NEXT WEEK'S "MANDATORY PUBLIC MEETINGS"

Next Tuesday, the 19th, at 6pm is the scheduled time and date for the Eddington Board of Selectmen to meet.

Next Wednesday, the 20th, at 6:30pm, at the Holbrook Middle School is the scheduled time and date for the SAD 63 Budget and Finance Committee (BFC) meeting. The BFC meeting will be on the second floor at the top of the stairs, turn left and through the library to the room on the left.

It's time for the citizens (parents of school children of all ages, voters and taxpayers - retired or working) to start requiring some action from the School Board re: what is going to be done, and when and with whom as far as working toward a RSU or an Organized Alternative System (which the legislation does allow).

According to information presented yesterday at the monthly meeting of the Maine Heritage Policy Center, by the time the next Governor and Legislature is elected in November this year, Maine will be facing a $1 Billion deficit (that's BILLION). So if any of us think last year was bad for state subsidies for public education - or if the projections for this year look even worse ---Wait 'til you get a look at what will be coming out of Augusta after November if the people of this state elect another Democrat for Governor or a put a majority of democrats in charge of the Legislature.

Did you know there are 22 social service programs this administration has set up - welfare programs funded by the taxes of those of us who are still working or still stay in this state year-round and pay state income taxes? ALSO - that sorry and sad parade of individuals who were hauled to Augusta this past week were all organized by the same political group who opposed Question #4 (the TABOR bill) to limit government spending this past November - and who outspent the pro-TABOR campaign 15:1. Now where do you suppose that money came from (on both occasions)? Know this - The "Maine Can Do Better" campaign is supported by those who support the No Limits to Welfare philosophy which is supported by the social service organizations who are the same organizations that wanted TABOR to fail. Them on the taxpayer dole don't want it to stop and why would they? It's their Free Ride.

How does this relate to the meetings in Eddington next week? Because our local property taxes are going to increase A LOT if we don't demand (and I do mean DEMAND) the SAD 63 school board call a meeting immediately of the RPC teams from the towns represented by SAD 63, CSD 8 and Otis. If another Letter of Intent needs to be sent to the Commissioner of Education, so be it. But there's less of a chance of a penalty being levied if we are at least working toward the establishment of SOMETHING than if we are doing NOTHING. For sure, the absence of action by any of these school boards is going to land in the property tax bills for all of the rest of us. And Augusta is looking for money wherever it can find it.