Property owners do need protection

Regarding the Sept. 7 editorial, “Simple majority should be enough for schools”: I may have one area of agreement with The Herald on this matter and that is on the subject of making it harder for schools to pass a levy than other public entities. My solution to this perceived inequity is to impose the same 60 percent requirement on all public entities.

I’m not even going to discuss the unbelievable lack of performance for the buck by our public schools or their utter lack of action against the illegal activities of the Washington Education Association.

Let’s just look at The Herald’s assertion that “The supermajority requirement is a relic … to protect large property owners from over-taxation.” Today there are many more property owners that need protection. Many of them own property in more than one school district, but they only get to vote in one district. They have no voice in the others. There are many voters who don’t own property, so they see no direct result of a vote to raise taxes. Then there are the voters who live on property that is not taxed at all.

The Herald says: “People who vote in school levy elections know what they’re voting on.” I agree; many are voting to raise other voters’ taxes.

FRED C. HOWARD