Mary Souza’s Newsletter
I’m back after a busy summer, full of important family events. My husband and I then had a chance to get away for awhile, returning last week to the news of bubbling anger from some of the Anti-Recall group, only this time they’ve targeted the CdA school board with their name-calling and vitriol.
We’ll cover that topic later in this newsletter, which is a double edition, and I’ll share my remarks to the school board at the standing-room-only, tense public meeting last Monday night.
But first let me address those of you who are voting early, either by mail-in absentee ballot or in person at the Elections Office. Please be aware of the North Idaho College Trustee posititons on the ballot. We need new people in these seats! This is an important election for the people of Kootenai County because a big portion of NIC is paid by the taxpayers of our county.
The students at NIC pay for about 1/4 of the cost of their classes. The State of Idaho pays for about 1/2, and the taxpayers of Kootenai County pick up the remaining 1/4.
Our portion used to be fairly small but the tax burden from NIC has grown rapidly in the past few years because of the work on the Education Corridor, which is only in its beginning stages; there’s much more to come.
Remember when the NIC Board of Trustees decided to take foregone taxes? (If you are not sure what “foregone taxes” are, you’re not alone…many people don’t know. Please check the end of this newsletter for an explanation.) NIC added more than $2 million extra dollars to our tax burden by taking foregone taxes several years ago when they were trying to buy the $10 million dollar piece of property near the wastewater treatment plant without doing the right thing by going to the voters with a bond election.
As it turned out, they still didn’t have enough money, so they had to try a crazy, almost certainly illegal, financial maneuver involving the NIC Foundation, which is a private organization, which then borrowed millions of dollars from Mt. West Bank, where NIC Trustee Judy Meyer’s husband is an owner of the bank’s parent company and bank board member. It was entirely improper and convoluted. I asked Trustee Mic Armon why they just didn’t put the land purchase to a public vote? His answer was that they were told it wouldn’t pass.
And there you go. The voters & taxpayers were circumvented again. And the intent of the Idaho constitution, where it says taxing entities must ask a judge or the voters before spending public money for anything beyond their one year budget that is not an “ordinary and necessary” expense–that was circumvented as well.
Mic Armon and Judy Meyer are up for re-election right now. And one other NIC Trustee is retiring, so there’s an empty seat to be filled. We need to elect three new, honest, capable, responsible people to these positions.
And we are very lucky to have three candidates that I know are great. Please let me tell you briefly about Paul Matthews, Todd Banducci and Ron Nilson, pictured left to right above:
Paul Matthews is an architect and small businessman. His wife, Shelly, is principal at the Lutheran school on Ramsey and Kathleen. Paul is highly respected by his peers and is considered an extremely honest man of integrity. When I met Paul, I was impressed with his intelligence but also his warm and welcoming demeanor; he is very likable. You can read more about Paul at www.facebook.com/matthewsfortrustee or you can read the candidate profile in the Press by clicking here: http://www.cdapress.com/news/political/article_3fb2a22c-08d0-11e2-a5e0-001a4bcf887a.html
Todd Banducci is an investment and insurance professional; he’s a numbers guy, but with great integrity as well. He’s energetic, outgoing and communicates very well . Todd is a graduate of the Air Force Academy and is a decorated military veteran. I know Todd and his wife Babette, and he would be a wonderful, trustworthy presence on the NIC Board. You can read more about Todd at www.facebook.com/banduccifortrustee or you can read his candidate profile in the Press by clicking here: http://www.cdapress.com/news/political/article_f060f32e-08cd-11e2-8c03-001a4bcf887a.html
Ron Nilson has been a friend for years. He is CEO of Ground Force Manufacturing, which just underwent a major expansion this past summer. Ron was also the major force behind the KTEC skills based high school now shared by our three area school districts. He is passionate about having a variety of educational opportunities available to our students, but I can’t imagine Ron in a tough decision where he wouldn’t do the right thing for the taxpayers & voters…his wife Pam would never let him back in the house! You can read more about Ron at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ron-Nilson-for-NIC or in the candidate profile in the Press, just click here: http://www.cdapress.com/news/political/article_801d2de8-0bf8-11e2-bc46-001a4bcf887a.html
Please tell all your family and friends about these three great men, willing to stand up for what’s right and represent us on the NIC Board of Trustees.
(PS–Dean Haagenson is running against Ron Nilson for the vacant seat on the board. Dean says he is a Republican and he was involved in the KTEC effort as well, but he is not a person who would ever get my vote. Enough said.)
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Now onto the current hot controversy in our local school district 271. As many of you know, the CdA school board eliminated the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at the high school level last year. They said it was too expensive and was not showing enough benefit for the students, especially in their ability to get college credits for their IB scores. The elementary part of the IB program is called the Primary Years Program (PYP), and is only used at Hayden Meadows school. Some supporters want to hold onto the PYP program because they think it is a good way to “mold the character” of the children. Those wanting to replace the program generally think schools are for academics and values formation should be left to the parents.
The showdown finally came last Monday night at a meeting of the school board. But in the weeks running up to the meeting, blog comments and newspaper editorials were flying. School board Chairman Tom Hamilton, and his family, as well as all the school board members to a lesser extent, were raked over the coals by the pro-PYP activists, including several Anti Recall folks, accusing the board of untrue extremist views. It got to the point that Tom and his wife had to transfer their daughter from Hayden Meadows to Dalton elementary because of mean and biased teacher comments! Those opposing the PYP program are depicted as stupid, narrow-minded and intolerant. And even at Monday night’s meeting, one commenter referenced the Aryan Nations reputation of Hayden, seemingly suggesting those against PYP are like white supremacists.
The room Monday night was packed to the walls, all the way out the foyer and chairs were even on the outside porch landing. I arrived an hour early and took a seat toward the back. The Press reported that there were 31 citizens who spoke. I was number 8. But before my turn, Thomas Carter from the Human Rights Institute spoke at #2. He was memorable because of his blatant and bold call for the schools to shape the beliefs and value systems of the children. He’s a big supporter of PYP said it’s the only way to teach students a more tolerant world view.
Indoctrination is a real concern of many opposing PYP. The whole IB program is openly connected with the United Nations and organizations promoting a clearly socialistic world view. Their programs reflect those values which are integrated into many of their lessons.
IB does not try to hide this part of their agenda. Much research has been done on this program by many in our district who are now coming forward to share their concerns and information. One of those is Dr. Gene Malvino, PhD, a retired professor of International Business, who has taught all over the world. Gene spoke at the meeting Monday night and described the extensive research he has done on the topic of IB / PYP. He detailed some of his deep concerns about the program and reported that he has personally visited the IBO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, talked with their advisers and completed an in-depth review of the curriculum. He gave specific reasons that the PYP program should be removed and replaced at Hayden Meadows.
I asked for a copy of his remarks to the board, and when he sends them to me, I will pass them on to you.
Dr. Malvino told me that he has shared hundreds of pages of information about IB / PYP with the school board members. Trustee Terri Seymore told me she and the other Trustees have done a tremendous amount of research on the topic as well. But the Press, which already tipped its hand with Editor Mike Patrick’s alarmingly slanted editorial on the 9/23, continued its effort, in Tuesday’s article, to paint the school board as uninformed. That’s completely off base.
My comments to the board were from a totally different angle. I was standing up as the Mom of four students who went all the way through the CdA school system, before any IB or PYP programs were in place. I told the board about the successes of our children and that there are many other CdA students who have done well and accomplished high goals with the education they received here. They are well-rounded, well traveled, kind, caring, tolerant, responsible citizens of this country and the world. The academics were provided by the schools and the values and beliefs were left to us, the parents. As it should be.
So it was good that the school board took action Monday night and voted to remove the PYP program from Hayden Meadows, starting next Fall, and replace it with a challenging academic curriculum. Please thank them for their clear thinking and strong backbones.
As a sidenote, some Anti-Public-Vote on McEuen and Anti-Recall-Vote people were demanding a survey of only the parents of Hayden Meadows to determine the outcome of this controversy. They suddenly think the public should have a voice! But they can’t seem to see the difference between the school board doing its ordinary and necessary job to determine the curriculum at one elementary school, and the city refusing to allow a vote on $40 million to make a park into a park or NIC rejecting a public vote for the $10 million land purchase.
Please remember to VOTE for the NIC Trustee candidates Paul Matthews, Todd Banducci and Ron Nilson. The controversy over PYP is just one indicator showing the importance of school board positions, whether at the local or college level. It’s time to take action….and we all know that every single vote counts!
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Foregone Taxes: Taxing entities in our state are limited, by law, to increasing their taxes by a maximum of 3% each year. If they don’t take the full 3% increase–let’s say they only take a 2% increase–the remaining, imaginary 1% goes on a ledger somewhere as money that they didn’t make us pay right then, but it’s money they can come back and demand we pay at any time in the future. And the imaginary foregone totals continue to accumulate year after year, each time they don’t take the full 3%. It never expires. Here’s how Gary Houde, senior research analyst with the Idaho State Tax Commission explained it in the Magic Valley’s Times-News, July 31, 2012:
“A foregone balance is the difference between what taxing districts are allowed to levy and what they actually levy.”
Before accepting as fact that the incumbent NIC Trustees are worthy of the public’s trust and confidence as NIC Trustees and that their “service” in that position is and has been purely altruistic, prospective voters might want to read my September 2009 post titled Will History Repeat?. Some of the hyperlinks in that post may no longer work, however.
Comment by Bill — October 3, 2012 @ 1:23 pm
having known Todd for over 25 years(yes and babbette)you could not have endorsed someone any worse! he has proven to be a hothead and someone who does not play well with others. just because he is a ‘numbers’ guy doesn’t make him a candidate-hell i have a dental pick in my toolbox that doesn’t make me a dentist! if you graduate from any academy means nothing-you have to graduate from a UNIVERSITY to get a degree. if this is any indication of your RINGING endorsements-i’ll pass.
Comment by murphyk — October 3, 2012 @ 9:20 pm
So, Murphyk, did you give your time to our country in the military? Did you go to the Air Force Academy with Todd, or do you have a UNIVERSITY degree?
I’m guessing it’s the university thing (with all capitol letters) that you have to put behind your name. I do too. In fact I have a Master’s Degree too. That does not make me more important than someone who put their life on the line for our country. Get off your high horse, sir.
What I’m looking for in a representative on the NIC board is someone who is good, honest, who is not beholden to power brokers, understands money and who will stand up for the needs of the students and the taxpayers. Todd fits the bill. My bet is that you don’t.
Comment by mary — October 3, 2012 @ 10:24 pm
I have only met Todd once, years ago. At that time he did seem to be a person who was not likely to play well with others. Maybe that is why I was favorably impressed with him? I don’t think that it is categorically a bad characteristic for a leader to not play well with others. Who the ‘others’ are must be defined. We need more leaders that draw followers to them because of their ideas and drive, and less playmates whose actions are dictated solely by a desire to please, and gain approval from, the clique they want to belong to.
Comment by up river — October 4, 2012 @ 8:53 am
Ahem…..graduating from the Air Force Academy IS a university degree. Why do you think you see the Air Force, Army, and Navy playing in Division 1 NCAA college football games ?
Comment by Randy_Myers — October 4, 2012 @ 10:46 am
I would be careful using “university degree” and “division 1 NCAA football” in the same sentence. With the percentage of players actually receiving an education, not to be confused with an degree, I would think it is more aligned with a pro football minor league training ground. Surely a university degree is more than that, but sometimes I wonder.
Comment by Ancientemplar — October 4, 2012 @ 12:08 pm
The Air Force Academy is an accredited four-year university offering Bachelor’s degrees in a variety of subjects.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Air_Force_Academy
Comment by up river — October 4, 2012 @ 1:02 pm
Thanks, Randy & Up River, for pointing out what I didn’t think of: That the Air Force Academy IS a university. “Murphyk” was not only full of himself (or herself) but he was wrong about degrees. College degrees can come from either accredited colleges or universities.
You’re right, Up River, that Todd Banducci is not a guy who will be pushed around by special interests (the local power grid). We need more of that attitude around here. And that makes him all the better as a representative for the students and taxpayers.
Comment by mary — October 4, 2012 @ 2:49 pm
I look forward to having someone on the NIC board who holds their own leash.
Comment by Dan — October 4, 2012 @ 3:51 pm
Well said Dan, I like the imagery.
Comment by mary — October 4, 2012 @ 5:29 pm
oh MARY-i don’t mind poking the hornets nest-especially if you think outside of the QUEENS view. explain to me why Todd has been excluded from participating in both softball and basketball in his own church league if he knows how to play well with others. ask any of the teachers his kids have had if he would make a good steward of education. glad handing and back slapping at your good old boys sessions gives you no idea who this person is. the view is is always clear when seen out of ones backside!
Comment by murphyk — October 4, 2012 @ 10:47 pm
Murpyk, you say “the view is is always clear when seen out of ones backside”, which I assume you learned from personal experience, so perhaps you should stop viewing the world that way and focus on the NIC issues that impact our community. Do you think it was right and proper for NIC to bypass the voters and ignore the intent of our state constitution when they bought the $10 million Ed Corridor property?
What about the appraisal on that land? Was it right for them to not put the appraisal out to bid, but instead hire an appraiser that is & was a business partner with one of the NIC Trustees, Judy Meyer, and her husband? Do you see any conflict or impropriety there?
There are so many other key questions, but let’s just start with those.
Comment by mary — October 5, 2012 @ 8:40 am
Where is MurphyK?
Comment by mary — October 5, 2012 @ 7:07 pm
well mary i work for a living-live north of appleway and east of costco. just middle income white trash. lived in the same house for over 25 years and the same wife for 26. active in our community on a volunteer basis and a concerned citizen non the less. will not be bullyed face to face and even less on a blog like this. i know by coming in here and by offering a different opinion that the piranahas that lurk here will voice their opinions. it’s interesting that my comment on one person/subject turns into a different conversation altogether. so much for staying on subject. my comment was about your endorsing todd banducci as nic trustee and nothing more. mary- don’t worry about WHERE IS MURPHYK?
Comment by murphyk — October 5, 2012 @ 11:32 pm
The whining doesn’t work here Murphyk, you haven’t been bullied at all. You came on here making some highly negative personal comments about someone running for the NIC Trustee position, but you haven’t shown any understanding of the NIC board’s history or problems. You haven’t answered the important basic questions I posed, referring to the NIC board’s actions.
If you don’t know about the board and what they’ve been doing, your assessment of candidate effectiveness is not worth consideration.
Comment by mary — October 6, 2012 @ 7:58 am
As a business owner I sometimes have to be tough for the good of the business, for without the business no one would have a job.
I will ALWAYS vote for someone that is willing to ask the tough questions and not fall into the “good ole boy” mentality.
murphyk, I agree with Mary. It WAS the trustees responsibility to question the land deal cost, appraisal, etc.
I trust the endorsements/recommendations by those here on opencda than any other.
Comment by concerned citizen — October 6, 2012 @ 8:22 am
cc-I would suggest an alternative to your last post. I would suggest that the trustees did question the land deal, that the trustees were told and thus knew it was wrong, that as noted in post 1 above it appears that they well knew the project would not pass a vote, and that they thus intentionally proceeded with it anyway because gubbermit is omniscient.
I also suggest that Murphyk’s comment about taking him to task personally is correct. Individuals running for public office have to expect all sorts of personal challenges directed at them. Whether the challenges are true or false, is what should be discussed by persons posting on a site such as this. Postings should be challenged by facts, not personal challenges. I suggest that such a policy will encourage more people to post.
While I agree with cc’s trust of the endorsements/recommendations of opencda, I don’t agree with personal challenges being directed at persons who post comments here. Leave the personal challenges to be directed at the politicians. Respond with facts, not challenges to posters. An open discussion of facts will clear the air and establishing the truth or falsity of the challenge made by a poster.
Comment by up river — October 6, 2012 @ 6:26 pm
I’ll consider your recommendation, Up River. So MurphyK came on here and delivered a personal attack against a candidate, citing the untrue claim that because Todd Banducci attended the Air Force Academy, he did not have a UNIVERSITY (MurphyK’s emphasis, not mine) degree and thereby he implied he’s not material for the NIC Board. MurphyK exibited no knowledge of NIC, it’s operations or history. He gave no facts to back up his erroneous position that a UNIVERSITY degree is necessary (though we later find that Todd does have one).
How do you think I could have better handled that situation, Up River?…and I’m not being sarcastic, I honestly would like to know from you or any of our participants.
Comment by mary — October 6, 2012 @ 6:39 pm
As Sgt Joe Friday used to say, “Just the facts”. Let the readers decide if MurphyK is a substantial number of degree off plumb. Encourage discussion. The truth will come out. Just a suggestion. Its your website to do with as you wish. I just personally look forward to the information posted and comments posted here because the brand x site is nothing but rhetorical name calling and baloney and I certainly don’t expect any ‘news’ or unbiased information from the Cda Press.
Comment by up river — October 7, 2012 @ 9:57 am
Thanks Mary, I’d already made up my mind to vote for Todd, Paul and Ron before reading your newsletter. Mainly because they are NOT the incumbents. And I’ll write in someones name against ed morse in that race. Might even vote for Dan English. I haven’t voted for a Dem. in a long time. Dan might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I don’t think he is unethical. Which is more than I can say for ol’ $588,000 an acre morse. Very disappointing he is the GOP choice for hart’s seat.
Comment by Will Penny — October 10, 2012 @ 5:29 am
Will Penny’s post raises a thought. It seems to me that Morris ‘runs’ in the same group of ‘usual suspects’ that would tend to actually support English. Perhaps Morris was ‘put’ into the race in the effort to oust Hart, and then to let English take the general election. I haven’t seen any effort put forth by Morris for the general yet but, being up river, that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. It will be interesting as the election draws closer to see what effort, if any, Morris puts forth. If he puts forth little to no effort, then it would seem more likely that many other Rs will vote for English too, as WP suggests he might do, and if there was such a plan it will have worked. Time will tell.
Comment by up river — October 10, 2012 @ 2:42 pm
Will Penny,
Like you, I wouldn’t vote for Morse if he was in my legislative district, but under no circumstances would I ever vote for or allow Dan English to hold any position of public trust and responsibility again. An elected official whose duties have been specified by law but who regularly ignored the law in appearing to perform those duties is unsuitable for any position in government. I’m disappointed that both the Republican and Democrat parties couldn’t find better candidates for Legislative District 2, State Representative Seat B. But maybe both parties got exactly the quality of nominee they wanted.
Comment by Bill — October 11, 2012 @ 6:40 am
Mary,
I was not serious about possibly voting for Dan English, just trying to illustrate my dissatisfaction of the GOP backing ol’ $588,000 an acre morse. Dan lost a lot of weight and his new photo looks like his head shot for a role in “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest”. I guess he’s a nice enough guy, but not fit for public office.
Comment by Will Penny — October 12, 2012 @ 6:40 am
Glad to hear it, WillPenny, but I do understand your conundrum. I guess I’m glad I don’t live in that district. But the sheriff’s race is a similar issue. Do you feel comfortable voting for Wolfinger?
Comment by mary — October 12, 2012 @ 9:53 am
I will most likely vote for Ben. I’m not comfortable with Foster or the other two independents. I spoke to Rocky and former sheriff Pierce Clegg, both recommended Wolfinger. Some GOPers seem to be concerned that his wife and her family are democrats. Mary Matalin is married to james carville, DAMN, I was single when she did that!! So the party affiliation of a spouse is not really a concern for me.
Comment by Will Penny — October 12, 2012 @ 7:14 pm
Will Penny,
I would much rather have seen Travis Chaney running for sheriff than Wolfinger, but apparently it was Wolfinger’s turn to play at being sheriff. If Wolfinger is elected, and he probably will be, set your Kootenai County law enforcement professionalism watch back 20 years. Foster is too closely connected with some of the Mullan Avenue Gang in Coeur d’Alene, and I don’t see that either Bodman or Dickson would be much of an improvement over Wolfinger.
Comment by Bill — October 13, 2012 @ 7:52 am