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Show . j New leeway vote asks for too much too soon j. It's been just over a year since patrons in the Alpine School District voted down by a 57 percent majority a proposed three mill leeway tax that would have raised $1.8 million for textbooks and classroom supplies, building maintenance and classroom aides. Now local residents are being asked to go to the polls to approve another leeway tax for basically the same services -- only this time we're being asked to support a four-mill tax. This time is different, however. The call for this year's leeway election, scheduled for September, has come from school district patrons, rather than from the members, of the board of education. This leeway is the result of a petition that was signed by a.s many registered voters as supported last year's leeway effort. That's an indication that many people who stayed home in the 1985 election now feel like a leeway is needed to support the floundering Alpine School District. ' But many of the same factors that led to last year's defeat of the Leeway tax measure remain the same --' --' enough to indicate that perhaps this year's election will be in vain. Last year's tax increase efforts were hampered by already high taxes -- and the feeling that schools needed to make do with what they had. That situations has worsened. Governor Norm Bangerter has promised an increase in taxes throughout the state next year. With that in- crease hanging over the taxpayer's head, there is bound to be opposition to voluntary tax increases. Also, last year the Alpine School District was laboring under accusations of mismanagement of public funds and poor investment practices. Although questions were answered and practices were changed, many Alpine School District patrons still don't trust the school district administration. In the American Fork area last year, the school district was still suffering from an emotional firing of the high school principal. The leeway received a lot of negative votes on that account. So far this year the district has avoided major controversies. con-troversies. However, the major question is this: Have things cnangea enougn mrougnout the district justify the expense of another leeway election? if u , ! . voters defeated a 3-mill tax increase last year, why-there why-there much hope that they will support a 4-mili tax i crease this year? n" - Supporters of the measure argue that educating th voters will make the difference. But this ignores thefa that most voters don't want to be educated. Most don't v ( want to vote at all. That was seen in last year's percent voter turnout for the leeway election. j 1 That is worsened by the timing of the vote, which fals ! ' between a primary and general election -- a com- 1 bination likely to keep voters home, except those who ' have strong feelings on the leeway issue. And anytime the subject is raising taxes, most strong feelings are ! negative. The Alpine School district needs the funds that would 1 be generated by a leeway election. But this election is ' asking for too much too soon. 'v By forcing the issue, the patrons who signed petitions ' supporting the election have created a climate that will 1 probably lead to another defeat at the polls. ( t r |