Shame on MEA
In its March newsletter, “Maine Educator,” the MEA boldly calls Rep. Jonathan McKane “and others” liars who are “attacking educators, public education and the MEA.” Nothing could be further from the truth.
I am assuming that they are referring to McKane’s OpEd in the BDN, “For MEA, education excellence takes a backseat to politics.” I’ve reread the column and I find nothing negative about teachers or public education, only about the MEA, and what he said was true.
The MEA has become little more than a subsidiary of the Maine Democratic Party. It shows its blatant bias every month in its newsletter attacking Gov. LePage and anyone who doesn’t agree with its liberal, big-labor ideas. It endorses Democrats and supports Democratic bills 99.9 percent of the time.
It is not surprising the MEA attacks Rep. McKane in the newsletter, where he can’t respond to these outrageous statements.
Ultimately it is tax dollars, and millions of them, that fund the MEA. This money spent on this labor union is not helping educate our children.
Shame on you, MEA!
Jim Carlton
Damariscotta
Tree growth clarification
It is heartening to see that the Maine Tree Growth Tax Program is under scrutiny. The intent and general application of the program are worthwhile. Landowners engaged in forestry, on a small or large scale, are taxed based on their use of the land, not on its “highest use” potential.
Unfortunately it is a loosely regulated program that invites almost anyone with 10 or more acres to reap the tax break. When that involves shorefront and summer-use residential and recreational property, the tax break is enormous.
There is one misconception from recent articles that needs to be corrected; that is, that the tree growth law prevents “prized forest land from being developed.” This notion is based on the provision that if an owner wishes to withdraw land from tree growth and open it to development, a hefty fine for withdrawal would be levied.
The fact is, state law provides a nifty loophole that significantly reduces that penalty. A landowner wishing to develop tree growth land can, without penalty, convert it to another “current use” program and then withdraw it from that program, paying a significantly smaller penalty.
A case in point in Surry: A 10-plus acre shorefront residential property, with market value in the $1 million range, enjoyed significant tax reductions while in tree growth for 30 years. Recently withdrawn from the program so that it could be sold, the tree growth penalty calculated out to be in excess of $110,000. But, utilizing the loophole, the penalty was reduced to $17,000.
Surry Board of Selectmen
Steve Bemiss
Dale Sprinkle
Bill Matlock
Make smart cuts
Soon the Appropriations Committee and the full Legislature will finalize proposals to address the remaining budget challenges for the Department of Health and Human Services. As business people, we know that the state has to balance the need for services with limited resources. Tough choices will be required.
But our choices should not only be tough, they should be smart. A good businessperson knows when to cut and when to invest, and as employers, we know that one of our best investments is in our employees.
The proposed cuts in The Fund for Healthy Maine will unravel our public health infrastructure. This will make it tougher to combat tobacco use, obesity, substance abuse and diseases through vaccinations. This is shortsighted.
As the sponsoring organization for the Wellness Council of Maine, we know worksite wellness programs improve health and cut costs. We also know that the Healthy Maine Partnership greatly enhances workplace wellness programs.
Here in our community, we’ve seen the benefits first-hand. Thanks to the infrastructure of the Bangor Healthy Maine Partnership Program, the Bangor Public Health Department, with established partnerships with Eastern Maine Health Systems, St. Joseph Hospital, Penobscot Community Health Care area nursing schools and the county, quickly mobilized hundreds of health care volunteers to administer about 8,000 H1N1 immunizations.
Their work saved businesses thousands that would otherwise have been lost through absenteeism.
The Fund for Healthy Maine is a smart investment, and we urge legislators to preserve it as they tackle our budget challenges.
M. Jane Irving
Chair Elect
Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce
Remembering Sen. Sam
When we lose someone of great stature from our public discourse, I think we should pause to reflect upon what that person’s service has meant to our state. Such was the case last year when we lost Joe Sewall and now with last week’s death of Sam Collins.
Both were Republican senators in Augusta where I had the privilege to work with them (as a junior Democrat!). Sam Collins, the quiet senator from Aroostook, by way of Knox County, led us to the adoption of the probate code and the criminal code, the most significant codifications of Maine law in the last century.
Ever courteous and respectful, when Sen. Sam pulled his long frame up to speak in the Senate, everyone listened.
What they heard was invariably a thoughtful and reasoned discussion of policy, spoken with heartfelt belief and without invective toward those who disagreed. I served in Augusta for over 16 years and I never met a finer person than Sam Collins. Maine lost a great leader last week.
Michael Carpenter
Houlton
‘Overwhelmingly’ underwhelmed
It is well known that the school district consolidation process has been painful for the adults and children in many Maine communities. However, for the BDN to describe the recent vote of Glenburn and Veazie residents as “overwhelmingly” in favor of petitions to withdraw from RSU 26 is exaggeration, at best.
In Glenburn, only 358 voters participated in the process, representing a mere 12 percent of active voters in the town, or scarcely half the turnout for comparable referendum elections. In Veazie, whose successful collaborative school union with Orono predates consolidation by many years, only 173 favored withdrawal, less than 14 percent of registered voters. The entire turnout in Veazie was not even a third of the number that typically vote in a referendum of this type.
Given the tensions already generated by an exhausting and difficult budget process this year, the inflammatory misrepresentation of pro-withdrawal sentiment among a vocal minority is a disservice to the many school leaders and citizens who are working together thoughtfully to ensure the best possible education for all our communities’ children.
Mary Dickinson Bird
Orono
JIM,
Here’s a song we can sing together to the MEA! HEY, HEY, GOOD BY
SURRAY BOARD OF SELECTMAN,
What a scam! End this totally worthless program now.
M.JANE,
Different day, same song ” Stick it to the taxpayers, that’s the way we like it ………….”
Yes, we should get rid of the MEA and get all those greedy teachers working for minimum wage, just like the rest of Maine.
Yup, let’s keep our kids so dumb that they can’t find their way out of the state to find a job. We got lots of people sitting around on welfare that would be more than willing to teach our kids how to work the system. They don’t need geography, just good directions to the welfare office and WalMart.
I am always amazed at the people on here who think that unions are evil and the minimum wage is just fine. Low wages and the rapid decline in unions only serve to benefit the top 1% and no one else.
The unions protect the worst workers from being required to do better or be replaced. Those who do great work don’t need a union. That’s why most teachers desperately need the union.
Weak teachers remain on the job because poor administrators aren’t doing theirs. All the Association does is help negotiate the contract, and provide representation in case of a dismissal hearing, which is one of the benefits of paying dues. Blaming the MEA is old, lame, and too easy.
For the past 38 years nothing has happened in the education empire without the consent of the union. Now they want everyone to believe that they’ve been nothing but innocent bystanders the whole time.
Think it through Mr. Old.Who hired all these bad teachers? Who gave all those bad teachers tenure? The school board you elected did that. If you have bad teachers, you have an irresponsible school board. Who elected this bad school board. Why, you did Mr. Old.
Yeah – as if the MEA somehow benefits kids. Right. The MEA is in it for one thing – money. This money goes first to union bosses and then to the Democrat party which in turn protects the unions, who work for the Dems. Great system. Forget about education – that has absolutely nothing to do with it.
False.
As generous as all you right wingers are toward public employees, it’s a wonder that teachers all across the nation aren’t lined up like those buying megamillions tickets to get a job here in Maine. They must love how Mexico runs thier country.
Nice try, pat. Who said anything against teachers? Teachers deserve our thanks for the job they do – as do a lot of working people. Sadly, teachers are just pawns for the MEA. They pay their dues and get spoon-fed the left-wing hate rhetoric every month in their newsletter. They are told how wonderful and under-apperciated they are and it is all becuase of those evil Republicans (some of whom are teachers!)
That is false. Information in the newsletter is certainly not hate-filled- just because an organization speaks out against forces working to screw over its members doesn’t qualify as hate-filled. You can disagree without hating.
You obviously don’t read it on a regular basis. They HATE governor LePage and write something negative about him in EVERY newletter and they called Rep McKane a liar – without quoting the lie!
If you were a teacher or any state worker affiliated with a union, you don’t need a union news letter to know that Governor LePage and the Republican/MHPC/ALEC/Tea Party has put them in their cross hairs as targets. Once they have them crushed they will crush everyone else. That’s not hate that is just the way it is.
No, most of us want to get rid of politics in the classroom, not teachers.
Yep, teachers that will follow the party line and be willing to rake blueberries in the summer to keep a roof over their heads.
It seem that the Republican/MHPC/ALEC/Tea Party has got their faithful followers going along with everything they say like bobble head dolls saying ‘megga dittos Rush’.
Let’s break the unions. They aren’t needed anymore. We can negotiate on our own and our employers will be more than grateful to have us work for them at minimum wage.
With conditions like those people would never go into teaching.
Who needs qualified teachers. When these people get done they will lower the standards for the position formerly known as teacher to the point that their cousins twice removed grandson can take the position.
No. No one is going after the teachers or state workers – just the union leeches.
BS. With out unions you would get to find out the true meaning of nepotism. If it weren’t for unions you wouldn’t have the 40 hr. work week, overtime pay, paid holidays, health insurance, etc. etc.
Unions had their time and place – during the great depression. They did their job. Now they are just political organizations. They are obsolete and a drag upon the system.
No their job is not finished. There are still people like you that think a working wage is one that keeps workers just alive enough to work. Unions are still needed.
No that is not what I think. But I do think that any wage should not be dictated by the government. And I have no objection to collelctive bargaining. But go ahead and tell people what I think as it works for you.
OK, what do you think then. You advocate for the banishment of unions. What do you think will protect workers. And if you say laws already on the books, be aware that 10 states are as we speak trying to reduce child labor laws bit by bit. And bit by bit over the years all your legal protections would be eaten away. Business and industry are not charitable institutions. If they can make a buck by repealing a law like the minimum wage they would do it.
No one is going to repeal the minimum wage. My complaint,
and that of many who pay property taxes in this state, is the huge sum of money
that – directly or indirectly comes from taxpayers – and is used solely for
political purposes. It is not used to help educate Maine children; it is used
to push a liberal agenda.
20,000 teaches x $300 dues=$6,000,000 divided by 60 NEA staff members and 18 separate offices around the state doesn’t leave millions of dollars floating around that could have been used for education. Unless of course you think teaching should go back to the 19th century without unions, contracts and negotiations.
You are fogeting the millions made through the Anthem kick-back. Just keep the MEA out of politics. We’ll talk about the rest later.
Define union leech.
Union bosses, union thugs – those who live off union dues, sap
the system and are only interested in making sure the dues keep coming in and who
continually push the left’s agenda in a quid pro quo arrangement. Something
like that?
No, they aren’t going after teachers. They don’t want teachers. They want drones to baby sit the great unwasheds children.
If they need smart people to fill some technical job positions they will hire people from countries that honor teaching and have educated their children.
I do read it- every edition. And just because it doesn’t agree with the Governor’s ideas doesn’t mean it “hates” him. In our democratic society, you’re supposed to have disagreement and compromise.
The comments about the Governor are mean-spirited, condescending and insulting and you know it. And calling McKane a liar without quoting the lie or giving him a chance to respond is about as low as you can get. A pox on the MEA.
And our sainted governor is gracious and polite with always a kind word for people that might have an opinion different from his. He is working hard to improve education by taking money out of it, and by denigrating teachers, the job they do, teachers’ unions and educational expenses.
Who should the pox be upon????
Oh, Riiiiiiight, teachers’ unions are making billions and billions of dollars off of the dues teachers squeeze out of their salaries. LOL Get real! You want to talk big bucks going into politics look to what corporations give to their political “unions” the Heritage Foundation, ALEC, the Chamber of Commerce and on and on.
If it’s OK for corporations “unions” to spend money on lobbying why is it sinister and anti-American when teachers’ unions lobby ?
Politically Right: Your accusation doesn’t pass the straight faced test.
Because, msally, they are using taxpayer dollars to do it.
Any yes, the MEA makes millions every year – a big chunk of it through the teachers health insurance scheme. Did you know that 99% of the teachers in this state get their health insurance through the union and that accounts for 14% of the cost of education in Maine? Chew on that for a while.
Dear Mr. Politically Wrong,
I have some disturbing news for you. Once you pay someone a salary that money is no longer yours. It belongs to the salaried person and that person may do with it what ever they desire. A teacher can invest their salary and make millions and you don’t get a cent of that investment because that money is not yours. They can use the money to give prizes to art that offends you but you do not get to tell a teacher how to judge art. They can pay dues of the Aryan Nation or to a teachers’ union. You do not control their money. It is not taxpayer money . It belongs to teachers.
Another bit of news that may upset your incredibly ignorant beliefs about teachers: insurance companies are anxious to insure teachers because they are healthier than the rest of the population so they provide insurance at much lower rates than any other group insurance. Teachers’ insurance through the union actually costs the public less than almost any other group insurance with the same coverage.
14% of the cost of education, Sally – heck of a good deal for the taxpayers – remember them?
And let’s look at those union dues – Yes, the teacher has a say, but they are negotiated through the contract and deducted automatically – straight from the taxpayer to the union bosses. That money could be going into educating Maine children instead of paying for political activism. I wonder how many teachers would pay dues if they had to write out a check every month.
That 14% covers all the health insurance for all employees in a school district from the superintendent down to the cafeteria workers. You do realize that the %would be higher if all salaries were lower and the % would be lower if salaries increased. It’s a very poor measure of the actual cost of health insurance. Health insurance for hedge fund managers is probably less than 1% of the total salary compensation package.
Oh, and the union does not negotiate for dues with a school district. Where do you get your information?
14% is more than double the private sector. That is 14% of the total cost of education in Maine. That is too high and one of the reasons is the MEA Benefits Trust which is sitting on around $80 million right now. Maine schools want to be able to self-insure or competitivly bid but the MEA is suing the state of Maine (that’s you and me) right now to prevent that from happening. Once school districts can do this, watch the MEA buy down the rates for a short term using their trust money.
Jim Carlton: Great Letter. One of the gravest threats to America are the NEA. As the NEA’s influence has increased the quality of education in America has decreased. The NEA/MEA are simply money laundering cartels for the Democratic Party. 1 of 10 delegates to the Democratic National Convention are NEA members. The NEA has an ancilliary view of education as its first and foremost goal, is at a minimum to retain its political sway but rather to greatly increase its power and ability to squash anyone that gets in their way. Michele Rhee?
Why is it then that states with the most powerful teachers Unions outperform states with weaker unions? In fact the five states without CBA’s finish 50th, 49th, 48th, 47th, and 44th in terms of educational outcomes.
careful now, that’s the republican base you’re talking about there.
the ABSOLUTELY GRAVEST THREAT TO AMERICA is the GOP. They have done more harm to America since 2001 than 9/11.
seriously? When was the last time the GOP rounded up 20 members to hijack airplanes and send them into buildings with the intent on killing 3000+ americans?
you libbers sure are tolerant!
09-09-2001
nice try, that was middle eastern terrorists.
and no, it wasnt an inside job if thats what youre alluding to.
..
We have religious nuts campaigning for president on a platform of returning us to 15th century. We have a Congress that has declared its number one priority is letting the country go to h*ll until they can get rid of a sitting president. We have a Supreme Court that publicly acts like a bunch of showoff teen agers with smartazz questions instead of thoughtful deliberations about a bill that could affect everybody’s health care. We have the greatest number of hate groups and military/political groups we have ever had in our history. We have racial killings and and total refusal to deal with racism in this country. We have poverty growing faster than any time in our history. We have banana republic inequality of income and power. We have hard core unemployment . The income and wages of the lower and middle class have been steadily decreasing.
And you think a teachers’ union is the gravest threat to America. Are you serious?
M. Jane, these programs are somewhat beneficial, but folks are cutting back everywhere. It might be time for us citizens to take more responsibility for our own health and not depend on the government to do it for us.
How do you count something that saves more than it costs “somewhat beneficial”?
The Fund for a Healthy Maine is NOT from taxpayer money. It is the tobacco settlement money that many states received. In Maine this money has been designated for several successful prevention programs. These programs work and do not cost the taxpayers a dime. The Governor wants to raid this fund to offset his budget deficits.
Teachers will never take responsibility for the job they do. They will hide behind MEA and be protected by tenure for life. Even though the proof of they’re incompotence came out last month when our system was ranked among other countries who do way better with way less.
Teachers are paid well and nobody has better benefits, all at taxpayers expense. For this alone, they should be held to a higher standard. Right now, there is no standard.
False again, on all counts.
Prove it. Or are you like EJ Parsons, trying to past opinion as fact?
The proof is in the 20% of our “best and brightest” who arrive at college unprepared despite being pronounced ready by the education empire.
Teachers don’t set school policy, that’s the administration and the school boards problem. All the teachers can do is teach the kids they have in front of them, with the materials provided them, and the policies set for them. In fact, I would be hard pressed to find another profession with so little control over their jobs. Give the teachers the power and a seat at the table and then you can blame them for the ills of the state of education.
…nor control over the environments some of these poor little buggers come from.
Anyone who has been in the classroom can see that, it’s amazing that teachers can get up and do their jobs everyday. My hat’s off to them.
And yet there is no shortage of teachers. Maybe it’s not as difficult as you’ve been lead to believe.
For the past 38 years nothing happened in education without the consent of these professional educators. Now that it’s finally come to light that the schools are failing us they act like they’ve just been innocent bystanders.
The job of a teacher is to teach. The job of the student is to study. It is not the job of the teacher to study.
Perhaps if colleges and universities did not accept these students that had not studied there would be more incentive for students to study in high school.
Colleges and universities are relying at least partly on the grades given by the professional educators in order to decide who to accept. I thought that these dedicated, hard working teachers were professionals who understood better than mere taxpayers how to evaluate these students.
That is an absolute falsehood. There are many, many dedicated educators who are life-long learners and reflective practitioners who are conscientious about the quality of education in their classrooms. One thing they won’t do, however, is make blanket statements about a group of people on which they have limited information about.
Mr. Mapleton: The school board you elected sets the standards for your school. The principals and superintendents your school board hired carry out those standards. You, as the voter, are ultimately responsible for the quality of your schools.
It seems that every program out there thinks that they should not be cut–but that cuts should be made–smart cuts–cuts to someone else’s program–except we can’t cut their program either–so we shouldn’t cut–we should raise taxes–and spend more.
I notice that Ms. Irving skives off actually mentioning one area that, in her opinion, could be cut. Not one single specific suggestion.
Jane Irving, Mary Bird: good letters.
Jim who do you work for?
Jim Carleton: Research the amount of money teachers send to the MEA and NEA and compare that amount with what corporations pay to conservative “unions” like the Heritage Foundation, ALEC, Americans for Prosperity, American Conservative Union, American Liberty Foundation, the Enterprise Institute, Family Research Council, the Chamber of Commerce and a hundred other “unions” lobbying Congress for tax breaks, loop holes, favored status, kick backs, government subsidies, government contracts and to hype profitable wars.
Then come back and complain about the millions and millions and millions of dollars teachers take from their own vast salaries to spend on dues to organizations that lobby against LePage taking money out of public education and giving it to private religious schools.
Surry: as someone who has a parcel in tree growth, I am very much against the loophole. If you manange your land according to your approved plan, they you should get the benefit. But you can’t just bail out of it without paying a hefty fine. I hope you are petitioning Augusta to close this loophole which actually works against the intent of the law.
On the flip side, I assume that your town and your residents would want that 10-acre plot developed into something worth a million dollars? Some towns just want the “appropriate” tax revenue, but they don’t want the flatlanders to actually build something new and “change” their town.