Opinion : $48 million project who decides and who gets to pay

The Benton Community School District is seeking the approval of voters in the district to pass a 48.5 million dollar referendum. A special election will be held tomorrow, March 7. There has been a huge push by the school district there to sell this to the residents of the Benton Community School District. There have been several forums for the district to answer questions about the project.

A couple of Facebook pages have popped up discussing the project. One in favor, and one supposedly not, although I suspect they are run by the same group.

This decision to tax property owners even more to support this project will not be made just by the owners of property, but by everyone 18 years and older. In the good ol' days, only those that owned land were allowed to vote. When votes like this come along, I understand why that used to be the way things were done. 

An 18-year-old will never have the same perspective as those who are paying a mortgage, footing the bills for those under their roof and yes, paying taxes. An 18-year-old just left the doors, in this case, of the school asking for more money. There is an attachment there that a 20-year alumnus no longer has. I dare say, a maturity that the 18-year-old doesn't have. 

Property owners, and yes even those that rent will pay the burden of this referendum. Why will renters pay? Because property owners must pass along the cost of the property. Any time there is a new "tax" it affects all residents. The idea that you can "tax the big guy, they can afford it" pretty much shows the lack of understanding how things really work.

I wish I could make those that say, "farmers can afford it"  understand that, no, they really can't. Farmers have one job. Their job is to feed you. This economy has burdened the farmers as much as, if not more than you and I. Farmers, are dealing with increasingly outrageous expenses in this economy, and now in this district, are going to be asked to shoulder even more of the burden than those who are in town. Why? Because they own more property, and taxes are based on your property. Many are concerned about this proposal.  

The downside to this type of article is that you can talk to several who are afraid of the outcome of this vote. Many are concerned about yet another tax and how it will affect their ability to produce. How it will be just one more thing breaking their backs. But no one wants to go out there and poo-poo the idea in public. The whole Iowa nice thing bites us in the rear sometimes. There is a difference between being nice, and being honest with people. Unfortunately, it's considered mean to say, "no." Sometimes when people are saying, "no," what they are really saying is, "no, I can't afford one more expense right now." 

Farmers are the ones that still know what a real day's work is, something most of us couldn't do. So if the farmers are thinking, "yikes, please vote no," wise neighbors would listen. Ask questions. Go and ask a farmer. Ask the single mom who is trying buy a house to house her children. Ask a retired couple living on a fixed income. 

You and I have the responsibility of balancing our checkbooks. We have to. However, when something like this comes along, you are at the mercy of your neighbor to decide just how much you will have left in your checking account. If everyone decides that they want you to use your money for a project like this, there is nothing you can do about it. 

Vote as you will, but consider all of the things above.

The vote for this referendum is set for tomorrow, March 7, 2023. Vote however you wish. But vote wisely.