Today I made calls. In fact, I called every City Council member — that's nine, for those of you who aren't keeping count. Only one answered: Rose Mary Christian. I told her about our site, about the great folks who were already making it better, and I said: "On the city Web site, under your bio, you say: 'Everyone should get involved in their community.' So, what should folks be doing?"
Her first thoughts were for the elderly and the handicapped. We should be taking care of them, she said. Then she talked about child molesters. She wants to put signs up outside the homes of child molesters that identify them as such.
"We have to protect the kids," she says. "They can't protect themselves."
The other issue that had Rose Mary Christian worked up this afternoon: school taxes. Homeowners without school age children unfairly pay the brunt of those taxes, rather than parents who rent being more responsible for the cost, she says. Her idea: charge parents of school-aged children a fee to send their kids to school. That would help reduce the burden on property owners, she says.
What do you think?
It is not surprising to me
It is not surprising to me that Rose Mary Christian responded. Rose Mary really cares about the people she represents. Sometimes Rose Mary's comments go overboard and don't always come across in a positive way. I commend her for not being afraid to speak her opinion. I must say I don't agree with her comment on school taxes. . . ("Homeowners without school age children unfairly pay the brunt of those taxes, rather than parents who rent being more responsible for the cost, she says. Her idea to charge parents of school aged children a fee to send their kids to school. That would help reduce the burden on property owners, she says."). My comment would be "Batavia residents do not need another tax or fee, or whatever you want to call it to spread the tax burden. We need the leadership of our School Board and the City Council to Stop Spending. Stay within your means. Don't keep looking for more money from the taxpayers of the community. Property tax is just one part of it. We all pay or have paid state and federal taxes. Use them wisely. Do not keep asking for more. If changes are needed in equipment or services we need to make the changes with the money we currently have. Stop the additional spending and asking for more, more.