The people have spoken, again. Still, the board and administration of Orcas Schools seem clueless. The reporting of this matter in the Sounder is disgracefully slanted, quoting anonymous sources that cite outrageous claims to inflate the situation unrealistically. Have you people no shame?

The quote from Barbara Kline is most telling: “Even those who voted no, I think they would have been happy with what we built.” What part of no doesn’t she understand? It’s not about being happy with the superlative project she wants to build, but it’s about the burden on the folks who end up paying for it.

It is hard for me to believe that the administration is so inept that they just decided to ignore the complaints from teachers about the HVAC and plumbing systems. No, I think they made the decision to spend money on architects rather than repairs. Without approval of the voters they committed funds to a building project rather than maintain the school. The voters are saying: Stop dreaming, use our money for necessary things. Now is not the time for a Taj Mahal. The school is repairable, shift your focus to repairs and wait for a better economy to emerge before pursuing this plan. Stop submitting ridiculous requests for more money than you need to get by until the voters can afford to pay the regular bills.

There is a movement afoot in this country right now to remove big spending politicians who have held their offices for so long that they think they no longer have to represent the will of those who elected them but can pursue their own agendas. Many of them will be surprised when they are voted out.

If the school board decides to try to ram another multimillion dollar Taj Mahal bond down the throats of the tax payers of Orcas Island while refusing to do the necessary maintenance that would relieve the inconvenience of teachers and students it will become obvious that they are not representing the will of the voters who ultimately, will decide if they should continue to hold offices.

Elections for the school board are not that far off. I hope that we can find someone who will faithfully represent the will of Orcas Islanders.

Chris Butler

Eastsound