South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

With the election of LNEA candidates, ‘coup’ complete in Lindbergh

To the editor:

What ended 12 years ago in the Mehlville Fire Protection District with the election of Aaron Hilmer has just begun in the Lindbergh School District with the election of Cathy Carlock Lorenz, Matt Alonzo, Christy Watz and Mike Shamia.

The Mehlville Fire Protection District was run by union-backed board members, and when negotiations took place, on one side of table were the union reps and on the other side were the union-backed board members. The taxpayers’ representative was absent.

The purpose of a union is to represent the interests of its members at the exclusion of everyone else.

So the union was represented on both sides of the table and the taxpayers were not represented. The Lindbergh School District now has the same situation.

The next time negotiations take place between the Lindbergh Board of Education and the Lindbergh National Education Association, the teachers’ union will be on one side of the table and the union-backed board members will be on the other side of the table. The students and Lindbergh School District property taxpayers will not be represented.

Mehlville had high taxes, mediocre service and great benefits for those represented at the negotiating table. When Aaron Hilmer took over, taxes were rolled back, firehouses were replaced and paid for with cash, most fire engines were replaced, most ambulances were replaced and there is still a balance.

In a few years, the Lindbergh School District will be where the Mehlville Fire Protection District was 12 years ago — high taxes for the Lindbergh School District property taxpayers, mediocre service for the students and great benefits for those represented at the negotiation table, the teachers.

Hats off to the teachers’ union for taking over the Lindbergh school board. The coup is complete.

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