John Fielding
Well, Election Day is here at last. Finally the end to people harrumphing through campaign speeches, pointing with pride and viewing with alarm.
I realize that the voters of the Antietam School District have about had it with the high taxes and dubious expenditures. I realize also that it is tempting to turn out all incumbents and start fresh. However, a few words with you first.
New people are, yes, new. As such they are untried and, frankly, unpredictable. After all, in 2008, America thought it wanted change and look how well that turned out. With incumbency, you have the advantage of examining records.
I would urge you to consider mine. I have voted against every single budget containing a tax increase. There has only been one that has not had one. There is a tendency in government to spend every dime because it is there. Because there is no end of "wish lists." And as it is in our own personal economies, at some point we must all say that we can't have it all.
Antietam has spent money for positions it did not really need because of artificial "requirements" placed on itself. Some board in the past established some policy that said that our administrative staff salaries needed to be pegged at a certain amount relative to the rest of the county and many on the board have just gone along with it. I have complained about it since I was elected. You don't hear a lot about it because the discussion is in executive session because it comes under the heading of personnel.
We have decided that we "need" a certain student to teacher ratio, and, as a result, we must hire more professional staff to reach, once again, an artificial requirement.
I must say, this talk of executive sessions causes me to reminisce fondly regarding my first executive session on the board. It was actually called for the express purpose of yelling at me.
I won in 2003, but did not take my seat until December, 2003. The board had negotiated a new teachers' contract that called for an 18.4 percent salary increase over five years (not counting step increases). However, the way the law is written, the public does not know anything or get to comment until the board votes to ratify the deal. I didn't like that so after the teachers ratified the contract but before the board could vote, I leaked the summary of the contract to the Eagle. Hoo boy. Charlie Gerhart told me in the executive session that "we don't know if we can trust you." I replied, "That's easy, Charlie; you've known me since 1997. Of course you can't'"
They still can't, a fact of which I am proud.
Because I am not elected to get along with people or to be a team player. I am elected to represent the interests of those that elect me as I see them. The day that I don't do that the people have every right to throw me out.
But I believe have represented those interests and wish to continue doing so.
In my time on the board, I have always had an ally. In my first term it was Lisa Iezzi and, for a brief period, Cliff DeFrees. In this term, it has been Judy Swartz. We don't always agree, but we do more often than not. If you wish to return me to office, I would appreciate your vote for Judy as well.
Well, that's about it. Oh, about those signs. Yeah, they're ugly. But they fit my unofficial campaign slogan, "Yes, as a matter of fact, I am that cheap."
And, as it turns out, they are the perfect signs to represent me (and Judy).
Please vote for us, John Fielding and Judy Swartz, for Antietam School Board.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Vote for Fielding and Schwartz on May 17, 2011
John Fielding
It is with as much modesty as I can muster that I ask the electors of the Antietam School District to vote for me and Judith Schwartz in the Antietam School Board primary election on May 17, 2011.
Judy and I ran together four years ago, and, while we don't always see eye to eye and vote together, I can say that Judy is with me more than she's against me, and is almost as hard with a dollar as me.
I have never voted for a budget with a tax increase in eight years on the board, and Judy is pretty fiscally responsible as well. At this time, when everyone must tighten their belts, the school district is no exception. Please return us: we have tried to hold down taxes and spending to the best of our ability.
On the other hand, one other candidate needs to be mentioned. Christopher Faro is running for a seat on the board as well. He is a teacher in Twin Valley, is the head of their teachers' union, and is the husband of Melissa Faro, a teacher in the Antietam School District. His website claims of the incumbents: "Their policies have resulted in annual tax increases and consistently lower student achievement. As parents and taxpayers, we are not getting our money's worth. There needs to be a change right now."
The tax increases belong to those who voted for them. Since I have never voted for one, I refuse to take ownership of them. Regarding the lower student achievement, I would point out to Mr. Faro that the composition of the present Antietam student body is not that of Twin Valley. This is pretty bold talk from someone who has no experience administering a school district that comes from more modest family means. Mr. Faro's antidote for the problem is the antidote that all liberals propose: more money. As we have discovered with Mr. Obama, this is not change we can believe in.
The problems that Antietam faces are many, and may prove intractable with Antietam going it alone. I can pledge to the taxpayers of Antietam School District that I stand ready to explore all possible solutions to the financial and educational bind in which the taxpayers and the school district find themselves.
Please vote for me, John Fielding, and Judy Schwartz in the primary election on May 17, 2011.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Interesting Candidacy in the Antietam School Board Race
John Fielding
At the latest count there are eight candidates running for five spots on the Antietam School Board. Incumbent Greg Burdan is not running for re-election. Myself, Judy Swartz, Julia Kleiman-Baer,and Bev Daniels are the incumbents running for re-election. Then there are four non-incumbents running. One of them is Christopher Faro.
Husband of Melissa Faro, a teacher in the Antietam School District, Mr. Faro is a teacher in the Twin Valley School District. More importantly, he is the head of the teacher's union at Twin Valley.
Antietam faces some tough choices. Already the highest taxed school district in the county, Antietam faces a $700,000 deficit in its budget even if it were to raise taxes by the .61 mils permitted under Act 1 without referendum. I will not vote to raise taxes. In fact the only budget for which I have ever voted was a zero tax increase budget proposal of 2009 for the 2009-2010 year. All of those years of spending and taxing, however, are about to come home to roost.
With labor costs comprising 60-70% of Antietam's budget, I'm not certain that having the head of the Twin Valley teacher's union on the Antietam School Board is going to help much.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Stief and O'Boyle for Antietam School Board
John Fielding
It is once again time for the school board elections in Antietam. We have five candidates running for four seats.
I endorse Roger Stief and Larry O'Boyle.
I've known Roger Stief for a while while involved in the Antietam Youth Baseball Association. He is a young man with a family in the district, who will bring that perspective to the Board. While by no means poor, Roger is a man of modest means who can be expected to bring a dose of financial common sense to the board of the district with the highest tax millage in the county. The Antietam School Board seems determined to raise taxes at every opportunity. The administration's policy is to raise taxes to statutory limit every year whether it needs to or not. This year seems to be the only exception; after all the administration has to do what it can to make the election of its liberal-spending allies on the board more certain. Roger is not one of them. Vote for Roger Stief.
My other recommendation is Larry O'Boyle. Larry and I don't agree on everything and that's okay. But Larry has shown to me in two years that he has the taxpayers of the district at heart (even if he is a Democrat!) and, even when we don't agree, Larry is always looking for the cheapest way of getting the job done.
Of the remaining three, two (Ann Sellers and Dave Stauffer) are liberal spenders and toadies of the administration. I would not endorse them if they were the only ones running.
The remaining candidate, Beth Calabria, is a newcomer, taking the place of that other unreconstructed liberal, Joanne Just. I had great hopes for her, but then she justified a vote by speaking of "the children," as if every expenditure we don't make will vitally endanger our programs.
It used to be said that patriotism was the last refuge of a scoundrel; no, it isn't, it is children, animals, and trees. They are the only three unfortunates that cannot successfully fend off the liberals and all the "good things" liberals want to do for, and to, them.
Vote for Stief and O'Boyle for Antietam School Board on may 19th.
It is once again time for the school board elections in Antietam. We have five candidates running for four seats.
I endorse Roger Stief and Larry O'Boyle.
I've known Roger Stief for a while while involved in the Antietam Youth Baseball Association. He is a young man with a family in the district, who will bring that perspective to the Board. While by no means poor, Roger is a man of modest means who can be expected to bring a dose of financial common sense to the board of the district with the highest tax millage in the county. The Antietam School Board seems determined to raise taxes at every opportunity. The administration's policy is to raise taxes to statutory limit every year whether it needs to or not. This year seems to be the only exception; after all the administration has to do what it can to make the election of its liberal-spending allies on the board more certain. Roger is not one of them. Vote for Roger Stief.
My other recommendation is Larry O'Boyle. Larry and I don't agree on everything and that's okay. But Larry has shown to me in two years that he has the taxpayers of the district at heart (even if he is a Democrat!) and, even when we don't agree, Larry is always looking for the cheapest way of getting the job done.
Of the remaining three, two (Ann Sellers and Dave Stauffer) are liberal spenders and toadies of the administration. I would not endorse them if they were the only ones running.
The remaining candidate, Beth Calabria, is a newcomer, taking the place of that other unreconstructed liberal, Joanne Just. I had great hopes for her, but then she justified a vote by speaking of "the children," as if every expenditure we don't make will vitally endanger our programs.
It used to be said that patriotism was the last refuge of a scoundrel; no, it isn't, it is children, animals, and trees. They are the only three unfortunates that cannot successfully fend off the liberals and all the "good things" liberals want to do for, and to, them.
Vote for Stief and O'Boyle for Antietam School Board on may 19th.
Monday, February 9, 2009
The Antietam School District 2009 Budget
John Fielding
On January 28, 2009, the Reading Eagle reported the following:
"Antietam's preliminary budget shows a 5.7 percent tax hike
The Antietam School Board Monday night approved a preliminary 2009-10 operating budget that, if unchanged, could require a 5.7 percent tax increase.
This means the real estate rate would rise to 33.4 mills, up from the current 31.6 mills. Property owners would pay $33.40 per $1,000 of assessed property value or $3,340 for a home assessed at $100,000.
The $14.5 million budget increases spending 2.1 percent over this school year.
The budget is expected to change significantly between now and final adoption in June, said Michele Zimmerman, business manager."
Because of Governor of Phildelphia, Ed Spendell's, Act 1 foolishness, our preliminary budgets now have to be developed far in advance of the date when we have solid information regarding revenues from the state. Thus, even if the budget were to remain the same from the previous year, for starters, we still might have a shortfall if the state's basic education subsidy is not at the same level as the previous year.
But more than that is the significance of what Michele Zimmerman was saying. An increase in a budget has a "millage impact" on the budget, meaning that for the budget to balance, the revenue has to increase, the expenditures have to decrease, or a mixture of the two.
The reason Ms. Zimmerman ended up talking about a tax increase instead of a millage impact is because the leadership in the Antietam School District has a settled philosophy that it must raise taxes to the limit permitted to not submit the tax increase to the voters of the district, a vote it would lose. Thus, Antietam raises taxes each year, whether it needs to or not, because it never wants to have to go to the taxpayers to ask to raise them more.
Poor Michele is not a politician and forgot that whatever one must do, one must never indicate publicly what the leadership of the district is doing.
There will be a tax increase this year: not because of what you want, nor what I want, but because of what the liberals in charge of the school district want.
On January 28, 2009, the Reading Eagle reported the following:
"Antietam's preliminary budget shows a 5.7 percent tax hike
The Antietam School Board Monday night approved a preliminary 2009-10 operating budget that, if unchanged, could require a 5.7 percent tax increase.
This means the real estate rate would rise to 33.4 mills, up from the current 31.6 mills. Property owners would pay $33.40 per $1,000 of assessed property value or $3,340 for a home assessed at $100,000.
The $14.5 million budget increases spending 2.1 percent over this school year.
The budget is expected to change significantly between now and final adoption in June, said Michele Zimmerman, business manager."
Because of Governor of Phildelphia, Ed Spendell's, Act 1 foolishness, our preliminary budgets now have to be developed far in advance of the date when we have solid information regarding revenues from the state. Thus, even if the budget were to remain the same from the previous year, for starters, we still might have a shortfall if the state's basic education subsidy is not at the same level as the previous year.
But more than that is the significance of what Michele Zimmerman was saying. An increase in a budget has a "millage impact" on the budget, meaning that for the budget to balance, the revenue has to increase, the expenditures have to decrease, or a mixture of the two.
The reason Ms. Zimmerman ended up talking about a tax increase instead of a millage impact is because the leadership in the Antietam School District has a settled philosophy that it must raise taxes to the limit permitted to not submit the tax increase to the voters of the district, a vote it would lose. Thus, Antietam raises taxes each year, whether it needs to or not, because it never wants to have to go to the taxpayers to ask to raise them more.
Poor Michele is not a politician and forgot that whatever one must do, one must never indicate publicly what the leadership of the district is doing.
There will be a tax increase this year: not because of what you want, nor what I want, but because of what the liberals in charge of the school district want.
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