Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

What happen with Diley??

PATA is Failing

1-26-2001
To date, PATA is failing in your mission to promote cooperation among government officials to provide a more efficient use of our tax dollars. You are also failing to attract a broad-based membership with diverse opinions. Diverse opinions are not welcomed nor encouraged on your website. I believe that Bob Harding owes the same type of respect to 'anonymous' in a 'current elected position' as he does for 'soap box hero'.

The November school district ballot issue with a record number of area voter clearly demonstrates we are a divided community ?– split right down the middle. I attended the first meeting of PATA a year ago and was hopeful the organization would bring about meaningful communication among our elected officials to begin to operate as a community. As a compliment, you did succeed in organizing two outstanding growth summits. However, the little communication among our elected officials in the Township, City and School District has ceased, I believe, due to the township?’s merger survey, township's CEDA benefiting Canal Winchester schools and PATA?’s City petition drive.

I know you find it hard to believe, but there are many of us that admire the work of school board members Sanders, Carlier and Sigman and have a tremendous amount of respect for Mayor Hughes and Council President Postage. I think you would be surprised how many of the hits on your website are from supporters of Sanders/Carlier/Sigman. Are we taxpayers too entitled to have opinions? Are our voices and thoughts welcomed by PATA?

It is your organization and website so do with it as you please. However, don?’t be surprised if PATA is labeled extremists, and anti-school and anti-City of Pickerington by residents who don?’t share your opinions and are not welcomed by your organization. It will be just a matter of time that another area organization will be started to carry on the noble PATA vision.

Mark W. Uher



-By Mark W. Uher, muher@aol.com



By Let Mark tell you

Another govt program run amok

If we have four classrooms of pre-k kids that meet some state guideline for special needs then the guidlines are overly broad and let almost any child with the slightest disability qualify. Sounds to me like an attempt by the teacher unions to force paid child care onto the taxpayers.

By Someone'g gotta look out for us

Heritage Learning Steps

Heritage Learning steps is a special needs preschool program within the PLSD - it has been in the PLSD for years. Currently there are 49 children that participate in this program - I believe class size is limited to 8 students per classroom. It operates with an AM & PM schedule like a traditional preschool. But it is NOT a traditional preschool.

These children are all part of the PLSD.

By Another taxpayer

Any opinion you want

Well, Mr. Uher, I have not seen any evidence of people not being allowed to post their opinions on this site. While people disagree all the time on this site, the tenor of the discussions does sometimes get a little feisty, though.

If you believe PATA is failing, you are certainly entitled to step up and try to lead it in some direction you believe it should be headed.

While many in this community may indeed admire Messrs. Hughes, Postage, et al, you obviously know that many more people do not hold that opinion, and believe they are mainly responsible for the mess the schools are in, with their policy of unrestricted growth.