Letter to the Editor: Strong taxpayers, wake up!

18 Comments

1. come to Phillips if u want to be scared! Our taxes are terrible and everything is in an uproar with the new selectpersons. Power struggle. And yes its good to get involved with whats going on in your town but when u stand up to say anything, the new select persons tell you to shut up here in Phillips. They tell Mr Wilbur that is 80 yrs old and has been involved in Town Government for many years to stop talking… So its in every town I guess! Could be worse

2. Hi Gail,
   I hear you on the taxes. We have to look at all the options for keeping them down. I have looked at the AOS plan. Maybe staying completely independent would be ideal for some but it comes at a steep price. Since the AOS would still leave us in charge of our schools here in 58 it seems a lot better option than closing a school. Getting rid of the consolidation penalty would save us $131,000 and sharing a superintendent, Special ed director and other central office savings would save us at least another $100,000. While this won’t solve our whole problem I can’t see throwing away over $230,000 in taxpayer money just because we don’t want to work with our neighbors.

3. I am glad to see that there are those in Strong who are starting to react to things that are happening or may happen, i.e. $25,000.00 in the legal account.

4. Gail,

   I share your concern about being pressured to join the AOS. I think in reality there are less than 10 people in SAD 58 who really understand how the budget works. Out of that 10, none that I have spoken with think the AOS is a good deal for SAD 58. Not to mention that any potential “savings” will be spent, not passed on to the taxpayers.

   As far as the town legal account, the hope and desire is that none of that $25,000 would be spent, and that it would all be turned back to surplus at the end of the year. However, if certain things happen that could happen, I’m not sure that 25,000 will be enough. It’s like insurance, you hope you don’t have to use it, but it’s good to have it in place. It’s responsible government, in my opinion.

5. My guess, Gail, is that you don’t really understood that the legal account money will only be used if people file another lawsuit. If the TOWN doesn’t get sued again, great. That money goes back into surplus. My understanding is that the TOWN has been the defendant because the plaintiffs get a tax abatement they were sure they deserved. They didn’t win. Ever! If you were falsely accused, you’d still pay a lawyer to prove it, wouldn’t you?

   When Rebecca was a selectman the second time, before she quit the second time around, I heard she wanted to raise the legal account from $2k to $10k. Now tell me, do you think she knew the lawsuit against the selectmen was gathering steam? Sure enough, the TOWN was hit soon after with an expensive lawsuit. You don’t know your history. That legal decision between “two families” was decided quite a while ago by both the Fr. Co. AND Maine Supreme Court. So those disgruntled plaintiffs haven’t found anyone to agree they are right. I think readers know whose side you are on, and maybe those individuals suing the TOWN just don’t care that their neighbors and others have to pick up the tab.

   Also, I do hope you do know the school budget hasn’t even put together yet. And I’d suggest you try going at least one town meeting and maybe a school board meeting instead of playing “armchair quarterback.”

6. Hi Gail,
   I too am concerned for the future of our Town. I have been attending the Selectmen’s and Budget meetings, as I feel we must be frugal with what monies we have now that our tax base has been affected by not having the mills. But I have not seen alot of citizens at these meetings, Hopefully Town Meeting will bring these citizens to voice their opinions and make the final decisions, as we are so lucky to live in a society where we are allowed to do that. If ever anyone would like a ride to a Selectman’s meeting please call me and I will pick them up because, like you I also am concerned for our future but together we, the residents, can and will make the right dec isions for ourselves. The past is the past and we should learn from it, yet not live in it.
   Joan L Reed

7. Dear Observer From Afar and others

   I took note that “Gail” left her name and you chose not to. This leads me to believe she is willing to defend her position. Your reason for anonymity I will not assume to know, but can guess.

   One thing that disturbs me is that though SAD58 has been falling short in all aspects for some time now, nothing until now has been seriously discussed to change things that would have been less costly, back then, to everyone concerned. Kind of like going to a fire after the fire is out.

   I attempted to attend a school board meeting at SAD58 in the past to address some concerns about standards of education and was turned away. I was told I had to make an appointment to attend and state my business in a letter to the board to be reviewed before hand. The board would then make a decision on whether I should be allowed an ‘appointment’.

   I have two sons that have graduated from SAD 58 and since then the decline in quality educational has been dramatic. Programs have been continually cut to accomadate a declining budget. The academic requirements for students to enter college are not being met and students continue to transfer to SAD9 to obtain a better quality education. It is a bit late to try to address the underlying problems to save SAD58 but the immediate one is the idea of consolidation.

   I know a little about consolidation models as I have recently done a report on the failures involved in the recent consolidation of jails in the criminal justice system for my Bachelors degree. What is not being discussed is the ‘COSTS’ involved after consolidation has occured, such as transportation, tuition for those not meeting standard requirements, and other hidden costs. There is also going to be specialty positions needed that require additional employees that have not been considered. So, thinking “In The Long Run” frame of mind, there is no savings, there is additional expense. This

   I for one commend “Armchair Quarterbacks” for finding venues such as The Daily Bulldog to have a voice. That is the problem very often these days, people are encouraged to attend town and school meetings but their voice is never heard or cast off as irrelevant. The Daily Bulldog gives us all a chance to exersize our First Amendment Rights to Freedom of Speech. This venue also presents the opportunity to spread the word to those who are disabled or housebound and ‘never’ hear the goings on in their town because they cannot attend town and school board meetings.

   Thanks for your time,
   Babette Burdin
   thewatcher207@yahoo.com

8. Well said, Joan. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

9. Babette, I am proud of you! What a great letter, and you are correct, no matter what the school board says or does, it ALWAYS costs us MORE money.

   Eunice Shurtleff

10. Way to go Babette..You are a smart cookie. Come to Phillips and give em hell too would ya?
    I too have gone before the school board and have been turned away. I am glad that my son and daughter are no longer part of SAD 58 and if I could have I would have sent them to SAD 9….Try talking to Mr Clark and that gets you no where either..maybe unless he likes you or your name is spelled right. The day my last kid graduated I celebrated not only their graduating, but that they would be out of SAD58.

    And hooray for freedom of speech!! thanks Daily bulldog!

11. Citizen George..
    You are not going to save $131,000 in 2011-2012,we didn’t meet the deadline for the law. There are eight bills in front of legislature to do away with the penalties in 2012-2013 school year. I sat on the AOS committee and The SAD58 board, and I know behind closed doors there are alot of politics going on. When the plan was drafted there was a strong recommendation from both superintendent for a assistant, but it was left out of the plan. The boards know they will hire someone to do this after the vote There goes your savings.
    They do not have cost for the District office (heat, lights,phone building or custodial) this is also additional cost , no savings. We already share the special ed director so those savings are already there without an AOS. The great question is are the children receiving the services they need. To many question and not enough answers. This is moving way to fast.

    Mike Pond

12. Thanks Mike for your input. This is all part of the progressive movement, they like to move fast before you have time to think about it. Eunice Shurtleff

13. I have heard so much about the money we are spending or lack there of to spend for our educational system. I believe that money is not our only problem. I find that the lack of education that my children are receiving and the lack of supervision or discipline is a problem as well. My children come home all the time with grades that are dropping and I never get a teacher calling me to say, “I feel your child needs extra help, or can we get together on this?” And the level of expectation for the work is very high and the work is very hard. My kids have come home many times lately with work that is making them lack sleep they are so upset they won’t get a good grade. Some of it is too hard for me to figure out and I can’t even help them with it so if I can’t do it how can a child be expected to do the work. I also have many problems with the fact that the children are spending way too much time harassing each other and making fun of each other. Bullies should not be tolerated and it upsets my child greatly. Educators don’t seem to take the time to listen to the children about extra help, make up work, the children attacking each other emotionally, and what happened to walking the classroom, halls, playground, etc. while activities are going on so that a keen eye is kept on the students. I see a great lack of this in the last few years. When we were in school the teachers walked up and down to see what the kids needed for help, the whole staff watched the halls when the kids were in it taking turns as well as at recess and lunch walking back and forth to keep the kids in line. They are there for an education in learning subjects no one in being treated badly by their peers. We did get picked on but the teachers listened and addressed it with the administrators, the other parents, and the parent of the child who is being bothered. Now it is left up the child to stand up for themselves. A lot is left for them to do and they are not mature enough to handle some of it yet. Age needs to be considered as to how to handle each situation. They should not be responsible for everything yet they are after all children not adults, it is our job as parents and educators to teach them, protect them, and help them until they are ready. I love my district really I do but I think that we need to start focusing on our children they need to come first and we as adults need to guide them, giving them the best education we can during this trying time in their lives.

14. To concerned parent of sad58.
    Congratulations!!!!
    It’s about time somebody told what’s really going on.We need more people to stand up.

15. Mr. Pond,
    I am surprised at your response and your misinformation on this. Yes the January 31st deadline was missed. But I took the time to contact the DOE on this. The Department of Education consultant I spoke to stated that any community that votes for an approved plan this spring and forms one by July 1 will be exempted from the penalty. In I was told that if SAD 58 votes yes and 74 votes no we will still be exempted if we then file an alternate plan to stand alone. As evidence of this other communities such as SAD 25 and CSD 9 have already had positive votes after January 31st and are being exempted from the penalty. So the plain fact is that a no vote on the AOS is a vote for $131,000 less in state funding and $131,000 more in local taxes. If you really were unaware of this I encourage you to call the DOE consolidation office and check it out. Then come back on here and report the corrected facts. As far as the legislature repealing the penalties outright you yourself said that all of the towns that have already consolidated would never agree to it.
    Your point on the cost of the district office (heat, lights, phone, building or custodial) doesn’t make any sense. The two districts are already paying these costs for two separate offices. It is not going to cost a penny more to heat, light, or clean any of the offices with an AOS then it does doing it separately. In fact with one less superintendent making phone calls it might cost a little less.
    Your point about an Assistant Superintendent is also wrong headed. First of all many school systems the size of the AOS function fine without an Assistant Superintendent so I am not sure that one would be needed. My understanding is that there was no agreement that such a position was needed and it was voted not to include it in the AOS. Just because a superintendent suggests something as an option doesn’t mean it is a necessity.
    Also in an earlier letter you suggested cutting to a half time superintendent for SAD 58. You can’t have it both ways. If you claim that standing alone we only need a half time person you can’t then claim that working together we need two full time persons. But lets say for argument sake that the AOS needed another half time administrator. With Salary and benefits etc that could cost around $45,000 (shared between the two districts). That would still leave $64,000 in savings for us plus the $131,000 penalty for a total of $195,000

    So the true facts are that the AOS would save the SAD 58 budget at least $195,000. I just can’t understand why you are so determined to either have us pay that much more in taxes or cut that much more in educational programs. It just doesn’t make sense.

16. Kudos concerned parent. It is really sad in all these meetings and political debates that no one ever comments on education,strengthening our communities and teaching our children structure, discipline and self esteem.
    Teachers need to teach, they are more concerned with how there going to shorten there 6 hour day, get more benefits or push a student through the system just to make the numbers look good.. It is sad to think that this is what has happened to our education system. We were taught much better with much less.

17. Instead of talking.let’s make sure we are all voting on Tuesday! Yes.you can get absentee ballots. Call and anyone can pick them up and return them for you! It is time for us to stand up and be counted. Remember, there are a huge number of SAD 58 employees and their families that will be voting, so it is imperative we get people out!

18. It is so confusing when you read the listing of what we are voting for I don’t know exactly which way to vote to be honest. It should be listed right out in plan English exactly what we are agreeing to and how it will effect our budget but all the ones I read are so full of jargen I can’t figure them out.