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.