Candidates vying for two seats on the Greenfield School Board have been surprised by what they say is the negative tone of a contest that is supposed to be a non-partisan election.
Has this race gotten too negative? Are the incumbents unfairly characterizing the challengers, or is it all part of the process? Let us know what you think in our interactive forum.
(16) Read All ResponsesYes I do believe that this race is getting to negative against the new commers. How dare the incumbents have to sit and lie their way to be re-elected. The incumbants have been treating the new commers very unfairly and I think it is very bad judgement on their part.
I think the race is getting a little negative, but I believe the present school board has been doing the best they can given a lousy system set by the state. I have a seventh grader at the middle school , and I've witnessed millions of dollars of cuts in the school district since she started kindergarten. It's unfortunate for the entire community. We complain about increased taxes, but want the district to do something to increase student test scores. Which will happen? Increase taxes and drive potential newcomers away or increase test scores and attract parents that want a great school district for their children. Unfortunately focusing primarily on the "3R's" is NOT going to help students in this century. The requirements for students to get into college require so much more! It would be great if there were a magic wand we could wave and have more parental involvement. I've been lucky enough to work part-time and be very involved in my childs education, however many parents work full-time and do the best they can. Then there are parents who throw their kids on the school bus and expect the school to teach them everything. Those end up being the kids that need the most individual help and THEY ALL have to meet the requirement set by No Child Left Behind. I will say again that I believe the school board is doing the best they can for our kids and I will be voting for the incumbents.
What does the amount of a vehicle have to do with the issues? He is a business man who knows how to stick to a budget. The incumbents have been in too long and are isoleted from the real world.
If this race is negative its because people do not have the facts. If you think electing new school board members is going to improve things you are totally wrong and I feel sorry for you. Because not only will the education go down in Greenfield so will the value of your home. The two incumbents have done a great job with the quality of education that the students of the Greenfield School District have received. The only problem they had to deal with is lack of funding by the state. If you read the newspapers or watch the news you will know this is a fact that every school district in the state and country is going through. And electing new school board members will not change that. Please take the time to get the truth for the benefit of the students and taxpayers of Greenfield.
Alicia, get a clue, you are only for the new people, how is he a business man? He doesn't want any technology but he uses it, he doesn't care about our teachers, staff, etc. Great business man, doesn't care about the employees. The bottom line, is he is a lier as well as the others. Stated he can't afford more taxes, that is the point of the car, he can afford that? He over bought his house, didn't do the research, smart guy. They should all be out! Get people that care about education not about there own agenda.
First of all Betty from Greenfield my name is Richlen not Richland. Next my I bought my truck used four years ago for 19000. I trade in another truck which was paid for and paid the rest of my truck in cash. At that time I wasnt married nor did I own a home. I never have suggested that our kids do not have access to computers or any other technology. Please tell me how spending 1.8 million on a new administration building is helping our kids?
As far as overbuying a home, when I purchased my home my wife and I were both working full time. As you may have noticed the economy has drastically changed in the past year. My wife lost her job in September and has been looking for work evr since. Please get your facts straight before making foolish comments. Also I find it a bit creapy that you know what king of vehicle I drive.
Betty, could you please let me know what I have lied about. I find it offensive for you to come on this site and make such allegations without ever speaking to me. Have you ever spoken to any of my employees? If you did you would find that they enjoy working for my families business. Many of them have worked their entire careers here. How do you know what I paid for any of my vehicles? I take it your just guessing. Both of my families vehicles were paid in full before ever buying a home in Greenfield. Should I sell my vehicle to help pay the escalating tax burden that family is facing? How do you know that I dont embrace technology? Have you ever spoken to me? Every comment you have made on this site is wrong! Could you tell me exactly what I proposed we cut? If you do not want to vote for me that is fine, but do not write a fictional post on this site. It is also very frustrating to hear you say that I over bought my house. Do you even have a clue? My wife and I have planned accordingly and saved money before buying our house. We have money in savings to pay our mortgage for over a year as well as other expenses. When buying my home I figured taxes would rise over the years, however the level of increases since I have moved in are simply unacceptable and unsustainable. Please make sure to vote next week reguardless of who you vote for. I have been working hard on this process and I have also spent countless hours attending past school board meetings. At least I am making a genuine effort to change the status quo.
Get to know your neighbors, I am also on a fixed income, and watch the meetings, I have had 4 kids go through this system, and don't want the kids in our (yes yours and mine) neighborhood not have the best that we can have for them. People paid for my kids, and I as a senior am willing to pay for this. I agree, I don't know how the center was good? I am only looking for the best way to make sure they get into a good collage. I will only vote for a person that has continued there education, and I hope you did as I have heard. I do get out and ask, as no one likes to talk to us. As far as your wife, I hope she finds a job, yes the job market is bad, as I know I as well don't get much. But thanks for thinking I am creapy, nice thing to say to an 73 year old lady.
Yes, I feel the race is very NEGATIVE. My opinion is that the negativity has gone too far. Who is Kathy Walsh and her followers to cast stones to those she does not even know and to evaluate their financial history. I feel that is uncalled for and to make other individuals like Betty post an obscured notation about an incumbents vehicle. Would you hate me because I just purchased a 2010 Ford Escape that I purchased for $31,000 to replace my 2001 Grand Am? The school board members are put in their seats to speak for us the public; however, it seems that the school board members are becoming too much as followers to what the superintendent wants. This is not suppose to be! So maybe a change for school board members might be deemed advantage for us all!
Hey Betty if the shoe fits. You sound creepy to me an uneducated as well since you can even spell COLLEGE correctly! I dont care how old you are if you are incompetent (hope thats not too big a word for you) you shouldnt be allowed to vote. I cant stand people who speak BS and dont know their facts. You would think being a senior (and not having to work like the rest of us) you'd have time on your hands to reserach the issues and write intelligent comments on this board. I am not sure who I am voting for but based on the FACTS I think David is the better choice.
Betty, I was taught throught the Greenfield Public School system that the "3R's" are reading, writing and arithmatic. The foundation to any education. I have my bachelor's degree in International Economics so I hope I am qualified enough to have an opinion. I was raised in Greenfield and purchased my first home in Greenfield in 2007. That year my property taxes went up 24.2%. In 2008 my property taxes decreased by .9% due to the lottery tax credit. In 2009 my property taxes increased by 14.2%. That is ridiculous and no amount of financial planning (what I do for a living, by the way) can prepare for that; especially with home values falling by record amounts over that time period. Just because someone can afford a car they have saved for doesn't give the city they live in the right to raise taxes. Come on now! Also, I hope everyone looks into the spending habits of higher up government officials when they vote for them too. What kind of car someone drives has no bearing on what kind of school board member they will make. I have yet to read what Richlen has lied about and he asked directly for Betty to clarify. What I am looking for is some clarification. I "heard" that the new high school could have been built sooner but was not. At that time additional federal funding was available. However, by the time it was approved the federal funding was no longer available. Can anyone give me any more info on this? I am currently researching the school board candidates and have not made any decisions. However, I would like factual opinions with solid backing not emotional outbursts. Thank you.
I find incredible those candidates who say they want the best public education for our children while at the same time pandering to those who don't want to pay for it by saying they want to reduce taxes. I would be happy to pay more in taxes for our schools to ensure an educated citizenry. Children are the future. But perhaps those people and candidates don't really want an educated citizenry because they would be less easily manipulated. I am retired with no children of my own in school yet I see the value for myself, my family and my country, to have others' children well-educated
Carlson & Richlen have my vote. Please note gentleman that if you are elected, we (my wife and I) will be watching how you handle the office. Stick to your word and we'll stand behind you! NO NEW TAXES!!!! Cut the fat where you can! There is waste, there always is! I have 2 children in GPS, you'll have to deal with me for the next 13+ years. Good luck! -Jeremy
With an average property tax increase of 11.8% and the lowest test scores in the conference, I'm for one excited to see how Richlen and Carlson will impact our community. Teaching children economic responsibilty and proper budgeting along with the 3 R's is essential in today's global marketplace. Throwing money at the same problems and expecting different results is simply INSANITY! I've taken Dave up on his offer to discuss my concerns and issues (if you bothered to do any research you'll see he published his home phone number). I found he embraces technology, never mentioned "cutting" anything, and simply wants real results. PS. Who knows maybe he'll even add some programs for an adult literacy program. As evident from some posts below it might be a good thing!
I think it's bad. I have found out many things on all 4 people. The challengers have been not telling us the entire story. I still don't know what the 3 R's are, I wonder why Mr Richland drives a big $30,000 truck and wants to cut stuff from our kids, I wonder if the incumbents really look outside the box? I am still unsure who I will vote for, but remember we need to educate our kids. We could be in worse shape, I see the other district hired a sup at $152,000. So I don't want to hear about this again, lets stick to the facts, how are you going to educate our kids, on what the state gives you? If I have to pay more, I have to, someone educated me.