Fwd: RE: Idaho's Children

[Ken Medlin <dev-plan@moscow.com>]

Subject:     RE: Idaho's Children  [Forwarded to Visionaries as a general 
interest item -- if anyone cares to support our
Sent:        2/29/20 8:33 PM           kids and schools in this way, 
please email your own message to the address below.
Received:    3/5/00 10:17 PM        School leaders likeTony McDonnell 
deserve our devoted support. Thanks, Tony!]
From:        McDonnell, Tony, mcdonnell@sd281.k12.id.us
To:          'Ken Medlin', dev-plan@moscow.com

Dear Ken,

Thank you so much for your eloquent words of support!

Hope to see you soon!

Tony

-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Medlin [mailto:dev-plan@moscow.com]
Sent: Friday, March 03, 2000 8:01 PM
To: Tony McDonnell
Subject: Idaho's Children    [Email address for Legislature:  
infocntr@lso.id.us, or your chosen rep. in Boise.]


Dear Representives of Idaho Citizens:   Please do not neglect the needs 
of our children and their schools. In a time of surpluses and large sums 
from the tobacco revenues wisely invested for future needs, your urgent 
attention should focus on the daily and monthly needs of Idaho's schools. 
In the northcentral school districts, our tax bases for educational 
programs and infrastructures are in many instances falling way short of 
the fiscal requirements just to keep up with what we have inherited from 
past investments. You cannot expect, as do some legislators, that 
counties which are experiencing economic hardships  must increase either 
their property assessments (rumor has it that you intend to do this), or 
expand their indebtedness through bonds or state loans. Such fiscal 
policies are cruelly unfair to many families and small businesses. The 
State of Idaho has a constitutional responsibility for the quality of its 
school system and for the quality of its teaching force. We rank near the 
bottom of the 50 States in terms of teacher compensation, and by any 
objective and comparative criteria, our students' academic performance 
state-wide ranks low nationally.  
   Seize this opportunity to place schools, which shape the future 
economic and social wellbeing of the Gem State, in a top priority for 
funding. Returning a few dollars per household will not be in the general 
interest at this time. Please think of our children and our future human 
resource needs, as Idaho continues to enrich its economic base and to 
plan for a greater future. Our household, and many others we know, are 
watching intently how you will deal with the educational needs of our 
children. Thank you for listening.

                                                                          
               William K. Medlin (PhD)
                                                                          
                Professor Emeritus

------------------------
William K. Medlin
Dev-plan associates
930 Kenneth Street
Moscow ID 83843
208/892-0148
dev-plan@moscow.com



------------------------
William K. Medlin
Dev-plan associates
930 Kenneth Street
Moscow ID 83843
208/892-0148
dev-plan@moscow.com