come on folks – lets all get real and check out our tax bills from Coconino county and ….well you can figure it out.

It is still a Vote NO!

Wallowing through a bunch of tongue-tripping by author Jennifer Wesselhoff, defending the reasons to vote “yes” on this issue, it remains very troubling that a non-profit member-driven group would take a position on such a hot political issue. Not questioning the fuzzy legal justification for having done so, it just doesn’t sit well with me that unless members of the C of C were actually polled the holier-than-thou Board of Directors would speak on behalf of the whole enchilada.

Not only did this off-beat article cinch up a NO vote, but from here on out I will make a point to ask local establishments whether or not they are members of the C of C. If the answer is “yes” I will take my business elsewhere.

VOTING “NO”. Thank you, Chamber of Commerce!

T=Ron – we all either do or have worked hard and pay taxes and glad you enjoy your life here but have you checked your tax bill lately the then compared the increase to the decrease in the performance of our local school district?

Oh, T=Ron!!! Fear is very REAL! New Property Taxes, new Go-Bonds and new Special Districts Taxes are all very fearful and looking very real – just ask Council who keeps those drums beating as they continue to abdicate their basic responsibilities.

Who ever said you are the Only reader of Sedona Biz when it becomes boring = right on!!! One thing you may not have caught onto when comparing Sedona biz to Sedonaeye.com is that this site continues to allow all to represent their stances – or in other words – the editor of sedonaeye.com does not take a stance and write editorials etc.

Alice – there were no opposition in the voting pamphlet because none of us realized it was possible and we failed to pay attention… as we’ve been watching the crazy city council give up council authority to staff and then want to buy property at brewer road and at the Y……just don’t forget we are now paying attention to all of the issues!

Mac you are 1000% correct.

Rachel – you and I haven’t found any answers causing a yes Vote simply because there are none with merit.

I Continue To Vote No On The School Override Ballot Issue. Easy decision based upon reality vs moon pies.

RRN 8/9/13 front page article “AIMS releases Sedona’s grades” and I quote: (Point limits are 140 to 200)

Sedona charter school got 140 points out of 200 while our high school only got 3 points higher. The Big Park School only got 131 points and West Sedona School only got 114 points.

Let’s hear this addressed.

Two out of three eighth-graders can’t read proficiently and most will never catch up. (NAEP, 2011) (NAEP, 2011)

Nearly two-thirds of eighth-graders scored below proficient in math. (NAEP, 2011)

Seventy-five percent of students are not proficient in civics. (NAEP, 2011)

Nearly three out of four eighth-and 12th-grade students cannot write proficiently. (NAEP, 2012)

Some 1.1 million American students drop out of school every year. (EPE, 2012)

For African-American and Hispanic students across the country, dropout rates are close to 40 percent, compared to the national average of 27 percent. (EPE, 2012)

Our public school students trail their peers in most other industrialized nations.

After World War II, the United States had the #1 high school graduation rate in the world. Today, we have dropped to # 22 among 27 industrialized nations. (OECD, 2012)

American students rank 25th in math, 17th in science and 14th in reading compared to students in 27 industrialized countries.(OECD, 2012)

By the end of the eighth-grade, U.S. students are two years behind in math compared to their peers in other countries. (OECD, 2009)

The U.S. ranks behind 13 other countries in terms of the percentage of 25-34 year-olds who have completed some college coursework. (OECD, 2012)

American students tend to perform worse in math and science as they age, according to recent studies measuring fourth- and eighth-graders’ academic achievement against other industrialized nations. Gaps with high performing countries like South Korea and Singapore are widening. (TIMSS, 2012)

Not enough students reach college, and many who do are not prepared.

Less than half of American students – 46 percent – finish college. The U.S. ranks last among 18 countries measured on this indicator. (OECD, 2010)

Only one in four high school students graduate ready for college in all four core subjects (English, reading, math and science), which is why a third of students entering college have to take remedial courses. (ACT, 2011)

Only 4 percent of African American students and 11 percent of Hispanic students finish high school ready for college in their core subjects. (ACT, 2011)

Two-thirds of college professors report that what is taught in high school does not prepare students for college. (Alliance for Excellent Education)

Many American children are not prepared to compete for careers or jobs in a 21st century knowledge-based economy.

In order to earn a decent wage in today’s economy, most students will need at least some postsecondary education. (U.S. Department of Labor)

Nearly 44 percent of dropouts under age 24 are jobless, and the unemployment rate of high school dropouts older than 25 is more than three times that of college graduates. (United States Department of Labor, 2012)

Despite sustained unemployment, employers are finding it difficult to hire Americans with the skills their jobs require, and many expect this problem to intensify. (”Getting Ahead…” Business Roundtable, 2009, and “An Economy that Works,” McKinsey & Company, 2011)

More than 75 percent of employers report that new employees with four-year college degrees lacked “excellent” basic knowledge and applied skills. (“Are They Really Ready to Work?” sponsored by The Conference Board, Corporate Voices for Working Families, The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and the Society for Human Resource Management. Accessed January 15, 2008)

Nearly half of those who employ recent high school graduates said overall preparation was “deficient.” (“Are They Really Ready to Work?” sponsored by The Conference Board, Corporate Voices for Working Families, The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and the Society for Human Resource Management. Accessed January 15, 2008)

The share of jobs in the U.S. economy needing a college degree will increase to 63 percent in the next decade. This will require 22 million new employees with college degrees. At the current pace, the nation will fall at least 3 million college degrees short. (A. Carnevale, N. Smith, and J. Strohl, Help Wanted: Projections of Jobs and Economic Requirements Through 2018 (Washington, DC: Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, 2010)

Over the course of his working life, an American male with a college degree can expect to earn nearly $675,000 more; an American female $340,000 more -– far more than in any other country. (OECD, 2012)

Americans who earn a college degree make a 40 percent higher salary than those with just a high school diploma. (“Are They Really Ready to Work?” sponsored by The Conference Board, Corporate Voices for Working Families, The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and the Society for Human Resource Management. Accessed January 15, 2008)

High school dropouts can expect to earn just 5 percent of what a typical graduate will make over the course of his lifetime. (College Board Advocacy & Policy Center, 2010)

Could someone step up to the plate and answer Nick’s question? Inquiring minds would like to know…