Hello Camillus!
Just some thoughts today about some interactions I had on Facebook about my site, my opinions.
Someone had shared this site to a local group, at first I was not going to interact. But I decided to play that game for a second.
Then came an interaction with a recent West Genesee 2025 grad.
Basically, someone stated, “the ask-questions crowd has no answers.” I added a link to my site about the 2024 Capital Reserve.
He then sicced his 2025 grad brother on me. The kid came in hot and flung insults repeatedly. Every response the kid had was followed by some insult.
“Infographics?”
Well, yeah. That is literally what West Genesee does when it wants to sell a budget, a capital project, or a public message.
So what exactly is the problem when a resident uses the same format to show the other side?
Unless the real issue is not the infographic.
Unless the real issue is that this one does not say YES.
I always try to treat people with respect, no matter the age.
The kid actually looks like someone my friend and I got out of our vehicle to help this past winter, when we pushed a car out of a snowbank.
No one asked us to. We just did it.
I am not saying it was him, but man, he looked close.
Respect does not mean agree.
Respect does not mean YES.
I bike a lot around Camillus, and I ran into some kids on bikes up at Lost Lake. They were riding their bikes and carrying fishing poles. In my mind, at least, “those kids will be fine.”
But after the way this 2025 grad responded to differing opinions, full hardcore insults.
I am not really sure that is the case once they hit the full system.
I think its a statewide problem in general.
Schools and school boards are allowed to use the terminology of “corporation” when it suits them to crush.
Then, when it does not, they use “community.”
They are "volunteers", yet they control the fate of $$millions. Along with whatever political capital they gain.
Yes, do I have personal issues with the school that, unless you lived here, you would not fully understand?
Absolutely.
As I believe anyone who has experienced the obtuse nature of West Genesee when it affects your life you would understand, and I am as tolerant, live-and-let-live as it gets.
But I guess that led to me having a Taxpayer perspective now, with West Genesee and 68% 70% (who knows at this point) and climbing tax imbalance.
Will I knowingly spread unresearched and non-factual data?
Never.
The data I present is because people have short memories in general.
“Another increase.”
I will show you the historical data that people tend to forget about.
And yeah I do have my own brand of humor
But considering what I have lived next to, watched happen, researched, documented, and questioned, I would say it is definitely justified.
In the end, I don’t really care if Camillus wants to continue riding the YES train as a whole.
That is the community’s choice.
But in my opinion, unless West Genesee, and schools in general, can start offering some real transparency and some fresh thinking beyond:
“It’s your duty.”
“It’s for the kids.”
“Trust us.”
“Vote yes.”
Then people should not be surprised when residents start asking harder questions.
When board seats are often uncontested, when election cycles barely create pressure, and when the culture around the district is overwhelmingly YES, real change becomes almost impossible.
So if residents want a different result, different thinking, and actual accountability, the only apparent lever left is pretty simple:
Start making them hear NO.
I will keep posting what I see and what I find ridculous, you can agree, disagree all good.
Peace, Love
-RTN