City
School union considers four shutdown days
POLAND — As part of a $302,000 budget reduction plan, Regional School Unit 16 personnel are looking at a proposal that calls for four shutdown days.
Superintendent Dennis Duquette met with staff from all the schools Monday afternoon to explain the proposal, which he estimates will save approximately $175,000.
"If we don't take a proactive stance now we will be in worse trouble," he said.
The Maine Department of Education is projecting a $38,000,000 cut in general purpose aid to education. For the Poland- Minot-Mechanic Falls district, that comes to $302,000.
Duquette and his administrative team have identified an additional $127,000 from other parts of a regular operating budget and he has ordered those reductions begin immediately. The plan to eliminate four professional development days, by means of the shutdown days, will require changes to teacher and staff contracts.
Teachers, ed techs, food service personnel, secretaries, some custodial and all administrative personnel are being asked give up four paid days.
The teacher and staff unions will meet on Nov. 10 to discuss Duquette's proposal, union Co-president Laurie Callahan.
"We'll be voting before and after school on Nov. 16 at all the schools," Callahan said.
Duquette told the school committee Monday night that if the union's vote fails, the second option would be to reduce staff in the district beginning Dec. 1.
"This is a crisis. There is no other way to label it," Chairman Dave Griffiths said.
School committee members express concern that layoffs would be very hurtful.
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verified This is always the same
This is always the same threat regardless of which management team is involved, labor cut your salary or we cut the workforce. For years school systems have said, "Do more with less and now they want the labor force to have fewer days, but they will hold them to the same standards when it comes to test results for the state? Ok, less days, less money for staff, some will be on food stamps, especially the lower paid employees. That is not a saving to the state. The average school district/region in Maine holds classes 175 day of the year. and this reduction is about 2.28 percent of the year. Thus will the state drop its expectations by the same percentage on school test results. Further, school years that go beyond Memorial Day in May have yet to recognize that there is no learning achieved after that point. This amounts to about 10 days yearly or another 5.7 percent yearly. If you started school 10 days earlier in August and ended by Memorial day weekend then you would not need to consider this 5.7 percent. However, the normal school year which would be proposed with 4 days reduced and 10 days lost production amount to a percentage of approx. 8 % ... now ask the state if they would be willing to reduce test scores by 8% on the norm and then come back and ask employees to take a salary reduction. Either way it is NOT GONING To HAPPEN as these people have worked for years to develop their seniority under existing labor contracts and pay scales. Perhaps the school district/region should declare bankruptcy like the auto makers, then the labor contracts would be null and void. Also perhaps the Feds would jump in with money to save them... laugh, laugh... I, Reason, this won't happen.
What do you Reason?
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verified on "Health providers gird for DHHS cuts under compromise deal"
cuts
Why doesn't all the members of the legislation take cuts on their payroll and their insurance coverage and see if they can manage. I'm already fighting DHS because of a mistake they made and because of their mistake my income tax refund is in jeopardy. I've already lost my maine state refund. This is wrong. DHS takes money from people who are on the system because of the mistake DHS made. That's not right. Why should the people be punished for a mistake that wasn't their fault. Stop spending other people's money. I work as much as I can so That my 8 yr old can go to school and have food, a roof what I make versus my rent and bills barely lets me have any money left over for dr visits, car repairs or basic household necessities, toothpaste, toilet paper etc.... Why don't they take it back from the people who defrauded DHS. I have mainecare but I don't have dental. Maine care only pays $8.00 for eyeglasses and they break all the time because they are cheap. The only way I can get mainecare to pay for a dentist is if I break a tooth or need one pulled. I can't just go to the dentist to fill a cavitiy or to have my teeth cleaned. That isn't fair. The legislature is supposed to be helping those citizens that are having a hard time. Instead of going on those fancy vacations, buying that new car why don't some of you Take your bonuses and put it back into the system. If I could afford to live like that I would give up my bonuses. It's about caring, oh wait the only thing the legislature cares about is what in their pockets and who they can screw next.!!! I'm all for rules and regulations but it needs to apply to everyone. Starting with the lawmakers.
verified on "An impassioned, diverse dialogue on wind power"
Numbers and Nimbys
One gentleman asked for published, peer-reviewed information on wind power. He was told, correctly, that such information can be hard to get, although there is of course published work showing serious effects on bird and bat populations. However, one source does come to mind: the US Energy Information Administration. They publish information about how much money we spend as taxpayers to support various forms of energy, and it can be quite interesting. For instance, natural gas gets $0.25 per MWh; coal gets $0.44. The owners of industrial wind turbines get $23.37/MWh.
Does that answer anyone's questions about why Angus King et al are working so hard to get in on this racket?
If the SJ thinks that windpower is a valuable part of the mix, and that subsidies are important, perhaps the answer is to have a level playing field here. And incidentally, according to the head of ISO-New England, wind turbines are so spread out over the landscape as to require a massive investment in transmission lines with an estimated cost of $19-25 Billion.... we would be paying for that, of course, on our electric bills. And paying again in terms of lost tourism revenue.
Another item that has come up here is the usual accusation about anti-windpower people just being a bunch of NIMBYs. Well, I can't speak for others but I sure hope I'm one! Love, charity, and caring for one's neighborhood are virtues that begin at home, and then hopefully go out to encompass more and more of the world and its people. I think it's high time people quit using this as an insult-- it's like sneering at someone for loving his mother.
However there is a kind of NIMBY that deserves the perjorative use of the term, and that is one who supports an activity as long as it's in someone else's backyard, not his. Thinking of the Natural Resources Council of Maine here... I'm not a member any more!
I've read a lot of words from Maine people who are fighting industrial wind, but have never heard one say it was fine as long as somebody else had to suffer, not them. So please, if you want to use the term make sure you use it wisely.
verified on "Car rolls over on Ash Street in Lewiston"
Isn't this a ONE lane street?
I'm relieved to hear that she is okay but didn't the city make this a one lane street now? It used to be two but since they did some road work, it is now lined as one lane. And did the 'passing' car stop to help or did they continue driving off, knowing full and well that they were in the wrong?? Charges need to be filed. This could've cost this poor woman her life or even who knows what else harm it could've caused!
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