But given the initiatives we've committed ourselves to, it's going to be very difficult, even if we get more money than the county initially earmarked. The initial signs show we are getting a positive response. We'll see what the upshot is.

It's not a black and white issue - it's not a question of whether we care or don't. It's not an either/or issue and does us no good to set this example for our kids or community-at-large, to reduce our concerns to simplistic clichŽs. Just because something has been declared legal doesn't mean that it is right.

Everybody in this room cares about kids and nobody wants to trash the Constitution.

It defies understanding to say that if we're building only three or four new schools, we may not need buses. That's simply not realistic. Until that kind of projection is made, a table of this sort is not complete.

It's not a black and white issue - it's not a question of whether we care or don't. It's not an either/or issue and does us no good to set this example for our kids or community-at-large, to reduce our concerns to simplistic clichés. Just because something has been declared legal doesn't mean that it is right.

The improvements in the tax structure in Lake County, including the tax settlement and the personal property change in House Bill 1858 were the primary factors in our decision to go forward with the rebuild, and they will permit this major investment to generate a competitive return.