Lorena rollback tax

Scare tactics is how I describe the TRE (Tax Ratification Election) brochure, which the taxpayers of the Lorena school district have received in the mail.

So I would like to poise several questions:

* When the superintendent received a substantial raise, why did the spokesman for the school board seem to be at a loss in trying to explain this expenditure? (Apparently the board has had no hesitation cutting experienced personnel.)

* Why was this brochure not completely honest as to the situation with Crawford ISD? Crawford did reduce administrative personnel and combine schools but still has an exemplary rating. Lorena has received recognized and academically acceptable ratings.

* With the economy as unstable as it is, why are taxpayers again expected not to question increased taxation?

As I recall, another election of this type was previously held and the Lorena taxpayers voted it down. On Sept. 2, the voters of Lorena should again vote “no” to $1 million more in taxes.

Jon Johnson

Lorena

Protecting education

In a controversial response to actions last year by Gov. Rick Perry, U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, and others in the Texas congressional delegation made sure money intended for Texas’ public schools will go to Texas’ public schools — and nowhere else.

No thinking proponent of public education believes that the federal government has the right or ability to consider what is best in local school issues, but when the governor uses federal funds as an excuse to move money previously earmarked for education away from it, then it rightly takes the oversight provided by Congress to prevent such malfeasance from happening again.

Thankfully our congressman has put the interests of public school children and employees ahead of what might be considered politically expedient.

Tony Uzzell

Woodway

Woodway probe

There have been three redemptive outcomes from the investigation of Woodway City Manager and Police Chief Yost Zakhary that was prompted by the outrageous lies spread repeatedly by Mike O’Bric in the many letters he mailed out to voters in Woodway during the election for City Council in Woodway.

* First, Woodway citizens now know how fortunate we are to have Zakhary working for us. His dedicated service to the community for almost 30 years is finally being given attention that has long been overdue.

* Second, we are also very fortunate to have a city council that refused to function like it was “bought and owned” by O’Bric in the spring election but rather acted with thoughtfulness and integrity in its response to baseless accusations targeting Zakhary. The decision to carefully investigate and determine what was factually based, rather than rushing to judgment, is to be commended.

* The third redemptive outcome has been to exonerate Zakhary, whose reputation was trashed by O’Bric’s lies, and to show who the real scoundrel was in this matter.

In what is truly poetic justice, the accuser has been revealed to be the scoundrel.

Walter Bradley

Woodway