Dishonest tactics used to promote school bond

The families of the Kent School District are getting hoodwinked.

I received my ballot and saw the proposal for a $252 million bond, and after the initial sticker shock decided to look into it a little more. On the KSD website they have an entire section delegated to the bond proposal. Right on the first page it makes the claim that this proposal maintains the current tax rate. “This bond maintains current tax rate and provides funds for projects at every school.”

I also received a mailer from the group Citizens for Kent Schools that makes the claims “reduces overcrowding without raising taxes,” and “helps every school and does not raise tax rates.” Similar claims are plastered all over their website.

The problem is, when you read the actual ballot measure, these claims of not raising taxes are exposed as the flat out lies they are. Clearly in the summary, right on the ballot, the following is included: “to issue $252,000,000 of general obligation bonds maturing with a maximum term of 20 years and to levy annual excess property tax levies to pay and retire such bonds (emphasis added).”

I am not writing this letter to debate whether we should support the bond measure or not. I merely wish to bring light to the deceptive, morally reprehensible and shameful tactics of the Kent School District and their PAC in claiming to voters that taxes will not be raised if we pass this ballot.

There is no free lunch and if the district takes on debt to the tune of a quarter of a billion dollars, regardless of the necessity or altruistic nature of the reason, the taxpayers will have to pony up and pay more. Do not be hoodwinked by the false claims made by these groups that we won’t have our taxes raised as a direct result of this ballot.

– Clark Stevens