School bonds on November ballot

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Maybe I will vote yes when I finally see any movement on McLean HS getting a renovation.

Not voting for other kids to get a renovation because your kids aren't is a very McLean parent attitude.

Knee jerk stupidity. Look into how overdue MHS is for a renovation, how crowded it is, and how the county keeps green lighting development that will add to school crowding before you issue another thoughtless and uninformed statement like that.

Lol. They kind of have a point though. Just because you're not getting a renovation means you're going to vote against other people getting renovations? There is nothing we can do about that. I would love for my kid's school to get a renovation, but that doesn't mean I'm going to vote against these other schools.

See how you feel after voting yes on the bond for over 20 years and still not seeing your school which is in need make the cut.

There are lots of schools in need.

Clifton ES was in need but FCPS decided to close it despite having a whole comunity clamoring to keep the school open. We NEVER FORGET

Ridiculous. Clifton needed big repairs but was not in a site that could fit a larger school to serve more kids. We didn’t need to spend a lot of money to serve so few kids. That was one of the good decisions of the board.

[Anonymous]

I'm voting NO.
-FCPS x-employee

P.S. LOL to the Clifton school!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I will vote yes when I finally see any movement on McLean HS getting a renovation.

Not voting for other kids to get a renovation because your kids aren't is a very McLean parent attitude.

Knee jerk stupidity. Look into how overdue MHS is for a renovation, how crowded it is, and how the county keeps green lighting development that will add to school crowding before you issue another thoughtless and uninformed statement like that.

Lol. They kind of have a point though. Just because you're not getting a renovation means you're going to vote against other people getting renovations? There is nothing we can do about that. I would love for my kid's school to get a renovation, but that doesn't mean I'm going to vote against these other schools.

See how you feel after voting yes on the bond for over 20 years and still not seeing your school which is in need make the cut.

There are lots of schools in need.

Clifton ES was in need but FCPS decided to close it despite having a whole comunity clamoring to keep the school open. We NEVER FORGET

Ridiculous. Clifton needed big repairs but was not in a site that could fit a larger school to serve more kids. We didn’t need to spend a lot of money to serve so few kids. That was one of the good decisions of the board.

Strongly disagree with ya. Money was there to do the repairs but Clifton was closed for political reasons.

[Anonymous]

Clifton was a small school with excellent teachers. FCPS decided to destroy it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I will vote yes when I finally see any movement on McLean HS getting a renovation.

Not voting for other kids to get a renovation because your kids aren't is a very McLean parent attitude.

Knee jerk stupidity. Look into how overdue MHS is for a renovation, how crowded it is, and how the county keeps green lighting development that will add to school crowding before you issue another thoughtless and uninformed statement like that.

Lol. They kind of have a point though. Just because you're not getting a renovation means you're going to vote against other people getting renovations? There is nothing we can do about that. I would love for my kid's school to get a renovation, but that doesn't mean I'm going to vote against these other schools.

See how you feel after voting yes on the bond for over 20 years and still not seeing your school which is in need make the cut.

There are lots of schools in need.

Clifton ES was in need but FCPS decided to close it despite having a whole comunity clamoring to keep the school open. We NEVER FORGET

Ridiculous. Clifton needed big repairs but was not in a site that could fit a larger school to serve more kids. We didn’t need to spend a lot of money to serve so few kids. That was one of the good decisions of the board.

Strongly disagree with ya. Money was there to do the repairs but Clifton was closed for political reasons.

Yes. Can't recall the details, but wasn't it something to do with an exchange for West Springfield by Bradsher? Behind the curtain?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I will vote yes when I finally see any movement on McLean HS getting a renovation.

Not voting for other kids to get a renovation because your kids aren't is a very McLean parent attitude.

Knee jerk stupidity. Look into how overdue MHS is for a renovation, how crowded it is, and how the county keeps green lighting development that will add to school crowding before you issue another thoughtless and uninformed statement like that.

Lol. They kind of have a point though. Just because you're not getting a renovation means you're going to vote against other people getting renovations? There is nothing we can do about that. I would love for my kid's school to get a renovation, but that doesn't mean I'm going to vote against these other schools.

See how you feel after voting yes on the bond for over 20 years and still not seeing your school which is in need make the cut.

There are lots of schools in need.

Clifton ES was in need but FCPS decided to close it despite having a whole comunity clamoring to keep the school open. We NEVER FORGET

Ridiculous. Clifton needed big repairs but was not in a site that could fit a larger school to serve more kids. We didn’t need to spend a lot of money to serve so few kids. That was one of the good decisions of the board.

Strongly disagree with ya. Money was there to do the repairs but Clifton was closed for political reasons.

Yes. Can't recall the details, but wasn't it something to do with an exchange for West Springfield by Bradsher? Behind the curtain?

Yes - Bradsher supposedly cut a deal with FCPS staff that West Springfield’s renovation would be accelerated if Clifton was closed.

She wasn’t in the West Springfield district so it wasn’t blatant favoritism towards her own community of the Kathy Smith/Elaine Tholen variety, but it still left Clifton feeling like they’d been thrown under a bus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I will vote yes when I finally see any movement on McLean HS getting a renovation.

Not voting for other kids to get a renovation because your kids aren't is a very McLean parent attitude.

Knee jerk stupidity. Look into how overdue MHS is for a renovation, how crowded it is, and how the county keeps green lighting development that will add to school crowding before you issue another thoughtless and uninformed statement like that.

Lol. They kind of have a point though. Just because you're not getting a renovation means you're going to vote against other people getting renovations? There is nothing we can do about that. I would love for my kid's school to get a renovation, but that doesn't mean I'm going to vote against these other schools.

See how you feel after voting yes on the bond for over 20 years and still not seeing your school which is in need make the cut.

There are lots of schools in need.

Clifton ES was in need but FCPS decided to close it despite having a whole comunity clamoring to keep the school open. We NEVER FORGET

Ridiculous. Clifton needed big repairs but was not in a site that could fit a larger school to serve more kids. We didn’t need to spend a lot of money to serve so few kids. That was one of the good decisions of the board.

Strongly disagree with ya. Money was there to do the repairs but Clifton was closed for political reasons.

Yes. Can't recall the details, but wasn't it something to do with an exchange for West Springfield by Bradsher? Behind the curtain?

Yes - Bradsher supposedly cut a deal with FCPS staff that West Springfield’s renovation would be accelerated if Clifton was closed.

She wasn’t in the West Springfield district so it wasn’t blatant favoritism towards her own community of the Kathy Smith/Elaine Tholen variety, but it still left Clifton feeling like they’d been thrown under a bus.

Bradsher was Springfield district. Was West Springfield not in her district?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Bond debt payments (both principal and interest) is only 10% of the general fund.

This does not send the message you think it sends.

Bond payments being only 10% of the general fund is incredibly good, actually. It is much higher in other counties.

So, you would be thrilled if your car payment was only 10% of your financial assets?

You're an idiot if you want to compare renovating schools to buying a new car.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I will vote yes when I finally see any movement on McLean HS getting a renovation.

Amen

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I will vote yes when I finally see any movement on McLean HS getting a renovation.

Not voting for other kids to get a renovation because your kids aren't is a very McLean parent attitude.

Knee jerk stupidity. Look into how overdue MHS is for a renovation, how crowded it is, and how the county keeps green lighting development that will add to school crowding before you issue another thoughtless and uninformed statement like that.

Lol. They kind of have a point though. Just because you're not getting a renovation means you're going to vote against other people getting renovations? There is nothing we can do about that. I would love for my kid's school to get a renovation, but that doesn't mean I'm going to vote against these other schools.

See how you feel after voting yes on the bond for over 20 years and still not seeing your school which is in need make the cut.

There are lots of schools in need.

Clifton ES was in need but FCPS decided to close it despite having a whole comunity clamoring to keep the school open. We NEVER FORGET

Ridiculous. Clifton needed big repairs but was not in a site that could fit a larger school to serve more kids. We didn’t need to spend a lot of money to serve so few kids. That was one of the good decisions of the board.

Strongly disagree with ya. Money was there to do the repairs but Clifton was closed for political reasons.

Yes. Can't recall the details, but wasn't it something to do with an exchange for West Springfield by Bradsher? Behind the curtain?

Yes - Bradsher supposedly cut a deal with FCPS staff that West Springfield’s renovation would be accelerated if Clifton was closed.

She wasn’t in the West Springfield district so it wasn’t blatant favoritism towards her own community of the Kathy Smith/Elaine Tholen variety, but it still left Clifton feeling like they’d been thrown under a bus.

Bradsher was Springfield district. Was West Springfield not in her district?

Yeah, but she lived in the South County area.

[Anonymous]

The quality of teaching and people’s attitude need renovations. Buildings will still look like prisons regardless our vote.

[Anonymous]

The look of the buildings doesn’t change the core of teaching. If you want my YES vote, redesign schools adding windows in classrooms and cafeterias.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The look of the buildings doesn’t change the core of teaching. If you want my YES vote, redesign schools adding windows in classrooms and cafeterias.

what the hell are you talking about? They are renovating schools to ease overcrowding and update outdated facilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Bond debt payments (both principal and interest) is only 10% of the general fund.

This does not send the message you think it sends.

Bond payments being only 10% of the general fund is incredibly good, actually. It is much higher in other counties.

So, you would be thrilled if your car payment was only 10% of your financial assets?

Building a new school is more like a mortgage on a home than it is a car loan. But thanks for pointing out how great it is that Fairfax County is spending only 10% of the general fund on debt, considering most people's home payment is around 30% of their income.

In a county the size of Fairfax, this sounds much more like a family spending 10% on a car loan. One school out of hundreds of schools is hardly the equivalent of your home mortgage to your budget. Remember, schools are over 50% of the budget in Fairfax. To spend 10% on bonds, is additional. And, interest rates are significantly higher than they were.

Most county governments are spending way more than 10% on debt. And at much higher interest rates than Fairfax County pays. I used to live in a city with terrible schools that was paying over 30% of their budget on debt services. They had a BBB rating. Fairfax has better schools while spending less on debt, at a lower rate due to the AAA rating.

My guess is these less affluent areas have to borrow more money and don't have the revenue sources that Fairfax has (the high value Fairfax properties). In other words, Fairfax has no shortage of money with which to avoid debt - it keeps the rating good. Other areas are not so fortunate, not necessarily because they don't spend wisely, but because they don't have a large tax base.

That does not mean that we can't hold Fairfax responsible for bad spending. And there is definitely bad spending.

So, would you rather just raise taxes? Or do you not want to renovate schools?

First, use available space before enlarging schools. Second, stop the elaborate renovations. Keep the renovations modest and stick to what is necessary.

Until then I will vote No on the bonds.

Gee, thanks for suggesting that. I'm sure nobody had ever thought of either of those things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Bond debt payments (both principal and interest) is only 10% of the general fund.

This does not send the message you think it sends.

Bond payments being only 10% of the general fund is incredibly good, actually. It is much higher in other counties.

So, you would be thrilled if your car payment was only 10% of your financial assets?

Building a new school is more like a mortgage on a home than it is a car loan. But thanks for pointing out how great it is that Fairfax County is spending only 10% of the general fund on debt, considering most people's home payment is around 30% of their income.

In a county the size of Fairfax, this sounds much more like a family spending 10% on a car loan. One school out of hundreds of schools is hardly the equivalent of your home mortgage to your budget. Remember, schools are over 50% of the budget in Fairfax. To spend 10% on bonds, is additional. And, interest rates are significantly higher than they were.

Most county governments are spending way more than 10% on debt. And at much higher interest rates than Fairfax County pays. I used to live in a city with terrible schools that was paying over 30% of their budget on debt services. They had a BBB rating. Fairfax has better schools while spending less on debt, at a lower rate due to the AAA rating.

My guess is these less affluent areas have to borrow more money and don't have the revenue sources that Fairfax has (the high value Fairfax properties). In other words, Fairfax has no shortage of money with which to avoid debt - it keeps the rating good. Other areas are not so fortunate, not necessarily because they don't spend wisely, but because they don't have a large tax base.

That does not mean that we can't hold Fairfax responsible for bad spending. And there is definitely bad spending.

So, would you rather just raise taxes? Or do you not want to renovate schools?

First, use available space before enlarging schools. Second, stop the elaborate renovations. Keep the renovations modest and stick to what is necessary.

Until then I will vote No on the bonds.

Gee, thanks for suggesting that. I'm sure nobody had ever thought of either of those things.

If people thought of those things, others like Corbett Sanders made sure they got money spent unnecessarily anyway.