Voters aren’t uninformed

I am responding to the article in the July 19 edition on District 719 referendum. I take great offense with board member [Michael] Murray implying that anybody who would vote against the referendum is “uninformed.”

This blatant insult of the overwhelming majority of voters last November and people who will be voting this November is unacceptable. Mr. Murray owes an apology to every voter that looked realistically at the school budget of $8,480.25 per student and thought it was enough. There was nothing uninformed about those who voted “no.”

It is the truly informed voters that the School Board fears. Those who would look beyond the scare tactics and posturing of the board, for the facts, will easily see that this district has enough. Look at the information available from the state and ask a few questions. Do we need district-run daycare (Kids’ Company) and its 25 employees that had a combined salary of $421,576.04 last year? Just how many “social workers” and “counselors” do we really need? We already have eight counselors, nine social workers and three school psychologists on the payroll, making $928,796.36. These are not shared roles, but individual staff members with a single job code.

These are not small amounts of money, and this is just the salary that these people are paid. How much more goes to supplies and activities? What is a “Synergy” teacher? Why do we have five of them? Are they worth $202,702.50 a year? These are the questions that are never asked. These are the cuts that are never made. A “cut” is only ever made if it will “inform” a student or parent that the school needs more money. That is the “informed” voter Mr. Murray and the board want.

Maybe this is too much information. If looking at all this excess, I decide to vote “no,” does that make me “uninformed”?

Evan Kaneski, Savage

Social Security is a scam

Received my Social Security check again this week. My first thought is, ‘What a nice check to receive once a month!’ Then, my common sense kicks in.

Social Security is the opposite of life insurance. You have to live to get any benefit, and the benefit is a fraction of the value. The institution that you depend upon has already spent the money and depends upon new people putting money in the system for your benefit to continue. If you die early, all your value is forfeited for other people to receive.

Using today’s numbers, if one invested the Social Security contribution on a family income of $50,000 a year at 5 percent for 40 years, that account would be worth $960,000 at age 65. At 65, that money in an account returning only 2 percent would provide $4,000-plus per month until you are 90. If you died at any time before, it would go to your estate.

If I were 40, I would feel very uncomfortable, since a Social Security crisis will hit about the time I reach 65. The Democrats like to scare seniors into voting their way. They killed a plan to reform Social Security submitted by President Bush in 2001. It had an investment component. We are now seven years closer to that crisis, and the Democrats just want to fix it by increasing payroll taxes.

Social Security is a scam that the federal government uses to fund its extravagances. The Democrats support the scam.

By the way, if you die at 65, you have just paid a death tax of at least $960,000.

For those of you who think corporations are evil and cheat while the federal government is a benevolent, honest institution that has only your best welfare at heart, get real.

John A. Benedict, Prior Lake

Relay was a success

On behalf of the Relay for Life of Scott County Planning Committee, we would like to thank all those who helped to make this year’s 11th annual “Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back” event so successful.

Whether you participated on a team, volunteered or made a donation, we really appreciate your commitment to Relay and to the fight against cancer.

On July 11, 48 teams gathered at Shakopee Junior High School to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. Our Relay raised more than $155,000 for patient services, education, research and advocacy. Together we have raised over $1.4 million in the past 11 years here in Scott County.

Because of Mother Nature, our event was different this year. Hats off to the Shakopee School District for allowing us to move our event inside the junior high. Its staff was amazing to work with. We realize that this year was disappointing in some aspects and did not feel the same as when we are outdoors and could walk by lit luminaria all night long. However, we feel very fortunate that we were able to enjoy as much of the event as we did.

We came together as family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to celebrate, remember and fight back. We believe we accomplished that. We extend an invitation to all to come back again next year and experience Relay the way it is intended, outside walking by lit luminaria.The ACS Relay for Life is about being a community that takes up the fight. There is no finish line until we find a cure. Thank you again to everyone involved with our 11th annual Relay. Let’s keep up the great work; we are making a difference in the fight against cancer.

Ruby Winings, event chairwoman

Fund shortage, closed pool

I appreciate Arch McCord’s letter (July 19, letters to the editor) to explain to Lori Wente (July 12 letters) why there wasn’t enough pool time for a community open swim. His letter was informative and fully explained the use of the pool, but a major issue was missed.

There is no time for a community open swim because the voters spoke last fall when voting down the proposed referendum, denying our public schools funding.

One of the results of voters’ denial of the levy is the School Board chose to close the Twin Oaks pool for the next school year in order to save $60,000 as reported by the Prior Lake American.The reason there is no open swim is that the voters of this community don’t support it.

Beth Thomas, Prior Lake

Police need to listen, respond

Noise in Prior Lake isn’t just next to Captain Jack’s; it seems to be everywhere, and little or no enforcement is being done to protect the quiet necessary to a community.

If we want Prior Lake to be a good place to live, respect for citizens’ rights needs to be addressed. Right now, booming sound systems prevail day and night from vehicles, and of course the police can’t seem to hear them for some reason. I have heard booming sounds coming from a vehicle right next to a police car driving down the road, and no response from the police at all. I see the same cars in front of businesses disturbing the customers with no business owners calling the police. After-market exhaust systems seem to be the norm in some circles and again are not addressed.

Racing down side streets, again not addressed (usually on the way or returning from the bar). If I see this in my limited driving, why don’t the police see this as well? Not to mention the supposed fishermen who fish 24 hours a day and could care less how much noise they make or whose driveway they always use to turn around, or urinating on private property, or whose garbage they leave in our yard because they can’t find the big blue barrel 15 feet away.

For all you parents who pay for your kids’ booming sound systems, understand how they are using them. As I don’t intend to call the police when I see and hear this all around, the police need to set standards that they will address, instead of putting the duty on the citizens. Prior Lake can do better than this.

Dan Swanson, Prior Lake