Mr. and Ms. Stewart, do some research. Voting yes for 63 cents with a sunset clause IS turning your back on the children.

Our children and our community deserve better.

The attack on our teachers and school board is being done by a groug called the Sam Adams Alliance out of Chicago. Accourding to the Missouri Ethics reports teamsam donated $35,000 to the "Citizens Agasint Forever Tax". Teamsam is the finacial and fund raising arm of "Sam Adams". Both list their address from Chicago. Another group which is part of Sam Adams is called the American Majority, on the American Majority web site their mission statement clearly says they wist to make schools private and no longer public.

As you read the letter from Coach Dudik, you come to understand what public schools are all about. Will you the voters allow a political group out of Chicago use our community, our children as political footballs, or do you vote yes and tell people like Coach Dudik, our kids, our community we beleive in them, and we will stand up and take care of our own.

Give this coach one last victory, stand up for our children, after all, if we don't, who will?

PS - Coach you are a gift to the community, thank you

Mr & Mrs Stweart,
You seem to be to wrapped up in the citizens group that has opposed your group.I really think you shopuld have focused on the mad parents and the reason the parents are mad.Remember 1400 children gettting moved and the hardships caused for family's?Remember the school closings?
I also think you sjhould be looking at what your group is saying and then what the district is saying that the levy is still going to put them in a financial distressed stated before it expires and you all say it is for the good of the schools.One of you are lost on the issue.I am glad to see that you all want to fight this fight every several years some of do not.I personally do not like a bandaid on a hugh wound I want it sewed up and healed and put behind us.

With all due respect tot the coach and teachers this levy fails our children not helps them and you all fail to see this you are worried about yourselfs and your frozen wages and it is clear this is what you all are looking at now.This did not affect High Schools if effected your future students the elementary students and family's and teacher.
NO IN NOVEMBER get it right with community engagement from the board and admin and get the right levy for our schools.

One other thought Mr&Mrs Stewart,
I have great Memories from Benton High 25 plus years ago and I have children in these elementary schools and we came back home and I made sacrifices to my career for our children could have the same schools and the good education we got.
But if you all are blind to the fact this levy does nothing and I mean nothing for the children and schools.
It prolongs the inevidiable for our schools and the SJSD has said this as well it still will put us in a distress state and only address the salariy freezes and things along those lines.
So if you are all not willing to fight for the community and the betterment of our schools you all are wasting a lot of time by persuing and supporting this levy.
You all are also to foucused on the citizens group and fail to see the other reasons this levy has opposition and that is the community of the schools closures and the redistricted parents and children.
When does these issues get addressed?
When does the overcrowding get addressed?
Answers please.

mm - you need to apologize to this man. He has devoted his life to teaching children in this community. To say he only cares about his wages, and in case you didn't read his letter he is retireing.

The man cares more about kids and schools than you can even imagine. Im sorry I posted any remarks about his letter, let us allow this man have his letter for what it is, a love letter to the community

54321

Im sorry this person didn't play for you coach, he would have learned some valuable life lessions.

No I went to Benton.

we know -

See I went to Benton where we really did learn life leassons and how to treat people and how to do what is right.

You posts so much about engaging the whole community and then you posts stuff like this. This coach is a great man and your disrespect for him has eliminated any post from the past or future that claims you really mean what you posts. Your sad, very, very, sad.

No disrespect was meant to this man your beliefs not mine you are showing who you are.Not worth communicating with you any longer you are to opinionated and cannot see past your oen beliefs sound familiar.

You need to apologize is what you need to do, you did disrespect him and you know it, don't blame me for what you posted, you posted it.

i read and reread and still don't see a reason for an apology from mm67, he just believes what he says and didn't disrespect anyone that i can read, and i don't understand where you get that he does.

Thanks donaldo I hope you don't get attacked from this person next.
By the way on a different subject I think you said you worked with Ed Pamir and if I am correct do you know of any update to Ed's situation.I known Ed since we were teenagers.If I am wrong about you working with him I am sorry I asked and ignore my question.

mm- I had the pleasure of playing for Coach during his first season as a head coach and I learned more from him about personal responsibility, leadership and competing than any other person in my life (other than my father). To state Coach is only worried about wage freezes is an insult to the 33 years of dedicated service he has provided to our community.

I guess you did not read I said in my original post I said with all due respect to the coach and the teachers.Read it not read into it what you want to.

MM - saying "with all due respect' is exactly like starting a sentence with "I am not a racist..."

oh I see then with all due respect mm you are a very sad person. I said with all due respect so please don't read anything into my post.

I just got done laughing so hard, thats and exact line from a movie in Talladaga Nights - "I said with all due respect" -

Your opinions people read into it what you like theres no talking to you.You see it your way and your waY only just like the TF and the SJSD/SJSB.

With all due respect check it out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af-Id_fuXFA

Sense, you have said some wonderful things about Mr. Dudik. He is a fine man and a good coach. He has done Benton High School proud by being a former south sider and alumni of BHS around the early 1970's. He was on the schools football team and I believe he was a wrestler.

Just to add to my 10:34 comment, I would also say that there are people who knew both men who will tell you that Mr. Dudik reminded them of another well known Benton Coach, Mr. Richard Lehman. Actually, MM, Mr. Lehman was a Lafayette grad but I am sure you will not hold that against him.

What is great is the way the coaches and players from the city respect each other. Sure they can be rivals but my son played with a team on the south end and had a great time and we got to know some great players.

Anybody know how Benton and Laf did tonight I missed the news.

Mr Lehman was great and actually that brings back some great memories.Dillygent I had no issues with the coach at central I was making a statemnt and said with all due respect.

stop your making my gut hurt from laughing I keep wathing the youtube scene I posted - with all due respect - you're making me laugh -

Laugh all you want I Think that laughing will turn to something else come Tuesday night apple.

I don't know this apple you talk about, however the vote on Tuesday, my world will be fine - I will do whatever I p to stop the "American Majority and Sam Adams people from winning the school board election, now that they have been exposed, the media knows, the voters knows, they will be chased away from here - it's going to be lots and lots of fun.

You are worried about the wrong people you should be worried about the community that is upset with the direction of the schools and the board and admin.

with all due respect - sorry can't finish, I just keep laughing.

Keep laughing you will stop I am sure that will be Tuesday evening and keep saying you do not know who a certain person is but I do not believe you and other do not believe you as well. You continuing to rant on the same way and on same things proves otherwise as to who you are.Just like the last time the post got worse and worse till they went of the deep end.And your attacking me in the same way also goes a long way with that perception.
Have a good evening and keep reading into things what ever the heck you want I do not care.

if your not first mm your last

You know I saw Smith tonight trying to engage the community and I think that is a good first step but there has to be more.She tried to explain things but they should have waitted till 2011 to close any schools and came back to the voters with their levy.She has also said that their are parents mad and they know it if they would have just waited they would not bei nthis position.See they are wrried that this will cost them the levy and I believe they arfee right to have this concern.Now she must continue to engage the community to calm the public and I think she knows this now.

I disagree with all editorials. If we truly believe in future state for our public education, we should have the confidence and mindset to argue it correctly. It is No in November for me and I have stated my rationale behind it. I will defend and support what I as a citizen believe in. The sunset clause case has not won my support or vote. It does not address or committ money to future state and progression. In regards to the coach, I highly respect his dedication to his career and his committment to the students. I disagree with his thought processes on this issue and some of his engagement with the community previously in another editorial. One thing this entire community should improve to work on is respect opposing viewpoints, the right of people to speak out on any issue, and respect the right of voting for or against any cause. The majority of these forum posts are unfortunately trashing each other and that breeds groups like Axiom to come into play. Along with unstability on a public issue that requires a vote. Until we as a community along with the school district truly committ and progress for the long term future state of what is truly needed in our educational processes, the present course of business is unstable and that initself is detrimental because as a community we cannot find the confidence to address and move torwards finding long term solutions to pressing problems.

Maybe the school board doesn't deserve axioms attacks, but the school board does have some 'splaining to do. They have an accoutability problem. They would not listen that the reserve fund of $35 million was too much--made up of money intended to benefit children through smaller classes, better/more equipment and paying teachers so they wouldn't be as likely to leave. They had no problem with approving poorly qualified people for main office jobs. They had no problem raising the superintendent's pay. On the other hand, they looked the other way when the superintendent proposed policies that took away employee rights; they would not listen to the pleas of many who told them that employees were bullied or threatened into resigning or retiring. They ran a levy and bond election last spring when there was no way it could win with the economy tanking. Some went back on their promises; some were naive; and some listened to voices in the main office and resented their constituents when they questioned or opposed them. So maybe Axiom is wrong in content, but they are right to target the rubber stamp school board. We'll see if the board gets a mandate, a pass or rejection next Tuesday.

mm, don't fall into her trap. More of the same from apple/sense.

yougottabeliddingme,
It did not take long for those true colors of hers to come back out.
It was to clear to see last night qith the way I was attacked by sence/apple who she was.Believe me as easy as it is to I not going to.

The trap mm fell into is that he can not answer any specific questions without going off his script of blah blah communications blah balh engaging blah balh band-aid. Im not the only one asking him to supply answers.

Your agenda is clear, keep funding away from school and keep them poor so you can leverage your agenda -

People rule - the $35 million came from paying off debt early and re-financing debt more that excess revenue. And when you have a sunset clause you must save for the rainy day.

Again no who you are dealing with - here is a link to the web page of the President of the American Majoriy blog space

http://www.americanmajority.org/component/search/public%2Bschools/%252F?ordering=&searchphrase=all

Notice the blogs and what they have in common. Pushing private schools over public. Charter schools, school tax credits. This group is behind Tea parties and activating citizens to run for office. They are the ones throwing $35,000 into Axuim to print these lies.

Look at the local opposition, see how they obey the American Majority new media training by using these posts and blogs to spread their agenda.

They attack anyone who speaks up for the school, they even tell the coach of Central who will be retiring this year he is only concerned with his salary.

These people will stop at nothing and for what? Simply returning funding to our local schools. For not wanting our district to be the lowest funded schools in the state. For putting as much value on kids today as those in school a year ago.

This has nothing to do with community engagemnt, district communication, it is pushing a national agenda into our community and our community will suffer.

St. Joe, Kansas City fought them and won, Platte City fought them and won, they don't care the issue or the reasons or what happens after, don't beleive research them, read the blogs.

Even if you agree with them, you can't keep money from your schools. If you don't stand up for your kids St. Joe, who will -

sence ,
I did not fall into your trap I answered you but you failed to see what I was saying.So listen closely how can anybody tell you what a plan is without communication from all people the community and the SJSD/SJSB.Got it now I hope so apple/sence.

so again, you have no plan =