Mr. Baer, are any of the facts on the postcard inaccurate? If not, then do you consider presenting factual evidence contrary to your own opinion to be promoting hatefullness and divisiveness?

Regarding promoting class envy....did you read the editorial you published by Gloria Bilchik, in which she chastised people who Vote No side and might still go out and buy a non-essential good or service? Is there a better example of promoting class envy than her? Where was your outrage with her for divisiveness, hatefullness or class envy?

It seems to me that you are taking a factual political postcard, and twisting it into something that could better describe the tactics of some on the Vote Yes side.

There is a well-documented psychological concept known as psychological projection. You might want to read up on it here:

http://karlrwolfe.com/psychological-projection.html

Good Lord. What is objectionable? Warning Ladue residents that this plus more expected local taxes (firehouses and sidewalks) could run up their tax bill even more, (I would have also mentioned the end of the Bush tax cuts after the first of the year). Are you saying this is divisive because it points out the obvious? Since when is the truth offensive? I don't get it.

The mailer may not be lying, but perhaps it should include the fact that the Ladue is the largest zip code that is entirely serviced by Ladue School District as opposed to Olivette, which is considerably smaller. The other zip codes have considerably less area that is serviced by the district. Ladue residents are going to pay more because more area is encompassed, not because the residents are paying more than their fair share. The way this mailer is worded states the information in a way that sounds very snobbish and characterisitic of what many people outside of this area think of Ladue and its residents. I wouldn't think that is how people would want to be viewed no matter what your opinions are on Prop 1. It just was not classy at all and really just plain distasteful.

Sarah, acreage doesn't matter so much as what is on it. I live in Creve Coeur and didn't get the card. My neighborhood is like the U. N. I am not offended. What is offensive is this group, that knows it is going to lose, expressing its desperation by introducing the race card. It is simply outrageous. To claim that Olivette, one of the most affluent communities in the county is a code word for something negative is beyond absurd. It is like Beverly Hills tweaking Bel Air. By the way, I saw this being tweeted by the yes people yesterday. If I am not mistaken, the picture of the card used by Baer has the same distinctive stain in the middle of the fourth paragraph as was used by the Yes people yesterday. So, when Baer says, "people are upset," I am sure we can qualify that to mean the yes committee people. Will he admit the picture of the card came from them? I have volunteered for the No group when I was able this year and I can tell you many of the signs I delivered in Olivette and Creve Coeur were to Jewish voters. Perhaps, the most amusing part of this theater of the absurd is the fact that the chairwoman of the No group is herself, a minority. Perhaps the Yes group is upset they were out hustled by her. I am also still wondering about that robo-poll that was going around Ladue and Frontenac over the weekend. Does anyone know who did it? What were the results? Who is in the lead? Maybe the Patch could assign Jim to that story.

Enter the post card poll. 66 percent say this card is both divisive and insensitive.

So, help me out here...are all the people who align themselves with Vote No living in the 63124 zip? What does the number of the Board members who live in Olivette have to do with anything? Are the sidewalks more important than education...and that is what we are supposed to glean from this? I think the mailer has created a feeling of seperation or elitist feel...I don't personally think it is racist...I just don't understand why this would help the Vote No. I think it actually makes me wonder why most of our Volunteers who devote hundreds of hours of their lives to our community seem to be from one area? WHERE are all these 63124 folks who want things done differently???

Looks like the "no's" will win this round?

I am a city of Ladue resident. I am Jewish. I received the postcard and found it very offensive. It did not occur to me that it was racist and/or anti-semitic. I just found it divisive, thought it suggested that Olivette and the school board is leeching off of Ladue, and thought it suggested that we should oppose prop 1 because of taxes for other things like sidewalks, federal spending, etc.

I do have children in the LSD, but even if I did not, I would support this tax increase. I believe that we have a civic responsibility to educate our population. The spending of the LSD is very comparable to surrounding districts, so the idea that it is mismanaging its money just doesn't ring true. The student population has increased by nearly 700 students--that is nearly the size of two elementary schools. Revenue, whether it has increased or decreased, has not kept pace with the increase in student population. Certainly cuts can be made, but each cut has a price that isn't as simple as the dollars spent.

In response to flyoverland, the school board members are elected officials, elected by all Ladue School District residents, not just parents.

There have been at least 3 or 4 comments over the past few weeks from Prop 1 supporters who have made the following statement: a. spending is comparable to surrounding districts so there is no fiscal mismanagement; and b. enrollment has grown by 700 students.

Take a step back and think about those 2 statements....enrollment has grown by 700 students, and yet spending PER STUDENT has increased and now stands at $13,000 per student. So in addition to the incremental growth in spending for the existing 3,200 students between 2003 - 2011, total spending has also expanded by an additional $13,000 x 700 students = $9.1 million since 2003. This additional $9.1M in spending negates the proponents 'extra 700 students is a burdon on the district' argument.

Putting these two facts together actually justifies why the school doesn't need a tax increase. It has been able to maintain spending per student even in the face of a 22% increase in enrollment over the past 9 years.

I will point out that teacher's take home pay has decreased because although salaries have increased, we have asked them to pay more of their health insurance, etc.

When economic times are difficult, we have to prioritize where to spend our money. I am choosing to make the education of our citizens a priority. Not just my own children, but the children in my community.

You could just as easily argue it is selfish to make children suffer for lack of a fine education, a lack that will dog them their whole lives. teachers have been asked to take cuts. They bring home less each month than they used to. We could go on arguing about who suffers and why all day, and in the end we are each entitled to our opinion. I am trying to look at what is best for our community as a whole. Of course you can argue that at the moment I directly benefit from this and that if I couldn't afford the tax I would change my tune. And perhaps you would be right; since I am not in the position, I can't say. But I am quite confident that I wouldn't be out there passionately trying to defeat something that I recognize as needed.

I am not really sure what you said, but I am pretty sure I disagree with it. VOTE NO tomorrow.

Do you think that a so called journalist is wanting this issue to be hateful and divisive?

Doesn't every child no matter what side of Olive deserve a quality education? This post card polarizes the attitudes of the rich in that they have a problems with supporting those who could be seen as less fortunate. I interpret this post card as saying, "why can't they chip in and pay more" when the issue is every child needs a quality education. It says that we are rich and the rest are trash. I will vote yes, even though I don't have a dog in the fight. The post card actually made up my mind.

Now the Drudge report has linked to this site, this issue has gone global.

It was an attack that was in very poor taste and showed no hint of grace. I feel sorry for anyone who in their hearts cannot see why this mailing was wrong.

Marc Bernstein

Thank you, fixed income! I fear that those who are able to keep their home despite historically low returns on retirement investments or heaven forbid merely social security would be the most likely to lose their homes from increased property tax. As a working former Ladue Schools employee, I saw inside the out of balance decision that a new building caused, and it falls me as a resident in this economy to ask for even more.

It galls me, not Falls. The district would do foolish things like insist I cut down on my bandaid budget, because they didn't plan for the one time relatively small outlay for first aid kits. Later, they decide sixth grade camp was "necessary" to the tune of thousands even though we got an email asking parents if it was ok not to mail report adds to save postage. Add to that the new building expenditure and I am absolutely unconvinced that the district has been making wise financial decisions. Yes, these are empirical examples. Yes peeved $34 million mistake goes a long way, and it is patently offensive to this middle class voter to be asked for even more in an economy where my house is worth less.

Report cards above...iphone typo!