This is progress, but look at the other article today about the ex-fireman that didn't get any jail time for raping his daughter. Just makes you kinda scratch your head, doesn't it.
Beth, thanks for the info. I see a lot of info in the link on how many students are shifting around and also going online, but what about quality of their education? People shift because they think the quality is going to be better for the most part, what does reality turn out to be? Who is becoming a better educated student? I think that is the most important piece of the puzzle. The students need to graduate with more knowledge than the dumbed down quality they are receiving now. What is the best way to do that? I have my ideas that I gathered over the years and while being a school board member. One is change the way bumping is done in relation to tenure. As it is, it assures a less quality school system at a higher cost, over time. That is one of the systematic parts of the over all problem, as far as I see it anyway.
Have you ever visited Norlands, in Livermore Falls?
Here is a clip from their web page.
A Country School, 1853
Scholars go back to the basics of reading, writing and 'rithmetic in the District #7 one-room schoolhouse. Your group will experience education of the era by role-playing scholars and using materials of the time, including slates, quill pens and early readers. Pre and post-visit materials are provided.
If you visited this historical site you will see that what Bea is talking about was being applied then, without computers.
It may be good to look at what used to work and what hasn't since.
You ladies and all the others that have helped with the Free Public Suppers since the Free Public Suppers. started in 1/2010, serving 1439 in 2010 and 1464 meals to people so far this year with two more months left to be served. The Daughters, the Knights, and all the others that have volunteered to help and all the donators/supporters are just awesome, to be serving the folks that come to share in this expression of God's love.
Mr. McGrane your perception must be right on, the county departments weren't keep in the loop, according to the article in the Daily Bulldog, let alone anyone else. The process was more than likely changed because of thinking associated with this quote from the story.
(We had decided to use that method rather than voting at public hearing when, frequently, emotion rather than reason prevailed,” he said.)
The emotions must be from the folks that disagree with what they want to spend and on what it is spent on.
All you can do is stick to honest principles and keep on trying to make what positive changes can be done within ones term and hope at some point other like minded people will join, changing the sway of the vote.
Just something to ponder.
Does everyone that uses a gun that benefits from NRA lobbying to protect their rights have to pay NRA dues?Should they? Are there double standards in your logic? The Democrats have manipulated required union payments, through liberal judical appointments and legislation, over the last 50 years. Why is that? Could possibly be to guarantee the financial support for election time? I wonder how that works out fairly for individual citizens. In relation to the bill of rights, the unions can speak all they want, but no one that doesn't want to be a part of them should not be cohearsed into paying them and in doing so be funding any political party. The benefits of union negotiations always get presented like there are no negative consequences for individual workers, the companies, or the community at large, when that is not the truth of the matter.
Perhaps the unions need to be required to become part owners in whatever company they want to be in. That way their view of reality would be more realistic. As far as, state unions, they finance the Democratic party and both co-create an atmosphere of negative business and negative individual & personal property rights, the same as any other communal society/organization does.
How about those that don't want anything to do with unions, have to pay the fees, get bumped from their job because of seniority instead of quality of work or loose their job, because the union has bled the company into insolvency? Oh, of course the state unions don't fear the state going bankrupt, because we can just get taxed more to cover their cost.
This is my personal calculation, it comes up to this. Someone correct my numbers, please. Perhaps the new board will fully disclose the complete numbers, if all the money the new RSU requested is authorized, and it's taxpayer impact.
In your home budget 10% has to have been cut in fuel costs alone, let alone the inflation of other base goods and services, and or had your hours cut at work, or no raises or bonuses for years because the companies we work for have had to deal with a biased free trade agreement along with pay higher taxes of multiple kinds and the cost of ordinances, workers comp, and enviromental licenses, etc, etc etc. and the cost of labor, material, and legal fees to fulfill the requirements of those mandates. Is your first response of a 10% loss of income,"I will stop going to work/fixing my car." Perhaps it is. I know I have felt like that over the last three years, but what do the majority of Mainers do instead? Work on positive sustainable solutions, is what most Mainers have done and will do.
The first response from MPBN was that 10% is the cost of our broadcasting towers, if we loose that we won't be able to broadcast. Silly and manipulative, don't you think? It is a common tactic used by many organizations that are funded by tax dollars. Does it sound familiar to you? Where? I am sure if you are honest you will identify this mind set played out in the news almost on a daily basis, contract negotiations, budget debates.
At home we have to sort out wants, needs, capabilities, affordabilities, find efficiencies, set priorities and keep on fighting to survive and improve our situation. Come on get real. The whole 10% won't get reduced, this is Maine government trying to be practical when it hasn't been forced to be practical for decades. I will vote for Lepage again, just so he can bring forth the discussion instead of surrendering to the way it has always been, so that is how it should always be.
The debate will bring out a balance, just like the other legislation that has been worked on lately. Like the safe chemical debate, that worked out ok, have a little faith. I listen to MPBN on the radio 90.1 fm. Vinyl Caffe and The BBC news. I don't need the tv part, we don't use them, take the 20% from that part. How's that for self serving, can you relate? If the state cut the whole amount it would be 20% of the broadcasters whole Maine budget, would that be the end of the whole organization, I doubt it. I think there will be some compromise, say split the difference between MPBN and the clean election fund. The discussion just started.
It is rational to put out there proposals and then debate them. What does upset me is this class warfare thing that people justify when times get tight. What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine?
There shouldn't even be an estate tax. The owner of the property has been paying taxes right along, then they die and the greedy state has to take some just for it being passed off to a relative or whoever, that is bolona. 50 years of so called Democratic party rule has turned this state more left than the USSR was in it's hay day, a real competition with Massachusetts.
Donna:
There were/are three other options with even distribution of board members that fit the guidelines: 10, 14, and 20. If the committee chooses to reconsider these even options.
Why am I not surprised the way this all has played out so far, that the info you were given for this article was only the 19 member option for a different choice.
Since the school boards have no power to reject the committee's decisions forcing them to reconsider, per the letter from the state given to us during last weeks meeting.
We have to hope, leaving it up to the the committee members consciences, that they will re-evaluate the vote passability of their choice of an unevenly numbered board structure.
Michael Schaedler
Good morning:
As the Jay school board member that voted no during this meeting. I felt the need to clarify what that was about.
First: We all want the towns to be able to vote on a reasonable and responsible consolidation option. I have never been involved with or seen in any organization that when it's board creates a committee and that board doesn't have the right to tell the committee when it comes to the board with it's conclusions, that the committee needs to go back and rework part of the proposal. We were manipulated with an interpretation of a letter from a person from the state, which stated we would not be in compliance if we refused to pass this consolidation proposal. All of us want to consolidate, but three of us had wanted the committee to go back and revise its proposal, that was last Thursday. Last night we were told we would be out of compliance with the State if we didn't vote for the proposal that was handed us, with no revision. What would you do? How would you feel? You see the results, so be it.
Second: There were three other choices for board member structure that fit the guidelines that could have been chosen, which would have made the number of board members even between Jay and RSU 36. allowing a cautious move forward into a new school system relationship between 2 current school systems.
Third: The choice of 6 for Jay and 7 for RSU 36, doesn't allow Jay to protect it's taxpayers or school children from poor choices, if and or when made, while Jay will be responsible for 71% of the cost of the new school system. What has been the history of the two school systems in relation to state rated performance? Does it matter to you? Does it matter to the student’s future? What do you think/feel?
You could say I am a sore sport for loosing the voting. Feel as you may.
I am frustrated that we were manipulated to have to accept an unacceptable configuration without forcing the committee to review their choice.
If the choice for consolidation stays as it is, I will vote no as a resident of Jay.
I don't want Jay's town budget to be held hostage to the whines of others. We struggle to do the best for Jay citizens with what we have already.
I hope others do the same to force us to have a more reasonable and responsible consolidation offer.
Respectfully,
Michael
Ps. concerning the state fines for not consolidating. I have a hard time believing the new administration in Augusta will continue with the past administrations fining of our 2 school systems of around $1,000,000 already. We do want to consolidate, just more fairly.
(The whole building project started with the need to increase space at the Sheriff' Department Office and make it safer for dispatchers and deputies. It grew to a countywide project.
“We're not done yet,” Keach said.)
Since Jay voted to cut costs by closing it's dispatch, it seems the county has been on a steady mission to spend more money, defeating the purpose of closing our politer and more responsive dispatch. Considering when you spend more money you charge us more money.
I hear the county wants to push it's donation section of it's budget off onto the towns also, copying the states pattern of behavior of saying it is cutting it's budget, but really it is shifting the cost to the individual town's property owners.
Instead of saying you are not done yet with your plan, why don't you take some time to ponder how you can be more efficient with the money you have to work with. Hopefully at some point in time if you hold your hand pat and not expect people to just keep paying more and more and more, better solutions can be found.
This is only my personal opinion. I agree with you in the desire to save the towns money. The thing is it is not up to Mr. Wall to come up with the savings. Both Supers can work together to come up with projected possibilites of savings only. Not until the voters of all three towns vote the consolidation in and then vote in a new board will real solid numbers be possible. The consolidation needs to be looked at in a way that: is this going to be fair for all three towns, the best we can make it. If you/we feel it is fair, then we vote it in. Then we have to choose who to vote in that will make the choices you/we want that will save us all money and provide the best possible education that we can provide for all the students, while being fair to the teachers also. So, the responsibility for saving the greatest amount of money is going to be on the tax payers/voters to make sure that they/we vote in people to run the school system that will make the choices needed to restructure the system to be the most cost effective and productive in providing the highest quallity education that can be provided.
Really right now the most important thing is to find out how the consolidation is set up and is it going to be fair. Complaining about people not telling us what we want to hear when they can't give an honest answer because they are not in a position to give those answers factually, only to project them. You know how projections are. At best it's like a fog along the river, making one guess what is really there. Something to ponder on.
Spruce Mountain would be a good name for a few reasons.
Unity
Mountains are identifiable with strength and challenge.
Identification of local positive resource.
Mascots could be related to the name with less chance of being politically incorrect.
The name association could help advertise Spruce Mountain Skiing.
There are a couple reasons, I'm sure you folks can think of more.
That is just my personal opinion.
By mikes04239, unverified — Fri, 10/01/2010 - 08:08
You High School citizens are doing a wonderful thing. If you could coordinate your Saturday hours to say 2-4 then the people that come to the Free Public Supper across the street at the KC hall could visit your shop and then come have a free supper also. The suppers are once a month, next one being on 10/9/10. As far as I know both of the free public service projects are open to anyone. Just something to ponder. 779-6951
By mikes04239, unverified — Mon, 08/09/2010 - 07:48
The only place I've seen them for sale so far this year has been Pikes Oasis 897-2112. There were blackberry's this morning but you could ask them if they were going to get anymore of the blueberry's they had last week.
By mikes04239, unverified — Sun, 08/01/2010 - 12:44
Require those that have set themselves up as elitists, in this surfdom that the state unions and their legislative servants have created, go on SSI and private retirement investing. like the common folk. Just keep taxing, regulating, penalizing, zoning the landowners, taxpayers, businesses, so the cadillac pay, pensions, inefficient contractual policies can be maintained at all cost. Is everyone going to go vote for the same people that pander to the self-destructiive contractual agreements that are destroying common people's ability to live and grow? Is everyone want most of the people in maine to be supported by the state in one form or another? State employees jobs with high pay + benefits + pensions + healthcare are created with every regulation, every new legislative action, every department and program the legislators maintain and create anew, add to the backs of the people that live in Maine and do business in Maine. Who pays for all the costs? We can't print money and the unions and government don't make money, they only take from others, give to themselves, and thier enabliers. Can the state go bankrupt like GM or others,write off it's debt and re-model the contracts to a rational and sustainable state of affairs? Maybe that is the best option to bring some sanity to the fianacial irresponsibility of the state and it's negotiated contracts pay, benefits, pensions, and healthcare. Chapter 11 perhaps that is the best answer. Oh, but no, we don't have to do that because we can tax the people some more, it will be ok.
E, if you choose to, call Dr. Wall to see if you can possibly get on the part of the subcommittees that deal with that piece of the pie. Your experience will be handy and helpful to get past this situation without hurting ourselve too bad and doing the best for the kids and taxpayers, while getting out from under the yearly penalty from the state.
We don't have insurance either. Not on our list of bills we can afford to pay. Instead of fussing about them not having insurance, why don't you send them a check or bring them something useful. Their mailbox is still there.
Until this weekend I was undecide on how to vote. With all the political mailings coming, the only use we found for them was to create btu's to ward off the dampness. Saturday we received one from Bill Beardsley and my choice was made. He has some of his basic beliefs listed in plain common sense language. All listed matched mine. Bill Beardsley will be getting my vote today.
Quality egg farms does a lot of good for our communities. Through putting people to work, paying taxes, and supporting non-profit orgs help others. They may have treated chickens not as good as you would like, but they are not the evil enemy of Maine and it's people.
What the tax reform does is transfer the tax cost from the middle and upper income people to the low income and welfare recipients. The low and no income folks can't afford new taxes on the goods that are used everyday and need to be bought to survive. Please vote yes to repeal the tax reform law so this doesn't happen, and remember who it was that was trying to push this deception upon us, at the next vote.
I know that it is against the law, but it is a law that creates a situation where at the institutions like college where something as abstract as age determines that someone is responsible enough to imbibe while others are not.
Good try at rationalization, try harder next time.
If a child is told he/she is unteachable or treated as if the teacher feels that is the case, the child will not excel.
If a child is treated like they are not wanted they will not excel.
If a child is offered confusing and boring class work they will not excel.
When a more energetic positive qualified teacher is let go or moved to class they are less qualified for, because of tenure or contractual bumping requirements, the child will not excel.
There are contractual reasons children won't excel, while costing the taxpayers the maximum amount of money possible.
Just some other reasons than those that put all the blame on the kids, as some would have it.
Students:
Your energy and willingness to accept negative consequences, along with the temporary positive feelings from the attention and feeling of rebellion, for something you feel strongly about is commendable . However, before an action is taken it is best of educate yourself on the issues involved and ponder on the possible consequences, instead of acting on emotion. Acting on emotion allows others to manipulate you.
It is important that you read these contracts to see what the disputes are all about. It is not that the school admin and your parents/taxpayers don't want to supply you with a top quality education. The struggle is with how that is done and how to do it while living within ones means.
Have you ever heard of tenure, accountability, bumping, contract negotiations, among a few terms that are important?
Did you know the school committee's/board's don't have a union/co-op to help offset the state labor unions power during contract negotiations?
That is why you will find many things in the contracts that may seem odd to you and counter productive to your education, along with some things that are positive for your education.
These links are the contracts for your school. Help educate yourself so, when you act is with a strong edified footing.
Students:
Your energy and willingness to accept negative consequences, along with the temporary positive feelings from the attention and feeling of rebellion, for something you feel strongly about is commendable . However, before an action is taken it is best of educate yourself on the issues involved and ponder on the possible consequences, instead of acting on emotion. Acting on emotion allows others to manipulate you.
It is important that you read these contracts to see what the disputes are all about. It is not that the school admin and your parents/taxpayers don't want to supply you with a top quality education. The struggle is with how that is done and how to do it while living within ones means.
Have you ever heard of tenure, accountability, bumping, contract negotiations, among a few terms that are important?
Did you know the school committee's/board's don't have a union/co-op to help offset the state labor unions power during contract negotiations?
That is why you will find many things in the contracts that may seem odd to you and counter productive to your education, along with some things that are positive for your education.
These links are the contracts for your school. Help educate yourself so, when you act is with a strong edified footing.
Angel, there was a vote to have a seperate vote on the home pick up.
If you watch the discussions, the final line is Union contracts control what we do and how much it cost us. That to me is unacceptable. Unions were created to protect workers from being abuse by the so called evil capitalist's. Now the unions use their strength to abuse the taxpayers. Who can protect us from them? How can we get out from under their control.
Since SS and Medicare are so cost effective, and health insurance will be the same fiscal mess, do we really need to be forced to buy products by the federal government. If you rationalize this are you going to do the same when they require us to buy broadband because it is for the good of everyone. What are we going to be required to buy next and justify it in that way? Just something to think about.
As far as I know there are more budget committee positions open. Jump right in the water is fine. Tax increase with removal of trash pick up, even. Interesting stuff to ponder.
This is a good idea if all parties agree and this is part of whole re-organization. To say you will not reduce the number of staff is poor judgement. That is grave disservice to the tax payers and the children. To the taxpayers because it assures long term higher tax burden, and for the children, because you/we miss the chance to weed out the less productive staff in the organization, condemning them to a lesser quality education than could be achieved. Think before you speak it will bode better for all of us.
The state says we have to have this position, agreed. But, like the state or the fed in many of their positions, we can have it but leave it empty, saving us tax dollars.
I really hope that the selectpeople choose to leave that position open and save the taxpayers, the money. The state is going to reduce the towns working revenue and we need to save every dime we can, where ever we can. They, 'the state and federal gov' tax and regulate businesses out of the state and expect us to just lay down and get bled dry.
Did you guys/gals ever watch "The Patriot"? Well we need to hold the line and not crumble to those that would just tax and spend us out of our jobs and homes. There was another piece in the movie about tirrany and that a legislative body can be just a outragous as a greedy king.
Hold the line.
Anyone else want us to haul the trash for you? It will save you money. This is a non governmental comment. Just as a resident of Jay expressing an opinion.
When you take a dump or do your laundry, etc, where do you think that goes? Any money related to sewage treatment is coming out of the taxpayers pockets. The mills helped the town with positive cash flow , the people with good steady high paying jobs, helped create a better enviromental monitoring system, supplied customers with products they needed. Just a sad thing for everyone that wants to live free and not government subsidized.
Angel I don't believe Mr. Merrill or anyone else feels relatives don't matter. I believe his point was that the town can't afford to be giving our extra paid vacation days. The word extra is the key word. If the employee has vacation built up there is no big deal to let them use some of there vacation time, but if you are giving them extra pay then that is where the issue is. It has nothing to do with the personal emotionalism you shared, your feelings are valid, but the tax payer has to ponder the dollars, because it comes down to how much are you going to pay for your property taxes. Mr. Merril may sound cold to you, but it sounds like he was really just trying to help protect the taxpayers.
Mark are you advocating the removal of spray air cans?
What are your solutions?
When I was growing up, huffing gasoline was about as cheap as a person could get and trip besides. I don't recall someone running an article in the paper telling us about what types and where to get it. Texaco hi test leaded was the strongest, by the way.
The problem isn't the material used to get high, it is the denial of the disease of addiction. You don't discuss the real problem, you only tell how powerfull some of the symptoms are. That is especially attractive to a person that gets obsessive and compulsive with behaviors like the consuming of alcohol or other drugs, or any other action than done obsessively creates negative consequences.
I guess my point is: What was your point?
I'm sure you had one, just share it and maybe it would make more sense.
M
Recent Comments
This is progress, but look at
This is progress, but look at the other article today about the ex-fireman that didn't get any jail time for raping his daughter. Just makes you kinda scratch your head, doesn't it.
Beth, thanks for the info. I
Beth, thanks for the info. I see a lot of info in the link on how many students are shifting around and also going online, but what about quality of their education? People shift because they think the quality is going to be better for the most part, what does reality turn out to be? Who is becoming a better educated student? I think that is the most important piece of the puzzle. The students need to graduate with more knowledge than the dumbed down quality they are receiving now. What is the best way to do that? I have my ideas that I gathered over the years and while being a school board member. One is change the way bumping is done in relation to tenure. As it is, it assures a less quality school system at a higher cost, over time. That is one of the systematic parts of the over all problem, as far as I see it anyway.
Have you ever visited
Have you ever visited Norlands, in Livermore Falls?
Here is a clip from their web page.
A Country School, 1853
Scholars go back to the basics of reading, writing and 'rithmetic in the District #7 one-room schoolhouse. Your group will experience education of the era by role-playing scholars and using materials of the time, including slates, quill pens and early readers. Pre and post-visit materials are provided.
If you visited this historical site you will see that what Bea is talking about was being applied then, without computers.
It may be good to look at what used to work and what hasn't since.
You ladies and all the others
You ladies and all the others that have helped with the Free Public Suppers since the Free Public Suppers. started in 1/2010, serving 1439 in 2010 and 1464 meals to people so far this year with two more months left to be served. The Daughters, the Knights, and all the others that have volunteered to help and all the donators/supporters are just awesome, to be serving the folks that come to share in this expression of God's love.
It is good to see the Wilton
It is good to see the Wilton Police be so responsive. That shows a lot of growth and improvement with them.
There are no excuses for
There are no excuses for domestic violence. period.
Nice photo's Ruth.
Nice photo's Ruth.
Mr. McGrane your perception
Mr. McGrane your perception must be right on, the county departments weren't keep in the loop, according to the article in the Daily Bulldog, let alone anyone else. The process was more than likely changed because of thinking associated with this quote from the story.
(We had decided to use that method rather than voting at public hearing when, frequently, emotion rather than reason prevailed,” he said.)
The emotions must be from the folks that disagree with what they want to spend and on what it is spent on.
All you can do is stick to honest principles and keep on trying to make what positive changes can be done within ones term and hope at some point other like minded people will join, changing the sway of the vote.
Just something to ponder.
Have a nice weekend. Your
Have a nice weekend. Your pretty interesting for an educated fool, with no common sense.
Does everyone that uses a gun
Does everyone that uses a gun that benefits from NRA lobbying to protect their rights have to pay NRA dues?Should they? Are there double standards in your logic? The Democrats have manipulated required union payments, through liberal judical appointments and legislation, over the last 50 years. Why is that? Could possibly be to guarantee the financial support for election time? I wonder how that works out fairly for individual citizens. In relation to the bill of rights, the unions can speak all they want, but no one that doesn't want to be a part of them should not be cohearsed into paying them and in doing so be funding any political party. The benefits of union negotiations always get presented like there are no negative consequences for individual workers, the companies, or the community at large, when that is not the truth of the matter.
Perhaps the unions need to be
Perhaps the unions need to be required to become part owners in whatever company they want to be in. That way their view of reality would be more realistic. As far as, state unions, they finance the Democratic party and both co-create an atmosphere of negative business and negative individual & personal property rights, the same as any other communal society/organization does.
How about those that don't
How about those that don't want anything to do with unions, have to pay the fees, get bumped from their job because of seniority instead of quality of work or loose their job, because the union has bled the company into insolvency? Oh, of course the state unions don't fear the state going bankrupt, because we can just get taxed more to cover their cost.
Total
This is my personal calculation, it comes up to this. Someone correct my numbers, please. Perhaps the new board will fully disclose the complete numbers, if all the money the new RSU requested is authorized, and it's taxpayer impact.
$125,521 +$25,000 + $25,000 + $75,000 + $65,000 + $8,250 = $323,771
Jay 78% = $252,541
Combined Livermore/Livermore Falls = $71,636
10%
In your home budget 10% has to have been cut in fuel costs alone, let alone the inflation of other base goods and services, and or had your hours cut at work, or no raises or bonuses for years because the companies we work for have had to deal with a biased free trade agreement along with pay higher taxes of multiple kinds and the cost of ordinances, workers comp, and enviromental licenses, etc, etc etc. and the cost of labor, material, and legal fees to fulfill the requirements of those mandates. Is your first response of a 10% loss of income,"I will stop going to work/fixing my car." Perhaps it is. I know I have felt like that over the last three years, but what do the majority of Mainers do instead? Work on positive sustainable solutions, is what most Mainers have done and will do.
The first response from MPBN was that 10% is the cost of our broadcasting towers, if we loose that we won't be able to broadcast. Silly and manipulative, don't you think? It is a common tactic used by many organizations that are funded by tax dollars. Does it sound familiar to you? Where? I am sure if you are honest you will identify this mind set played out in the news almost on a daily basis, contract negotiations, budget debates.
At home we have to sort out wants, needs, capabilities, affordabilities, find efficiencies, set priorities and keep on fighting to survive and improve our situation. Come on get real. The whole 10% won't get reduced, this is Maine government trying to be practical when it hasn't been forced to be practical for decades. I will vote for Lepage again, just so he can bring forth the discussion instead of surrendering to the way it has always been, so that is how it should always be.
Balance
The debate will bring out a balance, just like the other legislation that has been worked on lately. Like the safe chemical debate, that worked out ok, have a little faith. I listen to MPBN on the radio 90.1 fm. Vinyl Caffe and The BBC news. I don't need the tv part, we don't use them, take the 20% from that part. How's that for self serving, can you relate? If the state cut the whole amount it would be 20% of the broadcasters whole Maine budget, would that be the end of the whole organization, I doubt it. I think there will be some compromise, say split the difference between MPBN and the clean election fund. The discussion just started.
Rational
It is rational to put out there proposals and then debate them. What does upset me is this class warfare thing that people justify when times get tight. What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine?
There shouldn't even be an estate tax. The owner of the property has been paying taxes right along, then they die and the greedy state has to take some just for it being passed off to a relative or whoever, that is bolona. 50 years of so called Democratic party rule has turned this state more left than the USSR was in it's hay day, a real competition with Massachusetts.
Interesting info
http://www.asmainegoes.com/content/chronies-living-well-long-after-balda...
Gov. LePage shouldn't have
Gov. LePage shouldn't have let the paper dry on this decision, before replacing these people on the PUC.
Where is the fishing industry listed?
Is the fishing industry part of this equation? If not why?
options
Donna:
There were/are three other options with even distribution of board members that fit the guidelines: 10, 14, and 20. If the committee chooses to reconsider these even options.
Why am I not surprised the way this all has played out so far, that the info you were given for this article was only the 19 member option for a different choice.
Since the school boards have no power to reject the committee's decisions forcing them to reconsider, per the letter from the state given to us during last weeks meeting.
We have to hope, leaving it up to the the committee members consciences, that they will re-evaluate the vote passability of their choice of an unevenly numbered board structure.
Michael Schaedler
edit
I don’t want Jay’s town budget to be held hostage to the whims of others.
clarity
Good morning:
As the Jay school board member that voted no during this meeting. I felt the need to clarify what that was about.
First: We all want the towns to be able to vote on a reasonable and responsible consolidation option. I have never been involved with or seen in any organization that when it's board creates a committee and that board doesn't have the right to tell the committee when it comes to the board with it's conclusions, that the committee needs to go back and rework part of the proposal. We were manipulated with an interpretation of a letter from a person from the state, which stated we would not be in compliance if we refused to pass this consolidation proposal. All of us want to consolidate, but three of us had wanted the committee to go back and revise its proposal, that was last Thursday. Last night we were told we would be out of compliance with the State if we didn't vote for the proposal that was handed us, with no revision. What would you do? How would you feel? You see the results, so be it.
Second: There were three other choices for board member structure that fit the guidelines that could have been chosen, which would have made the number of board members even between Jay and RSU 36. allowing a cautious move forward into a new school system relationship between 2 current school systems.
Third: The choice of 6 for Jay and 7 for RSU 36, doesn't allow Jay to protect it's taxpayers or school children from poor choices, if and or when made, while Jay will be responsible for 71% of the cost of the new school system. What has been the history of the two school systems in relation to state rated performance? Does it matter to you? Does it matter to the student’s future? What do you think/feel?
You could say I am a sore sport for loosing the voting. Feel as you may.
I am frustrated that we were manipulated to have to accept an unacceptable configuration without forcing the committee to review their choice.
If the choice for consolidation stays as it is, I will vote no as a resident of Jay.
I don't want Jay's town budget to be held hostage to the whines of others. We struggle to do the best for Jay citizens with what we have already.
I hope others do the same to force us to have a more reasonable and responsible consolidation offer.
Respectfully,
Michael
Ps. concerning the state fines for not consolidating. I have a hard time believing the new administration in Augusta will continue with the past administrations fining of our 2 school systems of around $1,000,000 already. We do want to consolidate, just more fairly.
slow down your spending
(The whole building project started with the need to increase space at the Sheriff' Department Office and make it safer for dispatchers and deputies. It grew to a countywide project.
“We're not done yet,” Keach said.)
Since Jay voted to cut costs by closing it's dispatch, it seems the county has been on a steady mission to spend more money, defeating the purpose of closing our politer and more responsive dispatch. Considering when you spend more money you charge us more money.
I hear the county wants to push it's donation section of it's budget off onto the towns also, copying the states pattern of behavior of saying it is cutting it's budget, but really it is shifting the cost to the individual town's property owners.
Instead of saying you are not done yet with your plan, why don't you take some time to ponder how you can be more efficient with the money you have to work with. Hopefully at some point in time if you hold your hand pat and not expect people to just keep paying more and more and more, better solutions can be found.
This is only my personal
This is only my personal opinion. I agree with you in the desire to save the towns money. The thing is it is not up to Mr. Wall to come up with the savings. Both Supers can work together to come up with projected possibilites of savings only. Not until the voters of all three towns vote the consolidation in and then vote in a new board will real solid numbers be possible. The consolidation needs to be looked at in a way that: is this going to be fair for all three towns, the best we can make it. If you/we feel it is fair, then we vote it in. Then we have to choose who to vote in that will make the choices you/we want that will save us all money and provide the best possible education that we can provide for all the students, while being fair to the teachers also. So, the responsibility for saving the greatest amount of money is going to be on the tax payers/voters to make sure that they/we vote in people to run the school system that will make the choices needed to restructure the system to be the most cost effective and productive in providing the highest quallity education that can be provided.
Really right now the most important thing is to find out how the consolidation is set up and is it going to be fair. Complaining about people not telling us what we want to hear when they can't give an honest answer because they are not in a position to give those answers factually, only to project them. You know how projections are. At best it's like a fog along the river, making one guess what is really there. Something to ponder on.
Spruce Mountain would be a
Spruce Mountain would be a good name for a few reasons.
Unity
Mountains are identifiable with strength and challenge.
Identification of local positive resource.
Mascots could be related to the name with less chance of being politically incorrect.
The name association could help advertise Spruce Mountain Skiing.
There are a couple reasons, I'm sure you folks can think of more.
That is just my personal opinion.
Coordination
You High School citizens are doing a wonderful thing. If you could coordinate your Saturday hours to say 2-4 then the people that come to the Free Public Supper across the street at the KC hall could visit your shop and then come have a free supper also. The suppers are once a month, next one being on 10/9/10. As far as I know both of the free public service projects are open to anyone. Just something to ponder. 779-6951
wild blueberrys
The only place I've seen them for sale so far this year has been Pikes Oasis 897-2112. There were blackberry's this morning but you could ask them if they were going to get anymore of the blueberry's they had last week.
YES
YES
Do away with state union & legislative pensions
Require those that have set themselves up as elitists, in this surfdom that the state unions and their legislative servants have created, go on SSI and private retirement investing. like the common folk. Just keep taxing, regulating, penalizing, zoning the landowners, taxpayers, businesses, so the cadillac pay, pensions, inefficient contractual policies can be maintained at all cost. Is everyone going to go vote for the same people that pander to the self-destructiive contractual agreements that are destroying common people's ability to live and grow? Is everyone want most of the people in maine to be supported by the state in one form or another? State employees jobs with high pay + benefits + pensions + healthcare are created with every regulation, every new legislative action, every department and program the legislators maintain and create anew, add to the backs of the people that live in Maine and do business in Maine. Who pays for all the costs? We can't print money and the unions and government don't make money, they only take from others, give to themselves, and thier enabliers. Can the state go bankrupt like GM or others,write off it's debt and re-model the contracts to a rational and sustainable state of affairs? Maybe that is the best option to bring some sanity to the fianacial irresponsibility of the state and it's negotiated contracts pay, benefits, pensions, and healthcare. Chapter 11 perhaps that is the best answer. Oh, but no, we don't have to do that because we can tax the people some more, it will be ok.
Maybe they were
Maybe they were subcontracting for the medical pot distributor and legal cultivator that is opening in Wilton.
Welcome to Maine. Maybe some
Welcome to Maine. Maybe some quiet time and good salt air will help you make some better decisions in the days to come.
One day at a time. One single
One day at a time. One single step at a time. Just keep moving forward with what we have to work with,and are willing to accept help with.
join
E, if you choose to, call Dr. Wall to see if you can possibly get on the part of the subcommittees that deal with that piece of the pie. Your experience will be handy and helpful to get past this situation without hurting ourselve too bad and doing the best for the kids and taxpayers, while getting out from under the yearly penalty from the state.
address
187 INTERVALE ROAD
JAY ME 04239
ins
We don't have insurance either. Not on our list of bills we can afford to pay. Instead of fussing about them not having insurance, why don't you send them a check or bring them something useful. Their mailbox is still there.
This is the wisest joint
This is the wisest joint decision you have done since before the bailouts happened. Thank you both.
vote
All the votes didn't go the way I wanted them either, but I voted and I need to accept reality and move forward. Hope you folks voted.
Bill Beardsley
Until this weekend I was undecide on how to vote. With all the political mailings coming, the only use we found for them was to create btu's to ward off the dampness. Saturday we received one from Bill Beardsley and my choice was made. He has some of his basic beliefs listed in plain common sense language. All listed matched mine. Bill Beardsley will be getting my vote today.
Good for our communities
Quality egg farms does a lot of good for our communities. Through putting people to work, paying taxes, and supporting non-profit orgs help others. They may have treated chickens not as good as you would like, but they are not the evil enemy of Maine and it's people.
Please vote yes
What the tax reform does is transfer the tax cost from the middle and upper income people to the low income and welfare recipients. The low and no income folks can't afford new taxes on the goods that are used everyday and need to be bought to survive. Please vote yes to repeal the tax reform law so this doesn't happen, and remember who it was that was trying to push this deception upon us, at the next vote.
I know that it is against the
I know that it is against the law, but it is a law that creates a situation where at the institutions like college where something as abstract as age determines that someone is responsible enough to imbibe while others are not.
Good try at rationalization, try harder next time.
tenure +
If a child is told he/she is unteachable or treated as if the teacher feels that is the case, the child will not excel.
If a child is treated like they are not wanted they will not excel.
If a child is offered confusing and boring class work they will not excel.
When a more energetic positive qualified teacher is let go or moved to class they are less qualified for, because of tenure or contractual bumping requirements, the child will not excel.
There are contractual reasons children won't excel, while costing the taxpayers the maximum amount of money possible.
Just some other reasons than those that put all the blame on the kids, as some would have it.
?
With an RSU, we don't deal with school stuff.
How do you receive/give pressure for an RSU to spend within it's means or be more assertive durning contract negotiations?
Edification
Students:
Your energy and willingness to accept negative consequences, along with the temporary positive feelings from the attention and feeling of rebellion, for something you feel strongly about is commendable . However, before an action is taken it is best of educate yourself on the issues involved and ponder on the possible consequences, instead of acting on emotion. Acting on emotion allows others to manipulate you.
It is important that you read these contracts to see what the disputes are all about. It is not that the school admin and your parents/taxpayers don't want to supply you with a top quality education. The struggle is with how that is done and how to do it while living within ones means.
Have you ever heard of tenure, accountability, bumping, contract negotiations, among a few terms that are important?
Did you know the school committee's/board's don't have a union/co-op to help offset the state labor unions power during contract negotiations?
That is why you will find many things in the contracts that may seem odd to you and counter productive to your education, along with some things that are positive for your education.
These links are the contracts for your school. Help educate yourself so, when you act is with a strong edified footing.
http://www.lisbonschoolsme.org/superintendent/docs/LESP%20Contract%20-%2...
http://www.lisbonschoolsme.org/superintendent/docs/LEA%20Agreement%20200...
Respectfully,
Michael
Educate the students
Students:
Your energy and willingness to accept negative consequences, along with the temporary positive feelings from the attention and feeling of rebellion, for something you feel strongly about is commendable . However, before an action is taken it is best of educate yourself on the issues involved and ponder on the possible consequences, instead of acting on emotion. Acting on emotion allows others to manipulate you.
It is important that you read these contracts to see what the disputes are all about. It is not that the school admin and your parents/taxpayers don't want to supply you with a top quality education. The struggle is with how that is done and how to do it while living within ones means.
Have you ever heard of tenure, accountability, bumping, contract negotiations, among a few terms that are important?
Did you know the school committee's/board's don't have a union/co-op to help offset the state labor unions power during contract negotiations?
That is why you will find many things in the contracts that may seem odd to you and counter productive to your education, along with some things that are positive for your education.
These links are the contracts for your school. Help educate yourself so, when you act is with a strong edified footing.
http://www.lisbonschoolsme.org/superintendent/docs/LESP%20Contract%20-%2...
http://www.lisbonschoolsme.org/superintendent/docs/LEA%20Agreement%20200...
Respectfully,
Michael
extra money for roads
No
Cost of trash
Angel, there was a vote to have a seperate vote on the home pick up.
If you watch the discussions, the final line is Union contracts control what we do and how much it cost us. That to me is unacceptable. Unions were created to protect workers from being abuse by the so called evil capitalist's. Now the unions use their strength to abuse the taxpayers. Who can protect us from them? How can we get out from under their control.
federal mandates
Since SS and Medicare are so cost effective, and health insurance will be the same fiscal mess, do we really need to be forced to buy products by the federal government. If you rationalize this are you going to do the same when they require us to buy broadband because it is for the good of everyone. What are we going to be required to buy next and justify it in that way? Just something to think about.
restrictions
Can a school reject State money and reduce the state requirements put upon the schools, without them being fully funded?
budget committee
As far as I know there are more budget committee positions open. Jump right in the water is fine. Tax increase with removal of trash pick up, even. Interesting stuff to ponder.
This is a good idea if all
This is a good idea if all parties agree and this is part of whole re-organization. To say you will not reduce the number of staff is poor judgement. That is grave disservice to the tax payers and the children. To the taxpayers because it assures long term higher tax burden, and for the children, because you/we miss the chance to weed out the less productive staff in the organization, condemning them to a lesser quality education than could be achieved. Think before you speak it will bode better for all of us.
Olympia good job. Please
Olympia good job. Please stick to your down home Maine common sense and principles and we all will be better off when the dust falls from this.
The state says we have to
The state says we have to have this position, agreed. But, like the state or the fed in many of their positions, we can have it but leave it empty, saving us tax dollars.
Hi Jim: You sound like a
Hi Jim: You sound like a lawyer. Is that the case?
I really hope that the
I really hope that the selectpeople choose to leave that position open and save the taxpayers, the money. The state is going to reduce the towns working revenue and we need to save every dime we can, where ever we can. They, 'the state and federal gov' tax and regulate businesses out of the state and expect us to just lay down and get bled dry.
Did you guys/gals ever watch "The Patriot"? Well we need to hold the line and not crumble to those that would just tax and spend us out of our jobs and homes. There was another piece in the movie about tirrany and that a legislative body can be just a outragous as a greedy king.
Hold the line.
Anyone else want us to haul
Anyone else want us to haul the trash for you? It will save you money. This is a non governmental comment. Just as a resident of Jay expressing an opinion.
When you take a dump or do
When you take a dump or do your laundry, etc, where do you think that goes? Any money related to sewage treatment is coming out of the taxpayers pockets. The mills helped the town with positive cash flow , the people with good steady high paying jobs, helped create a better enviromental monitoring system, supplied customers with products they needed. Just a sad thing for everyone that wants to live free and not government subsidized.
Angel I don't believe Mr.
Angel I don't believe Mr. Merrill or anyone else feels relatives don't matter. I believe his point was that the town can't afford to be giving our extra paid vacation days. The word extra is the key word. If the employee has vacation built up there is no big deal to let them use some of there vacation time, but if you are giving them extra pay then that is where the issue is. It has nothing to do with the personal emotionalism you shared, your feelings are valid, but the tax payer has to ponder the dollars, because it comes down to how much are you going to pay for your property taxes. Mr. Merril may sound cold to you, but it sounds like he was really just trying to help protect the taxpayers.
Who is going to police for
Who is going to police for the drug carrying ons?
Mark are you advocating the
Mark are you advocating the removal of spray air cans?
What are your solutions?
When I was growing up, huffing gasoline was about as cheap as a person could get and trip besides. I don't recall someone running an article in the paper telling us about what types and where to get it. Texaco hi test leaded was the strongest, by the way.
The problem isn't the material used to get high, it is the denial of the disease of addiction. You don't discuss the real problem, you only tell how powerfull some of the symptoms are. That is especially attractive to a person that gets obsessive and compulsive with behaviors like the consuming of alcohol or other drugs, or any other action than done obsessively creates negative consequences.
I guess my point is: What was your point?
I'm sure you had one, just share it and maybe it would make more sense.
M
This is a test, testing,
This is a test, testing, testing. Where does it go?