Additional election information

There were apparently 6860 voters in the April 8th election.  I received 3440 votes.  According to my math, that means that 50+ percent (50.15%) of those who turned out to vote, voted for my candidacy.  I am very happy with that, considering that there were 8 people running for 3 spots.

Warren Buffett: Prioritize Career Building Over Market Studying – Personal Finance Education

Link – Warren Buffett: Prioritize Career Building Over Market Studying – Personal Finance Education
Fortune magazine drops in on a Q&A Warren Buffett offered to 150 business students, and the advice dispensed by the Oracle of Omaha on investing and money in general is elegantly simple. When one student asked Buffett how to best spend his free time to further his investing knowledge, Buffett avoided generalized advice and told him to stick to what he knows. Fortune paraphrases:

For most people, the bulk of their income is going to come from earning power in their chosen profession. Therefore, from the standpoint of building wealth, free time is better spent sharpening one’s professional skills rather than studying investing.

Buffett also advises that those who can’t commit serious time to being active investors should stick to buying index and other diversified funds over time, a thought echoed by our commenters. Hit the link for more questions and answers with a man who knows from investing.

Discussion on a possible ballot proposal in November

As most of you know, COMPASS (our community engagement program) intends on presenting a proposal to the Mehlville Board of Education that will most likely include a Phase 1 tax levy of 37 cents. As a board member, we receive communication containing varying levels of support, some who adamantly oppose such a thing, and some who whole-heartedly support it.

Today I received an email from someone who opposes it. I will leave him anonymous, but here is the email, followed by my response, which is somewhat long, but clearly represents my feelings on the issue.

Mr. Frank,

Congratulations on your reelection to the Mehlville School Board.

I was hoping that candidates representing fiscal responsibility and sound judgement would be elected.

As I read in the Call, this 37 cents per $100 assessed valuation proposal would cost the owner of a $200,000 home an additional $11.71/month. The County Council’s imposition of a “voluntarily manditory” recycling program will cost me an extra $6.50/month. Government would soon be in my pocket for an extra $18.21/month increase without any consideration for how the taxpayer will get the money for payment.

Our three children graduated from Oakville Senior High and now have families of their own. Our grandkids (we have 10) are often confronted, “Is this how you want to spend your money? It doesn’t grow on trees, you know.”

END

And here is my response:

Hello Mr. *****,

Thank you for your email. I always appreciate the opportunity to further explain my position on issues such as this. I first want you to know that I could not agree with you more on the country trash/recycling issue. I think the way the whole issue has been handled is deplorable and a blatant abuse of power by our county government.

I also would agree that in the state and federal government, there are questionable expenditures of taxpayer money. Much of the money spent, should not be spent at all.

That being said, there is a clear difference between what the county government is doing with the trash, and what the volunteers that make up the Mehlville Board of Education are wanting to do for the children in our community. The difference is, our initiative will be going to a vote of the people. The people will get a chance to decide what they want.

In your particular case, I don’t know what your financial situation is, so I can’t answer all of your questions on a personal level, but you did indicate that you have ten grandchildren. I don’t want to assume that all ten of your grandchildren are attending, or will attend the Mehlville School District, but in cases such as yours, I would like to think that the extra 38 cents a day to better educate them would be well worth it, especially when you see, in a moment, what that 38 cents a day will provide for them. Again, I don’t mean to sound presumptuous, only you can answer the question of whether or not it is worth it for yourself, and your grandchildren.

This world is changing. I won’t get in to all the details of our new 21st century global economy because you are probably fully aware of the challenges we face…not so much you and me, but for our children, and our children’s children. However, it is important to know that the amount of information generated in this world is now doubling every 18 months. It is impossible to teach it all, and it is impossible to know it all. It is no longer enough to memorize your periodic tables and hope to get a job in science. A child has to be taught critical thinking skills, the ability to be able to discern truth from a constant bombardment of competing “facts” and information. It is no longer enough to memorize your times tables in hopes of getting a job in engineering. Times tables and periodic tables are still important to the educational process, but now more than ever, critical thinking skills are paramount.

A high school degree is now the equivalent of a GED twenty years ago. An associates degree in college, now, is the equivalent of a high school diploma, twenty years ago. In today’s 21st century economy, you have to have a four year degree or higher to make a solid, yet dynamic living, one that can change with the flip of a switch, as will often be the case. We have to prepare our children for a four year higher education. Your grandchildren are very likely to make more than a dozen career changes in their lifetime. That is just the way of things in this ever-changing, global economy. We need to properly prepare them for this environment.

Today, Mehlville is a good school district in its current form, but every year we fall further behind other area communities, and their school districts, simply because we do not have the funding to keep up. Tomorrow, this will not be the case. This is not good for your grandchildren, nor the rest of the children of the Mehlville School District. They must be able to compete with our neighbors’ children in this economy, or they very well may be “left behind,” and the quality of life for all of us will most certainly decrease as a result. All we are asking of the community is to let us put our tax levy back to what it was in 2006, before the mandated rollback, so that we may do our jobs to the best of our ability, with the resources provided to us. It is not all we would like to have, but it is certainly a start.

So, what exactly will our children, maybe even your grandchildren, receive in exchange for this 38 cents a day? All of the following, and all of the intangibles that come with it…

Programs and Services

• Full Day Kindergarten
• Early Childhood Expansion
• English Language Learner Teachers
• Counselors
• Elementary Remedial Reading Teachers
• Allows Staff Salaries to Become Equal to the County Average

Technology

• Update Current Computers
• Wireless Technology
• Classroom Multi-Media Technology
• Related Technology Staff and Training

Safety & Security

• Full Video Security
• Scheduled Replacement of District Buses

Facilities

• Appropriate Facilities for Full Day Kindergarten
• Early Childhood Satellite Facilities Modifications
• Safety & Security Improvements
• Indoor Air Quality Improvements
• Improve Student Achievement
• Acoustic Improvements
• Infrastructure Improvements
• Performing Arts Center, with additional classroom space, at each high school

I hope that eventually you will agree with me on this issue. This would be an investment well spent, but unlike the extra expense placed on us by the county, you – and the rest of the community, will have a choice in this matter, and if it passes, will have something special to show for it.

Thank you again for writing, and feel free to keep in touch.

Sincerely,

Karl Frank, Jr.
Director – Mehlville Board of Education