Why do you let guest editorials lie? BTA IV is not a replacement levy for BTA III. That is a legal fallacy. BTA IV levies additional funds in excess of BTA III, in a tiered system that goes up even more in 2019. This "replacement" will tax the citizens an additional 130 to 160 dollars a year (for a 450k valued home).

Replacement my backside. If a levy can't pass on its honest merits, that is no reason to lie to get it passed. The Stranger and Lorena Gonzalez should be ashamed of themselves.

I was gonna ask if this was another expanded "replacement" levy a la November's transit levy.

@1 - It's still a replacement levy. If the levy is not passed, that source of basic funding disappears. It is a new levy replacing the expiring one. The tax burden increases, but it is replacing a levy.

And if you don't want to support public education because of nitpicking word usage or increase taxes an extra $15 a month, please go live in Eastern Washington where you belong.

Can we just pay people to not have more kids than they can afford?

#3, just because the funding disappears does not make this a replacement levy. this is a new levy. Yes, if it doesn't pass, there is a shortfall. But that still doesn't make a levy that exceeds the funding level of the previous a replacement.

The lipstick doesn't change the nature of the pig. It is the nature of the pig that is being lied about.

Look. I want this levy to pass. But a person is known by the company they keep. Lying about this levy like this does more harm to it than good. It walks right into a conservative "They're lying about this, they're lying about everything!" mindset, and it can all be solved by just being honest and up front from the beginning.

Bad behavior does not justify bad behavior.

CM Gonzalez is correct on most points (which seem to be written almost verbatim from Schools First.).

Both levies are renewals but at far higher sums. You'll note she didn't mention the amounts but together, it's about $1B. And we just voted for over $1B in November (via both city and county levies.).

These are necessary things but I do wonder how many people may be getting priced out of their homes.

As well, the district has the issue that they are not transparent about the dollars spent at central adm/office and we get dinged in the legislature for that flaw. "Where does all that money go?" It's not a small point.

As for the BTA IV capital levy, it's all needed stuff. Except, that the district knew they would need to take $8M from the original list of projects to pay off bonds for the headquarters building. We have now paid out so much for that building, it's a travesty (and we won't be finished until about 2025.). So why didn't the district mention this in public meetings and wait until after those meetings to put it in the list?

As well, we have so many building needs because the district doesn't pay for basic maintenance anymore (ask them, they'll admit it ) and only do emergency maintenance. It's a little sad to ask for money for projects that they don't plan to maintain.

I'm voting for these but the district needs to be more accountable and transparent about the spending. It's an ask in every single levy election and yet very little changes.

"Both levies are renewals but at far higher sums."
renewal

the action of extending
an instance of resuming
the replacing or repair of something

Don't make me google the definition of replace. Your sentence makes the English language cry.

A guest editorial, in the Stranger, about a levy that's almost certain to pass. Leadership, Gonzalez, that's real leadership.

I voted no on them. I never thought I'd to that, but this state really needs to get its house in order when it comes to funding services. Plus, I was more than a little irritated to find a ballot in my mailbox, with absolutely no advocacy or explanation for it beforehand.

It'll pass, I'm sure. But I couldn't in good conscience vote for it.