Dear Editor,

The article written by Mendel Stewart, “We Must Unite for Continued Success” is the same approach that the Liberal Democrats have recently taken after the presidential election. After the school board has taken away our constitutional rights and have mortgaged our future forever by borrowing almost $400,000,000 to build new schools with $100,000,000 in athletic fields and gymnasiums, they ask for our “support and understanding.” The liberals in Congress smashed George Bush for years with their treasonous press and their uncooperative spirit; knowing that the President had to compromise in order to fund the Iraq war. Now they want bipartisanship and cooperation to fund their socialist programs and call them a stimulus package.

The school board plan to meet the budget is designed to put maximum pressure on the General Assembly by creating as much havoc in school administration as possible so that the General Assembly with the support of parents who have children of school age will abolish our state school funding and create a state property tax.

Jim Rex has already stated that this is part of his plan to fund education and it will be another step towards ripping our homes and autos from is us. It was said when the lottery was enacted that the schools will never be satisfied with funding and they aren’t. They ask for extra raises while not accepting the responsibility for the performance of all students and dropout rates.

It would have been simple to take away one of the raises (there were two) given in 2006 without going through all this furlough mess and reinstituting it when the economy recovers. All educators need to share directly in the responsibility for the bad economy. It has been caused by Democratic liberals like Barney Frank, demanding “affordable housing” and pushing banks to make loans to people that could not afford them. Now millions of Americans are paying the price by losing their jobs, houses and cars. People in Pickens County are helping to pay the same price. If you don’t believe me, just look at the foreclosure listings in the newspaper. Carolina First Bank lost $75,000,000 in the 4th quarter. All banks in Pickens County are suffering. Small businesses have ground to a halt. When will educators get it?

Some of you will remember that Sen. Larry Martin said Mendel Stewart had told him in 2006 that the Greenville plan was dead as far as Pickens County was concerned and that is why he did not worry about the window of opportunity the state senate gave all the counties wishing to build schools through this plan. As it has turned out, now we have borrowed more money than all the taxable property in Pickens County is worth. Who are the people of Pickens County going to trust? There is a way this plan can be stopped. Every contract that has not been finalized can be grouped and all the refunded to the bond purchasers. Stewart is correct that the bond money cannot be used for operational expense. Between the federal government, the state government and Pickens County, our nation as we know it is getting ready to end.

F.M. Caddell

Six Mile