On Sept. 13, the Ames Schools are having an election about a $65 million bond issue. How does that affect ISU students? Whether you realize it or not, you are going to be paying for a lot of this.

More than half of the living units in Ames are rental units. Non-owner living units and rentals are taxed at a higher rate than owner-occupied units. If you have a bond issue passed for $65 million, then a large proportion of that principal plus the interest is going to be paid by non-owner living units.

The next question is how many of the rentals are occupied by students. My guess is a large percentage.

The owners of these rental units are going to be passing on their increased costs, the property taxes, to their renters. Like any business, increased costs are passed on to the customer. ISU students are going to be paying a large percentage of this $65 million, plus the interest.

What can you do about it? You students are citizens of Ames. The city counts you when they want more money from the federal government. Being a citizen of Ames gives you the right to vote something down when it harms you. I urge students to go and vote against this $65 million bond issue.