Support RSU 13 budget
The second referendum vote on the proposed RSU 13 budget for school year 2015-2016 will be Tuesday, Aug. 18. I ask that voters support this budget, offered so close upon the opening of schools this fall.
This has proven to be a very challenging year to produce a budget that supports our schools and programs, while balancing financial impact on all our residents. We were faced with the loss of revenue from a departing member town, St. George, which amounted to approximately $1.7 million. At the same time, our subsidy from the state dropped more than $300,000.
These factors, coupled with increases in our costs, resulted in an unacceptable tax increase. We have responded to the concerns of our residents and municipal leaders who rejected the initial proposed budget, and have worked very hard to find further efficiencies and reduce the impact on taxpayers.
Our current proposed budget of $25,240,635 represents a reduction of more than $2.5 million from our initial budget submission and $1,017,000 less in tax impact than the first proposed budget. Our school board and administrative team have worked diligently to identify and implement efficiencies and reductions in what we now support as a responsible, reasonable budget.
This fall we will propose changes to RSU 13 schools. The “School of Our Future” plan will result in improved facilities, a better learning environment and a more cohesive and high-performing school program region wide.
I ask for the voters’ support with this budget and with all of our work together for the future of RSU 13.
John C. McDonald
Superintendent of Schools
Regional School Unit 13
Rockland
A wall won’t work
This is math, but it’s easy. The U.S.-Canadian border equals 3,987 miles. The U.S.-Mexico border equals 1,933 miles. The total is 5,525.
The Atlantic coast equals 2,069 miles in length; the Gulf Coast equals 1,631 miles; the Pacific Coast equals 7,623 miles; and the Arctic Coast equals 1,060, for a total of 12,383 miles.
Add the Great Lakes coast of 4,530 miles and the total is 16,913 miles. Those are low numbers; the tidal length of the U.S. coast, which is much closer to reality, is 88,633 miles. And there’s effectively an international border at every airport or landing strip.
There is no way to seal the borders of the United States with a wall, not even a magical Trump wall. To continue to propose such a wall is ludicrous and delusional.
Tabitha King
Bangor
Welfare fraud, elder abuse
When it comes to welfare fraud, it’s not someone dumping a couple of cases of water behind Shaw’s. It’s not the lobster or steak or Oreos. It’s about the family members, especially adult children, and even relatives appointed by the court as guardians, who are the problem, and it’s rampant.
I have seen or heard of so many situations where an older person on Social Security or someone with a serious chronic illness or declining cognitive abilities is ripped off by those who should care about them. An adult relative goes to visit the person on food stamps or other benefits giving them a sob story and asking to use their food stamp card. I even knew of one person in hospice care days from dying who was ripped off by a so-called friend.
No one seems to want to talk about this or why it happens. Often the ill or elderly person is so alone and scared that they hand over their meager benefits to a healthy, younger person out of the fear and threat that no one will visit them. It’s a sad commentary on our society, and it should be addressed by our governor and the Legislature who seem clueless about what really is going on out there.
Maureen Walsh
Bangor
Welcome home veterans
I attended the Welcome Home Vietnam Vet in June at the Cross Center in Bangor. I would like to thank Hollywood Casino for the nice meal and thank the sponsors and the organizations that finally made this happen after 50 years.
I’ve been reading how people didn’t feel we were welcomed home during the war, and how some people couldn’t attend the function — such Gov. Paul LePage — and how poor the media coverage was.
I left Vietnam Aug. 30, 1968, and arrived in California and then later the Owls Head Airport for the best family welcome home ever. Thanks for the greeting 50 years later.
L. S. Gallant
Morrill
SAD 27 budget
Having attended last evening’s SAD 27 school board meeting, it is obvious the school budget is a long way from resolved, and it appears the school board is inclined to resubmit to the voters later this month the same budget that was most recently voted down by the district’s voters.
Having reversed the decision to move the third, fourth and fifth grades from Eagle Lake and Wallagrass to Fort Kent, one of the prime reasons for why voters turned down the last budget (although the school board has not directly said so), they appear about to shoot themselves in the foot a second time by not submitting a revised budget lower than the last one.
I believe this further fans the flames of an already volatile situation. I hope they do not do this, but stranger things have happened.
Dana Saucier
Eagle Lake
Don’t text and drive
There is a state law banning texting while driving. Many people totally ignore the law and continue to text and attempt to drive when doing so. In the time it takes to even look down at a message, or worse text back, a serious accident could happen.
Recently, I was turning on to State Street off Broadway in Bangor in very bright sunlight. I had on sunglasses and all at once someone walked directly in front of me (against the light). Fortunately, I was paying attention and saw him and stopped so as not to hit him. Imagine what might have happened had I been texting at that time.
Also, how many times have you been held up through light changes because a driver was texting?
It is time to cease this dangerous practice and act responsibly and sensibly by pulling over to text.
Frank Carr
Bangor