Four hundred and fourteen million dollars is a lot of money.

Even with the best of intentions, it would be hard to spend that much money on that many projects without wasting it. And the enormity of so much money would make it a tempting target for people who like to cheat on contracts.

But that is how much money the Tulsa School Board wants Tulsa Public School district voters to approve. This is a gigantic amount of money to borrow.

Pay-as-you-go is a lost cause in much of public education these days. There is a borrow-and-spend mentality that is reinforced by most of the Tulsa media and propped up by the Oklahoma Education Association and many parent/student groups.

At this rate, Tulsa Public Schools will never be out of debt.

A big lie, spread generously by Tulsa TV stations and the Tulsa World, is that the June 8 vote is “not a tax increase.” They make this false claim because this enormous bond package is replacing previous loans.

If the vote fails, taxes will go down, and debt will decrease. If this truly wasn’t a “tax increase,” why does it need voter approval.

This bond issue will invariably pass on June 8 and property taxes will remain high (Tulsa County has some of the highest property taxes in Oklahoma).

This election is timed for the first week of June, when many families are on vacation. You can be assured that the OEA will marshal their voters to take advantage of a really low turnout.

If TPS really needed money, officials should craft a smaller bond package that would be easier to manage. If they were fiscally responsible, they would work within their operating budget to take care of these “needs.

Voters need to send a message to the big spenders at TPS and the OEA and vote down this $414,000,000.00 debt package on June 8.