Vote No against the New Trier referendum

The latest bullies on the block seem to be the administration of New Trier High School. Despite a survey conducted by New Trier (and only released when threatened by a FOI request) indicating that more than half of the New Trier residents were against such a costly renovation of the high school, the administration is spending oodles of tax dollars to promote a fiscally unsound project on the backs of New Trier residents whose property values have plunged so significantly that they cannot sell their homes to escape the exorbitant property taxes.

Here is a link to the survey commissioned by New Trier with results about community sentiment regarding this plan: http://www.newtrierchoices.org/NewTrierChoices/Survey_Summary.html


It is a frightening thing to speak up against well-funded and/or well-connected bullies. Character assassinations of those who dare to speak out about injustices in our communities seem to be the status quo for those in power.

Growing up, my family valued public education so much that we always voted in favor of EVERY school referendum. The harm that New Trier is causing by promoting an irresponsible empire-building referendum is great: it is my belief that a substantial portion of voters may, like me, consider voting against future referenda because of a loss of trust in the school administrators due to this particular referendum request.

Families who still have children at New Trier have expressed concern that the administration will find ways to retaliate against their children if they dare to speak out against the referendum. I have to admit that I may not have dared to have such a public face in speaking out, if my own three sons had not already graduated from New Trier. Our communities are full of families who are afraid to speak out, afraid of of the threats if they dare to vote against this fiscally irresponsible construction plan.

Can you afford to speak up? You can not afford to not speak up.

Martin Niemoeller stated

In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up.

If you care about your community and neighborhood but you don't speak up now, you may not have any caring neighbors remaining when they come after you, your neighborhood, or your home because you can no longer afford to fund their taxpayer-funded boondoggle.

Contact the folks at http://www.NewTrierChoices.org for more information. If the entire community stands together to force the administration to go back to the drawing board and conduct a study of present and future needs of the entire high school district, within the constraints of current economic realities, community desires, and with full input from the community, we can prevail in taking back community control of our school. After all, it IS our school, not the administrators'.