Local School Funding Works

In his March 9^th letter to the editor Dennis Johnson complains that this state uses local tax levies to fund local schools. Presuming that Mr. Johnson is a conservative (as liberals rarely complain about taxes, especially for schools) his attitude is quite inconsistent with the current wave of conservative thought. Conservatives are always screaming that schools need to be run at the local level. Here is a method of funding schools that can't get much more local. Local people choose to either fund their local schools or not. This method insures some control of local school purse strings is in local hands. Yet it seems that Mr. Johnson would give away that authority to elected officials at the state level.

I think Mr. Johnson's real problem is that he is just too selfish to vote to fund schools. If he would ever visit one he would see how much they need the money. By the way, I have no children but I still plan to vote for the Lakewood school levy March 14^th and encourage everyone that can to do the same.

Steve McGourty

9 March, 2000