There is a

single opportunity every two years to deal with a portion

of the board in an electoral process that is fraught with

a combination of short memories, misconceptions,

egotistical behavior and broken promises.

Two great

lessons loom before us as a county. First, we have to

learn that there is "No Free Lunch" in that we

have to pay the bill for the progressive and effective

school system we want.

Second is

that the county board of education will not get a blank

check with which they can ineptly and without true

accountability spend in a willy-nilly manner.

The

terribly expensive lesson of building and opening the

Starr's Mill complex lives as a glaring example. Never

have so many paid so much for something they were told

was going to cost so much less.

The past

bond referendum is the classic example of getting a vote

to spend some money and then using that vote to spend

millions and millions more. What is of true significance

is that the costs in excess of the bond came from other

sources. This created shortfalls in other areas and led

to a system that should be financially healthy but is

bereft of funds to support operations beyond current.

In a county

with a significantly growing tax index, should that have

happened? Probably not, but that is another issue and one

that should be a significant campaign issue at the next

general election.

Now again,

the needs of the system are undoubtedly substantial but

those needs have yet to be laid out in a carefully

prioritized and understandable manner. Hence, we had the

failure of a referendum for SPLOST which, although I

supported as an individual as an alternative to funding

some necessities, was never satisfactorily explained to

the voters.

The numbers

never added up and the principal appeal was that someone

else, namely visitors to Fayette County, would somehow

lessen our tax load. A secondary appeal was that SPLOST

was an expeditious way to pay for 20 plus years of

capital improvements in a short period of time.

There has

been a rather specific lesson in voter displeasure and

distrust highlighted by the defeat of an incumbent board

member, the defeat of SPLOST, the stepping down of the

board chairman, the "retirement" of a

none-too-popular superintendent and another board member,

and a significant public outcry over both improper board

meetings and unnecessary wholesale staff reassignments.

After

licking their wounds for many months the board is

belatedly but commendably now ready to tackle the issue

of financing the future Fayette County schools. Serious

business indeed... and business that has waited almost

too long.

Two

proposals are being studied and they require the kind of

study and explanation that will take all of the time

between now and November. Neither should be taken lightly

and neither is a cinch to be the way to go.

I am

encouraged that the board has announced it is looking for

public input. That is the way the board could and should

operate. It is an elected representative board, not an

executive board. They defend the high ground between the

voters and the school administrators. Contrary to many of

their actions the board is not a substitute for

professional educators nor in my view should they even

claim professional education credentials as a predominate

qualification for office.

What

remains, and time is short, is for the school

administrators, ably led by a competent and

non-adversarial superintendent, to carefully define the

needs of the system and for the board to carefully weigh

and consider the alternatives for meeting those needs.

The choice between the alternatives then is the

responsibility of the voters and not the board.

I am

convinced the voters of Fayette County will make a good

decision once provided with the facts. The plaintive cry

that "If SPLOST had passed in the first

place..." is fruitless and attempts to lay at the

feet of Fayette County voters the ineptness of the board

and the past superintendent. It is history and can only

serve to revive the distrust so evident in the past.

When the

voters are invited into the decision process and not just

cast in a "vote this up or down" role, then we

will have schools truly representing the desires of the

people who pay the bill.

With regard

to the premise that "There is No Free Lunch" is

the simple fact regardless of the alternative, bond or

sales tax, we will pay the major portion of any projects

with money from inside the county.

While there

are no gates on the highways leading into the county, the

highways are not the major highways such as I-75 or I-85.

As a matter of fact, many of us chose the county just

because it is between rather than on the interstate

highways. You almost have to be coming here to get here.

Our shopping centers and stores are not filled with

people from outside Fayette County. Certainly there are

some but the majority do not come to Fayette County to

shop.

Hence, if

SPLOST is the road we take, we should expect that the

vast majority of the income from SPLOST will come from

money that Fayette County residents spend in Fayette

County. Should we pay for 20 years worth of capital

improvements that should last for more than 20 years in

four or five years? Another important question.

Lastly,

should we pay for those capital improvements with non-tax

deductible dollars (sales tax) rather than tax deductible

dollars (property tax)? Clearly SPLOST is an alternative

and not a panacea.

Let's all

take the time to be informed. Require the board of

education and the school administrators to represent us

and to work for us.

Remember,

we want to get what we pay for and we cannot afford to

leave our schools to the exclusive management of either

the board or the administrators. It's our money and they

are our children.

William

S. Fraim

Fayetteville

<!-------------