August 7

Today is a special election. We're voting on a school tax levy. I'm always uncomfortable voting on these issues because our state's chosen method of funding is through property taxes. I live in a church owned parsonage, thereby not paying property taxes (directly anyway) and so I'm not always comfortable participating in these elections. Jennifer and I usually collaborate and vote in opposite ways so that we cancel each other's votes.


It's difficult because our state supreme court has declared this form of school funding unconstitutional several times and told the state legislature to fix it, but they won't. And so school's are forced to keep doing what they have to do to keep the school's funded and the home owners don't like it too much. I feel for them. But I also have very good friends whose future relies upon the passage of the tax levy.


I have friends who moved to the U.S. from Colombia 5 years ago. Dani is a high school teacher (Advanced Spanish Language) and Henry is my associate pastor (Hispanic Ministry.) They've finally reached the point of being able to apply for permanent residency, but when the last levy wasn't approved, Dani was laid off. If the levy doesn't pass today, Dani's job loss is permanent and her visa will not be renewed and they will likely have to return to Colombia. I'm not so much worried about the ministry--we'll find a way to keep going if we have to--I just don't want my friends to have to leave the country.


I can see all kinds of avenues for how God might be at work, but right now I'm being selfish and I want it the way I want it.


I'm frustrated because the parents and the kids are making this an "extra-curricular" issue, and I could care less about extra-curricular activities right now. Music and the Arts have been pay to play since I was in Jr. High school and no body cared about that. But when sports gets put into the pay to play category, everybody's all freaked out. Deal with it. Pick a sport and excel at that sport. Make a choice instead of deciding that you want it all. Nobody gets it all; so decide what you want to play and live with the choice.


I'm frustrated because nobody is talking about the teachers and the staff people who are losing jobs. Those opposed to the levy are "making a point" or "making a statement" to the board of education that they're fed up with bearing all the burden--if you want to send a message write or call your state senators/representatives and tell them to get off their asses and fix the broken and unconstitutional funding system--but don't cost people their jobs because you want to make a point. Tell your legislators that if it doesn't get fixed you'll grassroots their rear ends right out of the legislature because they aren't doing their jobs.


Today is a special election to decide the future funding of our schools. But today the issue has faces, and those faces aren't cheerleaders, or football players, or basketball players, or baseball players, or softball players, the tennis team or the swim team. The faces today are teachers and their families; staff folks and their families. The faces are those who lost jobs at the end of the school year and care very deeply about the children they teach and serve. Today is about Dani and Henry and Isabella.