Ladies and Gentlemen
Let me make something very clear for the record. As a citizen is this community all of my life under no circumstance am I stating that the Carnegie Library should not be restored. I am going to comment on the financial affordability factors and let you be the JUDGE!
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2009
CARNEGIE LIBRARY RESTORATION #3.58 MILLION
Tomorrow February 3rd, 2009 Voters decide on School Districts Carnegie Library renovation. I would like to discuss a few topics of interest. Please explain to me what is a Win-Win when we are spending $3.58 million dollars. These are tax payers dollars and effort should be made to take a Total Quality Management approach in spending especially when our nation is facing such a financial break down. Ladies and Gentlemen there is no such thing as Win-Win when you are spending Taxpayers hard earned dollars.
CAPITAL PROJECT PROPOSITIONS
DECEMBER 2003 $4,588.000
Previously the taxpayers on December 9Th, 2003 went to the polls to support the Health and Safety Capital Project with a reassurance it will have NO TAX IMPACT in the amount of $4,588.00. Project cost to bond was $4,588.00 15 year bond at 4.5% int rest was $1,978.133. total cost with interest $6,566.133. I suggest that the tax payers ask important questions: Did we receive the State Aid calculated in the amount of $4,404.000 and did we have an operational cost savings of $125,000 in telephone bills with the new system that was installed as a result of voter approval for the bond. The taxpayers were guaranteed that there was NO COST to the taxpayers for this project. On December 9Th, 2003 the voters in the Kingston City School District approved this spending plan.
KINGSTON CITY SCHOOL DISTRICTS
PROPOSED CAPITAL PROJECT 2005 $181.000
The proposed Capital Project is a comprehensive building plan to improve the educational resources, address overcrowded and unsafe conditions and rectify longstanding building infrastructure challenges. The centerpiece of the project was building a new High School. Initial cost $290 Million and then revised BASED ON A RECOMMENDATION BY THE SUPERINTENDENT to a cost f $181 Million and the Board of Education accepted this revised cost to build the new High School. Of course this Capital Project never went before the voters because quite frankly we could not afford this proposition. The Board of Education did approve to spend a significant amount in the non-refundable binder amount of $75.000 on the Chambers Farm Site.
Why are these issues of grave importance. The most important component is that our children enter their school each day in a safe and educational environment. We must recognize the importance of maintaining our current school buildings which was estimated by the Buildings Conditions Survey back in 2001 to cost in excess of ONE MILLION dollars to bring our current buildings up to the Building Condition Survey compliance standards.
The Carnegie has been neglected for over thirty years and for this I am saddened. It is a magnificent building with an exceptional amount of history and beauty. Reality is apart of this process and the BOTTOM LINE is can we afford this expense. The voters will decide this tomorrow February3, 2009.
5 comments:
Jean,
News Flash !!!! You were on the board during the times you are talking about in your article. Why don't you have the answers? The bottom line is you have no idea what your talking about..... as the BOARD PRESIDENT at the time you were not re-elected. Stop crying and show up to a board meeting....by doing that you would be informed and stop making comments that are pure fantasy...
NEWS FLASH: In response to Anonymous 12:57 PM: How ignorant can you be to even draft this post.
I definitely was not on the Board of Education when the Capital Project was proposed in December 2003. I ended my term on the Board of Education in June 2002. At the time my term ended I was the Board of Education President. One thing you can be sure of, when I served on the Board of Education I worked on behalf of the community at large. I am not crying I am presenting the public with the true facts. The figures I presented today are the facts. I can assure you of that. If you care to challenge me, feel free to do so. I am up for the challenge!!!!!
Jean Jacobs
Former Board of Education President
Kingston City School District
To the anonymous poster....you sound like a current board member who does not understand that the facts Ms. Jacobs state are taken from paperwork and proposals from the Kingston School District. The only problem in Kingston is that no one EVER REMEMBERS those old proposals to see that the wheel just keeps turning around, over and over....and the money keeps getting spent on one proposal /project/study after the other.....the public doesn't remember....but those who care to do their homework can easily look up the information and see what Ms. Jacobs states is factual.
Be assured 12:57 PM that Ms. Jacobs knows what she is talking about. Do not question her wealth of knowledge. Knowledge is power. And people need to be informed, hear the truth and not sold a bill of goods that will cost them more money. Sit up and take notice. You may learn something. Vote No on Tuesday.
I wish I was a current member of the board... but I did stay at a holiday inn express last night... oh yeah Jean since you like using titles so much, add FORMER City Chairman to your list as well....
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