I've been closely following the debate about the middle-school renovations. There have been numerous long-winded letters back and forth about the project. But some key common sense seems to have been lost in the shuffle.
The facts:
The middle school must be renovated. After a lengthy process of public input, the school board decided to renovate rather than to build from scratch. This was a wise decision.
We all know how renovations go: the longer you wait, the more you pay. Thus, time is of the essence. The building is not safe for children or anyone else. The problems are real.
Many have attempted to mislead the community about the true costs of the renovation. Even in New Paltz, there are members of the tired old right wing who are constantly incredulous that living in a community means paying into a common fund to be used for the common good. These people have been whipped up into a froth by Fox News and typo-ridden hate-mongering websites warning of the "socialist" dangers of paying taxes. We need do nothing more than ignore them. Their facts are incorrect, which should come as no surprise.
The true fact is this: If your home is valued at about $300,000, your taxes will increase about $54 per year for four years, and then will decrease each year until the debt is paid off.
I don't even like children all that much, but if I wasn't willing to pay $54 per year to ensure that they could go to school in a building that wasn't at risk of hurting them, I'd truly be a monster.
Lagusta Yearwood
New Paltz
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