Child levy is a ripoff

I was stunned by the weasel-like motives of Don Barbieri and bunch to create more taxes for homeowners under the heavy smokescreen of lowering the Spokane schools student dropout rate. What is not needed is this tax – along with an 11-person board to interfere with our school system – and it’s funding for any cause.

I question strongly if the 40 percent dropout rate is accurate. What or who is a dropout? Is it a drug-infested off-track young person or an intelligent teenager who comfortably is skipping the 11th and 12th grades to move on to a great job or college because they are no longer challenged by high school curriculum and are not enjoying the social setting? My bucks are on the higher percentage of the latter over the past 10 years and now.

Why am I reading about Idaho and other states where they are rewarding school districts financially for students leaving school before their 11th and 12th grade? The honest reason for this proposed Spokane levy is to offset a loss of funding in our system because students move on from high school early.

Times are tougher than a rare poor-grade steak. Moves like this from Barbieri’s group should be scratched right out of the chute.

Please don’t sign the petition. The well is dry. Drop the anchor on these tax ripoffs!

Jock Swanstrom

Spokane Valley