Columbus kids deserve more than embarrassing courts
I have supported Columbus City Schools through my nonprofit, Never Quit Education Fund (Linden Academy of Tennis) and through my property taxes on two properties that I own. It saddens me to see the lack of pride and energy by the administration and the school board.
CCS is losing families to charter schools, private schools and suburban schools in central Ohio. I believe one of the reasons is the optics of how our school buildings appear to potential families and the community as a whole.
For example, I have driven by Linden-McKinley STEM Academy and Mifflin High School and was shocked to see the condition of their tennis courts with torn nets, weeds and cracks throughout the courts.
These courts have been in this condition for a minimum of three years.
This is one example of taxpayers’ money being wasted on facilities that CCS doesn’t maintain, acting without care, loyalty or good faith to the community.
What message is being sent to our young people attending these dilapidated facilities?
Might the answer be: children from CCS are inferior to their peers who attend other schools in central Ohio?
I pray that isn’t true.
We deserve better.
Tracy Broaddus, Columbus
Paving over taste
I agree with Vernon Will’s letter in the Dispatch, “Another travesty” (Aug. 10), about The Donald’s ridiculous proposal to attach a huge new ballroom to the White House.
While we’re on the subject of his penchant for questionable-at-best decision-making, is anyone happy about his decision to rip up the beautiful Rose Garden lawn and pave it over with a patio?
Mike Adamkosky, Columbus
Pay attention
Complacency kills democracies; it is understandable that most people are working too hard just to get by and therefore do not pay much attention to politics and policies. Frankly, politicians count on that as they pursue their agenda.
This is a time when people really need to pay attention, as what is happening is the decimation of many aspects of our rule of law and democracy.
Some things going on include a Justice Department that is simply doing whatever the president wants rather than acting independently; many competent, honest people in the FBI, CIA, the courts and state attorney generals are being fired or attacked for doing their jobs.
Experienced personnel in federal agencies are being stripped of jobs based on suggestions of a known conspiracy theorist and replaced with political appointees.
Republicans in Congress have ceded their power to the president and do what they are told; in effect, their constituents have no representation.
Anyone with knowledge of history can see where these actions lead.
Pay attention; our country is at risk. Placing all policies and decisions in the hands of one person regardless of title or party is a recipe for an autocracy and ultimate failure.
Steven Donatone, Dublin
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus schools tennis courts are wrecked. Our money being wasted. | Letters
Reporting by Letters to the Editor / The Columbus Dispatch
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