Dear Editor:

To fellow Taxpayers:How information is shown greatly influences the perception of the person hearing the information. My father and his fellow servicemen fought through the propaganda of World War II. He taught me an eye opening lesson I have used many times.He said, "If you feel you are being shown only one path, be very wary of the guy giving you directions."Let's take the new school project that is up for a School Board vote at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17 at the high school.We were told with the best intentions that the only reasonable choice left to the community is to build a new school. An increase of the school district taxes of about 5 percent would be necessary to cover the project. They stated it's only 33 cents a day - oops, sorry that's 33 cents more a day, my faux pas.If you have a subscription to the TIMES NEWS and own a home, the chances are your taxes will increase about $250 to $300 ridiculous. It's a 5 percent, yup a 5 percent increase in tax in this economy.We'll investigate how losing $300 a household impacts a community if you survive the coronary from the next few paragraphs.The 5 percent raise of school district income will only be allocated to this project. That doesn't include any of the existing elementary school maintenance, teacher's raise, or the contractual $120,000 plus salary the Superintendent receives or his benefit. I'm sure they will be in next year's 'needed' tax increase.Have the aspirin ready as we put some perspective on the figures.Putting the district in debt of upward of $35,000,000.00, yes $35,000,000.00 (I think I just wore out my '0' key) is amazingly arrogant. I know the state will be so gracious as to grant us some funds, but the state doesn't pay any of the interest. The interest is all ours to pay, as would be the principal on the portion not covered by the state, about half.We were told the major culprit was that the maintenance on the existing Middle school is too great to bear. "The boiler and duct work repairs along" were just under 1M. See there is that spin Politicians, Superintendents and other used car salesmen use to get you to part with your money. You see, the math they elected to hide in the figures is the interest calculation. Interest, yup the smack reality on every free credit card offer you get in the mail. Low yes, about 3 percent, but what is 3 percent of $35M.The interest the first year is over the cost to repair the boiler and duct work.There is no escaping that first $1,115,449 plus interest payment and the 19 others that follow.Let's see -Buy a boiler and some air conditioning for a well build 1964 era Brick and mortar building with a stable foundation or tear it down.Use existing money in the School District's pocket or tax and borrow more.We recently lent about $5M to the Vo Tech, they are paying us now.We are ready to turn the corner and lower the millage.This smoke and mirror show is a result of the greatest addiction in the human race, the power to tax.Survive the $1,115,449.00 plus interest figure? Well our community may not.According to the feasibility study demographics, we have an aging population and declining enrollment. We have 4 percent less students over the past 4 years, and you have to go back to 2003/04 to see a number higher than 2010/11.Many of our families are on fixed income, 8,9 percent are below the poverty line and 6.5 percent of families are below the poverty line. This tax increase may be the tipping point for them to move to higher ground. With each elderly retreat from the burdensome taxes bring in a family with more children to educate. The cycle continues and the curve of taxes will grow exponentially. The community you grew up in will change its demographics in less than a decade.Taxes on business burden a community as well.$300 tax increase leaves a family short to buy a breakfast at the Beacon, or a slice at Cosmo's before a night at the movies, one less bag of bird seed from Marzen's. With one or two fewer trips to Fedor's or a few less warm nights to cool off at Rita's - the community shrivels.These business owners will feel the crunch the most, then the countless teenagers they hire every year for part time jobs feel it second. No part time jobs, no need for a car, service or gas stations. No part time jobs on their resume. Less disposable money in the hands of homeowners mean no money in the hands of small business, teens and their savings accounts. Tapping $35M from the community is ridiculous compared to maintaining the schools we have. With the currently declining enrollment, maintenance should take precedence.I can't image the tears that will be shed by the community that grew up in that building, as they tear it down. Many of our kids call it home. The protection they get being isolated from the teens and peer pressure of the high school is worth the maintenance burden. Kids are impressionable, and the pecking order has always been big pecks small.I'd hate for our precocious youths to be exposed to any more abuse, ridicule, heckling or bullying or advance grade dating that children do when they are schooled together.They get enough of that on the bus. And are we going to put our middle school children closer to the "saturated sponge" of illegal drug exposure the superintendent discussed at the drug awareness meeting.Call the School Board, show up on the 17th and make them put this to a public vote.To pass it Thursday as a lame duck meeting is the same hurried short sighted behavior that is the embarrassment of the last Lehighton School District building fiasco.Step back. Get the facts. Make a decision on the basis of Asset Management - not what can we get from the state. I suggest we postpone the vote until the new school board gets up to speed and sworn in after Thanksgiving.Sincerely,David BradleyThermal Solutions, Inc.Parent, taxpayer, entrepreneur and community advocate