Last week I read an unsettling letter to the editor concerning the school bond. The writer equated the proponents of the bond with a manipulative door to door encyclopedia salesman. Every voter on Orcas Island needs to understand that the school board and everyone else working so hard on the school bond is doing HONEST work. To imply otherwise is a disservice to all those who have worked so hard in a totally transparent community process.

Nobody wants to pay higher taxes to tear down what at first glance seems to be a perfectly serviceable building. The sad fact is that 40 years ago the contractor on that building was the equivalent of a dishonest door to door salesman. We must pay for that dishonesty now or we WILL pay for it later. It will cost less now and comes with the huge added bonus that our students and teachers will be in a safe building, actually built to code. When the oft-forecasted earthquake hits, probably sometime in the next 50 years, our children and teachers will be in a building built to current and legal standards.

My wife and I chose to not have children but we would never want to live in a community without both children and an effective school. We know this involves paying taxes we would rather not spend, but we do so gladly. I hope others will consider the advantages of again supporting our schools.

Bob Gamble

Orcas