I just read an article about the soda and candy tax that the Gov. signed. If my math is correct it will raise around 140 million dollars in 2010-11, but cuts to education alone will be 250 - 350 million plus another 60 million at the higher education level. How much of this money will actually go to schools? Does anyone know? It is a nice start, but does not come close to filling in the hole. Here is a tip Bill, There is money in the Parks! If soda and candy are a luxury (and they are) so are the parks! Stop cutting education, stop hurting kids, stop driving down the value of our homes by creating schools that cannot properly run. We have a lot of ideas on this topic, tell your scheduling people to set a meeting with the Wickerdale Walkers and let’s move forward for Colorado's children.
This message was brought to you by the coalition against making stupid citizens.
I'm David DiCarlo and I approve this message.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Governor Ritter
We have been pursuing Governor Ritter for 4 months in a vain attempt to get an appointment. I offered to meet at anytime any place. We did receive a letter before Christmas advising us that we would be contacted within 5 days. Needless to say we were never contacted. We have called numerous times and been given every excuse except the Governor is too busy attending sale on steak at King Soopers. I find it disheartening that he is too busy to meet with the citizens of the state of Colorado, but I am not surprised. New ideas scare people and woe to he or she that dares to embrace a plan. Shame on the Governor and shame on his staff, especially an employee named Liz who identified herself as the Governors educational liaison. She told us that our numbers were wrong and that every child in Colorado was funded the same amount. Not only is this preposterous, but it is downright ignorant. Please call the governor’s office at 303-866-2471 and ask why they are ignoring us.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Lotto Money and State Law makers
The Wickerdale Walkers are not the only ones talking about Lotto money. Check out is link to a great article and see what some of the state leaders are saying about parks versus education.
http://www.csindy.com/colorado/cash-scratch-fever/Content?oid=1591743
http://www.csindy.com/colorado/cash-scratch-fever/Content?oid=1591743
Saturday, February 13, 2010
RAISE MY TAXES FOR DOUGLAS COUNTY SCHOOLS
Please consider joining this group. They are working hard to make sure that the School Board votes to pursue a Mill. We need the Mill to pass in order to temper these cuts. Passing a Mill gives us the much needed funds and buys time while we work to ensure that the State of Colorado changes its archaic views on school funding. Colorado children are funded $1400 dollars under the national average and Douglas County is even lower. We need to all be in the same tent!
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=456168115164&ref=ts
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=456168115164&ref=ts
Saturday, February 6, 2010
WE NEED YOUR OPINION!!!
So we have touched off a controversy about Lotto money. Is it ok to use gambling profits for education? What is your opinion?
Here is mine:
Gambling exists, right or wrong. If you do not want legal gambling your crusade lay elsewhere.
Gambling is currently funding parks among other things, is it any more moral when used in this capacity?
I feel if you allow it to exist and the moral value is questionable you have a duty to your community to make the best use of those funds, in this case, EDUCATION.
What are your thoughts?
Here is mine:
Gambling exists, right or wrong. If you do not want legal gambling your crusade lay elsewhere.
Gambling is currently funding parks among other things, is it any more moral when used in this capacity?
I feel if you allow it to exist and the moral value is questionable you have a duty to your community to make the best use of those funds, in this case, EDUCATION.
What are your thoughts?
COLORADO EDUCATION CALL TO ACTION!!!!!
COLORADO EDUCATION CALL TO ACTION!!!!!
I will preface the below with my usual disclaimer, I am a dad, not a lawyer. I do this on my time, by foregoing sleep! (It is that important to me.) I do the best I can to make sure my facts are clear and honest. If I am wrong, let me know where and how. Give me a better resource, share your opinion, lets educated each other. There is no right or wrong only opinion for most issues and I have no problem hearing alternate views. My goal is to blend extremes into the middle and leave the politics and special interests behind. Having said that the one thing I will not bend on is that children are not a “special interest lobby”, they are a special responsibility. I was recently told that what I was doing was self serving, so let me clarify. What I am trying to do is to ensure that this next generation is smarter and better prepared than mine was. If I am serving anyone one it is the children. Every word I say or write is motivated from me by their need.Colorado is already talking about a water shortage this summer. One way to save is to cut back on watering parks! The half acre park just down from where I live is watered like an oasis in the desert, you would think it was the front lawn of the Taj Mahal. All this watering necessitates mowing 2 times a week. Do we need to waste that resource? Do we need to fund that waste? If we are asking our children to tighten their belts we better make certain sure we have tightened up every other belt first! A source at Lotto told us (this was confirmed by several state legislatures) that GOCO/Lotto funds are used pay a subsidy to farmers on the western slope to not sell their land to developers. This is flawed logic especially in a recession. We are a state of roughly 5 million people, we are the physically 8th largest (104,100 square miles) with unemployment at 7.5%. Some experts are saying the it will go as high as 11% in Colorado before we see a slowing. I say if the farmer wants to sell, great, sell and put someone to work building something! Why am I paying a subsidy to someone who is already making a living on the land they own? Am I against the farmer? No I support our farmers too, but they are grown adults with options, working in a “for profit” business. Children have no such luxury. The law is compulsory, children must be educated, and schools are “non-profit”, which means there is little to no control over revenue. If a farmer cannot make a living on his/her land there is the option to sell or to change businesses. Children are professional students with a mandate to learn. There is no choice (nor should there be) in this, wants come after needs; the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, the clichés can go on and on but the facts are that children and schools cannot raise meaningful sustainable revenue streams. Only we can do this, it is time to change how education is funded and start putting wishes behind requirements!In these difficult economic times every cent counts, schools across Colorado are squeezing each penny until Lincoln screams! Many Colorado families are doing the same thing. Lotto money does not represent new taxes; it represents a wiser investment with current money. Our research shows that once a state lottery is tied to education there is a lift in sales, as much as 20% in 2 years! Let GOCO go hat in hand asking for a bond or a Mills override, this would be an excellent test as to what the tax payer’s value more. I believe the reason that schools are funded differently than parks is because there is a better chance to raise a bond or levy for children than there is for a park. So parks (the luxury) are funded without having to beg the voters and schools (the need) boil their shoe leather to stay alive.Lotto employees are in the same boat as our teachers in regards to PERA, their retirement is your retirement, increasing Lotto sakes could help ease this burden.We want to know where you see money being wasted, post your ideas / findings to our blog or here on facebook. Apparently we need not just to make a point, or prove a point; we will have to drive the point in like a stake through the heart. GOCO has deep pockets and will work to save itself. GOCO is a bureaucracy like all governmentally funded or run institutions and a bureaucracy by its very nature wants to grow. It will not willingly cut off a branch to benefit the whole. We must do the pruning. We are not anti-parks or anti-GOCO we are pro children and in a time of recession children come before parks.Lastly I spoke to a community member the other day who told me that there was no direct value to them in public education as they had no children in school and felt that their money should go towards things that affect them directly. I explained the value of good schools in terms of increased home values, but the message was not hitting home. So I made the point in a more colorful way, “The community paid to teach you. If you do not want to pay to teach someone else, fine, just return all the money the community spent educating you and we will let you off the hook”, the argument was over. Do not be afraid to spread the word in different and sometime very direct ways. The coming months will be difficult. We are talking about changing Colorado’s constitution which will not be easy. But if each of you will please reach out to a friend, coworker or family member and tell them from your heart why this is so crucial and why they should be involved we will grow and growing is how we will win. Good night to some, good morning to others. With sincere thanks, Dave and Brad......
I will preface the below with my usual disclaimer, I am a dad, not a lawyer. I do this on my time, by foregoing sleep! (It is that important to me.) I do the best I can to make sure my facts are clear and honest. If I am wrong, let me know where and how. Give me a better resource, share your opinion, lets educated each other. There is no right or wrong only opinion for most issues and I have no problem hearing alternate views. My goal is to blend extremes into the middle and leave the politics and special interests behind. Having said that the one thing I will not bend on is that children are not a “special interest lobby”, they are a special responsibility. I was recently told that what I was doing was self serving, so let me clarify. What I am trying to do is to ensure that this next generation is smarter and better prepared than mine was. If I am serving anyone one it is the children. Every word I say or write is motivated from me by their need.Colorado is already talking about a water shortage this summer. One way to save is to cut back on watering parks! The half acre park just down from where I live is watered like an oasis in the desert, you would think it was the front lawn of the Taj Mahal. All this watering necessitates mowing 2 times a week. Do we need to waste that resource? Do we need to fund that waste? If we are asking our children to tighten their belts we better make certain sure we have tightened up every other belt first! A source at Lotto told us (this was confirmed by several state legislatures) that GOCO/Lotto funds are used pay a subsidy to farmers on the western slope to not sell their land to developers. This is flawed logic especially in a recession. We are a state of roughly 5 million people, we are the physically 8th largest (104,100 square miles) with unemployment at 7.5%. Some experts are saying the it will go as high as 11% in Colorado before we see a slowing. I say if the farmer wants to sell, great, sell and put someone to work building something! Why am I paying a subsidy to someone who is already making a living on the land they own? Am I against the farmer? No I support our farmers too, but they are grown adults with options, working in a “for profit” business. Children have no such luxury. The law is compulsory, children must be educated, and schools are “non-profit”, which means there is little to no control over revenue. If a farmer cannot make a living on his/her land there is the option to sell or to change businesses. Children are professional students with a mandate to learn. There is no choice (nor should there be) in this, wants come after needs; the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, the clichés can go on and on but the facts are that children and schools cannot raise meaningful sustainable revenue streams. Only we can do this, it is time to change how education is funded and start putting wishes behind requirements!In these difficult economic times every cent counts, schools across Colorado are squeezing each penny until Lincoln screams! Many Colorado families are doing the same thing. Lotto money does not represent new taxes; it represents a wiser investment with current money. Our research shows that once a state lottery is tied to education there is a lift in sales, as much as 20% in 2 years! Let GOCO go hat in hand asking for a bond or a Mills override, this would be an excellent test as to what the tax payer’s value more. I believe the reason that schools are funded differently than parks is because there is a better chance to raise a bond or levy for children than there is for a park. So parks (the luxury) are funded without having to beg the voters and schools (the need) boil their shoe leather to stay alive.Lotto employees are in the same boat as our teachers in regards to PERA, their retirement is your retirement, increasing Lotto sakes could help ease this burden.We want to know where you see money being wasted, post your ideas / findings to our blog or here on facebook. Apparently we need not just to make a point, or prove a point; we will have to drive the point in like a stake through the heart. GOCO has deep pockets and will work to save itself. GOCO is a bureaucracy like all governmentally funded or run institutions and a bureaucracy by its very nature wants to grow. It will not willingly cut off a branch to benefit the whole. We must do the pruning. We are not anti-parks or anti-GOCO we are pro children and in a time of recession children come before parks.Lastly I spoke to a community member the other day who told me that there was no direct value to them in public education as they had no children in school and felt that their money should go towards things that affect them directly. I explained the value of good schools in terms of increased home values, but the message was not hitting home. So I made the point in a more colorful way, “The community paid to teach you. If you do not want to pay to teach someone else, fine, just return all the money the community spent educating you and we will let you off the hook”, the argument was over. Do not be afraid to spread the word in different and sometime very direct ways. The coming months will be difficult. We are talking about changing Colorado’s constitution which will not be easy. But if each of you will please reach out to a friend, coworker or family member and tell them from your heart why this is so crucial and why they should be involved we will grow and growing is how we will win. Good night to some, good morning to others. With sincere thanks, Dave and Brad......
WHERE SHOULD THE MONEY GO???
Dear Colorado Citizens,
The Link below is to the 7 News survey about where Lotto proceeds should go, Education or our Parks. Remember GOCO has Millions in Trust Funds, how big is your schools Trust Fund? GOCO’s budget is only affected by Lotto sales (which are only down 1.5% during the recession). Our cut is far more than 1%. Parks should suffer before children and their teachers! Please fill out the survey and speak for the Children of Colorado. If you have not joined us on "Wickerdale Walkers" on Facebook check us out!! We are speaking for the largest group that cannot speak for themselves the Children! Brad and I got off the Couch to represent our Children we are asking you to do the same. Have you sent in you Red Crayon yet? Follow the link, fill in the survey under the comments let them know you want Lotto to Fund Education through hard economic times. We are asking the Capital to place a Trigger on the Lotto profits, when we hit 5% unemployment Lotto Funds would be diverted to the Colorado Education General Funds for a minimum of 24 months or until unemployment drops below 5% for 2 consecutive business quarters. Our research indicated that once Lotto is linked in a (meaningful way) to education sales increase, the average is 20% over a 24 month period! I wish my business could grow at that rate. A successful link to education could grow the Lotto to the point where short falls like this one could be absorbed. Please vote in favor of our children; make your Comment in favor of Education...
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/9269524/detail.html
The Link below is to the 7 News survey about where Lotto proceeds should go, Education or our Parks. Remember GOCO has Millions in Trust Funds, how big is your schools Trust Fund? GOCO’s budget is only affected by Lotto sales (which are only down 1.5% during the recession). Our cut is far more than 1%. Parks should suffer before children and their teachers! Please fill out the survey and speak for the Children of Colorado. If you have not joined us on "Wickerdale Walkers" on Facebook check us out!! We are speaking for the largest group that cannot speak for themselves the Children! Brad and I got off the Couch to represent our Children we are asking you to do the same. Have you sent in you Red Crayon yet? Follow the link, fill in the survey under the comments let them know you want Lotto to Fund Education through hard economic times. We are asking the Capital to place a Trigger on the Lotto profits, when we hit 5% unemployment Lotto Funds would be diverted to the Colorado Education General Funds for a minimum of 24 months or until unemployment drops below 5% for 2 consecutive business quarters. Our research indicated that once Lotto is linked in a (meaningful way) to education sales increase, the average is 20% over a 24 month period! I wish my business could grow at that rate. A successful link to education could grow the Lotto to the point where short falls like this one could be absorbed. Please vote in favor of our children; make your Comment in favor of Education...
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/9269524/detail.html
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Wickerdale Walkers meeting on Feb 19th
This just in:
State Representative Frank McNulty District 43 (which is a big part of Douglas County) will be attending the meeting on the 19th. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet Frank and to learn from each other. The Wickerdale Walkers are an organization that deeply believes that learning is a two way street, we all succeed when we all work together.
Get your friends and neighbors involved, the couch is not place to learn and grow :)
Thanks to all,
dd
State Representative Frank McNulty District 43 (which is a big part of Douglas County) will be attending the meeting on the 19th. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet Frank and to learn from each other. The Wickerdale Walkers are an organization that deeply believes that learning is a two way street, we all succeed when we all work together.
Get your friends and neighbors involved, the couch is not place to learn and grow :)
Thanks to all,
dd
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