Forget The ‘What Ifs’ And Vote For The School Bond
The following letter was published in local newspapers and is shared with us here by the author Michael Chambers. Michael is a member of the Charlestown Economic Improvement Commission and a former member of the Charlestown Zoning Board of Review.
If you want to be sure to cause stagnation and indecision among your neighbors, just start your sentence with these two words, “What if,” and watch the discussion spiral into areas that are so far off track as to totally confuse all the participants. The further you get away from the central theme of the discussion, more error is introduced into that discussion. This tactic is being used by the anti-school bond naysayers. What if there is a cost overrun? What if delivery of construction materials is delayed? What if the excavators uncover tainted soils? What will happen to our water supply? How will we deal with the loss of a cherished building that has provided so many fond memories?
First of all, learn to plan with uncertainty. Learn how to deal with cost-benefit analysis. Learn how to make a bold decision. Stop relying on the “what ifs” and start relying on the “what is.” Do something positive to move forward and stop worrying yourself into stagnation.
The state is offering once-in-a-lifetime support to upgrade our schools; it’s a life raft to the taxpayers. Don’t drown in your own indecision. Don’t let the tax naysayers push you into a short-sighted decision. I doubt that the level of education will miraculously improve with the improvement of the school buildings. However, I do believe that the new buildings will be safer in a fire, safer from a shooter, easier to access by parents driving their children to school, and healthier for the classroom air quality.
So vote to make your tax dollars go further with this offer from the state or reject the life raft that they offer and bear the full burden later on (or as they say in the advertising world, “future regret”).
Vote yes for the school bond now!
Michael Chambers
Voting will take place at Charlestown Town Hall, anytime between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, from April 17 to May 6, and anytime between 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on May 7
The banner image is a photograph of children planting the rain garden at Charlestown School by Frances Topping.
April 27, 2024 @ 8:32 am
Remember there is early voting at the Charlestown town hall on Rte 2. So don’t wait to vote “yes” in case something prevents you on the last day May 7 th. Maintenance only goes so far and technologies are changing such that old buildings are not suitable for accommodating them. Let us support our children, grandchildren, teachers and the future citizens of our country whether you have children or not. Give our teachers the support they need to do their work.