Dear Editor

I've been thinking about the upcoming school levy and there are many reasons not to pass this measure.

1. The economy here simply can't support this. Our taxes are high enough. Our political future is still unknown. We can be sure power, food, fuel and everything else will keep going up. At this point more expense and bigger budgets are financial suicide. We need to think about living within our means and quit asking the taxpayer to pick up the tab.

2. Landowners and/or farmers will pay considerable more. Not only do we own our homes but acreage. My place will cost me at least $717 a year more for 20 years, just for this bond. Do any of you think there won't be more increases? From the hospital, the library, the fire district? Where are we supposed to find this extra income in a failing economy?

3. I have several clients that live on a tight budget. They are afraid they'll be taxed out of their homes. And for people that rent, guess what you might not pay taxes, but I promise you your rent will go up. I've heard others comment they'll just leave and move somewhere else. That's encouraging!

4. We have less kids in our Dayton Schools than in the past. This makes me wonder why are Dayton kids in Starbuck, Waitsburg, & Walla Walla schools. The buildings don't make the education system work. It is the people in the schools system and their attitude that educate and influence our youth.

Many of us in the private sector would like to do major renovations to our businesses or our homes but it simply isn't possible with a bad economy. We can't pass the buck to someone else.

We need to fix the immediate problems and then wait till we are in better times financially before we spend money on a project this extravagant. Please think about what this measure will cost people that really can't afford it.

Lee Ann Literal

Dayton