120701 Joe Whelan: Why the Bedford Central bond has no credibility

To the Editor:

Re: My "no" vote on the bond proposition for Wednesday- Jan. 23, 2002.

As I explained the evening of the vote, I voted against the almost $ 100 Million bond (including interest ) "in light of the recession and other unquantified money pressures in the community not the least of which is money we pay to the teachers and deferred building maintenance."

1. Mark Slivka's eerie and prickly comments including that I am a "non-entity" spoke volumes about his priorities The last time I looked, as an elected trustee I represent over 9,000 households. Those households trust that they will he represented by one who based on the facts, considers the public's best interests and those of the students in our school. If not us, who? If not now, when?

2. To propose a bond of this magnitude disserves the elementary schools and the middle school, which have relatively modest needs. Had the board engaged the public and elicited the public's point of view ,this bond would have had credibility. People on fixed income, empty nesters, those just starting families or the thousands who are just gelling by (the working middle class) will not readily accept this bond. To "sell" it now will be an uphill battle as it should be.

3. On the  heels of this $100 million spending is our 2002-03 budget, the teacher contract negotiations, academic needs (ie: books not bricks) Such as the New York state standards new academic-intervention-services demands, et al. We do not have a financial plan to explain  how we will cope with these costs. Woe betide to those who do not plan.

4. The overarching issue is why is this school district, and from what can he seen superficially, the rest of the educational establishment is living in the 1920's  vis a vis financial management. The SEC standards were implemented  in 1933 and 1934
to protect investors, Our investors are the public, and the dividends  are paid to students
and the community and country at large. School districts would not be allowed to take
investor's money because of the absence of standards and our failure to adopt best practices in financial management.

Joseph G Whelan Jr.