Lawmakers: School-bus Ads Could Raise Funds

ABG Encourages Your Tuesday's Budget Vote To Be, “No”!
A recent Journal News article explained what you would expect from this headline. We all know school taxes everywhere are out of control. ABG understands the problem to be rudimentary; most officials would rather upset voters with a tax increase than cut spending. Rarely, does anyone remember when the next budget comes around. In Greenburgh in particular, Greenburgh’s school budgets traditionally spend a higher rate of money per student than practically any other school district in America. Why? Why do they need so much money every year and always seem to be in dire straights no matter what the few school budget voters approved? Why are the graduation rates and test scores so much lower than other area school districts? It seems the electorate has become resigned to the fact that there aren’t any good candidates available to fill positions on the school board. Perhaps that’s the greater problem, the resignation of the electorate. Where’s the Voice of the Electorate?

Should we put advertising on schools buses? Probably not; and here’s why ABG doesn’t consider it viable. With its red lights flashing as they are either picking up or dropping off children, NYS law requires motorists to come to a complete stop when a school bus is stopped. And, how many of you honestly don’t stop? Whether we intentionally did not stop and kept going, or you slowed down not sure if you should stop? We’ve all done it. Sometimes you realized it too late; sometimes you were just too wrapped-up in your phone conversation. Or, you rationalize that your time is too valuable and why bother stopping, the bus will protect the kids – until it’s your kid – only then should the world stop!

Add to this, the very specific yellow paint of the bus, which is a color by law that is unavailable to be used for any other vehicles. The reasoning is apparent. When you see it and the bus itself, you immediately know that it is a school bus and if it is stopped with flashing red lights, you need to stop. It was a sound idea when it was developed and it still is today. By adding any kind of advertisement to these yellow kid-handlers, you begin to camouflage and disguise them, hindering the intent of the school bus yellow color scheme to protect our kids. Drivers already distracted with cell phones, drinking, eating, doing makeup and simply not paying attention will be hard pressed and frankly defeated with the challenge of seeing a school bus.

Let’s protect our kids. Let’s also find another revenue stream for our school districts. Better yet, let’s elect some representatives with backbone and try to change the paradigm from within with sound fiscal practices, compassion, caring and ultimately, common sense. Vote no for the unchanged, previously defeated Greenburgh school budget. And, in the next election, let’s clean house and really change the equation. Listen to the Voice of the Electorate this Tuesday, VOTE.