Writing a guest column in this morning’s issue of the Central Kitsap Reporter, Bremerton WA resident Tamara Gordy offers up her rationale for registering a ‘No’ vote on the current CKSD Capital Projects Levy.

(Ms. Gordy had previously submitted a similar Letter to the Editor for the Kitsap Sun).

For a number of reasons, I’ve been following this proposed levy very closely. I am a resident/homeowner in Central Kitsap; all of my kids have attended Central Kitsap schools (my youngest son Luke is a junior at CK High); and my wife is a teacher at Brownsville Elementary. So obviously, the health and vitality of our local school district is of major concern to me and my family.

And, as such, I am always interested and intrigued with the arguments that local residents offer in opposition to the proposed CKSD Capital Projects Levy. Times are tough, and I can greatly respect/appreciate the fact that people aren’t overly enthusiastic about having more of their hard-earned money taken away, even if it’s for a worthy expense, like public school facilities.

However, in her letter, Tamara Gordy states that, even though she has supported school levies in the past and believes that healthy schools are an investment in our community, the reason she is voting ‘No’ on this Capital Projects Levy is because the Kitsap County Elections Division decided not to mail a printed voter’s guide along with the ballot.

So, if I understand her correctly, the reason Ms. Gordy wants to deny our kids a safe and healthy classroom environment is because the County failed to provide a printed Voter’s Guide pamphlet along with her mailed ballot?

Excuse me? You want to disapprove badly needed repairs and improvements to our local classrooms because of something the County did or didn’t do? You want to jeopardize $31 million dollars of Federal matching funds because you didn’t get a Voter’s Guide? Really?

I don’t know about you, but I rarely vest much of my voting prerogative based on what I read in the Kitsap County Voter’s Guide. Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate that the County puts it together for the general election. But the ballot issues are normally more complex and can’t be easily explained/presented in a short paragraph or two.

Fortunately, the school district has done an admirable job of providing very detailed information on the Capital Projects Levy and presents a very compelling and prudent case for supporting it’s approval.

Whether or not the County should have provided a printed Voter’s Guide along with the mailed ballots is up for debate. But to penalize the safety and welfare of our students and teachers as a result is nothing short of ridiculous.