Since those of us in Houston are not in a battleground for President, and there isn't much very tight about our Senate race, I thought I'd start a thread about something on the ballot about which our vote will actually matter: 2 bonds at stake for HISD. Prop A, for $4 billion for buildings, and Prop B, for $400 million for technology, would rebuild 22 schools, renovate 16 more, and upgrade HVAC, security and capacity at still more, and build 3 technical education centers. HISD says it would not increase property tax rates, relying instead on rising property values. Problem one might be for some people that it is a lot of money. After interest, it'll cost us over $8 billion over 30 years. Problem two is that some people are still butthurt that Abbott took away our vote and installed his own man to run HISD -- and run it into the ground, say some. Usually my local election threads go nowhere. So, I'm wondering is anyone paying attention to this? I'll go ahead and attach a poll for funsies.
My Teacher friends are against it The new State Appt Super is evidently robbing us blind Got 300K bonus from a group he appointed and it expected to give them all raises I have not really followed closely but that is the word I am hearing This seems like a 2 part attack 1. a Money grab 2. a way to Stick it to Houston My teacher friends in Dallas were so happy to be rid of him Rocket River
ONE MORE THING I would not be so bother by the 8 Billion . . .. . if it came directly and totally from the CASH COW THAT IS THE TOLL ROADS!! Rocket River Toll Roads are my pet peeve
I had to ask my sister who just retired from Academia and she hates it.......that's about all I needed, to lazy to research more, plus I have no kids......so I will vote NO.
My kid is grown now so I have no dog in the fight . .. so to speak other than the fact that the money should go to teacher and facilities and I have NO CONFIDENCE that that will happen I suspect it is another grift that will line the pockets of people that barely even interact with kids from administrators/principles/etc to contractors/builders/etc The problem with like 90% of politics/taxes/government is that about 80% of the funds disappear into the hands of people that don't do **** only about 20% end up going and doing what its suppose to Rocket River
I hate being in this position. I want to upgrade HISD buildings. I've had kids through the system and many of the buildings are lousy and we apparently haven't had a new bond to address it in 12 years. But it is wrapped up in Miles' vision for how to remake the district. He and this board would be making choices that will be baked in for a half-century because buildings are long-lived assets. And, I don't know, they might be good or bad choices. But, I have a big problem with the legitimacy of the people making the choices. If we're going to spend that much of local money, it should be directed by locally chosen leadership.
The little Napoleon super is no reason to vote against. People b****ing about school ac units can't have it both ways
Well . .. If the money is not going to AC Units . . . .. The problem is that there are legit problems HOWEVER - we have NO GUARANTEES that *ANY* of the money is going to address those problems They can not fix the issues. . .. put the money in their pockets and come back in 3 yrs complaining they need money for the AC units again "what happened to the last money we gave you?!??!" "Seriously. . .you want to talk about that while the kids don't have AC Units?" Rocket River
Probably for good reason https://www.texasobserver.org/hisd-houston-mike-miles-tea-public-schools-texas/
Miles is just a part of the republican grift machine. It's all about where (and for who) you can make profit off taxpayers, not what's in the actual best interest of students. On top of that, republicans want the public school system driven into the ground just just like the post office. F**k them, it's the easiest no I've ever cast in a ballot measure.
He was cleared of that. That stated, I don't like the fact that he has ownership stake in outside school programs. This bond might be a good thing, but with Texas Republican leadership generally being anti-public schools and Democrats being anti-Miles, I think this bond will fail spectacularly, like over 65%.
Yes he was investigated by the TEA (the same republican led agency that appointed him) and they found no wrongdoing
Really, we can't have both democracy and air conditioning? What kind of shithole country is this? I agree with you. The accusation against had looked shaky. And it's not like they just wire Miles $4 billion and hope imhe spends it the right way. There is a whole bureaucracy that will manage and account for the funds. At best, they can pick a friend's construction company over someone else's. Won't we just accelerate the tanking if the district by not funding renovation? That's what is diabolical about this setup. Either let the public schools fall into ruin or capitulate to the colonizer Mike Miles. I guess I'm hoping that we will regain local control in a couple of years and then we can do a big bond package.
It's called history Dude already got 300K Bonus for less than a year of work Did you even know that? Rocket River
Basically give them 4 billion . . .and hope that a billion or so trickles down to the actual schools and used for what its suppose to do or nothing to the schools Those is our options? Rocket River Teddy : Which brings me to my next issue. We pay you 15 percent to do business here. The additional 10 percent you steal, we ignore. We anticipated it, as you people are such clichés. The fact that you're a rat to the Feds is also tolerable, Little John.
