The Mt. Lebanon School Board Candidates
November 4, 2011
A unified position statement by James Cannon, Paula Bongiorno, Rudy Bies,
Charlotte Stephenson, and Joseph Wertheim
We must remember what happened over 200 years ago when people pledged their honor, their personal savings and their very lives so that we could have a government of the people, by the people and once again for the people.
Public Servants should do their best, serve and go home. We can debate the length of the term, but multiple political terms all too often affect communities adversely.
Whether it is Washington, Harrisburg, the City of Pittsburgh or Mt. Lebanon, spending must be controlled at all levels of government. As a nation, we simply cannot continue to borrow and spend. Our Country has almost 15 trillion dollars of debt. If meaningful action is not taken, our debt will exceed 25 trillion in less than ten years. The interest on that amount of debt could easily exceed the total annual federal tax revenue. The money in the Social Security Trust Fund is incapable of sustaining the demand for the participants future needs because it has been spent. If this position does not change then the U.S Dollar will decline.
So what does this have to do with the Mt. Lebanon School District? Simply put, difficult financial decisions must be made to avoid future financial problems.
The following information, taken from the School District web site, is important for you to know.
2001 2010
Total School District Expenditures $50,819,000 $76,621,000
Annual Revenue from Real Estate Taxes $34,466,000 $51,697,000
Annual Cost per Pupil $8,960 $14,451
At current cost levels, a High School Diploma will cost $173,412.
The School District borrowed $69 million in October of 2009. This money was to be used for the High School Project. How many of us would borrow money to build a home, and allow more than two years to pass before beginning construction? What bank would even loan the money to us?
Early in 2010 the School Board, explaining certain aspects of the High School project, mailed a glossy brochure to the residents. We believe that our residents deserve a more cost-effective alternative based on more accurate enrollment statistics than those presented.
We believe the School Board should consider an alternative to the high school renovation plans. The plans should contain enough detail and reasonable cost estimates so that those who care enough to vote could do so in a May 2012 referendum. This is a major expenditure with significant issues that affect every person and business in Mt. Lebanon. There is no reason to formally exclude anyone in Mt. Lebanon from the process. Projects of this magnitude should be decided based upon the desire of the entire community.
Many difficult issues face our school district which will require legislative action from the Pennsylvania Legislature. We must do all that we can to address these issues such as adopting a taxation model that is more fair, especially for those who are retired and now may not be able to keep their homes because of rising real estate taxes.
School Boards have responsibilities to the students, the teachers, local government and most importantly, they must always function with a deep respect for the public.
If you care, please vote. If you like the current situation and feel no concern for our community’s future economic stability, elect the incumbents. If you want a School Board that is willing to do their best in consideration of these various issues we will soon face as a community, in addition to selecting James Cannon on the ballot, please write-in the names of the four candidates, Paula Bongiorno, Rudy Bies, Charlotte Stephenson, and Joseph Wertheim. All five have similar motivations for running, and all five have their own individual reasons. Feel free to reach out to each before Tuesday, November 8th.
Their contact information is as follows:
Thank You!
