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Letters to the editor

The following are letters to the editor that appeared in the Jan. 20 print edition of The Herald. To submit a letter, e-mail editor@puyallupherald.com. Please keep letters submissions to 250 words.

A 20 percent school budget cut would be too severe for the Puyallup School District

I want to briefly explain why I will support the Feb. 9 Puyallup School District replacement levy. Puyallup is an education community. I am the son, grandson, and great grandson of Puyallup teachers, and I was blessed to attend Karshner Elementary, Aylen Junior High, and graduate from Puyallup High School.

Puyallup is famous for its first-class teaching staff, its exceptional athletic programs and its tradition of community support. In this time of economic hardship, we must not raise taxes, and this levy will not increase taxes. Many areas of government spending should be cut but cutting over 20 percent of the Puyallup School District budget would be too much to bear.

Please join me in voting yes for the Puyallup Schools levy.

Hans zeiger, Puyallup

Voting ‘no’ for school levy shows students fiscal responsibility, supports older residents

Until we reign in school administrators’ wanton salaries in the Puyallup School District, meaningful budgetary restraint cannot happen.

As witnessed, the school administration attempted to slash costs through bus route changes and personnel dismissals. Everything that affects the students directly. But no attempt to try and cut excessive salaries to an annual stipend respective of our school system’s size and these economic times, was even suggested, or brought forth to the discussion table.

Seems to me, if the school board was actually wanting to do something for the kids, the first place to cut funding would not be with bus routes and staff dismissals. It would be with the overpaid administrators, negotiating a fairer salary.

Forty three percent of our property tax statement is for additional school bond and levy allocation. Every time there is a budget shortfall, the only people who pay the price are the ones who it most affects. Just like all the big bank CEOs, they get richer and we foot the bill. Let’s do something for our kids. Let’s teach them some fiscal responsibility and what equitable negotiation really means. This would be something that they could carry forward for a lifetime.

So to you I say, “Vote No!” Do it not only for the kids but for the elderly and poor residents. People whose incoming funds and bills being paid out are getting further and further apart, each and every year.

Andy Asmussen, South Hill