Present times draw memories of the past

Two recent recommendations and the response each drew brought back memories of times long ago.

In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down separate but equal public education systems. But Virginia (and several other Southern states) didn’t obey the court’s decision. Virginia finally desegregated its public schools 12 or 13 years later depending on the county one lived in.

Back then, the Virginia General Assembly and Augusta County supervisors didn’t have any qualms ignoring the law. Today they do. Virginia in general and Augusta County in particular have an opportunity to return to those segregated days of long ago.

Del. Chris Saxman, R-Staunton, in response to a recommendation by Gov. Timothy Kaine to gain control of the state budget, suggested saving about $60 million by not purchasing new textbooks for state public schools. In the process, potentially millions of dollars could be saved and allocated toward keeping Staunton’s Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents open. The center is a safety net for emotionally challenged teens and adolescents.

During the years of racial segregation Virginia’s African-American students had to use hand-me-down school books (and equipment too) most of the time. In fact, we frequently had to share the used books and the few new books with one or two classmates.

Similarly, Supervisor Tracy Pyles anticipated significantly higher tax bills on many county property owners and suggested that Augusta County ignore state law that requires real estate reassessments. His fellow supervisors out-voted him. The oddity wasn’t the fine that Pyles’ colleagues objected to, but rather it was to knowingly vote to break the law.

I was in the audience the night Pyles suggested ignoring the state reassessment law even though it could cost Augusta County up to $38,000 in fines. The fine, Pyles reasoned, was miniscule in comparison to the jump in tax bills county residents would have to pay.

As I listened to one after the other six supervisors who refused to break the law I thought, “too bad they weren’t on the board [and the Staunton City Council, where I lived] following the Supreme Court decision.”

After Saxman’s proposal, school administrators objected not so much because of getting longer use out of books but rather to the loss of allocated dollars. As in the business world, budgeted dollars not spent are removed the following year.

Bottom line: Virginia’s public school students won’t be harmed if they use books an extra year or two. That may be the way of the future. Cities, counties and other public agencies have been getting longer service out of police cars and school buses for years without problems.

Pyles’ hunch proved right. After the mailing of the higher valued reassessments, Augusta’s supervisors are getting their ears full.

When the cost of lowering real estate tax rates is figured in, plus the cost in time for the assessors meeting to re-evaluate property values, the possible $38,000 fine may be a wash.

Nelson Graves, of Augusta County, is a columnist for The News Virginian. E-mail him at .