Vote YES Door Hangers

[EagleDad]

Beginning today, you will see thousands of Vote YES door hangers on each door in the district. They are School bus yellow, and black. If you like them, and support their message, I encourage you to hang them on your rearview mirror of your car to show your support as you are out and about town.

On the front they say:

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VOTE YES - March 21, 2006

No Overcrowding

No Tax Increase!

www.204thekids.org
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on the back they say:
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3RD HIGH SCHOOL?

- Two largest schools in Illinois: District 204 is on track to have over 5,000 students per school (anticipated total of 10,200) students. Our maximum high school capacity is 8,400.

- Middle schools over capacity: 4 out of 6 are at/over capacity in 2006.

- 1,000 additional high school students and 750 additional middle school students added to our schools with new construction. Increased student enrollment is projected to last into the next decade and beyond.

- B & I tax rate will actually decrease through 2014. Bonds/Intrest will be repaid over 20 years, distributing tax burden more fairly to include future residents in repaying the debt.

VOTE YES
March 21, 2006
www.204thekids.org
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Good luck to all the volunteers, out and about on the coldest days of the year, and there is much more coming.

[Arch]

"No Tax Increase!"

...and the saying:

"There's No Such Thing as a Free Lunch"
will ring through the reader's mind.

[gruany]

Hey ed:

Can you really sleep at night knowing that these door hangers are not truthful when they say no tax increase?

You can bet that when my tax bill comes and the school portion goes up, I'll be at your door step.

[admin]

Well if you leave before 2016 then no tax increase or possibly even a tax reduction to the B&I part of the bill. No matter what happens , our operating part of the tax bill will go up in 2009.

I on't like that phrase either. It should say no tax increase to the B&I until 2016.

[EagleDad]

Hey, I think the messaging on that is a little aggressive also, I was just giving the facts. I wouldn't have chosen that wording.

I do agree with the strategy though, the masses are unaware of the debt restructuring still. I am taking the time to explain the 4.5MM operating in 2009 and beyond to anyone who will listen as I hand these out.

All in all, I sleep like a baby at night, thank you very much for your concern though.

[gruany]

I'm not surprised.

[gruany]

Even if the tax rate is less, won't the taxes still go up because the value of the home goes up?

[fence]

eagledad said:

Hey, I think the messaging on that is a little aggressive also, I was just giving the facts. I wouldn't have chosen that wording.

I do agree with the strategy though, the masses are unaware of the debt restructuring still. I am taking the time to explain the 4.5MM operating in 2009 and beyond to anyone who will listen as I hand these out.

All in all, I sleep like a baby at night, thank you very much for your concern though.

When Arch brought up a similar issue about the 204 website, I sent a message to Rodman re. the way the SB is promoting the potential implications of the debt restructuring. The prob seems to be limited to their "headlines" and not necessarily the next level of detail.

He said that they would look at it and reconsider the wording, because although he thought the info was very clear in stating that the reduction applies to B&I only, that the headlines used such as "lower your mortgage payment" or "no tax increase" may create confusion if people are not understanding that the reduction is only to a certain portion of our overall taxes.....

I believe that this is a matter of a PR person who's a little too gung-ho on the messaging. The SB needs to be very careful to maintain control of their message. They have an intelligent audience.

[EagleDad]

gruany said:

Even if the tax rate is less, won't the taxes still go up because the value of the home goes up?

I guess that's the point. My taxes have been going up year after year. At least with this (the Referendum), me my family, and neighbors see the immediate benefit. Of all the taxes I pay (fed, state, local), the School District portion of local property taxes has the most impact and hits closest to home for me.

[gruany]

I don't understand.

Oh by the way i just received my "door hanger". However it was not hanging on my door, but sitting on my porch floor.

Either way, I still do't understand your response.

[Arch]

The people who are not going to go beyond the headlines react this way:

"Last time I heard they would not go up, they went up a thousand dollars!!"

Right there, that reaction means you lost that voter. Boom, gone. They're not going to care about fine print after that initial moment.

Phrasing something as being 'affordable' probably would have gotten some to at least read and possibly understand and empathize with the 'we need this' message trying to be conveyed.

At the very least, even if they read no further, there is *some* expectation of a bump.

When 2009 rolls around, the way the message is currently "NO TAX INCREASE", you're going to see more NO voters than you can possibly imagine because they will not forget 3 yrs ago they were told NO TAX INCREASE.

That will really leave the district in a financial pickle then, won't it?

[gruany]

I agree.

When you say "no tax increase", I'm sure some people are expecting that their tax bill will be lower.

[fence]

archwinsome said:

The people who are not going to go beyond the headlines react this way:

"Last time I heard they would not go up, they went up a thousand dollars!!"

Right there, that reaction means you lost that voter. Boom, gone. They're not going to care about fine print after that initial moment.

Phrasing something as being 'affordable' probably would have gotten some to at least read and possibly understand and empathize with the 'we need this' message trying to be conveyed.

At the very least, even if they read no further, there is *some* expectation of a bump.

When 2009 rolls around, the way the message is currently "NO TAX INCREASE", you're going to see more NO voters than you can possibly imagine because they will not forget 3 yrs ago they were told NO TAX INCREASE.

That will really leave the district in a financial pickle then, won't it?

I totally understand and agree. That's why I sent a message to the SB. They need to watch their message.

[doctorwho]

The rate portion will go down for the B&I portion of the bill - that is a fact -- the issue come sin when the homes increase in value, and people forget to looka t the rates, they just look at the $.

Everyone wants their homes to increase in value 2 - 3 fold yet not pay any more taxes, that's just not a realistic view. When you get an pay increase at work you pay more taxes also- even if you don;t change tax brackets. Too many want all the rewards and zero downside.

Well if the NO votes win, we won't have to worry about parcel appreciation

[blankcheck]

Big No, No - my "beautiful tax free" door hanger was in my mailbox!