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Letters to the Editor

September 21, 2011

LTE - After two defeats, what is the motivation?

Stephen Dale The Duncan Banner

DUNCAN — After two defeats, what is the motivation?

To the Editor:

I read Ms Labyer’s and Mr. Pennington’s comments in the Sept. 15th edition of The Banner that stated, unsurprisingly, she and the Board will continue to push for passage of another school bond proposal — irregardless of the economic situation in Stephens County.

Unfortunately for the vast majority of people in Duncan who are struggling to pay bills, Labyer and Pennington’s views are skewed by the six-figure salaries they enjoy. Neither will be affected by a tax increase; however, that isn’t true for the budget-stressed or heavy percentage of senior citizen’s in Duncan living hand to mouth.

In fact, neither flood, famine, pestilence or death will apparently deter this superintendent and Board from continuing their agenda to press for another bond vote. After two defeats what is their motivation?

Maybe it is just arrogance that sometimes goes hand in hand with wealth. Maybe it is the desire to create a “legacy building project” Ms Labyer can list in her resume when she applies for another job. Possibly, she and the Board are so removed from the realities of the day they care nothing for the taxpayers problems other than burden them indefinitely with additional debt.

The alternate proposal to use a sales tax increase to fund a school bond issue has been mentioned to Labyer and the Board more than once. She is firmly opposed to that concept (used by Oklahoma City); burdening the home and property owners is her mantra.

If Mr. Pennington and the other visionaries really want to solve Duncan’s problems, they need to look no further than improving the economic base and generating more quality jobs in Duncan, not breaking the back of homeowners with more indebtedness.



Stephen Dale

Duncan

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