Letters
to the Editor
To the Editor:
I
wish to express my thanks and appreciation for all
who took time out of their Sunday afternoon to attend
and participate in the tax forum at Stimson Hall on
March 21.
Betsy Chapman of the Maine Public Policy Institute,
Gray Town Council Chair Pam Wilkinson, former Rep.
and moderator Donnie Carroll, former Rep. Cliff Foster,
Rep. Sue Austin, Rep. Joe Bruno, Sen. Karl Turner,
Cumberland County Commissioner Gary Plummer, and House
Candidate Don Swander.
Bill Getz whose efforts were instrumental in helping
to organize this event, Brad Fogg and Paul Proudian
who brought this event into Gray homes via Gray's
public access channel, and the citizens whose excellent
questions and comments provided an intelligent and
informative discussion.
Thank
you to all,
Gary Foster, Gray
To
the Editor:
Imagine being able to address one core issue with
the result being positive, simultaneous benefits on
all of the following challenges: energy costs and
fossil fuels, air and water quality, wells running
dry, global climate change, urban and suburban sprawl,
rapid rise in property taxes as housing prices soar,
increasing pressures on open space, over-development
of waterfront, forest fragmentation, degradation and
loss of wildlife habitat and wildlife.
Such a multifaceted accomplishment would be amazing
and yet is absolutely attainable. Common sense-based
national population policy could and would address
almost every environmental and many social problems
we now face in the U.S.
The current U. S. population is approximately 280
million legal citizens. According to the U. S. Census
Bureau, that number will increase by a whopping 50%
by the year 2050, to 420 million people. This growth
is mostly due to immigration and high birth rates
of immigrants. Yes, we are a nation of immigrants,
but where do we draw the line? Do we stop at 500 million,
800 million, 1.5 billion? Do we wait until a crisis
is imminent and then come up with an emergency plan?
A finite amount of space and resources can only support
a certain number of people.
Unfortunately, such common sense discussion today
is often labeled as racist and non-progressive. I
firmly believe we need to discuss the numbers and
attempt to match natural population growth with a
level of immigration that makes sense environmentally
and socially as well as economically for our nation
as a whole. We must get beyond the silly fear of not
appearing politically correct and do the right thing
for the future of all American citizens, whether one's
family has been on this soil for three hundred years
or three months.
Michael
A. Maines, Gray
Logger, forester, father, and American citizen
Dear
Sound Off Citizen who expressed dismay with the school
budget proposal:
I
would like to clarify some points.
The reason the school budget keeps increasing is NOT
due to increased spending. It is because the federal
government continually passes new laws which mandate
what school districts spend their money on. It then
requires local districts to FUND these new programs.
Also, the State of Maine started decreasing school
funding last year. This coming school year, SAD 15
will receive a decrease of nearly half a million dollars!
How can local tax dollars continue to pay for all
of these expensive, mandated programs?
What more can we cut from the school budget? SAD 15
schools do not have many extra commodities. The buildings
don't look much different than they did 25 years ago
when I attended school! The students and teachers
provide many of the necessary supplies. Volunteers
provide many of the "extra" services.
Students no longer receive "door-to-door"
bus service. I drive my children to the bus stop!
Volunteers provide most of the funding for athletic
programs, fields, playgrounds, etc. Teachers work
harder than ever trying to meet all of the requirements
set forth by government - and they no longer have
the teacher aide assistance they used to have. School
has changed a lot in the past 10 years. As a school
volunteer , I continuously see teachers using their
own money to purchase supplies and "extras"
for the classroom.
I am proud of our schools - we have great students,
dedicated teachers and staff, hard-working volunteers,
and a promising new superintendent. Unfortunately,
I am very concerned about the future of our students
if the state and/or federal government does not start
providing appropriate funding for our schools. Property
tax owners can no longer carry this burden alone.
Christine
Small, Gray
