For Seniors: Budgeting 101

Loraine and Cy McGowan compare the Post Falls School District to a child spending his allowance frivolously.

And they see no reason taxpayers should keep doling out money.

The couple’s property taxes, according to Kootenai County records, have increased more than $300 - from $855.80 to $1,171.39 - since they moved to Post Falls eight years ago.

The McGowans admit that a few extra dollars of property taxes each month may not sound like much, but over time it adds up.

“If it keeps doing that, how are we going to survive?” Loraine asked.

The retired couple, who live on a fixed income of Social Security supplemented by savings, call the school bond on Tuesday’s ballot excessive.

They say a new athletic field and high school are unnecessary and support year-round schooling to combat overcrowding. They say the schools have moved away from education and are spending too much time discussing diversity and self-esteem.

“Eighteen million bucks for a town the size of Post Falls - there are a lot of things included that should not be part of the bond,” Cy said.

“When we went to school there was no federal or state aid. It was all the local school board and we got a rounded education.”

Cy, 80, and Loraine, 75, settled in Post Falls after first retiring to Northern California. They spent most of their marriage in Southern California, where Cy worked in construction and Loraine worked as a legal secretary.

She talks with pride about beginning her career using carbon paper and ending it with word processing.

They’ve raised five kids and are watching 22 grandchildren grow up. One of their daughters has nine children, whom she schooled at home.

None of their grandkids go to school in Post Falls, but the McGowans say that makes no difference in their opposition to the bond.

“It’s not a selfish interest,” Loraine said. “It’s a community interest.”

Until the schools start spending their money more wisely, Cy said he doesn’t plan on giving them a dime.

“I wouldn’t vote for it no matter what,” Cy said. “It’s just a political mess that turns me off completely.”

‘The need is so obvious’

Bob and Marge McClure say good schools in Post Falls are well worth an extra $5 a month.

The couple, who have lived in Post Falls for 15 of their 51 years of marriage, say a better-educated work force will bring more businesses to the area.

“The benefit of kids completing school in a good school is for the whole country,” Bob said. “The need is so obvious.”

The McClures stumbled on Post Falls during a road trip from their home in Southern California in 1982. Bob had worked as an aircraft engineer and Marge was a medical transcriptionist and records-keeper.

They thought they’d be like their friends and retire to Florida or Arizona, but Marge says they fell in love with the “gorgeous country” and decided to stay.

Pictures of their five kids and 12 grandchildren line the walls. None of them go to school in Post Falls, but the McClures say that hasn’t stopped them from supporting the school bond.

“That’s on that list of copouts,” Bob said. “With Social Security and a modest pension, we don’t relish new taxes any more than anyone else … but the kids deserve something better than they’re getting.”

The debate has become so clouded with facts and figures that the McClures say some voters have forgotten the real issue - the kids of Post Falls.

When the couple lived in Southern California, Marge says the teenagers ignored them. But in Post Falls, the young people always smile and say “hi,” she said.

“You don’t not vote for a needed facility for our kids just because you don’t like the way they’re paid for,” Bob said.

They sigh in unison at the thought of the school bond failing. They say it’s important for kids to have pride in their school. They say they’re saddened by double-shifting and cutbacks.

“Please consider our kids’ need and our community’s need,” Bob said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Photos (1 Color)

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: HOW TO PAY The Post Falls school bond would raise property taxes a few dollars a month for most homeowners. But for residents on a fixed income, even a few extra dollars can shake up their finances. A state program offers help for some with mounting property taxes. The state will pay up to $1,100 in property taxes each year for people 65 and over, or those who are widowed or disabled. To qualify, 1997 income can’t be over $18,920. People who earn more than that may still qualify if they have offsetting medical expenses. Forms are available at the Kootenai County assessor’s office. About 2,000 county residents take advantage of the program each year, the assessor’s office says.