Distractions 2, The people who can vote!

Tonight, I was a presenter for a local public hearing. I am the architect for a school bond issue that will go to a vote "of the people" in December. The superintendent, the bond agent and I explained the design, the school and the cost. This is something I have done for 30 years. The Bond agent explained that we had applied for interest free bonds that the state is making available to school districts as part of the Federal Recovery Act (Stimulus). This old guy on the back rows asked, "Okay, if YOUR president gives the school those bonds, are they interest free?"

The bond agent replies, "That is the whole point. They are interest free."

The guy says, "So YOUR president is doing this with the stimulus!"

The bond agent says, "Sir, He is not just my president, he's your president too,"

The guy replies, "You don't want to go there."

We dropped it.

Later a question is asked about why we didn't vote the bond in November and saved money. We explained that bond votes work better by themselves and because the all the issues in November it was best not to be with them. Back Row Guy shouts, "Every thing in November worked just fine."

Later in questions he points at me and asked, "Do you pay taxes in this district?"

"No." I replied, "But I live in the community."

He smirks and says, " You should have to live in the district, to do this work. That's not right!"

I reply, "The other firms that interviewed for this work were from Oklahoma City and Tulsa. I'm sorry that I can't live in every district that I work. But if I will say that my daughter went to this school and people in our firm live and pay taxes in this district and the money we make stays in the community."

He starts in, "I own land in another district but I can't vote there. That ain't right. There are renters in this district that don't pay taxes, but they can vote. Do you think that is right?"

I said, "We just live with the laws that exist. it's is not something I can change. But maybe you can talk to some of the people you sent to the Capital."

He says he should be able to vote in places he doesn't live, but I am wrong for not being in the district? He refused to believe that the bond who be interest free because Obama was behind it. Obama is not HIS president. He's drunk a little too much tea.

So this is where we are heading!