have the answers to a whole bunch of important questions. We'll know who

will lead this country for the next four years, we'll know which political

party powerhouse will hold the coveted majority of seats in the House

and Senate, and folks in this little corner of the world will know whether

or not our school system has earned your support on a school bond for

new schools construction.

And before I go any further,

I must divulge that I am a parent participant on the Community Coalition

for Fayette Schools political action committee. For the past month, I

have rolled up my sleeves alongside some other very committed and hard-working

people to help promote the $65 million school bond referendum for new

schools in Fayette county. I ask that you indulge me this week as I make

a heartfelt plea for your support on this funding referendum.

How I came to this point in

my life, living in Fayette county, becoming heavily involved in our local

school system, ingesting volumes of information on education and our political

process, and writing this column has been a blur and a whirlwind. I am

just a mom, someone just like you, who cares deeply about where we've

been and where we're going. I am involved because it is a privilege to

be involved.

We all have our own opinions

and perceptions about this community we live in, but I think all of us

have the sense that what we have here is something special. Those who

strive to promote growth do so because they have a vision for how to make

a great place better. Those who strive for slowed growth do so because

they want to preserve the great place we've already achieved.

Regardless of where you stand

on the growth issue, one of the best things about Fayette is the school

system. For many of us, it was the overriding factor in our decision to

move here. Some of you probably wish we had not, but strapping a school

system with a very serious overcrowding situation simply to protest growth

is a little like holding the drought-stricken responsible for the lack

of rain. The Board of Education cannot stop growth. They can present the

impact of growth on the school system to the responsible governing bodies,

and they do. Beyond that, they must deal with growth as it comes.

I think many people in this

county are feeling a little "burned" by increases in property

assessments and the increase in the county's portion of our property taxes.

And yet, technically speaking, you wouldn't want your property assessments

going down. We have all chosen to invest in Fayette County. For our investment

to continue to pay dividends, we must nurture our community. One way to

nurture a community is to support the community's schools.

Some of you, probably most

of you, are irritated about the new jail. You don't want it and you don't

want to pay for it. Fair enough. The decision to go forward with the new

jail was made to address overcrowding and divert a potential federal lawsuit.

To vote no to the school bond because you didn't have a vote on the jail

isn't going to change the fact that the jail is coming.

Some of you are just plain

fed up with taxes and the huge bite it takes out of your livelihood. For

a conservative Republican, voting for a tax increase is a "jagged

little pill" to swallow, but that is exactly what I am going to do.

For me, it's about necessary sacrifice.

On a $200,000 home, the school

bond will cost about $80 a year for the next 10 years. In truth, the one

mill increase puts you back to about the same rate you were paying in

1998. The one mill could go down over the 10-year life of the payback

if growth in the tax digest exceeds the 5 percent yearly estimate included

in the bond package.

It's cheaper for most people

than a SPLOST would have been. For the senior citizens who are exempt

from the school's portion on their property taxes, the bond will cost

nothing.

Some of you have other reasons

that determine how you vote on the school bond referendum. Some may be

home schooling or sending your children to private schools. Some may not

have children, but for the rest of the community there is a bigger picture

to be considered. We all benefit from living in a community which is home

to a top-notch school system.

For those who can and will,

as a parent, as a committee member helping to promote this bond, as a

community activist, and one who is grateful to call Fayette home, thank

you for supporting this bond. Remember, it's the last item on the back

of the ballot. Help us put schools first.

[Your comments are welcome:

[email protected].]