Repeal the useless law = problems solved.

“I don’t know where the confusion is coming from,” Rier said.

Statements like this show the inability of DOE members, such as Jim Rier, to acknowledge the mess they have made of this whole thing. From being on the inside, and attempting to work first hand with the DOE, I can attest that this has been a mess from day one. The good people of the State of Maine need to repeal this law. Send a statement to Augusta that we do not support a plan that saves no money, but hurts children and shifts responsibility to local assesment. Local assesment means property tax! It is just that simple. I for one am tired of my property taxes shooting up by leaps and bounds. Come on people, use November to make a statement!

When will the people of Maine realizetha the state Dept. of Ed is full of liars and cheats. They claimed we'd save loads of money with consolidation. Where is the savings when the RSU's that have formed pillaged the school and town reserves this yearto make the budgets look good. What about next year Jim? Now the DOE, pronounced "D'Oh", says we can close schools a few days saving millions of dollars. What about contracts? What about tax commitments? The shutdown days at the state level are obvious examples of how to screw something up. Therefore, the DOE figures it must copy it!

November is too far away. Gendron and her minions need to be replaced now.

I'd hardly call this a major liability of the consolidation effort; rather another 'death by a thousand cuts' criticism for protecting turf and jobs. These administrators will find any reason or excuse to pan the concept of consolidation. And, as s can be seen in this article, to an almost comical end.

These towns are so upset at having lost local control they are inventing confusion. The same towns that didn't want to believe that implementing 55% educational funding would be actually devastating to educational funding.

The majority of educationally funding for most towns comes from pocket books of the entire state. So, you can self-fund your own town today. Walk away, do it yourself? Oh yes they want to be so independant but do if they have to pay to be self-supporting.

Everyone wants their own book keepers, their own plowing contracts, own maintenance contracts, their own bus contacts, own fuel contracts, etc., as many 'local' business have been doing some of these or relatives who have had positions for generations. The rules have to change.

Yet if it real confusion, then hire an outside financial firm to assist in the gap for your lack of understanding instead of taking a talk show lines to mask lack of financial savvy.

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Fred, the state never met the 55%. They changed the funding formula to make it look better. We all had a free public education and every child, regardles of race, religion or geographical location is entitled to the same. This is the responsibility of society. I know of small lake communities that will do anything to discourage a family with children. They recieved their education, but do not want to provide one. Nothing is more important to the advancement of society than the education of our young. The consolidation plan is discriminatory against rural settings. It was very easy to meet the requirements in southern Maine where they have large populations, not so easy in rural Maine.

Many schools started consolidation of services many years ago. heating oil coops, shared copier contracts, purchasing paper in bulk, these are all things that have been happening in rural Maine for a number of years.

As far as hiring an outside accounting firm, I am sure you would be the first one to complain about the district having to spend your tax dollars on an outside agency. Some times the school are damned if they do, damned if they don't!

"...he state never met the 55%" because we can't afford to as was told prior to getting put on the referredum. Still is true today.

We need for example, one high school in places like Old Town/Orono, and maybe distance learning for the real remote places out of the homes or go up on taxes which I am not against.

".. heating oil coops, shared copier contracts, purchasing paper in bulk, these are all things that have been happening in rural Maine for a number of years...." need to be a "single" state wide contract, remove the back office to pay employees for example. Several big box stores here in Maine and world wide pay employees, millions by a single payroll company, swiping cards and EFTs. For example even the remotest hospital in Maine buys the biggest costs items from a Nation Wide hospital contracts for stuff like copy paper, same price in Boston, same no delivery charges too, and yes to Fort Kent, I know worked on these contracts. Same for Med-Surge, trash liners, etc.. Yes the local business can sell stuff if they can match the national price and the hospital fudges it's contract to accommodate the local person. But bottom line, most big box stores pays the same for heating fuel in Arknasas and Maine, I know worked on these contracts as a consultant too.

And there is my point, most Maine towns want to open bids, put out RFPs, duplicating efforts etc., etc, it takes more money to put an RFP out than to sign up for a national contract to save money .

The Stae buse