Pay up or else

They're trying to scare the peasants in three Indiana school districts where there are spending referendums necessitated by the state's evil property tax caps designed to, well, reduce spending:

If approved, the referendum changes would be in effect for seven years. If they fail, leaders say they would be forced to make drastic cuts and possibly slash transportation.

"We absolutely will have to eliminate all transportation in the fall of 2010 (if the referendum fails)," said Beech Grove Superintendent Paul Kaiser.

Additionally, Kaiser said the district would have to cut $500,000 from the capital projects budget. That would translate into fees for extracurricular activities and other cutbacks.

We are optimistic that our community will support our kids," he said.

In Franklin Township, the district faces a possible $3 million in staff-reduction cuts if the referendum fails.

Superintendent Walter Bourke said school transportation services there also would face severe cutbacks. Bourke outlined three scenarios for bus transportation if the referendum fails: reducing ridership by a third, charging for busing, and dropping transportation altogether.

Give us more money to spend, or your child will have to walk miles to school! And we will make him pay to joint the chess club! I notice they never warn that teachers might have to take a pay cut or some redundant administrators could be eliminated or legacy building projects will have to be done away with.