Dear Editor,

Regardless of the number of people present at a meeting at a given time when they are there, it is to ask questions and make comments based on agenda items.

It is time to stop blaming the community for a crisis they did not create and do not control.

We cannot live in a society that shrinks its responsibility to hold bad actors accountable for the harm they have imposed upon working families.

We cannot endure a situation where the very people attacking  the community are keeping us in the dark, who have caused the system’s instability used to justify the specious attacks on the citizens of the community.

A fair accounting of the system’s crisis will give the Voters/Taxpayers/Citizens a road map to repairing the budget problems and setting the record straight.

We totally agree with the saving of jobs, and yes when I (Jean) was the President of the Union, I fought for the rights of our employees at every cost, which in turn helped the education of our children and worked well with the board to better the community.

I am now able to spend the time needed to look closer at every angle in a situation.

We should not be using our employees or our students as pawns when it comes to the almighty dollar (reference to rezoning), I am sure we will learn why it has takes 12 years to do this if it is needed.

I will admit it: I was shocked when I read that the reopening of East St. John Elementary was related to sales tax passing and/or employees being let go from their positions. The reality of letting employees go is pending on where they are needed the most.

This threat is not a good or positive sign from the leaders of our system. When we pay taxes we expect that the use of the tax dollars would be fully implemented in the manner that is needed. The insurance company paid off, but decisions were discussed and after eight months, we are hearing that it is our fault because this last tax did not pass. The schools can open (be remodeled) but employees will be laid off in the next school year.

We are noticing the hiring in the administrative area under this administration, hopefully the lay offs will be from top down.

We were put in a position six years ago, we negotiated and four days were given as furloughs to the system. I did what was best for my people at that time, I did not agree then and just like now, we did not lose control of the budget.

We understand there are many gimmicks when it comes to explaining  budgets, the more we know the better we understand and with transparency things will work out, maybe we will send items to be placed on the agenda for clarification.

If our young people fail, if our educational system fails, then we all fail.

Citizen, taxpayer, voter

Carolyn Jean Batiste

LaPlace