EINSTEIN & THE UPCOMING JUNE 8TH VOTE

By now residents of Clifton, Eddington and Holden should have received the 2010-2011 Proposed SAD #63 School Budget. This writer hopes every resident and voter will carefully read the pamphlet. The School Board is to be commended in the work it has done over the past several months - with significant help from the Financial Advisory Committee and input from the various town's Selectmen and citizenry. When looking at the Bottom Line, readers will see that the Actual School Budget is $431,265 lower than the 2009-2010 Budget.

Unfortunately, because of the ineptness and irresponsibility of the Maine State Government, the overall cost of the proposed 2010-2011 SAD #63 budget is still 7.13% higher than the 2009-2010 budget. How can this be, one might ask? It comes down to the simple fact that the Legislature would rather fund a myriad of other programs, including 22 welfare programs for individuals who do not even have to be residents of Maine, than pay for public education in this state. Remember this clearly, other states require individuals to prove they are residents of the state BEFORE they can even apply for welfare. Not in Maine.

The Maine Legislature took the Federal Stimulus money, which was to protect public education, to balance its budget. A balanced budget is required in the Maine state constitution. So the Maine Legislature "balanced" its budget by tipping the bill for public education over to the Maine property owner. To be specific - The State of Maine plans to Decrease its public education funding to SAD #63 in 2010-2011 in the amount of $253,751 (a quarter of a million dollars). And it has no problem in collecting a $178,577 "tax penalty" from SAD #63 because the district failed to form a conforming district (no thanks to the late Commissioner Gendron).

Unfortunately, it is in the best interests of the voters and taxpayers to approve this proposed School Budget, even though it is going to cost all property owners a lot more money for only 929 students in the district.

Why? Because to vote this proposed budget down means we will have to live with the 2009-2010 budget (along with the State's 2010-2011 cut and tax penalty) until the School Board comes up with an even lower budget. The 2009-2010 School Budget was HIGHER which means even more money to be raised via taxes. Sound insane? (This is where Einstein comes in, folks.)

Einstein's definition of Insanity is to continue doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result.

The only way we are going to get out of this Insanity, is to vote out every incumbent in the Legislature and to vote in a Republican Governor who will cut government spending and the welfare state Maine has become. This means to vote Ben Pratt out of the House of Representatives. What has Mr. Pratt actually DONE for any of his constituents, really? He failed to even answer the letters sent to him by the Selectmen and individuals practically begging him to attend one of the Financial Planning Committee meetings working on the school budget. He certainly didn't attend the School Board meeting he could have attended after the Legislature ended its session. As for Senator Richard Rosen, he did attend the School Board meeting. He did acknowledge there had been a motion in the Senate to defer the tax penalties for one more year for districts like SAD #63. He did state the motion was defeated. He failed to say he voted to defeat the motion. So much for looking after the welfare of his constituents.

So, when it comes time to vote June 8 - if there is only one name on the Ballot, WRITE IN "Anybody but Pratt/Rosen" (depending on your political registration). It is one way to send a message instead of being a political sheep (and better to show up and vote this way than not to vote at all which only allows the politicans to REALLY ignore you.)

As for the School Budget - Show up at the June 3 meeting at Holbrook Middle School at 7pm if only to say Thank You to the Board for its work. And then Approve the Budget. But when you Vote June 8 and again in November - vote out the incumbents and vote out the political party that has financially ruined this state. NOTHING will change in this state if the voters don't send the message first. Remember, in addition to us property owners getting to pay for both the local and state's share of public education, the Legislature is facing $5 BILLION of mandatory obligations coming due. And this state doesn't have the money to pay those bills either.

This Insanity has got to end NOW.