Health & Fitness
Is the unanimous GOP vote in favor of the historic Dem RTSD budget, "Irrelevant"?
Heldring, Booker and Michaelson's comments regarding RTSD's Budget are considered In political terms.
I cannot agree with Republican Radnor School Board candidate Martin Heldring and RTSB members Pattie Booker and Susan Michaelson that the recent penultimate vote on the budget, an amendment that promised the moon, but did not deliver a single Democratic vote, has greater relevancy to taxpayers and voters than the ultimate and unanimous board vote; a flat out historic vote that cut taxes for the first time in 30 years, established RTSB's values, and will finance the district spending priorities for next year.
But, I suppose that in an election year, "relevancy" must be considered through the dark glass of politics as a campaign opportunity, a point of differentiation.
The political relevance of the failed budget amendment as a campaign tactic can't be known until after Election Day. It may indeed be good, winning politics, but its success is dependent upon the Democrats permitting the establishment of a false narrative and also whether, to be blunt, this lie resonates with voters' opinions, biases, or assumptions.
The current "RTSB Democrats are fiscally irresponsible," trope, while ridiculous when considered factually and attached to the first tax reduction in 30 years, still may be spun into a winner come Election Day.
The "Swift Boat" false narrative, and John Kerry's slow and inadequate response, is considered a prime example of this increasingly popular Republican technique. A few more recent examples are: "Benghazi", "Death Panels" and "You Didn't Build It".
Long story short: Heldring, Booker and Michaelson may well be correct, in political terms, that the unanimous Republican vote in favor of the historic Democratic budget is "irrelevant," but it will take time, inattentive and uninformed voters, and Democratic acquiescence to make it so.
Putting election-year politics and campaigning aside, if the Republicans on Radnor School Board did not believe that the budget was fiscally responsible, they had a responsibility to vote against it, even if it meant voting against the first tax reduction in 30 years. No amount of spin will change or obscure that fact.
