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Elanco board hears citizen ire on slots money refusal
Some come to defense of members
Intelligencer Journal
Published: Jul 22, 2008
00:58 EST
New Holland
By MICHAEL YODER, Staff

Earl Township resident Tim Shay presents a petition Monday night asking members of the Eastern Lancast...(more)
 
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Eastern Lancaster County school board President Loren Martin stresses a point during Monday night's bo...(more)
 
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Hundreds of Eastern Lancaster County School District residents debated the morality of gambling Monday night with members of their school board.

The residents attended the board meeting in the Garden Spot High School auditorium — held there to accommodate the sizable crowd — with dozens speaking for nearly two hours about the board's decision May 29 to reject money generated by the state's legalized slot machine industry. That money would have helped reduce the residents' property tax bills.

The decision made Elanco the lone school district in Pennsylvania to forgo the state funding.

In a 5-3 vote May 29, the Elanco board rejected the funds — amounting to $441,818 — and condemned gambling.

The board's action means the owners of 6,644 properties who qualified for farmstead and homestead exemptions won't get a $66.53 reduction on their 2008-09 tax bills.

The meeting turned testy at times with catcalls from the audience, but for the most part residents simply stated their opinions, both in support of and against the board's action.

East Earl Township resident Tim Shay presented a petition with nearly 850 signatures calling for school board members to resign.

Shay said ultimately the problem lies in the failure of the state Legislature to come up with a proper taxing method for schools, but he said what really upset him was a little gray card included in his recently delivered tax bill that restated the board's position.

Shay read the card, which states: "The school board believes that the school district should not be associated in any manner with the social ills associated with slot machine operations."

"Now that's all well and good, except that's not your call," Shay said. "I don't question your morals. I don't question how you came to this decision. I'll tell you it's a wrong decision, but you should not impose these morals on other people."

School board president Loren Martin said he didn't want to change anyone's mind regarding the gambling money, but he said the board made its decision to send a message to the state that it would not accept money generated by slot machine gambling.

Even if district residents in November in a referendum vote reject the board's action, Elanco can't recoup the $441,818 earmarked for the district for 2008-09; that money has been returned to the statewide funding pool for next year's tax relief. Under state law, however, the district must ask its residents if Elanco should accept tax-relief money in 2009-10.

Ed Warner of Fivepointville said he felt district residents made it clear they are in favor of the money when 72 percent of them signed up for the homestead and farmstead exemptions.

Warner said he did not want to see the board making moral decisions for the community, and he did not understand why Elanco should be different from the rest of the school districts in the state.

"You are not the moral leaders of our community," Warner said. "We have ministers, priests, rabbis. You are school board administrators."

Herman Blakely of Brecknock Township said every school board member signed up for an exemption. He also said the minutes from the May 12 committee-of-the-whole meeting show that the board's consensus was to approve the gaming revenue, but on May 29 the board held a special meeting and rejected the money.

Galen Martin of Terre Hill brought signed letters from three local churches supporting the board's decision.

Martin said he has met politicians in different capacities who have lacked moral conviction, and he said the board's decision was a step showing that government officials can take a moral stance.

"Your decision makes good sense and is certainly a step towards a safer community and stronger families," Martin said. "I can assure you that there are many taxpayers in the Elanco School District that applaud your decision based upon moral and ethical principles."

Barry Good of New Holland said he felt the district had made good decisions in the past regarding education, but he believes religious ideas are starting to creep into decisions.

"Church and state have no place here, today, tomorrow, or years to come," Good said. "And you already cost us a tank of gas."

E-mail: myoder@lnpnews.com


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QUOTE(meadash @ Jul 23 2008, 08:28 PM)
Here's a question for all you ELANCOs:

When you "opt out" or your school board refuses funds, where does that money go? Are you depriving someone of these funds, thus punishing them? Does the money disappear? No, it goes back to the State (which is us) and is redistributed to your neighbors. All you're doing is giving your own money to your neighbors. It doesn't matter where it comes from, you're just giving it to someone else.

So...what is your point?



I believe the point is that if you are worried about your morals, shouldn't you be equally worried about the morals of neighboring school districts? In that case, it would have been better to take the money and donate it to charity.
The whole point with this vote (done in a special meeting -- see http://www.elanco.org/district/schoolboard...utes/2007-2008/ for the district's use of the term "special") is that the taxpayers have been robbed of their own choice. If you care to opt out, fine. No problem. If your neighbor doesn't, fine. No problem. However, the school board overstepped their bounds by robbing us of that choice. Just to send a "message" to Harrisburg that the way they are funding the tax rebate is less than ideal. I don't think anyone is arguing that point. But at what point do your morals allow you to dictate morals to others and at the expense of the poor? What morals allows this same school board to accept scholarship money from the AmVets/VFW or whatever? What if someone won the lottery and wanted to donate a portion to the alma mater?
BTW, I find it very disturbing that the editor of a local "newspaper" doesn't bother to read the fine print or be educated on a highly publicized Act.

thoughts from the east
QUOTE(Makita @ Jul 22 2008, 07:51 PM)
Tired,
They don't care. They feel they are God's chosen to lead us out of the darkness and into the light. It doesn't matter that some may lose their homes due to excessive taxes. All that matters is the church. Get these people out of there. I know how much I appreciated a little break on my taxes and I feel sorry for the people in Elanco that were not able to get a little relief as the rest of us.

caninegroomer
[quote name='ReaganRepublican' date='Jul 22 2008, 07:52 PM' post='414252'] I hate to burst your bubble, but you're wrong - not Meadash. America is a Constitutional Republic, not a Democracy. We elect people to represent our interests. If you don't like what they do, vote them out and give someone else a try.

Pure Democracy is "mob rule" ... which is what you are mistakenly wishing we have. And thankfully, we don't. You should apologise to Meadash for your unwarranted and obnoxious attack
Oh my, stop listening to Rush Limbaugh and pay attention to what is going on. The majority of us here in Elanco are fed up with the people who are so easily led just by bringing "God" into the picture, as well as those who don't want to do what they were elected to do. There were 650 signitures on a petition asking for the school board's dismisal. That was collected in only a few days! People were clamoring to have petitions to take around and get more signatures! Oh, we're going to vote in Nov. and we'll vote again when we can get rid of that school board. Remeber the school board who wanted to put creationism in the curriculum? They were gotten rid of too!
caninegroomer
Unfortunately in our area there are many people who can't think for themselves. I don't say this to be cruel, its just the way it is. Its the culture. If they are told something in church or if God can be put into in anyway, then they will follow hook, line, and sinker. The good news is that as people move into this area these attitudes are disappearing. Not fast enough, but they are going. When my kids graduated from Garden Spot I was horrified by number of kids who had no future plans because of this mentality. Parents would say " Oh, we're not college type people", meaning not only college, but trade schools as well. "God will provide' they'ld say. I guess God likes Walmart because so many went to work there.

The amusing thing with all of this is if those people who feel so strongly about not accepting this money would simply send the money back to the state or local school district they could solve thier own delemma. They won't however. They'll complain about this, but very few ever put thier money where thier mouth is.

caninegroomer
"There were 650 signitures on a petition asking for the school board's dismisal. That was collected in only a few days! People were clamoring to have petitions to take around and get more signatures! Oh, we're going to vote in Nov. and we'll vote again when we can get rid of that school board."
I believe the correct number was 850 signatures. I collected some, but just ran out of time to get them from everyone who wanted to sign. Should also note that some people agreed with the sentiment, but felt the call for resignation was too strong and wouldn't sign that petition, but wanted a different one.
For everyone who says "vote in November", that is fine for the referendum, but everyone up for re-election on the school board is running unopposed. There is hope, because didn't Manheim Central get some of their school board members off by running write-in candidates against them?

thoughts from the east
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