ALBANY CITY
SCHOOL BOARD.
GRADE:  F IN CIVICS
AND ECONOMICS

The Albany City School Board
gets an Failing grade in civics.

The School Board has not
rescheduled the second vote
on a slightly scaled back version
of the 196 million dollar high 
school renovation construction 
plan which voters defeated in the 
November 3, 2015 election.

The School Board set the re vote
for February 9, 2016 knowing full
well that the majority of voters
are not paying attention and will
not vote.

This increases the chances that
the School Board supporters
(about 5,000 )will be pulled to
vote yes, February 9. 

In a letter to the editor, Sunday
Times Union, page D3, January
10 a letter of support for a yes
vote appears, along with an
artists rendition of a Washington
Avenue view of the proposed new
building.

All that is missing are the Albany
Police cars parked at the curb
when school lets out every day.

The names of two individuals
are affixed to the letter.  Kristin
Bonds and Michael Kendall.

Google their social media sites
and you will see the usual cast of
local politicians who are pushing
for voter approval of the now
169.1 million dollar spending plan
most notably  NYS Assembly Member
Patricia Fahy, formerly of Chicago.

The letter is a plant .

Today, on the local media we hear
that Albany High School ranks
at the bottom of the barrel in
graduation rates (50%) of all
Capital District high schools.

With an enrollment of 2,200 
grades 9 through 12 students 
with a 50 percent drop out rate
means that the School
Board and Assembly Member
Fahy are promoting a 169.1
million dollar high school 
renovation/construction plan
to serve about a 1,000 students?

Another F grade in economics!

The School Board and supporters
of this irresponsible spending plan
should reschedule the vote on the
plan from February 9 to Primary
Day, April 19, 2016, when all the
polling places in the city will be
open and the Albany County Board
of Elections (not the School Board)
will prepare and count the ballots
manage absentee voting and conduct
the election.

This would be the fairest and most
"progressive" thing to do, which
will allow for the most participation
of homeowners, small  businesses
and apartment dwellers to vote on
the spending plan.

They are the one's who will have
to pay for it in the form of higher
property taxes and higher rents.

In addition, the City is reassessing
properties and the reassessment
Notices will go out March 1.

Another reason that April 19 is
the date the School Board should
set for a re vote on the high school
spending plan?

By the way, why not reschedule a
re vote on the November 3, 2015
General Election results for public
offices, because some don't like the
results?

Just as the results of that election
in public office contests are final
so, too should the defeat of the 
school spending plan be final
until the next General Election.

No, second or third votes!

See posts below on this subject.



                          Joe Sullivan