I am writing in response to an OpEd from my fellow Edgecomb selectman, Jessica Chubbuck, that recently appeared in the BDN.
Our small town has lost some state funds, but my fellow selectman has the reasons for it all wrong. Contrary to what she wrote, Gov. Paul LePage isn’t to blame.
We built a school about 12 years ago, and the deal had the state funding most of it — at the time about 90 percent. The state funds to cover the loan were tied to the loan value and the town valuation. As the loan decreased in value, the state funds decreased. This has nothing to do with LePage cutting money to the towns.
We have lost some revenue sharing, but we were only getting $54,320 in fiscal year 2010. This year we are getting $44,383. Under the Baldacci administration, revenue sharing started to be cut, only allowing a percentage of what the formula dictated each town should receive.
Chubbuck writes we have cut our services to the bone. Actually, we have increased our fire department budget by more than 200 percent since 2010, and our school is running at the same level it was four years ago with minor increases. As a matter of fact, the school bought a new tractor this year for groundskeeping, replacing a 10-year-old John Deere. Our mill rate increase is a direct result of the school loan.
Another demonstration we are not cutting services is that Edgecomb is paving all its roads and some of its dirt roads as part of a three-year project. With all of the economic development and services construction and maintenance, how can she say we are cutting to the bone?
Another fact is that our other school funds from the state were cut under Baldacci, resulting in increases to our mill rate. School district consolidation hurt as well.
Things are different under Gov. Paul LePage. Our kids have textbooks and new laptops. There is no worry of losing those items. The class sizes here in Edgecomb are under or around 11 kids per teacher — and that does not include the school’s five aides and administration.
I have gone to Augusta to talk to LePage on issues affecting our town. He has always been open and willing to do what he can to help. The past two years have been tough because of Democratic control in the Legislature and its members’ obstructionist behavior. Under the 125th Legislature, the Republicans in the House and Senate tried and did work with the Democrats. They did not force issues down the throats of Democrats. Under House Speaker Mark Eves and Senate President Justin Alfond, the Democrats do try to force things on Republicans.
Forty years of liberal Democratic policies and a recession have hit Maine working people hard, but we are starting to move in the right direction.
Paying off the hospitals and improving Maine’s credit rating are just two major accomplishments of the LePage administration. We need the leadership of strong Republicans like LePage here in Maine and U.S. Sen. Susan Collins in Washington. It is the Republican ideals of less tax, less government and fewer but more responsible regulations that help small businesses.
I own a small business, and my fellow selectman does not. I know the impact, day to day, of the progressive policies on small business.
This November, I am voting for the policies that will ensure our kids are best taken care of, and I am putting personal issues with any one person aside. I urge my fellow selectman to do the same for the good of our state and our children’s future.
Stuart Smith serves on the Edgecomb Board of Selectmen.