CLEVELAND SCHOOL LEVY: VOTE YES

I'm planning to vote for the Cleveland school levy Tuesday and if you're a city voter, I urge you to do the same.

I'm voting "yes" for the simplest of reasons -- I believe the school system actually needs the money. Really, really needs the money.

The system would need the money even if its investment policy had been competent. The system would need the money even if Cleveland Clinic made a significant cash contribution in lieu of taxes. The system would need the money even if all the tax abatements went away tomorrow. The system would need the money even if Barbara Byrd-Bennett was paid the same salary as a teacher.

Yes, long-term solvency has to be won through statewide school funding reform -- more money in the pot, property tax reform, the whole bit. But no, this will not happen with state government firmly in Republican hands. In November 2006 we have a chance to do something about this. Maybe this time there's even a chance of success. But our schools are melting down today.

Yes, the levy campaign's widely publicized "stealth" strategy is both appalling and dumb (especially since they couldn't resist talking to the newspaper about it). Yes, it highlights once again the deep anti-democratic bias of the people driving education policy in this city -- the people who still think an appointed school board was a wonderful idea. The "school board" is a joke. The School District administration is secretive, arrogant and unaccountable to citizens. The responsible adults -- mayoral candidates and state legislators -- need to be confronted about these issues.

But none of this changes the fact that the schools desperately need more money to preserve any reasonable semblance of education for the more than 60,000 kids -- our neighbors -- who have nowhere else to go.

So if you live in Cleveland, please get to the polls tomorrow and vote yes. I'm going to.