking at. I hope Mr. Roe reads Mr. Boyd’s letter again and sees where does he once mention someone else’s name to make personal attacks at? This shows Mr. Roe’s classless acts by putting his name all over it. Maybe Mr. Roe could learn something from this younger, wisher man. Also in his letter he put the wrong Smith’s name for a committee member. He also said that the web site was Mr. Boyd’s. I have looked over the information on the footprints web site and see it is the committee’s web site, which he is not a part of. Also, Mr. Kenneth Smith is a good friend of mine, and has said he did not say he was going to set up a tour of the schools. I hope Mr. Roe has some apologizes to say to these individuals.
I will being voting yes on May 10th because of my grandchildren for one, but also for all of the other children in the county that maybe don’t have a nice home to come to after school or don’t know what it’s like for others to do something for them. Now is the time we can help every child have the school they ought to have.
for papakin,
I don't see anywhere on this site that the PISD has been called liars. I see that the information presented by the PISD is in conflict with information from other sources which has presented a concern.
"want my baby to be taught in a double wide trailer!!" - I have been to the school I do not see any double wide trailers. I see two buildings that where manufactured by CoMark Industries. CoMark also manufactured several buildings for the hospital in Winnsboro, Texas. One would not know for they have brick on the exterior. This could be done to the buildings on the PISD campus if you and others feel the need to make them look permanent. Make no mistake, they were manufactured as permanent structures. CoMark does quite a few prefab structures for schools. The First National Bank does not seem to have a problem conducting business in a prefab structure. So let's not call these buildings double wides!
As to the web site - Mr. Boyd is clearly listed at the bottom of the page as the copyrighted owner of the site and content. Unless he has changed it since I last viewed the site. No where does it say it is the site for the facilities committee group.
I have read the letter by Mr. Roe and no where in the letter do I see a personal attack. I see that he calls into question some of the information provided by Mr. Boyd.
Sir, it is not the tax payers responsibility to provide a nice home for children. Charity is not the responsibility of tax payers. Charity is a personal matter.
Just talked to one of the building committee members and Mr. Boyd was asked to create the web site from the information they gave him. They picked him because he also does other web sites, like the Athletic Booster Club web site. Also if you would read on the web site at the bottom, which he told me this personally, it stats, "all other" content and artwork is copyrighted... and not copied with out the authorization of the building facilities committee". Maybe if you would read all the information you would find this out. But, as we all see on any issue you post, you pick and choose what you want. So there he is wrong, also he did make personal attacks, glad to see you still like to disagree. Also there is a double wide trailer at the intermediate school, and guess what, if the bond does not pass, thanks to you, you will have to explain to our kids why there will be more! You also need to watch what you say about stuff you don't know anything about, like the bank. They are building a new first national bank because that bank is not working for them at all. Just go ask, I did. And you yourself called the school district liers because you said none of their data is true and that they are trying to discredit the information. It is our job to help every child, thats why your on here complaining, because you don't understand the meaning of caring, giving, or trust.
"double wide trailer at the intermediate school," - these are not double wide trailers, these are manufactured buildings by http://www.comarkbuilding.com
perhaps you should check the site out
No one called anyone a liar. I like you have every right to call into question any numbers put out by PISD, you are anyone else. Especially when three sets of numbers exist concerning PISD.
"Also if you would read on the web site at the bottom, which he told me this personally, it stats, "all other" content and artwork is copyrighted..." - I did read the web site and I am aware the numbers came from the PISD. This does not change the fact under the copyright laws that he has listed himself as the copyrighted owner of the web site and the material posted at the site.
I don't think a compliant has been registed at this site. There are two sides to the issue and each side has every right to make sure the voters have the right information. It will be up to the voters to determine who puts out the right information.
Dreams, Visions and Realities
Over the past ten years, I have observed Social Democracy in action in Camp County. I have observed how small voting blocs have been able to impose the will of small special interest groups on an unorganized and apathetic majority of property owners. I have observed our elected and appointed leaders getting others to rubber-stamp many of their wants. I have observed how those who question the wisdom and conduct of our leaders are ignored, or in some way punished. Over the past ten years, I have learned more and more about the dreams of many of those associated with the PISD, the city and the county. I share many of their dreams.
Some of our dreams include improving academic achievement, improving career preparation, uses of higher level curriculum materials, meeting higher curriculum standards, graduating more students who can qualify to attend top universities, more effective educators, higher salaries for PISD educators, more academically motivated students, more supportive parents and community members and updating academic facilities.
Until the coming of a visionary superintendent and those she attracted, the dreams remained just dreams. This year she unveiled her master plan to address most of the wants of the PISD. It is of little surprise that a school board made up of high-income individuals connected with local businesses or individuals having close ties to tax-dependent entities would agree with her master plan. Such individuals typically write off property taxes and seem little concerned with the plight of more typical property owners.
Now, some of these dreams have become the shared visions of administrators, teachers, most members of the school board, most members of the select facilities committee, and others with special ties to the PISD. Motivated by national, state and local mandates to improve academic achievement, those with shared visions have devised a comprehensive plan that addresses most of the wants of the PISD. Unfortunately, much of the comprehensive plan includes wants that are not needed. Much of the comprehensive plan focuses on improving physical appearances rather than upon improving the quality of education.
Unfortunately, implementing the comprehensive plan of the visionaries will require that property tax payers vote to borrow the maximum amount possible and in effect pledge their properties and the properties of others as collateral. Those who vote for the purchase of school bonds will be voting to raise the property tax rate to a historic high. Those who vote for the school bonds may be voting others into poverty and make the purchase of many homes unaffordable because of the resulting higher property taxes. Those who vote for school bonds may cause economic harm to those wanting to sell their homes by limiting the number of buyers who can afford the resulting higher property taxes.
The great uncertainties in our local, state and national economies are forcing most of us to deal with reality and to consider the likely consequences of assuming any additional debt at this time. There is great concern that even our national leaders may not be able to prevent runaway inflation, the loss in value of our currency and the decline in our home values. I think that a reasonable person will conclude that this is not a good time for higher property taxes.
As many of us try to adjust our budgets for increasing inflation and a lower standard of living, we question the wisdom of those who would add to our burden of debt. We question the wisdom of those who are stampeding us into an early vote without due democratic deliberation.
Only by involving a more representative facilities committee, considering more cost effective solutions to perceived needs and postponing a school bond election, until at least this fall, will confidence in the PISD leadership be restored.
Bob Roe
This is a response from Bob Roe to 3childpittisd. I will try to respond to your questions and remarks in the order of your post.
I retired here because I could afford to do so. I continue to live here because I cannot afford a better place to live. Like many other lake property owners my wife, our dogs and our cats like here. Like many others we are concerned about inflated property taxes. Like many others we are concerned about the quality of education in the PISD. We think that what we support is our business. We resent being locked out and only valued for our tax dollars.
As for my past and current happiness, I am happy at times and unhappy at other times. Do you mean happiness as getting what you want from the world or something more profound? Explain what you mean by happiness and I will try to respond at that level.
Your perception and those you refer to are the same because all of your information comes from talking to the same people. Try to identify the source of your information. Your perceptions are probably being influencing by some emotional people. Consider the possibility that you have misjudged me. Consider the possibility that your information is unreliable. Consider the possibility that your judgment of me is wrong.
I would like to say more positive things about our schools. Arrange a tour for me to sit in on some of the classes being taught. I am sure that I would find a lot of positive things to report. I await an invitation from you and the school administration.
I have tried to help the PISD since I moved here. I have donated science and other materials. I have volunteered my time and tried to make suggestions for improving the quality of the academic and vocational programs.
I was a scientist, a teacher and an inventor. I was a nationally known educator. I have received a number of local, regional and national awards in teaching and in using technology in education. You can check me out on the Internet. Do a google search on Bob Roe Texas Science Teacher Awards and the national chemistry teacher of the year.
I still have an active mind and would like to help solve some of the problems of the PISD by using more brainpower and less taxpayer dollars. There are a number of others in the county who are also willing to help.
Do not consider me negative because I sometimes say things that some do not want to hear. Do not consider me negative because I do not always smile. Do not consider me negative for pointing out warning signs in our economy. Do not consider me negative because I point out some of the problems in our public schools. Do not consider me negative when I question the direction in which some people are being led.
Ask Ms. Pollan, Mr. Jim Richardson, Ms Shelton and others who have talked to me about education if I am negative? What is true is that I have been constructive.
Please recall my support of Mr. Jim Richardson for restoring order in the high school. Also recall my letter to the editor on the need for law and order at the high school before the coming of Mr. Richardson. Please recall my letter to the editor congratulating the PISD on improvements in TAKS scores.
As some evidence of my positive efforts to help the PISD, here is one of my offers to Judy Pollan and Jim Richardson. I have many other records of my attempts to help. I am attaching some background information from a correspondence with Jim Richardson back in December. I sent a copy to Judy Pollan. You probably recall a photo when I made the donation. I have lots of email records documenting my offers to help. I even have a PISD ID badge with a title.
Jim, I still want to help build up a teacher resource library, to be a resource person for your some of your science and math teachers, to help you in using the Video iPod and to provide computers to some of the needy students. At this point, I need some input from you and some of your teachers. If possible, I would like a few student opinions on the courses on the DVDs that I donated in September.
I need to know if the high school courses in math and science would be useful to teachers and students. I had assumed that these courses would be used for teacher enrichment and for self-paced learning associated with meeting curriculum standards. Among the courses that I have donated to date are:
1. Super Star Student
2. Basic Math
3. Algebra 1
4. Algebra 2
5. Geometry
6. Calculus
7. Statistics
8. Joy of Mathematics
9. Biology
10. Chemistry
11. Physics
Some additional courses that I am thinking about donating are Probability, Geology, Astronomy, Particle Physics, Relativity, Superstring Theory, Chemistry of the Brain, Physiology, Behavioral Psychology, Climate of the Earth, Economics, Political History, Music, Shakespeare, Great Western Literature, History of the Middle East, Linguistics, The Civil War, and a few others. See Great Courses on the net for complete titles.
As soon as you get the wiring of the RCA jacks connected to the projector in the library, I will be glad to spend a day or two with individual teachers or small groups of teachers who are interested in using technology in their classrooms.
I will finish up with the donated computers when Anne and I return from our trip to Dubai.
The following is something that I wrote related to using existing and emerging technology. I am also including an attachment. (Please see letter on technology in the Pittsburg Gazette.)
I hope that Lisa or some of the district teachers using iPods and other technology will write some articles and make some presentations at conferences. It would be good PR for them and the district.
Again, I have tried to help the PISD. I have offered 20 internet-ready computers and some useful science equipment to the PISD. I have invited the superintendent, the high school principal and others from the PISD to visit me at my home and to see what I have to offer.
Just because I oppose some of your ideas and visions does not mean that I am negative. It only indicates that I am rational and that I do not jump on emotional bandwagons. I always try to think through the economic and other consequences of our actions. I try to warn others of perceived dangers. See my website and back issues of the Pittsburg Gazette.
As for Mr. Richardson, I am honored to be called his friend. He is a man of courage and understands the democratic process of deliberation. Mr. Richardson is a leader of men. I understand why you and others like you fear him.
As for progress in our town, the spending of taxpayer money on boondoggles that take the attention off of real problems is not progress. Projects that require more taxpayer money to maintain are bad. I hope that parks, new school buildings and athletic facilities all not all that your vision includes?
Please include the rest of us in your plans to spend our taxes.
Did you ask me to try to guess who you are? From you sentence structures and thought patterns, I would say that you are related to a Mr. Smith.
Personally, I think that this nameless correspondence is for physical cowards.
Bob Roe
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