This sign urges people in the Galena School District to oppose the referendum.
Our family went to Galena’s Eagle Ridge before the spring election.
Election signs were all over the place.
There was a local school bond referendum on the ballot.
I spotted two types of “Vote No” signs and one for the supporters.
Naturally, I took photos.
Here is the “Vote Yes” sign for the Galena school bond referendum.
A couple of years ago, I discovered the antique dealer closest to the wine shops near the flood gate is politically oriented.
He told me that the referendum was the fourth in a row, that the first three had failed.
I asked him why the citizens just didn’t elect a school board that wouldn’t try to raise taxes.
“We did that once,” he said.
Not one, but two “Vote No!” signs were displayed in Galena.
“But they turned into the people they replaced.”
He then credited Chicago pornographer Weird Harold Robbins, who moved to Galena, with the observation.
Candidates, he said, turned into the people they ran to replace once they took office.
That is a really interesting observation.
The referendum for the $24 million bond issue failed almost 3-1.
2,411 to 881 to be exact.
General Rule: When people are elected to office, they are immediately surrounded by STAFF who CATER to their every need.
One primary character trait of most people who run for office is the NEED TO BE LIKED and they tend to possess an ego that needs constant ‘stroking’.
STAFF is trained in the art of manipulating human behavior.
STAFF use the Pavlov training technique to “train” elected officials.
If the elected individual does what STAFF wants, the elected official will be ‘honored’ by STAFF continuing to cater to their every need.
Should the elected individual EVER have the AUDACITY to represent the people who voted for him / her, the elected official becomes an outcast who has problems getting STAFF to do anything.
Need a current example? Look at D.C.
BTW, Pavlov was Russian.
If I recall, there is a movement in Wisconsin to end this practice.
Where a taxing district, after losing an election can not immediately run another tax referendum for a set period of time (years).
I don’t recall if this is part of this years WI budget negotiation or a separate bill.
The question on the ballot:
Galena Unit School District Number 120
Proposition to Issue $21,800,000 School Building Bonds
Shall the Board of Education of Galena Unit School District Number 120, Joe Daviess County, Illinois, Build and Equip a School Building, alter, repair and equip the Galena Middle School building and issue bonds of said school district to the amount of $21,800,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?
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Two hot topics currently in vogue when attempting to pass referendums are “safety” and “security.”
In particular, secure entries into school buildings, and that was the case with this referendum.
Not sure of the proposed method of secure entry that was proposed for this referendum, but here is an example of such an upgrade.
The visitor presses a buzzer at the front door entrance to the school.
A school district employee makes a decision whether or not to remotely electronically unlock the door.
The visitor enters a secure foyer.
Next, the visitor clicks another buzzer.
A school district employee makes a decision whether or not to remotely electronically unlock the door.
The visitor then enters an office to register.
The issue is unless there was an upgrade, older school buildings don’t have a secure foyer, so once through the front door, visitors can bypass the front office.
Another example of secure foyers is many newer police stations.
And of course county jails and prisons.
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The district has collective bargaining agreements with three bargaining units.
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The teacher union is the Galena Federation of Teachers, IFT/AFT Local 4640.
IFT = Illinois Federation of Teachers
AFT = American Federation of Teachers
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The Support Staff employees in the district are represented by Teamsters Local 722.
The Custodians in the district are also represented by Teamsters Local 722.
Connect? Kind of like the people vote in new “good” people then they turn into the old crooked people saying. In other words: You have to do it yourself. No elected anybody is going to cure anything.