In recent issues, the Call has covered remarks by Mehlville Board of Education Secretary Micheal Ocello concerning various proposals for public contact with the board.

Mr. Ocello, however, wants to ban “political speeches” and “opponents” from a dialogue with board members. As president of a company that owns an empire of strip clubs, Mr. Ocello has made millions of dollars exercising his First Amendment rights. I cannot understand why he wants to muzzle those who disagree with his views on public education.

Since Mr. Ocello is concerned about political issues tainting the Mehlville School District, it must be pointed out that he and most of the other school board members are active members of local Democratic political organizations and support candidates for elected office.

In fact, Mr. Ocello spearheaded “Strippers Against Bush” during the 2004 election cycle.

Mr. Ocello stated in a recent letter to the editor: “… (T)here might be some who would try to hijack our forum for political purposes. This comment referred to those who are clearly opposed to public education and motivated by its destruction” and “I am opposed to providing a platform for those who wish to destroy an institution that has served us so well.”

These comments are elitist at best and Stalinist at worst. To Mr. Ocello, anyone who is opposed to giving Mehlville School District and its public-sector unions a blank check is guilty of destroying public education.

Here is an example of Mr. Ocello’s enlightened “non-political” leadership. He and board members Leach, Felton and Christopher recently awarded School/Community Relations Director Patrick Wallace a 6-percent raise from $69,451.20 to $73.618.27. Mr. Wallace is alleged to have campaigned for selected school-board members at the polls and elsewhere — political, Mr. Ocello?

But his most odious ethical lapse was his office’s transmission of solicitation letters to advertisers of the Call Newspapers informing them that advertising in the Mehlville Messenger, a taxpayer-funded publication, was cheaper than advertising in the Call.

In my opinion, it is unethical for a governmental agency to interfere in the business affairs of a newspaper because it is politically opposed to its editorial policy.

Mr. Wallace should have been fired for his department’s actions, not rewarded with a pay raise. Mehlville’s PR department, the Mehlville Messenger and Patrick Wallace are a waste of more than $250,000 of our tax dollars a year.

The question facing the taxpayers of the Mehlville School District is very basic. Do we want to pay more of our hard-earned money to a district with declining enrollment, lackluster academic performance and a board that is spending uncontrollably?

In light of 30-percent reassessment increases and increasing demands for revenue at all levels of government, I say no. Over 40 percent of our residents pay tuition at private schools. Can they afford to pay more taxes for educational services they will never use?

The district’s elected officials want to soften us up for a huge tax increase. That is the primary purpose of all of these recent public forums and outreach attempts. This strategy was made very clear by board member Ken Leach, who stated: “All of our constituents are going to see that it’s important (that the district appear fiscally responsible) during a tax levy, during elections, during all of this stuff.”

The voters have no reason to vote for any increase of funding for Mehlville schools. The current board has embarked on an orgy of spending over the last year when it was discovered that a $12 million surplus existed.

Last year, teachers were awarded up to 6.88 percent in salary in-creases. In 2007, teachers and administrators were granted 6-percent across-the-board pay hikes.

The president of the teachers’ union was thankful for the raises, but added beginning teachers’ salaries must be increased to the levels of neighboring districts.

Frankly, I don’t care what other districts pay their employees. Mehlville taxpayers should decide what level of compensation is appropriate and let the market decide. This year, nearly $2 million will be spent on installing artificial turf in athletic fields. Not one of the above expenditures had anything to do with improving the academic performance of our children.

There are many other points I would like to make, but space does not permit. The bottom line is this: If the Mehlville School District wants a tax increase, the Board of Education should tell us how much money they want and what they want it for. The board should stop pretending that they care what we think.

Obviously, Mr. Ocello and company would prefer that we keep our mouths shut, bow to their superior wisdom and write them the check.

Jim Stonebraker

Oakville

Editor’s note: Mr. Stonebraker served six years on the Lemay Fire Protection District Board of Directors. He is a former president of the Lemay Township Republican Organization and co-founder of No Accountability, No on A.