Almost two years ago our community came together and stopped this school administration from putting us in debt $111 million to build two super grade schools and a middle school. Now the school administration wants to put us in debt $55 million to build a middle school and another $33 million to renovate three of our grade schools, which, with the interest, will come to a total of around $60 million. The cost of the new middle school plus the renovation costs of the elementary schools will come to $115 million! This does not even include anything for Washington or Riley Schools, which the school administration wants to close.

This community has been very quiet about this school building program. There have been very few letter to the editor except for the letters that members of the S. O. S. group have written. Two years ago, we had about 40 letters from the community telling the school administration that they didn't want these new schools built and that Vincennes couldn't afford any more taxes.

With the 24% increase in our taxes this year, what do you think our taxes would have been if that $111 million dollars had been added? I'll tell you what would have happened. Instead of 3,600 properties with delinquent taxes, we would have had about 6,000 cases where property owners couldn't pay their taxes. We would have more homes for sale and double the foreclosures that we have now.

The S. O. S. Committee got together and submitted 175 signatures to start the remonstrance, which will take place around February 20th. We called you all to this meeting because we needed the opportunity to explain how the remonstrance will be conducted and to ask for your support in bringing it to a good conclusion.

Folks, it has been a long time since our economy has been this bad. About every mortgage company in this country is in trouble, along with several banks. One of the major topics in the presidential campaign is whether the country is headed for a recession. Let's get together and stop this school administration from imposing such a huge debt on our community during this time of economic turmoil.

Thank you for your participation in this meeting. Remember, “The opera is not over until the fat lady sings,” so let's get out there and make our voices heard. We have everything to gain and nothing to lose in fighting for the citizens of Vincennes over this ordeal.

Gerald L. Preusz