Brewer schools’ values
The proposed layoffs of six Brewer custodians left a lot of us shell shocked. What happened to the district’s “Community of Caring” values?
These aren’t simply men in the background; they are part of the school. They aren’t out in the foreground like the teachers and administrators, but I guarantee, things wouldn’t function without them. To remove them and hire anonymous cleaners shows that we don’t truly care about our people.
We don’t really share the values we have been touting to our kids, such as respect, responsibility, caring and trust. This proposal shows a lack of respect to the community by making this decision without them.
This proposal was presented to the custodians as if it were a done deal. It shows a lack of responsibility by making a proposal that appears to be finalized when in fact it has yet to be discussed publicly. It shows a lack of caring not only to the custodians who have worked faithfully for years, but also to the teachers who interact with these men and the children who in some cases have formed friendships with them.
And finally, trust. How can we trust a superintendent who presents a layoff as a done deal, when in fact he hasn’t even brought this before the school committee or the public? Where is his accountability, and how do we trust someone who has obviously been looking at this from behind the scenes?
Devon Crossman
Bangor
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LePage sleight of hand
The Maine People Before Politics web site states that “Gov. LePage’s budget proposal reduces the income tax for 439,000 Maine people.”
According to the Maine Center for Economic Policy — more than 80 percent of the benefits of proposed tax changes go to taxpayers with incomes greater than $63,648, and much of that goes to those earning above $120,000. Middle income taxpayers will get tax breaks amounting to only about $80 apiece.
The LePage plan to reduce teacher retirement benefits and increase retirement age has a hidden cost that no one is talking about.
Teachers retiring three years later at 65 will lead to decreased costs to the state but increased costs to towns, and thus to those paying property taxes. An RSU in which 10 teachers delay their retirement by three years could see the local tax burden rise by $600,000 over the three year period. This is due to the the district not replacing teachers at the top end of the salary scale with starting teachers making $30,000 per year.
This LePage sleight of hand looks good to the uninformed, but the result to Mainers may well be be increased taxes.
Since the local RSU is funded primarily by property taxes and since property taxes are regressive (meaning low and middle income folks pay a higher proportion of their income for property taxes than wealthier folks), the cost savings the state gains by delaying teacher retirement is put on the backs of low and middle income taxpayers.
Ray Wirth
Belfast
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River-front revival
I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Bangor waterfront and what a pleasure it was. Beautiful ornate sidewalks, unique, attractive street lighting, and the quiet flow of a now clean river made me walk slower in order to enjoy the ambiance. Families were enjoying picnicking, people were sitting on the plentiful benches enjoying the view and children were laughing, running and playing on the wide open spaces of the park.
I remember when the river was a disgusting cesspool fed by open sewers and industrial discharge, and the now-beautiful park was an oil and gas soaked hazardous waste site, unfit for any recreational use. It is now the venue for a hugely successful concert series.
The transformation has taken foresight and many years of hard work, and has largely been funded by federal dollars, not the city’s. We owe a debt of gratitude to my friend, Rod McKay, and the entire economic and community development staff for the years of effort to bring about this metamorphosis. Thank you all.
Brent Slater
Bangor
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No Sunday hunting
It seems so long ago when Sunday in the U.S. was a nationwide day of reverence for God. Maine does not need Sunday hunting (April 6 BDN editorial “Revisit Sunday Hunting”) as one more step along the road to worshiping Mammon; but the United States does need on Sunday sincere and humble Christian worship of God and a daily national reverence for Jesus Christ.
To quote Thomas Jefferson: “I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.”
Richard Mackin Jr.
Millinocket
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Helping children
Not being able to live with a mother and father is one of the most traumatic experiences a child can face, even when circumstances in the home are so bad it is not safe to live there. The decision is often made quickly, and the removal immediate. Being placed in foster care with complete strangers only compounds the child’s fear and anxiety.
The state has been moving towards placing children with appropriate grandparents and extended family members when possible. This can help reduce some of the trauma experienced as they are able to live with family members with whom they are familiar.
Kinship care can be emotionally, physically and financially challenging, but these family members are willing to provide care, support and stability to ones they love. Currently, a family member providing kinship care for a family member’s child is given power of attorney for six months. This time frame limits families in their ability to access services for the children placed in their care.
LD 170, “An Act to Extend the Maximum Time Period for Powers of Attorney for Minors and Incapacitated Persons” proposes to extend the timeframe of powers of attorney from six months to 12 months. LD 170 also provides the option for the probate judges to order a transition plan when there is a change in guardianship.
As difficult as it can be for a child to be taken from home, it can be just as difficult to be returned home. This provision allows a more gradual transition which supports the child and family in making the transition more successful.
Michelle Folster Arthurs
MSW student
University of Maine