Ignorance May Not Be Bliss

Greg Harrison, of the Empower Texans blog, recently made a post referring to a debt problem ultimately resulting from a low voting population problem that is infecting the entire nation, let alone the state. In his post, he exposes Fort Worth ISD for their unexplained and problematic debt. Apparently, they have a recent history of purchasing new equipment for expansion of classrooms despite the slow student population increasing rate. Their new purchases and technology allegedly remain unused and cause even more maintenance spending that is unnecessary. Who is to be held responsible for these things?

A closer look at this reveals that irresponsible board members and employees in the district are at fault for these matters. There have already been workers that have received prison sentences for misusing the budget. The real tragedy of this is that the millions of dollars misspent could have been invested into teacher's salaries, which are dwindling with budget cuts across the state. The choices of these people are effecting students and taxpayers alike. Many people fret about these problems, saying it is out of their control, and continue complaining and being frustrated with the choices that are made. This is not all that can be done.

Harrison does a praiseworthy job of calling on the majority to respond to this situation. After presenting all the facts about the current situation, he goes on to explain one of the reasons why the people in authority are getting away with things such as entering into massive debt. Astoundingly, the voting percentage can be as low as 5% for school board elections. This voter turnout means that the elected officials are held less accountable for their actions and we, the public, have no way to hold them accountable if we didn't even elect them to office. Harrison addresses the public and gives them a charge- one that would begin to fix this massive problem and prevent it if action is taken. His argument is easily credible because the affects are so tangibly seen. This is a problem sweeping the country, and the solution begins with us. We must act as a democracy as our founders intended it to be to be functional and unified.