Will the axe fall…
The action of our legislature continues to become clearer and I don’t like what I am seeing. I read an interesting article last week in the Gazette. The WV Treasurer’s office said it had approved 1155 nonpublic school vouchers since the application process opened March 1. Each of those applicants could receive $4,300. The vouchers shift public education dollars to private and home-schooling by giving money to individual families or private businesses that would have otherwise gone to the public school system. That is almost $5 million out of our educational system that by all accounts is already cash poor. And that’s only the beginning.
I have said before this is a bad move. The middle class is the ones that will suffer the most. Statistically, this is where our leaders for tomorrow come from. Their education is vital to their success and that of our society. This is a terrible move that could very quickly get totally out of hand.
It’s not a done deal… there is an ongoing lawsuit that contends the move violates the state constitution. That will have to be resolved before any checks are issued.
Way to go Lady Pioneers…
I watched the climb of the Glenville State University’s Lady Pioneer Basketball team to national prominence. They are so deserving of recognition for their hard work. Brent Boggs does a nice job of that in his column this week. He also talks about GSU and its rise in the academic world. It’s about time the rest of the state and beyond realize what a gem that Gilmer County institution is.
Brent, being the humble individual he is, didn’t mention the important part he has played over the last two decades in preserving this gem. There were numerous attempts to cut or completely eliminate Glenville State. Brent has been their biggest ally. He fought for Glenville with a vengeance when it was warranted. Had it not been for Brent, I seriously doubt Glenville would have survived. GSU is lucky to have Brent on their team!
Parking meters…
You will note in a front-page article that the Town of Sutton is planning on doing away with their parking meters. This is not a new concept nor is it an easy one to make work. We often talked about the move when I was Mayor in Sutton. We even limited the downtown area to 2-hour parking to try to increase available parking for city patrons. The problem was the abuse. People who worked and lived in the downtown area blocked the meters so the intention of creating a convenient place to park for those who visit Sutton for business reasons never really materialized. We made a valid attempt to police the situation with moderate success. I found it amazing to what lengths people would go to circumvent the rules for their own personal gain. Almost all the spots around the courthouse were occupied daily by those who worked there, even though they had designated parking. The people who lived in the apartments were also problematic as they thought they should have parking at their door.
Yes, things have changed, but I will be surprised if the abuse of free parking is one of them…