I agree that the GEA has lost the hearts and minds. It's not because they didn't focus their approach on demonizing TaxFacts, though. It's because they are on the wrong side of the economics. I do not understand your obsession with the TAXFacts group and Bob M. They called my attention to the math that is driving our community off our own little fiscal cliff. I'm not a 'member' but I certainly thank them for paying attention when so many of us weren't. Normally, that'd be the role of an inquisitive member of the fourth estate. But opinions are easier I suppose.

Jeff get a grip on your bad feelings for TaxFACTs. Once again you can't let up on that. TaxFACTs might have in the past not communicated their message in the most appropriate manner but they have gotten better. At least they have tried to give the community a clue of the fiscal cliff we are facing. I appreciate that. A lot of us were operating in a vacume. Not any more for me. I had no clue of the horrible practice of pension spiking. Glad I am becoming aware. I am someone with two kids currently in the district.

You sound like a junior high school girl holding a grudge.

Jeff and Sue,

I frequently do claim I have middle school mentality so we're on the same page there. At least I can make fun of myself. My answer to your obsession contention would be do encourage you to deal with Bob and his insistent threats on a regular basis like I have for 5 or so years.

Trust me, you'd come to the same conclusion. And it wasn't always this way. There was a time I defended his state rep campaign in a Beacon-News column which was instrumental in keeping him on the ballot.

But this one is different. It isn't as much wishing Bob McQuillan away as it's warning the GEA that they are on the brink of giving FACTS the upper hand. I too agree that group provided a valuable service by sounding the alarm, but they've been so over the top since then that they've never managed to win our hearts and minds either.

Both of your emails prove my point. Suddenly, compared to the GEA, TaxFACTS is sounding reasonable. And, if they strike, that role reversal will haunt them for years to come.

That's all I'm saying.

Jeff

The sad thing is one of my daughters favorite teacher making a little over 40K does not want to strike and just wants to teach. These are the educators I support the ones that want a fair reasonable solution that doesn't effect the students. The $250,000 a year husband and wife team crying for more money screams hypocrisy. I respect them wanting to increase starting pay but if your making $100,000 plus a year please don't cry for more just be happy and stay quiet!

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I wish you guys would get this site fixed, people are still having trouble reading and posting comments, even when they are signed in. Will you please get on that too, Jeff?

I agree with most of what you say, but continue to be baffled by your TAXFacts and Bob M. references. While I am not interested in gossip, as an outsider it seems to me that most of us would be sorely uninformed without this group.

I have a feeling that the IEA has a big hand in what has been going on here, and it is unfortunate because I think MANY teachers, both non-union and union think that the union is being unreasonable and rigid. And I don't think most of them want to strike.

Jeff, your writing has the potential to be so much better if you could just refrain from bashing non-related parties to this situation (such as Sarah Palin) in this article. There was no need for that "so called" analogy.

Dear JMZ,

You're probably right, but I just can't help myself. This is what happens when you've never quite made it past the 8th grade (in some respects).

But the truth is, if Republicans refused to offer that kind of marvelous material, I might be better able to fight the urge!

Jeff

You need to look at the even better material offered by the Democrats :-)

Regardless of "strategy" or "tactics" this whole process is ultimately supposed to be about the children at the end of the day. I am proud the BOE is holding firm and making the tough choices for the district that will ultimately benefit the community and the children. It is interesting to read the emails to the BOE are 10 to 1 in favor of the board's position/ against the GEA. Clearly there would not have been such an outpouring of community support had the TAXfacts group not brought it to the community's attention. I am grateful to the message of the TAXfact group even if I disagree with their tone and method of delivery.The GEA are living in a bubble where the only feedback they are listening to is their own. Wake up GEA! The teachers and union have lost the respect of the community and you won't earn it back by executing the intent to strike.

Jeff, Don't judge an entire party on the "antics" of a few. Besides, get back to the task at hand.

JMZ,

Quite frankly, I'd rather discuss this.

Jeff

When a School Board member has their spouse call on his/her behalf and ask teachers for their lesson plans in case of a strike -- what does that tell you??? Most importantly, the Board Member does not have the courage to do it his/her self. Secondly, do they think now because they are a Board Member they have the authority to intimidate teachers...sounds like the "Chicago" way is making its way to Geneva....

Where are all the comments?

Be sure to sign in before clicking on the comment link. I was not able to view comments until I did that, first.

1. Jeff's obsession with Bob McQuillan and Republicans overall is nothing short of obsessive and really creepy.
2. The GEA's response that we have reserve $ so it should be used for raises and to bump the pensions is REALLY RIDICULOUS. We have over $300 million debt that should be the first thing addressed. For Carol Young to use the paltry amount in reserve (which really is excessive) is a load of horse hockey. If that's the best they can do they know they are on the wrong side of this whole issue.
3. "An informed citizenry is the only true repository of the public will." (Thomas Jefferson) Unfortunately for the GEA we are now informed and hopefully not just making decisions on emotions (as has been done in the past -- remember that "It's for the children" mantra the union has used forever?). It's about dollars and COMMON SENSE now.

Since I don't want to disappoint you obsessive-compulsive conspiracy theorists, there's one more thing.

If any of you rabble believe the school board's taking a tougher contract stance is a result of FACTS, then you're out of your minds. If anything, FACTS delayed this necessity because the last thing this board wants to do is give FACTS any credence whatsoever.

This whole standing firmer thing was well in the works when they decided not to renegotiate the contract in the depths of the recession. They're so fed up with FACTS that, whenever anyone of 'em speak at a board meeting, they politely listen and completely ignore it - which is exactly what they should do.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff. Keep going. Your credibility diminishes with every childish response like that above. Wow, that bitter old guy inside of you really has taken over.
Folks, this whole US vs THEM stuff (GEA vs BOE/taxpayers) is not helpful and Jeff is stoking that burn barrel (that might soon be outside our schools with the striking teachers) of hurt feelings. This is about math. The BOE can add (finally) and it's about time the GEA stops listening to their activist IEA/NEA unionistas and respects their employers - the taxpayers. The GEA is obsessive (hopefully not in a creepy way like Jeff) about RESPECT. Maybe they need to respect us a little more.

Jeff, I was looking forward to an explanation to the point you made on Monday about how Dr. Mutchler disrespected the teachers union when they were so close to a deal. Would that have been a key component to today's commentary about how both sides messed up? That was the first I had ever heard about it and would have thought the GEA would have been calling him out on it all along. Thank you,

Tell you what Jeff, if you can go to http://genevataxfacts.org/ and find one bit of false information, please bring it to the community's attention.

As far as I can see, Taxfacts, your favorite target, has done nothing but present the facts clearly and completely.

Please see the Daily Herald high school test results today as compared to the rest of the state....Geneva High School -- Congratulations -- I do not think it is demographics alone -- students have to be motivated and inspired in the classroom to succeed -- I guess the test results show that the students and teachers (along with the parents) are doing something right - the student/teacher chemistry is obviously working in this district -

There are approximately 10,000 families involved with Geneva’s tax facts. Membership is simply tied to your address. If you reside in Geneva or Blackberry Townships and are located in the CUSD 304 boundaries, you are in the club. I don’t think it is a stretch to say that nearly every owner, whether you are one of the 5500 property owners without students in the schools, or one of the 4500 owners with students in the school system, is having difficulty making the home budget arithmetic work each month. For many it seems that no matter how much you eliminate things from your budget, trade down for cheaper alternatives, or restructure to reduce repayments, the big numbers (monthly real estate taxes) keep growing and we have no control. Due to a serious miscalculation about taxpayer sentiment and the local economy, the GEA has triggered the fight or flight response with the 10,000 owners who write the checks that fund over 80% of the budget for CUSD 304. Flight is not an option for most as the demand for Geneva property continues to erode due to the abysmal outlook for the CUSD 304 Finances. Prospective property owners are attracted to Geneva by the safe town, diverse housing and good schools. What drives buyers away from Geneva are the three Ds — Our Debt, our Deficit and our Demographics.

Buyers looking at total cost of ownership in Geneva will do their due diligence and recognize that they too would be faced with:
Debt — Geneva homeowners will need to fund 309 million dollars in principal and interest and the annual payments are headed dramatically higher over the next 5 years
Deficit — CUSD 304 passed a budget with a 4 Million dollar gap. The gap was funded by taking excess tax payments from the homeowners (AKA — the reserve). This is not sustainable and only cost reductions or higher taxes can fill the gap longer term
Demographics — Geneva over borrowed and over built at the top of the demographic demand curve. We have a shrinking student population and the annual cost per pupil will now accelerate at an extreme rate due to the debt payments. The student population will also continue to decrease as young families of move-up buyers are locked out of the Geneva home market.
With 70 cents of every RE tax dollar funding CUSD 304, the GEA can either be part of the solution to this problem or they should hunker down for a long winter break. My informal survey says there is a lot of fight left in the 10,000 homeowners — just no more $ left.

We don't have the money to give out raises. Simple math.

We all know this BOE/GEA issue is a difficult one. Emotions are running hot on this. Unfortunately it seems that Jeff Ward has decided to use character assassination as a technique to persuade the Patch readers that you should agree with his position. It's obvious that Bob McQuillan is his favorite target and he frequently publishes proven lies (see examples above) about him. Unfortunately now Jeff has published a lie about me and when I called him on it he admitted that 'maybe (he) was wrong.' Well it's not maybe--he lied about me. This has to end. While Jeff certainly presents his opinion in a controversial manner (and he has a right we all support to have an opinion and present it) he does not have the right to lie to create controversy or whatever he's trying to do. As was once said, "Where do I go to get back my reputation?" Please ask the Patch to put an end to this method that Jeff Ward uses.

Obviously, the comments appear to be working again. Let me know if there are any other issues. Bob is right that I moderated comments on Jeff's Monday's column more strictly than I usually do, in keeping with the column's statement to "please carefully consider what you say before you say it." It is the only recent article so monitored. Jeff: Please consider taking your own advice.

I too appreciate the work done by Bob and the group TaxFacts; it has awakened me along with all my Geneva neighbors. Bob M and the BOE has done a GREAT job getting the information out to the community. Jeff Ward, whatever grudge you hold towards Bob M., move on. Most of your column is unnecessarily complicated, hard to read, and doesn’t make a lot of sense. There are so many great comments and good ideas coming from the public- why not focus on that instead?
When your tax bill goes up every year even as your home value slips 25% -30% +, the public has a right to question what is going on. It’s just that simple.

We have a socialist system operating within a capitalist society. All of the back and forth over bullying and who wins – teachers, parents, union or our children – would go away if the best people were hired for the job and paid for their performance only just like the rest of us. Then the tax payers, good teachers and children would win. Scott Walker stood up to the antiquated notion of government unions and received a vote of confidence from the people of Wisconsin…..twice! Illinois is so saturated that it seems impossible that we have the collective motivation to do the same.

You can’t get a public teaching job without joining the union whether you want to or not, and this has given them the power hold both sides hostage. I know for a fact that some Geneva teachers value their compensation as fair and do not want to strike. Based on your readers comments it’s obvious that a good deal of Geneva citizens would rather have teachers get what they deserve. And like the rest of us what they deserve can go in both directions.

Sending young, capable teachers without jobs in as SCABS should there be a strike would at least send a small message on our behalf. Jeff – is that even a possibility?

Rob,

Yes it is, but it would be considered a doomsday option. That said, considering how the GEA has behaved and the plethora of unemployed teachers, I would seriously consider firing them all and starting over.

Jeff

Well said Max. Well said!

Mr. Lee,

I'm sure your wife is a fine person and would like to believe that she has our childrens' best interests at heart, as I trust you do. And of course you are uncomfortable with the idea that she might not be given respect. I hope you will help her to understand the situation in which the community finds itself, and the circumstances into which her support of the union's behavior helps to place D-304. If she continues that support, in light of union refusal to bargain sincerely, then she must bear some responsibility for the outcome -- and whatever may be its lasting effects.

When you mention a gap between the BoE and the teachers, I believe that you mean the gap between the BoE and GEA/IEA. The BoE simply does what it must do in order to represent the legitimate interests of the community, and it does so in a sincere professional, even a restrained, manner. But understand this, too -- while the community continues to appreciate its teachers for the work they do, it expects them to act responsibly when pursuing their personal interests as well as when on the job.

There will be no foreseeable time which is "...after the BoE's tenure." What makes the BoE is a continuity of values, not a continuity of membership. If the BoE is forced in the future to take a harder line toward the GEA, it will not be by choice but by necessity. It didn't have to be that way.